Privacy & Legal

Privacy policy

This policy explains what personal data Akasha collects, why we collect it, how we store it, and what rights you have over it. We keep it plain because a privacy policy should be readable, not just compliant.

Who we are

Akasha is a personal blog about psychology, spirituality, and personal development, operated from Scotland, United Kingdom. For any privacy-related question you can reach us using the details in the Complaints and contact section below. For the purposes of UK data-protection law, Akasha (Mark Lovelady) is the data controller for this site.

What data we collect

Email address. If you subscribe to the mailing list, we collect the email address you enter so we can send you new posts. We do not sell, rent, or share it.

Complaint details. If you contact us with a data-protection complaint, we process the name, email, and details you provide so we can investigate and respond.

Analytics. With your consent (via the cookie banner) we use PostHog (EU) and, where enabled, Google Analytics 4 to understand how the site is used. These load opted-out by default and only set cookies or record activity after you accept. See the Cookie policy for details. You can decline or withdraw consent at any time.

Technical data. Our host, Cloudflare, automatically collects standard server log data (such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited) as part of delivering and securing the site.

Lawful basis for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under the UK GDPR (as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025):

• Consent — for the mailing list and for analytics cookies. You can withdraw consent at any time without affecting processing carried out before you withdrew it.
• Legitimate interests — for keeping the site secure and reliable, and for responding to enquiries and complaints. Our purpose is to run a safe, working blog and to deal properly with anyone who contacts us; this processing is necessary because we cannot operate the site or reply to you without it; and we have balanced it against your rights and freedoms, using only the minimum data needed and not in a way you would not reasonably expect.

Where we ever rely on a recognised legitimate interest under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 — for example, disclosing data to a public-safety body such as the police — the balancing test above does not apply to that specific disclosure.

How we store your data

Mailing-list email addresses and complaint correspondence are handled through our email provider (Postmark) and our own mailbox. We keep your email address while you remain subscribed; if you unsubscribe it is removed within 30 days. Complaint records are kept only as long as needed to handle the complaint and meet our legal obligations.

Your rights

Under UK data-protection law you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Erasure — ask us to delete your data.
• Restriction — ask us to limit how we use your data.
• Portability — receive your data in a portable format.
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Withdraw consent — at any time, where we rely on consent.

Subject access requests

You can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We will make reasonable and proportionate searches to find it and respond within the statutory timeframe (normally one month). To make a request, use the details in the Complaints and contact section.

Complaints and contact

If you are unhappy with how we have used your personal data, please complain to us first. The simplest way is our data-protection complaints form. You can also email privacy@marksai.co.uk, or write to us at Akasha, c/o Marks AI Ltd, Scotland, United Kingdom.

We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, keep you informed of progress, and tell you the outcome without undue delay. If you remain dissatisfied, you can escalate to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Children's privacy

This site is not directed at children under 16 and we do not knowingly collect their data. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date above shows the most recent revision.

Terms of use

By using Akasha you agree to these terms. This site is provided for personal, non-commercial use. You may read, share, and link to our content, and quote reasonable excerpts with attribution.

Content here is for general information and reflection only. It is not professional, medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice and should not be relied on as a substitute for it. If you need support, please consult a qualified professional.

This site may link to external websites whose content and privacy practices we do not control; following such links is at your own discretion. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Akasha and its author are not liable for any damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, this site. Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under Scots law.