Personal data processed by Statewatch
Communicating with other individuals and organisations
Research and investigative work
Statewatch believes that individuals have the right to determine how their personal data is used. We seek to limit our collection and use of your personal data to the minimum necessary for the different services we provide and unless we have your explicit consent will not use that data for purposes other than which it is initially collected.
We routinely monitor our precautions to ensure that personal data is held securely. We will inform you promptly and in any event within 28 days of any breach of data security. We do not accept responsibility for any actions of third parties which may result in such a breach.
For the purpose of data protection legislation, Statewatch is the data controller. Statewatch is the operating name of the Libertarian Research & Education Trust, registered UK charity number: 1154784; registered UK company number: 08480724; registered office: MayDay Rooms, 88 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1DH.
If you wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us.
We process personal data for the following purposes:
| Purpose | Personal data processed | Retention period | Lawful basis for processing including basis of legitimate interest |
| Website users Making our website accesible to the public and monitoring usage |
IP addresses, pages visited, searches, browser, browser language, operating system, country, device type, screen resolution, referrer (e.g. search engine, link from another website, direct entry). Dependent on the policies of third-party providers e.g. Soundcloud, Vimeo |
Logs are deleted from the server automatically after three months. Information extracted by Matomo is held indefinitely. Dependent on third-party privacy policies. |
Necessary for our legitimate interests, so that we can carry out our work |
| Mailing list To administer our mailing list |
Email address | For as long as the subscriber chooses to remain on the list. | Data subject's consent |
| Social media To administer our social media accounts |
Data made available by Facebook and Twitter users | In accordance with Facebook's and Twitter's privacy policies | Data subject's consent |
| Donations and purchases | |||
| Personal data on individuals making donations (whether one-off or recurring) and/or purchases is retained for six years following the date of their last donation to Statewatch. This is necessary should any legal claims arise in relation to those standing orders. The statutory limitation for making any such claim is six years. | |||
| Standing orders set up by Statewatch following provision of a standing order mandate | Name Address Bank account number Sort code Bank address |
As above and in accordance with CAF Bank or Santander privacy policy. | Necessary to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract |
| Standing order mandates set up by the Friend of Statewatch/donor | Name Bank account number |
As above and in accordance with CAF Bank or Santander privacy policy. | Necessary to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract |
| Paypal | Name Address (optional) Email address |
As above and in accordance with Paypal privacy policy. | Necessary to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract |
| Gift Aid | Name Address |
As above and in accordance with HMRC Privacy Notice. | Necessary to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract |
| Purchases (via Paypal) | Name Address Email address |
As above and in accordance with Paypal privacy policy. | Necessary to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract |
| Communicating with other individuals and organisations | Email address(es) Name(s) Phone number(s) Address(es) Photo(s) Social media account(s) |
Indefinitely, subject to regular review of necessity and right to object | Data subject's consent (where they initiate contact with us) Necessary for our legitimate interests, so that we can carry out our work/make enquiries/propose projects, etc (in the case of us initiating contact with another individual or organisation). |
| Events | Email address Name(s) Financial information (whether an individual has made a payment and if so, how much) Audio recordings (we will always ask for consent before recording events) Financial information (for reimbursing expenses for speakers,e.g. travel/accommodation costs) Other data, dependent on the policies of third-party providers |
Attendee data: up to 3 months following the event (financial data provided to Paypal via Eventbrite in order to pay for or make a donation for an event will also be retained in accordance with Paypal's Privacy Policy) Financial data for reimbursement: six years following date of reimbursement. Other data: dependent on policies of third-party providers (we use Zoom to host online events) |
Data subject's consent Necessary to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract Necessary for our legitimate interests, e.g. in promoting our work or publications, hosting discussions on topical issues |
| Library & Archive | Name Profession/occupation Topic(s) of interest |
Indefinitely, subject to a right to object | Data subject's consent Necessary for our legitimate interests, e.g. to analyse usage of the Library & Archive |
| Employment and volunteering | Name(s) Address(es) Date of birth Phone number(s) Email address(es) Other digital messaging service contact details (e.g. Skype, Yahoo! Messenger) Nationality Employment history Education and training level and history Language skills Personal data provided by applicants in covering letters Gender Relationship status Ethnicity Disability/ies Health condition(s) Sexual orientation Religion Caring responsibilities Other personal data Proof of eligibility to work in the UK National insurance number Bank account details |
Candidates not shortlisted for further consideration: up to 3 months following the closing date for applications Candidates shortlisted for further consideration: up to six months following the date of interviews Candidates invited for interview, but unsuccessful in their application: up to 6 months following the date of interview Successful candidates: for the duration of their post (whether paid or voluntary) and indefinitely for archiving purposes following the end of their employment with Statewatch, subject to a right to object Bank account details of unsuccessful applicants for employment and volunteering posts: for six years following payment, in the event of any legal claim arising (see ‘Donations and purchases’, above). |
Data subject's consent Necessary to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract Necessary for our legitimate interests, e.g. to understand the qualities and qualifications of those wishing to work or volunteer for Statewatch |
| To undertake our research and journalistic work | Email address(es) Phone number(s) Address(es) Photo(s) Nationality Sex and gender Other biographical data Employment and professional activities Educational level/activity Religion Racial or ethnic origin Politics views or beliefs Trade union membership Other personal data |
Indefinitely, subject to regular review of necessity | Necessary for our legitimate interests, in order to achieve our charitable objectives |
| For administrative and organisational tasks (e.g. for purchasing goods and services; engaging with trusts, foundations and other organisations or institutions) |
Email address(es) Phone number(s) Address(es) Biographical data (e.g. names) Employment and professional activities Political views or beliefs |
In relation to financial transactions, for six years following payment, in the event of any legal claim arising (see ‘Donations and purchases’, above) Indefinitely, subject to regular review of necessity |
Necessary for our legitimate interests, in order to achieve our charitable objectives Data subject's consent
|
Our website (www.statewatch.org) does not use any cookies. Connections to the website are SSL-encrypted in order to protect data transmitted between the server and your computer (e.g. search terms).
