Channel data privacy information notice
Updated 1 August 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/channel-data-privacy-notice/channel-data-privacy-information-notice
Privacy notice
Your personal information, supplied for the purposes of Channel, will be held and processed by the Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF. The Home Office is an independent controller of this information. This also includes when it is collected or processed by third parties on our behalf.
Your personal information, supplied for the purposes of Channel, will also be held, and processed independently by the police. The police are independent controllers of this information. For further information, please refer to the Metropolitan Police Service Data Protection Notice.
Details of the department’s Data Protection Officer.
How and why the department uses your information
The Home Office collects, processes and shares personal information to enable it to carry out its statutory and other functions as part of Channel. Find out more information about Channel.
The Home Office is only allowed to process your data where there is a lawful basis for doing so.
The Home Office may share your information with other organisations in the course of carrying out our functions, or to enable others to perform theirs, this includes relevant law enforcement partners.
It is necessary for the Home Office to process your personal information for the purposes of our official functions. The lawful basis for this processing is Article 6(1)(e) of the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and section 8 of the Data Protection Act 2018. This is because it is necessary for us to process your personal data for the purposes of the Channel process, which is set out in section 36 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
The Home Office may also process special categories of personal data and criminal convictions data. We process this data under Article 9(2)(g) of the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation and paragraph 6 of Part 2, Schedule 1 Data Protection Act 2018. It is necessary for the Home Office to process this data both for reasons of substantial public interest, and for the discharge of a statutory function which is set out in section 36 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015. The processing of this special category and criminal conviction data plays an important role in putting appropriate support packages in place for individuals potentially vulnerable to the risk of radicalisation.
The Home Office uses this data to publish national Channel statistics; policy development; and quality assure case management. The Home Office does not case manage Channel cases. This is carried out by the police.
Sharing your information
The personal data we hold for the purposes of Channel will have initially been gathered by the police. The police are independent controllers of this data in all areas of England and Wales. The personal data held at the start of the process includes name, date of birth, gender, ethnic group, religion, address, contact information, as well as the reason for the referral. If you are adopted by your local authority Channel Panel to receive support, they have a responsibility to inform you that your data is being processed; this notification will form part of the informed consent required to access Channel support.
If you agree to receive support from a Home Office approved intervention provider, the police will share relevant information about you with them. This is to enable appropriate support sessions between you and the Intervention Provider.
Storing your information
Where information is independently controlled by the Home Office, your data will be stored by the Home Office for 6 years from the date your case is no longer on the programme. Following the closure of your case, all Channel cases are reviewed at 6 months and 12 months. You are no longer on the programme once the 12 month review is complete. Your data will be deleted by the Home Office 6 years from the date of the 12 month review.
Sources and categories of information
In the first instance the police, will gather information about you. The police can draw upon information held by: local government; criminal justice; education, child care etc, health and social care; and police. Find out more information about members of Channel panel meetings and partners who are able to share information.
The police will store and have access to all the information they collect on the central case management system. However, the Home Office will only require access to data that enables the Home Office to publish national statistics.
Requesting access to your personal data
You have the right to request access to the personal information the Home Office holds about you. Find out how to make a request.
You may also seek access to your data via the police.
Other rights
In certain circumstances you have the right to object to and restrict the use of your personal information, or to ask to have your data deleted, or corrected.
Questions or concerns about personal data
If you have any questions or concerns about the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information please contact the Home Office.
You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office about the way the Home Office is handling your personal information. Find details on how to do this.