Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy describes how Mikhail’s Travel Blog (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and safeguards your information when you visit https://mikhailrahman.com (the “Site”).
Mikhail’s Travel Blog is a travel blog that publishes travel guides, destination reviews, travel tips, national park information, and other travel inspiration from destinations around the world.
By accessing or using the Site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to the collection and use of your information in accordance with its terms.

Information We Collect
a) Information You Provide Directly
When you interact with the Site, you may voluntarily provide us with the following information:
● Your name
● Your email address
● Information submitted through contact forms
● Comments posted on blog articles
● Subscription preferences
● Any other information that you choose to provide to us
b) Usage Data
When you visit or use the Site, we may automatically collect certain technical and usage information, including:
● IP address
● Browser type and version
● Device type and operating system
● Pages or content viewed
● Time spent on pages
● Date and time of visits
● Referring websites and links
c) Cookies and Similar Technologies
We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:
● Remember and store your preferences
● Improve the performance and functionality of the Site
● Enhance security
● Analyze visitor behavior and usage patterns
● Measure content performance
● Support advertising and affiliate programs
You can manage cookies through your browser settings. If you disable or refuse cookies, some portions of the Site may not function properly or may be less tailored to your preferences.
How We Use Your Information
We may use the information we collect for the following purposes:
● To operate, administer, and maintain the Site
● To respond to your inquiries, requests, and communications
● To improve travel guides, destination reviews, and other travel planning resources offered on the Site
● To analyze traffic, usage, and visitor trends
● To enhance and personalize user experience
● To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and technical issues
● To send newsletters or other communications if you choose to subscribe
● To comply with applicable legal obligations and regulatory requirements
Legal Bases for Processing (EEA and UK Visitors)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, our processing of your personal data is based on one or more of the following legal grounds:
● Your consent
● The performance of a contract or steps taken at your request prior to entering into a contract
● Compliance with legal obligations to which we are subject
● Our legitimate interests, including improving and securing the Site, analyzing usage, and enhancing our services, provided that such interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights and freedoms
How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information in exchange for monetary compensation. However, certain advertising or tracking technologies used on the Site may be considered “sharing” for targeted advertising purposes under some privacy laws.
We may share information with the following categories of recipients:
● Website hosting providers
● Analytics service providers
● Email service providers
● Advertising partners
● Affiliate program partners
● Governmental or legal authorities when required by law, regulation, or legal process
These third parties are provided only with the information necessary to perform the services on our behalf and are generally expected to handle such information in accordance with applicable privacy and security requirements.
Advertising and WordAds
The Site may participate in the WordAds advertising program provided through WordPress.com.
Advertisements displayed on the Site may be personalized based on information such as your device type, browser, approximate geographic location, and browsing activity on this Site and other sites that use similar technologies.
WordAds and its advertising partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to:
● Deliver advertisements
● Measure and analyze advertising performance
● Detect and prevent fraud
● Improve the relevance and effectiveness of advertisements
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights with respect to targeted advertising and the sharing of information for these purposes, which may be exercised through available preference or consent tools.
Third-Party Services
We use various third-party services that fall into different categories based on their purpose and functionality.

6a. Analytics & Behavioral Tracking
● Google Analytics (Google LLC) – Collects usage data including pages visited, session duration, traffic sources, and device/browser information. Google may use this data in accordance with its own privacy policy. Users can opt out via the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
● Jetpack Analytics (Automattic Inc.) – Provided through the Jetpack plugin. Collects visitor statistics including page views, referrers, search terms, and geographic data. Privacy policy: https://automattic.com/privacy/
● Microsoft Clarity (Microsoft Corporation) – A behavioral analytics tool that records session replays, heatmaps, and click/scroll behavior to help improve the Site’s usability. Data collected may include mouse movements, clicks, and page interactions. Privacy policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement

6b. Authentication & Sign-In
● Sign in with Google (Google LLC) – Allows users to authenticate using their Google account. When used, Google may share basic profile information (such as your name, email address, and profile photo) with the Site. Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

