Verify Humanity’s Data Protection + Privacy Policy

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INTRODUCTION

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Verify Humanity respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy will inform you as to how we look after your personal data, tell you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you.

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1. IMPORTANT INFORMATION & WHO WE ARE

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Purpose of this privacy policy

This privacy policy aims to give you information on how Verify Humanity collects and processes your personal data through your use of our website, social media and any applications or online services and tools where this policy is referenced, (regardless of how you access or use them) and including any data you may provide us.

It is important that you read this privacy policy when we are collecting, or processing, personal data about you, so that you are fully aware of how and why we are using your data.

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Controller

Verify Humanity is the controller in respect to uses of your personal data (collectively referred to as Verify Humanity, "we", "us" or "our" in this privacy policy).

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Who and How to Contact

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please email us at info@verifyhumanity.org with an email subject line entitled Privacy Policy.

If after contacting us you feel dissatisfied, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk).  

 

Changes to our privacy policy and your duty to inform us of changes to your personal data

We keep our privacy policy under regular review.  It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal data changes during your relationship with us.

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Your access to and use of third party websites, applications or services accessible through Verify Humanity.

Third party web sites, applications and services. Clicking on links to third party web sites, applications or services may allow those third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control those third-party websites or content and are not responsible for their privacy statements or the way in which they collect or use your data.

We therefore encourage you to request details of and read the privacy policy of any third party web sites, applications and service providers.

We will never share your data with any third-party service provider whether online or offline without your express permission.

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2. THE DATA WE COLLECT ABOUT YOU 

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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 (anonymous data).

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We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together as follows:

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• Identity Data which includes first name, maiden name, last name, username or similar identifier, marital status, title, date of birth and gender.

• Contact Data which includes your home address, email address and telephone numbers.

• Transaction Data which includes details about payments you have made and other details of products and services you have accessed or used through Verify Humanity. We do not store card details on our server.

• Technical Data which includes your internet protocol (IP) address, your login data, browser type and version, hardware information, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and website, and other technology on the devices you use to access the Platform.

• Profile Data which includes your username and password, purchases or orders made by you, your interests, volunteer record, preferences, feedback and survey responses.

• Usage Data which includes information about how you use our Platform, products and services.

• Marketing and Communications Data which includes your preferences in receiving marketing from us and our third party Platform Partners and your communication preferences.
   

We also collect, use and share Aggregated Data such as statistical or demographic data for any purpose. Aggregated Data could be derived from your personal data but is not considered personal data in law as this data will not directly or indirectly reveal your identity.

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If you fail to provide personal data where we need to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of an agreement we have with you, and you fail to provide that data when requested, we may not be able to perform the agreement we have or are trying to enter into with you.  In this case, you may not be able to access a service which you have requested, but we will notify you if this is the case.

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3. HOW IS YOUR PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED?

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We use different methods to collect data from and about you including through:

• Direct interactions. You may give us your Identity, Contact and other Data by filling in forms or by corresponding with us by email. This includes personal data you provide when you: (a) create an account with us; (b) subscribe (or are subscribed) to our service; (c) request marketing to be sent to you; (d) enter a promotion or survey; or (e) give us feedback or contact us.

• Facebook integration. When our Facebook advertisement goals are set to collecting leads we will be sent your name and email address.  These will never be shared with a third party.

• Automated technologies or interactions. As you interact with our Platform, we will automatically collect Technical Data about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns. We collect this personal data by using cookies, server logs and other similar technologies.

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We use cookies and similar technologies (e.g., pixel tags) on our website to improve user experience, analyse performance, and support marketing efforts.

Types of Cookies Used:

• Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential for the website to function correctly.

• Performance Cookies: These collect information on how users interact with our site (e.g., Google Analytics).

• Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to track and analyse site usage data. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information such as your IP address, browser type, referring/exit pages, and time spent on each page. This information is anonymised and cannot be traced back to you as an individual.

• You have the ability to control your cookie preferences via your browser settings, which allow you to block or delete cookies. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website.​

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4. HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA

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We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data in the following circumstances:

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• Where we need to perform the contract we are about to enter into or have entered into with you.

• Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.

• Where we need to comply with a legal obligation.

• We use cookies to provide enhanced functionality on our website, improve your browsing experience, and analyse our website traffic. These cookies help track the use of our website, and we may share this information with our service providers for purposes such as improving website performance. Google Analytics, for instance, helps us understand how visitors interact with our website. You can disable cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of our website.​

• We also utilise tracking tools to measure performance metrics, including session durations, page views, and bounce rates. This data allows us to refine user experience and content offerings.

 

Surveys

When participating in surveys on our site, the information you provide, such as responses to questions, will be used solely for research purposes to help us improve our services. We may collect personal data such as your age, occupation, and location to gain better insights into our audience demographics. This information allows us to tailor our offerings and marketing strategies more effectively. Participation in surveys is voluntary, and all collected data will be anonymised unless stated otherwise.

 

Social Media Posts
Our website is integrated with a live social media feed, which displays content from our official accounts on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. If you engage with our content on these platforms, your interactions may be visible on our website. Additionally, if you participate in any competitions we run and are selected as a winner, your winning post, along with your name and prize details, may be shared on our website and social media channels.

