Who we are
CoST – the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom (Charity number 1152236) and is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales (No. 8159144).
CoST is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This privacy policy sets out the type of information we collect, what we use it for and the rights that you have in relation to this information.
CoST is a “controller” under all relevant data protection laws applicable in England & Wales, as they may vary from time to time, including the Data Protection Act 1998 (“English Data Protection Laws”).
The information we collect
We collect and hold information on:
- Those who sign up to our emailing list to receive our news and that of others working on infrastructure transparency and accountability.
- Those who sign up to attend our events.
The type of information we collect and how we use it depends on the reasons why you are providing it to us.
This can include the following information:
- Your name
- Your email address
- Any organisation you are affiliated to (e.g. your employer, university or school)
Where appropriate, when you have signed up to one of our events, we may also collect the following information that is classed as being in a special category:
- Details of any disabilities
- Dietary and access requirements
How we use your information
The legal basis that we rely upon for processing your personal information will depend on the circumstances in which it is collected and used. In most cases, the legal basis will fall into one of the following category:
Where you have provided consent for us to use your data in a certain way and where processing is necessary for our legitimate interest, for example sending communications where our legitimate interest is to deliver our charitable purposes.
We may use your personal information for the following purposes:
- Providing you with access to the information you asked for
- Sending you communications about our work and that of others working on infrastructure transparency and accountability.
Who we will share your information with
We will not sell your details to third parties or share them with other charities.
Where we will store your information
Your information will be stored in the EEA, unless we expressly state that we need to transfer your data outside of the EEA. We will take all steps reasonably and necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.
Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our site; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.
Cookies
A cookie is a small text file that can be stored and accessed from your device when you visit our website. Cookies allow us to recognise you as a user when you return to our website using the same device and browser. You can find more information at www.allaboutcookies.org and www.youronlinechoices.eu if you are located in Europe or www.aboutads.info/choices if in the United States.
We use third party cookies on our website. Third party cookies are served by a service provider on behalf of the website operator and are commonly used for website analytics or advertising purposes.
We also use both session cookies and persistent cookies on our website. Session cookies are automatically removed from your device when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device until the expiry date specified in the cookie is reached.
Our cookies are used for the following purposes:
Analytical cookies
- These cookies analyse how the website is used and is performing.
- They include, for example Google Analytics cookies.
How do I refuse or withdraw my consent to the use of Cookies?
You can stop cookies from being downloaded on your computer by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. Most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to be notified when you receive a new cookie, and how to disable existing cookies.
- On Microsoft Internet Explorer this can be done by selecting Tools menu> Internet Options> Privacy> Settings;
- On Firefox, this can be done by selecting Tools> Options> Privacy> Cookies;
- On Google Chrome, this can be done by selecting Settings> Privacy;
- On Safari, this can be done by selecting Preferences> Security menu.
You can find out how to do this for your particular browser by clicking “help” on your browser’s menu or by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org. Please note, however, that without cookies you may not be able to access or take full advantage of all our website’s features.
Most browsers allow users to use a “private mode” by which cookies are deleted after your website visit. Please read the help section of your browser to learn more about how to activate the “private mode.” You could still visit our website if your browser is in “private mode”; however, the user experience may not be optimal and some utilities may not work.
If you want to remove previously-stored cookies, you can manually delete the cookies at any time. However, this will not prevent our website from placing further cookies on your device unless and until you adjust your Internet browser setting as described above.
For more information on the development of user-profiles and the use of targeting/advertising cookies, please see www.youronlinechoices.eu if you are located in Europe or www.aboutads.info/choices if in the United States.
Links
Our website may include links to other sites not owned or managed by us. We cannot be held responsible for the privacy of information collected by websites not managed by us.
How long we will keep your information for
We will retain your information for as long as it is required to fulfil the purposes for which we collected it, and for as long as is necessary for the legitimate purposes of our legal rights and obligations. After that time, we will delete your data from our systems.
Your rights
You have a number of rights under English Data Protection Laws, these include the right to:
- Access a copy of the information we hold about you
- Rectify inaccuracies in the information we hold about you
- Have the information we hold about you erased
- Restrict the processing of your information
- Transfer the information we hold about you to another entity
- Withdraw any consent you have provided
If you would like access to your information, please send a description of the information you want to see to cost@infrastructuretransparency.org
Complaints
If you have a complaint about the way we are using your information then initially you should contact us at cost@infrastructuretransparency.org. If your complaint remains unresolved then you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office – please see www.ico.org.uk for further details.
Changes to this policy
We may change our privacy policy from time to time so please check back periodically.
This policy was last updated: May 2018.