Privacy and Cookies
We keep the collection of personal data to a minimum. This page explains what is collected on Guide-to-London.net, why, on what legal basis, which cookies are used and how you can change your choices.
The short version
You decide how Google may use cookies. The site is funded by Google AdSense and uses Google Analytics to understand which guides are read. If you visit from the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, Google's consent message asks for your choice before cookies are used for advertising or analytics. We have no user accounts, no newsletter and no forms that store your data.
Who is responsible
The data controller for this website is Nordic Webinvest Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom. The editor is Terje Moy. Questions about privacy can be sent to info@guide-to-london.net.
How consent works on this site
We use Google's own consent management platform, which is certified under the IAB Transparency and Consent Framework and is provided through Google AdSense. When you visit from the UK, the EEA or Switzerland, a message from Google explains how cookies are used and lets you accept, refuse or manage your choices, including your choices for individual advertising partners.
We also use Google Consent Mode v2. For visitors from the UK, the EEA and Switzerland, all consent types (analytics storage, ad storage, ad user data and ad personalisation) are set to "denied" before any Google service runs on the page, and they only change if you give consent in Google's message. In that "denied" state Google does not set or read cookies for analytics or advertising, but Google's tags may still send limited, cookieless signals (for example that a page was viewed), which Google uses in aggregated form. Outside those regions, cookies may be used under Google's default settings.
The legal basis for storing and reading cookies that are not strictly necessary is your consent, as required by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). The processing of personal data collected with your consent is based on Article 6(1)(a) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). For visitors from the EEA, the EU GDPR applies in the same way.
Changing or withdrawing consent
You can change your choices at any time with the Privacy and cookie settings link at the bottom of every page, which reopens Google's consent message. You can also delete cookies in your browser settings. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that took place before you withdrew it.
Google Analytics 4
We use Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID G-01R74QGBXZ) to see which pages are read, how long visitors stay, which countries our readers come from and which searches find our pages. The purpose is to understand what readers need and to improve the site. Google Analytics 4 does not log or store full IP addresses. We have not enabled Google Signals or linked Analytics to advertising features. The service is provided by Google Ireland Limited, which processes the data under Google's data processing terms.
Google AdSense
The site is funded by advertising from Google AdSense (publisher ID pub-1599627186523737), using ads that Google places automatically. Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this and other websites. Where you have given consent, Google and its advertising partners may use cookies to show ads based on your previous visits to this and other websites. Without consent, Google may show non-personalised or limited ads, which do not use cookies for advertising purposes.
You can read how Google uses information from sites that use its services on Google's partner sites page, and how Google uses cookies in advertising on Google's advertising page. You can opt out of personalised advertising from Google at any time in Google's Ad Settings.
Cookies that may be used
| Name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | When set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCCDCF, FCNEC and similar | Google consent message | Remember your consent choices | Up to 13 months | When you answer the consent message |
| _ga | Google Analytics | Distinguishes visitors with a random ID | Up to 2 years | With consent (or where consent is not required) |
| _ga_01R74QGBXZ | Google Analytics | Keeps the session state for measurement | Up to 2 years | With consent (or where consent is not required) |
| __gads, __gpi, __eoi, IDE and similar | Google advertising | Serve, measure and personalise ads, limit how often you see an ad, prevent fraud | Up to 13 months, depending on the cookie | With consent (or where consent is not required) |
Google decides the exact names and lifetimes of its cookies and may change them. See Google's list of cookies for current details.
Search on this site
The search function runs in your own browser. When you open it, a ready-made index (search-index.json) is downloaded from our server, and the search itself happens on your device. What you type is not sent to us or to anyone else.
Server logs
Like all websites, our hosting provider records technical data about requests, such as IP address, time, the page requested and browser type, in server logs. These logs are used to keep the site secure and working, based on our legitimate interest (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)), and are deleted automatically after a limited period.
Contacting us by email
If you write to us, we process your name, email address and the content of your message in order to reply and follow up, for example to correct a mistake you have reported. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in answering enquiries (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). Email may travel unencrypted, so please do not send sensitive information. Messages are deleted when the matter is closed, unless the law requires us to keep them. We never add your address to a mailing list.
We do not sell your data
We do not sell or give away personal data. The only recipients are Google, which provides analytics, advertising and the consent message as described above (together with the advertising partners you allow in that message), our hosting provider, and authorities where the law requires disclosure. Google may transfer data outside the UK and the EEA; such transfers are covered by safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Addendum, the EU standard contractual clauses and the EU-US and UK-US data frameworks.
Your rights
You have the right to access the personal data we hold about you, to have it corrected or deleted, to restrict processing, and to object to processing based on our legitimate interest. To exercise your rights, write to info@guide-to-london.net. We normally reply within a few days and always within one month. In practice we hold very little: the analytics data is not linked to names, and the only thing we can look up is email you have sent us yourself. For data held by Google, you can also use the tools Google provides in your Google account.
If you believe we are processing your data unlawfully, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk), or to the data protection authority in your own country if you live in the EEA. We would appreciate the chance to put things right first.
Changes to this policy
We update this policy when something changes, for example a new service provider. The current version was last updated in September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I refuse cookies in the consent message?
Google will not use cookies for personalised advertising or analytics on your visit. You can still read the whole site, and you may still see ads, but they will be non-personalised or limited ads.
Can I change my mind after accepting?
Yes. Click Privacy and cookie settings at the bottom of any page to reopen Google's consent message and change your choices. Cookies that have already been set can also be deleted in your browser settings.
Do you know who I am?
No. We have no logins or accounts, and the analytics data we see consists of aggregated statistics without names or email addresses. We do not link the statistics to anything else.
Do you use social media tracking?
No. There are no Facebook, X or other social media pixels on the site and no embedded share buttons that report back to those services.