Privacy Policy

Who am I?

My name is Kathryn Bowman and I am a freelance translator and proofreader. I am a registered sole trader who also trades under the name of Topaz Translation Services. As I am based in the UK, I am subject to the 2018 General Data Protection Regulation requirements. The information below explains how I handle and process personal data when you visit my website or contact me.

Why do I process your personal data?

I collect, retain and process your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide quotes,
To provide a translation or proofreading service as requested by you,
To request a translation or proofreading service from you,
To comply with legal requirements.

Personal data collected may include your name, email address, telephone number, postal address and VAT number. Personal data may also include banking details, personal information on CVs or information on documents sent for the express purpose of translation or proofreading. All data is processed on password-protected computers and is not accessible by third parties.

My website is hosted on WordPress.com, which is owned and hosted by Automattic. You can read the Automattic Privacy Policy here. My website uses the standard WordPress.com service to collect anonymous information about users’ activity, such as the number of page views in a given time period and the country where users are viewing my website.

Use and retention of personal data

If you contact me via the contact form on my website or by email, your details will be stored in my email system and in my customer database.

I will retain your personal data for 5 years unless you ask me to delete it sooner. If you ask me to delete translations before the end of the 5-year period, I cannot be held responsible for queries or claims relating to the content, as I have no way of verifying the accuracy of the original content. I will not share your personal information with any other parties.

Legal grounds

The legal basis for processing your data is to perform the translation or proofreading services that you request or to take necessary steps prior to fulfilling that request (“performance of a contract”), which may involve outsourcing your request to another translator or proofreader. This basis also applies if you provide me with a service.

Third parties

If I outsource a text containing personal data for translation or proofreading by a colleague, I will ensure that the colleague in question is also GDPR-compliant and ask them to process the document accordingly. For administrative purposes, the following third parties may have access to your personal data:

The website hosting platform (WordPress.com)
Email hosting services (Google)

These parties are GDPR compliant or self-certified under the US Privacy Shield framework.

Do you have the right to access your data?

You may contact me at any time to request a copy of your personal data, or to ask me to amend or delete the personal information that I hold. I will take action promptly and in any event within one month of receipt of the request.

Your right to file a complaint

If you have any concerns about how I process your personal data, please email me. You also have the right to file a complaint with the supervisory authority in the UK (the Information Commissioner’s Office, or ICO) or the relevant authority in your country of residence.

Use of cookies

Cookies are small data files created by a website and stored on your computer or mobile device. My website uses cookies to analyse user traffic for the purpose of website statistics.

Communication

When you contact me via my website, I will communicate with you using the email address that you have provided. If you have any queries or comments regarding this privacy policy, please use the email address or contact form provided on my website.

This Privacy policy was last updated in January 2022. I will review and update it when required.