Privacy Policy
Your Privacy Matters: Our Approach to Data Protection
Introduction
Finders International, acting as the Data Controller, is Finders Genealogists Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”). We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring compliance with data protection regulations, including the UK GDPR. This Privacy Policy details how we collect, process, and protect your personal data, reflecting our dedication to upholding the highest standards of privacy and data security.
Our website and services are designed for adult users. We do not intentionally collect or maintain personal information from children under the age of 18. If you are under 18, please do not use our website or engage with our services in any capacity. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to remove that information promptly.
About Us
Finders Genealogists Ltd is a limited company registered in England and Wales. You can check our Data Protection Registration by clicking here. Our Data Protection Registration number is Z6654345.
You can contact us in the following ways:
FAO: Data Protection Officer
Address: Finders Genealogists Ltd 6 – 8 Vestry Street London N1 7RE, UK
Email: [email protected]
This Privacy Policy was last updated on 16 August 2024.
Overview
Please click on the relevant headings for more information on each of these areas:
4.1 We collect information that you provide to us when you:
4.1.1 Make an inquiry, provide feedback, or file a complaint via phone, email, or through our website.
4.1.2 Send correspondence to us by post, email, or through our website.
4.1.3 Complete surveys, questionnaires, and feedback forms either in person, by post, via email, or on our website.
4.1.4 Subscribe to our newsletters, articles, bulletins, and other communications.
4.1.5 Register for and/or attend our events.
4.1.6 Interact with us at various networking events such as conferences, seminars, and other professional gatherings, whether hosted by us or where we participate.
4.1.7 Apply for a job by submitting a CV, or responding to job vacancies.
4.1.8 Participate in an interview or assessment.
4.2 Additionally, we monitor our premises using CCTV to enhance security and protect our staff and assets.
4.3 We sometimes receive information about you from third parties, such as:
4.3.1 Employers, recruitment agencies, and referees: If you are applying for a job with us, we may obtain information about you from your previous or current employers or referees.
4.3.2 Service providers: We collect personal information from our third-party service providers, which include cloud-based email services, email verification services, and providers that assist with financial crime compliance and KYC (Know Your Customer) processes.
4.3.3 Website security: Our website security service providers may give us information about any threats to our website such as viruses, Trojans, worms, and other harmful or malicious activities.
4.3.4 Publicly available sources: We use public databases and registers such as Companies House to perform identity and compliance checks.
4.4 We also receive information about you from third parties when you have expressed an interest in receiving communications from us, ensuring that we provide content that is relevant and of interest to you.
5.1 The personal information we collect and process about you will depend on the specific context in which you engage with our genealogical and probate research services. This may include:
(a) Identity information: This can include your title, full name, the organisation you represent (if applicable), your professional title or position, and your relationship to a beneficiary or potential beneficiary.
(b) Contact data: We collect addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers to facilitate communication and deliver our services effectively.
(c) Identification and background information: During the course of our services, particularly for legal and verification purposes, we may collect personal identification documents such as passport details, driver’s licenses, or other forms of personal identification provided by you.
(d) Information in correspondence: We keep a record of any correspondence between us, including communications made through our website, by email, phone, or post. This could include inquiries, requests, or other forms of communication related to our probate research and genealogical services.
(e) Survey, questionnaire, and feedback information: If you participate in surveys, provide feedback, or complete questionnaires—whether related to our services or events—we will keep a record of the information you provide.
(f) Employment and background data: If you apply for a job with us, we may collect additional information related to your academic background, work history, qualifications, references, proof of your right to work in the UK, national insurance number, passport or other identification, and other similar information relevant to your application.
(g) Website usage and technical data: We collect information about how you interact with our website, including details such as IP addresses, geographic location, device information (e.g., hardware model and mobile network information), and unique device identifiers. This data may be collected through third-party website analytics services and cookies. For more details on cookies, please refer to our section on cookies.
(h) Sensitive information: If you are submitting a job application, you may also provide sensitive information such as details about your race or ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, health, and any disabilities. This information is handled in accordance with data protection regulations, and we ensure it is treated with the utmost care and confidentiality.
This data enables us to carry out our research and services effectively, ensuring that we fulfil our legal and contractual obligations while safeguarding your privacy and personal information.
6.1 We will use your information for the purposes outlined below, based on one or more of the following legal grounds:
6.1.1 Your consent, where we explicitly request it;
6.1.2 Compliance with legal or regulatory obligations;
6.1.3 Our legitimate business interests.
6.2 We use your information for the following purposes related to our probate and genealogical research services:
6.2.1 To provide our services: We use your information to deliver our probate research and genealogical services, such as tracing heirs, identifying beneficiaries, and managing estate claims. This may involve using your personal data to verify identities, establish familial connections, and fulfil our contractual obligations to you, or on the basis of our legitimate interest in conducting our business.
6.2.2 To respond to inquiries: We process your personal information to respond to inquiries made through our website, by email, or over the phone, particularly those regarding our probate research services. This is done based on your consent, our legitimate interest in responding to prospective clients, or to comply with legal obligations.
6.2.3 To provide access to our website: We use your information to ensure that our website is accessible and functions optimally. This is based on our legitimate interest in presenting our website effectively.
6.2.4 Relationship management: We use your information to manage our relationship with you, including maintaining contact details, updating you on changes to our terms of service or privacy policy, and keeping our records current. This is done on the basis of fulfilling our contractual obligations, complying with legal requirements, and our legitimate interest in managing our relationships and improving our services.
6.2.5 User and customer support: We process your information to provide customer service and support related to our website and services, and to handle any inquiries or complaints. This is based on our contractual obligations and our legitimate interest in ensuring user satisfaction.
