Website Privacy Notice
This privacy notice is for visitors to the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) website.
If you are a survey respondent and would like to find out how we collect and use your personal data, please visit our data protection page.
The UKSA is the data controller for the personal data processed through this website.
What data we collect
We collect information about how you use the UKSA (uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk) and OSR (osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk) websites to help us improve the website and make sure it is meeting the needs of its users.
We only collect the minimum personal data necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this notice, in line with data protection principles.
Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about how you use our website.
Cookies help us to:
- understand how the website is used
- improve the performance and usability of the site
- remember your preferences where appropriate
We use both essential cookies, which are necessary for the website to function, and non-essential cookies, such as analytics cookies.
Non-essential cookies are only used with your consent, in accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR).
You can manage or change your cookie preferences at any time through our cookie settings or by visiting our cookies policy.
Google Analytics 4
We use cookies and page tagging techniques to enable Google Analytics 4 to collect information such as:
- the pages you visit
- how long you engage with the pages
- how you arrived at the website
- how you interact with the content
- the files you download
- what you search for on the website
We do not store your personal information through Google Analytics 4, and we do not allow Google Analytics 4 to use or share data about how you use the website. We will not identify you through analytics information, and we will not combine analytics information with other datasets in a way that would identify who you are.
On site feedback forms
We use feedback forms on the website to allow you to send direct feedback or queries to our customer contact centre, for example, on our feedback page. As part of these services, we collect information such as:
- questions, queries or feedback you leave
- your name and email address if you choose to provide it
We only use the personal data you provide to respond to your query.
Cloudflare access log data
Access log data are collected by Cloudflare. These are used to provide analytical reports relating to the technical performance of the website. The raw data in access logs contains:
- hit-level data such as the page URL
- http status codes
- the IP address used to access the website
IP addresses are used within Cloudflare to identify bot traffic and potential security threats. Access log data are pushed from Cloudflare into Splunk for our monitoring. If we detect activity which constitutes a breach of our terms and conditions, we may share log data with our service providers to assist in identifying security threats. We will not combine Cloudflare information with other datasets in a way that would directly identify who you are.
Why we need your data
We collect information through these tools to help:
- make sure the website is meeting the needs of its users
- make improvements to the website
- gather feedback to improve our services
- respond to any feedback you send us, if you have asked us to
- monitor use of the website to identify security threats
More details about the information we collect is available in our Cookies policy. You can also change which cookies you are happy for us to use.
Our legal basis for processing your data
The legal basis for processing anonymised data for Google Analytics 4 is your consent.
The legal basis for processing all other personal data is that it is necessary:
- to perform a task in the public interest
- in the exercise of our functions as a government department
What we do with your data
The data we collect may be shared with our technology suppliers, for example, our hosting provider, where necessary to support the operation of the website.
We will not:
- sell or rent your data to third parties
- share data with third parties for marketing purposes
Where your data are processed and stored
We design, build and run our systems to make sure that your data are as safe as possible at all stages, both while they are processed and when they are stored.
All personal data are stored in the European Economic Area (EEA). Data collected by Google Analytics 4 may be transferred outside the UK and EEA for processing.
Where data processing happens in the United States (US), suppliers need to meet the certification standards set out in the UK-US data bridge agreement. This facilitates flows of personal data to certified US companies that have opted in to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
Where required by law, we will notify relevant individuals and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) of any personal data breaches.
How long we keep your data
Google Analytics 4
Data collected by Google Analytics 4 are retained by Google for 14 months. After this point, the data are deleted from the Google Analytics 4 server.
Data are extracted from Google Analytics 4 and stored in secure UKSA databases where the retention period is indefinite.
Feedback forms
Your personal data will only be held for as long as it is required by us to carry out our role as a statistical authority.
Access log data
We will only retain your access log data for 12 months, after which it will be deleted.
How we protect your data and keep it secure
We are committed to doing all that we can to keep your data secure. We have set up systems and processes to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure of your data – for example, we protect your data using varying levels of encryption.
We also make sure that any third parties that we deal with keep all personal data they process on our behalf secure.
Automated decision-making
We do not carry out automated decision-making or profiling that has legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.
Disclosing your information
We may pass on your personal information if we have a legal obligation to do so, or if we have to enforce or apply our terms and conditions. This includes exchanging information with other government departments for legal reasons.
We won’t share your information with any other organisations for marketing, market research or commercial purposes, and we don’t pass on your details to other websites.
Your rights
You can find out what information we hold about you, and ask us not to use any of the information we collect by contacting us.
You have the right to request:
- information about how your personal data are processed
- a copy of that personal data
- that anything inaccurate in your personal data is corrected
You can also:
- raise an objection about how your personal data are processed
- request that your personal data are erased if there is no longer a justification for it
- ask that the processing of your personal data is restricted in certain circumstances
- raise a complaint about the handling of your personal data
To raise any of these requests, please contact DPO@Statistics.gov.uk.
Links to other websites
uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk or osr.statistics.gov.uk contains links to other websites.
This privacy policy only applies to statistics-authority.helpful.ws and doesn’t cover other websites that we link to. These websites have their own terms and conditions and privacy policies. The UKSA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites. Please read the privacy policy on that website to find out what it does with your information.
Following a link to another website
If you go to another website from this one, read the privacy policy on that website to find out what it does with your information.
Following a link to uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk from another website
If you come to uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk or osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk from another website, we may receive personal information from the other website. We don’t use this data. You should read the privacy policy of the website you came from to find out more about this