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Privacy Policy

By using this website you are consenting to this privacy policy. We may in the future change this policy, and if we do so we will post the amended policy on this website.

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Privacy Policy

Our contact details

Name: Internet Matters Limited
Address: Ambassador House, 75, St Michael’s Street, London W2 1QS
Phone Number: 0207 402 5004. Please note we don’t have an answering machine.
Email: [email protected]

Internet Matters provides information and advice designed to help parents, carers, and professionals to engage in children’s online lives and manage the risks they may face online.

We have developed this privacy notice in accordance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) to show our commitment to protecting your personal data, to describe what we do with the information you give us and to explain the rights and choices you have over your personal information.

Should you have any questions about this privacy policy, please get in touch with us on:
[email protected]

The type of personal information we collect

Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified.

It does not include data where the identity has been removed, this is called anonymous data. We don’t collect any data that personally identifies you when you simply browse our site.

We currently collect and process the following information:

  • Your full name, or family name
  • Your email address
  • Whether you are using Internet Matters as a parent/carer, professional, teacher, government/ policymaker, a member of the third sector, or a corporate organisation
  • Your contact number
  • If you are a teacher, the name of the school you work at
  • How you heard about us (ex. search engine, colleagues, social media, etc.)
  • Your children’s digital habits (for our safety toolkits)

We collect personal data to optimize our offerings to better serve your needs. We never collect personal data that will not be used to either carry out our statutory functions or to improve/ personalize your experience on our site. Your data may be used for one or more of the following purposes;

  • To make you aware of our relevant services and products, including providing personalised recommendations and resources that we think may be of interest to you
  • To understand usage and interest in our content and communications  to improve our services
  • To notify you of changes to our services, and to provide you with support in using our resources
  • To provide you with information that you may have requested

How we get the personal information and why we have it

The personal data we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:

Subscribing to a newsletter

When you subscribe to our newsletter, we will ask you to provide:

  • Your full name to personalise our communications
  • Your email address that we can use to send you the communications
  • Whether you are a parent/carer or professional to ensure you receive communications according to your interests.

Making a donation

When you make a donation on our website, we will ask you to provide:

  • Your full name to personalise our communications
  • Your email address that we can use to send you communications to confirm your donation
  • Whether you are a parent/carer or professional

When you make a donation on our site, the financial transaction is fully handled by Stripe. Internet Matters does not store your credit/debit card details, and we do not have access to these details on Stripe. Stripe is certified to the highest industry standards and has obtained worldwide regulatory licenses. You can read Stripe’s privacy policy here.

We do however keep a record of the following on our system to improve the effectiveness of our donation programme:

  • The amount you have donated
  • The date you made your donation

Using My Family’s Digital Toolkit

When you use our ‘My Family’s Digital Toolkit’, we will ask you to provide:

  • Your first name and last name
  • Your email address that we can use to send you:
    • your family toolkit,
    • personalised communications and/or our newsletter if you have consented to receive these

We ask you to provide more information about the number of children you have, their ages, how they use the internet, and your opinions about the internet in a series of questions designed to provide you with a personalised online safety plan. The details you provide are stored for a period of three weeks from the date you complete the Toolkit form to allow you to review and download your plan. After this period, your personal information is deleted from our database unless you have consented to receive further communications from us. To access your plan after this time, you are required to download it before the three-week period ends.

Using the Little Digital Helps Toolkit

When you use the ‘Little Digital Helps Toolkit you can choose to provide the following details:

  • Your first name and last name
  • Your email address that we can use to send you
    • your family’s online safety plan
    • personalised communications and/or our newsletter if you have consented to receive these

You do not have to provide these details to create your online safety plan however if you’d like the plan to be emailed to you, these are required.

To tailor your online safety plan, we also ask you to provide information about your children’s ages, what devices they have access to, how they use the internet and what support you need to manage their online safety.

