1. Who we are
The Digital Centre is operated by The Digital Cogs. In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” mean the team operating The Digital Centre. We are the controller of the personal information used to manage this website, our enquiries and our relationship with partners.
This policy covers thedigitalcentre.co.uk and its Partner Portal, including when you contact us by form, email, telephone or WhatsApp. We handle personal information under applicable UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended.
You can contact us at team@thedigitalcogs.co.uk, on 01278 550258, or at Office 13, Enterprise Centre, Highbridge, TA9 4PW, United Kingdom.
2. Information we collect
- Enquiries and correspondence: your name, email address, optional telephone number and location, the message you send, your contact preference and subsequent conversations.
- Partner accounts: your name, email address, account role, password hash, sign-in and security records, and completed training sessions. Passwords are stored as hashes rather than readable passwords.
- Portal activity: prospects and client contacts you enter, business details, project briefs, budgets, pricing requests, support messages, links to assets and progress records.
- Business administration: agreement, billing and service records where you become a partner or purchase services.
- Technical and usage information: IP address, browser and device information, pages visited, referring links and interactions collected through hosting systems and the tracking tools described below.
We receive information directly from you, through your use of the website, and from partners who submit client or prospect details. If a partner provides your information, you can ask us which partner supplied it. Partners are responsible for having a lawful reason to share it and providing their own privacy information.
The enquiry form requires a name and email address so we can respond; other enquiry details are optional. Without the details needed for an account or requested service, we may be unable to provide it. Please do not include sensitive personal information, payment card details or account passwords in enquiry forms or support messages. Our partnership services are intended for adults.
3. How and why we use it
Our legal basis depends on what we are doing with your information:
- Answering enquiries and discussing the partnership: taking steps at your request before entering a contract, or our legitimate interest in responding to business enquiries where that contractual basis does not apply.
- Providing accounts, training, support and agreed services: performing our contract with you. For business representatives, our legitimate interest is managing and delivering the business relationship.
- Maintaining security and improving our services: our legitimate interests in preventing misuse, troubleshooting problems and running a reliable service, balanced against your rights.
- Accounts, legal requests and disputes: meeting legal obligations, or our legitimate interest in establishing, exercising or defending legal claims.
- Promotional messages: consent where required, or a legitimate interest where the law permits it. You can ask us to stop at any time. Asking about the partnership does not give us unrestricted permission to send unrelated marketing.
Analytics help us understand website use, and advertising tools help measure campaigns. Consent requirements for these tools are explained in the cookies section. We do not treat visiting the website as consent to optional tracking.
We do not use the website to make decisions about you based solely on automated processing that have legal or similarly significant effects. Advertising providers may use browsing information to personalise advertising under their own policies.
5. International processing
Some technology providers operate internationally, so personal information may be processed outside the UK, including in the United States. The location and protections depend on the provider and service.
Transfers for which we are responsible must have a lawful transfer mechanism, such as UK adequacy regulations or appropriate contractual safeguards, including the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or UK Addendum where relevant. Contact us for information about the providers, processing locations and safeguards applicable to your information, or to request a copy of relevant safeguards. Provider privacy notices also explain their international processing.
6. How long we keep it
We retain information for as long as needed for its purpose. The criteria we use are:
- Enquiries: whether the conversation remains active, whether follow-up is reasonably expected, and whether there is a complaint or dispute to resolve.
- Partner and service records: the duration of the relationship, any agreed handover or support needs, applicable record-keeping obligations and relevant legal claim periods.
- Client and prospect information supplied by partners: the purpose of the work and the relevant partner’s lawful instructions and agreement.
- Marketing preferences: the period during which messages are permitted; a minimal suppression record may be retained to respect an opt-out.
- Security and technical records: the time needed to investigate faults or misuse and maintain the service. Portal sign-in sessions expire after 14 days, or end when you sign out.
Information no longer needed should be deleted or anonymised, subject to legal obligations and backup cycles. Contact us to ask about a particular record. Cookie expiry and a provider’s retention of collected data are separate matters; provider settings and policies determine their retention.
8. Your privacy rights
Depending on the circumstances, you can ask to access your personal information, correct inaccuracies, erase information, restrict processing, or receive certain information in a portable format. These rights have conditions and exemptions, including where records must be kept by law.
Your right to object
You can object to direct marketing at any time, including profiling related to it. You can also object to processing based on legitimate interests because of your particular situation.
Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of earlier processing. For messages, use any unsubscribe option provided or email team@thedigitalcogs.co.uk. For tracking, see the current controls and limitations above.
Send privacy requests to the same address. We may need to verify your identity. We normally respond within one month, subject to lawful extensions or other applicable provisions, and will explain if an exception applies. Requests are normally free. Where a partner controls the information, we may refer the request to them or assist them in responding.
9. Security and other websites
The website uses HTTPS, and the portal uses password hashing and sign-in controls. We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect information, but no internet service can guarantee absolute security. Keep your sign-in details private and tell us promptly if you suspect unauthorised access.
Links to external websites, resources and communication services lead to organisations with their own privacy practices. Read their notices before providing information.
10. Contact and complaints
For questions, requests or complaints about your information, email team@thedigitalcogs.co.uk with “Privacy” in the subject, call 01278 550258, or write to The Digital Centre, Office 13, Enterprise Centre, Highbridge, TA9 4PW, United Kingdom.
You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office. Visit ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint for its current contact details and complaints process. You do not have to contact us first.
We may update this policy as our services or legal requirements change. The date at the top identifies the latest version. Where appropriate, we will bring material changes to your attention.