UK GDPR & Data Protection Compliance

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 1 July 2026 • Effective Immediately

Plain English Summary

At **UK Business Sites** (ukbusinesssites.co.uk), we respect your privacy. We collect your business and contact information strictly to verify your legitimacy against UK Companies House records and Google Business Profiles, design your free website, deliver your code files, and manage hosting services. **We never sell, rent, or trade your personal data to advertisers or third-party marketers.**

1. Who We Are & Contact Details

This Privacy Policy applies to all services, websites, and digital products operated by **UK Business Sites** ("we", "us", or "our"). For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, UK Business Sites is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, your data protection rights, or our verification procedures, please contact our Data Protection Coordinator:

2. Information We Collect

We collect and process data required to provide professional web design and verification services. This includes:

  • Identity & Contact Data: Your full name, business name, professional email address, and telephone/WhatsApp number submitted via our inquiry forms.
  • Business Verification Data: Public UK Companies House registration numbers, sole trader trading addresses, Google Business Profile URLs, exact Google Maps location details, and public customer review links.
  • Technical & Usage Data: Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, browser types and versions, time zone settings, operating systems, and basic analytics regarding how you navigate our website.
  • Website Content Data: Any text, logos, photographs, menu files, pricing tables, or brand materials you voluntarily provide to us for inclusion on your custom website.

3. How & Why We Use Your Information (Lawful Basis)

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal and business data under the following lawful bases:

A. Performance of a Contract

To evaluate your inquiry, build your custom one-page HTML website, deliver your source code files and DIY hosting PDF guide, provision subdomain hosting (on the £29/year Starter tier), and provide ongoing technical assistance.

B. Legitimate Interests (Anti-Fraud & Quality Verification)

Because we provide substantial developer labor free of charge, we have a vital legitimate business interest in cross-referencing your submission against public **Companies House** databases and active **Google Business Profiles**. This prevents automated bot abuse, fraudulent solicitations, and ensures our development resources are dedicated exclusively to genuine, active UK local businesses.

C. Legal Obligation

To comply with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) tax accounting regulations, financial reporting, and statutory data retention mandates.

4. How We Share Your Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any external marketing agencies. We only share your data with strict operational partners necessary to fulfill our service contract:

  • Cloud Storage & Delivery Providers: Services such as Google Workspace / Google Drive used securely to host and transmit your completed website files and hosting PDF guides to your email.
  • Server Infrastructure & Hosting Partners: Cloud hosting servers (e.g., Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare, or AWS) utilized to host live website previews or managed subdomains (e.g., yourname.bizd.co.uk).
  • Public Registries for Verification: We conduct read-only queries against public UK Companies House and Google Maps APIs to verify business existence.

5. International Data Transfers

Some of our secure cloud storage and infrastructure providers (such as Google or Vercel) maintain servers located outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area (EEA). Whenever your data is transferred internationally, we ensure it is protected by approved UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs), Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), or adequacy decisions recognized by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

6. Data Retention Policy

We retain your information only for as long as required to fulfill the purposes set out in this policy:

  • Active Clients: For clients utilizing our £29/year managed hosting or receiving ongoing technical support, we retain contact and site files for the duration of the active service plus 6 years to satisfy UK contract and accounting laws.
  • Free Files Clients: For clients who claim free files and DIY hosting without ongoing subscriptions, we retain your initial inquiry verification records and file backups for 24 months before archiving or secure deletion.
  • Unverified or Rejected Inquiries: Inquiries that fail our Companies House or Google Business verification checks are securely purged within 30 days.

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

As a data subject within the United Kingdom, you possess enforceable legal rights regarding your personal information:

  • Right of Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete contact or business information.
  • Right to Erasure ('Right to be Forgotten'): You may ask us to delete your personal data where there is no compelling legal or contractual reason for its continued retention.
  • Right to Restrict Processing: You may ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances.
  • Right to Data Portability: You may request your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
  • Right to Object: You may object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing communications at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please email us at hello@ukbusinesssites.co.uk. We respond to all legitimate requests within one calendar month. You also have the right to lodge a formal complaint with the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), via ico.org.uk.

8. Data Security Safeguards

We implement rigorous technical and organizational security protocols to prevent unauthorized access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure of your information. All data transmissions across our website and administrative systems are encrypted using Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS). Access to client verification data is strictly restricted to authorized development personnel on a need-to-know basis.

9. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website utilizes minimal, essential cookies required for core site functionality, secure navigation, and remembering your interactive menu state. We do not use intrusive third-party advertising trackers or cross-site tracking pixels without your explicit consent.

10. Third-Party Websites & Hosting Links

Our website and DIY hosting PDF guide may contain instructional links to external third-party platforms (including Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare, Google Drive, Companies House, and partner agencies like Shopfront Digital). We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party websites or services.

11. Amendments to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect technological changes, new legal guidance from the ICO, or adjustments to our free build offerings. Any modifications will be posted immediately on this webpage with an updated effective date. Continued engagement with our services constitutes acknowledgment of the updated terms.

Read our Terms & Conditions of Service