Privacy Policy

Data Controller
Hanne Hooton

This privacy policy was last updated in October 2026.

Hanne Hooton is a sole trader operating as Oakmere Editorial and provides financial and business editorial services, including English proofreading, proof-editing, Danish to English Translation, related editorial support, and client management to business clients.

Oakmere Editorial understands that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used. Oakmere respects and values the privacy of everyone who visits this website,  www.oakmereeditorial.co.uk (“Our Site”) and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a way that is consistent with our obligations and your rights under the law. 

Why we collect data from you?

Depending upon your use of Our Site, we may collect and hold some or all of the personal and non-personal data set out in the section below, using the methods also set out in the section below. 

For more information about our use of Cookies and similar technologies, please refer to the separate section below and our Cookie Policy. We do not collect any ‘special category’ or ‘sensitive’ personal data, and/or personal data relating to children, and/or data relating to criminal convictions and/or offences.

User experience

• Understand how visitors use our website
• Enable a website visitor to access particular functions on our website

Analytics

• To enable us to understand which features are of benefit
• To carry out tests

Collaboration

• Support real-time collaboration and multi-user editing
• All comments, suggestions, and meta data related
• To share documents
• Manage access permissions 
• Version control

Accounting

• Invoicing
• Processing payments

Communication

• To respond to requests for information
• To send a service or product updates
• To announce new features
• To send marketing messages to anyone who has opted in
• To enable Oakmere Editorial to contact clients, students, or customers

Editorial Service

• To confirm bookings
• To ask for testimonials
• To respond to enquiries
• To provide quotes
• To send updates

Syncing and storage

• Syncing and storage of documents to a secure cloud storage system
• Synchronising edits between devices
• Real-time security and fraud prevention

Legal

• Meet obligations under the privacy regulations (eg UK General Data Protection Rules (GDPR), PIPEDA Canada; Privacy Act 1988 Australia; DPDP Act 2023 India)
• Maintain activity logs
• Respond to lawful requests for information

With your permission and/or where permitted by law, we may also use your personal data for marketing purposes, which may include contacting you by email, and/or telephone, and/or text message, and/or post with information, news, and offers on our products and/or services. You will not be sent any unlawful marketing or spam. We will always work to fully protect your rights and comply with our obligations under the Data Protection Legislation and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, and you will always have the opportunity to opt-out. We will always obtain your express opt-in consent before sharing your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes and you will be able to opt-out at any time.

We will only use your personal data for the purpose(s) for which it was originally collected unless we reasonably believe that another purpose is compatible with that or those original purpose(s) and need to use your personal data for that purpose. If we do use your personal data in this way and you wish us to explain how the new purpose is compatible with the original, please contact us using the details set out below.

If we need to use your personal data for a purpose that is unrelated to, or incompatible with, the purpose(s) for which it was originally collected, we will inform you and explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.

In some circumstances, where permitted or required by law, we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent. This will only be done within the bounds of the Data Protection Legislation and your legal rights.

What information we collect from you

Depending upon your use of Our Site, we may collect and hold some or all of the personal and non-personal data set out below. This data may be collated in our communications with you via email, text messages, the contract, invoices, or the website order form. Please also see below for more information about our use of Cookies and similar technologies and our Cookie Policy We do not collect any ‘special category’ or ‘sensitive’ personal data, and/or personal data relating to children, and/or data relating to criminal convictions and/or offences.

Identity information 

• Name
• Title
• Gender

Contact information 

• Address
• Email address
• Phone number
• Information relevant to your enquiry
• Documents provided for editing which may contain personal information

Business information 

• Business name
• Job Title
• Profession
• Website
• Client/Customer type

Profile information

• Preferences
• Interests
• Purchase history

Technical information 

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Ad impressions
• Cookies and trackers
• Device type
• Downloads or interactions with documents, videos, or images
• Facebook pixel
• Links or buttons clicked within the site
• Location data
• Navigation paths
• Operating system and version
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referrer data
• Screen resolution and settings
• Search queries used on the site
• Data from third parties

Editorial Services

• Documents given to us to edit, which may contain personal data about the client or others
• Instructions or messages about a project

Administering the Business 

• Comments
• Drafts
• Edits
• Invoices
• Payment records
• Project notes
• Version history

How we use this data

Under the Data Protection Legislation, we must always have a lawful basis for using personal data. 

