Privacy policy.
Plain-English description of what this site collects, why, where it goes, and how to get it removed.
Last updated: 10 June 2026 · Controller: Yaqoob Kaif Mehdi Syed, United Arab Emirates · syedmehdiyaqoob725@gmail.com
1. Who I am
This is the personal portfolio and services site of Yaqoob Kaif Mehdi Syed (“I”, “me”), operated from the United Arab Emirates at yaqoob.duckdns.org. For anything in this policy, contact me at syedmehdiyaqoob725@gmail.com.
2. What I collect, and why
Contact & proposal forms
When you send a message or request a proposal, I collect the details you enter (typically your name, email address, company, and your message). I use this only to reply to you and scope potential work. Legal basis: taking steps at your request prior to entering a contract, and my legitimate interest in responding to enquiries.
Echo, the AI assistant
Messages you type to Echo are sent to my server and then to a third-party AI model provider (one of Groq, Google, or Anthropic, depending on configuration) to generate a reply. Recent turns of your conversation are included so the assistant can follow context. Do not enter sensitive personal information into the chat. Conversations are not used to identify you and are not sold; they may be processed by the model provider under their own terms. Legal basis: your consent, given by choosing to use the chat.
Community wall / guestbook
Entries you post to the wall are public by design, together with the name you choose to sign with. Ask me at syedmehdiyaqoob725@gmail.com to remove an entry at any time.
Analytics (optional)
If you choose “Allow analytics” in the consent bar, the site loads Plausible Analytics, a privacy-focused, cookieless tool that records aggregate page views without tracking you across sites or storing personal identifiers. If you choose “Essential only”, no analytics load at all. Legal basis: consent.
Server logs
Like virtually every website, the hosting infrastructure keeps short-lived technical logs (IP address, request path, timestamp) for security and abuse prevention — for example, rate-limiting the contact form and the AI chat. Legal basis: legitimate interest in keeping the service secure.
3. Cookies & local storage
| Name | Type | Purpose | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|
| session | Cookie (essential) | Keeps the site administrator logged in to the admin area. Not set for visitors. | 12 hours |
| theme | localStorage (essential) | Remembers your light/dark preference. | Until cleared |
| cookie-consent | localStorage (essential) | Remembers your analytics choice. | Until cleared |
No advertising or cross-site tracking cookies are used.
4. Where data goes
The site runs on Oracle Cloud infrastructure. Form submissions are stored in the site’s database and may trigger an email notification to me via Resend. Echo messages are processed by the configured AI provider (Groq, Google, or Anthropic). I do not sell personal data, and I do not share it with anyone except these processors, or where the law requires it.
5. Retention
Contact and proposal messages are kept for as long as needed to handle the enquiry and for reasonable business records, then deleted. Wall entries stay until you ask for removal or I prune them. Technical logs rotate automatically on a short schedule.
6. Your rights
Depending on where you live — including under the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) and, for EU/UK visitors, the GDPR — you can ask me to access, correct, delete, or stop processing personal data I hold about you, and you can withdraw consent at any time. Email syedmehdiyaqoob725@gmail.com and I will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
7. Children
This site is not directed at children and I do not knowingly collect their data.
8. Changes
If this policy changes materially, the date at the top will be updated. Continued use of the site after changes means the updated policy applies.