Data Protection & Privacy Policy

1. About us

1.1. Seked Labs Ltd (company number 16806329) (referred to in this policy as “we”, “us”, or “our”) is a company registered in England and Wales. Our registered office is Unit 126, J C Albyn Complex, Burton Road, Sheffield, England, S3 8BZ.

1.2. We operate the website https://sekedlabs.co.uk and provide engineering consultancy, rapid prototyping, fabrication, instrumentation, and small-batch technical development services.

1.3. For general enquiries, email hello@sekedlabs.co.uk. For privacy or data protection enquiries, email privacy@sekedlabs.co.uk.

2. What we collect

2.1. Contact details such as your name, email address, phone number, company name, and role where provided.

2.2. Project and job information such as requested services, materials, quantities, deadlines, tolerances, technical notes, delivery details, and project requirements.

2.3. Files you upload or share with us, such as CAD models, drawings, PCB layouts, images, documents, ZIP archives, or links to services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or WeTransfer.

2.3a. To answer a website enquiry we need your name, email address and enough information to understand the request. Phone number, company, attachments and other optional details are only needed where relevant. If you do not provide essential contact or specification information, we may be unable to respond or quote. We do not make legally significant decisions about you solely by automated processing; calculator outputs are indicative and orders are reviewed by a person.

2.4. Internal records created while working with you, such as quotes, invoices, purchase records, delivery notes, project notes, support records, and lead-time communications.

2.5. With detailed analytics consent, Google Analytics measures site usage. Our calculator also records random journey and estimate references, dates, process, material, quantity, selected settings, dimensions, file type/size, price range, rate-card version and whether the quote form was opened, started or successfully submitted. This activity record does not collect your name, email, form text, custom colour text or original filename. A separately shared design file may itself contain identifying or confidential information.

3. How we use your data

3.1. To review your enquiry and provide a quote.

3.2. To carry out feasibility, design, prototyping, fabrication, testing, or consultancy work you request.

3.3. To contact you regarding clarifications, technical details, lead times, collection, delivery, invoicing, or support.

3.4. To maintain records for tax, invoicing, accounting, insurance, legal compliance, and business administration.

3.5. To protect our business, systems, files, equipment, and legal interests.

3.6. We do not sell your data.

3.7. We do not share your data with third parties for their own marketing.

3.8. We do not reuse, publish, or market your designs without your permission.

4. Lawful basis for processing

4.1. We process enquiry, quote, and project information where it is necessary to take steps before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you.

4.2. We process invoices, accounting records, tax information, and certain business records where we have a legal obligation to do so.

4.3. We may process limited business contact details under legitimate interests, including responding to enquiries, managing customer relationships, following up on quotes, protecting our business, improving our services, and keeping appropriate project records.

4.4. Where we rely on consent, such as for optional marketing communications or using project images in a public case study, you can withdraw consent at any time. We also rely on separate consent for calculator journey analytics and optional file sharing for pricing review. The weekly statistics purpose and lawful basis are described under Calculator privacy choices below. Declining either does not prevent a calculation or enquiry.

5. File storage

5.1. Website uploads are stored in private Cloudflare R2 storage. Calculator activity records are stored in Cloudflare D1. Submitted enquiry details and file references are passed to our Google Apps Script enquiry handler; business correspondence and working project files may also be held in Google Workspace / Google Drive. Access to these business systems is restricted to authorised users.

5.2. For manufacturing, prototyping, or analysis purposes, we may create a temporary working copy of a file on a local workstation connected to fabrication or development equipment, such as laser cutters, CNC machines, 3D printers, electronics tools, or analysis software.

5.3. These working copies are used only for tasks such as toolpathing, slicing, production setup, analysis, testing, or project delivery.

5.4. Once the job is completed, local working copies are either deleted or archived back into the relevant project folder if needed for repeat work, support, or record-keeping.

5.5. Our company file storage is treated as the source of truth for customer and project files. Local copies are not retained long-term unless needed for support, repeat work, or legitimate business records.

5.6. Customers may request deletion of technical files after completion of the work. We may still retain basic order records, invoices, and project records where needed for accounting, legal, insurance, or business purposes.

