Left Foot Forward's new policy on keeping your information safe, secure and transparent, in line with new EU protections.

To ensure we are fully compliant with new GDPR regulations, see below our new Privacy Policy, permanently featured here and posted below in full.

Who we are

Left Foot Forward is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales [06978729]

Left Foot Forward’s registered address is 14a Regent Road, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 1RP. This Privacy Policy relates to information which is obtained by Left Foot Forward and for which Left Foot Forward is the Data Controller.

Left Foot Forward’s Purpose

Left Foot Forward is a progressive current affairs and comment website, which seeks to provide a platform for discussion, debate, and news from the left of UK politics.

We do this by:

• Publishing news and comment articles, both by LFF writers and external contributors
• Running a Daily Update to readers who have actively signed up
• Sharing this work on social media, largely through Facebook and Twitter
• Occasionally raising money to do this work through the ‘donate’ function on the website, and sending out fundraising calls to those who have opted in
• Occasionally running campaigns for change, through signing petitions, writing letters, and taking part in other campaigning actions
• Occasionally hosting events

We take active steps to make sure that our readers and supporters are aware of the ways we can contact them.

Why we hold and process supporters’ personal data

We hold and process personal data for a number of reasons:

• To keep in touch with those who have opted in to our Daily LFF Update list and Campaign/Fundraising emails, and to sustain these records
• To keep a record of donations made and actions taken by our supporters and maintain communications with them
• To send our supporters marketing information about our projects, fundraising activities and appeals where we have their consent or are otherwise allowed to
• To distribute campaigning actions and record campaigning actions by supporters when we run petitions and related activities, where people have actively opted in.
• To ensure we do not send unwanted information to supporters or members of the public who have informed us they do not wish to be contacted
• To keep a record of our contributors and key contacts

When and why we will send you personalised marketing communications

Left Foot Forward will only contact you for the purposes of:

• Daily LFF Updates: The weekday mailout for those who have actively signed up
• Occasional Campaigns: Primarily petitions, for those who have actively opted in to Daily LFF Updates and have a legitimate interest in receiving them (and have not opted out of receiving these emails), or who have opted in through campaigning actions
• Occasional Fundraising: For those who have opted in to Daily LFF Updates and have a legitimate interest in receiving these (and who have not opted out of receiving such emails), or who have opted in when donating

We will not send you marketing material if you tell us that you do not wish to receive it. There are a variety of ways you can do this, please see further below for details.

How long will we keep supporters’ data

We will keep your data (secured on a secure server through Blue State Digital) for as long as you remain signed up to each form of communication. You are able to unsubscribe from our communications at any time using the unsubscribe link.

How and when we collect information about you:

Left Foot Forward may collect your personal data in the following circumstances:

When you give it to us DIRECTLY

You may give us your personal data directly when you make a donation, sign up for our weekday mailout or campaign communications, or when you communicate with us.

When you give it to us INDIRECTLY

Very occasionally personal data may be collected by an organisation working on our behalf (for example at an event or via volunteers. But as they are acting on our behalf we are the “data controller” and responsible for the security and proper processing of that data.

When you access Left Foot Forward’s Social Media

We might also obtain your personal data through your use of social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter or LinkedIn, depending on your settings or the privacy policies of these social media and messaging services. To change your settings on these services, please refer to their privacy notices, which will tell you how to do this.

https://www.facebook.com/policy.php
https://twitter.com/en/privacy
https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

When the information is publicly available

We might also obtain personal data about individuals who may be interested in giving gifts to charities or organisations like Left Foot Forward, or where it is necessary for the purposes of our journalism.

In this scenario, Left Foot Forward may seek to find out more about these individuals, their interests and motivations for giving through publicly available information. This information may include newspaper or other media coverage, open postings on social media sites such as LinkedIn, and other journalistic sources.

We frequently contact individuals of note for news stories or commissioning comment pieces. This information is only kept on record if further communications come from this – for example, if it has resulted in a commission, quote or conversation. These individuals are not added to any form of regular campaign/mailout lists without their active consent.

When we use cookies

Cookies are a useful way for us to understand how supporters use our web site and/or use the Left Foot Forward website. When you visit our web site we will collect data from your computer or other device such as a smart phone or tablet through the use of “cookies”.

