Privacy Policy - Beyond The Joystick

Privacy Policy for “Beyond the Joystick”

Last Updated: 29/12/2025

Welcome to Beyond the Joystick (the “Website”). We are committed to protecting your personal data and your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

1. Data Controller

The entity responsible for the processing of your data (Data Controller) is:

Name/Owner: Tommaso Sibilia
Contact Email: info@beyondthejoystick.space
Location: Italy / European Union

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We collect the minimum amount of data necessary to provide our services.

A. Newsletter Subscription When you subscribe to our newsletter via our pop-ups or forms, we collect:

Your email address.
Your first name (if provided).
Tool used: We use MailPoet (a WordPress plugin) to manage and send our newsletters. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to MailPoet’s sending service for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy.

B. Comments When you leave a comment on the site we collect:

The data shown in the comments form (Name, Email, Website).
Your IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

C. Cookies and Analytics We may use cookies to improve your experience.

Functional Cookies: To remember your preferences.
Analytics: We may use tools (like Google Analytics or Jetpack) to understand how visitors interact with the site. This data is anonymized where possible.

3. Why We Collect This Data (Purpose and Legal Basis)

To send you the Newsletter: We process your email address based on your explicit Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) given when you subscribe.
To manage Comments: We process this data based on our Legitimate Interest to allow discussion on our articles and prevent spam.
To maintain Website Security: To protect the site from fraud or attacks.

4. Data Sharing (Third Parties)

We do not sell your data. However, we share data with specific service providers essential for the Website’s operation:

Hosting Provider: Hostinger (stores the website’s database).
MailPoet: To deliver the newsletter emails reliably.
Spam Filters: Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

5. Data Retention

Newsletter: We keep your email address until you unsubscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of every email.
Comments: Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely to recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically.

6. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a user based in the EU, you have the following rights:

Right of Access: You can ask for a copy of the data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: You can ask us to correct wrong information.
Right to Erasure (“Right to be forgotten”): You can ask us to delete your data (e.g., remove you from the newsletter list).
Right to Withdraw Consent: You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at: info@beyondthejoystick.space.

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We encourage you to review this page periodically for any changes.