6. Sharing and service providers

6.1. We may share limited information with trusted service providers where necessary to operate the business and deliver work.

6.2. This may include file storage and email providers, website hosting providers, payment providers, accounting or bookkeeping software, delivery or courier services, professional advisers, insurers, and subcontractors or partners involved in a project.

6.2a. Website hosting, security checks, optional calculator records and website-uploaded files use Cloudflare. Analytics, when accepted, uses Google Analytics. Enquiry handling and business correspondence use Google services. Providers may process information outside the UK. Applicable transfer arrangements depend on the provider, receiving entity and service: they may rely on UK adequacy regulations (including an eligible recipient under the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework) or contractual safeguards such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or UK Addendum to EU standard contractual clauses, with additional measures where required. Contact privacy@sekedlabs.co.uk for the countries, mechanism and a copy of the relevant safeguards for your data. We will check the applicable arrangement before making a restricted transfer. We do not send your design files or enquiry text to Google Analytics.

6.3. We only share the information necessary for the relevant purpose.

6.4. Where we use subcontractors or project partners, we will take reasonable steps to protect confidential customer information and technical files.

7. Confidentiality and intellectual property

7.1. Your designs, files, and project information remain your property unless otherwise agreed in writing.

7.2. We treat customer designs and job details as confidential and do not disclose them without your permission unless required for project delivery, legal compliance, or protection of our legitimate interests.

7.3. We may request to show non-sensitive parts, images, or project outcomes as portfolio work or case studies, but only with your explicit written approval.

8. How long we keep data

8.1. Incomplete website uploads and their attachments are scheduled for deletion after 30 days. Complete enquiries are stored privately, including their message and attachment references, so they remain recoverable if a notification email fails. We review complete enquiries by 12 months from receipt. Closed enquiries and their website attachments are scheduled for deletion after 12 months from receipt, with a 30-day recovery period when newly marked closed. Active projects and justified business, legal or insurance holds are reviewed at least annually; the reason and next review date are recorded. Email, working-file and downloaded copies are reviewed separately under the same applicable retention purpose.

8.2. Technical job files are normally retained for up to 24 months after completion, unless a longer period is agreed or needed for repeat work, support, legal, insurance, or business reasons.

8.3. Invoices, accounting records, and tax-related records are normally retained for 6 years.

8.4. Email correspondence and project records may be retained as long as needed for business records, customer relationship management, legal protection, or ongoing work.

8.5. Optional calculator files and individual activity records are scheduled for deletion after 30 days from the calculator session being created. Expired files are no longer available through the activity workspace; scheduled deletion may take a short additional period to complete. Temporary calculator copies are deleted even if you later submit an enquiry. A copy deliberately submitted with an enquiry is retained separately under the enquiry/project periods above.

8.6. Weekly statistics keep only the current week and previous 12 weeks. Older counters are removed by the daily cleanup or a later statistics update. There are no individual event records to retain.

8.7. We periodically review stored data to ensure it remains necessary. Provider backup or recovery copies may persist for their limited recovery period, are not used for routine analysis and expire according to the provider’s backup arrangements.

9. Your rights under UK GDPR

9.1. You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

9.2. You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.

9.3. You may request deletion of data that is no longer required for business, legal, accounting, insurance, or contractual reasons.

9.4. You may object to specific processing or request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.

9.5. You may withdraw consent where we rely on consent for processing.

9.5a. Where the legal conditions apply, you have the right to data portability: to receive personal data you provided in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and have it transmitted to another controller where technically feasible.

9.6. To exercise these rights, email privacy@sekedlabs.co.uk.

10. Security measures

10.1. Data is stored on access-controlled systems. Company accounts use multi-factor authentication where available and appropriate.

10.2. Internal documentation and technical files are kept in company-controlled systems such as Google Workspace. Public sharing is disabled by default where practical.

10.3. Manufacturing and development computers may hold temporary working copies only and are not used as the main long-term storage location.

10.4. We take reasonable steps to protect customer information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

11. Cookies and analytics

11.1. Our website uses essential storage to remember your cookie choice and may use analytics cookies with your permission to understand how visitors use the site.

