Last updated: 15 August 2026
Hawthorn & Key respects your privacy and aims to handle personal information with care, clarity and a sensible amount of restraint.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we use it, who we may share it with, how long we keep it and the choices available to you.
Hawthorn & Key is currently an online folklore journal. The website does not currently operate as a public online shop, process payments, sell products, provide checkout, offer customer accounts, collect newsletter subscriptions or enable public comments.
1. Who is responsible for your personal information?
Hawthorn & Key is currently operated by MB Bao Group, Lithuania.
For the personal information described in this policy, MB Bao Group is the responsible organisation unless this page is updated to name another operator.
Email: info@hawthornandkey.co.uk
A Lithuanian association for folklore and esoteric studies may later support part of the cultural and research work connected with the project. If responsibility for the website or any part of its data processing changes, this Privacy Policy will be updated.
2. How to contact us about privacy
For questions, requests or complaints relating to personal information, please email info@hawthornandkey.co.uk with the subject line Privacy enquiry.
Please do not send passwords, full bank card details or one-time banking verification codes by email.
3. Personal information we currently collect
The current website collects only limited personal information.
When you email us
If you contact us by email, we may collect:
- your name, if you provide it;
- your email address;
- the subject and content of your message;
- any files, images or references that you choose to send;
- information reasonably required to respond to your enquiry.
When you browse the website
Our website hosting, security and technical systems may process limited technical information such as:
- IP address;
- browser type;
- device type;
- operating system;
- pages visited;
- date and time of access;
- referring website;
- technical logs used for security, maintenance and error diagnosis.
Newsletter
Hawthorn & Key does not currently operate an email newsletter or collect newsletter subscriptions.
If a newsletter is introduced later, this Privacy Policy will be updated before subscriptions are collected. The sign-up form will explain what you are subscribing to, which service provider is used and how you can unsubscribe.
Customer accounts
The public website does not currently provide customer accounts.
Orders and payments
The website does not currently process orders or payments.
Comments and reviews
Public comments and product reviews are not currently enabled.
4. Why we use personal information
| Purpose | Information used | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| To respond to enquiries | Name, email address, message content and any information you choose to provide | Legitimate interests |
| To correct or improve website content | Information provided in editorial enquiries or correction requests | Legitimate interests |
| To protect and maintain the website | Technical logs, IP address and security-related information | Legitimate interests |
| To comply with legal obligations | Information reasonably required by law or for handling legal requests | Legal obligation |
5. Our legitimate interests
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we use personal information only where this is reasonably necessary and where our interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
Our legitimate interests may include:
- responding to enquiries;
- reviewing correction requests;
- maintaining website security;
- preventing misuse;
- keeping appropriate records of important correspondence;
- improving the clarity and reliability of the website.
6. Who we may share information with
We may share personal information only where reasonably necessary.
This may include sharing information with:
- website hosting providers;
- email service providers;
- website maintenance or security providers;
- professional advisers where necessary;
- public authorities or regulators where required or permitted by law.
Hawthorn & Key does not sell personal information.
7. Website services currently not used
| Service | Status | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Online shop checkout | Not currently used | The website does not currently take orders or payments. |
| Payment processing | Not currently used | No payment provider is currently used on the public website. |
| Newsletter | Not currently used | Hawthorn & Key does not currently collect newsletter subscriptions. |
| Public customer accounts | Not currently used | Visitors do not currently create customer accounts. |
| Public comments | Not currently used | Public comments are not currently enabled. |
| Analytics cookies | Not currently used | The website does not currently use optional analytics cookies. |
| Marketing cookies | Not currently used | The website does not currently use marketing or advertising cookies. |
8. Cookies
The website may use necessary technical cookies where required for basic website operation, security or administration.
Hawthorn & Key does not currently use optional analytics cookies or marketing cookies.
Please read our Cookie Policy for further information.
9. International processing
Some technical providers, such as hosting, email or website security services, may process data outside Lithuania or outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, appropriate safeguards should be used where required by applicable data protection law.
10. How long we keep personal information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
| Information | Retention approach |
|---|---|
| General email enquiries | Kept for up to 24 months unless a longer period is reasonably needed. |
| Correction requests and editorial correspondence | Kept for up to 36 months where useful for editorial records. |
| Privacy enquiries and complaints | Kept for up to 36 months after the matter is closed, unless a longer period is legally required. |
| Technical security logs | Kept for the period reasonably required by the hosting or security system. |
| Backups | Kept according to the website backup schedule and overwritten or deleted as part of normal maintenance. |
11. Keeping your information secure
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
No online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Please do not send passwords, full bank card details or one-time banking codes by email.
12. Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:
- ask whether we hold personal information about you;
- request a copy of your personal information;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
- ask us to delete personal information in certain circumstances;
- ask us to restrict the use of your information in certain circumstances;
- object to certain uses of your information;
- ask for certain information in a portable format where the right applies;
- withdraw consent where we rely on consent.
These rights are not absolute in every situation.
To make a request, email info@hawthornandkey.co.uk with the subject line Privacy request.
We may need to ask for information reasonably necessary to confirm your identity before responding.
13. Data protection complaints
If you have a concern about how Hawthorn & Key uses your personal information, please email info@hawthornandkey.co.uk with the subject line Data protection complaint.
Please explain what has happened and include any information that may help us understand the issue.
We will review the complaint and respond without undue delay.
14. Complaining to a regulator
You may also have the right to raise a concern with a relevant data protection authority.
If Hawthorn & Key is operated by a Lithuanian organisation, the relevant authority may be the State Data Protection Inspectorate of Lithuania. Depending on where you live and how the website is used, another data protection authority may also be available to you.
15. Children
The Hawthorn & Key website is intended for a general audience, but it is not directed at children.
We do not knowingly ask children to provide personal information.
16. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in the website, services, project structure or legal requirements.
The date at the top of this page will show when the policy was last updated.
17. Contact details
Hawthorn & Key is currently operated by MB Bao Group, Lithuania.
Email: info@hawthornandkey.co.uk