Data Security Statement

Published on: 05/03/2025 (Version 1)

Security of your personal health data

At Stride, we recognise that your personal health data is extremely sensitive, and that you only want to share it with people who will take the best care of it.

Stride is committed to protecting your privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of your personal health information. We recognise the trust that you put in us when you share this information, meaning that we have put safeguards in place to be able to reassure you and earn your trust.

By prioritising the privacy of your data, we not only respect your rights but also want you to feel secure sharing information which is integral to how we can best advise you about your health and wellbeing.

Stride’s goal is to help you to optimise your health and for you to have absolute trust in what you choose to share with us, and how we deliver our services to you.

How do we do this?

We follow stringent protocols to guarantee the confidentiality of your personal and health data, and have put several measures in place to protect it:

1. Advanced Data Encryption

We employ state-of-the-art data encryption technology to secure your information during transmission and storage. This ensures that your data remains protected from unauthorised access. When sharing data with another party, we ensure that only the minimum data needed to guarantee accuracy is shared.

2. Pseudonymisation

Your data is pseudonymised, meaning it is linked to a unique serial number rather than directly to your identity. This extra layer of security helps ensure that your data cannot be readily associated with you.

3. Secure Servers in EEA

All your data, including raw DNA data, is stored on secure servers within the European Economic Area (EEA). This geographical location adheres to strict data protection regulations - like GDPR - offering an added layer of protection. These servers are backed up regularly.

4. Safe Disposal of Samples

After your DNA samples are analysed, they are securely destroyed by the laboratory. This practice eliminates any possibility of your physical samples being misused.

5. Right to Request Deletion of Data, or Access to Your Data

Your data will be removed if you request us to do so. If we think there is a good reason to keep the information you have asked us to delete (e.g. to comply with regulatory requirements), we will let you know and explain why. You can ask us for a copy of the data we hold on you.

6. No Unnecessary Testing

We only test and analyse the data that we need to provide you with the results you have ordered.

What data do we collect from customers?

We collect personal and health data in order to provide you with results and advice which are tailored to you. Depending on the product or service that you purchase, we may collect the following data:

• Identity
• Physical appearance
• Your health and any conditions you have, or medications that you take
• How to contact you
• How you use or login to our website
• Payment information
• Your location
• Your marketing and communication preferences

Some of this is sensitive information, and in many cases, you have the option not to provide it. Declining to provide health information may affect our ability to provide a service, or accurate personalised interpretations/advice for you.

We generate additional personal and health data about you when we carry out testing on your sample.

Why do we need all of this data?

Much of the time, results relating to your health are more beneficial and relevant when they are interpreted alongside an understanding of your health history. We only ask you to provide data that will allow us to provide you with the best service, for the test or product that you have requested from us.

In some cases, we are unable to provide you with a service without some minimum data.

You can choose not to share optional data, and this may affect our ability to provide truly personalised results or advice.

What happens to your data and/or samples after you’ve received your results, or finished using the product that you bought?

We usually store your data for as long as you have an account with us. In some cases, we are required to hold onto your data beyond this point by laws or regulations.

We may use your data to carry out more testing or analysis if:

• you consent to any new product or service; or
• changes in medical research or technology suggest that further analysis is useful or necessary to confirm results that we have already provided to you

Depending on the type of sample you have provided (if any), these are usually kept for a short time:

• Microbiome, Cheek swab or Blood samples are kept for between one week and one month, depending on the type of sample. Then they are destroyed.
• DNA extracted from your sample is kept for six months before being destroyed.
• Until destruction, samples are de-identified (anonymised) and stored for regulatory compliance, quality control, and validation studies.

Stride does not carry out research on data or samples without asking you for explicit additional consent, other than product and validation studies mentioned above.

If you have any questions or concerns about your data's privacy, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Customer Success team at hey@getstride.com