All the details you provide are stored for a period of three weeks from the date you complete the Toolkit form to allow you to review and download your plan. After this period, your details are removed from our database unless you have consented to receive further communications from us. To access your plan after this time, you are required to download it before this time expires.

Using Digital Matters

If you use Digital Matters as a teacher when you create your account, we will ask you to provide:

  • Your full name
  • Your email address
  • If you are a teacher, the name of the school where you work so we can personalise your communications and record the number of schools we work with

We will also give you the option to provide information on how you heard about us, e.g. search engines, colleagues, or social media.

If you consent to receive further communications from us when you create your account, we will use this data to personalise our communications to you.

Using Fostering Digital Skills

If you use our Fostering Digital Skills training, when you first download resources, we will give you the option to provide the following information to send you tailored communications if you choose to opt-in:

  • Your full name
  • Your email address
  • Identify yourself as a parent or professional

From time to time, we might run competitions or ask you to participate in research. If you wish to participate, we may ask you for further information to inform our work, which may include:

  • Your family circumstances, e.g. number of children, their age and online habits
  • Details about your work, e.g. job title, organisation name, your work email address

Entering a Competition

If you enter a competition, we will ask for the following information to enable us to include you in the competition and contact you about it:

  • Your full name
  • Your email address

We will also give you the option of opting-in to receive ongoing communications from us.

Registering for an event

We may also invite you to register for an event and would require the following information to send you the event details and log your attendance:

  • Your name
  • Your email address

We may also give you the option to provide details about your work, e.g. job title and company name.

Our legal basis for collecting data

Under the UK Data Protection Regulation, the lawful basis we rely on for processing this information is your consent. We process your data in accordance with our legitimate interests in providing high-quality, timely and valuable services to the community.

You are under no obligation to provide us with your personal information.

How we use your information

We ask for this information detailed above to provide you with the service/s you have chosen.

We may provide your data to any of the companies that help us provide our services to you. Your data is protected by Data Processor Agreements in place with these companies. This means they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do so. They will not share your personal information with any organisation apart from us or further sub-processors who, too, must comply with our Data Processor Agreement. They will hold your personal data securely and retain it for the period we instruct.

We may obtain your personal data from third-party data suppliers, but only if they provide appropriate evidence that you have agreed to have your personal data shared with other organisations.

We may also provide your data to a third party where you have explicitly given us your consent. If you gave us your consent to pass your name and email to one of our partners and later wish to unsubscribe from their communications or withdraw your consent, please contact them directly.

We may share your personal data if the law requires us to do so.

Changing your preference

If you no longer wish to give us your consent or unsubscribe from our communications, you can unsubscribe from our emails using the link provided in the footer of our emails or contact us at [email protected] from the email address you wish to unsubscribe.

Anonymous data

When you browse our website, we use trackers to collect and analyse anonymous data that does not personally identify you but helps us understand how people use our website and allows us to improve your experience on our website. We provide clear and comprehensive information about how we collect and use anonymous data in our Cookie Policy.

Third-party links

This website may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy notice of every website you visit.

How we store your information

Your information is stored on secure servers and is subject to the Data Processing Agreements we have with our third-party service providers. These agreements ensure GDPR obligations are adhered to and that any personal data shared with us remains protected.

The external platforms we use to manage our email marketing and communications hold data securely in the UK and USA, and have policies and protocols in place to ensure their compliance with UK law and GDPR legislation. More information can be found regarding each platform’s data protection through the hyperlinks below:

We will keep your data as long as you give us consent. If you withdraw your consent, we will delete all data records associated with you from our servers within 30 days of your request.

Your rights over your information

Your data matters and is protected by the law. Under GDPR, you have the following rights:

  • Your right of access – you have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
  • Your right to rectification – you have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
  • Your right to erasure – you have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to restriction of processing – you have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to object to processing – you have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to data portability – you have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or you, in certain circumstances.

If you make a request, it can take up to one month to respond to you.

