Privacy Policy

Who we are

This website is operated by Martyn White. When this policy refers to “we”, “us” or “our”, it means Martyn White, the data controller responsible for your personal information.

You can contact us at: contact@martynwhite.co.uk

What information we collect

We collect personal information in the following ways:

• Newsletter subscriptions — when you subscribe to one of our newsletters, we collect your email address. We may also collect your name if you choose to provide it.
• Contact enquiries — when you contact us by email (for example to pitch a story or enquire about advertising), we receive the information you include in your message.
• Analytics — we use analytics tools to understand how visitors use our website. This may include your approximate location, device type, browser, and the pages you visit. This data is collected in aggregated or anonymised form where possible.
• Cookies — our website uses cookies as described in the Cookies section below.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To send you newsletters and editorial updates you have subscribed to
• To respond to your enquiries and correspondence
• To analyse and improve our website and content
• To comply with our legal obligations

We will never sell your personal information to third parties, or use it for purposes other than those described in this policy.

Legal basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a legal basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following:

• Consent — for sending you newsletters and marketing communications. You can withdraw your consent at any time by unsubscribing using the link in any of our emails.
• Legitimate interests — for responding to enquiries you initiate, and for operating and improving our website in ways that do not override your rights.
• Legal obligation — where we are required to process data to comply with applicable law.

Third-party processors

We use the following third-party services that may process your personal data on our behalf:

• Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) — we use Brevo to manage our mailing lists and send newsletters. Your email address is stored on Brevo’s servers. Brevo is GDPR-compliant and acts as a data processor on our behalf. You can read their privacy policy at brevo.com.
• WordPress.com / Automattic — this website is hosted on WordPress.com, operated by Automattic Inc. Automattic may process certain data as part of providing hosting and site infrastructure. You can read their privacy policy at automattic.com/privacy.

We only share your data with third parties where necessary to operate our services, and all processors are bound by data processing agreements.

How long we keep your data

We retain your personal data for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected:

• Newsletter subscribers — your email address is retained for as long as you remain subscribed. When you unsubscribe, your data is removed from our active mailing lists promptly, and deleted from our systems within 30 days.
• Contact correspondence — emails and enquiries are retained for a reasonable period to allow us to respond and maintain records of interactions, and deleted when no longer necessary.
• Analytics data — retained in aggregated or anonymised form and not linked to identifiable individuals.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access — you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restrict processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability — you can ask us to provide your data in a machine-readable format.
• Right to object — you can object to our processing of your data based on legitimate interests.
• Right to withdraw consent — where we process your data based on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@martynwhite.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to help us operate the site and understand how it is used.

• Essential cookies — required for the site to function. These cannot be switched off.
• Analytics cookies — used to understand visitor behaviour in aggregate. These may be set by WordPress.com or third-party analytics providers.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Please be aware that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the site.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we ask that you contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s data protection authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.