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Privacy Policy

What YakRigged collects, why, and how to opt out — written in plain English, no dark patterns.

Last updated

Plain-English summary. YakRigged is a small editorial site. We don't sell your data, we don't run third-party ad networks, and we don't drop tracking cookies. The only personal data we hold is your email address if you subscribed to the newsletter, and we hand that to our newsletter provider (Beehiiv) — nowhere else. The longer version is below for the people who need it (and for regulators).

This page describes how YakRigged ("we", "us") handles information about visitors to yakrigged.com. We try to keep it short and honest. If you want the regulatory citations, see the How this maps to GDPR / CCPA section at the end.

What we collect

We only collect what's listed below. Anything not on this list, we don't collect.

1. Newsletter email address

If you submit the Subscribe form (footer, article CTA, or /subscribe page), we collect:

  • The email address you typed.
  • The source of the signup (e.g. footer, article, /subscribe) so we know which CTA actually works.
  • Any UTM parameters present in the URL (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign) — these tell us if the signup came from a specific marketing link.
  • The referring page (your browser's Referer header) — same purpose.

That data is forwarded to our newsletter provider, Beehiiv, which stores and sends the actual emails. We do not store the email address in any other database on our side. Beehiiv's privacy practices are documented at beehiiv.com/privacy.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of any newsletter email. When you unsubscribe, Beehiiv stops emailing you immediately; their normal retention policy applies to the record itself.

2. Anonymous traffic analytics

We use Vercel Analytics and Vercel Speed Insights to understand which pages are popular and whether the site is fast.

These tools are cookieless and do not assign you a persistent identifier. They count pageviews and aggregate performance metrics. They do not build a profile of you across sessions or sites. Vercel's documentation on this: vercel.com/docs/analytics/privacy-policy.

3. Standard server logs

Like every web server on the public internet, our host (Vercel) records basic request metadata when you visit a page:

  • Your IP address (used to route the response and detect abuse).
  • The page URL you requested.
  • Your browser's User-Agent string.
  • The timestamp.

These logs exist for operational and security reasons (debugging, abuse prevention, rate-limiting). We do not use them for advertising or profiling. Vercel's retention policy applies; we do not export or analyze these logs in any other system.

What we do NOT collect

For clarity, here's what we are not doing:

  • ❌ No third-party advertising cookies (no Google Ads, no Meta Pixel, no ad network of any kind).
  • ❌ No cross-site tracking pixels.
  • ❌ No selling of your email or any other data to anyone.
  • ❌ No first-party tracking cookies. The site does not set a cookie when you load a page.
  • ❌ No "essential" cookie banner because there are no cookies to consent to. (If we ever add one, we will add a banner and update this page before it goes live.)

Embedded videos (YouTube)

Some articles embed YouTube videos. We use the youtube-nocookie.com privacy-enhanced domain, which means:

  • Before you click Play, no Google cookies are set in your browser and no data is sent to Google about you.
  • When you do click Play, the video is served by YouTube directly, and at that point Google's own privacy policy applies (they may set cookies and log the playback).

If you don't want Google to see the playback, just don't press Play. The video thumbnail and player frame on their own don't tell Google anything about you.

YakRigged is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program and a few similar affiliate networks. When we recommend gear, we sometimes link to the retailer's product page using an affiliate URL. If you click that link and buy something, the retailer pays us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A few things to know:

  • Every page that contains affiliate links displays an Affiliate Disclosure at the top. We don't hide this.
  • The destination retailer (e.g. Amazon) drops their own cookies once you land on their site so they can attribute the sale. Their privacy policy governs that — not ours.
  • We do not see your purchase details. We only see aggregate commission reports from the retailer's affiliate dashboard.
  • Editorial picks are made before the affiliate link is added. We don't rank gear by commission rate.

Email correspondence

If you email us at hello@yakrigged.com (or reply to a newsletter), we keep that email in our inbox so we can respond and refer back to the conversation. We don't add your email to the newsletter list just because you wrote to us — you have to actively subscribe through the form.

Children's privacy

YakRigged is aimed at adults shopping for fishing gear. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13 (or under 16 in the EU). If you believe a child has submitted their email to our newsletter, write to hello@yakrigged.com and we'll delete the record.

Your rights

You can, at any time:

  • See what we have on you. Email hello@yakrigged.com and we'll send back whatever's on file (in practice: your newsletter email + signup metadata, or nothing if you haven't subscribed).
  • Delete it. Same email address — we'll remove you from Beehiiv and confirm.
  • Unsubscribe. Use the link at the bottom of any newsletter, no email required.
  • Object to processing. We don't do automated decision-making or profiling, but if you have a specific concern, write to us and we'll address it.

We aim to respond within 7 days; the legal maximum (GDPR Art. 12) is 30.

How this maps to GDPR / CCPA

Because the questions come up — here's the regulator-readable version.

  • Data controller: YakRigged (contact via hello@yakrigged.com).
  • Lawful basis for the newsletter (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)): your explicit consent, given by submitting the subscribe form.
  • Lawful basis for analytics and server logs (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)): legitimate interest in running and securing the site, balanced against minimal data and no persistent identifier.
  • Categories of personal data processed: email address, IP address, approximate technical metadata (browser, referrer, UTM).
  • Recipients / processors: Beehiiv (newsletter delivery), Vercel (hosting + analytics).
  • International transfers: Vercel and Beehiiv are US-based. Where you are in the EU/UK, transfers rely on the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or equivalent Standard Contractual Clauses maintained by those processors.
  • Retention:
    • Newsletter email — until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
    • Server logs — Vercel's default retention (typically 30 days).
    • Analytics — aggregated; no individual record to delete.
  • CCPA "Do Not Sell or Share": we do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined in CCPA. There is nothing to opt out of, but you may still email us to request deletion.

Changes to this policy

When we materially change this policy, we'll update the last-updated date at the top and — if the change affects existing subscribers — send a notice in the next newsletter. Cosmetic / clarifying edits don't trigger a notice.

Contact

Questions, concerns, or "hey, this paragraph contradicts itself" — email hello@yakrigged.com. We read everything.