Privacy Policy

This personal blog uses open web technologies such as Webmentions to allow decentralized interactions (mentions, replies, and reactions) between websites. When you interact with this site, limited data may be processed, such as your page URL, metadata associated with a Webmention, and technical information (e.g. IP address) in server logs. This data is used only to operate, secure, and moderate the site. If a Webmention is approved, your source URL may be displayed publicly on the relevant post. You remain in control of your data: you can request the removal or non-publication of any Webmention or interaction at any time by contacting the site owner. Data is not sold and is kept only as long as necessary, in accordance with European data protection rules (GDPR).

Privacy Policy (Webmentions & interactions)

Last updated: 2026-02-09

1) Who runs this site (data controller)

This website is a personal blog operated by Ricardo Mendes (“I”, “me”, “the site”).

Contact for privacy requests:

If you contact me, I will use your message only to respond and handle your request.

2) What this policy covers

This policy explains how data can be processed when you:

  • read the site,
  • interact with posts (for example via Webmention),
  • leave comments (if enabled),
  • or send me messages.

Webmention is a web standard that lets another site notify this site that it linked to it.

3) Webmentions: what may be collected and displayed

If your website (or a service acting on your behalf) sends a Webmention to a page on this site, the site may receive and store information such as:

  • the source URL (your page),
  • the target URL (my page),
  • the source page title, and sometimes an excerpt or content summary (depending on your page markup and the Webmention implementation),
  • date/time of receipt,
  • moderation status (approved / pending / spam),
  • technical metadata in server logs (see section 5).

How it may appear on the site: Approved Webmentions may be displayed publicly on the relevant post, in a “mentions/reactions” area (sometimes stored similarly to comments, depending on the platform/plugin).

Important: By sending a Webmention, your source URL may become publicly visible on this site if approved. If your source page contains personal data, that data might be reachable via your URL.

4) Why I process this data (purposes)

I process Webmention and interaction data to:

  • display and maintain decentralized conversations (mentions, replies, likes),
  • moderate spam and abuse,
  • keep the site secure and stable (e.g., prevent malicious requests).

5) Server logs and security data

Like most websites, the server may temporarily log technical data when your browser or your Webmention endpoint connects, such as:

  • IP address,
  • date/time,
  • requested URL,
  • user-agent,
  • error logs.

6) Cookies

This site does not use cookies in any way.

When applicable, processing is based on:

  • Legitimate interests (running a personal website, preventing spam/abuse, site security, and enabling/maintaining web conversations), balanced against your rights.
  • Consent where required (notably for non-essential cookies or similar tracking technologies, when used).

8) Retention (how long data is kept)

  • Webmentions / interaction entries: kept until they are no longer needed for the purposes above, or until you request removal.
  • Server logs: kept for 3 weeks for security and troubleshooting, then deleted.

9) Sharing and third parties

I do not sell personal data.

Data may be processed by service providers necessary to run the site, such as:

  • hosting provider / VPS provider,
  • email provider (to receive your requests),
  • anti-spam tools (if enabled),
  • optional Webmention-related services (only if you use them, e.g., an external receiver).

If any provider processes data outside the EU/EEA, I will document it here, including the transfer mechanism where applicable.

10) Your rights (EU/EEA)

If GDPR applies, you may have rights including:

  • access,
  • rectification,
  • erasure,
  • restriction,
  • objection,
  • and data portability (where applicable).

11) How to request removal of a Webmention or interaction

If you do not want your Webmention (or link/reaction) to appear on this site, you have options:

Option A — Contact me (fastest)

Email privacy@rmendes.net with:

  • the URL of my page, and
  • the URL of your source page (the Webmention).

I can:

  • remove the public display,
  • delete the stored entry, or
  • keep it unpublished (moderation-only), depending on what you request.

Option B — Remove it at the source

If you delete the link (or delete the source page), some Webmention implementations support updating/removing the mention when reprocessed. (This can vary by software.)

12) Embedded content and external links

Posts may include links to external websites. If you follow them, those sites have their own privacy practices.

If I embed third-party content (video players, social posts, etc.), those services may collect data when the embed loads. Where relevant, I will document this in the cookie policy and/or the specific post.

13) Changes to this policy

I may update this policy to reflect technical or legal changes. The “last updated” date at the top indicates the current version.