Virtual Vanguards ("we," "our," or "us") operates virtualvanguards.com. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit our website or use our services, how we use it, and your rights regarding your personal data. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information with transparency and care.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways:
- Analytics data via Google Analytics 4 (GA4): When you visit our site, GA4 automatically collects usage data including pages visited, time on page, traffic source, device type, approximate geographic location (country/city), and browser type. This data is pseudonymized and does not directly identify you.
- Contact form submissions via Formspree: When you submit our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and any message content you provide. This data is processed and stored by Formspree on our behalf.
- Cookies & local storage: We use cookies and browser local storage to enable site functionality, remember preferences, and support analytics tracking (see Section 3 for details).
- Technical information: Our hosting provider automatically logs IP addresses, HTTP request data, and error logs for security and performance purposes. These logs are retained for a limited time.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- To respond to your inquiries: Information submitted through our contact form is used solely to respond to your request or inquiry in a timely manner.
- To improve our website: Analytics data helps us understand how visitors use our site so we can improve content, navigation, and user experience.
- To ensure security and performance: Technical log data is used to detect and prevent security threats and monitor site uptime.
- To fulfil our legitimate business interests: We may retain contact details to follow up on service inquiries you have initiated.
- To comply with legal obligations: We retain certain data as required by applicable law.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
3. Cookies & Tracking
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Here is what we use:
- Google Analytics 4 cookies (_ga, _ga_*, _gid): These first-party cookies are set by GA4 to distinguish unique visitors, track sessions, and measure engagement. Data is sent to Google's servers. GA4 uses IP anonymization by default.
- Local storage: We may use browser localStorage to store lightweight preferences (such as UI state) that improve your experience on return visits. No personally identifiable data is stored this way.
- Strictly necessary cookies: Some cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off.
4. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services that may process your data:
- Google Analytics 4 (Google LLC): Provides website analytics. Data may be transferred to Google servers in the United States. Google's data processing is governed by the Google Privacy Policy and standard contractual clauses for international transfers.
- Formspree (Formspree, Inc.): Processes contact form submissions on our behalf. Data submitted through our contact form is stored and transmitted via Formspree's infrastructure. Their practices are governed by the Formspree Privacy Policy.
- Google Fonts (Google LLC): We load typefaces from Google Fonts servers. When fonts are fetched, your IP address is sent to Google. We load fonts asynchronously to minimise this exposure.
- Cloudflare CDN (Cloudflare, Inc.): Font Awesome icons are served from Cloudflare's CDN. Cloudflare may process connection metadata. See the Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
We do not embed third-party advertising networks or social media tracking pixels on this website.
5. Data Retention
- Contact form data: Messages submitted via our contact form are retained for up to 12 months, or until the matter is resolved, whichever comes first.
- Analytics data: GA4 retains event-level data for 14 months by default. Aggregated reports may be retained indefinitely.
- Server logs: Technical access and error logs are automatically purged after 30 days.
- Cookies: Analytics cookies expire between 24 hours and 2 years depending on the specific cookie. See Section 3 for details.
When data is no longer required for its original purpose and there is no legal obligation to retain it, we delete or anonymise it securely.
6. Your Rights (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction with privacy legislation, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
- Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): You may request that we delete your personal data where it is no longer necessary for the purpose it was collected.
- Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to temporarily stop processing your data while a dispute is resolved.
- Right to data portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to object: You can object to processing based on our legitimate interests at any time.
- Right to opt out of analytics: You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking at any time using the browser add-on linked in Section 3, or by adjusting your cookie settings.
7. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please reach out to us:
Virtual Vanguards — Privacy Team
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 2 business days.
hello@virtualvanguards.comWe may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent revision. We encourage you to review this page periodically.