Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
Last updated: 24 July 2026
We know why you are here. You are preparing for the Life in the UK Test, and that means you are going through the UK immigration process. That context is sensitive. So our rule is simple: we collect the minimum, we never sell your data, and your data stays here.
This policy explains what we collect, why, and your rights under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018).
1. Who is responsible for your data (the "controller")
iKnowTheUK is the trading name of the operator of this service. Contact the controller at [email protected]. We will provide the controller's full legal and postal details in response to a data-protection request. Those details must be inserted here before final legal sign-off.
2. What we collect and why
We only collect what the product needs. We never ask for your nationality, immigration status, visa type, or application details. We do not want them.
| Data | Why we collect it | Lawful basis (UK GDPR Art. 6) |
|---|---|---|
| Email address | Your account login; receipts; service emails (e.g. plan reminders, rule-change alerts you asked for) | Contract (account and purchase); consent (optional alerts) |
| Optional test date | To build your study plan and countdown | Contract (it powers a core feature you asked for) |
| Chosen explanation language | To show explanations in your language | Contract |
| Study activity (answers, scores, mock results, review history) | To run your study plan, spaced repetition, and readiness gauge; to check pass-guarantee eligibility | Contract |
| Purchase records (amount, date, payment status — not your card number) | To grant access, handle refunds, and meet tax and accounting law | Contract; legal obligation |
| Self-declared real test result (only if you claim the guarantee) | To process your refund claim | Contract |
| Basic technical data (IP address at request time, browser type) | Security, fraud and abuse prevention, keeping the service running | Legitimate interests (protecting the service and users) |
| Product analytics (page views, explicitly instrumented feature usage and an account identifier after sign-in) | To understand the product funnel, diagnose problems and improve the product. Analytics uses memory-only persistence in the browser | Legitimate interests (improving the service) |
| Error reports | To fix bugs | Legitimate interests |
We never see or store your full card details. Paddle is the merchant of record and handles payment details, tax and payment-related buyer support.
3. Who processes data for us
We use a small number of service providers ("processors"). Each one only gets the data it needs.
| Processor | What it does | What it sees | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Railway | Hosts the application, queues and database | Service and account data | Hosting region selected by the operator; Railway's contractual safeguards apply |
| Clerk | Sign-in and account security | Email and sign-in metadata | Global infrastructure; Clerk's contractual transfer safeguards apply |
| Paddle | Merchant of record: checkout, payment, tax, refunds and payment support | Payment and transaction details, email | Global infrastructure; Paddle's contractual transfer safeguards apply |
| PostHog US Cloud | Cookieless product analytics and error monitoring | Explicitly instrumented usage events and a Clerk account identifier after sign-in; no account email | United States |
| Resend | Transactional and opted-in service email when email sending is enabled | Email address and email content | Global infrastructure; Resend's contractual transfer safeguards apply |
We do not use advertising networks, data brokers, or social media pixels. There is no Facebook pixel, no Google Ads tag, nothing of that kind.
4. International transfers
Some processors may process data outside the UK. Where required, transfers are covered by adequacy regulations, an IDTA, the UK Addendum to EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or another lawful transfer mechanism supplied by the processor.
5. How long we keep data
| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Account and study data | While the account is active. Inactive-account deletion is reviewed after 24 months without activity |
| Purchase and refund records | 6 years (UK tax and accounting law) |
| Email marketing consents and opt-outs | Until you withdraw, plus a suppression record so we do not email you again |
| Product analytics and error events | According to the configured retention period in the shared PostHog project; identifiers are reset when you sign out |
| Error logs | 90 days |
You can delete your account at any time (see section 7). Deletion removes your personal data except records we must keep by law (e.g. purchase records for tax).
6. Cookies
We use essential cookies only (sign-in session, payment security). Our analytics is cookieless — PostHog runs in memory-only mode and stores nothing on your device.
Because we set no advertising or tracking cookies, we do not show a cookie consent banner.
Clerk session storage and Paddle checkout storage are used only where necessary to authenticate you or complete a purchase. PostHog is configured with memory-only persistence and does not create a persistent browser identifier.
7. Your rights
Under UK GDPR you can:
- Access your data (get a copy);
- Correct it;
- Delete it ("right to erasure");
- Export it (data portability);
- Object to or restrict certain processing;
- Withdraw consent at any time (e.g. unsubscribe from alerts — every email has an unsubscribe link).
How to use these rights (DSAR procedure):
Write to [email protected] from your account email and state whether you want access, export, correction, restriction or deletion. We respond within one month. We may ask you to confirm control of the account email.
There is no charge. We will not make it difficult.
8. Our commitments to you
- We never sell your data. Not to anyone, not ever.
- We never share your data with advertisers or ad networks.
- We never share your data with government bodies unless we are legally compelled to, and then only the minimum required.
- We collect the minimum. If a feature does not need a piece of data, we do not ask for it.
- Your data stays here. It is used to help you pass your test. That is all.
9. Children
The service is for people aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
10. Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, please contact us first: [email protected]. See our Complaints Procedure.
You also have the right to complain to the UK regulator at any time:
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint — Helpline: 0303 123 1113
11. Changes to this policy
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we will email you and post a notice in the app before the change takes effect.