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What a privacy notice is

The General Data Protection Regulation requires that data controllers provide information to people whose personal information they process. Processing information means how we use it, store it, and share it, how long we keep it and how we destroy it.

Who we are

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) pursues UK national interests and projects the UK as a force for good in the world. We promote the interests of British citizens and provide consular services overseas. WeÌýsafeguard the UK’s security, defend ourÌývaluesÌýand deal with global challenges with our international partners. To do this effectively we must collect, store, share and use personal information.

As part of providing consular services overseas, the FCDO conducts and commissions regular research to make improvements toÌýour policies and services. You canÌýget in touch withÌýthe Consular Research team using theÌý.

This privacy notice explains how data is collected and processed specifically for research with users of consular services, which is optional and based on consent. This is separate from our privacy notice for consular services in the UK and missions overseas which governs the data used to provide the consular services themselves.

What information we collect about you and how

When you useÌýconsular services, we will ask if you are willing to be contacted for participation in research. We may ask this through an online form, email or during a phone call. We may then contact you to invite you to provide feedback,ÌýparticipateÌýin a research activity, or ask for more details about you so that we can match you to relevant research topics.ÌýÌý

The personal data we may collect includes:Ìý

• your full nameÌý

• contact details and preferences - email addresses and telephone numbersÌý

• the consular service(s) you applied for or receivedÌý

• demographic information such as age range and whether you are a parent or guardianÌýÌý

• socio-economic indicators such as your income bracket or your level of educationÌýÌýÌý

• information to understand what research topics would be relevant to you, such as where you live or have lived (country, area), your occupation or your relationship statusÌý(relevant for research on our marriage services)Ìý

• what device or web browser you use and how confident you are using digital services and the internetÌý

We may also ask for more sensitive data about you, known as ‘special category data’.ÌýThis can include:Ìý

• health conditions or access needs, if you choose toÌýdiscloseÌýthese – we use this data to make reasonable adjustments and ensureÌýequalÌýopportunity toÌýparticipateÌýin our researchÌý

• your ethnic background, sexual orientationÌýand genderÌýidentityÌýfor diversity,ÌýequalityÌýand inclusion monitoring and to ensure participation from under-represented groupsÌý

We collect this informationÌýfrom you through:ÌýÌý

• onlineÌýconsularÌýservicesÌýyou useÌý

• contact with consular staff, whether face-to-face, over the phone orÌýin writing,Ìýor by emailÌýorÌýSMSÌýÌý

• forms orÌýsurvey responses you send us when we requestÌýfeedback or participation in a research activityÌý

• interactions with a researcher by phone or emailÌýwhenÌýidentifyingÌýparticipants for research topics

How we use your information

If you consent to be contacted for customer research or to provide feedback, your contact details may be used to invite you toÌýaÌýfeedback or researchÌýsession. This can includeÌýrequests forÌýadditionalÌýinformation,ÌýusuallyÌýthrough a short survey,Ìýto match you with relevant research studies.ÌýÌý

Any research data you share with us (your ideas or feedback) will be anonymised and stored separately from your contact details.ÌýÌý

At the FCDO, we work with partner agencies to conduct some of our research. For example, weÌýmay askÌýyouÌýto complete a survey after using a consular service. We may also invite you toÌýparticipateÌýin customer interviews or testing of current or new services. None of your data will be shared outside of FCDO systems without your explicit consent.ÌýThe details of currentÌýpartnersÌýappear later in this document, underÌý‘Who we share your information with and why’.

Why we collect personal information about you

We collect personal dataÌýduring the research we doÌýto improveÌýourÌýservices.Ìý

Personal data (such as your name and contact information) is used toÌýfacilitateÌýyour participation and your data rights. Research data (your thoughts or feedback) will be anonymised and stored separately from your personal data.ÌýÌý

We may also store anonymised, demographic information, such asÌýage, location, ethnic backgroundÌýorÌýdeclared disability,Ìýfor equality and diversity monitoring.ÌýThis ensuresÌýour research is inclusive and our services work for everyone.

