Privacy

Privacy Policy

Last reviewed: May 2026 (reviewed annually as part of our ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation cycle) Data controller: 3G Telecommunications Limited

1. Introduction

3G Telecommunications Limited ("we", "us", "our") operates the e164.com numbering-intelligence service. We provide reference information on international telephone numbering — country and operator codes, MCC/MNC allocations, and numbering-plan data — to telecommunications operators, regulators, national administrations, and international and inter-governmental organisations.

We recognise that many of those who rely on e164.com act at a national-administration and international level, and we hold the protection of personal data to a standard consistent with that responsibility. This policy explains what personal data we process when you use e164.com or contact us, the lawful bases on which we rely, and the rights available to you.

This policy is written to meet our obligations under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Where we process the personal data of individuals in the European Economic Area, we also act consistently with the EU GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).

2. The data we process

We deliberately minimise the personal data we collect. e164.com is a reference service: the numbering data we publish concerns operators, codes, and allocations, and is not personal data. We do not process the personal data of telephone subscribers, and our directory cannot be used to identify the holder of any individual number.

The personal data we do process is limited to the following:

  • Enquiry data — your name, organisation, work email address, organisation website, and the content of your message. Collected when you submit our contact form.
  • Newsletter data — your name, organisation, work email address, organisation website, and your consent record. Collected when you subscribe to numbering-plan update notifications.
  • Technical data — your IP address, browser and device type, and request logs. Collected automatically when you access the site, for security and service-integrity purposes.

We do not operate advertising technologies on e164.com (see section 7, Cookies).

3. Lawful bases for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under Article 6(1) UK GDPR:

  • Legitimate interests — Article 6(1)(f) — to respond to enquiries, to provide and secure the e164.com service, to maintain the integrity and availability of the service, and to prevent abuse. Our legitimate interest is in operating a reliable, secure numbering-intelligence service for our professional and institutional users. You may object to this processing at any time (see section 10).
  • Consent — Article 6(1)(a) — to send you numbering-plan update notifications and other newsletter communications. You may withdraw consent at any time, with no effect on the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
  • Compliance with a legal obligation — Article 6(1)(c) — where we are required to retain or disclose data by law.

We do not process special category data through e164.com, and we do not request it. Please do not include special category data in messages to us.

4. How we use your data

We use personal data only for the purposes for which it was collected:

  • To respond to and manage your enquiries.
  • To provide, operate, and secure the e164.com service.
  • To send numbering-plan updates and newsletters where you have subscribed.
  • To detect, investigate, and prevent abuse, fraud, or unauthorised use of the service.
  • To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations.

We do not use your data to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

5. Disclosure and sharing

We do not sell personal data, and we do not share it for third-party marketing.

We disclose personal data only:

  • To service providers ("processors") who host, secure, and deliver e164.com on our behalf, under written contracts that require them to act only on our instructions and to apply appropriate safeguards.
  • Where required by law, by a competent authority, or to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
  • To other members of our corporate group where necessary to operate the service and support function, under equivalent safeguards.

6. International data transfers

Our users include national administrations and international organisations located worldwide, and some of our processors may operate outside the United Kingdom. Where we transfer personal data outside the UK, we ensure an adequate level of protection by relying on one of the following:

  • A UK adequacy regulation (or, for EEA transfers, an EU adequacy decision) covering the destination country; or
  • The UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, together with any supplementary measures required following a transfer risk assessment.

7. Cookies

e164.com uses only strictly necessary cookies required to deliver the service securely and to remember essential session settings. Because we set only strictly necessary cookies, no consent banner is required under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR); you can nonetheless block or delete cookies through your browser settings, though some parts of the service may not function correctly if you do.

8. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected:

  • Enquiry data — for the duration of our correspondence with you and a reasonable period afterwards to handle follow-up, then securely deleted.
  • Newsletter data — until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent, after which we retain a minimal suppression record to honour your choice.
  • Technical data — for a limited period proportionate to our security and service-integrity needs, then deleted or aggregated.

Retention periods are reviewed as part of our annual ISO/IEC 27001 review.

9. Security

Information security is central to our service. 3G Telecommunications Limited maintains an Information Security Management System certified to ISO/IEC 27001, and operates a quality management system certified to ISO 9001. We apply technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risk, including encryption in transit, access control on a least-privilege basis, network and application hardening, logging and monitoring, and a documented incident-response process. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we maintain controls proportionate to the sensitivity of the data and to the institutional nature of our users.

10. Your rights

Under the UK GDPR you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Erase your data ("right to be forgotten"), where applicable.
  • Restrict or object to our processing, including processing based on legitimate interests.
  • Data portability for data you have provided to us, where applicable.
  • Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Data Protection Officer at dpo@e164.com. We will respond within one month, as required by law. There is normally no charge, and we may ask you to verify your identity before acting on a request.

11. Complaints

If you have a concern about how we handle your personal data, please contact our Data Protection Officer first so that we can try to resolve it. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority:

Information Commissioner's Office Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, United Kingdom ico.org.uk

If you are in the EEA, you may also complain to your local supervisory authority.

12. Changes to this policy

We review this policy at least annually and may update it to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. The "last reviewed" date at the top of this page shows when it was most recently updated. Material changes will be notified through the service where appropriate.

13. Contact us

3G Telecommunications Limited Registered office: Suite 7, Gledhow Valley Mansions, Roxholme Grove, Leeds, LS7 4JJ, United Kingdom Registered in England & Wales, company number 05582946