Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Effective date: 10 September 2026
1. Who We Are
This privacy policy explains how Will Townsend, trading as Townsend Web Designs ("Townsend Web Designs", "we", "us" or "our") collects, uses, stores and protects personal information.
We provide website design and development, artificial intelligence services, AI chatbots, voice agents, automation and related digital services to individuals and businesses.
For personal information that we collect for our own business purposes, we are the data controller. When we process personal information solely on a client's documented instructions, we generally act as a data processor and the client remains the data controller.
Our contact details are:
Address: 401 Tempest Road, Lostock, Bolton, BL6 4HL, United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://townsendwebdesign.com
2. Scope of This Policy
This policy applies when you visit our website, contact us, enquire about or purchase our services, communicate with us through social media, attend a meeting with us, or interact with an AI chatbot, voice agent or automation operated by us.
Where we build or manage a service for a client and process personal information only on that client's instructions, the client's own privacy policy may also apply. Questions about a client's use of personal information should normally be directed to that client.
Our services are not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information to us, please contact us so that we can investigate and, where appropriate, delete it.
3. Information We Collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
Identity and contact information, such as your name, business name, job title, email address, telephone number and postal address.
Enquiry and project information, including messages, requirements, quotations, briefs, meeting notes, files and other information you provide about a proposed or active project.
Communications, including emails, telephone communications, social-media messages and records of customer-support interactions.
AI interaction information, including prompts, chatbot conversations, responses, instructions, files and other content submitted to an AI-enabled service.
Voice-agent information, which may include call audio, transcripts, telephone numbers, call dates, call duration and information disclosed during a call. We will provide an appropriate notice where calls are recorded or transcribed.
Technical information, including IP address, browser type, device information, operating system, approximate location, referral source and information about how you use our website.
Cookie information, including information stored or accessed through cookies and similar technologies.
Transaction and financial records, including quotations, invoices, payment status and transaction references. Payment-card details may be collected directly by our payment provider rather than by us.
Marketing information, including your communication preferences, whether you opened or interacted with a message, and records of objections or unsubscribe requests.
Please do not provide special-category information—such as health information, biometric identification data, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual-orientation information or trade-union membership—or information about criminal convictions unless it is genuinely necessary and we have agreed an appropriate lawful process with you.
4. How We Collect Information
We may collect personal information:
directly from you through website forms, email, telephone calls, meetings and social media;
when you interact with our AI chatbots, voice agents and automated systems;
automatically through cookies, server logs and similar technologies;
from a business or organisation you represent;
from our clients when we provide services on their behalf; and
from publicly available business sources where permitted by law.
We do not buy consumer marketing lists.
5. How and Why We Use Personal Information
We use personal information only where we have a lawful basis. Our purposes and usual UK GDPR lawful bases are:
PurposeUsual lawful basisResponding to enquiries and preparing quotationsLegitimate interests in responding to prospective customers; or steps requested before entering a contractProviding, managing and supporting our servicesPerformance of a contract; legitimate interests in managing our businessOperating AI chatbots, voice agents and automationsPerformance of a contract; legitimate interests; or consent where requiredManaging projects, communications and client relationshipsPerformance of a contract; legitimate interestsIssuing invoices, maintaining accounts and meeting tax obligationsPerformance of a contract; compliance with legal obligationsProtecting our systems, preventing fraud and investigating misuseLegitimate interests in security and fraud prevention; compliance with legal obligations where applicableMaintaining and improving our website and servicesLegitimate interests in understanding and improving our services; consent for non-essential cookies where requiredSending marketing communicationsConsent where required; otherwise legitimate interests where direct-marketing rules permitEstablishing, exercising or defending legal claimsLegitimate interests; compliance with legal obligations
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider whether our interests are necessary and balanced against your rights and reasonable expectations. You may object to processing based on legitimate interests as explained below.
Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before consent was withdrawn.
6. AI Systems and Automated Processing
We use third-party AI technologies, which may include large-language models, conversational AI, voice-processing services and automation platforms, to deliver our services.
Information you submit through an AI-enabled service may be transmitted to and processed by contracted AI, hosting, automation or voice-service providers. We configure and contract for these business services so that customer prompts and outputs are not used to train general-purpose AI models. We do not use client or end-user personal information to train our own AI models.
AI-generated material may be incomplete, inaccurate or unsuitable. Our AI systems are used to provide responses, recommendations or administrative assistance. They do not make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects. Where a decision could materially affect a person—such as whether to accept a customer, recruit someone, offer financial terms, determine eligibility or set an individual price—a human makes or reviews the decision and can override an AI-generated recommendation.
You may contact us to request information about relevant automated processing, express your views, challenge a decision or request human review.
You should avoid placing unnecessary confidential, sensitive or third-party personal information into an AI chatbot or voice agent.
7. Marketing Communications
We may contact business representatives about services that we reasonably believe may be relevant to their organisation. Where permitted, we rely on our legitimate interests for business-to-business marketing. We will seek consent where the law requires it, including where electronic marketing rules applicable to individuals and certain sole traders require consent and no exception applies.
Every promotional email or text will include a way to opt out. You may also object or unsubscribe at any time by emailing [email protected]. We may keep a minimal suppression record so that we can respect your request and avoid contacting you again.
