Welcome to our FHUK Privacy Policy
I. General Overview
Family History UK (FHUK) takes your privacy and the protection of your personal information very seriously. We value and respect you and your rights as a person. In an age where personal information can be distributed around the globe in seconds, we all have to be cautious about sharing our personal data. FHUK has taken the necessary steps to safeguard your personal information, and we want you to understand how it is used.
This Privacy Policy will describe what information we collect and how we utilise that data. We will ONLY use your information as outlined in this policy. We will not sell, rent or provide your personally identifiable information to any third parties except as described below. This Privacy Policy applies to all services on the Family History.uk.com website.
By accepting the Privacy Policy and Terms and User Agreement during registration, you consent to our use and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. If we are going to use or disclose your personally identifiable information in a manner materially different from that stated at the time we collected the information, you will be contacted via email and a posting will be made on the FHUK website. You will have the option to opt out of the new policy and the new changes will go into effect a minimum of 30 days from the mailing.
Family History.uk.com may include links to third party websites. These sites have their own privacy statements, and FHUK is not responsible for how they operate or use personal information. Please take the time to read their privacy policies carefully.
II. The Information We Collect
To open a FHUK account, you must provide your Email Address. This required information is necessary for us to authenticate you, issue new passwords, and to contact you if necessary regarding your account. We may also collect other profile data including but not limited to: age, occupation, education, personal interests, and gender. This information is optional, but can help other FHUK users find and interact with you. Using our usergroup permissions system, you may control who has access to your personal information, and what pieces of information they can access. We suggest that you use extreme caution in sharing this information with other users.
FHUK may also record and track other information such as IP address, browser type, and aggregate user data. This information is used to track the performance of our website and improve our service. User IP addresses are also recorded for security and monitoring purposes.
A. Our Use of "Cookies"
A "cookie" is a small file stored on your computer that allows websites like FHUK to recognize you. We place a "session cookie" on your computer when you login so you can view various pages of the FHUK website without having to re-enter your login information. We do not link the information we store in cookies to any personally identifiable information you submit while on our site. You may set cookie preferences via your browser’s “Help” menu – including opting to reject cookies or be notified when a cookie is set. However, disabling cookies may interfere with some or all functions of the FHUK website.
B. Correspondence with Customer Service
We retain records of all correspondence with our customers, whether the message was sent via electronic means or 'snail mail.' We use this information to improve efficiency and customer service and to deter fraud and other illicit activities.
III. Our Use and Disclosure of Information
A. Internal Uses
All personal information is collected and stored on servers physically located in the UK. We use the information we collect about you to:
* efficiently provide services
* provide customer service
* determine your eligibility to receive offers for special features or products
* improve our various services and product line.
Only a very limited group of FHUK employees are authorised to view your personal information.
B. Disclosure to Third Parties Other Than FHUK Customers
FHUK will not sell or rent any of your personally identifiable information to third parties. We will only share your information as described below. These third parties are controlled by contract and confidentiality agreements with FHUK and/or by law and cannot use your information in any means other than what is specified and lawful.
* We share only aggregate statistical data with business partners, advertisers, and marketing companies. An example of aggregate data is how many users reside in England.
* We do not provide personally identifiable information in any such instances.
* We provide information necessary to investigate fraud, illegal activity, and violations of agreements.
* We disclose information as required by law. This includes but is not limited to: subpoenas, warrants, attachments, court orders, and levies.
* In the event of a merger or acquisition, the new owner of FHUK would have access to all data but would be bound by our current policies.
C. Contacting FHUK Customers
FHUK sends e-mails and/or private messages to customers on a regular basis as part of our service. Examples of emails we send include but are not limited to notification of new messages and announcements regarding new products or important changes at FHUK. You may opt out of receiving some of these messages via the ‘Settings’ tab of the FHUK navbar or UserCP. You may also modify or remove any of your personal information at any time by using the ‘Settings’ tab/UserCP and the permissions system within your profile. If you elect to close your FHUK account, your personal information will no longer be used, except in security and legal matters.
IV. Information Security
FHUK will handle your personal data with information security as a top priority. The data we collect is stored on servers that are not directly connected to the internet and only a select group of employees have access to that information (i.e., those employees who need the information in order to perform their job duties). The safeguards we employ are hardware, software, physical and environmental security, and policy-based and are designed to comply with UK regulations. Please note that despite our comprehensive efforts, we cannot guarantee the security of member account information. Unauthorised entry or use, hardware or software failure, and other factors may compromise the security of member information at any time. As previously mentioned, you should also be very selective about which users you share your personal information with.
V. Contacting Us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how FHUK handles your personal data, you can contact us.