Effective date: August 17, 2026
Billy Goat Hiker respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information may be collected when you visit billygoathiker.com, how that information is used and shared, and the choices available to you.
Who is responsible for this site
Billy Goat Hiker is operated by Justyn Perry from Canada. For information handled directly by Billy Goat Hiker, the site owner is responsible for privacy enquiries. WordPress.com, Jetpack, Akismet, Gravatar, Instagram and other third-party services may separately control information they collect through their own services.
Information that may be collected
Information you provide
- Comments: If you leave a comment, the site may collect your name, email address, optional website address, comment, IP address, browser user-agent information and any other information you choose to include. Your comment, display name, avatar and website link may be public and may be indexed by search engines.
- Subscriptions: If you follow the blog or subscribe to comments, WordPress.com or Jetpack may collect your email address, subscription preferences and related account information.
- Instagram messages: If you contact Billy Goat Hiker through Instagram, the message, your Instagram account information and any information you include are processed through Meta’s services. Billy Goat Hiker does not operate an on-site contact form.
Information collected automatically
WordPress.com, Jetpack and related hosting, security and analytics services may automatically collect technical and usage information. This can include your IP address, approximate location derived from your IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring page, pages viewed, links clicked, search terms used on the site, date and time of access, cookie identifiers and interactions such as comments, likes or subscriptions.
How information is used
Information may be used to:
- operate, maintain and secure the website;
- display and manage comments;
- detect spam, abuse, fraud and unauthorized access;
- provide blog and comment subscriptions you request;
- understand readership and improve content and site performance;
- respond to questions or collaboration enquiries sent through Instagram;
- enforce site rules, protect legal rights and comply with applicable law.
Billy Goat Hiker does not sell or rent personal information.
Cookies and similar technologies
This site uses WordPress.com and Jetpack services. These services may use cookies, pixels and similar technologies for required site functions, login and security, comment preferences, subscriptions, analytics and performance. If you choose the comment-cookie option, your name, email address and website may be saved in cookies for your convenience.
Depending on your location and the services enabled by WordPress.com, you may see privacy or cookie choices provided by WordPress.com. You can also restrict or delete cookies through your browser settings, although some site features may not work properly afterward.
For more information, review the Automattic Cookie Policy and the Automattic Privacy Notice for Visitors to Users’ Sites.
Comments, anti-spam and avatars
Comments are screened using Akismet. Akismet may process information such as the commenter’s IP address, user agent, referrer, site URL, name, username, email address and comment content to identify spam. If you use a Gravatar-linked email address, a hashed version of that address may be provided to Gravatar to determine whether an avatar is associated with it.
Instagram and external services
The Contact page links to Instagram. When you follow that link or send a direct message, Meta and Instagram process information under their own terms and privacy practices. Billy Goat Hiker cannot control or delete information held independently by Meta. Review the Meta Privacy Policy before sending information through Instagram.
Please do not send passwords, financial information, identity documents, medical information or other sensitive personal information through Instagram direct messages or public comments.
Embedded content and external links
Articles may include embedded content or links from third-party websites, such as maps, videos, social media, booking platforms or tour providers. Embedded content may behave as though you visited the third-party website directly. Those providers may collect information, use cookies or track your interaction under their own privacy policies. A link does not mean Billy Goat Hiker controls or endorses a third party’s privacy practices.
When information may be shared
Information may be shared only as reasonably necessary with:
- Automattic and its WordPress.com, Jetpack, Akismet and Gravatar services;
- hosting, security, content-delivery, analytics and technical service providers;
- Meta and Instagram when you choose to interact through Instagram;
- embedded-content providers when you load or interact with their content;
- law-enforcement, regulators, courts or other parties when required by law or reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, security or the integrity of the website.
Legal bases for processing
Where laws such as the GDPR require a legal basis, information may be processed with your consent, to provide a feature you request, to comply with legal obligations, or for legitimate interests such as operating and securing the site, preventing abuse, measuring readership and improving content. You may withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, although withdrawal does not affect earlier lawful processing.
International processing
Billy Goat Hiker is operated from Canada. Service providers may process information in Canada, the United States and other countries where privacy laws may differ from those in your location. Those providers are responsible for the safeguards and transfer mechanisms applicable to their own processing.
How long information is kept
Information is kept only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including security, legal and record-keeping needs. Published comments may remain on the site indefinitely unless removal is requested and legally required or reasonably appropriate. Subscription information is generally kept until you unsubscribe. Technical logs, anti-spam records and analytics information are retained according to the practices of WordPress.com, Jetpack, Akismet and other applicable providers. Instagram messages are retained according to the settings and policies of Instagram and the account holder.
Your privacy choices and rights
Depending on where you live and the law that applies, you may have rights to request access to personal information, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, withdrawal of consent or objection to certain processing. You can unsubscribe using the link provided in subscription emails and can control cookies through your browser or any privacy choices displayed by WordPress.com.
To make a request concerning information controlled by Billy Goat Hiker, send a direct message to @fud_4_luv on Instagram and begin the message with “Privacy Request.” Do not include sensitive identification documents in your first message. Reasonable verification may be requested before a request is completed. Some information may be retained when required by law, needed for security or necessary to protect the rights of others.
If a concern cannot be resolved, you may contact the privacy regulator that applies to your location, including the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Residents of the European Economic Area may also contact their local data-protection authority.
Children’s privacy
This website is intended for a general travel audience and is not directed to children under 13. Billy Goat Hiker does not knowingly request personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact the site so the matter can be reviewed.
Security
Reasonable administrative and technical measures are used to protect the website and information under the site owner’s control. No method of internet transmission or storage is completely secure, and absolute security cannot be guaranteed.
Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated when the website, service providers or legal requirements change. The effective date at the top of this page will be revised when material changes are published. Where required, additional notice or consent will be provided.
Contact
For privacy questions or requests, message @fud_4_luv on Instagram and begin with “Privacy Request.”