Privacy
Policy.

Who we are.

This privacy policy explains how Blackwater Digital collects, uses, stores and protects personal data when you visit our website, contact us, request an audit or quotation, subscribe to communications, or work with us as a client, supplier or business contact.

For the purposes of applicable data protection law, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018, Blackwater Digital is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy where we determine how and why that data is processed.

Information we collect.

The information we collect depends on how you interact with us. We only ask for information that is reasonably relevant to the purpose for which it is being collected.

Information you give us

• Your name, business name and job title.
• Your email address, phone number and other contact details.
• Information you submit through our contact forms.
• Information you provide when requesting a website audit, quotation, proposal or consultation.
• Details you provide when subscribing to updates or marketing communications.
• Project briefs, website details, account information and other material you provide while working with us.
• Billing, invoicing and transaction-related information where relevant to a client or supplier relationship.
• Correspondence and records of communications with us.

Information collected automatically

When you use our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our website infrastructure and, where enabled, analytics, security or advertising technologies. This may include:

• IP address and approximate location derived from it.
• Browser, operating system and device information.
• Pages viewed, referring pages, links clicked and time spent on the site.
• Technical identifiers, cookie information and similar online identifiers.
• Website performance, error, security and diagnostic information.

How we use your information.

We may use personal data to:

• Respond to enquiries and communicate with you.
• Provide quotations, proposals, audits, consultations and requested information.
• Deliver website, SEO, paid advertising, social media and related digital marketing services.
• Manage projects, client relationships, suppliers, billing and administration.
• Operate, maintain, secure and improve our website and services.
• Understand how visitors use our website and measure website performance.
• Measure the effectiveness of marketing or advertising where appropriate and permitted.
• Send service-related communications and, where permitted, marketing communications.
• Prevent misuse, fraud, security incidents or unlawful activity.
• Comply with legal, regulatory, tax, accounting and professional obligations.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Our legal bases.

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. Depending on the situation, we may rely on:

Contract

Processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or to perform a contract with you.

Legitimate interests

We may process information where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business interests and those interests are not overridden by your data protection rights. Examples include responding to business enquiries, maintaining client relationships, improving our services, protecting our website and understanding business performance.

Consent

Where required, we rely on your consent, for example for certain marketing communications or non-essential cookies. You can withdraw consent at any time without affecting processing carried out before withdrawal.

Legal obligation

We may process data where necessary to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or other obligations that apply to us.

Website data & cookies.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to make the site work, maintain security, remember preferences, understand how the site is used and, where enabled, support analytics or advertising.

Essential technologies

Some technologies are necessary for the website to function properly, stay secure or provide features you request. These may operate without consent where legally permitted.

Analytics and marketing technologies

Where we use non-essential analytics or marketing technologies, we will handle them in accordance with applicable consent requirements. You may be able to accept, reject or manage these through the cookie controls presented on the website.

Who we share data with.

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information with trusted third parties where reasonably necessary to operate our business or provide our services.

These may include:

• Website hosting, content delivery, infrastructure and security providers.
• Email, communication, productivity and cloud service providers.
• CRM, project management and client administration providers.
• Analytics, advertising or marketing technology providers where enabled.
• Payment, accounting, bookkeeping, banking and professional advisers.
• Contractors, developers, designers or other service partners working on an authorised project.
• Government bodies, regulators, courts, law enforcement or other parties where disclosure is legally required.
• A buyer, investor or successor organisation in connection with a genuine business sale, restructuring or transfer.

Where appropriate, service providers are required to process personal data only for authorised purposes and to protect it appropriately.

International transfers.

Some of the service providers we use may process or store personal data outside Ireland or the European Economic Area.

Where personal data is transferred to a country that has not been recognised as providing an adequate level of protection, we take appropriate steps where required, such as relying on approved contractual safeguards or another lawful transfer mechanism.

How long we keep it.

We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to satisfy legal, accounting, tax, contractual, security and dispute-resolution requirements.

Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and our relationship with you. When information is no longer required, we will delete it, anonymise it or otherwise dispose of it securely where reasonably practicable.

Your data protection rights.

Subject to applicable law and any relevant exemptions, you may have the right to:

• Ask for access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Ask us to erase your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances.
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Object at any time to the use of your personal data for direct marketing.
• Ask to receive certain information in a portable format where the right to data portability applies.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority.

We may need to verify your identity before acting on a rights request. These rights are not absolute and may be subject to limitations under applicable law.

Marketing communications.

We may send you relevant business or marketing communications where we have a lawful basis to do so. Where consent is required, we will ask for it before sending those communications.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe option in the communication, where available, or by contacting us directly. Service and administrative communications may still be sent where they are necessary for an existing relationship with you.

How we protect data.

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, loss or destruction.

No website, email system, transmission method or storage system is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, but we review and improve our safeguards where appropriate.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to websites, platforms or services operated by third parties. Their privacy practices are controlled by them, not by Blackwater Digital. We recommend reviewing the privacy information provided by those third parties.

Children

Our website and services are intended for businesses and are not directed at children. We do not knowingly seek to collect personal data from children through this website.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes to our website, services, legal obligations or processing activities. The latest version will be published on this page with an updated revision date.

Questions or complaints?

If you have a question about this policy, want to exercise a data protection right, or have a concern about how your information is handled, contact us using the details below.

Data Protection Commission

You also have the right to raise a complaint with Ireland's Data Protection Commission if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. You can find further information at dataprotection.ie.