Last updated: 29 October 2026

phil.sg is the personal website of Philip Sow. This page explains what personal data the site collects, why, who else handles it, and how to contact me about it. I aim to handle personal data in line with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA).

What is collected and why

• Contact form (on The APAC Handbook page): your name, email address, an optional subject and your message. These are used only to read and reply to your message. Submissions are sent to me by email; the form does not keep a copy in the site’s database. Google Analytics records that the form was sent, but not what you typed.
• Comments on blog posts: your name, email address, optional website and your comment. WordPress also records your IP address and browser details with each comment to help detect spam. Comments may be held for moderation. Once approved, your name, website (if given) and comment are public; your email address is not published. If a profile picture is shown next to your comment, it comes from Gravatar (run by Automattic), which receives a scrambled form (hash) of your email address to look it up.
• Emails you send to philsow@phil.sg: whatever you choose to include. This is used to reply to you.
• Visit statistics: Google Analytics and Jetpack Stats record things like the pages you view, the site that referred you, your browser and device type, and your approximate location based on your IP address. I use this to see which content people read. I see summary reports, not who you are.
• Security logs: security software on the site and on the host’s server records IP addresses and request details to block attacks and abuse.
• Downloads: downloading the contact card (.vcf) or reading any page does not ask you for any details. Like any web request, it is recorded in the server’s logs with your IP address.

Cookies and embedded content

• Google Analytics sets cookies (named _ga and _ga_…) to count visits and recognise returning visitors.
• If you tick the box when commenting, your browser saves your name, email and website in cookies so you do not have to type them again.
• The Inspiring Journey page includes an embedded YouTube video. YouTube (Google) may set cookies and collect data when that page loads, as if you had visited YouTube directly.
• Some pages show an image loaded directly from Unsplash (images.unsplash.com), and WordPress may load emoji images from s.w.org if your browser needs them. Loading these sends your IP address and browser details to those services.
• If your browser is asked to pass an automatic security check, the host’s security software may set a short-lived cookie to remember that you passed. The site’s caching may set a technical cookie after you comment so that you see the right version of a page. People who manage the site get login cookies when they sign in; visitors never need to sign in.

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and the site will still work. To opt out of Google Analytics, you can also use Google’s opt-out browser add-on. At present the site shows no ads and uses no affiliate links (the Amazon links to my book are plain links), and I do not sell personal data.

Who else handles your data

• Exabytes, my web host, hosts the website (including its database) and the philsow@phil.sg mailbox on its Singapore hosting network.
• Google provides Google Analytics and YouTube, and hosts the email account that receives the site’s notifications (such as contact-form messages and new comments). See Google’s privacy policy.
• Automattic (WordPress.com) provides Jetpack Stats and the Jetpack connection, which copies some site data, which can include comments, to Automattic’s servers. Automattic says it keeps stats logs containing IP addresses for 28 days. See Automattic’s privacy policy.

Transfers outside Singapore

Google and Automattic are based in the United States, so data collected by Google Analytics, YouTube and Jetpack Stats, the site’s notification emails and data copied by Jetpack may be processed in the United States or other countries. These companies handle it under their own privacy policies and data protection terms, which I rely on to protect it to a standard comparable to the PDPA.

Consent

By sending a message through the form, leaving a comment or emailing me, you agree to that information being used to respond to you. You can withdraw your consent at any time (see below). Visit statistics run when pages load; you can block them as described under “Cookies and embedded content”.

Access, correction and withdrawal of consent

Email philsow@phil.sg to:

• ask what personal data I hold about you and how it has been used;
• ask me to correct personal data that is wrong or incomplete;
• withdraw your consent, for example by asking me to delete your comment or your messages.

I may need to confirm your identity first. I will respond to access and correction requests as soon as reasonably possible, generally within 30 days. If I need longer, I will tell you within 30 days when you can expect a reply. If withdrawing consent affects anything (for example, I can no longer reply to you), I will tell you.

How long data is kept

Messages and emails are kept in my mailbox for as long as reasonably needed to deal with them and keep a record of our correspondence, and I delete them when they are no longer needed. Comments, whether published or held for moderation, are kept until they are removed. Google Analytics data is kept for the period set in the site’s Google Analytics account. Automattic keeps stats logs for 28 days, as above. Security logs are kept according to the settings of the site’s and host’s security software.

Protecting your data

I take reasonable steps to protect personal data: the site is served over HTTPS, only authorised accounts can manage it, and security software runs on the site and the server. No website is completely secure. If a data breach happens, I will assess it and notify the Personal Data Protection Commission and the people affected where the PDPA requires it.

Children

The site is not aimed at children.

Contact and changes

Philip Sow is the contact for data protection matters on this site. For any privacy question, request or complaint, email philsow@phil.sg. If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new date.