Privacy policy and cookies information
The University of Reading, and its wholly owned subsidiaries, collect personal information about users of its website. This privacy policy explains:
- What information we will collect about you
- How we will use the information
- Google, IP addresses and cookies
- How we will protect information about you
- How you can access your information
- Other websites and the scope of this privacy policy
- Changes to this privacy policy
- How to contact us
What information will we collect about you?
We will collect information about you if you place an order with us for a product, such as a prospectus, or for a service, such as a conference.
We will also collect personal information about website usage through cookies (see section on 'Cookies' below) and server logs, which track the IP addresses of users visiting our site and the pages they visit.
How we will use the information
Where personal information is collected on the University of Reading's website, for instance through a web form or an online payment system, users will be informed as to what information is being captured, why and who (if anyone) it will be shared with.
The University will not sell, license or trade your personal information without your consent. We will not share your personal information with others unless they are acting under our instructions or we are required to do so by law.
Information collected via the University's server logs includes users' IP addresses and the web pages visited; this will be used to manage the web system and troubleshoot problems.
The University also uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") to understand how visitors engage with our website and so we can improve it.
Google Analytics uses "cookies", which are text files placed on your computer to help us analyse how users use our site. Essentially, a cookie is a small data file able to track the online movements of an individual. This information could potentially be used to build an online profile of individuals and uniquely locate them in the world.
The information generated by the cookie about your use of the web site, including your IP address, may be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google may use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the web site, compiling reports on web site activity for us and providing other services relating to web site activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. By using this web site, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above.
The Google website contains further information about Google Analytics and a copy of Google's privacy policy.
For further information on cookies visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org or http://www.aboutcookies.org.
Other parts of the University's website also store cookies on your computer to track user traffic patterns. We do this to see how the website is used, to determine page popularity, to help security and for general statistical purposes. Some of this information may be held on servers in the United States, however only companies participating in the Safe Habor agreement, the mechanism for ensuring personal information has adequate protection when transferred outside the UK, are used for this purpose.
If you prefer not to receive cookies while browsing our website, you can set your browser to refuse all cookies that are stored on your computer; the above websites tell you how to do this. You do not need to have cookies turned on to use or navigate through most parts of our website, although some functionality may be lost.
How we will protect information about you We do our utmost to protect your privacy. The Data Protection Act 1998 obliges us to follow security procedures regarding the storage and disclosure of information which you have given us in order to avoid unauthorised loss or access. As such we have implemented industry-standard security systems and procedures to protect information from unauthorised disclosure, misuse or destruction.
How you can access your information
You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. If you would like a copy of particular personal information we hold about you then please follow these instructions. We may make a small charge for this service.
Other websites and the scope of this privacy policy
This website contains links to other sites. This privacy policy applies to this website only so if you link to others you may want to read their own privacy policies.
Changes to our privacy policy
We keep our privacy policy under regular review by IMPS and we will place any updates on this webpage. This policy was last updated on the 6 October 2011.
How to contact us
Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy policy or information we hold about you:
- imps@reading.ac.uk
- T: +44 (0) 118 378 8981
- F: +44 (0) 118 931 6248
IMPS, University of Reading, Room 221, Whiteknights House, Reading, RG6 6AH
