Last updated: 6 August 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Afliktor (“Afliktor”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your personal information when you visit our website, read our articles, contact us, subscribe to our communications, or otherwise interact with us (together, the “Services”).
Afliktor is based in the United Kingdom, and we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a transparent, lawful, and responsible way. This policy is written to reflect our obligations under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
Please read this policy carefully. By using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood the practices described here. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use the Services.
1. Who We Are (Data Controller)
For the purposes of applicable data protection law, Afliktor is the data controller responsible for your personal data collected through the Services.
You can contact us about this policy or about your personal data using the details below:
- Postal address: 73 Hams Rd, Saltley, Birmingham B8 1DT, United Kingdom
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: +44 070 3192 2779
If you have a data protection query, the fastest way to reach us is by email at [email protected].
2. Scope of This Policy
This policy applies to personal data we collect:
- through our website and any associated pages;
- when you contact us by email, phone, or post;
- when you subscribe to a newsletter or other communications, if offered;
- when you submit a comment, message, tip, or pitch; and
- through cookies and similar technologies used on our website.
Our Services may contain links to third-party websites, plugins, and services that we do not control. This policy does not apply to those third parties, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.
3. The Personal Data We Collect
We collect and process different categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us.
3.1 Information you provide to us
- Contact and correspondence data. When you email, call, or write to us, we collect your name, email address, phone number (if you provide it), and the contents of your message.
- Subscription data. If you sign up for a newsletter or updates, we collect your email address and any preferences you set.
- Submission data. If you submit a comment, story tip, pitch, guest contribution, or other content, we collect the information you choose to include, which may contain your name, email address, links to your work, and social profiles.
3.2 Information we collect automatically
When you use our website, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain technical information, including:
- your IP address and approximate location derived from it;
- browser type and version, device type, and operating system;
- referring website and the pages you view on our site;
- date, time, and duration of your visit and how you interact with pages; and
- cookie identifiers and similar data (see Section 8).
3.3 Information from third parties
We may receive limited information from third-party services we use, such as analytics providers, email delivery platforms, and social media platforms, in accordance with their own terms and privacy policies.
We do not intentionally collect special category data (such as data revealing health, race, religion, political opinions, or sexual orientation), and we ask that you do not send us such information unless it is strictly necessary.
4. How and Why We Use Your Personal Data (Purposes and Lawful Bases)
Under the UK GDPR, we must have a valid “lawful basis” for processing your personal data. We rely on the following bases depending on the purpose.
| Purpose of processing | Categories of data | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to your enquiries and correspondence | Contact and correspondence data | Legitimate interests; and/or steps to enter into a contract at your request |
| Operating, maintaining, and securing our website | Technical and usage data | Legitimate interests |
| Sending newsletters and updates you have requested | Subscription data | Consent |
| Analysing and improving our content and Services | Usage and analytics data | Consent (for non-essential cookies); Legitimate interests |
| Reviewing comments, tips, pitches, and submissions | Submission data | Legitimate interests |
| Complying with legal and regulatory obligations | Any relevant data | Legal obligation |
| Establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims | Any relevant data | Legitimate interests |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, our interests are in running, improving, securing, and growing Afliktor as an independent publication, and communicating with our readers and contributors. We only rely on this basis where we have concluded that our interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
Where we rely on consent (for example, for marketing emails or non-essential cookies), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.
5. Marketing Communications
If you subscribe to receive communications from us, we will use your email address to send you the content and updates you have requested. Every marketing email we send will include a clear and simple way to unsubscribe.
You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by:
- clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any of our emails; or
- emailing us at [email protected] with the word “unsubscribe” in your message.
We will not sell your personal data or share it with unrelated third parties for their own marketing purposes.
6. How We Share Your Personal Data
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only in the limited circumstances described below.
- Service providers (processors). We use trusted third parties to help us run our Services — for example, website hosting, content delivery, email delivery, and analytics providers. These providers process personal data on our behalf, under contract, and only in accordance with our instructions.
- Professional advisers. We may share data with our accountants, lawyers, insurers, or other advisers where necessary.
- Legal and regulatory bodies. We may disclose personal data where required to comply with a legal obligation, court order, or lawful request from a public authority.
- Business transfers. If Afliktor is involved in a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of assets, personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to appropriate safeguards.
We require everyone we share data with to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law.
7. International Transfers
Some of our service providers may be located, or store data, outside the United Kingdom. Where we transfer personal data outside the UK, we make sure it is protected by appropriate safeguards, such as:
- transfers to countries the UK government has deemed to provide an adequate level of protection; or
- the use of approved contractual mechanisms, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
You can contact us for more information about the safeguards we use for a specific transfer.
8. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies (such as pixels and local storage) to make the site work, to understand how it is used, and to improve it.
8.1 What cookies are
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow the site to recognise your device and remember certain information about your visit.
8.2 Types of cookies we use
- Strictly necessary cookies. Required for the website to function properly, including for security and basic navigation. These do not require your consent.
- Analytics/performance cookies. Help us understand how visitors use our site so we can improve content and usability. These are set only with your consent.
- Functionality cookies. Remember choices you make to give you a better experience.
- Third-party cookies. Some cookies may be set by third-party services embedded on our pages, such as analytics tools or media players.
8.3 Managing cookies
When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie notice or banner that allows you to accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time.
You can also control cookies through your browser settings, including blocking or deleting them. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect how the website functions.
For more information about cookies, you can visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
9. How Long We Keep Your Personal Data
We keep your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
Our general approach is:
- Correspondence and enquiries: retained for as long as needed to handle your query and for a reasonable period afterwards, typically up to 24 months, unless a longer period is required.
- Newsletter subscriptions: retained until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete your data.
- Website analytics data: retained in line with the retention settings of our analytics providers, typically no longer than 26 months.
- Legal and financial records: retained for the periods required by applicable law.
When we no longer need your personal data, we will securely delete or anonymise it.
10. How We Protect Your Personal Data
We take the security of your personal data seriously and use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures include, where appropriate, encryption in transit, access controls, and using reputable service providers.
However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security, and any transmission is at your own risk.
If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the relevant authorities and, where required, affected individuals in accordance with our legal obligations.
11. Your Data Protection Rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- The right to be informed about how we use your personal data (which this policy provides).
- The right of access to the personal data we hold about you (a “subject access request”).
- The right to rectification of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
- The right to erasure of your personal data in certain circumstances (the “right to be forgotten”).
- The right to restrict processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
- The right to data portability, allowing you to obtain and reuse certain data across different services.
- The right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, and to object to direct marketing at any time.
- Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling. We do not carry out automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you.
You can exercise any of these rights by contacting us at [email protected]. We will respond within one month, though this period may be extended for complex requests, in which case we will let you know. We do not usually charge a fee, but we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse a request that is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
To protect your data, we may ask you to verify your identity before acting on a request.
12. Your Right to Complain
If you have any concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us first at [email protected], and we will do our best to resolve the matter.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority for data protection:
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Website: www.ico.org.uk Helpline: 0303 123 1113
We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns directly before you approach the ICO.
13. Children’s Privacy
Our Services are intended for a general audience and are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe we may have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
14. Third-Party Links and Content
Our articles and pages may contain links to third-party websites, tools, platforms, and embedded content (such as media players or social media posts). We provide these for your convenience and information. We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third parties. Please review their privacy policies before providing them with any personal data.
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Significant changes may be communicated more prominently, such as through a notice on our website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
16. Contact Us
If you have any questions, comments, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal data, please contact us:
Afliktor 73 Hams Rd, Saltley, Birmingham B8 1DT, United Kingdom Email: [email protected] Phone: +44 070 3192 2779