Privacy Policy
What we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it and how to exercise your rights.
We cover an industry built on personal data, so we try to collect as little of yours as possible. This policy explains what On Dating Journal gathers when you read, subscribe, comment or write to us, why we gather it, and what you can do about it.
It applies to ondatingjournal.com and is written to meet the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and, for readers in the European Economic Area, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR).
Who is responsible for your data
The data controller for this website is [COMPANY LEGAL NAME], registered under company number [COMPANY NUMBER], with its registered address at [REGISTERED ADDRESS].
For any question about this policy or your personal data, email [CONTACT EMAIL] with PRIVACY in the subject line.
The personal data we collect
Newsletter subscriptions
If you sign up for our newsletter, we collect your email address, the date and time you subscribed and a record of your consent. We may also record whether you open our emails and click their links, so we can understand which stories readers find useful.
Messages and the contact form
When you email us or use a contact form, we receive your name (if you give it), your email address and whatever you choose to include in your message.
Comments
Where comments are open on an article, we collect the name and email address you enter, your comment, the time it was posted and your IP address, which helps us detect spam and abuse. Your name and comment are published; your email address and IP address are not.
Analytics
With your consent, we use analytics tools to understand how the site is used: which pages are read, how visitors arrive, the type of device and browser used, approximate location (country or city level) and how long people stay. We configure analytics to avoid identifying individual readers wherever the tools allow.
Cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies to make the site work, to measure its use and to track affiliate referrals. Our cookie policy explains each category and how to control them.
Server logs
Like any website, our servers automatically record technical information when pages are requested, including IP address, browser type, the page requested, the referring page and the time of the request. When you click a link that runs through our /visit/ redirects, we record that the click took place and which link was used.
We do not ask for, and do not want, sensitive information such as details of your health, sexuality or relationships. Please do not include it in messages or comments.
Why we use your data: lawful bases
Data protection law requires a lawful basis for every use of personal data. We rely on the following:
- Consent, for sending our newsletter, for analytics cookies and for affiliate tracking cookies. You can withdraw consent at any time, without affecting anything done before you withdrew it.
- Legitimate interests, for replying to messages, moderating comments, keeping the site secure, preventing fraud and spam, and keeping server logs. Our interest is in running a safe, functioning publication and responding to readers. We have weighed this against your rights and keep the data involved to a minimum.
- Legal obligation, where we must keep or disclose information to comply with the law, such as records needed for tax purposes or a lawful request from the authorities.
- Contract, where you enter into a commercial agreement with us, such as a partnership.
How long we keep your data
- Newsletter data: until you unsubscribe, after which we keep only a record of the unsubscription so we do not contact you again.
- Emails and contact form messages: up to 24 months after our last exchange, unless the matter requires longer, for example a legal dispute.
- Comments: for as long as the comment remains published. IP addresses linked to comments are deleted after 12 months.
- Analytics data: no longer than 14 months.
- Server logs: up to 30 days, unless needed to investigate a security incident.
- Business and financial records: for as long as the law requires.
Who processes your data for us
We do not sell your personal data, and we do not share it with dating companies or advertisers.
We use a small number of service providers, acting as data processors on our instructions and under written contracts that require them to protect your data. They fall into these categories:
- Website hosting and security providers, which store the site and its server logs and protect it from attack.
- Email and newsletter providers, which store subscriber lists and send our emails.
- Analytics providers, which process anonymised or pseudonymised usage data on our behalf.
- Spam-filtering services, which screen comments and messages.
- Professional advisers, such as accountants and lawyers, where necessary.
When you click an affiliate link and visit a dating company’s website, that company becomes responsible for any data it collects. Please read its own privacy policy.
We may also disclose information if required to by law, or to protect the rights and safety of our readers, staff or others.
International transfers
Some of our service providers may process data outside the UK or the European Economic Area. Where that happens, we make sure appropriate safeguards are in place. These include transfers to countries recognised as providing adequate protection, or contracts using the standard data protection clauses approved for the UK and the EU. You can ask us for details of the safeguards that apply by writing to [CONTACT EMAIL].
Your rights over your data
Under UK and EU data protection law, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you and receive a copy.
- Rectification of data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Erasure of your data in certain circumstances.
- Restrict how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Data portability, receiving data you have given us in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Object to our use of your data where we rely on legitimate interests, and to direct marketing at any time.
- Withdraw consent wherever we rely on it, for example by using the unsubscribe link in any newsletter or changing your cookie preferences.
We do not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing that have legal or similarly significant effects.
To exercise any of these rights, email [CONTACT EMAIL]. We will respond within one month. For complex or numerous requests, the law allows this to be extended by up to two further months, and we will tell you if that applies. We may need to confirm your identity before acting on a request.
How to complain
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please contact us first so we can try to put it right.
You also have the right to complain to a data protection supervisory authority. In the UK, that is the Information Commissioner’s Office, which explains how to make a data protection complaint to the ICO on its website. If you live in the European Economic Area, you can complain to the supervisory authority in your country; the European Data Protection Board publishes a list of national data protection authorities.
Children
On Dating Journal is intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us personal data, contact us at [CONTACT EMAIL] and we will delete it.
Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data, including encrypted connections to the site, access controls and keeping software up to date. No system is completely secure, but we work to reduce risk and will act promptly, and notify you and the regulator where required, if a breach occurs.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our site or the law changes. The date at the top of the page shows when it was last revised. Where changes are significant, we will make that clear on the site or, if you subscribe, by email.