11.2. Analytics cookies are not loaded unless you choose to accept them using the cookie banner.

Advertising measurement. A separate optional choice allows Google to use consented analytics with our linked Google Ads account to measure confirmed enquiries attributable to advertising. This may involve campaign information, online identifiers and ad-click identifiers. It is distinct from our weekly service-improvement statistics and does not rely on the statistical-purposes exception. The website does not enable personalised advertising or Google signals. Google is the measurement provider; the international-transfer information in section 6 applies. You can withdraw this consent through Cookie settings without affecting an enquiry.

11.3. If you choose “Reject optional tracking”, the website will still work; both weekly statistics and calculator journey tracking stay off unless you later change the relevant choice. Analytics records represent observed activity, not proof that a visitor left because of a particular price.

11.4. You can find more information in our Cookie Policy.

Calculator privacy choices

Calculating locally. Selecting a file and calculating normally happen in your browser. The design file is not uploaded simply because you calculate.

Weekly calculator statistics. When enabled, the calculator sends the manufacturing process, broad material, quantity and batch price bands, whether a calculation produced a price or needs review, and limited error or reviewed-quote categories. We immediately add these to separate weekly counters. We do not keep the individual event, its exact time, your filename, design, dimensions, contact details, visitor identifier or enquiry reference in these statistics. The current week and previous 12 weeks are retained. Exact aggregate counts, including counts below five, are available only in the private activity report.

We use these totals only to improve the calculator and our estimating service, not to identify visitors, target advertising, follow up with individuals or link their calculations to enquiries. This uses the statistical-purposes exception for service improvement. To the extent the brief collection and aggregation involves personal data, our lawful basis is legitimate interests in improving the service, with these limits and your right to object. Cloudflare receives ordinary network information when it handles requests; necessary security processing is separate from these statistics.

Your statistics choice. Statistics start on for new visitors when the feature is available. Use “Turn off” beside Calculator statistics for an immediate, free opt-out, or use Analytics settings. “Reject optional tracking” switches off both statistics and detailed analytics. We respect an earlier rejection, even if its detailed-consent renewal date has passed; only a later explicit statistics choice turns statistics on again. Switching statistics on alone does not enable Google Analytics or individual journey records. Your preference is remembered in this browser until you change it or clear storage. Already combined totals cannot be connected back to you for individual deletion.

Optional file review. If available, an unticked checkbox lets you share the selected file and estimate with Seked to review and improve pricing. Sharing happens when you calculate, does not send a quote enquiry, and does not permit publication, marketing or unrelated reuse of your design. Permission resets when you select another file. Recalculating the same selected file reuses its temporary copy.

Optional journey analytics. Accepting detailed analytics allows us to record estimates and observed progress through the enquiry form, along with calculator openings, file selections, error categories and results. Diagnostic events sent to Google Analytics include the manufacturing process, but no filenames, design contents, contact details or enquiry text. It does not give permission to upload the design file. If you share a file while declining analytics, we retain the file and its latest review specification without tracking enquiry progress.

Changing your mind. Use Analytics settings to stop optional analytics. On the calculator, use “Remove shared file” or untick file sharing to remove the current shared file. Keep the reference shown after sharing: you can email privacy@sekedlabs.co.uk with it to withdraw file-review permission or request deletion later. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before you withdrew. Submitted enquiries and project records are separate.

The calculator uses session storage for random references, consented sharing receipts and the access token needed to manage your current sharing choices. These are not advertising identifiers. Without either optional permission, it does not create a calculator tracking session.

12. Complaints

12.1. If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you can contact us at privacy@sekedlabs.co.uk so we can try to resolve the issue; you do not have to contact us before complaining to the ICO.

12.2. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK data protection regulator: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.

13. Changes to this notice

13.1. We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our operations, services, systems, or legal obligations.

13.2. The latest version will always be available on this page.

14. Contact

14.1. For privacy or data protection questions, email privacy@sekedlabs.co.uk.

14.2. For general enquiries, email hello@sekedlabs.co.uk.