£LinxBiz
Template notice: these documents are working templates prepared for launch. Placeholders in [BRACKETS] must be completed on incorporation, and the full set should be reviewed by a solicitor before the site accepts real users.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: [DATE]. This policy explains how [COMPANY NAME] Ltd (“we”, “us”) collects and uses personal data when you use the Platform. We are the data controller and are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration [ICO NUMBER].

1. Data we collect

  • Account data — name, email address, phone number (optional), and a hashed password.
  • Listing data — business details you choose to publish, including financial figures and photos. Published listings are public.
  • Messages — enquiries and replies sent through the Platform’s messaging system.
  • Valuation requests — email address and the business figures you enter.
  • Technical data — IP address, browser type, and usage data collected via server logs and any analytics we operate.

2. How we use it and our lawful bases (UK GDPR)

  • Providing the Platform — creating accounts, publishing adverts, relaying messages (performance of a contract, Art. 6(1)(b)).
  • Reviewing adverts, preventing fraud and abuse, and securing the Platform (legitimate interests, Art. 6(1)(f)).
  • Sending service emails such as enquiry notifications and listing status updates (performance of a contract).
  • Sending marketing emails, including following a valuation request, only with your consent or under the soft opt-in for similar services, always with an unsubscribe option (consent / legitimate interests; PECR).
  • Complying with legal obligations, e.g. accounting records (legal obligation, Art. 6(1)(c)).

3. Sharing

We share data with service providers who process it on our instructions — hosting, database, email delivery, and payment processing ([PROVIDERS, e.g. hosting provider, Stripe, Resend]) — under contracts meeting UK GDPR requirements. Messages you send to another user are shared with that user. We do not sell personal data. Where a provider processes data outside the UK, we rely on adequacy regulations or the ICO’s International Data Transfer Agreement.

4. Retention

Account data is kept while your account is active and for [12] months after closure. Expired or removed listings are retained for [24] months for fraud prevention and dispute handling, then deleted or anonymised. Messages are retained for [24] months. Financial records are kept for 6 years as required by law.

5. Your rights

You have the right to access, rectify, and erase your data; to restrict or object to processing; to data portability; and to withdraw consent at any time. To exercise any right, contact [EMAIL]. You also have the right to complain to the ICO (ico.org.uk).

6. Security

Passwords are stored hashed, connections are encrypted in transit, and access to personal data is restricted. No system is perfectly secure; notify us immediately of any suspected compromise of your account.

7. Children

The Platform is for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

8. Contact

Data protection contact: [NAME / EMAIL], [COMPANY NAME] Ltd, [ADDRESS].