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Privacy Policy

Protecting Your Data in the Expert Insights Community

Expert Insights, a UK-based company, is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you use the Expert Insights Community, a platform for asking questions, sharing answers, and voting on cybersecurity and cloud IT solutions. By using the platform, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Data We Collect

We collect the following types of personal data to provide and improve the community platform:

A. Information You Provide

  • Email Address: Collected when you create an account or contact us.
  • Password: Encrypted and stored securely to authenticate your account.
  • Content You Post: Questions, answers, votes, and comments you contribute to the community.
  • Profile Information: Optional details you provide, such as your name, job title, or company, to personalise your profile.

B. Automatically Collected Information

  • IP Address: Used to identify your location for security and analytics purposes.
  • Browser Type: Helps us optimise the platform for your browsing experience.
  • Device Information: Details about your device (e.g., operating system, device type) to ensure compatibility.
  • Usage Data: Information about how you interact with the platform, such as pages visited, time spent, and clicks, to improve functionality and user experience.
  • Cookies and Similar Technologies: Used to enhance functionality, analyse trends, and deliver personalised content. See our Cookies Section for details.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data to:

  • Provide and operate the community platform, including account management, content posting, and voting features.
  • Personalise your experience, such as displaying relevant content or suggesting topics based on your activity.
  • Communicate with you, including responding to inquiries, sending platform updates, or notifying you of policy changes.
  • Analyse usage trends and improve the platform's performance, security, and user experience.
  • Ensure compliance with our Terms of Service and other policies, including detecting and preventing fraud or abuse.
  • Comply with legal obligations, such as responding to lawful requests from authorities.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

  • Contract: To fulfil our agreement with you, such as providing access to the platform when you create an account.
  • Legitimate Interests: For purposes like improving the platform, personalising content, and ensuring security, where these interests do not override your rights.
  • Consent: For optional features, such as cookies for analytics or marketing, where you provide explicit consent.
  • Legal Obligation: To comply with laws, such as data retention requirements or law enforcement requests.

4. Sharing Your Data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with:

  • Service Providers: Trusted third parties (e.g., cloud hosting, analytics, or email services) who process data on our behalf under strict data protection agreements.
  • Community Members: Content you post (e.g., questions, answers, comments) is publicly visible to other users, along with your username and optional profile information.
  • Legal Authorities: When required by law, such as in response to a court order or regulatory request, in compliance with UK data protection laws.
  • Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred, with notice provided where required.

5. Data Storage and Security

We store your personal data on secure servers located in the UK or within the European Economic Area (EEA). If data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses, to protect your data. We implement technical and organisational measures (e.g., encryption, access controls) to protect your data, but no system is completely secure. Please notify us immediately at support@expertinsights.com if you suspect a security breach.

We retain your data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law. For example, account data is retained while your account is active, and posted content remains on the platform unless deleted by you or removed for policy violations.

6. Your Data Protection Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Erasure: Request deletion of your data, subject to legal or contractual limitations.
  • Restriction: Restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances.
  • Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format or have it transferred to another controller.
  • Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including for direct marketing.
  • Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing (e.g., cookies) at any time, without affecting prior processing.

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@expertinsights.com. We will respond within one month, though complex requests may take longer. If you believe we have not complied with your rights, you can lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, analyse usage, and deliver personalised content. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie consent tool. Types of cookies we use include:

  • Essential Cookies: Necessary for platform functionality, such as session management.
  • Analytics Cookies: Track usage patterns to improve the platform.
  • Preference Cookies: Remember your settings, such as language or display preferences.

Disabling cookies may affect platform functionality. For more details, contact us at support@expertinsights.com.

8. Third-Party Links

The platform may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

9. Children's Privacy

The Expert Insights Community is not intended for users under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child under 18, please contact us at support@expertinsights.com, and we will take steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Changes are effective upon posting to the platform. We will notify you of significant changes via email or a platform announcement. Your continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or to exercise your data protection rights, contact our Data Protection Officer at:

Email: support@expertinsights.com
Address: Expert Insights Tech Ltd, Plymouth Science Park, 1 Davy Road, Plymouth, PL6 8BX, United Kingdom

We aim to respond promptly to all inquiries.