Introduction

This privacy policy is for www.debbie-emmitt.com and governs the privacy of its users who choose to use it. It explains how I comply with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), the DPA (Data Protection Act), and the PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations).

This policy will explain areas of this website that may affect your privacy and personal details, how I process, collect, manage and store those details and how your rights under the GDPR, DPA & PECR are adhered to. Additionally it will explain the use of cookies or software, advertising or commercial sponsorship from third parties and the download of any documents, files or software made available to you on this website. Further explanations may be provided for specific pages or features of this website in order to help you understand how I, this website and its third parties (if any) interact with you and your computer/device in order to serve it to you. My contact information is provided if you have any questions.

The DPA and GDPR

I and this website comply with the DPA (Data Protection Act 1998) and with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).

Use of cookies

This website uses cookies to better the user’s experience while visiting the website. As required by legislation, where applicable this website uses a cookie control system, allowing the user to give explicit permission or to deny the use of/saving of cookies on their computer/device.

What are cookies? Cookies are small files saved to the user’s computer’s hard drive that track, save and store information about the user’s interactions and usage of the website. This allows the website, through its server, to provide the user with a tailored experience within this website.

Users are advised that if they wish to deny the use and saving of cookies from this website on to their computer’s hard drive, they should take necessary steps within their web browser’s security settings to block all cookies from this website and its external serving vendors or use the cookie control system if available upon their first visit.

Website visitor tracking

This website uses tracking software to monitor its visitors to better understand how they use it. The software will save a cookie to your computer’s hard drive in order to track and monitor your engagement and usage of the website, but will not store, save or collect personal information.

Adverts and sponsored links

This website may contain sponsored links and adverts. These will typically be served through my advertising partners, who may have detailed privacy policies relating directly to the adverts they serve.

Clicking on any such adverts will send you to the advertiser’s website through a referral program which may use cookies and will track the number of referrals sent from this website. This may include the use of cookies which may, in turn, be saved on your computer’s hard drive. Users should therefore note that they click on sponsored external links at their own risk and I cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any external links mentioned.

Downloads and media files

Any downloadable documents, files or media made available on this website are provided to users at their own risk. While all precautions have been undertaken to ensure only genuine downloads are available, users are advised to verify their authenticity using third party anti-virus software or similar applications.

I accept no responsibility for third party downloads and downloads provided by external third party websites and advise users to verify their authenticity using third party anti-virus software or similar applications.

Storage of files

I use iCloud as a cloud-based file management system, accessed via my password-protected computer. You can access information about iCloud’s security online.

Contact and communication with me

Users contacting me through this website do so at their own discretion and provide any such personal details requested at their own risk. Your personal information is kept private and stored securely until a time it is no longer required or has no use.

Where I have clearly stated and made you aware of the fact, and where you have given your express permission, I may use your details to send you products/services information through a mailing list system. This is done in accordance with the regulations named above.

Email mailing list and marketing messages

I operate an email mailing list program, used to inform subscribers about products, services and/or news I supply/publish. Users can subscribe through an online automated process where they have given their explicit permission. Subscriber personal details are collected, processed, managed and stored in accordance with the regulations named above. Subscribers can unsubscribe at any time through an automated online service, or if not available, other means as detailed in the footer of sent marketing messages. The type and content of messages subscribers receive is clearly outlined at the point of subscription.

Email marketing messages may contain tracking beacons/tracked clickable links or similar server technologies in order to track subscriber activity within email marketing messages. Where used, such marketing messages may record a range of subscriber data relating to engagement, geographic, demographics and already stored subscriber data.

My EMS (email marketing service) provider is Mailchimp and you can read their privacy policy on their website.

Payment and invoicing

The password-protected online payment service I use for editorial-services clients who elect not to be invoiced via direct bank transfer is PayPal. Their privacy policy is available on their website.

The accounting app I use to send invoices is FreeAgent. Your name, email address, physical mailing address (to comply with tax law) and a project title are stored. You can access FreeAgent’s privacy policy and terms of service on their website.

External website links and third parties

Although I only look to include quality, safe and relevant external links, users are advised to adopt a policy of caution before clicking on any external web links throughout this website. External links are clickable text/banner/image links to other websites.

Shortened URLs

URL shortening is a technique used on the web to shorten URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) to something substantially shorter. This technique is especially used in social media and looks similar to this (example: http://bit.ly/xxxx). Users should take caution before clicking on shortened URL links and verify their authenticity before proceeding.

I cannot guarantee or verify the contents of any externally linked websites despite my best efforts. Users should therefore note that they click on external links at their own risk and I cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any external links mentioned.

Social media policy and usage

I adopt a Social Media Policy to ensure my business conducts itself accordingly online. While I may have official profiles on social media platforms, users are advised to verify the authenticity of such profiles before engaging with, or sharing information with such profiles. I will never ask for user passwords or personal details on social media platforms. Users are advised to conduct themselves appropriately when engaging with me on social media.

There may be instances where my website features social sharing buttons, which help share web content directly from webpages to the respective social media platforms. You use social sharing buttons at your own discretion and accept that doing so may publish content to your social media profile feed or page. You can find further information about some social media privacy and usage policies in the resources section below.

Resources and further information

December 2020, www.debbie-emmitt.com

I hope you found this policy useful and any related links on the page.