Privacy Policy.

Last updated: 26 June 2026

 

1. Who We Are

This website and blog (The Forted Bunker) is operated by James Merritt. The Forted Bunker is also home to Down in the Bunker, a podcast dedicated to eDiscovery, legal technology, and digital forensics.

For the purposes of UK data protection law, James Merritt is the data controller for personal information collected through this website.

If you have any questions about how we handle your data, please contact us:

Email: info@thefortedbunker.co.uk

Website: www.thefortedbunker.co.uk

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following personal data:

Via the contact form:

  • Your name
  • Your email address
  • The nature of your enquiry
  • The content of your message

Automatically collected data:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and version
  • Pages visited and time spent on the site
  • Referring website

We do not collect sensitive personal data (such as health, financial, or biometric data) through this website.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

  • To respond to your enquiries and messages submitted via the contact form
  • To operate and improve the website, blog, and podcast
  • To understand how visitors use the site (via analytics)
  • To comply with legal obligations

We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR:

  • Legitimate interests - to respond to contact form enquiries and operate the website
  • Consent - where you have explicitly agreed to receive communications from us
  • Legal obligation - where we are required to process data to comply with the law

5. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law. Contact form submissions are retained for up to 12 months unless there is an ongoing reason to keep them longer.

6. Who We Share Your Data With

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share data with trusted third-party service providers who assist in operating this website, including:

  • Hosting and infrastructure providers
  • Website analytics providers (e.g. Google Analytics)
  • Email delivery services

All third parties are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with applicable data protection law.

7. Cookies

This website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use:

  • Essential cookies - required for the website to function
  • Analytics cookies - to understand how visitors use the site (these are only set with your consent)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the site.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • The right to access the data we hold about you
  • The right to rectification if the data is inaccurate or incomplete
  • The right to erasure (the right to be forgotten)
  • The right to restrict processing
  • The right to data portability
  • The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@thefortedbunker.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.

9. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure.

10. Links to Other Websites

This website contains links to external websites, including podcast platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts where Down in the Bunker is available. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their policies independently.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page reflects when it was last revised. Continued use of the website following any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.