Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

SignalLedger ("we", "us", "our") is an online finance education publisher. We produce educational content about financial markets, trading platforms, investing concepts, and related topics. We are committed to protecting the personal data of everyone who visits our website and to handling that data responsibly and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect when you use signalledger.com (the "Website"), why we collect it, how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights you have over your data. This policy applies to all visitors, newsletter subscribers, and anyone who contacts us through the Website.

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 govern our data processing activities. By using our Website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.

2. What Information We Collect

2a. Information You Provide to Us

We collect personal data that you voluntarily provide to us in the following circumstances:

• Contact form submissions: When you use our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message. We may also collect an enquiry category if you select one.
• Newsletter sign-ups: If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address. We may also collect your first name if you choose to provide it.

2b. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Website, certain information is collected automatically by our web server and analytics tools. This includes:

• Your IP address (which may be truncated or anonymised prior to processing)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and content viewed
• Time and duration of your visit
• The URL of the page that referred you to our Website
• General geographic region (derived from IP address at a country or region level)

This information is collected in aggregate and is not ordinarily used to identify you as an individual. It helps us understand how visitors use our Website so we can improve it.

2c. Cookies

Our Website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to enable certain functionality and to collect analytics data. For full details of the cookies we use, what they do, and how to manage them, please read our Cookie Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:

• To respond to enquiries: When you contact us via our contact form, we use the information you provide to respond to your message and to maintain a record of our correspondence.
• To send newsletters: If you have subscribed to our newsletter, we use your email address to send you educational content updates. We only send newsletters to people who have explicitly opted in.
• To improve the Website: We use aggregated, anonymised analytics data to understand how visitors navigate our Website, which content is most useful, and where improvements can be made.
• To comply with legal obligations: We may process your data where required to do so by law, including in response to lawful requests from public authorities.

4. Legal Basis for Processing (UK GDPR)

Under the UK GDPR, we are required to have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following bases:

• Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): We rely on your consent as the lawful basis for sending you our newsletter. You may withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any newsletter email or by contacting us directly. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to withdrawal.
• Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)): We rely on our legitimate interests as the lawful basis for collecting and processing anonymised, aggregated analytics data. Our legitimate interest is in understanding how our Website is used so that we can improve it and provide better educational content to our readers. We have assessed that this processing does not override your interests or fundamental rights, particularly because the data is anonymised before analysis.
• Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): We may process personal data where we are required to do so by applicable law, including cooperating with law enforcement or regulatory authorities.
• Contract (Article 6(1)(b)): Where you contact us with an enquiry, processing your contact details is necessary to respond to that enquiry and manage our communications with you.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data. We may share data with the following categories of third party in limited circumstances:

• Analytics service providers: We use third-party analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) that process anonymised and aggregated data on our behalf. These providers act as data processors and are contractually required to process data only on our instructions and to maintain appropriate security measures.
• Email service providers: We use a third-party email service provider to manage our newsletter distribution. This provider receives subscriber email addresses and acts as a data processor. They are contractually bound to handle this data in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.
• Legal and regulatory authorities: We may disclose personal data to law enforcement agencies, courts, regulators, or other public authorities where we are legally required to do so, or where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the rights of others.

We require all third-party processors to implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data. We do not permit our processors to use your data for their own purposes.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, in accordance with applicable law:

• Contact form data: We retain enquiry correspondence (including your name, email, and message) for up to 12 months from the date of your enquiry, after which it is securely deleted unless we are required to retain it for longer for legal reasons.
• Newsletter subscriptions: We retain your email address on our mailing list until you unsubscribe. Upon unsubscription, your email address is removed from the active mailing list. We may retain a suppression record of unsubscribed addresses to honour your preference and avoid inadvertently re-adding you to the list.
• Analytics data: Anonymised analytics data is retained for a standard period of approximately 26 months. Because this data is anonymised, it does not constitute personal data after the anonymisation process is applied.

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, along with information about how we process it. We will respond to such requests within one calendar month.
• Right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): You have the right to request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances — for example, where the data is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or where you have withdrawn consent and there is no other lawful basis for processing.
• Right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we limit the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances, such as while the accuracy of the data is being disputed.
• Right to data portability: Where processing is based on your consent or on a contract, and is carried out by automated means, you have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: You have the right to object to processing carried out on the basis of our legitimate interests. If you raise an objection, we will cease processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, or that the processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been handled unlawfully. The ICO can be contacted at ico.org.uk.

8. Cookies

We use cookies on our Website to enable core functionality and to collect anonymised analytics. Strictly necessary cookies are set on your first visit and cannot be disabled without affecting your experience. Analytics cookies are set only after you have given your consent through our cookie notice. You may update your preferences at any time. For a full list of cookies, their purposes, and instructions on how to manage them, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

9. Third-Party Links

Our Website contains links to third-party websites, including trading platforms, financial tools, and reference sources. These third-party websites operate independently of SignalLedger and have their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party website. We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any website you visit before providing personal data. The inclusion of a link on our Website does not imply our endorsement of the linked site or its privacy practices.

10. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures are reviewed and updated as necessary. However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is entirely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the services we provide. When we make significant changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our Website following any changes constitutes your acknowledgement of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal data, please contact us using the form on our Contact page. We aim to respond to all data-related enquiries within 10 working days.