Privacy Policy
How we collect, use, and protect your personal information — handled with the same care and discretion we bring to every instruction.
Last updated: March 2026
Phillips Starr Investigative Consultancy ("Phillips Starr", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights in relation to it. We handle all personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
01
Who we are
Phillips Starr is an independent investigative consultancy based in London, United Kingdom. We act as a data controller in respect of any personal data you provide to us directly, and as a data processor in respect of personal data provided to us by our clients as part of an investigative instruction.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at:
Phillips Starr Investigative Consultancy
📩 contact@phillipsstarr.com
🌐 phillipsstarr.com
📍 London, United Kingdom
02
What personal data we collect
We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:
Your name, email address, telephone number, and professional title when you contact us via our website or by email
The name and contact details of your organisation where relevant
Information you provide in your message or enquiry form, including the nature of your matter
Correspondence between us, including emails and written communications
Information provided as part of an investigative instruction, which may include personal data relating to third parties
Technical data such as your IP address, browser type, and pages visited, collected automatically when you use our website
We do not collect sensitive personal data (such as health information, criminal records, or financial details) through our website. Any sensitive data processed as part of an investigative instruction is handled under a separate data processing agreement with the instructing party.
03
Why we collect your data and our lawful basis
We collect and process your personal data for the following purposes:
To respond to your enquiries and provide you with information about our services — lawful basis: legitimate interests
To fulfil our contractual obligations to you as a client — lawful basis: performance of a contract
To comply with legal and regulatory obligations — lawful basis: legal obligation
To improve our website and understand how it is used — lawful basis: legitimate interests
To send you relevant updates or information where you have consented to this — lawful basis: consent
We will never sell your personal data, use it for unsolicited marketing, or share it with third parties for their own purposes.
04
How we share your data
We treat all information shared with us as strictly confidential. We do not share your personal data with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:
Where we are legally required to do so, for example by a court order or regulatory authority
Where it is necessary to deliver our services and we have engaged a trusted third-party provider under appropriate data processing agreements
Where you have given us explicit consent to share specific information
We do not transfer personal data outside the United Kingdom without ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place.
05
How long we keep your data
We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law.
Enquiry data (where no instruction follows) — up to 12 months
Client and investigation data — up to 7 years following the conclusion of an instruction, in line with legal and professional obligations
Website analytics data — up to 26 months
After the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymised.
06
Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
The right to access the personal data we hold about you
The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
The right to request erasure of your data in certain circumstances
The right to restrict or object to our processing of your data
The right to data portability where processing is based on consent or contract
The right to withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent
The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@phillipsstarr.com. We will respond within 30 days.
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
If you are not satisfied with how we handle your data, you have the right to complain to the ICO at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
07
Cookies
Our website uses cookies to improve your experience and help us understand how the site is used. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website.
We use the following types of cookies:
Essential cookies — necessary for the website to function correctly
Analytics cookies — to understand how visitors use our site (we use anonymised data only)
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the website.
08
Security
We take the security of your personal data seriously. We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure. All staff and contractors with access to personal data are bound by strict confidentiality obligations.
In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and, where required, inform you directly.
09
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last updated. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Questions about your privacy?
We are happy to answer any questions about how we handle your personal data. All enquiries are treated with complete confidentiality.