Website privacy at the READ-IT Contribution Platform

This page describes how the READ-IT contribution platform website https://read-it.in-two.com/ (website) will use your personal data. The Open University is the Data Controller for this data and IN2 is the Data Processor. See also the information at http://www.open.ac.uk/about/main/strategy-and-policies/policies-and-statements/the website-privacy-ou

1. What information do we collect?

When you register to use the website and its services you will be required to set up an account and provide us with personal data, comprising your name and email address, and your contact preferences.

We automatically collect information about your use of the website (the website logs).

On behalf of the OU, IN2 also collects information about how you use it the websites including the devices you use to access its content and services. This includes collecting unique online identifiers such as IP addresses. For more information see the section below on the website’s use of cookies and similar technologies.

The only registration information about you which is pulled through to the site from the central OU registration database when you login to the website is your name and email address along with the OU computer user name which is generated when you register your account. The IP address for the device you use at login is matched to your name and email address in the website and will be visible in some website reports visible to website managers, teachers and academics only.

In your website profile you have the option to add further information about yourself and you can edit or remove this information at any time when you login.

2. How do we use your personal data?

We use your personal data in order to deliver and improve our services, which are part of our public task of providing education to all. This includes maintaining records of your participation in the website. We will contact you when necessary via email. We use data to analyse patterns and trends of use and the uptake of educational courses and facilities.

We may use your personal data within The Open University for research purposes.

This is part of our public task of conducting academic research. We may contact you to take part in market research. This is part of our legitimate interest in improving OU services.

3. Where you have provided consent to receive marketing communications

If you have given your consent to receive marketing communications when signing up for an account, then you may receive Open University marketing information. For further information see section 3 of the OU’s Enquirer Privacy Notice. If you need to change your marketing preferences you can update your preferences when you sign into the Open University website, by using any unsubscribe options available in communications we send you, or by contacting us.

4. Your rights

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data – please see http://www.open.ac.uk/about/main/strategy-and-policies/policies-and-statements/the website-privacy-ou for more information. If you would like a copy of the personal data that we hold about you, please contact the Data Protection team.

5. How long will you keep my data?

We will normally keep your data for as long as necessary to give you the services you are using. This will be determined by several factors, including the purpose for which we use that information, our obligations under other laws or unless you tell us you would like your account deleted. We will keep data on the website study you may have participated in until you ask us to delete it.

If you have contacted us via the details in the Contact page, Dissemination, impact and public engagement section of the project website (contact email READ-IT@open.ac.uk mailbox) or emailed the Data-Protection@open.ac.uk mailbox direct, this contact and our response to your contact will be stored in the mailbox for a period of up to 12 months, depending on the nature of your enquiry and any investigations we may make on your behalf. When making investigations on your behalf we operate an anonymise data policy to limit where your personal details are shared within The Open University. We regularly audit the mailbox contents and delete old messages when an enquiry is complete.

6. Who do we share it with?

We use third party suppliers and service providers, for example to provide some of our IT systems and survey tools. There are links to these surveys within the website and you may choose to undertake the survey or not.

The data processor has been given enhanced permissions to manage the website and therefore the individuals managing will be able to see your name, email address, IP address, and materials your access. If you choose not to permit individuals from partner/third party organisations to see this data who are external to The Open University you are required to notify the Open University. The data processor managing the website sign a declaration to confirm they will act in accordance with the Open University data protection and privacy policies to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations.

These transfers are in our legitimate interest of carrying out cost effective activities on behalf of users of the platform. It is in our legitimate interest to transfer participant data to the organisation involved in the website so that they can analyse use and provide support.

7. Where do we store your information?

Generally, information you provide to us is stored on our secure servers, or on our cloud-based systems which are located within the European Economic Area.

If we transfer your information outside of the EEA, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate security measures are taken with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights continue to be protected as outlined in this policy. These steps include imposing contractual obligations on the recipient of your personal information or ensuring that the recipients are subscribed to ‘international frameworks’ that aim to ensure adequate protection.

8. Cookies and similar technology

We use cookies in relation to certain areas of the Site. Cookies are files which store information on your hard drive or browser which means that we can recognise that you have visited the website before. Cookies can make it easier for you to maintain your preferences on the website.

By seeing how you use the website we can measure the general usability of the website. In particular, we may use cookies to identify which pages are being most frequently used. This information is used for statistical analysis including the identification of patterns and trends in educational needs and demand.

If you register to use the website, we will store some of your website activity when you are signed in as part of your record. You can, should you choose, disable cookies within your browser and delete all cookies currently stored on your computer. You do not need to have cookies turned on to navigate through many parts of the website. For more information see Cookie Use on the OU the website.

9. Links to third party the websites

As outlined in the terms and conditions of use, we may link to other the websites which are not within our control. Once you have left the website we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

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