If you wish to make a request to withdraw your consent, to ask a question, or to  complain, please contact us at [email protected] or Internet Matters Data Protection, Ambassador House, 75 St Michael’s Street, London, W2 1QS

You can find more details about your rights, data protection and privacy matters in the UK on The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website.

Changes to our privacy notice

We keep our privacy policy under regular review. This version was last updated on 10 March 2023. Historic versions can be obtained by contacting us.

Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how we use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website. By using our website, you agree to the use of cookies as described in this policy. 

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to website owners. Cookies can be divided into two main categories: 

Session cookies: These are temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser. 
Persistent cookies: These cookies remain on your device for a specified period or until you delete them. 

Types of cookies we use

We use the following types of cookies on our website: 

Essential cookies

These cookies are necessary for the basic functionality of our website and enable you to use its features. 

 

Analytical/performance cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website, allowing us to improve its performance. 

 

Google Analytics 4

We use GA4 to understand how you interact with our website. These cookies collect anonymized data on trends, user movements, and behaviour. Key GA4 cookies include:

  • _ga: Distinguishes unique users, lasting 2 years.
  • _gid: Distinguishes users, expiring in 24 hours.
  • _gat: Controls request rate, expiring in 1 minute.
  • utma, utmb, utmc and utmz

This data, anonymized and non-personal, helps us enhance our site and tailor content. We don’t share it unless required by law.

To opt out of GA4 analytics, adjust your cookie settings or use Google’s opt-out browser add-on. Note: Opting out may impact your site experience.

Meta Pixel

Analytical cookies help us to optimize ads, build target audience and remarket to qualified leads. The cookies include:

  • _fbp: This cookie helps track and optimize advertising efforts by storing information about the user’s visit to the website, such as the pages visited. It has a duration of 3 months.

For more information visit the Facebook support page.

HotJar

We use Hotjar to enhance your website experience. Hotjar’s cookies collect non-personal information on your interactions, helping us analyze how you navigate, interact with forms, and engage with content.

Key Hotjar cookies include:

  • _hjClosedSurveyInvites, _hjDonePolls, _hjMinimizedPolls, _hjDoneTestersWidgets, _hjMinimizedTestersWidgets, _hjIncludedInSample: Ensure your inclusion in Hotjar’s sample, improving the overall user experience.
  • _hjShownFeedbackMessage: Tracks if you’ve minimized or completed a Feedback Poll, preventing repeat displays.
  • _hjid: Persists the Hotjar User ID when you first land on a page with the Hotjar script.
  • _hjRecordingLastActivity: Tracks the last recorded activity in a session, aiding our understanding of user behaviour.

The collected information is aggregated and anonymized, used solely for analytical purposes to enhance our website’s functionality. To opt-out of Hotjar tracking, visit Hotjar’s Opt-out page.

Mailchimp: We use Mailchimp to improve our communication by efficiently managing newsletters, updates, and promotional materials.

When you interact with our website, Mailchimp may use cookies to track user engagement, helping us enhance our communication strategies. The information collected through Mailchimp cookies is aggregated and anonymized, ensuring your personal identification is not disclosed.

Mailchimp cookies, including identifiers like _mcid, _mcnd, _mcuuid, assist us in understanding how you interact with our emails and website.

For more information mailchimp.com/legal/cookies

 

Functionality cookies

These cookies enhance your experience on our website by remembering your preferences.

  • Digital Matters registration session cookie- This allows you to access our Digital Matters content through a login.

 

Third-party cookies 

We may also use third-party cookies to enhance your experience and provide specific services. These cookies are subject to the privacy policies of the third parties placing them.

YouTube

We use YouTube videos on our site to offer engaging content. When you interact with these videos, YouTube (a Google service) may place cookies on your device.

These YouTube cookies may include:

  • PREF, VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE, YSC: Tracking user preferences, estimating bandwidth, and storing playback settings.
  • GPS: Registering a unique ID on mobile devices for location-based tracking.