 

Email

When you provide your email address, either for subscribing to updates or participating in activities on our site, you will have the option to opt out at any time. We will use your email solely for communication purposes and will not sell or share your email address with third parties. You can unsubscribe from our communications through the link provided in any email, or by contacting us directly.

 

Resource Library

Our Resource Library contains guides and documents curated to provide valuable information. Some of these resources may include links to third-party websites for further reading or tools. Please note that while we strive to ensure the quality of these resources, we cannot take responsibility for the content or actions of external websites. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any third-party sites linked in our guides to understand how they collect and use data. Additionally, if you provide personal information such as name and email address when downloading any of our resources, we won’t use this data for any other purpose unless you have agreed otherwise. 

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Generally, we do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data although we will get your consent before sending any personal data to any third party Platform service provider or any third party direct marketing communications via e-mail or text message.

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Purposes for which we will use your personal data

We have set out below, in a table format, a description of all the ways we plan to use your personal data, and which of the legal bases we rely on to do so. We have also identified what our legitimate interests are where appropriate.

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Note that we may process your personal data for more than one lawful ground depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data. Please contact us if you need details about the specific legal ground we are relying on to process your personal data.

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5. DISCLOSURES OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA

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We may share your personal data with the parties set out below:

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• Third parties to whom we may choose to sell, transfer or merge parts of our organisation or our assets. Alternatively, we may seek to acquire other organisations or merge with them. If a change happens to our organisation, then the new owners may use your personal data in the same way as set out in this privacy policy.

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Where third parties support the provision of services made available to you, these third parties may receive certain personal data from you. Except where you have previously given consent, you will be informed of any transfer of data prior to it taking place and the extent of the data being shared. In these cases, during the transfer, we will, at all times, control and be responsible for the use of your personal data. Whilst we are not in control of any third parties to whom you request your data to be shared, we require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. 

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If you log into our Volunteer Platform using your Facebook credentials, Facebook will not have access to your login details directly. However, if you use Facebook to log in or interact with our services, basic data such as your name and email address may be transmitted as per Facebook's policies.

 

We may share information gained from cookies with our service providers for purposes such as improving website performance. Google Analytics, for instance, helps us understand how visitors interact with our website. You can disable cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect the functionality of our website.

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To help constantly improve and tailor the service we provide to you through our Platform, we may use aggregated information so that we can administer and improve our services, analyse trends, gather broad demographic information and detect suspicious or fraudulent transactions and most importantly monitor and improve our operations on a day to day basis. In carrying out this activity, we may pass some information to third parties in aggregate and anonymised format.

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Your disclosure to third parties

Except as otherwise expressly included in this Privacy Policy, this document addresses only the use and disclosure of information we collect from you. If you disclose your information to others, different rules may apply to their use or disclosure of the information you provide to them. Verify Humanity does not control the privacy policies of third parties, and you are subject to the privacy policies of those third parties where applicable.

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6. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

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We may transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in our performance of services.

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Whenever we transfer your personal data out of the EEA, we ensure an appropriate degree of protection is afforded to it by ensuring at least one of the following safeguards is implemented:

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• We will only transfer your personal data to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data by the European Commission.

• Where we use certain service providers, we may use specific contracts approved by the European Commission which give personal data the same protection it has in Europe.

• Where we use providers based in the US, we may transfer data to them if they are part of the Privacy Shield which requires them to provide similar protection to personal data shared between Europe and the US.

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7. DATA SECURITY 

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We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.  We will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

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8. DATA RETENTION

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How long will you use my personal data for?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or reporting requirements. We may retain your personal data for a longer period in the event of a complaint or if we reasonably believe there is a prospect of litigation in respect to our relationship with you.

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To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or other requirements.

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With your prior consent, we may process sensitive personal data. This includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health. No sharing of sensitive personal data will be done without your express prior written consent.

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In some circumstances you can ask us to delete your data: see your legal rights below for further information. In some circumstances we will anonymise your personal data (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes, in which case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you.

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9. YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS

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Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data. You have the right to:

• Request access to your personal data (commonly known as a "data subject access request"). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it.

• Request correction of the personal data that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you corrected, though we may need to verify the accuracy of the new data you provide to us.

• Request erasure of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal data where you have successfully exercised your right to object to processing (see below), where we may have processed your information unlawfully or where we are required to erase your personal data to comply with local law. Note, however, that we may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request.

• Object to processing of your personal data where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground as you feel it impacts on your fundamental rights and freedoms. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes. In some cases, we may demonstrate that we have compelling legitimate grounds to process your information which override your rights and freedoms.

• Request restriction of processing of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data in the following scenarios:

  • If you want us to establish the data's accuracy.

  • Where our use of the data is unlawful but you do not want us to erase it.

  • Where you need us to hold the data even if we no longer require it as you need it to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

  • You have objected to our use of your data but we need to verify whether we have overriding legitimate grounds to use it.

• Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party. We will provide to you, or a third party you have chosen, your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. Note that this right only applies to automated information which you initially provided consent for us to use or where we used the information to perform a contract with you.

• Withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent to process your personal data. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent. If you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide certain products or services to you. We will advise you if this is the case at the time you withdraw your consent.

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If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us.

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No fee usually required

You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we could refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.

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What we may need from you

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response.

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Time limit to respond

We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it could take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.