Privacy Policy
This policy explains what personal data Cowacks collects, why, and what your rights are. It applies to visitors of cowacks.com and anyone who contacts Cowacks by email.
1. Who we are
Cowacks is a sole trader web design and digital marketing service operated by Jack, based in Thame, Oxfordshire. For the purposes of UK data protection law, Jack is the data controller for personal data collected through this website.
You can reach me at hello@cowacks.com with any questions about this policy.
2. What data we collect
Data you give us directly
When you contact Cowacks — either via the contact form on this site or by sending a direct email — you may provide:
- Your name
- Your email address
- The type of project or service you are interested in
- Any information you choose to include in your message
Contact form submissions are processed and stored by Netlify, Inc. as part of their Forms service. Data is transmitted securely over HTTPS and stored on Netlify's servers. See Netlify's privacy policy for details.
Data collected automatically
This website uses Google Analytics (GA4), Microsoft Clarity, and Matomo to understand how visitors use the site. Analytics only loads if you accept cookies. These tools may collect:
- Pages visited and time spent on the site
- Approximate location (country or region level)
- Device type and browser
- How you arrived at the site (e.g. search engine, direct link)
This data is anonymised and aggregated. It does not identify you personally. Visitor IP addresses are anonymised before storage.
3. Why we collect it
| Data | Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Contact form & email enquiries | To respond to your message and discuss potential work | Legitimate interests |
| Client project data | To deliver the agreed service and fulfil contractual obligations | Contract performance |
| Analytics data (GA4, Clarity, Matomo) | To understand how the site is used and improve it | Consent |
4. How long we keep your data
- Email enquiries: kept for up to 12 months, then deleted unless a project has started.
- Client project data: kept for 6 years after project completion to comply with HMRC requirements for sole trader records.
- Analytics data: retained by Google for 14 months (GA4 setting); by Microsoft for 30 days (Clarity); and by Matomo for 13 months, after which raw visit data is automatically deleted.
5. Who we share data with
Cowacks does not sell or rent personal data to anyone. Data may be shared with:
- Netlify: contact form submissions are stored on Netlify's servers. Netlify acts as a data processor on behalf of Cowacks. Netlify's privacy policy.
- Google Analytics: anonymised usage data only, and only with your consent. Google's privacy policy.
- Microsoft Clarity: session recordings and heatmap data only, and only with your consent. Clarity does not identify you personally. Microsoft's privacy policy.
- Matomo Analytics: anonymised usage and goal data only, and only with your consent. Hosted on Matomo Cloud (EU). IP addresses are anonymised to 2 bytes before storage. Matomo's privacy policy.
- Zoho Mail: email is processed via Zoho's EU data centre servers. Zoho's privacy policy.
- HMRC: if required by law for tax purposes.
6. Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- Access the personal data held about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data (where no legal obligation requires it to be kept)
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Withdraw consent for analytics at any time (via your browser or cookie settings)
- Lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk
To exercise any of these rights, email hello@cowacks.com. I'll respond within 30 days.
7. Cookies
This site uses cookies for analytics purposes, but only with your consent. See the Cookie Policy for full details.
8. Changes to this policy
This policy will be updated if the way data is collected or used changes. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any revisions.