Last updated: 30 October 2026
Who we are (data controller)
MachineToolNews.ai is owned and operated by Q-Media (“we”, “us”, “our”). For the purposes of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, Q-Media is the data controller for personal data collected via this website and our forms.
Correspondence address: Q-Media, Flat 8, 175 Balls Pond Road, London, N1 4BH, United Kingdom.
Privacy and editorial enquiries: publisher@machinetoolnews.ai.
1) Scope
This notice covers our website, newsletters, editorial submissions, enquiries, advertising and commercial services, business-to-business outreach campaigns, and related communications. It explains where we obtain professional contact information, how we use and share personal data, the legal bases we consider, retention, international transfers and privacy rights.
2) What we collect
a) When you submit news (PR agencies & manufacturers)
- Submitter details: first/last name, company, role, phone number, email, company website.
- For PR agencies: client contact and company details you provide.
- Story materials: headline, summary, full text; files you upload (required image 1600×900 JPG/PNG, optional PDF/ZIP); timestamps; IP address (used for rate limiting/abuse prevention).
b) When you contact us or buy services
- Name, email, company, role, enquiry details, correspondence, service preferences and billing or payment records when you enquire about or purchase advertising, sponsored content, newsletters, interviews, lead-generation or other commercial services.
c) When you visit our site
- Technical data from your browser/device (IP address, user-agent, pages viewed, referrers) via logs, cookies and similar technologies for security, performance and analytics (where enabled).
d) Newsletter and email subscribers
When you sign up for our newsletter, we collect your email address and any additional information you choose to provide, alongside subscription preferences, consent records and unsubscribe status. We may record delivery, opens or clicks where such measurement is enabled and legally permitted.
e) Business contact information obtained from other sources
We may obtain professional contact information from third-party business information and sales intelligence providers, including Instantly.ai, as well as publicly available business websites, professional profiles, industry directories, event contacts and existing business correspondence. This information may include a person’s name, job title, company, business email address, professional telephone number, business location, industry and relevant professional interests. The source of a particular contact can be requested using the details below.
f) Advertising and campaign reporting
We may record aggregate page readership, advertisement impressions and link clicks, campaign performance and related technical information. Where an identifiable person interacts with our email campaigns, we process that information only where the applicable data protection and electronic marketing rules allow it.
3) Why we use your data (lawful bases)
- Editorial operations & journalistic purposes – receiving, verifying and editing submissions; maintaining an editorial archive; corresponding with you.
Lawful basis: Legitimate interests (journalistic/editorial operations). - Security & abuse prevention – rate-limiting, fraud/bot detection, protecting our services.
Lawful basis: Legitimate interests. - Website analytics and audience measurement – measuring site visits and content performance using services such as Google Analytics through Google Site Kit and other site statistics. UK GDPR lawful basis: legitimate interests where appropriate, or consent where we rely on it. Analytics cookies and similar technologies are subject to separate PECR consent or exemption requirements.
- Contracts and paid services – responding to advertising and sponsorship enquiries, delivering campaigns or commissioned content, invoicing and maintaining service records.
Lawful basis: contract and pre-contract steps, legitimate interests for business-client administration where appropriate, and legal obligation for required records. - Newsletters and subscriber communications – sending requested news, updates and commercial content.
Lawful basis: consent where required, or legitimate interests where the communication and applicable law permit it. - Relevant B2B outreach and business development – contacting appropriate professional contacts about editorial opportunities, media services, advertising and partnerships.
Lawful basis: legitimate interests where appropriate following a balancing assessment, or consent where applicable law requires it. Email marketing must separately comply with PECR and relevant international rules. - Compliance – meeting legal, tax and accounting obligations; responding to lawful requests.
Lawful basis: legal obligation.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we balance our interests against your rights and expectations. You can object at any time (see Your rights, below).
4) How we use submissions
- Create a draft post for internal review; we may edit or rewrite to meet house style.
- Decide whether to publish (submission does not guarantee publication).
- Contact you (or your client) for clarifications.
- Log submission metadata to our Google Workspace (e.g., a Google Sheet via secure webhook) for workflow and audit.
5) Cookies & similar technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies for security, site operation, newsletter forms, audience measurement and, where applicable, advertising performance. Our analytics tools include Google Analytics through Google Site Kit. Some embedded media and other third-party services may set their own cookies or collect technical information. We must obtain any consent required by the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) before using non-exempt cookies or comparable tracking technologies. You can also manage stored cookies through your browser settings. This notice describes the purposes of these technologies; any separate consent choices must be provided through the site where required.
