Privacy Policy
Meridian Logistics ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website, platform, and freight forwarding services.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide
We collect information you voluntarily provide when interacting with our services, including:
- Account information — name, email address, phone number, company name, job title
- Shipment data — origin, destination, commodity descriptions, weights, dimensions, HS codes, commercial invoices
- Communication records — messages exchanged through our AI assistant, support tickets, and email correspondence
- Payment information — billing address, payment method details (processed securely by our PCI-compliant payment partners)
- Identity documents — where required for customs compliance, KYC, or sanctions screening purposes
1.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you access our website or platform, we automatically collect certain technical data:
- IP address and approximate geolocation
- Browser type, version, and operating system
- Pages visited, time spent, and navigation paths
- Referring website or search terms
- Device identifiers and screen resolution
- Cookie and tracking technology data (see our Cookie Policy)
1.3 Information from Third Parties
We may receive information from third-party sources, including:
- Carrier and shipping line partners (tracking updates, vessel schedules)
- Credit reference and business verification agencies
- Customs and regulatory authorities
- Publicly available business directories and trade databases
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the collected information for the following purposes:
- Service delivery — to process shipments, generate quotes, manage bookings, and provide customs brokerage services
- AI-powered features — to train and operate our conversational AI assistant, route optimization engine, and rate comparison tools
- Compliance — to perform sanctions screening, export control checks, and customs classification
- Communication — to respond to inquiries, send shipment updates, and provide customer support
- Improvement — to analyze usage patterns, improve our platform, and develop new features
- Marketing — to send newsletters, market updates, and promotional material (with your consent)
- Legal obligations — to comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
Under the General Data Protection Regulation, we process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:
| Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|
| Providing freight forwarding services | Performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Customs compliance and sanctions screening | Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) |
| Marketing communications | Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) |
| Analytics and platform improvement | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) |
| AI model training (anonymized data) | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) |
| Fraud prevention and security | Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)) |
4. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We may share your personal data with the following categories of recipients:
- Logistics partners — shipping lines, airlines, trucking companies, and warehouse operators necessary to fulfill your shipment
- Customs authorities — government agencies in origin, transit, and destination countries as required by law
- Technology providers — cloud hosting, analytics, and communication platforms that support our operations (under strict data processing agreements)
- Professional advisors — legal, audit, and insurance professionals as needed
- Group companies — subsidiaries and affiliates within the Meridian corporate group
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We require all service providers to respect the security of your data and process it in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
5. International Data Transfers
Given the global nature of freight forwarding, your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA). When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
- Adequacy decisions where applicable
- Binding Corporate Rules for intra-group transfers
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:
- Account data — for the duration of your account plus 2 years
- Shipment records — 7 years (as required by customs and tax regulations)
- Communication logs — 3 years from last interaction
- Marketing consent records — until consent is withdrawn
- Analytics data — 26 months (in anonymized form, indefinitely)
7. Data Security
We implement robust technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:
- AES-256 encryption for data at rest and TLS 1.3 for data in transit
- SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certified infrastructure
- Role-based access control and multi-factor authentication
- Regular penetration testing and vulnerability assessments
- 24/7 security monitoring and incident response procedures
8. Your Rights
Under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR), you have the following rights:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Erasure — request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Restriction — request limitation of processing in certain circumstances
- Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interest or for direct marketing
- Withdraw consent — withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@meridianlogistics.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
9. AI and Automated Decision-Making
Our platform uses artificial intelligence to provide freight quotes, route recommendations, and compliance assessments. These AI-generated outputs serve as decision-support tools and are subject to human review before any binding commitment is made.
We do not make solely automated decisions that produce legal effects or significantly affect you without human involvement. You have the right to request human review of any AI-assisted decision.
10. Children's Privacy
Our services are designed for business use and are not directed at individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, please contact us immediately.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. Material changes will be communicated through a prominent notice on our website or by direct email notification. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact:
Meridian Logistics — Data Protection Officer
Email: privacy@meridianlogistics.com
Address: 200 Canary Wharf, London E14 5AB, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7946 0958
For general inquiries, you may also reach us at info@meridianlogistics.com.