Last updated: September 2026

Bee Multilingual takes your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used and protected, how long it is retained and your rights in relation to your personal information.

Who I am

Bee Multilingual is the trading name under which I, Kate Larkin, provide professional translation, translation review, proofreading and certified translation services.

For the purposes of UK data protection law, I am the data controller responsible for the personal information described in this policy.

If you have any questions about this policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact me using the details provided on the Contact page of this website.

What information I collect

Depending on how you contact or work with me, I may collect and process:

• your name and contact details, including your email address and telephone number where provided;
• information you provide when making an enquiry or requesting a quote;
• correspondence between us;
• billing, payment and transaction information;
• documents and files you provide for translation, review or proofreading;
• personal information contained within those documents; and
• information necessary to manage our professional relationship and provide the services you have requested.

Documents supplied for translation may sometimes contain personal information relating to people other than the person commissioning the work.

How I use your information

I use personal information where necessary to:

• respond to enquiries and prepare quotations;
• provide translation, translation review, proofreading and certified translation services;
• communicate with you about your project;
• issue invoices and maintain appropriate financial and business records;
• maintain relevant project records, terminology and reference materials where appropriate to provide continuity and consistency for repeat clients;
• comply with legal, tax and regulatory obligations; and
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

I do not sell your personal information or use it for unsolicited marketing.

My lawful basis for processing your information

Where you ask me to provide a quotation or commission my services, I generally process the information you provide because it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform our contract.

I process certain information where necessary to comply with a legal obligation, including maintaining appropriate accounting and tax records.

In some circumstances, I may rely on my legitimate interests in operating and protecting my business, maintaining appropriate professional records and providing an efficient and consistent service to clients, provided that these interests do not override your rights and interests.

Confidentiality and sharing your information

All documents and information you provide are treated as strictly confidential.

I do not disclose your documents or personal information to third parties unless this is necessary to provide the agreed service, administer my business, comply with a legal obligation or you have agreed to the disclosure.

I use third-party service providers for certain aspects of running my business, such as email and website hosting. These providers may process limited personal information in connection with the services they provide.

My translation work is carried out locally using professional translation software rather than through a public online translation service.

If a project requires the involvement of another linguist or professional, I will obtain your agreement where appropriate and ensure that suitable confidentiality arrangements are in place.

How long I keep your information

I keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the purpose for which it was collected.

As a general guide:

• Commercial translation projects: project files, completed translations and relevant correspondence may be retained for up to six years after completion, where appropriate for professional record-keeping, continuity and repeat work.
• Certified translations and personal documents: source documents and working copies containing personal information are normally deleted within six months of completion, unless there is a specific reason or client instruction requiring them to be retained for longer.
• Enquiries that do not proceed: documents supplied for quotation purposes are normally deleted within three months if no work is commissioned.
• Financial and tax records: invoices and other records required for accounting or tax purposes are retained for the period required by law.
• Translation memories, glossaries and terminology resources: client-specific resources may be retained while they remain professionally useful for an ongoing or repeat client, subject to confidentiality and data protection requirements.

Information may be deleted sooner where appropriate or retained for longer where required by law or where there is another legitimate reason to do so.

How I protect your information

I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the personal information and documents entrusted to me against unauthorised access, accidental loss, disclosure or misuse.

Client documents are handled through my professional email and local computer systems and, where applicable, professional translation software.

If your organisation has specific confidentiality, security or document-handling requirements, please let me know before the project begins.

International transfers

Some third-party technology providers used in the operation of my business may process or store information outside the UK.

Where this involves an international transfer of personal information, I take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate data protection safeguards apply in accordance with UK data protection law.

Website and cookies

I do not currently use website analytics or advertising tracking technologies, and this website does not currently set cookies during ordinary browsing.

If this changes in future, I will update this Privacy Policy and, where required, provide appropriate information and consent controls.

Information submitted through the website contact form is sent to me by email and used to respond to your enquiry and, where applicable, provide the services you request.

Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law gives you a number of rights in relation to your personal information. These may include the right to:

• request access to the personal information I hold about you;
• ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected;
• ask for your personal information to be deleted in certain circumstances;
• ask me to restrict the way your information is used in certain circumstances;
• object to certain uses of your personal information; and
• request the transfer of certain information where applicable.

Not all rights apply in every circumstance.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact me using the details on my Contact page.

You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to my services, website, working practices or legal obligations. The date at the top of this page will show when it was last updated.