PRIVACY POLICY
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Purpose of policy
This Data Protection Policy sets out how we, Abacus Research, collect, store and use information about you when you use our website and where we otherwise obtain or collect information about you.
The reasons for the policy are to comply with the law, follow good practice, to protect clients, staff and other individuals and to protect the company.
Types of data
We collect individual information from our company staff and individual and company information from our Appointed Representatives and consumers of our research.
Policy statement
This Data Protection Policy complies with both the law and good practice and respects individuals’ rights. The company will be open and honest with individuals whose data is held and provide training and support for staff who handle personal data, so that they can act confidently and consistently.
In the event of data breaches the Supervisory Authority (the ICO) will be notified within 72 hours. In addition, for major breaches the data subjects will be notified without delay. A personal data breach means a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data.
Types of information collected (from research clients)
Individuals’ names
We record the names and contact details of the individuals within institutions with whom we have research supply agreements.
Business name and contact details
We record the names, ‘know your client’ information and contact details of the institutions with which we have research supply agreements.
Updating
We have a regular cycle of checking, updating or discarding old data on our staff and research clients
Lawful basis for processing information
Underlying principles
The lawful basis for the personal data processed is one or more of the following, described in Article 6 (1) of the General Data Protection Regulation:
(a) Consent: the individual has given clear consent for us to process their personal data for a specific purpose.
(b) Contract: the processing is necessary for a contract we have with the individual, or because they have asked us to take specific steps before entering into a contract.
(c) Legal obligation: the processing is necessary for us to comply with the law (not including contractual obligations).
(d) Vital interests: the processing is necessary to protect someone’s life.
(e) Public task: the processing is necessary for us to perform a task in the public interest or for our official functions, and the task or function has a clear basis in law.
(f) Legitimate interests: the processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of a third party unless there is a good reason to protect the individual’s personal data which overrides those legitimate interests.)
Data collected from our research clients is on the basis of (b) Research contracts and (f) Our legitimate interests.
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Withdrawing consent
Once given, consent can be withdrawn, but not retrospectively. There may be occasions where Abacus Research has no choice but to retain data for a certain length of time, even though consent for using it has been withdrawn.
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How information is collected and stored
Web server information
We record the name, email address, postal address and telephone number of individuals filling in the form on the Contact page on the website. This information is not transferred outside the EEA and is stored on our own web server in the United Kingdom.
Cookies
We do not use cookies on our website.
We collect and store emails on three personal computers and on our email server in the United Kingdom. Information is not transferred outside the EEA.
Hard drive and back ups
We store information on the hard drives of three computers and back it up on Dropbox, Knowhow and Google cloud-based systems.
Disclaimer
Transmission of information over the internet is not entirely secure, and if you submit any information to us over the internet (whether by email, via our website or any other means) you do so entirely at your own risk.
We cannot be responsible for any costs, expenses, loss of profits, harm to reputation, damages, liabilities or any other form of loss or damage suffered by you as a result of your decision to transmit information to us by such means.
Disclosure and use of information (from research clients)
Commitment
Abacus Research is committed to ensuring that Data Subjects are aware that their data is being processed and
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for what purpose it is being processed
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what types of disclosure are likely, and
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how to exercise their rights in relation to the data
Delivering research
We retain contact details of research clients so that we can provide them with research products in accordance with the Agreements we have with them.
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Your rights in relation to your information
Your rights in relation to information
Subject to certain limitations on certain rights, you have the following rights in relation to your information, which you can exercise by contacting the Data Protection Officer by email at info@Abacus Research.co.uk
– to request access to your information and information related to our use and processing of your information;
– to request the correction of your information;
- or request the erasure of personal data (right to be forgotten) providing there is no overriding legitimate grounds;
– to request that we restrict our use of your information;
– to receive information which you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (e.g. a CSV file) and the right to have that information transferred to another data controller;
– to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes; and
– to withdraw your consent to our use of your information at any time where we rely on your consent to use or process that information. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfulness of our use and processing of your information on the basis of your consent before the point in time when you withdraw your consent.
The controller will provide information on action taken on request to the data subject without undue delay and in any event within one month of receipt of the request.
In accordance with Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, which is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), whose website is below.
For more information
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/