Privacy Policy

Tech Talks uses first-party cookies and analytics to understand how users discover and engage with tech talk videos. Cookies are used to provide personalised video recommendations based on your viewing history. All data is stored in our own database and never shared with third parties.

Last updated: January 02, 2026

What We Collect

When you use Tech Talks, we collect the following information to help us understand how people use the platform:

  • Page views - Which videos you watch and which pages you visit
  • Referrer information - Where you came from (search engines, social media, direct links)
  • Search queries - What you're looking for when using our search feature
  • IP addresses - Collected for security and fraud prevention purposes
  • Browser and device information - Your browser type (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) and device (desktop, mobile, tablet)
  • UTM parameters - How you found us from marketing campaigns (if applicable)

How We Track You

We use first-party analytics powered by the Ahoy gem to understand how visitors use Tech Talks and to provide personalised video recommendations.

Cookies We Use

We use the following first-party cookies to identify you across visits:

  • ahoy_visitor: A persistent visitor identifier that lasts up to 2 years. This allows us to remember your viewing history and provide personalised recommendations.
  • ahoy_visit: A session identifier that expires after 4 hours of inactivity. This groups your page views into a single visit.
  • _vid: A backup visitor identifier (2 years) used when the primary cookie may be blocked by browser privacy settings.

What We Track

  • Pages you visit and when
  • Videos you view and interact with
  • Search queries you perform
  • Filters you apply (tags, speakers, events)
  • Marketing attribution (UTM parameters from links)
  • Basic device information (browser, OS, device type)
  • Location data (country/region/city level)

How We Use This Data

Your viewing history is used to:

  • Personalised Recommendations: We show you videos similar to ones you've watched before
  • Popular Filters: We highlight trending topics based on aggregate viewing patterns
  • Analytics: We understand which content is most engaging to improve the platform

Important privacy notes:

  • All cookies are first-party only (set by tech-talks.io)
  • No cross-site tracking
  • Your visitor token is a random UUID, not personally identifiable
  • Clearing your cookies resets your recommendations
  • Recommendations still work without cookies (falls back to popular content)

Why We Collect IP Addresses

IP addresses are collected for security and fraud prevention:

  • Detect and block malicious traffic, bots, and scrapers
  • Prevent abuse of the platform (like automated video scraping)
  • Identify and mitigate DDoS attacks or suspicious patterns
  • Enforce rate limiting to ensure fair access for all users

IP addresses are used for security, fraud prevention, and determining approximate geographic location (country/region/city level) for analytics purposes. We do not use IP addresses to identify or track individual users.

How We Use Your Data

We use the collected data to:

  • Understand which videos are most popular and engaging
  • Improve our search functionality based on what people are looking for
  • Optimize site performance and loading times
  • Detect and prevent abuse, fraud, and security threats
  • Make data-driven decisions about content curation and platform features

We do not:

  • Sell your data to third parties
  • Share analytics data with video hosting platforms (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
  • Use your data for advertising purposes
  • Track you across other websites

Data Storage and Security

Where your data is stored: All analytics data is stored in our own PostgreSQL database. We use first-party analytics, meaning your data stays with us and is never sent to third-party analytics services.

How long we keep it: Analytics data is automatically deleted after 12 months. Older data is purged regularly to minimize data retention.

Security measures:

  • Database is encrypted at rest and in transit
  • Access to analytics data is restricted to authorized administrators only
  • Regular security audits and updates to maintain protection
  • Secure hosting infrastructure with industry-standard protections

Third-Party Services

Video Embeds: Videos on Tech Talks are embedded from third-party platforms like YouTube and Vimeo. These platforms may set their own cookies when you watch videos.

We do not share our analytics data with these video platforms. They only receive information when you directly interact with their embedded players.

Your Privacy Rights

You have full control over your data:

Do Not Track (DNT)

We respect the "Do Not Track" browser setting. If you have DNT enabled, we will still track page views for analytics purposes, but we will not use your viewing history for personalised recommendations.

Request Data Deletion

If you would like us to delete the analytics data we've collected about you, please contact us at privacy@tech-talks.io with your request. We'll process your request within 30 days.

Access Your Data

You have the right to request a copy of the data we've collected about you. Contact us at the email address above, and we'll provide you with a data export.

Children's Privacy

Tech Talks is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time as we add new features or improve the platform. When we make significant changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we're protecting your privacy.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this privacy policy or our data practices, please contact us:

In Summary: We use first-party cookies to provide personalised video recommendations and make Tech Talks better. Your data stays with us, is automatically deleted after 12 months, and is never sold to third parties. You can clear your cookies at any time to reset your recommendations. Questions? Email us at privacy@tech-talks.io.