Privacy Policy

Last updated: 15 March 2025

At Bluecrest Journal, your privacy isn’t an afterthought—it’s part of how we operate. This policy explains what information we collect when you visit our site, why we collect it, and what rights you have over your data. We’ve tried to write it in plain English, because nobody should need a law degree to understand what happens to their personal information.

Who we are

Bluecrest Journal is a UK-based digital publication covering technology, innovation, and the people shaping tomorrow. Our editorial team is small, and we handle most things ourselves—including data protection. The person responsible for your personal data (the “data controller”) is Miles Hartley, who can be reached at the address below. You can email privacy questions directly to [email protected].

Information we collect

We only collect information that helps us run the site better or deliver the content you’ve asked for. Here’s what that includes:

• Automatically collected data. When you visit Bluecrest Journal, our server logs your IP address, browser type, operating system, and the pages you view. We use this data to understand traffic patterns and keep the site secure. It’s aggregated and anonymous in our analytics reports.
• Email subscriptions. If you choose to receive our weekly briefing or occasional updates, we ask for your name and email address. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in every email, and we’ll delete your details from our mailing list.
• Cookies and similar technologies. Like most websites, we use small files stored on your device to improve your experience. Essential cookies keep the site functioning; analytics cookies help us measure performance. You can disable non-essential cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect certain features.

We never collect sensitive personal data (such as health information, political opinions, or financial details) and we do not knowingly gather information from anyone under 16.

How we use your information

Every use of data has a clear purpose. We don’t repurpose it for unrelated activities. Specifically, we use your information to:

• Deliver the journalism you expect from us—whether that’s loading articles quickly or sending newsletters you’ve signed up for.
• Understand how readers engage with our stories, so we can refine the topics and formats that interest you most.
• Maintain the technical security and performance of our website.

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data. We don’t build advertising profiles, and we’re not part of any ad-tracking network. Your reading habits are your own.

Third‑party services we use

We rely on a handful of trusted partners to make Bluecrest Journal work. Where they process data on our behalf, we have contracts in place that limit their use to what’s necessary. These include:

• Analytics: We use a privacy-focused analytics tool that anonymises IP addresses and does not set cookies that identify you across sites. We host the data ourselves and do not share it with external analytics platforms.
• Email delivery: Our newsletter is managed through a reputable email service provider based in the EU. When you subscribe, your email and name are stored on their secure servers solely for sending the messages you’ve requested.
• Hosting: Our website is hosted in the UK, and all data is stored within the European Economic Area or countries deemed adequate by UK data protection law.

We do not embed third‑party tracking pixels, social media widgets, or external comment systems that can observe your behaviour across the web.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have a number of rights regarding your personal information. In short, you can ask us to:

• Confirm whether we hold your data and, if so, provide a copy of it.
• Correct any inaccuracies.
• Delete your data when there’s no lawful reason for us to keep it.
• Restrict processing under certain circumstances.
• Transfer your data to another service in a machine‑readable format.
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests (though we rarely rely on that ground for personal data beyond basic site operation).

If you’d like to exercise any of these rights, send an email to [email protected]. We’ll respond within one month. There’s no fee, and we won’t make you jump through unnecessary hoops.

Should you feel we haven’t handled your data properly, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We’d appreciate the chance to put things right first, but it’s your choice.

How long we keep data

We hold information only as long as needed:

• Aggregated analytics logs are automatically purged after 14 months.
• Email subscription data is kept until you unsubscribe; after that, it’s removed from our active lists within 48 hours.
• Technical logs used for security monitoring are rotated every 30 days.

Changes to this policy

If we ever need to update how we handle your data, we’ll post the revised policy here with a new effective date. For significant changes, we’ll also notify email subscribers ahead of time. We recommend checking this page occasionally, but we won’t hide behind silent updates.

Contact us

We’re a lean team, so privacy queries land directly with people who can act on them. Reach us at:

Email: [email protected]
Post: Bluecrest Journal, 124 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom

Miles Hartley oversees our data protection practices alongside his editorial role. If you want to speak to him directly, just mention his name in your message.

This policy was written because we believe transparent, human‑centred privacy practices are as important as the technology we cover. Thank you for trusting Bluecrest Journal.