Marketing reasons

• To let people know about special offers users have consented to receive
• To send newsletters users have consented to receive 

Editorial service reasons

• To carry out the editorial service that has been commissioned
• To save drafts and track changes
• To record client project preferences
• To deliver completed work
• To raise and respond to queries

Business reasons

• To create invoices
• To keep financial records

Communication reasons

• To ask for testimonials
• To confirm bookings
• To provide quotes
• To respond to enquiries
• To send updates

Security reasons

• Check technical error reports 
• To prevent unauthorised access to files

Regulatory reasons

• To comply with a data subject access request
• To comply with a tax authority in the event of an order
• To share information if obliged to by a law court order

Please note that we will never use your data for marketing or promotion purposes without getting your permission in writing first.

Who we share information with

Overview

Our goal is to keep personal data private wherever possible. There may be circumstances where we are required to share data, depending on the services or products offered to.

Service Providers 

• To retain an accurate yet secure audit file, we utilise secure cloud storage services, Tresorit.
• Invoicing software is limited to desktop services.
• Ionos is used for email services.

Regulatory bodies 

We may be required to share personal data with tax authorities in the event of an audit, or legal bodies in the event of legal action.

How long we keep data for?

Project files will not be deleted unless requested. Depending on regulatory requirements, information is usually held for a period of five years after work is completed, unless requested to delete.

We are required by HMRC to keep records for a period of five years.

Project files will not be deleted unless asked to, but generally kept as long as needed for record-keeping and usually kept for a period of five years after work is completed, unless asked to delete sooner.

How we store personal data

Website and email

The email and website provider is IONOS which is password protected, and data transmitted through our website is secured using SSL/TLS encryption.  A link is included below to the Privacy Policy/Terms of Service. IONOS stores data on servers located in Germany and other EU data centres, operating under GDPR‑compliant security standards. https://www.ionos.com/terms-gtc/privacy-policy/

Cloud services 

Cloud services are provided by Tresorit which offer secure and encrypted file storage. A link to the Privacy Policy/Terms of Service is included below. Tresorit stores data in Switzerland and EU‑based data centres, using end‑to‑end encryption to ensure that only authorised users can access stored files. https://tresorit.com/legal/privacy-policy

Payment and invoicing services

PayPal

PayPal may be used for payment of editorial services as an alternative to bank transfer. Please refer to the PayPal Privacy Policy. Your data is only used for accounting purposes and would not be shared with third parties. If you choose to pay using PayPal, your payment information is processed directly by PayPal. PayPal may store and process data in the EU, the UK, and the United States, depending on your location and the nature of the transaction. PayPal is responsible for its own compliance with GDPR and international data‑transfer safeguards. https://www.paypal.com/uk/legalhub/paypal/privacy-full

Revolut

Payment services are provided by Revolut which offers password protected access. A link to its Privacy Policy/Terms of Service are set out below. Payments made via Revolut are processed by Revolut’s financial infrastructure. Revolut stores and processes data within the EU, the UK, and other authorised jurisdictions necessary for financial compliance. Revolut applies GDPR‑aligned security and data‑transfer protections. https://www.revolut.com/privacy-policy/

Your rights

We can confirm you retain rights to enable you to access the data we hold about you, insist anything inaccurate is corrected, insist that information is deleted unless needed for legal reasons, object or restrict the use of certain types of use of your data, take your data elsewhere, and withdraw consent for use at any time where consent is required.

Should you wish to exercise any of these rights please contact hanne@oakmereeditorial.co.uk and rest assured you will receive a response in a reasonable time frame.

