Last updated: September 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how Digitalmonstr ("we", "us", or "our") collects and uses personal information when you visit digitalmonstr.com (the "Website"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including the UK GDPR and the EU GDPR.
Who we are
Digitalmonstr is a freelance web development practice. Our website address is https://digitalmonstr.com. For any privacy-related enquiries, contact us at hello@digitalmonstr.com.
What information we collect
Contact form submissions
When you use our contact form, we collect:
- Your name
- Your email address
- The subject and content of your message
This information is used solely to respond to your enquiry. We do not add you to any mailing list without your explicit consent.
Cookieless audience measurement (every visitor)
This site measures its own audience with a small in-house script hosted on digitalmonstr.com. For each visit it records the pages viewed, the site you arrived from, the campaign parameters in the link you arrived through, window size and pixel density, browser language and timezone, browser and operating system family, how far each page is scrolled and how long it stayed in the foreground, loading times, technical errors, the cookie choice you made and when, and whether the contact form was sent or a contact link (email, phone, WhatsApp) was clicked.
- No cookie is set. The data is pseudonymous and stays first-party: it goes to this site's own hosting, never to an analytics company.
- A random visit identifier is held in this browser's sessionStorage and disappears when you close the tab. A separate marker in this browser records only that it has been here before, so repeat visits can be counted: it holds no identifier, and opting out below deletes it.
- The data is kept for 13 months, then deleted.
- If your browser sends the Global Privacy Control signal, nothing is measured unless you accept in the cookie banner.
You can object at any time with the button below. It writes a single setting (vh_optout) in this browser and stops all of this site's own measurement, including the interaction analytics described next. Google Analytics and Hotjar are separate: they follow the choice you make in the cookie banner.
Interaction analytics and session replay
With consent, the same script also records:
- clicks and taps, with the element reached and where on it you clicked
- scrolling and window resizing
- mouse movement, and the menus or carousels you hover
- when a form field is entered, left, changed or refused by the form, never what you type in it
- copying text from the page (the element it came from, never the copied text), swipes on touch screens, and horizontal movement inside sliders
From those events the site owner can replay a visit over the page as it was that day, to see what gets in the way. Neither your screen nor the content of the page is filmed: the replay is rebuilt from the events above.
In the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, none of this starts before you accept in the cookie banner. Everywhere else it is on by default, unless your browser sends the Global Privacy Control signal, and you can stop it with "Opt out" in the banner or "Manage cookies" at the bottom of any page. The region comes from your device's timezone, with no network lookup; when the timezone cannot place you, the EEA rule applies.
Where this data is stored
Both measurements are sent to the site's own hosting, at o2switch in France. The files stay there for up to 30 days, then move to the site owner's computer, where they are analysed. Nothing is shared with third parties, and nothing is used for advertising.
Analytics data (Google Analytics 4)
We also use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use this Website. GA4 collects information such as:
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Referring website or search query
- Browser type, operating system, and device type
- Country-level location (not precise location)
This data is collected pseudonymously and is processed by Google LLC. The Google tag loads on every page and runs in Google Consent Mode: in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland it starts denied, so no Google Analytics cookie is set and Google receives only limited cookieless signals until you accept. Everywhere else, analytics storage is granted by default, unless your browser sends the Global Privacy Control signal: it then stays denied until you accept. You can change your choice at any time by clicking "Manage cookies" or clearing your browser's local storage for this domain.
For more information on how Google handles analytics data, see the Google Privacy Policy. To opt out of GA4 tracking across all websites, use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
Cookies and local storage
We use the following types of cookies and browser storage:
- Consent preference: a localStorage entry that records your cookie consent decision (accept or decline). This is strictly necessary to remember your preference and is not used for tracking.
- Analytics cookies (GA4): set by Google Analytics to distinguish users and sessions, after you accept in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, and by default elsewhere unless you opt out. They expire within 2 years.
- Site measurement, no cookies: a visit identifier in sessionStorage (vh_s), cleared when the tab closes, plus a vh_optout entry in localStorage if you opt out.
- Hotjar cookies: set by Hotjar when its script loads (see below) to recognise a visit and a returning browser.
We do not use advertising or social media cookies.
Third-party services
Web3Forms (contact form processing)
Our contact form submissions are processed by Web3Forms, a third-party form service. When you submit the contact form, your name, email address, and message are sent to Web3Forms' servers and forwarded to our inbox. Web3Forms does not retain form submissions permanently. Please review the Web3Forms Privacy Policy for details on their data handling.
Google Analytics 4
As described above, we use Google Analytics 4 to measure site traffic. This service is provided by Google LLC and is subject to the Google Privacy Policy. In the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, GA4 sets no cookie until you accept via our consent banner.
Hotjar
We also use Hotjar (Hotjar Ltd), which records clicks, scrolling, mouse movement and visit recordings. Its script loads after you accept in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, and by default elsewhere unless you opt out in the banner. That data is held by Hotjar; see the Hotjar Privacy Policy.
Google Fonts
This Website loads fonts (Inter, Plus Jakarta Sans, JetBrains Mono) from Google Fonts, which may result in your browser making a request to Google's servers. Google may log your IP address when serving font files. See the Google Privacy Policy for details.
How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- Respond to enquiries submitted via the contact form
- Understand how visitors use our Website and improve it (audience measurement, interaction analytics and session replay, as described above)
- Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.
Legal basis for processing (GDPR)
- Contact form data: Legitimate interest (responding to an enquiry you initiated).
- Interaction analytics, session replay, Google Analytics cookies and Hotjar: Consent (in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland you accept in the banner first).
Data retention
Contact form enquiries are retained in our email inbox for as long as is necessary to manage the business relationship. Analytics data is retained in Google Analytics for up to 14 months per Google's default settings. Data from the site's own measurement stays up to 30 days on the hosting, then 13 months on the site owner's computer.
Your rights
Under UK/EU GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data
- Withdraw consent to analytics tracking at any time
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (UK) or your local supervisory authority
To exercise these rights, contact us at hello@digitalmonstr.com.
Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
This Website does not read the Do Not Track setting. It does follow Global Privacy Control (GPC): with GPC on, the site's own measurement, Google Analytics and Hotjar all stay off until you accept in the banner, wherever you are.
Links to other websites
Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Contact us
For any questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us at hello@digitalmonstr.com.