Defence.US (“Website”, “Platform”, “We”, “Us”, “Our”) is a defence procurement facilitation platform operated by
Vorn Initiative Ltd. (“Company”, “Vorn”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose,
and protect your personal information when you visit our Website, submit procurement enquiries, or use our Services.
We are committed to protecting the confidentiality and security of information entrusted to us, particularly given the
sensitive nature of defence procurement activities. We handle all personal and procurement-related information in
accordance with:
This Privacy Policy applies to:
By using our Website or Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described
in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our Website or Services.
We collect information that you voluntarily provide when:
When you submit a procurement enquiry through our Website, forms, or email, we collect:
When you visit our Website, we automatically collect:
| Data Type | Description |
| Log Data | IP address, browser type, operating system, referring pages, timestamps |
| Usage Data | Pages visited, time spent, clicks, scrolls, search queries |
| Device Information | Device type, screen resolution, language settings |
| Location Data | Approximate geolocation (city/country level) based on IP address |
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:
Types of Cookies We Use:
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Duration |
| Essential Cookies | Website operation, security, authentication | Session |
| Preference Cookies | Remember user settings and language | 12 months |
| Analytics Cookies | Google Analytics to understand usage patterns | 24 months |
| Security Cookies | CSRF protection, rate limiting | Session |
Your Choices: You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling essential
cookies may affect Website functionality.
We may receive information about you from:
We use your information to:
| Purpose | Legal Basis |
| Process procurement enquiries | Contractual necessity, legitimate interest |
| Facilitate introductions to manufacturers | Contractual necessity |
| Conduct export compliance screening | Legal obligation |
| Verify end-user status and authority | Legal obligation |
| Communicate about procurement status | Contractual necessity |
| Provide customer and technical support | Legitimate interest |
| Improve our Website and Services | Legitimate interest |
| Detect and prevent fraud or misuse | Legal obligation |
Critical Use: We use your information to screen against:
This screening is mandatory and a legal requirement for defence procurement
facilitation.
We may also use your information for:
We may aggregate and anonymise data for statistical analysis, market research, and business intelligence. Aggregated
data does not identify you personally and is not subject to this Privacy Policy.
We process your personal data under the following legal bases:
| Legal Basis | Application |
| Contractual Necessity | Processing procurement enquiries, facilitating introductions, and providing our Services |
| Legal Obligation | Export compliance screening, sanctions checks, record-keeping, reporting to authorities |
| Legitimate Interests | Website improvement, security monitoring, fraud prevention, business development |
| Consent | Marketing communications, optional cookies, certain data processing (where required) |
| Vital Interests | Emergency situations (rarely applicable) |
We share your information only in the following circumstances:
We share procurement enquiries with:
Limitation: We share only the information necessary for procurement matching. We do not share your
information with unverified parties.
We disclose information when required to:
We engage third-party service providers for:
All service providers are bound by data processing agreements and may only process information as instructed.
In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the
successor entity. We will notify you of any such transfer.
We do NOT sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing or
advertising purposes. We do NOT share your procurement information with competitors or unauthorised
parties.
Given the global nature of defence procurement, your information may be transferred to and processed in countries
outside the United Kingdom, including:
| Region | Countries |
| Europe | France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Turkey, Belgium, Switzerland |
| Asia | China, South Korea, Malaysia, India, Singapore, UAE |
| North America | United States, Canada |
| Other | Australia, South Africa |
Safeguards: For transfers outside the UK, we implement appropriate safeguards, including:
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:
Technical Safeguards:
Organisational Safeguards:
Due to export compliance requirements, End User Certificates and related procurement documentation are
retained for a minimum of ten (10) years after the completion of any transaction, or as otherwise
required by applicable export control laws.
No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your
information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You transmit information to us at your own risk.
In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify:
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy,
unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.
| Data Category | Retention Period |
| Procurement enquiries | 7 years after last activity |
| End User Certificates (EUC) | Minimum 10 years (export compliance requirement) |
| Export licence documentation | 10 years after licence expiry |
| Communication records | 5 years |
| Website usage data | 24 months (aggregated) |
| Sanctions screening records | 7 years |
| Vendor/partner due diligence | Duration of relationship + 7 years |
We consider:
You may request deletion of your information as described in Section 9 (Your Rights). However, we may retain
information required for legal compliance, including export control records.
Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights:
| Right | Description |
| Right to Access | Obtain confirmation of whether we process your data and request a copy |
| Right to Rectification | Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data |
| Right to Erasure | Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”) |
| Right to Restrict Processing | Limit how we use your data in certain circumstances |
| Right to Data Portability | Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format |
| Right to Object | Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing |
| Right to Withdraw Consent | Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent |
| Right to Lodge a Complaint | Complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) |
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:
Email: [email protected]
Postal Address: Defence.US — Data Protection Officer, Vorn Initiative Ltd.
Verification: We may require you to verify your identity before processing your request. This may
include providing official identification or answering questions about your interactions with us.
We will respond to your request within one (1) month of verification. Complex requests may require
an additional two (2) months, and we will notify you of any extension.
Your rights are not absolute. We may refuse requests where:
If you believe we have violated your data protection rights, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the
UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) :
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Address: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Our Website and Services are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not
knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal
information, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.
Our Website may contain links to third-party websites, including manufacturer websites, government portals, and
industry resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such third-party sites. We
encourage you to read the privacy policies of any website you visit.
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by:
Your continued use of our Website or Services following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance
of such changes.
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Defence.US — Privacy Office
Vorn Initiative Ltd.
We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within five (5) business days and to formal data
subject requests within one (1) month as described in Section 8.3.
| Right | What It Means | How to Exercise |
| Access | Get a copy of your data | Email [email protected] |
| Rectification | Correct inaccurate data | Email [email protected] |
| Erasure | Request deletion | Email [email protected] |
| Restrict processing | Limit how we use your data | Email [email protected] |
| Data portability | Receive data in machine-readable format | Email [email protected] |
| Object | Object to processing based on legitimate interests | Email [email protected] |
| Withdraw consent | Withdraw any consent given | Email [email protected] |
| Complain to ICO | Lodge complaint with UK regulator | https://ico.org.uk |
| Cookie Name | Type | Purpose | Duration |
| session_id | Essential | User session management | Session |
| csrf_token | Essential | Security (CSRF protection) | Session |
| user_preferences | Preference | Stores language and display settings | 12 months |
| _ga | Analytics | Google Analytics — user identification | 24 months |
| _gid | Analytics | Google Analytics — user session | 24 hours |
| security_ratelimit | Security | Rate limiting protection | 1 hour |
BY USING DEFENCE.US, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTOOD, AND AGREE TO THE PRACTICES DESCRIBED IN
THIS PRIVACY POLICY.