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1. Introduction

benhackman (website address: benhackman.co.uk) appreciates your interest and trust. I am a multi-disciplinary designer based in the United Kingdom, providing creative services in brand identity, motion design and layout. This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, manage and protect your data when you use my services or interact with this website. By using this site, you are providing consent to the terms outlined in this policy to ensure a transparent and secure experience.

2. Data Collected
Data Storage Location

This website is hosted by IONOS, a provider that adheres to strict data protection standards, ensuring that your data is securely stored and compliant with UK and EU regulations. Any data processed through this site is managed on secure servers designed to protect your personal information.

Comments

When you leave comments on the website we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

Contact Form

Information submitted through the contact form on this site is sent directly to my professional email. These submissions are kept solely for customer service purposes so that I can respond to your enquiries. I do not use this information for marketing purposes, nor do I share it with third parties.

Google Analytics

I use Google Analytics to monitor anonymous site usage and improve the visitor experience. This provides high-level data, such as which project pages are most popular, but no personalised or identifiable data is stored. You can opt out of this monitoring at any time via the Google Analytics Opt-out link: Google Analytics Opt-out.

Cases for Using the Personal Data

We use your personal information in the following cases:

  • I only use your personal information in the following specific cases:

    • Verifying your identity when you contact me for a project or enquiry

    • Providing professional assistance and responding to your messages

    • Ensuring the security and integrity of the website

    • Guaranteeing that administrative functions and site performance run smoothly

3. Embedded Content

Pages on this site include embedded content, such as YouTube videos. Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if you visited the other website directly.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content. This includes tracking your interaction if you have an account and are logged in to that website. Below you can find the services used on this site:

Youtube

I use YouTube to host and display video projects, including motion design work and corporate productions. YouTube has its own cookie and privacy policies over which I have no control. No cookies are installed from YouTube and your IP is not sent to a YouTube server until you explicitly consent to it by playing a video. You can find their details here: YouTube Privacy Policy.

Instagram

I may include links or embedded content from my professional Instagram profile to showcase additional design work. Instagram has its own cookie and privacy policies over which I have no control. You can find their details here: Instagram Privacy Policy.

4. Cookies

This site uses cookies—small text files placed on your machine to help provide a better user experience. In general, cookies are used to retain user preferences and provide anonymised tracking data to third-party applications like Google Analytics. As a rule, cookies exist to make your browsing experience better. However, you may prefer to disable cookies on this site and on others. The most effective way to do this is to disable cookies in your browser; I suggest consulting the help section of your browser for guidance.

Necessary Cookies (all site visitors)

    • PHPSESSID: This is used to identify your unique session on the website to ensure the site functions correctly as you navigate between pages.

    • _cfduid: If applicable, this is used by security services to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address and apply security settings on a per-client basis.

As this is a WordPress-based site, certain cookies are used for administrative purposes and to ensure the site’s interface displays correctly.

    • wordpress_test_cookie: Used to check if your web browser is set to allow or reject cookies.

    • wp-settings-[UID]: Used to customise your view of the administrative interface where applicable.

5. Who Has Access To Your Data
If you are not a registered client for our site, there is no personal information we can retain or view regarding yourself. If you are a client with a registered account, your personal information can be accessed by:
  • Our system administrators.
  • Our supporters when they (in order to provide support) need to get the information about the client accounts and access.
6. Third Party Access to Your Data

I do not share your personal data, such as your name or email address, with third parties for marketing purposes. I only share limited data with trusted partners when it is strictly necessary to provide the services you expect from me or to maintain the functionality of this website.

Service Providers

I use a small number of third-party services to ensure my website operates smoothly:

IONOS: My hosting provider, which stores website data on secure servers.

Google Analytics: Used for anonymous site usage reporting to help me understand how visitors interact with my portfolio.

YouTube: Used to host and play embedded video content from my projects.

These partners are only permitted to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with my instructions and data protection laws.

7. How Long We Retain Your Data For
When you submit a support ticket or a comment, its metadata is retained until (if) you tell us to remove it. We use this data so that we can recognize you and approve your comments automatically instead of holding them for moderation. If you register on our website, we also store the personal information you provide in your user profile. You can see, edit, or delete your personal information at any time (except changing your username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
8. Security Measures
We use the SSL/HTTPS protocol throughout our site. This encrypts our user communications with the servers so that personally identifiable information is not captured/hijacked by third parties without authorization. In case of a data breach, system administrators will immediately take all needed steps to ensure system integrity, will contact affected users and will attempt to reset passwords if needed.
9. Your Data Rights
General Rights

If you have left comments on this website, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data I retain about you, including any information you have provided. You can also request that I erase any personal data I hold. This does not include any data I am obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

GDPR and UK Data Protection

Your privacy is critically important to me. I aim to support and comply with the UK Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These regulations provide you with rights regarding your personal data, and it is my intent to ensure those standards are met for all visitors and clients. For more details regarding these protections, you can visit the: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website

How Long I Retain Your Data

When you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so I can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically. For users that contact me through the website, I store the personal information provided in their message for as long as is necessary to provide the requested services or to comply with legal obligations.

10. Third Party Websites

I may occasionally post links to third-party websites on this site for your convenience or as project references. These third-party websites are not screened for privacy or security compliance by me, and you release me from any liability for the conduct of these third-party websites.

All social media sharing links, whether displayed as text links or icons, do not connect you to any associated third parties unless you explicitly click on them.

Please be aware that this Privacy Policy, and any other policies in place, does not create rights enforceable by third parties or require disclosure of any personal information relating to visitors of the site. I bear no responsibility for the information collected or used by any advertiser or third-party website. I encourage you to review the privacy policy and terms of service for each site you visit through third-party links.

11. Release of Your Data for Legal Purposes

At times it may become necessary or desirable for me, for legal purposes, to release your information in response to a request from a government agency or a private litigant. You agree that I may disclose your information to a third party where I believe, in good faith, that it is desirable to do so for the purposes of a civil action, criminal investigation or other legal matter.

In the event that I receive a subpoena affecting your privacy, I may elect to notify you to give you an opportunity to file a motion to quash the subpoena, or I may attempt to quash it myself, but I am not obligated to do either. I may also proactively report you, and release your information to, third parties where I believe that it is prudent to do so for legal reasons, such as a belief that you have engaged in fraudulent activities. You release me from any damages that may arise from or relate to the release of your information to a request from law enforcement agencies or private litigants.

Any passing on of personal data for legal purposes will only be done in compliance with the laws of the country in which you reside.