6) How long we keep data
- Editorial records (stories, related correspondence): retained as part of our journalistic archive.
- Professional contacts, including marketing contacts obtained from third parties: reviewed periodically and retained only while there is a legitimate and lawful business purpose. We review relevance, interaction history and opt-out requests when determining retention.
- Newsletter subscribers: retained while subscribed or as needed to manage the subscription. Suppression records: limited contact details may be kept after an opt-out to ensure we respect it. Billing and contract records: retained for applicable legal and financial requirements.
We keep data only as long as needed for the purposes above.
7) Who we share data with (processors/recipients)
We do not sell our website visitors’ or newsletter subscribers’ personal data. We use service providers to operate the site, manage communications and provide commercial services. These may include:
- Website hosting, security and content delivery.
- Google services, including Google Workspace, Google Site Kit, Analytics and Search Console where used, for editorial administration, website measurement and communications.
- Email and campaign platforms such as MailPoet for newsletters, Gmail / Google Workspace for correspondence, and Mailmeteor for B2B campaigns where used, including sending, suppression and permitted engagement reporting.
- Payment and accounting services, including Square where used for invoices or payment links, and providers of website advertising, technical monitoring and campaign measurement. Advertisers may receive aggregate campaign statistics; any sharing of identifiable leads or contacts must be separately disclosed and supported by a lawful basis.
Some providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where required, we assess international transfers and use an applicable UK adequacy regulation or appropriate transfer safeguards (such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or UK Addendum to standard contractual clauses). You may contact us for further information about relevant safeguards.
8) reCAPTCHA
This site may be protected by reCAPTCHA to prevent abuse. reCAPTCHA collects device and interaction data solely for security purposes. If the badge is hidden, we display the required notice:
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
9) Marketing
Business contact data and direct marketing. We may use professional contact information obtained from business information and sales intelligence providers, including Instantly.ai, and public professional sources to contact relevant business people about industry news, media services, advertising, commercial partnerships and related opportunities. We may send relevant B2B marketing to corporate subscribers where permitted by applicable law, subject to a valid data protection lawful basis and an assessment of legitimate interests. We obtain consent where legally required, including for individual subscribers where no exception applies and for campaigns in countries requiring prior consent.
How you learn about our use of your details. Where we obtain personal data from another organisation, we provide the required privacy information within the period required by law, generally within one month and no later than our first communication where that occurs sooner. You may contact us to ask where we obtained your professional details.
Newsletters and tracking. People who subscribe to our newsletters may receive industry news, interviews, offers and sponsored content. Our email delivery and campaign services may record delivery, unsubscribes and, where enabled and legally permitted, message opens and link clicks. Tracking pixels and similar technologies are subject to the applicable PECR storage-and-access rules.
Your choice. Every direct marketing email should identify us and provide a simple way to object or unsubscribe. You can also contact publisher@machinetoolnews.ai. We respect objections to direct marketing and may retain limited suppression information so we do not contact you again for that purpose. We do not treat the purchase of a contact list as permission to email someone where the law requires consent.
10) Your rights
You have rights to be informed, access, rectify, erase, restrict, object (including to processing based on legitimate interests), data portability, and rights related to automated decision-making (where applicable).
To exercise your rights, email publisher@machinetoolnews.ai. We may ask for proof of identity before acting on a request.
If we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time (this won’t affect past processing).
11) Complaints
You may raise concerns with us using the contact details above. You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
12) Children
Our services are aimed at business professionals. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
13) Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures (encryption in transit, access controls, least-privilege administration, logging and monitoring). No system is 100% secure; please use strong, unique passwords and be cautious with links/attachments.
14) Links & third-party sites
Our editorial content may include videos, third-party embeds, sponsored links, advertisements and other links to external services. Clicking them may take you to a third-party site governed by that provider’s own privacy practices. We use advertising and campaign measurement to report aggregate readership, impressions and clicks; we do not guarantee that third-party sites use the same controls as ours.
15) Changes to this notice
We will update this notice when necessary and post the “Last updated” date at the top. Material changes will be highlighted for a reasonable period.
Contact (data protection): Q-Media, Flat 8, 175 Balls Pond Road, London, N1 4BH, United Kingdom. Email: publisher@machinetoolnews.ai.