Last updated: October 2026
I’m Lara, and I run Applegum Pocket from the Northern Rivers in New South Wales, Australia. I keep what I collect to a minimum. This page explains what I collect, why, who helps me look after it, and what you can ask me to do with it. It is written to meet the privacy laws of Australia, the European Union and United Kingdom, and the United States.
Who is responsible for your information
Larissa McCollin, trading as Applegum Pocket, Northern Rivers, New South Wales, Australia.
Email: opengate@applegumpocket.com.au
What I collect
- When you subscribe or become a member: your email address, and your name if you give it. Ghost, the publishing software I use, keeps this list.
- When you write to me: your message and email address, so I can reply.
- When you visit the site: basic technical details such as your IP address, browser, device and the pages you view. My host uses these to keep the site running and secure, and to show me simple visit counts. I do not use advertising trackers or build profiles of you.
- When you support the farm: payments at Ko-fi (and, if I add paid memberships, through Stripe) are handled by those services. I see your name, email and the amount, but never your card details.
I do not knowingly collect special categories of sensitive information, and please don’t send me any.
Why I use it, and my legal basis
- To send you the letters you asked for. (Your consent. You can withdraw it at any time.)
- To reply to your messages. (My legitimate interest in answering you, or steps you asked me to take.)
- To keep the site secure and working, and to understand which posts people enjoy. (My legitimate interest.)
- To keep records I’m legally required to keep, such as for tax. (Legal obligation.)
I never sell your information. I don’t share it for advertising.
Who helps me look after it
- Magic Pages, my website host (an Austrian company, with servers in Germany).
- Hetzner, the data centre provider, in Germany.
- Cloudflare, which speeds up and protects the site.
- Mailgun, which delivers my newsletters (processing in the EU).
- Ko-fi (and Stripe, if memberships start), for payments.
These companies only handle your information to provide their service to me. My host has a data processing agreement with me, and its transfers outside the EU rely on Standard Contractual Clauses. Because I’m in Australia and my host stores data in the EU, your information may be accessed in both places. I may also share information if the law requires it.
Cookies
The site uses only the small files it needs to work, such as keeping a member signed in. My visit counts do not use cookies. Some things I embed in posts, such as a Ko-fi button, a video, or a Facebook or Pinterest post, may set their own cookies once you interact with them. I don’t use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies, so there is nothing to opt out of, including “Do Not Track” or Global Privacy Control signals.
Emails and unsubscribing
Every newsletter has an unsubscribe link, and I’ll act on it promptly, within five business days. You can also email me and I’ll remove you. You can unsubscribe or delete your member account yourself from the site at any time.
How long I keep it
Your subscriber details are kept until you unsubscribe or ask me to delete them. Messages you send me are kept as long as needed to deal with them. Deleted data can remain in my host’s encrypted backups for up to three months before it is fully removed.
Your rights
Everyone: you can ask to see what I hold about you, to correct it, or to have it deleted. Email me and I’ll respond within 30 days.
In Australia: you have the right to access and correct your personal information, and to complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (oaic.gov.au) if you’re unhappy with how I’ve handled it. Please come to me first and I’ll do my best to fix it.
In the EU, EEA and UK: you also have the right to restrict or object to my use of your information, to receive a copy in a portable format, to withdraw your consent at any time, and to complain to your local data protection authority.
In the US: depending on your state (for example California, Virginia or Colorado), you may have the right to know, correct and delete your information, and not to be treated differently for asking. I don’t sell or share personal information for advertising. To make a request, email me.
Children
This site is for adults and teenagers. It isn’t directed at children under 16 and I don’t knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has subscribed, email me and I’ll delete it.
Security
I take reasonable steps to protect your information, and so do the companies above. If something goes wrong that could harm you, I’ll tell you and the relevant authority as the law requires.
Links and support
Some links on this site, for example to tools I use, may be affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share things I use or believe in, and I’ll say so where it applies. Other sites have their own privacy practices, and I’m not responsible for them.
Changes
If I change this page, I’ll update the date at the top. If the change is significant, I’ll let subscribers know.
Questions? opengate@applegumpocket.com.au
