Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Astren Field Notes (“we”, “us”, “our”), operating at astren.info and based at 38 Frith Street, W1D 4SN London, United Kingdom, collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal data when you visit our website. It is written in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Please read this policy carefully. If you have questions, contact us at [email protected].

1. Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Contact data: Name, email address, and message content when you submit the contact form.
• Usage data: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs, collected automatically when you visit the site.
• Cookie data: Information stored via cookies and similar technologies as described in our Cookie Policy.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries submitted via the contact form (legal basis: performance of a contract or pre-contractual steps).
• To analyse how visitors use the website in order to improve editorial content and navigation (legal basis: legitimate interests).
• To comply with legal obligations under UK law.

We do not use personal data for automated decision-making or profiling.

3. Cookies

We use cookies to analyse visitor reading patterns and improve editorial relevance. Details of the specific cookies used, their purpose, and duration are set out in our Cookie Policy. You can manage your cookie preferences at any time using the Cookie Settings link in the footer of any page.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell or rent personal data to third parties. We may share data with:

• Hosting and infrastructure providers who process data on our behalf under data processing agreements.
• Analytics providers who process aggregated and anonymised usage data.
• Legal authorities where we are required to disclose data by law, court order, or regulatory requirement.

All third-party processors are required to handle personal data in accordance with UK GDPR standards.

5. International Transfers

Where personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including standard contractual clauses approved by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) or equivalent mechanisms.

6. Data Retention

Contact form submissions are retained for 24 months from the date of submission unless an ongoing correspondence requires longer retention. Usage and analytics data is retained in aggregated form. We review and delete personal data that is no longer necessary at least annually.

7. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data:

• Right of access: To request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: To request correction of inaccurate data.
• Right to erasure: To request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction: To request that we limit how we process your data.
• Right to data portability: To receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: To object to processing based on legitimate interests.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one calendar month.

8. Complaints

If you believe we have not handled your personal data appropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO can be reached at ico.org.uk or by telephone on 0303 123 1113.

9. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include HTTPS encryption across the site, access controls, and regular security reviews.

10. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal data to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

12. Contact

For any questions or requests relating to this policy: