Privacy policy
Plain English, because your privacy should not need a lawyer to understand.
The short version: we collect only what we need to run your inbox, we do not sell your data, and we do not scan your mail to target adverts. The detail is below.
Who we are
OnlineMails is provided by OnlineMails Ltd, a company launched in 2026, which operates the email service at onlinemails.co.uk. For the data we handle about you, OnlineMails Ltd acts as the data controller. You can reach us about privacy at privacy@onlinemails.co.uk.
What we collect
- Account details. The email address you choose, an optional display name, and a securely hashed version of your password. We never store your password in plain text.
- Your mail. The messages you send and receive within OnlineMails, so we can show them in your inbox and folders.
- Basic technical data. The limited information needed to keep your session secure and the service running, such as a signed session cookie.
What we do not do
- We do not sell or rent your personal information.
- We do not scan the content of your mail to build an advertising profile.
- We do not use third-party advertising trackers on your inbox.
Why we use your data and our legal basis
Under UK data protection law (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018), we rely on these bases:
- To provide the service you asked for (performance of a contract): running your inbox, delivering your mail, and keeping you signed in.
- Our legitimate interests: keeping the service secure, preventing abuse, and fixing faults, balanced against your rights.
- Legal obligations: where the law requires us to keep or disclose certain information.
Cookies
We use a small number of strictly necessary cookies to keep you signed in and to protect forms against cross-site request forgery. These are essential to the service and are not used for advertising or cross-site tracking.
Sharing your data
We do not sell your data. We may share limited information with service providers who help us run OnlineMails (for example, hosting), only as needed and under appropriate agreements. We may disclose data where we are legally required to do so.
How long we keep it
We keep your account details and mail for as long as your account is open. If you close your account, we delete or anonymise your personal data within a reasonable period, unless the law requires us to keep some of it for longer.
How we protect your data
Passwords are hashed with scrypt and a unique salt. Sessions are signed and stored on our server. Traffic to the service is served over HTTPS in production, and forms are protected against cross-site request forgery. No system is perfect, but we take reasonable steps to keep your data safe.
Your rights
You have the right to access your data, to have it corrected or deleted, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to data portability. To make a request, email privacy@onlinemails.co.uk. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we handle your data.
Children
OnlineMails is intended for adults and is not aimed at children. If you believe a child has created an account without appropriate consent, please contact us and we will look into it.
Changes to this policy
As OnlineMails is a new service, this policy may change as the service grows. When we make a meaningful change, we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, let you know.
Contact
Questions about your privacy? Email privacy@onlinemails.co.uk and we will help.