This explains what personal information I collect through paulmalin.com, why, and what your rights are. I keep it short because I collect very little.
Who I am
I’m Paul Malin, a sole trader based in Harrogate, and I’m the data controller for this website. You can contact me at mail@paulmalin.com.
What I collect, and why
The contact form
If you fill in the form I receive your name, email address, business or website, how you heard about me, the services you ticked, and your message. I use it to reply to you and to discuss work you’ve asked about. My legal basis is your request (taking steps before entering into a contract) and my legitimate interest in answering enquiries.
Pip, the chat assistant
Pip is an AI assistant on this site. When you chat with it, your messages are sent to Anthropic, the company that provides the AI model, so it can generate a reply. Anthropic acts as my processor and is based in the United States. I keep a transcript of the conversation, and if you give Pip your name, email address or details of your business, I may use them to follow up with you. Please don’t put sensitive information, such as health details or payment details, into the chat. Pip is an AI and can make mistakes, so please check anything important with me. My legal basis is my legitimate interest in running the assistant and responding to people who use it.
Technical data
Like any website, the server that hosts this site records technical data such as your IP address, browser type and the pages requested. This is used for security and keeping the site running.
Cookies
I don’t use advertising cookies, and I don’t currently run analytics on this site. If I add analytics later, I’ll update this page and ask for your consent where the law requires it.
Who I share information with
I don’t sell your information. It’s handled only by the services I use to run the site and my business: my website host, my email provider, and Anthropic (for Pip). Where those providers are outside the UK, they’re covered by appropriate safeguards such as the UK’s approved transfer mechanisms.
How long I keep it
Enquiries and chat transcripts are kept for up to 12 months after our last contact, unless we start working together, in which case I keep what I need for the relationship and for my accounts. After that I delete them.
Your rights
You can ask to see the information I hold about you, have it corrected or deleted, object to how I use it, or ask me to restrict it. Email me and I’ll deal with it promptly. If you’re unhappy with how I’ve handled your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk, though I’d appreciate the chance to put it right first.
Changes
If I change this policy I’ll update the date at the top.