Last updated 27 September 2026
Privacy policy
Bloomkala is a photo and ideas blog. You can read everything without an account, and we collect as little as possible. This policy explains exactly what that is.
1. Summary
- You can browse the whole site without signing up or telling us who you are.
- We only receive personal data if you send it: a message through the contact form.
- Our own visitor statistics use no cookies and store no IP addresses.
- Google Analytics and personalised Google ads only run if you accept them in the cookie banner. You can change your choice any time with Cookie settings in the footer.
- We never sell your personal data.
2. Who is responsible
Bloomkala (bloomkala.art) is run by Deepak, an individual based in India. For the purposes of India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 we are the "Data Fiduciary", and for the EU/UK GDPR the "controller", of the personal data described here. Contact: support@bloomkala.art.
3. What we collect, why, and for how long
| What | When | Why | Kept for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page-view counts: page address, day, referring website, device type (mobile/desktop), country | Every visit | To see which content is useful. Counts only, not linked to any person; no cookies, no IP address stored | 13 months, then deleted automatically |
| Cloudflare Web Analytics: page address, referring website, browser, device type, country, page-loading speed | Every visit | To see which pages are visited and how fast they load. Cookieless: no cookies, no local storage, and no personal profile | Processed by Cloudflare under its privacy policy; we only see totals |
| Affiliate link clicks: which link, which day | When you click a shop link | To know which recommendations help. We do not record who clicked | 13 months |
| Name, email address, your message | If you use the contact form | To read and answer your message | As long as needed to handle your message and any follow-up, then deleted |
| Technical data (IP address, browser signals) | When you submit a form, and for all traffic at our host | Security: blocking spam, bots and attacks (Cloudflare and Cloudflare Turnstile) | Processed by Cloudflare under its own policy; we do not store it |
We do not ask for, and ask you not to send, sensitive information such as health, financial or government ID details.
4. Cookies and similar technologies
Essential storage is always on because the site needs it. Everything else is off until you choose it in the cookie banner.
| Name | Set by | Purpose | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
bk_consent (browser storage) | Bloomkala | Remembers your cookie choices | Essential |
theme (browser storage) | Bloomkala | Remembers light or dark mode | Essential |
__session, __bk_preview | Bloomkala | Sign-in for site administrators only. Visitors never receive them | Essential |
_ga, _ga_* | Google Analytics | Measures how pages are used. IP addresses are anonymised | Analytics: only if you accept |
__gads, __gpi, IDE and similar | Google AdSense and its partners | Shows ads, limits repeats, measures ads, and (if you allow) personalises them | Advertising: personalised only if you accept |
| Retailer cookies | The shop you visit (e.g. Amazon) | After you click an affiliate link, the shop records that you came from us | Set on the shop's own website |
Cloudflare Turnstile, which protects our forms, does not use cookies to track you. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings.
5. Advertising (Google AdSense)
We may show ads served by Google AdSense to keep the site free.
- Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website or other websites.
- Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and/or other sites on the internet.
- You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalised advertising at www.aboutads.info (US) or www.youronlinechoices.eu (EU).
- Read how Google uses information from sites that use its services.
Visitors in the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland see Google's certified consent message before any personalised ads. Everywhere else, choosing Essential only in our banner means any ads you see are non-personalised.
6. Affiliate links
Some links go to shops that pay us a small commission if you buy something. We only record that a link was clicked, not who clicked it. What happens on the shop's website is covered by that shop's privacy policy. See our affiliate disclosure.
7. Who we share data with
We use trusted service providers who process data only to run this site:
- Cloudflare, Inc.: hosting, database, image storage, security, Turnstile form protection and cookieless Web Analytics (privacy policy, Turnstile addendum).
- Google LLC: Google Analytics and AdSense, only as described above (privacy policy); and Firebase sign-in, used only by our own administrators.
We may also disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect the site and its visitors from fraud or abuse. We do not sell or rent personal data to anyone.
8. Where your data is processed
Our providers run global networks, so your data may be processed outside your country, including in the United States, the EU and India. Where the law requires it, these transfers are protected by the providers' standard contractual clauses or equivalent safeguards.
9. How we protect it
The site is served only over HTTPS. Stored data is kept in access-controlled Cloudflare services. Only authorised administrators can open the admin area, and their access is checked on every request. No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affecting your personal data ever happens, we will inform you and the authorities as the law requires.
10. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you can ask us to:
- tell you what personal data we hold about you, and what we do with it;
- correct, update or complete it;
- delete it;
- withdraw any consent you gave. Withdrawing is as easy as giving it: use Cookie settings in the footer, or write to us;
- for EU/UK residents: receive a copy in a portable format, and object to or restrict processing;
- for residents of India: nominate another person to exercise your rights if you die or become unable to;
- for residents of California and other US states with privacy laws: know what we collect, delete it, and opt out of the use of your data for personalised advertising (choose Essential only in Cookie settings). We do not sell personal data, and you will never be treated differently for using these rights.
Email support@bloomkala.art. We may need to confirm it is really you, and we will reply within 30 days. If you are unhappy with our answer you may complain to your data-protection authority: in India the Data Protection Board of India; in the EU/UK your local supervisory authority.
11. Legal bases (EU/UK visitors)
Analytics and personalised ads: your consent. Answering your messages: steps you asked us to take. Anonymous statistics, security and essential storage: our legitimate interest in running a safe, useful website.
12. Children
This is a general-audience website and is not directed at children. The contact form is for people aged 18 or over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has sent us their details, contact us and we will delete them.
13. Grievance Officer
In line with India's Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules under it, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, questions and complaints about your data can be sent to our Grievance Officer: Deepak, support@bloomkala.art. We acknowledge complaints promptly and resolve them within 30 days.
14. Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle data, we will update this page and the "Last updated" date at the top. Significant changes will also be highlighted on the site.