The only personal data processed on those who access our website are IP addresses. IP addresses are held in the server logs. Those logs are retained on the server for three months and then automatically deleted. They are accessible to staff of The Phone Co-op, who provide our web hosting, for server administration and troubleshooting.
We use Matomo to monitor how our website is used, using tracking that does not use any cookies. This provides us with information on your:
These statistics are only available to Statewatch staff. We may publish aggregate statistics, which do not contain any personally identifying information (i.e. IP addresses).
We may use third-party providers to embed multimedia content on our site, such as Vimeo or Soundcloud. Usage or viewing of that multimedia content takes places in accordance with those providers' respective policies and terms of use. The Soundcloud Privacy Policy is available here and the Vimeo Privacy Policy is available here.
The mailing list is provided for Statewatch by GreenNet and subscribers’ data is stored by them and processed in accordance with their Code of Practice. If you subscribe to our public mailing list, we will keep your email address for so long as you remain a subscriber. A limited number of staff members have administrative access to the list. You can unsubscribe from the list by sending an email from your registered email address to
statewatch-unsubscribe [at] gn.apc.org.
We use our Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote our work.
The Facebook page is administered by Facebook, in accordance with Facebook's Data Policy, and is accessible by Facebook users who have already consented to that policy. Our account is managed by a limited number of Statewatch staff. We do not export information on our followers from Facebook.
The Twitter account we use is administered by Twitter, in accordance with Twitter's Privacy Policy. The account is managed by a limited number of Statewatch staff. We do not export information on our followers from Twitter.
Personal data on individuals making donations (whether one-off or recurring) and/or purchases is retained for six years following the date of their last donation to Statewatch. This is necessary should any legal claims arise in relation to those standing orders. The statutory limitation for making any such claim is six years.
If a donor provides us with a standing order mandate to process on their behalf (i.e. on paper), we process the following personal data:
Donor’s names will continue to appear on our statements every time we receive a donation from them.
Where a one-off or recurring donation via standing order is set up by the individual themselves, our statement shows the donor’s name along with the amount they have donated.
We hold accounts with CAF Bank and Santander. Personal data provided by donors to either account will be held in accordance with their respective privacy policies (CAF Bank, Santander). Something on copies held us by us
Where a one-off or recurring donation via Paypal is set up by the individual, we receive their name, address (optional) and email address. Data is held by Paypal in accordance with their privacy policy.
We use Paypal to process purchases (i.e. of publications or admission to events). To do so, we require the individual’s name, address and email address. Data is held by Paypal in accordance with their privacy policy.
The Gift Aid scheme allows Statewatch to claim back tax on donations from UK taxpayers, with the consent of the individual providing the donation. We do this by submitting an annual claim to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HRMC). The declaration contains the name and address of the donor. HMRC process personal data in accordance with their Privacy Notice. You can find out more about the Gift Aid scheme here.
In order to carry out our work, we may process the personal data of other individuals and organisations, e.g. to respond to phone calls and emails received from the general public; to invite individuals to speak at events or meetings; or to enquire about services (e.g. graphic design, ICT provision, or other commercial arrangements).
Our email provider is The Phone Co-op. Any emails sent to an @statewatch.org address will be stored on The Phone Co-op’s servers in accordance with their Privacy Policy. Emails and attachments may also be downloaded onto staff computers, which are password-protected and located in a secure office.
