COOKIE POLICY

 

1. Introduction

 

This Policy covers our use of cookies, IP addresses, and other technologies.

 

1. What are Cookies?

 

Cookies and other online tracking technologies are small bits of data or code that are used to identify your devices when you use and interact with our website and other services. They are often used for remembering your preferences, to identify popular web site or apps pages.

 

1. What Cookies may we use and how would we use them?
   1. Essential cookies and similar technologies

 

These are vital for the running of our services on our website and apps. Without the use of these cookies parts of our website would not function. For example, the use of cookies may help us identify the location and or authenticity of a site visitor, protect D&D Investigations from misuse, malice or fraud.

1. Analytics cookies and similar technologies

 

These collect information about your use of our website and apps and enable us to improve the way it works. For example, analytics cookies show us which are the most frequently visited pages on the website allowing us to provide the most popular news articles further up the page. They help us record how you interact with our website, such as how you navigate around pages and from page to page; identifying improvements we can make to the visitor’s journey.

They also help identify any difficulties you have accessing our services, so we can fix any problems. Additionally, these cookies allow us to see overall patterns of usage at an aggregated level.

1. Functional/preference cookies and similar technologies

 

These cookies collect information about your choices and preferences, and allow us to remember things like language, text size, and location, so we can show you relevant content to where you are. They allow us to customize the pages, products or services you have accessed.

1. Tracking, advertising cookies and similar technologies

 

These types of technologies provide advertisements that are more relevant to your interests. This can be done by delivering online adverts based on your previous web browsing activity, known as “online behavioral advertising” (OBA). Cookies are placed on your browser, which will remember the websites you have visited. Advertising based on what you have been looking at is then displayed to you when you visit websites who use the same advertising networks.

1. Web beacons

 

These are bits of data that count the number of users who access a website or webpage and can also allow us to see if a cookie has been activated. Web beacons used on web pages or in emails allow us to see how successful an article has been or that an email message was successfully delivered and read in a marketing campaign or newsletter. Web beacons are also used to verify any clicks through to links or advertisements contained in emails. We may use this information to help us identify which emails are more interesting to you and to inform advertisers how many customers have clicked on their adverts (this information is aggregated and does not identify you individually).

1. Flash cookies

 

We may, in certain situations, use Adobe Flash Player to deliver special content, such as video clips or animation. To improve your user experience, Local Shared Objects (commonly known as Flash cookies) are used to provide functions such as remembering your settings and preferences. Flash cookies are stored on your device, but they are managed through an interface different from the one provided by your web browser.

1. Tracking URLs

 

Tracking URLs are a special web link that allows us to measure when a link is clicked on. They are used to help us measure the effectiveness of campaigns and advertising and the popularity of articles that are read.

1. We also use cookies and similar technologies:

 

When you access and interact with our services cookies may collect certain information about those visits. For example, in order to permit your connection to our website, our servers receive and record information about your computer, device, and browser, including potentially your IP address, browser type, other software or hardware information, and your geographic location.

1. If you access our services from a mobile device

 

We may collect a unique device identifier assigned to that device, geo-location data, and other transactional information for that device.

1. Usage of services

 

To collect, use and store information about your usage of our services, website and apps, such as pages you have visited, content you have viewed, search queries you have run, and advertisements you have seen or interacted with.

1. To provide relevant content

 

The content on our website and in our communications with you may be adjusted depending on what we know about the content, products and services that you like. This means we can highlight content and articles that we believe will be of interest to you. We provide personalisation by using cookies, IP addresses, web beacons, URL tracking and mobile app settings.

 

1. Third party advertisers
2. We may sell space on our website to advertisers. The adverts they display on our website will often contain cookies. Our advertisers may use cookies or similar technologies to provide you with advertisements that they believe are relevant. They may use browsing data obtained to restrict the number of times you see particular adverts (frequency capping). You may also see adverts from these advertisers on other websites you visit.
3. Third parties that support our services by serving advertisements or providing other services, such as allowing you to share content or tracking aggregate service usage, may also use cookies and other technologies to collect information relevant to the provision of those services.
4. We do not control third-party cookies or other technologies. Their use is governed by the privacy policies of third parties using such technologies. You should make sure you are aware of how third parties will use cookies by checking the third party’s cookie policy.
5. Mobile applications

 

By downloading our apps, we will require access to the following services on your device: unique identifier (UDID), MAC address or other applicable device identifier and location. Other services may also be required in order for the apps to function. We may use this information to validate free trials. Our apps may also provide push notifications to your device. You may control these through using the tools on your device, such as turning off push notification and location services.

