Privacy Policy

Effective Date: [Insert Date]

At The Historic Investigation Agency, your privacy is extremely important to us. This policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, how we store it, and your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

1. Who We Are

The Historic Investigation Agency
Address: [Insert business address]
Email: [Insert business email]

We are based in the United Kingdom and act as the Data Controller of the personal information you provide to us.

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal and genealogical data:

Full names
Dates and places of birth and death
Family relationships
Historical records and user-submitted documents
Email addresses and other contact details
Payment information
DNA data (only if voluntarily provided)

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data in the following ways:

Through contact forms on our website or via Google Forms
Through document uploads (where applicable)
Through purchases of services
From publicly available records and third-party sources

4. Why We Process Your Data

We process your data for the following purposes:

To carry out genealogical research
To deliver reports, family trees, and related services
To communicate with you regarding your enquiry or project
To manage invoicing and payments
To comply with legal obligations

We do not use your data for marketing or promotional purposes.

5. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Consent – when you voluntarily provide data for a project
Contract – when we process data to fulfil a service you have requested
Legal obligation – where required to comply with applicable law
Legitimate interest – for purposes such as historical research

6. Data Sharing

We do not routinely share your personal data with third parties. Where required to complete your project, we may share information with trusted researchers or service providers under appropriate data protection agreements.
Your data will not be transferred outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA).

7. Data Storage & Retention

Your data is stored securely using Google’s cloud services and protected by industry-standard encryption and access controls.

We retain personal and genealogical data for six (6) months following the delivery of your final product (e.g., report or family tree), after which it will be permanently deleted unless otherwise required by law.

8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the right to:

Access a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
Request erasure of your data (the right to be forgotten)
Object to or restrict certain types of processing
Withdraw consent where processing is based on it
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

To exercise your rights, please contact us at [Insert email].

9. Cookies & Website Analytics

Our website, hosted on WordPress, may use cookies and analytics tools to monitor usage and improve performance. These do not collect personally identifiable information unless explicitly provided.

You can manage your cookie preferences via your browser settings.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy occasionally. Any changes will be posted on our website and effective immediately upon publication.