PRIVACY POLICY
VA Magazine (vamagazine.co.uk)
1. Who we are
VA Magazine (“we”, “us”, “our”) is an online magazine published at vamagazine.co.uk. We publish informational articles for general readers, and you can read all of them freely without creating an account. For the purposes of UK data protection law, we are the “data controller” of the personal information described in this policy.
Contact for privacy matters: VAmagazine.co.uk@gmail.com
We take your privacy seriously. This page explains in plain language what we collect when you read our articles or get in touch with us, what we do with it, and the choices you have.
2. The short version
- We collect only what we need to run the site and improve it.
- We never sell your personal information.
- You can ask us to see, correct or delete your data at any time.
- Non-essential cookies are used only if you say yes.
3. What we collect
When you read our articles Browsing our informational articles does not require you to give us any personal details. We only receive the technical information described under “Information collected automatically” below, which helps us see which topics readers find useful.
Information you give us
- Contact messages: your name, email address and the content of your message when you use our contact form or email us.
- Newsletter sign-ups (if offered): your email address and name.
- Comments (if enabled): your name, email address, website and the comment text.
Information collected automatically
- Device and browser type, operating system and screen size.
- Approximate location (country or city level) derived from your IP address.
- Pages visited, time spent, referring website and search terms used to find us.
- Cookie and similar-technology identifiers (see section 7).
Information we do not seek We do not knowingly collect sensitive categories of data (such as health, religion or political views), and we ask that you do not send them to us.
4. Why we use your information, and our legal basis
| Purpose | Legal basis (UK GDPR) |
|---|---|
| Replying to your enquiries | Legitimate interests / taking steps at your request |
| Sending newsletters you signed up for | Consent |
| Operating, securing and fixing the website | Legitimate interests |
| Understanding how readers use the site (analytics) | Consent (for non-essential cookies) |
| Showing advertising, where applicable | Consent |
| Meeting legal and accounting duties | Legal obligation |
You may withdraw consent at any time; doing so does not affect anything done before withdrawal.
5. Who we share it with
We share information only with trusted providers who help us run the site, and only as far as needed:
- Web hosting and security providers to keep the site online and protected.
- Analytics providers (for example Google Analytics) to measure traffic.
- Email service providers to deliver newsletters, if you subscribe.
- Advertising partners, if we display ads, and only according to your cookie choices.
- Professional advisers, regulators or law enforcement, where the law requires it.
These providers act on our instructions or under their own privacy terms. We do not sell or rent your personal information.
6. International transfers
Some of our providers are located outside the UK. Where this happens, we rely on safeguards recognised by UK law, such as the UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum, so that your information stays protected.
7. Cookies and similar technologies
Cookies are small text files stored on your device.
- Essential cookies: needed for the site to function and stay secure. These do not require consent.
- Analytics cookies: help us see which articles are popular and how the site performs.
- Advertising cookies: used to show or measure ads, where applicable.
When you first visit, you can accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can change your mind at any time through our cookie banner or your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect how parts of the site work.
8. How long we keep information
- Contact enquiries: up to 24 months after our last correspondence.
- Newsletter details: until you unsubscribe.
- Comments: for as long as the related article is published, unless you ask us to remove them.
- Analytics data: generally no longer than 26 months.
- Records we must keep by law: for the legally required period.
When data is no longer needed, we delete or anonymise it.
9. Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- Be informed about how we use your data.
- Access a copy of the data we hold about you.
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Erase your data in certain circumstances.
- Restrict how we use your data.
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
- Data portability, where it applies.
- Withdraw consent at any time.
To use any of these rights, email VAmagazine.co.uk@gmail.com. We may need to confirm your identity first, and we will aim to respond within one month.
10. Security
We use sensible technical and organisational measures, including HTTPS encryption, access controls and regular software updates, to protect your information. No online service can be completely risk-free, so please take care when sharing information online.
11. Children
Our site is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has given us information, please contact us and we will delete it.
12. Links to other websites
Our articles may link to third-party websites, sources or resources. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices, so please read their policies before sharing any information. The information in our articles is for general guidance only; please see our Disclaimer for details.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when it last changed. For significant changes, we will make a clear notice on the site.
14. Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we handle your information, please contact us first so we can try to put things right. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.