Emails are retained indefinitely, with regular reviews of necessity and subject to a right to object.
Statewatch occasionally hosts public events (such as meetings, workshops and conferences). For the purposes of managing attendance at those events, we may request that individuals register to attend, in which case we will process the following personal data:
We may also charge admission or seek donations for such events. In such cases, we use Eventbrite and personal data submitted to that platform (name, email address and, in the case of admission fees, financial information) will be processed in accordance with the Eventbrite Privacy Policy and the privacy policy of Paypal, which provides our payment service for Eventbrite. When an individual either pays for admission or makes a donation in relation to attending an event, we will be informed of how much they have paid.
Data on event attendees will be retained for up to three months following the event, subject to a right to object.
We may also record events (either by audio alone or by audio and video) in order to publish the recordings online. If this is the case, we will only include the personal data of individuals (e.g. spoken word or images of them) that explicitly consent to participating in a recording that will be published online.
Audio recordings will be retained indefinitely, subject to a right to object.
When we reimburse speakers for travel and/or accommodation costs, we will take personal data (name/account number/sort code/SWIFT/BIC code, if applicable) in order to provide payment. As with other personal data that we process in relation to donations, that data will be retained for six years (see ‘Donations and purchases’, above).
For the purpose of hosting online events, we will use the services of third-party providers, namely Zoom. The personal data of attendees at online events we host on Zoom will be processed in accordance with their Privacy Statement.
The Statewatch Library & Archive is open to the public. We ask visitors to register their name, profession/occupation, their interest in the Library & Archive and the date of their visit in our visitor book. Doing so is optional.
Where visitors do provide this information, it will be retained indefinitely for archiving purposes, subject to a right to object.
Personal data we collect for job and volunteering applications is contained in CVs, covering letters, equal opportunities monitoring forms and in notes taken during interviews.
We request that individuals provide their CV in the Europass format, which contains the following data fields:
Applicants may also provide personal data to us in their covering letters (e.g. concerning their employment history or situation, their family situation, relevant personal experiences).
We ask all applicants to complete an equal opportunities monitoring form, although doing so is not obligatory. This contains the following data fields:
Further personal data provided by prospective employees or volunteers may also be recorded by staff and trustees conducting interviews.
Successful candidates for employment will be required to provide further personal data:
Successful candidates for volunteering will be required to provide further personal data:
Bank account details may be taken from unsuccessful candidates who are interviewed for both employment and volunteering, in order to cover expenses incurred for attending the interview.
Personal data provided during the job/volunteering application process will be stored for differing lengths of time, depending on the category into which the individual falls:
Personal data provided during the job/volunteering application process will only be accessible to a limited number of staff/trustees and will be stored in a secure location. Aggregate data compiled from equal opportunities monitoring forms will be retained indefinitely, for archiving purposes.
We collect and process data in relation to the research and investigations we undertake for the purposes of our charitable objectives:
For example, in order to pursue enquiries, we may gather the names and contact details of employees of public and private organisations. Data may be provided by the individuals themselves, acquired from public sources, or received via third parties. We may also gather other data, including sensitive data, insofar as this is necessary for the purposes of our research and investigations, including: biographical information; employment details; educational history; financial information; photographs; information on racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, interests and beliefs, membership of trade unions or other private organisations, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life or sexual orientation and information concerning the commission (or alleged commission) of any criminal offence, as well as any related proceedings and sentences.
Specific data protection policies and/or safeguards may be adopted with regard to research projects. Research participants will be informed of these policies and their rights.
We collect and process personal data for the purpose of running the organisation, e.g. in relation to providers of goods and services, or the staff of trusts and foundations that do or may provide funding to Statewatch. The personal data gathered in the course of these activities may include:
Data relating to financial transactions will be held for six years, although any personal data not required will be deleted before that date. Other personal data may be held indefinitely, subject to regular review of necessity.
You have the following rights:
Your rights are subject to the exemptions and restrictions set out in the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
To exercise your rights, please contact office [at] statewatch.org.
Spotted an error? If you've spotted a problem with this page, just click once to let us know.
Statewatch does not have a corporate view, nor does it seek to create one, the views expressed are those of the author. Statewatch is not responsible for the content of external websites and inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement. Registered UK charity number: 1154784. Registered UK company number: 08480724. Registered company name: The Libertarian Research & Education Trust. Registered office: MayDay Rooms, 88 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1DH. © Statewatch ISSN 1756-851X. Personal usage as private individuals "fair dealing" is allowed. We also welcome links to material on our site. Usage by those working for organisations is allowed only if the organisation holds an appropriate licence from the relevant reprographic rights organisation (eg: Copyright Licensing Agency in the UK) with such usage being subject to the terms and conditions of that licence and to local copyright law.