We do not sell personal information or share it with third parties for cross-context behavioural advertising.
8. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our website uses cookies or similar technologies. Some may be strictly necessary for the website to function, remain secure or remember choices. Other cookies may support functionality, analytics, embedded content or communications tools.
Where required by law, we will ask for consent before placing non-essential cookies. You may accept, reject or change your choices through the cookie controls made available on our website. You can also restrict or delete cookies using your browser settings, although parts of the website may then work differently.
Further details about the specific cookies in use, their providers, purposes and duration should be displayed through our cookie banner or a separate cookie notice.
9. Who We Share Information With
We may disclose personal information to trusted recipients where necessary, including:
website-hosting and cloud-storage providers;
AI model, chatbot, voice-agent and automation providers;
email, form, scheduling and communications providers;
payment processors, banks and accounting providers;
professional advisers, insurers and IT or security providers;
our clients, where information is gathered through an AI system operated for that client;
regulators, law-enforcement bodies, courts or other authorities where required by law; and
a buyer, seller or adviser in connection with a proposed sale, restructuring or transfer of our business or assets.
These recipients may act as processors on our instructions or as independent controllers for their own purposes. We require processors to protect personal information and use it only for authorised purposes.
We do not sell personal information.
10. International Transfers
Some suppliers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom, including in countries whose data-protection laws may differ from UK law.
Where UK data-protection law restricts a transfer, we use a legally recognised mechanism as appropriate, such as UK adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses, or another lawful safeguard. We also consider whether additional technical or organisational safeguards are appropriate.
You may contact us for more information about the safeguards relevant to your personal information.
11. How Long We Keep Information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, security and dispute-resolution requirements. Our normal retention periods are:
InformationNormal retention periodUnsuccessful enquiriesUp to 12 monthsActive client recordsFor the duration of the client relationshipGeneral correspondence and project filesUp to 3 years after the relationship endsContracts, invoices and tax recordsUp to 6 years, or longer if legally requiredAI conversations, prompts and uploaded filesUp to 90 days, unless required for the service, security or a legal obligationVoice recordings and transcriptsUp to 90 daysMarketing recordsUntil you object or withdraw consent; a minimal suppression record may then be retainedCookie and technical informationFor the lifespan stated in the applicable cookie notice or system setting
When a client contract ends, we delete or return personal information processed solely on that client's behalf, subject to the contract, backup cycles and any legal retention requirement. Information may remain temporarily in secure backups until overwritten in the ordinary course.
12. Security
We use proportionate technical and organisational safeguards designed to protect personal information. These include, where appropriate:
encryption in transit and at rest;
multi-factor authentication;
role-based access restrictions and least-privilege access;
secure password-management practices;
confidentiality obligations;
secure backups;
security monitoring and system updates;
supplier due diligence; and
incident-response and personal-data-breach procedures.
No internet-based service is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we identify a personal-data breach, we will assess it and notify the relevant regulator and affected people where legally required.
13. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live and the circumstances, you may have the right to:
be informed about how your personal information is used;
request access to your personal information;
request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
request deletion of your information;
request restriction of processing;
receive certain information in a portable format;
object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing;
withdraw consent at any time;
request human intervention in relation to relevant automated processing; and
complain to a data-protection regulator.
These rights are not absolute and legal exemptions may apply. To exercise a right, email [email protected]. We may ask for information needed to verify your identity. We normally respond within one month, although the law may permit additional time for complex requests.
14. UK and EEA Complaints
Please contact us first so that we can try to resolve your concern.
If you are in the United Kingdom, you may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) through https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ or by calling 0303 123 1113.
If EU or EEA data-protection law applies, you may also complain to the supervisory authority in the country where you live or work, or where you believe an infringement occurred.
15. Additional Information for California Residents
This section applies only where the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended, applies to Townsend Web Designs and to the personal information concerned.
The categories of personal information we may collect are identifiers; customer-record information; commercial information; internet or electronic-network activity; audio information; professional or employment-related information; and inferences arising from service interactions. The sources, business purposes and recipient categories are described in sections 3 to 9 above.
Subject to applicable thresholds, definitions and exceptions, California residents may have rights to know, access, correct or delete personal information; receive portable information; opt out of sale or sharing; limit certain uses of sensitive personal information; and receive equal service without unlawful discrimination for exercising a privacy right.
We do not sell personal information and do not share it for cross-context behavioural advertising. We therefore do not offer a sale/sharing opt-out link on that basis. If our practices change, we will update this policy and provide any legally required controls.
California residents or their authorised agents may submit a request by emailing [email protected]. We may need to verify the request and the agent's authority.
16. Third-Party Websites and Services
Our website or communications may link to third-party websites or services. Those organisations control their own privacy practices, and their privacy notices should be reviewed separately. We are not responsible for third-party websites that we do not control.
17. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy when our services, suppliers or legal obligations change. The latest version will be posted on our website with a revised effective date. Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will provide additional notice where appropriate.
18. Contact Us
For questions, concerns or requests relating to privacy, contact:
Will Townsend trading as Townsend Web Designs
401 Tempest Road
Lostock
Bolton
BL6 4HL
United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]