Last updated: 23 August 2026
This Privacy Policy applies to The Hidden Curio at thehiddencurio.co.uk. The Hidden Curio is the controller of the personal information described in this policy. If you have a privacy question or want to exercise a data-protection right, email hello@thehiddencurio.co.uk.
Information we collect
Information you choose to send us
If you contact us or use the “Suggest an item for Curio to review” form, we may receive your name, email address, the product or maker you suggest, and anything else you include in your message.
We do not use review-request submissions to add you to a marketing list.
Technical and security information
When you visit the website, our hosting, WordPress, caching and security systems may process technical information such as your IP address, browser and device information, requested pages, date and time of requests, and security or error-log information. This is used to deliver the site, maintain performance and help detect abuse or technical problems.
Cookies and similar technologies
Strictly necessary cookies may be used to operate and secure the website. Optional analytics or advertising technologies are only intended to be enabled in accordance with applicable consent requirements. For more detail, see our Cookie Policy.
Display advertising
The Hidden Curio may display third-party advertising, including Google AdSense. If advertising is enabled, Google and its advertising partners may process information such as your IP address, device and browser information, page or ad interactions, approximate location derived from technical information, and identifiers stored in cookies or similar technologies in order to deliver, limit, measure and report advertising.
For visitors in the United Kingdom, European Economic Area and Switzerland, advertising that requires consent is intended to operate through a Google-certified consent management platform (CMP) or other compliant consent mechanism. Where consent is required, you can refuse or withdraw it using the consent controls made available on the site. Refusing optional advertising cookies does not prevent you from reading The Hidden Curio.
Affiliate links
The Hidden Curio contains links to third-party retailers and may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, including through Amazon affiliate links. If you follow an affiliate link, the retailer may process information about your visit on its own website. We do not receive your payment-card details or a copy of your retailer checkout information. Please see our Affiliate Disclosure and the retailer's own privacy information.
Why we use personal information
| Purpose | Typical information | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to messages and review suggestions | Name, email address and message content | Our legitimate interests in communicating with readers, considering editorial suggestions and running the website |
| Operating, securing and troubleshooting the website | IP address, browser/device and technical logs | Our legitimate interests in providing a secure, reliable website |
| Serving or measuring optional advertising where consent is required | Cookie identifiers, IP address, device/browser information and ad interactions | Consent where required by applicable privacy or electronic-communications law |
| Serving limited contextual or operational advertising where legally permitted without consent | Limited technical or contextual information | Legitimate interests or another lawful basis where applicable, subject to consent rules for cookies and similar technologies |
| Meeting legal or regulatory requirements | Information relevant to the particular requirement | Legal obligation |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, those interests are balanced against your rights and reasonable expectations. You can object to processing based on legitimate interests in certain circumstances.
Who we share information with
We do not sell personal information. We may share or allow access to personal information only where reasonably necessary with service providers that help us operate, monetise and secure the website, such as:
- our website hosting provider, including Hostinger;
- WordPress, caching and site-security infrastructure, including LiteSpeed where used;
- our email service provider so that contact and review-request messages can be delivered;
- Google and advertising technology partners where Google AdSense or related advertising services are enabled, subject to applicable consent choices; and
- professional advisers, regulators, law-enforcement bodies or other parties where disclosure is required by law or reasonably necessary to protect legal rights.
External retailers and other websites you choose to visit are separate controllers of the information they collect from you.
International transfers
Some service providers, including advertising and technology providers, may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where UK data-protection law requires safeguards for an international transfer, the relevant provider may rely on an approved mechanism such as UK adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, or an applicable UK Addendum to standard contractual clauses.
How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. General correspondence and review suggestions are normally kept for up to 24 months after the last meaningful interaction, unless there is a legitimate reason to keep them for longer. Technical, security, consent and advertising records may be retained in line with the settings and retention periods of the relevant service provider and applicable legal requirements.
Your data-protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law may give you the right to:
- ask for a copy of personal information we hold about you;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
- ask us to erase personal information in certain circumstances;
- ask us to restrict how personal information is used in certain circumstances;
- object to processing based on legitimate interests;
- receive certain information in a portable format where the right to data portability applies; and
- withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.
We do not use personal information to make solely automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.
Children's information
The Hidden Curio is not designed to collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us without appropriate permission, please contact us so we can review and, where appropriate, delete it.
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we use your personal information, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to complain to the UK's data-protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Information about making a complaint is available at ico.org.uk.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy when the website, advertising providers, our service providers or legal requirements change. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows when this version took effect.
Contact
For privacy enquiries or data-protection requests, email hello@thehiddencurio.co.uk.