This Privacy Policy explains how Medienconnect handles your personal data when you visit our website or interact with us. It is written in plain English so you can understand your rights and our obligations under UK GDPR. Use the section headings to find what matters most to you.
What personal data do we collect and why?
We collect only the personal data you voluntarily provide or that is technically necessary to deliver our journalism and run the site securely. This includes your name and email address if you contact us, subscribe to our newsletter, or tip us off.
When you use our contact forms or sign up for the newsletter at /about-us/newsletter/, we store the information you submit so we can respond or send you the updates you requested. We also collect limited technical data such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited — this helps us improve the site, prevent abuse, and understand our audience. We never buy or sell personal data from third parties.
How do we use your data?
We use your data only for the specific purpose you gave it to us, such as answering an enquiry, sending the newsletter, processing a tip, or improving our editorial service. We do not use it for advertising profiling or unrelated marketing without your explicit consent.
For example, if you email our fact-checking team at /about-us/contact/, we will keep your message and our reply for as long as needed to resolve the issue, then delete it. If you subscribe to the newsletter, we use your email only to send that newsletter and to measure open rates so we can improve content. Aggregated analytics (e.g. which articles are most read) help our editorial team, but never identify you personally.
What legal basis do we rely on?
We process your data under UK GDPR lawful bases: consent (for newsletter subscriptions and cookies), legitimate interest (for security, analytics, and editorial communication), and legal obligation (for records required by regulators or courts).
When you tick the consent box to receive our newsletter, you can withdraw at any time using the unsubscribe link in every email. For non‑essential cookies we rely on your consent too — see our Cookie Policy for details. Where we use legitimate interest, we have balanced it against your privacy rights and always minimise what we collect. We do not rely on consent for core site functionality or to comply with law.
How long do we keep your data?
We keep your personal data only as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected and to meet legal or regulatory requirements. After that, it is securely deleted or anonymised.
Newsletter subscriber data is retained until you unsubscribe; after that we remove your email within 30 days. Contact‑form submissions and tip‑offs are kept for up to 12 months after the matter is closed, unless required longer for a legal hold. Analytics logs are aggregated and stripped of personal identifiers after 26 months. If you request a correction or complaint, we may keep records for up to six years to comply with our Complaints Procedure and insurance obligations.
What are your rights under UK GDPR?
You have the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict the processing of your personal data, and to port it to another service. You can also object to processing based on legitimate interest. To exercise any of these rights, contact our privacy team at privacy@medienconnect.de.
We will respond within one month (extended by two months for complex requests). You can ask us to confirm what data we hold about you, request a copy, ask us to correct inaccuracies, or demand deletion if there is no overriding legal need to keep it. If you believe we have processed your data unlawfully, you may also lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We will provide the ICO’s contact details if needed.
How this works in practice
Suppose you use our tip‑us form at /about-us/tip-us/ to send a story idea and include your phone number. We will use that number only to verify the tip and possibly contact you for follow‑up, not to add you to any marketing list. Once the story is published or the tip is rejected, we delete your number and any identifying details within 12 months. You can request earlier deletion at any time by emailing privacy@medienconnect.de — and we will confirm within five working days.
This example illustrates our general approach: collect what we genuinely need, use it only for the stated purpose, and remove it as soon as possible. The same principle applies to newsletter sign‑ups, complaint submissions, and site analytics.
Who is responsible for your data?
Medienconnect is owned and operated by Medienconnec Media Ltd., a private company registered in Gibraltar (company number C 92009, Malta Business Registry). Our registered office is Office 9, Business Centre, Valletta, 0000. The data controller under UK GDPR is Medienconnec Media Ltd., and the person accountable for data protection is Chefredaktör Alexander Seidel (anders.lindqvist@medienconnect.de, +46 8 525 030 61).
Although our company is registered in Gibraltar and Malta, we comply fully with UK GDPR because we serve UK readers. Our editorial team is based in Sweden and Germany, and we process data on servers in the European Economic Area. For further details on ownership and funding, see our Ownership & Funding page. Commercial relationships never influence how we handle your personal data.
How do we use cookies?
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site, analyse traffic, and deliver personalised advertising. Full details, including how to manage your preferences, are in our separate Cookie Policy.
Essential cookies (for login, security, and basic site functions) do not require consent. Non‑essential cookies (analytics, advertising, social media) are set only after you actively accept them via our cookie banner. You can change your settings at any time through the cookie‑preferences link in the footer. We also use a cookie‑consent management platform that records your choice.
How do we protect your data?
We use industry‑standard security measures including encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+), firewalls, restricted access controls, and regular vulnerability scans. Access to personal data is limited to named staff who need it for their role.
Our team members (listed on /our-team/) are trained in data‑handling procedures. We do not store payment card information — any payments for advertising or subscriptions are processed by third‑party providers that comply with PCI DSS. In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects your rights, we will notify you and the ICO within 72 hours as required by UK GDPR.
International transfers
We store and process your personal data within the European Economic Area. If we ever need to transfer data to a country outside the EEA or UK (for example, to use a cloud‑based editorial tool), we will ensure adequate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or an adequacy decision from the UK government.
Currently we use only EEA‑based servers. Our email provider and analytics services are also based in the EEA. If that changes, this policy will be updated, and we will inform you before any transfer occurs. You can always ask for a copy of the safeguards we apply by contacting privacy@medienconnect.de.
Contact us about privacy
For any questions, requests, or complaints regarding your personal data, email privacy@medienconnect.de or write to the registered office above. You can also reach Chefredaktör Alexander Seidel directly at anders.lindqvist@medienconnect.de or +46 8 525 030 61.
We aim to resolve all privacy matters within 14 days. If you are not satisfied, you have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk). Our Terms of Use and Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure provide additional context on how we operate as a publisher.
In short
We collect only what we need, use it transparently, keep it secure, and delete it when the purpose ends. You have full control over your data through easy‑to‑use rights and a direct line to our privacy team. This policy is reviewed annually and updated whenever our practices change.