Privacy Policy

1. Data Controller
For the purposes of the UK GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and the Data Protection Act 2018,

Ascend Aerials

is the "data controller" for any personal data (such as identifiable images or videos) captured during our drone operations. We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data.

2. Data Collection
We may collect personal data in the following ways:

Directly from you: When you engage our services, you provide information such as your name, email, and project details.
During drone operations: Our drones may inadvertently capture images or video containing identifiable individuals, their property (e.g., vehicles, house numbers), or other personal information.

3. Legal Basis for Processing
We rely on "legitimate interests" as the lawful basis for processing personal data captured during our flights, provided we take precautions to protect individuals' rights and privacy. We will rely on "contractual necessity" to process the personal data you provide directly to fulfill our service agreement.

4. Data Minimisation and Privacy
We adhere to the principle of data minimisation, collecting only data necessary for our stated purpose.

No Private Intrusion: It is illegal and against our policy to intentionally film people in areas where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as inside their homes or private gardens.
Anonymisation: Identifiable data captured incidentally, such as faces or vehicle registration plates, will be blurred or anonymised in our final deliverables.
Minimisation in Planning: We conduct pre-flight assessments to minimise privacy intrusion, especially in residential areas.

5. Data Storage and Retention

Security: All data is stored securely using protective measures like encryption and password protection.
Retention: We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or to satisfy any legal obligations. We will securely delete or anonymise data once it is no longer required.

6. Your Data Rights (GDPR)
Under GDPR, you have the right to:

Right to be Informed: You have the right to know how we collect and use your data.
Right of Access: You can request copies of your personal data.
Right to Rectification: You can request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to Erasure: You can request that we delete your personal data under certain circumstances.
Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us.

7. Transparency
We will inform individuals when and why we are collecting data, such as with signage at our flight locations, and direct them to this public privacy policy for more information.

8. Third-Party Sharing
We will not share your personal data with third parties without your explicit permission, except where necessary to perform our services or comply with legal obligations.

9. Contact and Complaints
If you have any questions or concerns about this policy or our data practices, please contact us via the details on our website. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's supervisory authority for data protection.