Our Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

This policy sets out how The Data Lab (“we”, “our” and “us”) uses and protects personal information that you give us when you visit or use our websites and other services, including events, that refer or link to this privacy policy. This also applies when we are introduced in a business context and share contact information. This privacy policy may be supplemented by additional privacy statements, terms or notices provided to you.

As a Scottish Innovation Centre, The Data Lab is administered and hosted by the University of Edinburgh meaning that we are the same legal entity.

The Data Lab is committed to preserving your privacy.

1. Information about you

Using your information allows us to provide you with a better experience when using our website and services.

How we collect your personal data:

We may collect your personal data in the following ways:

  • From you directly, when we meet in a business context (face to face, attendance at our events, email, mail or telephone);
  • From data that you provide online via our online forms (such as your name, contact details, e-mail address etc.);
  • From your interaction with and use of our online services including The Data Lab and DataFest websites, Twitter and LinkedIn feeds;

What we collect:

We may collect the following information:

  • Name and job title;
  • Organisation or academic institution you are associated with;
  • Contact information such as an email address or telephone number;
  • Demographic information such as address, postcode, preferences and interests;
  • Your interaction with us including frequency and timing of visits to The Data Lab or DataFest websites;
  • Photographs or videos captured at events, either organised or attended by The Data Lab; and
  • Financial details when payments are required (e.g. payment for event exhibition stands or tickets).

We use your information to:

  • Enable us to perform and improve the services you have requested;
  • Respond to any queries submitted via the website, email, mail or telephone;
  • Ensure that content from the website is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer;
  • Analyse the information we collect so that we can administer, support, improve and develop the website and our services;
  • Satisfy internal record keeping;
  • contact you from time to time for research purposes in relation to our services, projects or work themes. We may contact you by email, phone or mail. We may use the information to customise the website according to your interests;
  • Provide you with information or services that you request from us or which we feel may interest you, unless you have indicated otherwise; and
  • Notify you about changes to our service.


2. Legal Grounds for Processing


We will only collect, use and otherwise handle your personal data on the website when we have legal grounds for doing so. The common grounds will be:

Legitimate Interest

  • Forms

When you enter your information in a form (such as your name, job title, academic institution/company, email address and contact number), we specify the purpose and future use of this information within the form itself. An example would be an application for project funding.

  • Surveys and Feedback

We may contact you from time to time via email to request your feedback on events and/or services you receive from us, or to send out surveys related to The Data Lab services.

Consent

  • Mailing Lists

You can subscribe on the website to receive further information from us including news and events upates, our monthly newsletter and funding or training opportunities.

By subscribing through the website you consent to the collection, storage, use and transfer of your data by us in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.

You can withdraw your consent at any point by clicking on the ‘click here to unsubscribe’ link provided in our emails or by contacting us directly.

  • Events

We will process information about you to administer your event attendance, and after the event, to send you information such as photos/video of the event, presentations or follow up events by email. You will be asked to consent to such activities as part of the event registration.


3. Cookie Notice

We also collect some personal data, such as the IP address of your computer, through the use of website cookies. You can set your preferences for these cookies through our cookie banner.

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small data file that certain websites write to your hard drive when you visit them. The only personal information a cookie can obtain is information a user supplies him or herself. A cookie cannot read data from your hard disk or read cookie files created by other sites. Cookies, however, enhance our website performance in a number of ways, including providing a secure way for us to verify your identity during your visit to our website and personalising your experience on our website, making it more convenient for you.

What types of cookies do we use?

  • Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential to enable you to move around the website and use its features. Without these cookies, we cannot provide some of the basic functionalities of our website.

  • Performance Cookies

These cookies generally collect information about how visitors use our website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and the pages that they do not. This helps us to understand and improve the site, so it is easy to use and includes helpful content. They also allow us to fix bugs or glitches on the website. These cookies do not collect information that identifies visitors, so we cannot identify you individually. We use Google Analytics to track usage of our websites and interaction with our newsletters. For example, to see what content you click on, so we can analyse what content is of most interest to our audience.

  • Functionality Cookies

These cookies allow our website to remember the choices you make as you browse the site. They provide more enhanced and personal features. The information collected is anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other sites once you leave our site.

How to block cookies

You can restrict or block cookies which are set during your use of the website by changing your browser’s settings. Some pages may not work if you completely disable cookies, but many third party cookies can be safely blocked.

Check information in your browser’s help section for specific instructions on how to manage cookies. Alternatively, websites such as “All About Cookies” provide comprehensive guidance.

Guide to managing cookies


4. Sharing tools

This website uses sharing tools. Sharing tools allow you to share content through social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. When you click on a sharing button, the social networking site may place a cookie on your computer. This would be a third-party cookie set by the social networking site. If you have any questions about the use of these third-party cookies, you should check the relevant social networking site's cookie policy.


5. Links to Third Party Websites

As we want your experience of our website to be as informative and useful as possible, we provide a number of links to websites operated by third parties.

Please be aware that we do not have any control over third party websites and that such third party websites may send their own cookies to users, or otherwise collect data or solicit personal information.

We cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such third party websites and so these are not governed by this privacy policy. We encourage you to review each third party website's privacy policy before browsing and interacting with the website in question.


6. Retention of your information

We will retain your personal data for as long as we reasonably require in light of the purpose(s) for which we are holding it and all relevant legal, commercial and operational considerations.

As a Scottish Innovation Centre, we may have to comply with statutory retention periods as required by the Scottish Funding Council.

Personal data is stored on our servers and will remain within the UK/EEA.


7. Disclosure of your information

We will not share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent, except where disclosure is:

  • necessary to enforce our rights, including under our website Terms and Conditions of use
  • required or permitted by law (as a Scottish Innovation Centre, we may have statutory reporting duties to the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Government Scottish Enterprise and/or Highlands and Islands Enterprise).


8. Your rights under data protection laws

All individuals have a number of rights under data protection laws. However, they do not apply in all circumstances.

If you wish to exercise any of them, please email us (details provided below) and we will explain at that time if they are applicable or not.

We will inform you in writing following receipt of your written request and if necessary, seek additional information from you about your request, including proof of identity.

  • The right to request access to your personal information, be informed about the processing of your personal information and receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We are obliged to respond to any such request within one month of receiving a request, subject to limited exceptions.
  • The right to have your personal information corrected if it is inaccurate and to have incomplete personal information completed.
  • The right to object to processing of your personal information.
  • The right to restrict processing of your personal information.
  • The right to have your personal information erased (the “right to be forgotten”).
  • The right to move, copy or transfer your personal information (“data portability”).
  • The right to withdraw your consent to processing (if consent is relied upon by us to process the personal data).
  • Rights in relation to automated decision making which has a legal effect or otherwise significantly affects you.
  • At all times, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office which enforces data protection laws: https://ico.org.uk/.


9. Security

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted online or through the website. Any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.


10. Changes to our Privacy Policy

We may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time to take account of changes to our processing and regulatory changes. We encourage you to review it from time to time. If we make any substantial changes we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on our website.


11. Contact Details

Please help us keep our records updated by informing us of any changes to your e-mail address and other contact details.

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, including if you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact us at info@thedatalab.com with the subject line “privacy policy”.