Your privacy. A clear activity record.
App privacy & activity notice · Effective 22 October 2026
What this notice covers
This notice supplements the Portwood Insurance Brokers privacy policy for www.portwood.app. B. Portwood & Company Ltd is the controller. Contact info@portwood.co.uk or 145 Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7EN about your information.
App activity and service records
We record pages and guides opened, clicks on app controls, policy and request views, document requests, insurance actions and message activity. Records include an event reference, server timestamp, account identity when signed in, and the available network-reported IP address and browser/device header. A temporary tab session links app events; it is not a permanent phone identifier. Device-reported event times are kept separately from server times.
Visitor locations
Visits are recorded for signed-in clients and visitors who are not signed in. Where our hosting network supplies it, we record an approximate city, region and country derived from the connection IP address alongside the activity record. This is an estimate, can reflect a VPN or network provider, and is not GPS or a precise home or street location. If no estimate is supplied, location is shown as unavailable.
Emails sent from the app
When you choose Email Portwood, your subject and message are saved in your private Portwood conversation and sent through our email provider to info@portwood.co.uk. Your signed-in email address is used for replies. If email acceptance cannot be confirmed, the app copy remains available to Portwood and the app shows that delivery is pending. These copies follow the message retention period below.
Your messages and opening receipts
Private messages and replies are stored with their sender, exact content, server timestamp and a content checksum. The app acknowledges when an incoming message is received and reports it as opened after it is visible in a foreground conversation. Available IP and reported device/browser details are recorded with these receipts. Only the customer concerned and the authorised Portwood administrator can access the conversation.
What these records do and do not show
Server records confirm requests handled by the service. App-reported clicks and views can be affected by connectivity, browser restrictions or software errors. An opened message or a served document does not prove it was read, understood or agreed to. IP addresses may be shared, use a VPN or change; device headers can be incomplete or altered. We do not use these records alone to decide a complaint, claim or customer obligation.
Information we do not capture
The activity recorder does not record keystrokes, PINs, passwords, typed form values, screen recordings, microphone or camera feeds, advertising fingerprints, or a phone serial number or IMEI. Message content and information you deliberately submit in an insurance request are stored as part of that communication or request.
Why we use this information
We use service and communication records to administer your insurance and enquiries, maintain an accurate correspondence history, investigate complaints and disputes, protect accounts and identify service faults. Depending on the activity, we rely on performing our service contract, applicable legal obligations, and our legitimate interests in service security and reliable customer records. We do not use these logs for advertising or automated decisions about cover or claims. You can contact us to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
How long records are available
Routine clicks, page views and request logs are retained for up to 12 months. Direct messages, delivery/opening receipts and core insurance or document-service records are retained for up to 7 years from the event. Expired records are excluded from app access and removed by periodic service cleanup. Policy and claim files follow the separate retention periods in the main Portwood privacy policy. Contact us if a record is needed for an ongoing complaint or legal matter so it can be preserved in the relevant case file.
Who can see the records
Authorised Portwood administration can review and export activity records. Customers can access their own messages and request a copy of their personal information. Hosting and software providers process information to run the app. We may provide relevant records to insurers, claims handlers, regulators or legal advisers where necessary for the purpose concerned, as described in our main privacy policy. Records are not sold.
Postcode and crime search services
When you use Crime search, the submitted postcode is sent through our server to Postcodes.io to locate the area. Our server then requests published area crime data from data.police.uk. We do not request your phone GPS location.
MOT search data
When you use MOT search, the vehicle registration you submit is sent through our server to DVSA to retrieve public vehicle and MOT test records. The search does not request vehicle keeper details or add the vehicle to your insurance policies.
Automatic MOT reminders
A successful MOT search automatically saves the registration, vehicle description and available MOT expiry date for reminders on the device used to search. We refresh monitored dates with DVSA, normally daily, and create private reminders within 14 days and within 7 days before expiry. If the search is already within 7 days, only the applicable 7-day reminder is created. Without a future date we keep checking, rather than invent an expiry. Turn off a vehicle with Stop reminders, or pause automatic monitoring for this device in Notifications.
Reminder delivery and storage
A random device token in browser storage links your saved vehicles, private in-app reminders and any permitted phone notification subscription. We keep a hash of the token on the server; it is not a phone serial number. Phone alerts require your browser notification permission and supported device settings. Delivery can be affected by connectivity and device restrictions, so you remain responsible for checking your MOT and booking a test. Saved vehicle records remain while monitoring is active; records inactive for 12 months are removed. Reminder history is kept for up to 90 days. Your device-wide opt-out preference is retained so a later search does not silently switch reminders back on. You can contact us to request removal of saved reminder data.
Friend referrals
If you request a callback for a friend, we record their phone number, your account contact details, your confirmation that they asked for the call, and the request time and follow-up status. Portwood uses these details to handle the requested introduction. The record does not itself prove your friend gave consent. Referral records are kept for up to 12 months, then removed by periodic cleanup. When you share our details, you choose the recipient in your phone or browser; the app does not collect their contact details for sharing.
Your choices and rights
You can ask for access, correction, deletion or restriction where applicable, raise an objection, or ask about a record by emailing info@portwood.co.uk. Some insurance or dispute records may need to be retained despite an erasure request. You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk. This notice does not remove your data protection or complaints rights.