Legal

Policies & statements

How we run guardID: fairly, openly and within the law. Our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy each have their own page.

Modern Slavery Statement

Last updated: September 2026

TL;DR

We have zero tolerance for modern slavery and human trafficking, and we're committed to ethical conduct, fair pay and human rights throughout our operations and supply chains. We carry out supplier due diligence, enforce our Code of Conduct and Ethical Sourcing Policy, train our people to spot risks, and keep strengthening our safeguards. Everyone who works with or for us is treated with dignity, fairness and respect, and paid at least the UK National Living Wage.

At guardID, we believe modern slavery and human trafficking are abhorrent crimes that have no place in our business or supply chains.

We're committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our relationships, making sure everyone who works with or for us is treated with dignity, fairness and respect. We recognise our responsibility to prevent exploitation and to uphold human rights across everything we do.

Our commitments

We take proactive steps to identify, prevent and address the risk of modern slavery by:

carrying out due diligence on suppliers, partners and contractors;
requiring compliance with our Code of Conduct, Supplier Standards and Ethical Sourcing Policy;
training our people to recognise and report potential concerns; and
regularly reviewing and strengthening our processes, for effective safeguards and continuous improvement.

Fair work and pay

We believe all work should be fairly rewarded. Everyone who contributes to our business, including employees, contractors, agency staff and people on work experience placements or similar initiatives, is paid at least the UK National Living Wage. We do not tolerate unpaid or exploitative labour in any form, and we expect the same of everyone we do business with. We also check that every employee is paid into an account in their own name that they control.

Our responsibility

We will never tolerate exploitation in any form. Our responsibility is clear: to stand firmly against modern slavery, to protect people, and to help build supply chains based on trust, transparency and respect for human rights.

guardID is not currently required to publish a statement under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. We publish this statement voluntarily, following the spirit of the Act, and review it each financial year.

Anti-Bribery Policy

Last updated: September 2026

TL;DR

We have a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption. Employees, contractors and partners must never offer, accept or ask for bribes (including cash, gifts or favours) to gain an improper advantage. We carry out due diligence, keep accurate records, provide training and encourage reporting of suspected misconduct. Breaches can lead to disciplinary action or dismissal.

We're committed to doing business honestly, transparently and ethically. We have a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption in any form, direct or indirect, and we act professionally, fairly and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships, in line with the Bribery Act 2010.

Scope

This policy applies in every jurisdiction where we operate, and to:

all employees, directors, officers and contractors of guardID; and
anyone working on our behalf, including agents, consultants, suppliers and business partners.

What bribery means

Bribery is offering, giving, receiving or asking for anything of value to improperly influence the actions of another person or organisation. That includes cash, gifts, hospitality, services, donations or any other advantage intended to secure an improper business benefit.

Our commitments

We will:

never offer, give or accept bribes or facilitation payments;
carry out due diligence on all business partners and third parties;
keep accurate and transparent financial records;
promote awareness and understanding of this policy through regular training; and
report and investigate any suspected breach promptly.

Integrity is non-negotiable: we win business on merit, not misconduct.

Gifts and hospitality

Reasonable and proportionate gifts or hospitality may be acceptable if they:

are of modest value and not intended to influence a business decision; and
are lawful, transparent and properly recorded.

If in doubt, ask your line manager or a director before offering or accepting any gift or hospitality.

Political and charitable contributions

guardID does not make political donations. Charitable contributions are made only when lawful, transparent and approved under our internal procedures, so they can never be used as a form of bribery.

Reporting concerns

Employees and third parties should report any concern or suspicion of bribery or corruption straight away. Reports can be made confidentially to a line manager or a director. No one will face retaliation for reporting in good faith.

Breaches and consequences

Any employee who breaches this policy may face disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. We may end our relationship with any third party that breaches this policy or fails to maintain equivalent anti-bribery standards.

Continuous improvement

We regularly review and update this policy to keep it in line with the law and best practice.

Accessibility Statement

Last reviewed: September 2026

TL;DR

We aim to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA (and AAA wherever we can) so our website works for everyone. If anything is hard to use, please tell us: your feedback helps us improve.

We're committed to making our website accessible to everyone. Our goal is to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA across the whole site, and Level AAA wherever possible.

We continually work to improve the accessibility and usability of our website. Accessibility is an ongoing process, and we recognise there may still be areas we can improve.

What we do

Semantic page structure, a “skip to content” link and visible keyboard focus.
Light and dark themes, following your device setting or your choice.
Respect for your device's “reduce motion” setting.
Text labels alongside icons, and labels on icon-only buttons.

Tell us what's not working

If you have any difficulty using our site, or ideas for making it easier to use, please let us know. Your feedback is invaluable; without it, we can't fully understand or meet everyone's needs. Email us at hello@guardid.app.

Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Last updated: September 2026

TL;DR

We never sell your personal information. Not now, not ever. There's nothing you need to opt out of.

We value your privacy and want to be completely transparent about how we handle your data.

We do not sell or share your personal information, not now, not ever. That's true for everyone, wherever you live, including under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), so you don't need to submit an opt-out request.

Your information is used only to provide and improve our services, communicate with you, and give you the best possible experience. We do not share or disclose your data to third parties for marketing or profit. When you stop being a member, we delete your membership data within one month. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

If you have any questions about how your information is handled, contact our Data Protection Officer at dpo@guardid.app.

