Last updated: 13 October 2026
Who I am
This is the personal website of Bear McBlack. I am the controller of the personal data described here, acting as an individual. This site is not run by Thrivology Limited or any other company. Contact me at bearmcblack@gmail.com.
What this site collects
This site has no forms and no accounts. The only personal data collected comes from the analytics and marketing tools below, and only if you agree to them through the cookie banner. If you click Reject, none of them load.
Google Analytics 4 (analytics)
Purpose: to count visits and see which pages people use. Data: cookie identifiers, the pages you view, your device and browser type, and your approximate location. Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses. Provider: Google Ireland Limited / Google LLC. Retention: [GA4 DATA RETENTION SETTING – 2 or 14 months; check Admin › Data retention]. The cookies (_ga, _ga_*) last up to 2 years.
Microsoft Clarity (analytics)
Purpose: to see how visitors use the pages, through heatmaps and session recordings of clicks, scrolls and mouse movement. Clarity masks anything typed into form fields. Provider: Microsoft Corporation. Retention: session recordings are kept for 30 days; a small number of saved or randomly sampled recordings, and heatmaps, are kept for up to 9 months. Clarity sets first-party cookies (_clck, _clsk) and Microsoft may set its own cookies (such as MUID and CLID).
Meta Pixel (marketing)
Purpose: to measure visits that come from Facebook and Instagram, and to build advertising audiences. Data: cookie identifiers, the pages you view, browser details and your IP address, which Meta may link to your Facebook or Instagram account. Provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited / Meta Platforms, Inc. Retention: the _fbp and _fbc cookies last 90 days. Meta keeps the data it receives under its own privacy policy.
LinkedIn Insight Tag (marketing)
Purpose: to measure visits that come from LinkedIn and to build advertising audiences. Data: cookie identifiers, the pages you view, browser details and your IP address, which LinkedIn may link to your LinkedIn account. Provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company / LinkedIn Corporation. Retention: LinkedIn keeps the data it receives under its own privacy and cookie policies.
Lawful basis
For Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, the Meta Pixel and the LinkedIn Insight Tag, I rely on your consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations). A cookie that remembers your consent choice is strictly necessary and does not need consent.
Transfers outside the UK
Google, Microsoft, Meta and LinkedIn may process data in the United States. These transfers rely on the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, where the provider is certified, or on the International Data Transfer Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
Changing your mind
You can withdraw or change your consent at any time using the “Cookie settings” link in the footer. You can also delete cookies in your browser. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that happened before.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to: be informed; access your data; have it corrected; have it erased; restrict its use; data portability; object; and rights about automated decision-making and profiling. Email me to use any of them. I will reply within one month.
Complaints
If you are unhappy, please contact me first. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, or call 0303 123 1113.