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Privacy Notice

This is the privacy notice of Stephanie Mason Children’s Author (‘we’, ‘our’, or ‘us’).

Introduction

This notice describes how we collect, store, transfer and use personal data. It tells you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you.

In the context of the law and this notice, ‘personal data’ is information that clearly identifies you as an individual or which could be used to identify you if combined with other information. Acting in any way on personal data is referred to as ‘processing’.

This notice applies to personal data collected through our website.

We do not share, or sell, or disclose to a third party, any information collected through our website.

Personal data we process

       1. How we obtain personal data

The information we process about you includes information:

  • Information submitted to us via our ‘Subscribe’ form

  • Queries submitted to us via our ‘Contact’ form
    2. Types of personal data we collect directly

When you use our contact or subscribe forms, we ask you to provide personal data. This can be categorised into the following groups:

  • personal identifiers, such as your first and last names, your title

  • contact information such as your email address

  • records of communication between us including messages sent through our website and email messages

  • marketing preferences that tell us what types of marketing you would like to receive (parent/guardian, teacher, librarian, book reviewer/blogger)

  • unsolicited complaints by other users
    3. Types of personal data we collect from your use of our services

By using our subscribe and contact forms we process:

  • your email address

  • information you contribute to our community, including comments on blog posts and reviews

  • your replies to polls and surveys

  • your preferences to receive marketing from us; how you wish to communicate with us; and responses and actions in relation to your use of our services
    4. The bases on which we process information about you

The law requires us to determine under which of six defined bases we process different categories of your personal data, and to notify you of the basis for each category.

If a basis on which we process your personal data is no longer relevant, then we shall immediately stop processing your data.

If the basis changes then if required by law we shall notify you of the change and of any new basis under which we have determined that we can continue to process your information.

      5. Information we process because we have a contractual obligation with you

When you create an account on our website, buy a product or service from us, or otherwise agree to our terms and conditions, a contract is formed between you and us.

In order to carry out our obligations under that contract we must process the information you give us. Some of this information may be personal data.

We may use it in order to:

  • verify your identity for security purposes when you use our services

  • sell products to you

  • provide you with our services

  • provide you with suggestions and advice on products, services and how to obtain the most from using our website

We process this information on the basis there is a contract between us, or that you have requested we use the information before we enter into a legal contract.

We shall continue to process this information until the contract between us ends or is terminated by either party under the terms of the contract.

      6. Information we process with your consent

We continue to process your information on this basis until you withdraw your consent or it can be reasonably assumed that your consent no longer exists.

You may withdraw your consent and unsubscribe from our mailing lists at any time by instructing us at stephaniemasonauthor@gmail.com.

      7. Information we process for the purposes of legitimate interests

We may process information on the basis there is a legitimate interest, either to you or to us, of doing so.

Where we process your information on this basis, we do after having given careful consideration to:

  • whether the same objective could be achieved through other means

  • whether processing (or not processing) might cause you harm

  • whether you would expect us to process your data, and whether you would, in the round, consider it reasonable to do so

For example, we may process your data on this basis for the purposes of:

  • improving our services

  • record-keeping for the proper and necessary administration of our organisation

  • responding to unsolicited communication from you to which we believe you would expect a response

  • preventing fraudulent use of our services

  • exercising our legal rights, including to detect and prevent fraud and to protect our intellectual property

  • insuring against or obtaining professional advice that is required to manage organisational risk

  • protecting your interests where we believe we have a duty to do so
    8. Information we process because we have a legal obligation

Sometimes, we must process your information in order to comply with a statutory obligation.

For example, we may be required to give information to legal authorities if they so request or if they have the proper authorisation such as a search warrant or court order.

This may include your personal data.
       9. Information we process to protect vital interests

In situations where processing personal information is necessary to protect someone’s life, where consent is unable to be given and where other lawful bases are not appropriate, we may process personal information on the basis of vital interests.

For example, we may inform relevant organisations if we have a safeguarding concern about a vulnerable person.

How and when we process your personal data

       10. Your personal data is not shared

We do not share or disclose to a third party, any information collected through our website.

       11. Control over your own information

It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and up to date. Please inform us if your personal data changes at stephaniemasonauthor@gmail.com.

At any time, you may contact us to request that we provide you with the personal data we hold about you.

At any time you may review or update personally identifiable information that we hold about you. To obtain a copy of any information that is not provided on our website you should contact us to make that request.

When we receive any request to access, edit or delete personal data we first take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting you access or otherwise taking any action. This is important to safeguard your information.

     12. Communicating with us

When you contact us through our website or by email, we collect the data you have given to us in order to reply with the information you need.

We record your request and our reply in order to increase the efficiency of our organisation.

We may keep personally identifiable information associated with your message, such as your name and email address so as to be able to track our communications with you to provide a high quality service.

     13. Complaining

If you are not happy with our privacy policy, or if you have any complaint, then you should inform us via stephaniemasonauthor@gmail.com.

[When we receive a complaint, we record the information you have given to us on the basis of consent. We use that information to resolve your complaint.

If we think your complaint is vexatious or without any basis, we shall not correspond with you about it.

If your complaint reasonably requires us to notify some other person, we may decide to give to that other person some of the information contained in your complaint. We do this as infrequently as possible, but it is a matter for our sole discretion whether we do give information, and if we do, what that information is.

If you are in any way dissatisfied about how we process your personal data, you have a right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk//make-a-complaint/
We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to speak to you about your concern before you approach the IPO..

     14. Retention period

Except as otherwise mentioned in this privacy notice, we keep your personal data only for as long as required by us:

  • to provide you with the services you have requested

    15. Compliance with the law

Our privacy policy complies with the Data Protection Act 2018: Data protection - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

     16. Review of this privacy policy

We shall update this privacy notice from time to time as necessary.

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