Privacy policy.
This policy explains what personal data Etch Lane collects, how it is used, and your rights under UK data protection law.
Last updated
2nd July 2026
Data controller
Polly Lane, trading as Etch Lane
Contact
polly@etchlanestudio.co.uk
1. Who we are
Etch Lane is a freelance web design studio operated by Polly [Surname] ("we", "us", "our"). We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a data controller.
When you use this website or contact us, you may provide personal data. This policy explains how we handle that data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
2. What data we collect
2.1 Data you give us directly
When you use our contact form, send us an email, or book a consultation, we may collect:
– Your name
– Your email address
– Your phone number (if provided)
– Your business name and website URL (if provided)
– The content of your message
This website collects personal information to power our site analytics, including:
Information about your browser, network, and device
Web pages you visited prior to coming to this website
Your IP address
This information may also include details about your use of this website, including:
Clicks
Internal links
Pages visited
Scrolling
Searches
Timestamps
We provide this information to Squarespace, our website analytics provider, to learn about site traffic and activity.
2.2 Data collected automatically
When you visit our website, we collect certain information automatically through cookies and analytics tools, including:
– Your IP address (anonymised)
– The pages you visit and how long you spend on them
– The device and browser you're using
– How you arrived at our website (e.g. from a search engine or a link)
This data is collected via Google Analytics 4 and is only gathered after you have given your consent through our cookie banner.
3. How we use your data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
Purpose - Responding to your enquiries
Legal basis - Legitimate interests
Retention - 12 months after last contact
Purpose - Providing web design services
Legal basis - Contract performance
Retention - Duration of project + 6 years
Purpose - Sending invoices and managing payments
Legal basis - Contract performance / legal obligation
Retention - 6 years (HMRC requirement)
Purpose - Improving our website via analytics
Legal basis - Consent
Retention - 26 months (GA4 default)
Purpose - Complying with legal obligations
Legal basis - Legal obligation
Retention - As required by law
4. Who we share your data with
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share it only with the following third parties where necessary to provide our services:
– Google LLC — analytics (Google Analytics 4). Google may process data outside the UK; they are certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
– Our email provider — for storing and processing correspondence.
– Our accountant or HMRC — where legally required for financial records.
All third parties we work with are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with applicable data protection law.
5. International transfers
Some of our third-party providers (including Google) may process your data outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent protections approved by the ICO.
6. How we keep your data secure
We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. These include:
– Using encrypted email and secure file storage
– Keeping software and systems up to date
– Limiting access to personal data to only those who need it
No method of transmission over the internet is entirely secure. While we do our best to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
– Right to access — you can request a copy of the data we hold about you
– Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate data
– Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances
– Right to restriction — you can ask us to limit how we use your data
– Right to data portability — you can ask for your data in a portable format
– Right to object — you can object to our processing based on legitimate interests
– Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@etchlane.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
8. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised. We encourage you to check back periodically.
9. Contact us
For any questions about this policy or how we handle your data:
Website