These cookies don’t personally identify you but enhance your experience by customising content and providing usage statistics to YouTube.

For more on how YouTube uses cookies and handles data, check Google’s Privacy & Terms.

DoubleClick Ads, provided by Google, uses cookies to show relevant ads based on your browsing behaviour, collecting data from your visits to our site and other websites.

Cookies we may use include:

  • IDE: This cookie registers and reports actions after viewing or clicking an ad, aiding in measuring ad effectiveness and presenting targeted ads without personally identifying you.

To opt out of personalized advertising, visit Google’s Ad Settings or use tools like the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.

How do I turn cookies off?

You can choose to manage or disable cookies anytime through your browser settings or you can control and manage cookies by visiting our cookie settings. You can adjust the settings to align with your with your preferences, ensuring a tailored and personalised browsing experience.

Please note that blocking some cookies may impact your experience on our website.

Changes to this Cookie Policy

We may update our Cookie Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with the updated effective date. Please check back regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about our Cookie Policy, please contact us at [email protected].

Additional Resources

For more information about cookies and your rights regarding personal data, please refer to our Privacy Policy above.

Consent

By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this Cookie Policy.

Last updated: 10 November 2023

Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions set out how we, Internet Matters Limited (a company registered in England and Wales under company number 08822801 and whose registered office is Internet Matters, 6th Floor, One London Wall, London, EC2Y 5EB) will provide the Services, to you.

Copyright: This website and its contents are copyright Internet Matters, all rights reserved. No part of the site may be distributed or copied for any commercial purpose without express approval.

Security

We endeavour to take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information but cannot guarantee the security of any information you disclose online. You accept the inherent security risks of providing the information over the internet and will not hold Internet Matters responsible for any breach of security unless this is due to the negligence or willful default of Internet Matters.

Copyright in text on this site

The text on the Internet Matters website may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium, provided it is reproduced accurately, is not used in a misleading context, and our copyright is clearly acknowledged.

Internet Matters logos

The unauthorised use of the Internet Matters logos, or any third party logos accessed via this website, is not permitted.

Our logo is a registered trademark, therefore any organisation that wishes to refer to Internet Matters, or the Internet Matters website, must obtain prior consent from us by entering into a Trademark Licence Agreement.

Copyright in images and audio to this site

The images and audio on this website are, unless otherwise stated, copyright Internet Matters.

No other images on this site may be reproduced in any format other than for fair comment (e.g. screenshots used for illustration in a presentation) unless permission is granted by the Internet Matters press office.

Linking to this site

Internet Matters is happy to encourage hypertext links to our website, provided these are not intended to be used in a misleading context.

Linked sites

Some links on the Internet Matters website are intended to take you to other websites. We have no responsibility for the content of these linked websites and do not guarantee the links will work.

No endorsement or approval of any third parties or their advice, opinion, information, products or services is expressed or implied by any information on this site or by any hyperlinks to or from any third party websites or pages. Sites linked from the Internet Matters website are present only because they may contain helpful supplements to the data we publish. It is your responsibility to ensure that you read any terms and conditions and policies applicable to such third-party sites.

Virus protection

We make every effort to check material published on this website. We recommend you run an anti-virus programme on all material downloaded from the internet. We cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, disruption or damage to your data or your computer system which may occur whilst using material derived from this website.

Data protection information

At Internet Matters, we will process the data from your specific feedback and comments. We may disclose this data to any person or organisation for the purposes for which it was collected or where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) allows it. We will not forward information relating to you, as a data subject, to any unrelated third party.

Third-party advertising

We may allow other companies that are presenting and serving advertisements on the website to set and access their cookies on your computer. Please be aware that this activity is subject to their own privacy policies. Information about your visit to the website, such as the number of times you have viewed a particular advertisement (but not information about you, such as your name, address or any other personal information) may be used by these companies to decide which advertisements to serve to you.