Privacy Notice
Last updated: 3 July 2026
The short version: if you send me an enquiry, I use your details to reply to you, and for nothing else. Analytics only runs if you say yes to it. I don't sell data, run ads, or send marketing emails.
Who I am
Startling is the consultancy practice of Dan Akers, operated by Startling Ltd, registered in England and Wales (company number 12095674, VAT 327 3732 03), registered office: 176 Netheroyd Hill Road, Cowcliffe, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, HD2 2LZ. Startling Ltd is the data controller for this website.
Contact: [email protected] or 0333 366 0170.
What I collect and why
Enquiries. If you use the contact form, I receive what you type: your name, message, how you'd like me to respond, and your email address or phone number. The site also records the time and your IP address with the message, which helps me weed out spam. Legal basis: legitimate interests (responding to the enquiry you sent me). If you'd rather not use the form, you can email or call directly.
Analytics (optional). With your consent, this site uses Google Analytics 4 to show me how the site is used: pages viewed, roughly where visitors come from, and whether the contact form gets used. Google Analytics does not log your full IP address and I don't use it for advertising. Legal basis: consent, which you give or refuse via the cookie banner and can withdraw at any time (see the Cookie Policy). If you decline, analytics simply doesn't run.
Technical logs. The services that run this site (see below) keep short-lived infrastructure logs, including IP addresses, for security and reliability. Legal basis: legitimate interests (keeping the site up and abuse-free).
Who handles data on my behalf
- Brevo delivers contact-form enquiries to my mailbox as email.
- Google provides analytics, only if you consent, and Google Workspace hosts my email.
- Cloudflare sits in front of the site for security and performance.
- Railway hosts the web server.
These providers process data under contract as processors. Some of them process data outside the UK; where that happens, the transfers rely on recognised safeguards such as the UK extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or standard contractual clauses.
How long I keep things
Enquiry emails are kept like ordinary business correspondence: for as long as I need them to deal with your enquiry and any engagement that follows, after which they're deleted in the normal course. Analytics data is retained by Google Analytics for up to 14 months. This site itself stores no databases of personal data.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you can ask me for a copy of your personal data, ask me to correct it, delete it, restrict how it's used, object to my use of it, or provide it to you in a portable form. Email me and I'll deal with it promptly. If you're unhappy with how I've handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Changes
If I change how this site handles personal data, I'll update this notice and the date at the top.