Privacy Policy
We've written this to be readable, not just legally watertight. Please do read it — it explains how we handle your data, and why we've designed FDM Foreman the way we have.
Contents
1 Who we are
FDM Foreman is a print farm management platform operated by the 83D Group, based at Linton, Swadlincote, DE12 6QH, United Kingdom.
When this policy refers to "we", "us", or "our", it means the 83D Group acting as the data controller for information collected through fdmforeman.com and the FDM Foreman service.
This policy is governed by UK GDPR and the UK Data Protection Act 2018. FDM Foreman is a business-to-business (B2B) service — our users are print farm operators and their staff, not individual consumers.
You can reach us at any time at fdmforeman@gmail.com.
2 What data we collect and why
We only collect data that is necessary to run the service. Here is a plain-English breakdown:
| Category | What we collect | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Account data | Your name, email address, farm or business name, and a hashed password (we never store your password in plain text) | To create and manage your account and authenticate you securely |
| Billing data | Subscription plan, billing history, and invoices. Payment processing is handled entirely by Stripe — we never see or store your card number, expiry date, or CVV. | To manage your subscription and generate receipts |
| Usage data | Printer status events (printing, idle, error), print job metadata (job name, material type, estimated weight and duration), filament usage statistics, and team activity logs | To provide the core farm management features and generate your usage reports |
| Technical data | IP address, browser type and version, operating system, and login timestamps | For security, fraud prevention, and debugging |
| Contact form data | Name, email, and any message you send via our contact form (processed by Formspree) | To respond to your enquiry |
3 Your design files — read this one
This is arguably the most important part of this policy. FDM Foreman is a print farm management tool — it does not need to see your design files to do its job, and it never does.
Your STL and design files never touch our servers
When you send a file to a printer, it travels directly from your browser to your local agent — the small piece of software running on your print farm network. FDM Foreman's cloud servers act only as a control relay; they never receive, store, process, or inspect your STL, 3MF, or any other design files.
The FDM Foreman cloud server is not in this chain. It never sees your files.
This architecture means your intellectual property, proprietary designs, and client files stay entirely within your own network. We designed it this way on purpose — as a business serving other businesses, we understand that your designs are often your most valuable asset.
The only information about a print job that reaches our servers is job metadata (the job name you assign it, material type, and status events like "started" or "completed"). The actual file content is never transmitted to us.
4 How we use your data
We use the data we collect to:
- Provide, operate, and improve the FDM Foreman platform
- Authenticate users and maintain account security
- Process your subscription payments via Stripe
- Display your printer status, job history, and usage statistics within the dashboard
- Send transactional emails — account confirmations, password resets, and payment receipts. We do not send marketing emails unless you explicitly opt in.
- Investigate and resolve technical issues or security incidents
- Comply with our legal obligations under UK law
Legal basis for processing
Under UK GDPR, we process your data on the following legal bases:
- Contract performance — processing necessary to deliver the service you have subscribed to (account management, printer monitoring, job tracking)
- Legitimate interests — security logging, fraud prevention, and service improvement, where these do not override your rights
- Legal obligation — where we are required to retain certain records by law
6 Data storage and security
Where your data is stored
All FDM Foreman application data is stored on a Hetzner server located within the European Union. No personal data is routinely transferred outside the EU or UK as part of our service delivery.
How long we keep it
- Active accounts — we retain your data for as long as your account is active
- Deleted accounts — when you request deletion, we remove your personal data within 30 days. Some billing records may be retained for up to 7 years to comply with UK tax law (HMRC requirements), but these are held in minimal form.
- Security logs — login logs and IP addresses are retained for up to 90 days for security and fraud prevention purposes, then deleted
- Contact form enquiries — retained for as long as reasonably necessary to deal with your enquiry, typically 12 months
Security measures
We take security seriously and apply reasonable technical and organisational measures including:
- All data in transit is encrypted via TLS (HTTPS)
- Passwords are hashed using a modern one-way hashing algorithm — we cannot read your password
- Access to production systems is restricted to authorised personnel only
- Payment data is handled entirely by Stripe's PCI DSS compliant infrastructure
- Design files never leave your network, removing an entire category of cloud data risk
No system is completely immune to attack. If we become aware of a data breach affecting your information, we will notify you and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as required by UK GDPR.
7 Your rights under UK GDPR
UK GDPR gives you a number of rights over your personal data. Here's what they mean in practice:
Right of access
You can ask us for a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We'll respond within one month.
Right to rectification
If any data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you can ask us to correct it.
Right to erasure
You can request that we delete your account and associated personal data at any time. We will do so within 30 days, subject to legal retention requirements.
Right to restrict processing
You can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances — for example, while a dispute is being resolved.
Right to data portability
Where we process your data by automated means, you can ask for a copy in a portable, machine-readable format.
Right to object
You can object to processing based on legitimate interests. We will stop unless we can demonstrate compelling grounds to continue.
To exercise any of these rights, email us at fdmforeman@gmail.com. We will respond within one month. We do not charge a fee for handling these requests.
8 Cookies
FDM Foreman uses a minimal set of cookies that are necessary for the service to function. We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party analytics cookies.
| Cookie type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Session cookie Essential |
Keeps you logged in while you use the dashboard. Without this, you would have to sign in on every page. | Expires when you close your browser (session) |
| Authentication token Essential |
Securely identifies your account to the server when you choose "remember me". | Up to 30 days |
| CSRF token Security |
Protects against cross-site request forgery attacks. | Session |
Because we only use strictly necessary cookies, we are not required to display a cookie consent banner under UK law. If this changes, we will update this section and add appropriate controls.
9 Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time — for example if the law changes, if we add new features, or if we change how we handle data.
When we make a material change, we will:
- Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
- Notify account holders by email at least 14 days before the change takes effect
Continued use of FDM Foreman after the effective date of a change means you accept the updated policy. If you do not agree with any changes, you can close your account before the effective date.
Minor updates — such as correcting a typo or clarifying existing wording without changing the substance — may be made without advance notice.
10 Contact us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise your data rights, or have a concern about how we handle your information, please get in touch:
Linton, Swadlincote
DE12 6QH, United Kingdom