This Privacy Notice explains how Hazel, operating Journal Wave at journalwave.life ("we", "us", "our"), collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal data in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 of Singapore ("PDPA"). We publish a personal neighbourhood blog. We do not operate a marketplace, membership scheme, or advertising network. Our data practices reflect that modest scope.
1. Data controller
The data controller for this website is Hazel, reachable at Blk 88 Dawson Road #07-13, Singapore 142088, telephone +65 6389 4172, email [email protected]. Journal Wave is not a registered company; it is a personal publishing project. Questions about this notice or your personal data should be directed to the email address above with the subject line "Privacy enquiry".
2. Personal data we may collect
Because this site is largely static, we collect minimal personal data automatically and only additional data if you contact us voluntarily.
2.1 Data you provide directly
If you email us or telephone, we receive the personal data you choose to share — typically your name, email address, telephone number, and the content of your message. We do not provide web forms on this site, so we do not collect data through HTML form submissions.
2.2 Technical and access data
Our hosting provider may process server logs that include internet protocol addresses, browser type, referring URLs, timestamps, and similar technical information necessary to deliver the site securely. We do not operate first-party analytics on journalwave.life. We do not use advertising pixels or social media trackers in page templates.
2.3 Cookie and storage data
With your consent, we store a functional preference cookie named sg_blog_consent and a parallel localStorage entry named cookie_consent_v1 to remember whether you wish to load embedded Google Maps. Details appear in our Cookie Notice. These records contain your consent choice and a timestamp, not your name.
3. Purposes of collection, use, and disclosure
We collect and use personal data only for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances, including:
- responding to correspondence you initiate by email or telephone;
- maintaining the security and reliability of the website through hosting logs;
- remembering your cookie preference for map embeds when you have consented;
- complying with applicable law, lawful requests, or enforceable regulatory directions.
We do not sell personal data. We do not disclose personal data to third parties for their independent marketing. We may disclose data to service providers who process it on our instructions — principally our web host and email provider — provided they implement reasonable protection measures.
4. Legal basis and consent
Under the PDPA, we rely on consent where required, notably for non-essential cookies that enable third-party map embeds. You may withdraw consent at any time via the "Manage cookies" control described in our Cookie Notice. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
For correspondence you send us, we rely on your voluntary provision of data and our legitimate interest in answering reader mail related to Journal Wave. You are not obliged to contact us; if you do not, we will not hold personal data about you beyond incidental server logs retained by our host.
5. Third-party embeds and links
Google Maps iframes appear on every content page at neighbourhood scale. When you allow functional cookies, we record your preference for these embeds. Google may process technical data according to its own policies. We do not control Google's processing. Maps remain visible regardless of your cookie choice; your selection is stored for transparency.
Our pages may link to external sites. This notice does not cover third-party websites. Review their privacy statements before providing personal data to them.
6. Retention
Email correspondence is retained only as long as needed to respond and maintain a reasonable record of reader exchanges, unless a longer period is required for legal or dispute-resolution purposes. Server logs retention follows our hosting provider's default schedule, typically rolling off within weeks unless needed for security investigation.
Cookie consent records expire after 180 days, after which the banner reappears and prior consent is treated as expired. You may clear cookies and localStorage in your browser at any time.
7. Protection measures
We use proportionate safeguards appropriate to a small static site: HTTPS delivery where supported by hosting, minimal data collection, no public comment system that would expose your details, and restricted access to Hazel's email inbox. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Your rights under the PDPA
Subject to exceptions in the PDPA, you may:
- request access to personal data about you that we hold or control;
- request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
- withdraw consent to processing that relies on consent, where applicable;
- request information about how your personal data has been used or disclosed within the year before your request.
To exercise these rights, email [email protected] with sufficient detail for us to identify your request. We may need to verify identity before responding. We aim to respond within thirty days unless a longer period is permitted by law.
9. Accuracy
We take reasonable steps to ensure personal data is accurate and complete when used. Please notify us if your contact details change or if information we hold about you requires correction.
10. Transfer outside Singapore
Our hosting and email services may process data on servers located outside Singapore. Where personal data is transferred overseas, we expect providers to maintain standards comparable to the protection under the PDPA, or we rely on permitted transfer mechanisms under applicable law.
11. Children
Journal Wave is written for a general audience but is not directed at children under thirteen. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided personal data to us, contact us and we will take reasonable steps to delete it.
12. Data breach notification
If we become aware of a notifiable data breach affecting personal data in our control, we will assess the breach and, where required under the PDPA, notify the Personal Data Protection Commission and affected individuals in accordance with applicable guidance.
13. Updates to this notice
We may update this Privacy Notice to reflect changes in practice or law. The effective date at the top will change when we do. Material changes will be described on this page. Continued use of the site after updates constitutes acknowledgement of the revised notice, subject to your consent rights for new uses requiring consent.
14. Contact and complaints
For privacy enquiries or requests, contact Hazel at [email protected] or write to Blk 88 Dawson Road #07-13, Singapore 142088. If you remain dissatisfied after contacting us, you may lodge a complaint with the Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore in accordance with its published procedures.
15. Do Not Call and marketing
We do not maintain a marketing mailing list on this site and do not send promotional messages unless you explicitly request correspondence about Journal Wave. If you email us, we will not add your address to a newsletter because none exists.
16. Automated decision-making
We do not use personal data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects. Server-side security tools operated by our host may automatically block suspicious traffic; those processes do not evaluate reader identity for blog access.
17. Glossary
Personal data means data about an individual who can be identified from that data or from that data and other information to which we have or are likely to have access. Processing means any operation performed on personal data, including collection, storage, use, and deletion. Consent means voluntary agreement communicated clearly in accordance with the PDPA.
We keep this notice proportionate. If our practices expand, this page will expand with them — in plain English, with British spelling, from Dawson Road.