6c. Security & Performance
● Cloudflare (Cloudflare, Inc.) – Used for website security, performance optimization, and content delivery. Cloudflare may process visitor IP addresses and other technical data to protect the Site from threats such as DDoS attacks, bots, and malicious traffic. It also caches content to improve page load speeds. Privacy policy: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/

6d. Reviews & Social Proof
● Trustpilot (Trustpilot A/S) – Used to collect and display customer reviews and ratings. If you submit a review through Trustpilot, they will collect your name, email address, and review content. Trustpilot may also use cookies and tracking technologies on pages where their widget is embedded. Privacy policy: https://legal.trustpilot.com/for-reviewers/end-user-privacy-terms

6e. Content Distribution & Indexing
● Google News – The Site’s content may be indexed and distributed via Google News. Google may collect data related to how users interact with the Site’s content through Google News. Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

6f. hCaptcha
● We use the hCaptcha service (provided by Intuition Machines, Inc.) on certain forms to help protect the Site from spam, automated abuse, and malicious activity. hCaptcha analyzes information such as your IP address, browser and device details, and mouse or touch movements to distinguish human users from automated bots.
● The collection and use of this information by hCaptcha are governed by hCaptcha’s own Privacy Policy (https://www.hcaptcha.com/privacy) and Terms of Service (https://www.hcaptcha.com/terms). By using forms on the Site that are protected by hCaptcha, you acknowledge and agree that hCaptcha may process your data in accordance with those policies.

By using the Site, you consent to the use of these tools as described in this Privacy Policy. Where applicable, you may opt out through the tools’ own opt-out mechanisms or by adjusting your browser or device settings to limit tracking technologies.
Affiliate Links
Some pages on the Site may include affiliate links to travel booking services, tours, attractions, and other travel-related products and services.
If you click on an affiliate link and complete a qualifying purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
These commissions help support the ongoing operation, maintenance, and development of the Site and allow us to continue publishing free travel-related content.
Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to:
● Provide and maintain the functionality of the Site
● Improve and develop our services and content
● Comply with applicable legal, regulatory, or accounting obligations
● Resolve disputes
● Enforce our agreements and protect our rights
When personal information is no longer required for these purposes, we will delete it, anonymize it, or otherwise remove it from our active records in accordance with applicable law.
Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have some or all of the following rights in relation to your personal data:
● The right to request access to the personal data we hold about you
● The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
● The right to request deletion of your information, subject to certain exceptions
● The right to request restriction of certain processing activities
● The right to object to certain types of processing
● The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on your consent
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:
Email: privacy-concerns@mikhailrahman.com
Residents of the EEA and the UK also have the right to lodge a complaint with their local data protection authority if they believe that their data protection rights have been infringed.
Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect your information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or misuse.
However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.
Third-Party Links
The Site may contain links to third-party websites, including travel booking platforms, tourism organizations, and other external travel resources.
We are not responsible for, and do not control, the content, security, or privacy practices of any third-party websites.
We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of use of any third-party sites that you choose to visit or use.
Children’s Privacy
The Site is not directed to, and is not intended for use by, children under 13 years of age.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe that a child under 13 has provided personal information through the Site, please contact us so that we can take appropriate steps to delete such information.
International Data Transfers
The Site is operated from, and your information may be processed in, the United States.
If you access the Site from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other jurisdictions whose data protection laws may differ from those in your place of residence.
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Residents of certain U.S. states may have the right to opt out of specific forms of targeted advertising or the “selling” or “sharing” of personal information as defined under applicable state privacy laws.
Where such rights apply, users may exercise them through the “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information” option or similar preference tools made available on the Site.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may revise or update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
Any changes will be posted on this page together with an updated “Last updated” date at the top of the policy.
Your continued use of the Site after any changes have been posted will constitute your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact:
Mikhail’s Travel Blog
Website: https://mikhailrahman.com
Email: privacy-concerns@mikhailrahman.com
Location: Michigan, United States