Privacy Policy

Last updated: 5 October 2026

Skynetdesigns is me, M Lake - a sole trader doing web design and business consultancy from Somerset. Below is what personal information I end up holding, where it's stored, how long I hang on to it and what you can ask me to do about it. UK data protection law (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018) sets the rules; I've just tried to explain them without the legalese.

Who's responsible

There's no company behind Skynetdesigns, so the "data controller" in legal terms is me, M Lake. If you have a question about your data, use the Contact page and it comes straight to me.

What I collect

If you fill in the contact form, I get your name, your email address, the topic you picked and whatever you wrote. The form also logs the IP address it was sent from. That's purely for spotting spam - bots tend to hammer a form from the same handful of addresses.

If you email me directly, I'll have whatever is in that email.

If we end up working together, I'll also keep the usual business paperwork: contact details, emails about the project, quotes, invoices and records of payments.

The server that runs this site keeps standard access logs (IP address, browser, which page was requested and when). Every web server does this. I only look at them if something's gone wrong or the site is under attack.

There's no Google Analytics or any other tracking on this site, no adverts, and the fonts are hosted on the site itself rather than pulled from Google.

Why I use it

The law wants a "lawful basis" spelled out for each thing I do with your details. Mine are:

  • Replying to you when you get in touch is a legitimate interest. You asked a question and I'm answering it.
  • Doing the work you've hired me for, and sending the invoice, is performance of a contract.
  • Keeping invoices and payment records is a legal obligation. HMRC requires it.
  • Logging IP addresses to block spam is a legitimate interest in keeping the site working.

There's no newsletter and I won't put you on a mailing list. If I ever start one, you'll only be on it if you sign up.

Who else sees it

Nobody buys or rents your details from me. That said, a small business runs on other people's services, and these ones handle some of your data for me:

  • xCloud hosts the website and its database, so contact form messages are stored on their servers.
  • Brevo sends the notification email when someone uses the contact form.
  • Cloudflare manages the domain and forwards email sent to @skynetdesigns.co.uk.
  • Google provides the inbox those emails end up in (Gmail).

If we work together, my bank and any accounting software or accountant I use will see invoice and payment details. And if the law requires it - a request from HMRC, for example - I'll comply.

Some of these companies store data outside the UK. When that happens it's either in a country the UK recognises as having equivalent protection, or under the standard contracts the ICO approves for international transfers.

How long I keep it

If you get in touch and nothing comes of it, I delete the enquiry within 12 months of our last contact. Client records are kept for as long as UK tax rules say I have to, which is currently at least five years after the 31 January Self Assessment deadline for the tax year in question. Server logs are cleared automatically by the host after a short period.

Keeping it safe

The whole site runs over HTTPS, enquiries sit behind a password-protected admin login, and the software is kept updated. Nothing online is completely secure, but I keep access to your details to the minimum needed.

Cookies

The Cookie Policy has the detail. Short version: no tracking or advertising cookies. The one thing the site saves in your browser is whether you clicked Accept or Reject on the cookie banner.

Your rights

You can ask me for a copy of what I hold about you, ask me to correct it or delete it, ask me to stop using it or limit how it's used, or ask for it in a format you can take elsewhere. There are a few limits - I can't delete an invoice the taxman expects me to keep, for instance - but I'll explain if that applies. It's free to ask, and I'll reply within a month.

Not happy with how I've dealt with your data? Let me know and give me the chance to fix it. You're also entitled to go to the Information Commissioner's Office (the ICO), the UK's data protection watchdog, at any point.

Under-18s

I work with businesses, so if I found out an enquiry had come from someone under 18, I'd delete it.

Changes to this page

When I add a tool or service that touches your data, I'll update this page and the "last updated" date at the top. Any questions in the meantime, the Contact page reaches me directly.