Controller: Matthew Lee, self‑employed barrister, (England & Wales) (“I”, “me”) is the controller for personal data processed via this website (“Natural and Artificial Law”) and the AI Law Reports.
Contact: Please contact my clerks at Doughty Street Chambers in the first instance contact details are here. They act as my contact point and will forward any data‑protection requests to me.
Chambers: Doughty Street Chambers is a separate controller for clerking and administration. See its privacy policy for how chambers handle personal data.
ICO Registration: ZA029417
What Data I Collect and Why
Server logs (via my hosting/CDN): IP address, URL, timestamp, user‑agent used for security, performance and basic traffic understanding. Lawful basis: legitimate interests (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)).
Newsletter: If you choose to subscribe, your email address is processed to send updates. Lawful basis: consent (Article 6(1)(a)); you can withdraw consent at any time using the unsubscribe link in each email.
Contact enquiries: If you contact me or my clerks, we process what you send to respond. Lawful basis: legitimate interests.
Comments: Comments are disabled site‑wide; we do not collect comment data.
Newsletter (processed by Substack)
Newsletter subscriptions are managed by Substack. When you subscribe, Substack processes your email address to deliver the newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in each email.
International transfers: Substack is US‑based; where personal data is transferred to the United States, I rely on the UK–US Data Bridge where applicable, or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA).
Who is responsible? I am the controller of the subscriber list. Substack also processes personal data under its own policy (as an independent controller for parts of the processing). See Substack’s Privacy Policy for details and choices. By subscribing, you consent to receiving regular newsletter updates, occasional special announcements, event invitations, or related communications directly from Natural & Artificial Intelligence in Law. Your email address will remain confidential and will never be sold or shared externally for unrelated purposes.
Purposes and Lawful Bases
Operating and securing the website (server logs): Legitimate interests (running a secure website, detecting abuse).
Sending the newsletter: Consent (you can withdraw at any time via the unsubscribe link in every email)
Cookies
We do not set non‑essential cookies and do not use on‑site analytics. If this changes, we will request consent for any non‑essential cookies and update this notice.
Recipients / processors
Newsletter: Substack operates the newsletter platform as an independent controller of its services; please see Substack’s privacy policy above.
Hosting / CDN / security & analytics: I may use a web host and Cloudflare for performance and security (including optional Cloudflare Web Analytics, which does not use client‑side cookies or fingerprinting). Hosting and content delivery network (CDN) provider (for site operation and security).
My clerks/chambers (only where needed to handle professional instruction enquiries).
International transfers
Where personal data is transferred outside the UK (for example, to the United States when using Substack), I rely on the UK–US Data Bridge where available or the UK IDTA (standard UK transfer mechanism). See public guidance from the UK government and the ICO for details.
Retention
Server logs: 12 months (security/diagnostics), then deletion. Lawful basis: legitimate interests (security/performance)
Contact Emails: normally up to 6 months unless needed longer for professional reasons.
Newsletter data: until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent.
Your rights
You have the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection (including to processing based on legitimate interests), and portability. Where we rely on consent (e.g., Substack newsletter), you can withdraw consent at any time via Substack. You can complain to the ICO if you are unhappy (ico.org.uk)
Cookies & Similar Technologies
We do not use non‑essential cookies on this website and we do not run on‑site analytics that set cookies. If we adopt features that set non‑essential cookies in the future (e.g., social media embeds, statistics services), we will update this notice and obtain consent in line with PECR. (Cloudflare Web Analytics, if enabled, is cookie‑free.)
Children
This site is aimed at a professional audience and is not intended for children.
Changes
We may update this notice; when we do, we will change the “Effective date” above.
Who is responsible for clerking/admin
Clerking and booking enquiries are handled by Doughty Street Chambers as a separate controller. Please see their privacy policy
(c) 2025 Matthew Lee