Oakmere Editorial confirms that under the Data Protection Legislation, you (“the Client”) have the following rights, which we will always work to uphold:

• The right to be informed about our collection and use of your personal data. This Privacy Policy should tell you everything you need to know, but you can always contact us to find out more or to ask any questions using the details below.
• The right to access the personal data we hold about you. We have set out below how to do this.
• The right to have your personal data rectified if any of your personal data held by us is inaccurate or incomplete. Please contact us using the details below to find out more.
• The right to be forgotten, i.e. the right to ask us to delete or otherwise dispose of any of your personal data that we hold. Please contact us using the details below to find out more.
• The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data.
• The right to object to us using your personal data for a particular purpose or purposes.
• The right to withdraw consent. This means that, if we are relying on your consent as the legal basis for using your personal data, you are free to withdraw that consent at any time.
• The right to data portability. This means that, if you have provided personal data to us directly, we are using it with your consent or for the performance of a contract, and that data is processed using automated means, you can ask us for a copy of that personal data to re-use with another service or business in many cases.

Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling. We do not use your personal data in this way.

For more information about our use of your personal data or exercising your rights as outlined above, please contact us using the details provided below.

It is important that your personal data is kept accurate and up-to-date. If any of the personal data we hold about you changes, please keep us informed as long as we have that data.

Further information about your rights can also be obtained from the Information Commissioner’s Office or your local Citizens Advice Bureau.

If you have any cause for complaint about our use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. We would welcome the opportunity to resolve your concerns ourselves, however, so please contact us first, using the details below. 

How we use cookies

Introduction

This website www.oakmereeditorial.co.uk (“Our Site”) uses Cookies and similar technologies in order to distinguish you from other users. By using Cookies, We are able to provide you with a better experience and to improve Our Site by better understanding how you use it. 

Please read our Cookie Policy carefully and ensure that you understand it. Your acceptance of our Cookie Policy is deemed to occur if you continue using Our Site. If you do not agree to our Cookie Policy, please stop using Our Site immediately.

First‑party cookies — set directly by our website. 
Third‑party cookies — set by external services integrated into our site.

Because our website uses Google Maps and Google Website Translator, Google may place cookies on your device. 

For more details, please refer to our Cookie Policy. It tells you what these technologies are, why we use them, and how you can control their use.

By continuing to browse our site, you agree to our use of essential cookies. You can manage or withdraw consent for non‑essential cookies at any time.

What are cookies?

Cookies are a small text file placed on your computer or device by Our Site when you visit certain parts of Our Site, and/or when you use certain features of Our Site. Details of the Cookies used by Our Site are set out in our Cookie policy.

Why we use cookies

Our Site uses cookies to ensure reliable operation and to provide certain features such as interactive maps and translation tools. We use strictly necessary first-party cookies and selected third-party cookies from Google. We do not use marketing cookies or tracking cookies from IONOS.

• Strictly Necessary Cookies (First-Party): these ensure the website works as intended and cannot be disabled.
• Functionality Cookies: our website does not use optional functionality cookies.
• Analytics Cookies: we use IONOS SiteAnalytics to understand how visitors use our website. This service operates entirely without cookies. Google may use analytics cookies through Maps and Translator depending on your Google settings.
• Third-party cookies: our website uses Google Maps and Google Website Translator, Google may place cookies on your device. 

Managing cookies

You can control and update your cookie preferences at any time. When you visit our website, you can choose to accept or reject non‑essential cookies through our cookie banner. 

You can also manage or delete cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block cookies, remove existing cookies, or prevent them from being stored in the future. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect how our website functions.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.

Contact us

If you have questions about our Cookie Policy, or our use of cookies, please contact hanne@oakmereeditorial.co.uk

Use of AI

At Oakmere Editorial, clarity, accuracy, and integrity guide every stage of the editorial process. To support this, we work within a licensed Microsoft 365 environment and use a small set of reputable, trusted paid versions of digital tools to enhance efficiency and ensure consistency. These tools assist with quality control, but all editorial decisions remain fully human‑led.

Third-party permissions

Oakmere Editorial would never upload live content to a third-party site without your permission.  Tresorit is used for cloud storage which offers a secure storage of client records required for record-keeping.

