Merimatka
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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22 September 2026

Merimatka (“the site”) is a bilingual editorial publication bridging Finland and Japan, run by Nao under the Atelier Lighthouse brand. This policy explains what information the site collects and how it is used.

What we collect

  • Access logs: our host (Cloudflare) automatically records data such as IP address, browser information and timestamps to keep the site secure and reliable.
  • Analytics: only with your consent, we use Google Analytics to understand how the site is used (this sets cookies). Nothing loads before you consent.
  • Your consent choice: your selection in the cookie banner is stored in your browser (localStorage). This is necessary for the site to work.

Third-party services and data transfers

The site uses the following third parties. Data may be transferred outside the EU/Japan, including to the United States.

  • Google Analytics / Google Fonts (Google LLC, US) — analytics and web fonts; your IP address is transmitted.
  • Instagram embeds (Meta Platforms, US) — loaded and shown only with your consent.
  • Stadia Maps / OpenStreetMap — map tiles; your IP address is transmitted.
  • Sanity (content delivery) and Cloudflare (hosting / CDN).

Purposes and legal bases

  • Analytics and external embeds: your consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)).
  • Security and reliability logs: our legitimate interests (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)).
  • Under Japan’s Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI), data is acquired properly and used within the stated purposes.

Cookies and withdrawing consent

Non-essential cookies (analytics and embeds) are not used until you choose “Accept” in the cookie banner. You can withdraw consent at any time by clearing this site’s data (localStorage / cookies) in your browser; the banner will then appear again.

Retention

Access logs are deleted after a limited period per each provider’s settings. Google Analytics data follows that service’s retention configuration.

Your rights

Under the GDPR you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict or object to processing of your data, to withdraw consent, and to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Under Japan’s APPI you may request disclosure, correction or suspension of use. Please contact us to exercise these rights.

Contact

For questions about this policy or your data, contact hello@merimatka.com.

Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. Significant changes will be noted on this page.

@Merimatka