Cookies are created by your web browser when you visit our website. Every time you go back to the Left Foot Forward website, your browser will send the cookie file back to the website’s server. They improve your experience of using our website, for example, by remembering your preference settings so that you are presented with information likely to be most relevant to you, and by measuring your use of the website to enable us to continuously improve our website to ensure that it meets your needs.

Cookies can also be used to show you relevant Left Foot Forward content on social media services such as Facebook – these are known as ‘retargeting’ or ‘advertising’ cookies. For information on the types of cookies we use, how we use them and how you can control your cookie preferences, see Left Foot Forward’s cookie policy.

If you visit our website as an anonymous visitor (e.g. you switch off cookies), Left Foot Forward may still collect certain information from your browser, such as the IP address (an IP address is a number that can uniquely identify a computer or other internet device).

The Left Foot Forward website contains hyperlinks to websites owned and operated by other organisations. These include other media organisations (such as the BBC), research organisations and think tanks (such as the IPPR or New Economics Foundation) and other related campaign groups or civil society bodies (such as trade unions). These third-party websites have their own privacy policies, including policies on their use of cookies, and we urge you to review them.

They will govern the use of personal information you submit or which is collected by cookies whilst visiting these websites. We cannot accept any responsibility or liability for the privacy practices of such third-party websites and your use of such websites is at your own risk.

What information might Left Foot Forward collect about you?

We only collect personal data relevant to the type of transactions you have with Left Foot Forward.

For example, when you contact Left Foot Forward to sign up to any of Left Foot Forward’s activities or online content (such as emails), make a donation, or if you write to Left Foot Forward, or engage with Left Foot Forward via social media channels, we may receive and retain personal information about you.

The information we collect is relevant to the type of transaction you are entering into, with your email address and name for the Daily LFF Updates, and for donations: details such as your name, email address, postal address, telephone or mobile number, and bank account details to allow our payment processers to process donations.

Sensitive Personal Data

We do not collect “sensitive personal data” about our readers or supporters, e.g. age, unless there is a clear reason for doing so – such as participation in a fundraising event where we need this to ensure that we provide appropriate facilities or support to enable you to participate in the event. Clear notices will be provided on application forms for such events so that it is clear what information we need and why we need it.

All sensitive personal data is stored on a secure database run by Blue State Digital, to which only a limited number of relevant staff have access. It is deleted when no longer relevant, is never shared with third parties, and is available to you at any point should you wish to see it.

How will Left Foot Forward use your personal data?

Left Foot Forward will use your personal information for the following purposes:

To market our journalism, including:

• Our Daily LFF Updates – we publish a weekday email each day, but from time to time may send emails at the weekend (for example, if covering a conference, or to highlight a particularly LFF campaign you have a legitimate interest in as a LFF reader)

For administrative reasons, including:

“Service administration”, which means that Left Foot Forward may contact you for reasons related to administering any donations you have made, the completion of commercial or other transactions you have entered into with Left Foot Forward or the activity or online content you have signed up for;

• to confirm receipt of donations (unless you have asked us not to do this), and to say thank you and provide details of how your donation might be used.
• in relation to correspondence you have entered into with us whether by letter, email, text, social media, message board or any other means, and to contact you about any content you provide;
• for internal record keeping so as to keep a record of your relationship with us;
• to implement any instructions you give us to with regard to withdrawing consent to send marketing information;
• to use IP addresses to identify the location of users, to block disruptive use and to establish the number of visits from different countries.

For campaigning and fundraising reasons:

If you have actively opted in to campaign emails and/or LFF Daily Updates, these emails may contain:  

• Left Foot Forward’s key journalism
• Invitations to participate in surveys or research about Left Foot Forward or our work (participation is always voluntary)
• Relevant petitions and other campaign actions

Data may be used to:

• Analyse and improve the activities and content offered by the Left Foot Forward website to provide you with the most user-friendly navigation experience. We may also use and disclose information in aggregate (so that no individuals are identified) for marketing and strategic development purposes.
• Send you information on supporting/donating to Left Foot Forward from time to time

Will Left Foot Forward share your personal information with anyone else?