Who we share your information with and why

We run a variety of research activities to help improve our services.ÌýWho we share your data with will depend on the specific activity. We will always ask for explicit consent to share your data with our partners.ÌýÌý

Our current consular research partners include:ÌýÌý

Ìý

A research agency basedÌýin the UK, with some data processed on servers based in the European Economic Area (EEA).Ìý

We will ask for your explicit consent to share your data with IFFÌýresearch, who will collect, store and process your data within their systemsÌýin accordance withÌýtheir data protection policies.Ìý

You can readÌýtheirÌý.Ìý

Ìý

A digital transformation and technology consultancy based in Belfast, with offices in London and operations in 20 countries globally.Ìý

We will ask for your consent toÌýparticipateÌýin research activities and Kainos staff will conduct activities such as interviews, surveys and testing new or current services. All data will be collected and processed inside FCDO systems.ÌýÌý

You can readÌýÌý(no data will be shared with Kainos systems).Ìý

There may be other circumstances in which we may lawfully share your data with third parties. For example, we mayÌýbe requiredÌýto do so by law, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crimes. Where we share data, however, we shall do soÌýin accordance withÌýapplicable data protection laws.

Our lawful basis for processing

We process this data because you have given explicit consentÌýeither:Ìý

• to be contacted for research purposesÌý

• to share data with our partner agency so that they can contact you for feedbackÌý

We may process special category data and to do so we need consent to be explicit to satisfy Art.9(2) as well as Art.6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation.Ìý

You are under no obligation to consent to share your data for the purpose of gathering feedback. You may withdraw your consent at any stage by making this request using ourÌýÌýAlternatively, you can send your withdrawal notice addressed to:

How long we keep your personal information for

Personal data collected and processed when using consular services will beÌýretainedÌýin line with theÌýForeign, Commonwealth & Development Office privacy notice for consular services in the UK and missions overseas.ÌýIf, when you use a service, you give consent to be contacted toÌýparticipateÌýin research, that consent will beÌýretainedÌýin line with this policy, and can be withdrawn at any time.ÌýÌý

If we collect information about you toÌýidentifyÌýrelevant research topics, we will keep this personal data for up to 12 monthsÌýso we can invite you toÌýparticipateÌýin relevant research activities.ÌýWe will keep a record that youÌýparticipatedÌýin our research for up to 12 months. This will be kept separate from any ideas or feedback you share with us.ÌýÌý

All research data (your feedback and ideas) will be fully anonymised within 12 months.ÌýAfter full anonymisation it will no longer be attributable to you and will no longer count as personal data.Ìý

All data shared with or collected by our partner agency, IFF Research, will beÌýretainedÌýfor a maximum of 12 months before being securely destroyed in line with FCDO’s retention and disposal policies.

Your rights

The General Data Protection Regulations set out your rights as a data subject, giving you control over your personal information.Ìý

All personal data for consular research is collected and processedÌýon the basis ofÌýconsent. If you withdraw your consent, all personal data attributed to you will beÌýdeleted.Ìý

When your personal information is used for consular research, you have the following rights:

• right to be informed – you have the right to be informed about what we do with your personal data, which is the purpose of this Privacy NoticeÌý

• right of access – you have the right to request a copy of any personal information we hold about you and what we do with it, which is known as a Subject Access Request, by emailing:Ìýinformation.rights@fcdo.gov.ukÌý

• right to rectification – you have the right toÌýrequestÌýthat any inaccurate personal data we hold is corrected or have incomplete personal information completedÌý

• right to erasure – you have the right toÌýrequestÌýthat your personal data is erased, for example if you withdraw your consentÌý

• right to restrict processing – you have the right toÌýrequestÌýthat we limit the use of your personal data (we ask about this during the consent process)Ìý

• right to data portability – you have the right to move,ÌýcopyÌýor transfer personal information from one IT system to another in a safe and secure way (this right only applies to certain information in certain circumstances)Ìý

• right to object – you have the right to object to the use of your information and to stop us using it, by refusing consent Ìý

• rights related to automated decision-making – this is not relevant to consular research as there is no automated decision-makingÌýÌý

See the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Ìýfor more detail.

How to contact us

If you have any questions about this notice, or you think that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, or would like to exercise any of your rights, you can contact us using ourÌýÌýFor some research activities,Ìýsuch asÌýinterviews, you may contact the researcher directly during or shortly after your participation.ÌýÌýÌý

You can also contact the Data Protection Officer at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office:

Email: Data.Protection@fcdo.gov.uk

How to make a complaint

You may also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

To make a complaint, please visit theÌý, select ‘Make a complaint’ from the menu options on the home screen banner, and follow the complaints process.

Changes to this privacy notice

We aim to update this privacy notice periodically. We encourage you to reread it from time to time to stay informed about how we use your personal information.