Guidance

Privacy notice for IPO social media

Updated 14 November 2024

Privacy Notice for Intellectual Property Office social media

1. Your data

1.1 Purpose

We use social media to promote departmental and governmental activity, and as a communication channel. We also retain social media posts for the purpose of maintaining a historic public record of government activity.

1.2 The data

We will process the following personal data: names, email addresses, photographs, videos, social media handles, opinions, and any other data volunteered, including sensitive personal data.

1.3 Legal basis of processing

Where we post personal data relating to government activity, our legal basis is that processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the data controller.

Where we process personal data generated by social media users, the legal basis for processing that personal data is because the user consents to us doing so.

Sensitive personal data is personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation. The legal basis for processing any sensitive personal data or any data on criminal convictions is because the social media user consents to us doing so, or because it relates to personal data which are manifestly made public by the social media user.

1.4 Recipients

Any personal data shared on social media platforms will be shared with those social media providers.

Any personal data shared on social media platforms is made public, unless privacy settings have been used.

1.5 Retention

Our social media posts will be retained indefinitely as part of the historical record. Data published on social media platforms by end users will remain until it is deleted by the social media user.

2. Your rights

• you have the right to request information about how your personal data are processed, and to request a copy of that personal data
• you have the right to request that any inaccuracies in your personal data are rectified without delay
• you have the right to request that any incomplete personal data are completed, including by means of a supplementary statement
• you have the right to request that your personal data are erased if there is no longer a justification for them to be processed
• you have the right in certain circumstances (for example, where accuracy is contested) to request that the processing of your personal data is restricted
• you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where it is processed for direct marketing purposes
• you have the right, in certain circumstances, to object to the processing of your personal data
• you have the right to withdraw consent to the processing of your personal data at any time where the data is processed on the basis of consent
• you have the right, in certain circumstances, to request a copy of any personal data you have provided, and for this to be provided in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable

3. International transfers

As your personal data is stored with social media providers, it may be transferred and stored securely outside the European Union. Where that is the case it will be subject to equivalent legal protection through the use of Model Contract Clauses or the supplier’s membership in the Privacy Shield scheme.

4. Contact details

The data controller for your personal data is the Intellectual Property Office.

The contact details for the data controller are:

Intellectual Property Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport
NP10 8QQ

E-mail: dpo@ipo.gov.uk

The Data Protection Officer provides independent advice and monitoring of Intellectual Property Office’s use of personal information.

5. Complaints

If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator.

The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

E-mail: casework@ico.org.uk

Any complaint to the Information Commissioner is without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.