WA Communications privacy notice

This privacy notice sets out how WA Communications collects, uses and shares the information you provide to us and the information we collect from other sources in the course of operating our business and our website.

By visiting our website you are accepting and consenting to the practices set out below. Please leave our website if you do not agree to the terms set out below.

Information we collect

In accordance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”) we may collect and process the following data about you:

• Information provided or collected within a client contract or business relationship. We may hold personal information about you and the company you represent. If you are not a client we may collect or receive your personal information because you are involved in one of our client’s matters or the information is public.
• Information you give us. This is information about you that you give us by filling in forms on our website or by corresponding with us by phone, email or otherwise. The information you give us may include your name, job title, work address, email address, phone number and business information.
• Information we collect when you use our website. When you visit our website, we may automatically collect details of your IP address, the name of your ISP, and what type of device you are using to access our service so we can optimise your use of our website.
• Information you provide when you apply for a position with us. This may include your full name, date of birth, nationality, education and qualification details, your gender, your CV, photograph, passport details, marital status, home address and home telephone number, mobile telephone number and other details set out in your application. We may collect personal information on past employment, qualifications and education, opinions from third parties about you and other details about you. These may be provided to us by a third-party background screening service.
• Information we receive from other sources. We carry out targeted research into companies which may benefit from our services and updates, based on specific sector criteria. We aim to contact relevant decision makers and government relations or corporate communications employees at these companies using personal information (including name, job title and work contact details) gathered from publicly accessible sources such as search engines or websites.

How we use the information we collect

In accordance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”) we rely on at least one of the following legal grounds to process your personal information:

1. Performance of a contract. We may need to collect and use your personal information to enter into a contract with you or to perform our obligations to you under a contract.
2. Compliance with law or regulation. We may use your personal information as necessary to comply with applicable law and regulation.
3. Legitimate interest. We may use your personal information for our legitimate interests. This may include the management, marketing and promotion of our business, products and services, or those of our clients.
4. We may (but in many cases do not) need your consent to use your personal information. You can withdraw your consent by contacting us – please see below.

We may use your personal information for the following business functions:

• To provide services to you as a client.
• To engage you in marketing and business development activity in relation to our services, including provision of newsletters, updates, event invitations and other marketing communications that may be of interest to you.
• Where you have applied for employment with us, to review and process your job application.
• To comply with legal and regulatory obligations that we must discharge.
• To record or understand your use of our website or our other online services for our business purposes, such as analysis of usage, measurement of site performance and generation of marketing reports.
• For our legitimate business interests, such as undertaking business research and analysis, and managing the operation of our websites and our business.
• To examine any complaints or queries you may have.

Sharing your information

We may on occasion share your personal information outside the company. This may include:

• Business partners, suppliers and sub-contractors, bound by obligations of confidentiality, for the performance of a contract we enter with you or for other purposes described in this notice.
• When required by law, regulation or court order, for example, if we are under a duty to disclose your personal information to comply with a legal obligation.
• E-mail marketing platforms that assist us in sending electronic communications. 

Keeping your information and information security

Your data is stored in a confidential database and on a secure server within the European Union, supported by dual factor authentication for electronic communication and encrypted SSL payment systems, accessible only to the company’s current employees.

Related company policies and internal processes underpin our commitment to confidentiality and privacy.

We do not routinely share information outside the European Union. Where we transfer your personal information outside Europe, we will ensure it is protected and transferred in a manner consistent with legal requirements applicable to the information.

Your rights and options

You have legal rights in relation to the personal information that we hold about you and you can exercise your rights by contacting us (please see below). You can do this to:

• Object to, and request we restrict, processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, for example marketing purposes. There may be circumstances where we are legally entitled to refuse that request, for example public interest or, if there is no compelling reason to the contrary, legitimate interest.
• Request we erase your personal information in certain circumstances. Please note that there may be circumstances where you ask us to erase your personal information but we are legally entitled to retain it. For example, when asked to remove a record from our database, we may retain minimal information to ensure we do not contact you, or collect such information, again.
• Request we correct your personal information if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Obtain information about the processing of your personal information and access to the personal information which we hold about you.
• Receive, in some circumstances, some personal information in a structured, commonly-used and machine-readable format and/or request we transmit that information to a third party where this is technically feasible. This right only applies to personal information which you have provided to us.
• Withdraw your consent. However, in certain circumstances, it may be lawful for us to continue processing without your consent if we have another legitimate reason (other than consent) for doing so.
• Lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority, if you think that any of your rights have been infringed by us. 

Changes to our privacy notice

This privacy notice will be reviewed, and may be updated, from time to time. Please check frequently to see any updates or changes.

Contacting us

If you would like further information on the collection, use, disclosure, transfer or processing of your personal information, or the exercise of any of the rights listed above, please contact us.

You can do this by writing to us at: contact@wacomms.co.uk or 6th Floor Artillery House, 11-19 Artillery Row, London, SW1P 1RT. Please mark correspondence for the attention of the Head of Operations.

Appendix: Cookies policy

We use the term “cookies” to refer to cookies and other similar technologies covered by the EU Directive on privacy in electronic communications.

What is a cookie?

Cookies are small data files that your browser places on your computer or device. Cookies help your browser navigate a website and the cookies themselves cannot collect any information stored on your computer or your files. When a server uses a web browser to read cookies they can help a website deliver a more user-friendly service. To protect your privacy, your browser only gives a website access to the cookies it has already sent to you.

Why do we use cookies?

We use cookies to learn more about the way you interact with our content and help us to improve your experience when visiting our website. Cookies remember the type of browser you use and which additional browser software you have installed. They also remember your preferences, such as language and region, which remain as your default settings when you revisit the website. Cookies also allow you to rate pages and fill in comment forms. Some of the cookies we use are session cookies and only last until you close your browser, others are persistent cookies which are stored on your computer for longer.

How do I reject and delete cookies?

We will not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information about you. However, should you wish to do so, you can choose to reject or block the cookies set by us by changing your browser settings – see the Help function within your browser for further details. Please note that most browsers automatically accept cookies, so if you do not wish cookies to be used you may need to actively delete or block them. Note, however, that if you reject the use of cookies you will still be able to visit our websites but some functions may not work correctly.