Privacy policy

This policy explains what personal data DefenceLens (“we”, “us”) collects when you use defencelens.co.uk, why we collect it, and the rights you have over it under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018).

What we collect

• Account data. When you create an account we store your name, email address and a securely hashed password, plus your subscription plan and trial status.
• Usage data. Standard server logs (IP address, requested pages, timestamps) kept for security and reliability.
• Public-page analytics. On our public pages only, and only when you are signed out, Microsoft Clarity records how the page is used. See “Analytics on our public pages” below.
• Correspondence. Emails you send us, so we can answer them.

The procurement notices, buyer names and supplier award data shown on DefenceLens are public-sector open data from official UK government publications — Find a Tender, Contracts Finder and GOV.UK (Open Government Licence v3.0) — and the EU's TED, not data collected about our users.

How we use it

• To operate your account and provide the service (contract).
• To send service emails and, where you have an account, product updates and digest emails about the service — every marketing-style email includes a one-click unsubscribe link (legitimate interest / consent).
• To secure and improve the service (legitimate interest).

We do not sell personal data, and we do not share it with third parties except the processors that host our infrastructure and deliver our email, under contracts that meet UK GDPR requirements, and Microsoft for the public-page analytics described below. We never share customer or account details with Microsoft.

Cookies

We use strictly necessary cookies only: a session cookie to keep you signed in, and — if you choose a language manually — a preference cookie that remembers your chosen language. We don’t run advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

Our public-page analytics run in Microsoft Clarity’s cookie-free mode, so they set no cookies on defencelens.co.uk. If you turn analytics off, we remember that choice in your browser’s local storage so we can honour it.

Analytics on our public pages (Microsoft Clarity)

On our public pages — such as the home page, MOD tenders, the guides, the awards tracker, buyer profiles and public notice pages — we use Microsoft Clarity to see how visitors use the site: for example, where people click on something that doesn’t respond, how far they scroll, and whether visitors arriving from search engines find what they came for. We use it only to improve the site.

• Never in the members area. Clarity does not run on search, alerts, company, Market Room, account or sign-in pages, and it never runs while you are signed in, on any page. We never send Microsoft your name, email address, account or customer details.
• What it records. Clicks, scrolling, mouse movement and the page as you see it, with form fields, numbers and email addresses masked; your browser, device type, screen size and language; and your IP address, which Microsoft uses for approximate location.
• No advertising. We have switched off Clarity’s data sharing with Microsoft Advertising.
• Microsoft’s role. Microsoft receives this data as an independent controller under the Microsoft Privacy Statement, and it may be processed in the United States. Microsoft keeps session recordings for 30 days and heatmap and click data for up to 9 months.
• Lawful basis. Our legitimate interest in finding and fixing problems on our public pages.
• Turning it off. Use “Turn it off” in the footer of any page; the choice is kept in your browser. Clarity also stays off if your browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal.

Retention

Account data is kept while your account is active and deleted on request. Server logs are rotated on a short cycle. Backup copies age out automatically.

Your rights

You can ask for a copy of your personal data, ask us to correct or delete it, object to processing, or withdraw consent at any time by emailing [email protected]. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).

Contact

Data protection queries: [email protected].