PRIVACY POLICY — SAY IT LAD

Last updated: 21/04/2026

Say It Lad is an anonymous lad-to-lad voice-note platform and merch brand based in the UK. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how we keep it safe.

 

WHO WE ARE

We are Say It Lad (“we”, “our”, or “us”). We provide an anonymous voice note platform for peer support and sell branded merch through our website.

Data Controller: Say It Lad

Contact Email: sayit@sayitlad.com

 

WHAT DATA WE COLLECT

Type of Data

How We Collect It

Why We Collect It

Anonymous Voice Notes

Sent via WhatsApp

To share lived experiences for peer support and to curate research datasets.

Merch Order Details

At checkout

To process, ship, and record your order for tax purposes.

Website Analytics

Through Wix

To understand site usage and improve user experience.

WhatsApp Metadata

Directly from you

To communicate, obtain consent, and manage platform interactions.

Note: Identifying yourself is strictly optional. Our platform is designed to function anonymously.

 

HOW WE USE YOUR DATA

We process your data under the legal bases of Contractual Necessity (for merch), Legitimate Interests (for platform improvements), and Explicit Consent (for sharing notes and research).

1. Peer Support: We share anonymous voice notes on our platform and socials to offer lived-experience support.

2. Mental Health Research & Datasets: We curate anonymous voice notes into aggregated datasets. These are shared with our partners (e.g., mental health organisations and research programmes) to improve and aid mental health initiatives.

3. Order Fulfilment: To process and ship merch.

4. Communication: To reply to your messages or seek permission for social media features.

 

SHARING YOUR DATA

We do not, and will never, sell your personal data. We share limited information with:

• Research Partners: We share fully anonymised datasets with curated partners to aid mental health programmes. This data contains no identifying markers.

• Service Providers: WhatsApp (communication), Google Drive (secure storage), and Wix (website hosting/analytics).

• Payment Processors: Secure third parties handle all financial transactions; we do not store payment info.

• Social Media: Anonymous notes are only shared on social platforms after we have received your express "OK" via WhatsApp.

 

DATA ANONYMISATION & SECURITY

We take significant technical steps to ensure your voice notes remain anonymous:

• Metadata Stripping: We remove IP addresses and identifiers from voice files before they are curated into research sets.

• Access Control: Only authorised admins have access to raw voice notes.

• Encryption: We utilise WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption and Google Drive’s secure, encrypted cloud storage.

 

DATA RETENTION

• Voice Notes: Retained until you request deletion or they are no longer required for research/support purposes.

• Order Data: Kept for 6 years to comply with UK tax law.

• Anonymised Datasets: Once data is fully anonymised and integrated into a dataset for research, it may be kept indefinitely as it no longer constitutes "personal data" under the law.

 

YOUR RIGHTS

Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to access, correct, or delete your data, and the right to withdraw consent at any time. To exercise these rights, message us on WhatsApp or email sayit@sayitlad.com

Please note: If a voice note has already been anonymised and integrated into a collective research dataset, it may be technically impossible to identify and remove that specific snippet.

 

CHANGES TO THIS POLICY

Significant changes (such as new data partners) will be announced via WhatsApp or on our website.

 

 

Internal Legal Guidance (Senior Partner's Notes):

• Anonymisation Standard: For the "No data is sold" claim to remain legally robust under the UK GDPR, ensure your internal process for "curating datasets" involves a high threshold of anonymisation where the individual is no longer "identifiable" by the partner receiving the data.

• Special Category Data: Because these notes concern mental health, they are "Special Category Data." Your legal basis for the research aspect relies on Article 9(2)(a) (Explicit Consent) or Article 9(2)(j) (Research purposes). Ensure you keep a log of the WhatsApp "OK" as your record of consent.

Partnership Agreements: Ensure you have a Data Sharing Agreement in place with your mental health partners that explicitly forbids "re-identification" of the anonymous notes.