Privacy Policy
What data Steam Deck Machine collects, why it's collected, how long we keep it, and the rights you have over it.
Last updated
This policy applies to steamdeckmachine.com and explains how we handle personal data. It's written to satisfy the EU GDPR, the UK GDPR, the California CCPA, and Brazil's LGPD. If there's a conflict between this page and applicable law, the law wins.
- Controller
- The Steam Deck Machine editorial team.
- Contact
- via the contact page
- Scope
- This website and the newsletter associated with it.
- Updated
- 21 May 2026
The plain-English summary
We collect the minimum needed to keep the site running, understand which articles are read, and answer your emails. We don't sell your data. We don't run ad networks that fingerprint you across the web. Analytics are aggregated and anonymised.
What we collect
Server logs
Our hosting provider (Cloudflare) records standard request data: IP address, user agent, referrer, requested URL, and timestamp. These logs are used to defend against abuse and diagnose outages.
Analytics
We use a privacy-respecting analytics service to count page views and understand which content resonates. The service aggregates data and does not assign you a persistent identifier across sites. No raw IP addresses are stored after the request is processed.
Cookies
We use a small number of cookies — none of them are advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. The full list, including how to disable them, lives on the cookie policy page.
Contact and pitches
When you email us, we receive your address, the message body, and any attachments. We use that data to reply and, if relevant, to follow up on the story. Source-protection requests are honoured.
Newsletter (if you subscribe)
If we run a newsletter and you opt in, we collect your email address and the timestamp of your consent. You can unsubscribe with one click from any issue.
Legal basis
Under the GDPR, we rely on the following bases:
- Legitimate interests — security logs, aggregate analytics, content delivery.
- Consent — newsletter subscriptions and any non-essential cookies.
- Contractual necessity — replying to your emails or fulfilling press requests.
- Legal obligation — when retention is required by law.
How long we keep it
- Server logs
- Up to 30 days at the edge, then aggregated or deleted.
- Analytics
- Aggregated counts indefinitely; raw events under 24 months.
- Email correspondence
- Until the thread is resolved, plus a reasonable archival period.
- Newsletter subscribers
- Until you unsubscribe.
Sharing
We do not sell personal data. We share data only with the processors that operate parts of the site:
- Cloudflare — hosting, CDN, and security (USA / global edge).
- Email provider — to deliver and receive mail from the addresses listed on the contact page.
- Analytics provider — for aggregate audience metrics.
Each processor is contractually bound to handle the data only on our instructions and to protect it appropriately.
International transfers
Some of our processors operate outside the EU/UK. Where that's the case, transfers are protected by Standard Contractual Clauses or an adequacy decision recognised by your jurisdiction.
Your rights
You have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal data, and the right to data portability. EU/UK residents may also lodge a complaint with their local supervisory authority. To exercise any of these rights, reach out via the contact page. We'll respond within 30 days.
Children
Steam Deck Machine is written for an adult audience. We don't knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we'll delete it.
Security
The site is served over HTTPS. Email is encrypted in transit where the receiving server supports it. We use the principle of least privilege for staff access. No system is perfect — if you find a vulnerability, please disclose it responsibly via the contact above.
Changes
When this policy changes materially, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top and, for substantive changes, note the change in a newsletter or banner. Minor wording fixes won't trigger a notice.