We will only use your information within Left Foot Forward for the purposes for which it was obtained. Left Foot Forward will not, under any circumstances, share or sell your personal data with any third party for their own marketing purposes, and you will not receive marketing from any other companies, charities or other organisations as a result of giving your details to us.

Left Foot Forward’s suppliers

We may need to share your information with service providers who help us to deliver our projects, fundraising activities and appeals, for instance through handling responses to our emergency appeals. These “data processors” will only act under our instruction and are subject to pre-contract scrutiny and contractual obligations containing strict data protection clauses. We do not allow these organisations to use your data for their own purposes or disclose it to other third parties without our consent and we will take all reasonable care to ensure that they keep your data secure.

Social Media Sites

We may also use your email address and phone number to match to your account on social media sites (e.g. Twitter, Facebook) in order to show you Left Foot Forward content while using these services. We only do this where you have opted in to marketing emails or phone calls and we keep your data secure by encrypting it. No data we hold about you is retained by the third party.

In addition, we may also use your email address to link to Facebook or other social media sites in order to identify other users of these sites whom we believe would be interested in Left Foot Forward, and we may then show them Left Foot Forward content. No data we hold about you is retained by the third party.

There are two ways to prevent this use of your data, you can either update your preferences at Left Foot Forward by opting out of the relevant channel of communication or you can do this via the social media site:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/help/568137493302217
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/62931
Twitter: https://business.twitter.com/en/help/troubleshooting/how-twitter-ads-work.html

Updating your preferences with Left Foot Forward will not guarantee that you never see Left Foot Forward content on social media, since the social media site may select you based on other criteria and without your data having been provided by Left Foot Forward.

Where legally required

We will also comply with legal requests where disclosure is required or permitted by law (for example to government bodies for tax purposes or law enforcement agencies for the prevention and detection of crime, subject to such bodies providing us with a relevant request in writing).

Your data is only processed outside the EU where Left Foot Forward has verified that appropriate standards and safeguards are in place.

How long will Left Foot Forward keep your personal information?

We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long you choose to remain on the relevant mailing lists (i.e. until you opt out).

If you request that we stop sending you marketing materials we will keep a record of your contact details and appropriate information to enable us to comply with your request not to be contacted by us.

If you are on Left Foot Forward’s records having communicated directly with us, you may remain on our records for a year if we do not hear back from you.

How to control what we send you or request we update your personal information?

The accuracy of your information is really important to us. We want to ensure that we are able to communicate with you in ways that you are happy with, and to provide you with information that is of interest.

If you wish to change how we communicate with you, or update the information we hold, then please contact us:

• amend your preferences on our website here: https://leftfoot.bsd.net/page/unsubscribe/LFF%20daily?email=YOUREMAIL
• email us at editor@leftfootforward.org

How long will it take for these changes to be effective?

We endeavour to meet remove you from our records within 24 hours from receipt of email.

Under the Data Protection Act you have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to have any inaccuracies corrected (in line with standard guidelines for these requests we charge £10 for information requests and require you to prove your identity with two pieces of approved identification).

Please address requests and questions about this Privacy Policy to the Data Protection Officer, Left Foot Forward: editor@leftfootforward.org

How Left Foot Forward keeps your data safe

We ensure that there are appropriate technical controls in place to protect your personal details.  For example our online forms through Blue State Digital are on a secure, encrypted server, and our network is protected and routinely monitored.

We undertake regular reviews of who has access to information that we hold to ensure that your information is only accessible by Left Foot Forward staff.

How to make complaints about this policy or raise privacy concerns

If you would like more information, or have any questions about this policy, please contact our team by email at editor@leftfootforward.org.

To make a formal complaint about Left Foot Forward’s approach to data protection or raise privacy concerns directly with our data protection team, please contact:

The Data Protection Officer

Left Foot Forward
Email: editor@leftfootforward.org

You also have the right to make a complaint direct to the UK’s data protection authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO can be contacted at: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

Concerns can be also be logged via the ICO website.

Changes to Left Foot Forward’s Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time, so you may wish to check it each time you submit personal information to Left Foot Forward. The date of the most recent revisions will appear on this page.

If you do not agree to these changes, please do not continue to use the Left Foot Forward website to submit personal information to Left Foot Forward.

If material changes are made to the Privacy Policy we will notify you by showing prominently at the top of this page and emailing our readers/supporters.

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