Example Letter of Authority

This is the letter members authorise us to send on their behalf. Words in [brackets] are filled in with each member's own details.

TL;DR

I, [Member Name], authorise guardID Limited to act on my behalf under the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 to:

request deletion of all my personal data, wherever it is held;
where deletion is legally restricted, object to processing, request restriction, and have all other data not required to be kept deleted;
add my details to suppression (“do not contact”) lists to prevent future data collection;
handle all communications through guardID's secure platform, including providing any identification needed; companies must delete any data shared by guardID once they have fulfilled the request;
use the personal details I provide (names, emails, phone numbers, addresses and so on) to identify my data and request its deletion, restriction or objection;
contact any company that may hold or process my data, updating that list over time as new companies are identified;
raise complaints with the ICO or other authorities if requests are ignored, and combine my case with other members' cases to show systemic non-compliance;
update this letter automatically when I update my contact details or renew my membership; and
end this authority, and delete all my data held by guardID within one month, if my membership ends or I withdraw my authorisation.

Letter of Authority: Data Deletion, Restriction and Objection Requests under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018

Date: [Submission Date]

To whom it may concern,

Subject: Authorisation for guardID Limited to act on my behalf regarding my personal data

I, [First Name] [Last Name], authorise guardID Limited (“the Company”) to act on my behalf in submitting requests under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 about the processing of my personal data.

This authorisation covers, but is not limited to, the following rights and actions:

Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”): to request the deletion of all personal data relating to me that your organisation holds, where there is no overriding lawful basis for keeping it.
Right to restriction of processing: where my data cannot be deleted because of a legal obligation or legitimate interest, to request that its processing and use be restricted to the minimum necessary to meet legal requirements.
Right to object to processing: to object to the continued processing of my personal data, including for direct marketing, profiling or other non-essential purposes.
Data minimisation: where data must be kept, to request that the amount and scope of data stored be reduced to the minimum required for lawful purposes.

I grant guardID Limited full authority to:

submit, manage and follow up these requests with any data controller or data processor;
communicate directly with your organisation about my personal data; and
receive and handle all responses, correspondence and confirmations from your organisation on my behalf.

All correspondence and confirmations about these requests should therefore be sent to guardID Limited as my authorised representative.

I also authorise guardID to take any other action aimed at protecting my digital privacy and personal data sovereignty, including the following specific actions on my behalf:

In addition, I authorise guardID to contact companies involved in artificial intelligence, machine learning or other emerging technologies to tell them that I expressly withhold and/or withdraw my consent for the use of any content, works or materials I have created.

Proof of identity

In line with the UK GDPR principle of data minimisation, I ask that any identity verification required for these requests be proportionate and limited to the minimum necessary to confirm that I am the data subject.

As this request concerns the removal, restriction or cessation of processing of my data, and not the disclosure of personal data, the personal details below should be enough to identify the relevant records without excessive or unnecessary documentation.

If you need further information, please explain why it is necessary, and make sure any identity information provided is used solely to verify this request and securely deleted once verification is complete.

My personal details

Full name: [Current Name]
Previous name(s): [Previous Names]
Date of birth: [Date of Birth]
Current address: [Current Address]
Previous address(es): [Previous Addresses]
Phone number(s): [Primary Phone Number], [Additional Phone Numbers]
Email address(es): [Primary Email Address], [Additional Email Addresses]
Social media profile(s): [Site / App Names], [Usernames / Profiles]
Published work: [Where the member has published work, for AI copyright enforcement]
Identity documents: [Attached here, depending on the member's choice]

Signature: [Signature]
Name: [Current Name]
Date: [Signed Date]

Tax Strategy

Last updated: September 2026

TL;DR

We pay our fair share of tax, on time, never use loopholes to avoid it, and work openly with the tax authorities. Paying tax is part of how we support the economy, fund public services and do the right thing.

Our commitment

At guardID, we believe paying tax is part of being a responsible business and a good citizen. We're proud taxpayers, and we see our contribution as helping to fund the public services and infrastructure that benefit everyone.

We're committed to paying our fair share of tax, on time and in the right place, transparently and with integrity.

Our approach to tax

We do not engage in aggressive tax planning, or use artificial structures or “clever accounting” to avoid tax.
Our tax affairs reflect the real substance of our business activities.
We pay all taxes due under the law, including Corporation Tax, VAT, PAYE, National Insurance and any other applicable duties.
We take professional advice only to make sure we comply accurately, never to avoid tax.

Governance and responsibility

Our Board of Directors oversees our tax strategy and makes sure it reflects our values and ethical standards. Day-to-day responsibility for tax compliance sits with our finance function, supported by qualified advisers when needed. We keep clear internal controls and regularly review our processes for accuracy, transparency and compliance.

Our relationship with tax authorities

We keep an open, honest and respectful relationship with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and other tax authorities. Where anything is uncertain, we engage with HMRC proactively to agree the correct position, rather than take advantage of loopholes or ambiguity.

Risk management

We take a low-risk approach to tax. We identify, assess and manage tax risks carefully, and every position we take is well founded in law and commercially reasonable.

Our belief

Contributing fairly through tax strengthens our communities, supports public services and boosts the wider economy. Doing the right thing, not just the profitable thing, is part of who we are.