1. Who we are

The data controller responsible for your personal data on this website is the publishing team behind ftd-or-bust.com. As we operate primarily within the United Kingdom, we adhere strictly to the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

If you have any questions regarding your data, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or need to contact our data protection representatives, please reach out via electronic mail at: [email protected].

2. What data we collect

We collect minimal personal data necessary to provide an editorial platform. This includes:

  • Server logs: Technical data automatically recorded by our web servers, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and access timestamps.
  • Newsletter email: If you voluntarily subscribe to our editorial digest, we record your email address.
  • Contact-form messages: When you send inquiries via our electronic forms, we store your name, email address, and the message content.
  • Analytics events: Aggregated data regarding page views and reading duration to help us understand editorial performance.

3. Why and on what legal basis

We process your information strictly under valid legal bases recognized by UK data protection law:

  • Legitimate Interests: Managing server logs, website security, and understanding readership metrics to improve our digital magazine layout.
  • Consent: Sending optional email newsletters and handling specific communications you initiate through our contact forms.
  • Legal Obligation: Retaining basic records where mandated by applicable public laws or regulatory requirements.
“We believe in strict data minimization. We only collect what is strictly necessary to deliver our independent editorial content.”

4. Cookies and similar technologies

Our website utilizes minimal functional cookies to ensure proper technical delivery. For complete details regarding how we manage browser storage and cookies, please consult our dedicated Cookie Policy. You retain the absolute right to manage or disable non-essential cookies directly via your browser settings at any time.

5. Who receives the data

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We share data solely with trusted, vetted processor categories required to keep our publication online:

  • Hosting providers: Secure infrastructure services that store our website files and serve them to your browser.
  • Email delivery services: Specialized transmission infrastructure used exclusively to distribute our voluntary editorial newsletter.
  • Analytics processors: Privacy-focused metrics providers who aggregate readership statistics without personal profiling.

All processors are bound by strict contractual data-processing agreements ensuring your information remains confidential and secure.

6. Retention periods

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law. Below is an illustrative schedule of our standard retention timeframes:

Data Category Retention Period Purpose
Server Access Logs 30 days Security monitoring and diagnostics
Newsletter Subscriptions Until unsubscribed Delivering scheduled editorial updates
Contact Form Inquiries 12 months Resolving correspondence and queries
Analytics Records 14 months Aggregated readership trend analysis

7. International transfers

Our primary servers and operations are hosted within the United Kingdom and the European Economic Area (EEA). In the rare illustrative event that technical support requires transferring data outside these regions, we ensure appropriate safeguards—such as UK-approved Standard Contractual Clauses—are fully implemented to protect your rights.

8. Your rights and how to use them

Under UK data protection law, you possess robust individual rights concerning your personal information:

  • Right of access: You can request copies of your personal data.
  • Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Right to erasure: You can request the deletion of your personal data under specific conditions.
  • Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to suspend the processing of your data.
  • Right to object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
  • Right to data portability: You can request the transfer of your data to another organization.

To exercise any of these rights, simply email our team at [email protected]. We will respond to all valid requests within one calendar month.

▶ Read more about response timeframes

In complex cases, our response window may be extended by an additional two months, though we will notify you promptly if such an extension is genuinely required. We do not charge a fee for standard requests, provided they are not manifestly unfounded or excessive.

9. Children

Ftd-or-bust.com is a general audience editorial publication directed at adults interested in technology and digital culture. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors under the age of 16. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal data without appropriate consent, please contact us immediately so we can remove it.

10. Security

We implement robust technical and organizational security measures—including transport layer security (TLS) encryption, strict access controls, and regular system audits—to protect your personal information against accidental loss, unauthorized access, destruction, or alteration.

11. Changes to this policy

We review and update this privacy policy periodically to reflect changes in our editorial practices or legal obligations. When significant modifications occur, we will adjust the date noted below.

Last updated: 24 October 2023

12. Complaint to the supervisory authority

If you believe our data processing practices violate applicable privacy legislation, you maintain the right to lodge a formal complaint with the relevant regulatory body. In the United Kingdom, this is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which can be contacted directly via their official website at ico.org.uk.

In plain words

We respect your privacy completely. We do not track you for advertising, we do not run casino or gambling promotions, and we never sell your data. We collect only what is necessary to run our digital magazine, keep our servers secure, and send voluntary updates when you ask for them. You can contact us anytime at [email protected] to inspect, update, or delete your information.