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Privacy Policy
Destined for London
Last updated: 3 May 2026
Hello again. This is the bit where we explain what data we collect about you, why, what we do with it, and what rights you have. We’ve written it in plain English where possible — but a few legal terms are unavoidable, so bear with us. This policy applies to anyone who visits, subscribes to, comments on, or otherwise interacts with Destined for London.
1. Who we are
Destined for London is an independent publication operated by one person (“we”, “us”, or “our” in this policy). For the purposes of UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, we are the data controller for any personal data we collect through the publication.
If you need to contact us about anything in this policy — including any of the rights described below — please use the publication’s contact email or the Substack contact form.
2. What personal data we collect
Depending on how you interact with Destined for London, we may collect:
Email address — when you subscribe to free or paid newsletters
Name — if you choose to provide one when subscribing or commenting
Comments and replies — anything you choose to post publicly on the publication
Direct messages — if you contact us via Substack messaging or email
Analytics data — anonymised or pseudonymised information about how you interact with the publication, such as which posts you open, what you click, your approximate location, and your device or browser type
Payment information — if you take out a paid subscription. We do not see or store your card details; these are handled directly by Stripe via Substack
3. How we collect it
When you subscribe via the Substack subscription form
When you post a comment or reply
When you message or email us directly
Automatically, via cookies and analytics tools embedded by Substack and any third-party services we use
4. Why we collect it (and our legal basis)
Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Here’s how we use what we collect, and which lawful basis applies:
To send you newsletters and updates — based on your consent when you subscribe. You can withdraw consent at any time by unsubscribing.
To provide and manage paid subscriptions — based on the contract between you and us when you take out a paid plan.
To respond to your comments, questions, or messages — based on our legitimate interest in engaging with our community.
To understand what content resonates and improve the publication — based on our legitimate interest in running the publication well.
To comply with legal obligations — such as record-keeping for tax or responding to lawful requests from authorities.
5. Who we share your data with
We never sell your personal data. We share it only with trusted third parties who help us run the publication, including:
Substack — our publishing platform, which hosts the publication and manages subscriptions
Stripe — the payment processor used by Substack for paid subscriptions
Email and analytics service providers — used by Substack to deliver newsletters and report on performance
Authorities or regulators — if required to do so by law, court order, or other legal obligation
Each of these third parties has its own privacy policy, which we recommend you review.
6. International transfers
Substack and Stripe are based in the United States, which means your personal data may be transferred to and stored outside the United Kingdom and European Economic Area. Where this happens, those providers rely on appropriate safeguards — such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office — to ensure your data continues to receive an equivalent level of protection.
7. How long we keep your data
We keep your personal data only for as long as we need it for the purposes set out above. In practice, this usually means:
Subscriber data: for as long as you remain subscribed, plus a short period afterwards for record-keeping and to handle any follow-up queries
Comments and public interactions: indefinitely, unless you ask us to remove them
Payment records: for at least six years, in line with UK tax law
Direct messages: for as long as is reasonably necessary to maintain our correspondence
8. Cookies and tracking
Destined for London is hosted on Substack, which uses cookies and similar technologies to make the platform work, remember your preferences, keep you logged in, and gather analytics about how readers use the publication. We don’t set additional cookies of our own. For full detail on what Substack uses and how to manage cookies, please see Substack’s own privacy and cookie policies.
9. Your rights under UK GDPR
You have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
Right of access — to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification — to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’) — to ask us to delete your personal data, in certain circumstances
Right to restrict processing — to ask us to limit how we use your data
Right to object — to object to certain types of processing, including direct marketing
Right to data portability — to ask us to provide your data in a portable format
Right to withdraw consent — at any time, where we rely on consent (for example, by unsubscribing)
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in section 1. We will respond within one calendar month, as required by UK GDPR.
10. Complaints
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your personal data, please contact us first — we’ll always try to put things right. You also have the right to complain to the UK’s data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), at any time. You can find them at ico.org.uk, by post at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, or on 0303 123 1113.
11. Children
Destined for London is not intended for children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
12. Security
We rely on Substack’s technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data. While no online service can guarantee absolute security, Substack uses industry-standard protections including encryption in transit and secure data storage. We don’t store payment card details ourselves — these are handled by Stripe.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time — for example, when the law changes or when we change how we operate the publication. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. Where changes are significant, we’ll let subscribers know by email.
14. Contact
For any questions about this Privacy Policy, or to exercise any of your rights, please contact us via the publication’s email address or the Substack contact form.
Thank you for trusting Destined for London with your details — we take that responsibility seriously.