Privacy Policy

Tech Talks uses cookieless, privacy-first analytics to understand how users discover and engage with tech talk videos. No tracking cookies are set, and all data is stored in our own database and never shared with third parties.

Last updated: December 05, 2025

What We Collect

When you use Tech Talks, we collect the following information to help us understand how people use the platform:

  • Page views - Which videos you watch and which pages you visit
  • Referrer information - Where you came from (search engines, social media, direct links)
  • Search queries - What you're looking for when using our search feature
  • IP addresses - Collected for security and fraud prevention purposes
  • Browser and device information - Your browser type (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and device (desktop, mobile, tablet)
  • UTM parameters - How you found us from marketing campaigns (if applicable)

How We Track You

We use cookieless analytics powered by the Ahoy gem to understand how visitors use Tech Talks. This approach is privacy-first and does not require cookie consent banners.

What We Track

  • Pages you visit and when
  • Videos you view and interact with
  • Search queries you perform
  • Filters you apply (tags, speakers, events)
  • Marketing attribution (UTM parameters from links)
  • Basic device information (browser, OS, device type)
  • Location data (country/region/city level)

Anonymity Sets - No Cookies

Instead of using cookies, we identify returning visitors using "anonymity sets" consisting of:

  • User Agent: Your browser and operating system information (e.g., "Chrome 120 on macOS")
  • Masked IP Address: Your IP address with the last portion removed for privacy (masks last 48 bits of IPv6, last 8 bits of IPv4)
  • Current Date: The date of your visit (this resets daily, preventing indefinite tracking)

This approach provides useful analytics while respecting your privacy:

  • No cookies are set on your device
  • No cross-site tracking
  • Visit sessions reset daily (not indefinite)
  • You cannot be identified as an individual

Why We Collect IP Addresses (Even in Cookieless Mode)

IP addresses are collected for security and fraud prevention, regardless of your cookie preference:

  • Detect and block malicious traffic, bots, and scrapers
  • Prevent abuse of the platform (like automated video scraping)
  • Identify and mitigate DDoS attacks or suspicious patterns
  • Enforce rate limiting to ensure fair access for all users

IP addresses are used for security, fraud prevention, and determining approximate geographic location (country/region/city level) for analytics purposes. We do not use IP addresses to identify or track individual users.

How We Use Your Data

We use the collected data to:

  • Understand which videos are most popular and engaging
  • Improve our search functionality based on what people are looking for
  • Optimize site performance and loading times
  • Detect and prevent abuse, fraud, and security threats
  • Make data-driven decisions about content curation and platform features

We do not:

  • Sell your data to third parties
  • Share analytics data with video hosting platforms (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
  • Use your data for advertising purposes
  • Track you across other websites

Data Storage and Security

Where your data is stored: All analytics data is stored in our own PostgreSQL database. We use first-party analytics, meaning your data stays with us and is never sent to third-party analytics services.

How long we keep it: Analytics data is automatically deleted after 12 months. Older data is purged regularly to minimize data retention.

Security measures:

  • Database is encrypted at rest and in transit
  • Access to analytics data is restricted to authorized administrators only
  • Regular security audits and updates to maintain protection
  • Secure hosting infrastructure with industry-standard protections

Third-Party Services

Video Embeds: Videos on Tech Talks are embedded from third-party platforms like YouTube and Vimeo. These platforms may set their own cookies when you watch videos.

We do not share our analytics data with these video platforms. They only receive information when you directly interact with their embedded players.

Your Privacy Rights

You have full control over your data:

Do Not Track (DNT)

We respect the "Do Not Track" browser setting. If you have DNT enabled, we will still track page views anonymously (as we do not use cookies), but we honor your privacy preference by not attempting to identify you across sessions.

Request Data Deletion

If you would like us to delete the analytics data we've collected about you, please contact us at privacy@tech-talks.io with your request. We'll process your request within 30 days.

Access Your Data

You have the right to request a copy of the data we've collected about you. Contact us at the email address above, and we'll provide you with a data export.

Children's Privacy

Tech Talks is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time as we add new features or improve the platform. When we make significant changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we're protecting your privacy.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us:

In Summary: We use cookieless analytics to make Tech Talks better. No tracking cookies are set on your device, your data stays with us, is automatically deleted after 12 months, and is never sold to third parties. Questions? Email us at privacy@tech-talks.io.