Responsibility

We confirm that we review and refine any digital outputs assisted by AI tools. All editorial decisions remain fully human‑led. Software and AI tools are purely used to support the process. Ultimately the editorial process remains fully human-led.

Open AI systems

To ensure your privacy and data is fully protected, we do not use open AI systems for editorial work. We only use licensed, reputable digital tools including Microsoft Word with the PerfectIt add‑in, PDF-XChange Editor, Excel, TextExpander, LanguageTool Premium and X-bench.

Generative AI tools may be used in a limited, controlled manner for linguistic support (such as terminology checks or pattern identification). These tools do not generate, rewrite, or contribute intellectual content. All deliverables are fully reviewed, edited, and validated by a human editor.

Tresorit is used for cloud storage backup purposes, as well as backup to an iStorage external hard drive with a pin authenticated desktop hard drive, and military grade hardware encryption.

Providers

We are committed to using reputable providers and keeping your work confidential.

Digital Tools with AI-assisted technology running in the background

Microsoft Word

Used for text editing and reporting. All work is carried out within a locally hosted, secure, and licensed Microsoft 365 environment. Documents are stored and processed within Microsoft’s closed, enterprise‑grade system.

Microsoft Excel 

Used for collating editorial comments, cross‑checking numerical data, supporting document accuracy, and administering the business. 

Excel operates within the same licensed Microsoft 365 environment and does not transmit client content externally. 

Whilst Copilot runs in the background within Microsoft Word and Excel it is not used for editing. Copilot does not scan or process your entire document. It only handles small pieces of text when asked to provide a suggestion or assist with a specific task. These snippets are transmitted temporarily so Copilot can generate the response. Copilot does not store your content, and your text is not used to train or improve Copilot. Content‑based training is disabled to ensure your information remains private.

Microsoft Word and PerfectIt (Licensed Add-In, Closed System)

Microsoft Word is used for tracked changes, comments, formatting checks, and document review. PerfectIt is used as a grammar tool, and is a licensed Word add‑in developed by Intelligent Editing. PerfectIt is a closed‑system, locally hosted tool that runs inside Word. It does not upload, transmit, or store client content outside the document environment. It is used to check consistency in spelling, hyphenation, capitalisation, and formatting. It does not rewrite text or use generative AI. Suggestions provided are reviewed manually and all decisions remain human-controlled.

TextExpander (Locally Hosted Snippet Tool, Closed System)

TextExpander is used to insert standardised phrases, checklists, and administrative text efficiently. It does not analyse, rewrite, or process client content. It operates as a closed system, locally hosted tool, and no client material is transmitted or stored externally. All editorial decisions and all text relating to client documents remain fully human-created and human-controlled.

PDF-XChange Editor

PDF‑XChange Editor is a desktop application used for viewing, editing, and annotating PDF documents. It operates locally on the user’s device, with limited online communication for licensing and updates.

LanguageTool Premium

LanguageTool Premium is a closed, third‑party cloud service that processes text on its own servers to provide grammar and writing‑enhancement functions.  When using LanguageTool Premium, text entered by the user is temporarily sent to LanguageTool’s secure servers solely for the purpose of providing grammar and writing‑enhancement suggestions. The service does not store or reuse this text after processing. 

X-bench

X-bench is a closed, third-party quality assurance tool used to check consistency, terminology, and accuracy in written content. It helps ensure that documents are error‑free, professionally aligned, and follow the required style or terminology guidelines. By automatically flagging inconsistencies, repeated mistakes, and missing terms X-bench supports reliable, high‑quality content production.

Google Search (Open System, Research Only)

Google Search is purely used for fact‑checking, terminology verification, and confirming publicly available information. Client content is never uploaded, pasted or shared with Google or any open AI system. Only general research queries are used, ensuring confidentiality is maintained at all times.

Digital tools support the process. Digital tools are used to create glossaries. They do not replace human skill or responsibility.

Changes to this privacy policy

We will undertake periodic reviews of the privacy policy. This privacy notice will be updated from time to time and will be published on the website.

Contact us

if you have any questions or wish to make changes to or request removal of personal data please contact hanne@oakmereeditorial.co.uk