Privacy policy.

 

Last updated: June 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Alice Darlington ("I", "me", "my"), trading as Alice Darlington, collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you visit my website alicedarlington.com or engage my services as a freelance Executive Assistant.

I am committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data with the same discretion I bring to every client relationship. This policy is written to align with the UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (PDPL) and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), given that my clients are based in both jurisdictions.

1. Who I Am
I am a freelance Executive Assistant operating personally and based between London and Dubai. For any questions about this policy or your data, you can reach me at alice@alicedarlington.com

2. What Information I Collect
I may collect the following categories of personal information:

  • Contact details — name, email address, phone number, company name — when you submit a form or book a call

  • Booking information — date, time, and any notes you share when scheduling a discovery call via Calendly or Acuity

  • Communications — the content of any emails, messages, or enquiries you send me

  • Website usage data — anonymised information about how you use my site, collected via Google Analytics (pages visited, time spent, device type, approximate location)

  • Cookies — small data files stored on your device to help the site function and to measure performance (see section 7)

I do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data through the website. Any sensitive information shared during a working engagement is handled under a separate client confidentiality agreement.

3. How I Use Your Information

I use the information collected to:

  • Respond to enquiries and arrange discovery calls

  • Provide and manage the services you've engaged me for

  • Send relevant updates, proposals, and onboarding documents

  • Improve the performance and content of my website

  • Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

I will never sell your data, share it with third parties for marketing, or use it for any purpose beyond what's described here.

4. Legal Basis For Processing
For clients and visitors covered by UK GDPR, I rely on the following lawful bases:

  • Consent — when you submit a form or subscribe to communications

  • Contract — when processing is necessary to deliver services we've agreed to

  • Legitimate interest — to operate, maintain, and improve my website and services

  • Legal obligation — where required by applicable law

For visitors covered by the UAE PDPL, processing is carried out with your consent or where necessary for the performance of a contract or compliance with the law.

5. Third-Party Tools
To run my website and business, I use a small number of trusted third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy, which I encourage you to read:

These providers may store data on servers outside the UAE or UK. Where applicable, they operate under their own data protection frameworks and standard contractual clauses to ensure your data is safeguarded.

6. How Long I Keep Your Information
I retain personal data only for as long as necessary:

  • Enquiry data — up to 12 months from your last contact, unless we begin working together

  • Client data — for the duration of our engagement plus 6 years, in line with standard business and tax record-keeping requirements

  • Analytics data — anonymised and retained per Google Analytics' default settings (up to 14 months)

You can ask me to delete your data at any time (see section 8).

7. Cookies
My website uses cookies to function properly and to understand how visitors use the site. These include:

  • Essential cookies — required for the site to work

  • Analytics cookies — used by Google Analytics to measure performance

  • Functional cookies — used by booking and form tools

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Disabling certain cookies may affect how parts of the site function.

8. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data I hold about you

  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data

  • Request deletion of your data

  • Object to or restrict how I process your data

  • Withdraw consent at any time

  • Request a copy of your data in a portable format

  • Lodge a complaint with the relevant authority — the UAE Data Office or the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

To exercise any of these rights, please email me at alice@alicedarlington.com I'll respond within 30 days.

9. Data Security
I take the security of your information seriously. All data is stored on password-protected devices, accessed only by me, and handled with the discretion expected of executive-level support. While no online transmission is ever completely secure, I take reasonable steps to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse.

10. International Transfers
As I work between the UAE and the UK, and use third-party services hosted in various jurisdictions, your data may be transferred and processed outside your country of residence. Where this happens, I ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in line with PDPL and UK GDPR requirements.

11. Changes To This Policy
I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Significant changes will be communicated directly where appropriate.

12. Contact
For any questions, requests, or concerns about this policy or your personal data, please contact:

Alice Darlington | alice@alicedarlington.com