 

1. Managing cookies

 

Most modern browsers are set to accept cookies by default, but you can change your settings to notify you when a cookie is being set or updated, or to block cookies altogether. Please consult the “Help” section of your browser.

 

1. Controlling OBA cookies

 

The "Your Online Choices" website http://www.youronlinechoices.com provides more information about controlling cookies. It also provides an easy way to opt out of behavioural advertising from each (or all) of the networks represented by the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance http://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices.

 

1. Controlling Flash cookies

 

You can manage the use of Flash technologies with the Flash management tools available at Adobe’s website,

at http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplayer/articles/privacy.html.

 

1. Controlling web beacons

 

You can prevent web beacons from tracking your activity, although you won’t be able to decline receiving them in emails. For information about managing your cookie options, please click here. http://www.allaboutcookies.org/.  Please note that by blocking any or all cookies you may not have access to certain features, content, or personalisation available on our website, or apps

PART 3: RECORD OF PROCESSING ACTIVITIES

 

1. Nature of work – Professional investigation in the private sector, risk management and litigation support services.
2. Date: 25th November 2022
3. Description of processing
   1. The following is a broad description of the way this organisation processes personal information. To understand how your own personal information is processed you may need to refer to any personal communications you have with the organisation, check the privacy notice that the organisation has provided above, or contact the organisation to ask about your personal circumstances.
   2. Reasons/purposes for processing information We process personal information to enable us to:
      • provide investigatory, risk management & litigation support services on the written instructions of a client;
      • to maintain our own accounts and records;
      • and to support and manage our employees, trainees, and contractors.

 

 

1. Type/classes of information processed
   1. We process information relating to the above reasons/purposes. This information may include:
      • personal details
      • the investigation brief, results, and related information
      • lifestyle and social circumstances
      • family details
      • goods and services
      • financial details
      • education and employment and/or business details
   2. We also process special category or criminal classes of information that may include:
      • physical or mental health details
      • racial or ethnic origin
      • trade union membership
      • religious or other beliefs
      • criminality

 

 

1. Who is the information processed about?
   1. We process personal information about:
      • customers and clients, including prospective clients
      • witnesses
      • the subjects of investigations
      • business contacts
      • advisers and other professional experts
      • suppliers/contractors
      • employees

 

 

1. Who the information may be shared with?
   1. We sometimes need to share the personal information we process with the individual themself and also with other organisations. Where this is necessary, we are required to comply with all aspects of the data protection legislation. What follows is a description of the types of organisations we may need to share some of the personal information we process with for one or more reasons.
   2. Where necessary or required we share information with the following, which may include our clients and/or contractors:
      • financial organisations
      • credit reference, debt collection and tracing agencies
      • law enforcement
      • professional investigators
      • government
      • business associates and other professional bodies and advisers
      • suppliers/contractors
      • current, past, or prospective employers
      • education and examining bodies
      • family, associates, or representatives of the person whose personal data we are processing

 

 

1. Trading and sharing personal information
   1. Personal information is traded and shared as a primary business function. For this reason, the information processed may include name, contact details, family details, financial details, employment details, and goods and services and where appropriate special category or criminal data. This information may be about customers and clients.
   2. The information may be traded or shared with business associates and professional advisers, agents, service providers, customers and clients, and traders in personal data.
2. Undertaking research
   1. Personal information is also processed in order to undertake research.
   2. For this reason, the information processed may include name, contact details, family details, lifestyle and social circumstances, financial details, goods and services.
   3. The special category or criminal data types of information may include sexuality, physical or mental health details, racial or ethnic origin and religious or other beliefs.
   4. This information is about survey respondents. Where necessary or required this information may be shared with clients, contractors, other service providers, survey and research organisations.
3. Consulting and advisory services
   1. Information is processed for consultancy and advisory services that are offered.
   2. For this reason, the information processed may include name, contact details, family details, financial details, and the goods and services provided.
   3. This information may be about clients.
   4. Where necessary this information is shared with the data subject themselves, business associates and other professional advisers, current, past or prospective employers and service providers.
4. Transfers
   1. It may sometimes be necessary to transfer personal information overseas.
   2. When this is needed information may be transferred to countries or territories around the world.
   3. Any transfers made will be in full compliance with all aspects of the data protection law.