6.2.6 Recruitment: If you apply for a job with us, we process your information to review your application, conduct interviews, and make hiring decisions. This is done on the basis of our legitimate interest in recruiting new employees or contractors.
6.2.7 Marketing: With your consent, we may use your information to send you updates about our services, news, events, and other communications that we believe may be of interest to you. Alternatively, this may be done on the basis of our legitimate interest in keeping you informed about relevant updates.
6.2.8 Analytics: We use data analytics to analyze how our website and services are used, allowing us to optimize user experiences, improve our services, and tailor our marketing strategies. This is based on our legitimate interest in enhancing our business operations and understanding our customer needs.
6.2.9 Fraud and unlawful activity detection: We process your information to detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent, unauthorized, or illegal activities, including identity fraud. This is done on the basis of our legitimate interest in operating a safe and lawful business, or where we are legally obligated to do so.
6.2.10 Compliance with policies, procedures, and laws: We use your information to comply with internal policies, procedures, and applicable laws. This may involve sharing your data with our legal or technical advisors to protect our rights and the safety of our employees, or to comply with regulatory requirements.
6.3 When processing your information for our legitimate interests, we carefully consider the potential impact on your rights and ensure that your interests are not overridden by ours. If we believe that your interests outweigh ours, we will not use your information unless we have another legal basis for doing so, such as your consent or a legal obligation.
7.1 In line with our probate research and genealogical services, and based on the lawful grounds described above, we may share your personal information with relevant third parties, including:
7.1.1 Our service providers: To facilitate our research and business operations, we work with various service providers. These include IT and system administration providers, security services, identity verification services, and partners assisting with fraud prevention and detection, primarily based in the UK and the EU.
7.1.2 Regulators and governmental bodies: In certain circumstances, we may be required to share your information with regulatory authorities, such as HM Revenue & Customs, or other governmental bodies in compliance with legal or regulatory requirements associated with our probate research services.
7.1.3 Marketing partners: With your consent, we may share your personal data with selected third parties for marketing purposes, enabling us to inform you about services, events, or updates that might be relevant to you.
7.1.4 Prospective buyers of our business: If we decide to sell our business or assets, we may share your personal information with prospective buyers, ensuring that proper confidentiality and data protection measures are in place throughout the process.
7.1.5 Other third parties (including professional advisers): We may also share your information with legal advisors, regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies, or courts where necessary to enforce our legal rights, protect the rights and safety of our employees, or comply with legal obligations related to our genealogical research activities.
7.2 All third parties we work with are required to maintain appropriate security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access or misuse, ensuring it is handled with the utmost care throughout our genealogical and probate research processes.
8.1 We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our website and to ensure you get the most out of your visit. Cookies are small text files that we store on the device you use to access our website. These files allow us to track your usage of the website and provide features that enhance your browsing experience.
8.2 If you prefer not to have cookies installed on your device, you can adjust your browser or device settings to reject cookies. For detailed guidance on how to disable cookies, please refer to the “Help” section of your internet browser or visit http://www.aboutcookies.org. Please be aware that if you choose to disable cookies, some features of our website may not function correctly or be fully accessible.
8.3 Our website may include content, links, and plug-ins from third-party websites, applications, or services that may also use cookies and similar technologies. By clicking on these links or enabling these connections, third parties may collect or share data about you. We do not have control over these third-party websites or their use of cookies, and we are not responsible for their privacy policies. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of service of any third-party websites you visit to understand how they collect and use your data, including their use of cookies.
9.1 We adhere to strict security protocols to ensure that your personal information is securely stored, accessed, and used. These procedures are designed to prevent unauthorised access, ensuring that only those who need to see your information can do so. Once we receive your information, we employ a range of security measures and features to protect it from unauthorized access. However, it is important to acknowledge that the transmission of information over the internet carries inherent risks, and while we make every effort to safeguard your personal data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9.2 We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or for as long as needed to meet our legitimate business requirements. This includes the retention of data for exercising our legal rights or where we are legally obligated to retain such information. After the relevant retention period has elapsed, your information will be securely disposed of or anonymised to ensure that it is no longer identifiable.
10.1 As part of our genealogical and probate research services, your personal data may be transferred to and stored in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and the UK, where data protection laws may not provide the same level of protection as those in Europe or the UK. This may occur when we engage with international researchers or third-party service providers to access vital records or conduct research in jurisdictions that do not have equivalent data protection standards.
10.2 When transferring your personal data outside the EEA or the UK, we take all necessary steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information. These safeguards are designed to ensure that your personal data is handled securely and in line with applicable data protection laws. If you would like more information about how we safeguard your data during international transfers, or if you wish to obtain a copy of the legal mechanisms we have implemented, please contact us.
11.1 You have certain rights regarding the personal information we hold about you. These rights include:
11.1.1 The right to be informed about how we use your information, as outlined in this Privacy Policy.
11.1.2 The right to request that we do not process your personal data for marketing purposes.
11.1.3 The right to request access to the personal information we hold about you.
11.1.4 The right to ask us to correct or update any information we hold about you that is inaccurate or outdated.
11.1.5 The right to withdraw your consent for us to use your personal data in instances where we are relying on your consent (refer to paragraph 6 to understand when consent is applicable). You can withdraw your consent by contacting us using the details provided at the top of this Privacy Policy.
11.1.6 The right to object to us processing your information on the basis of our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) if there is something specific about your situation that makes you want to object to processing on this basis (refer to paragraph 6 for details on when we rely on legitimate interests).
11.1.7 The right, in certain circumstances, to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you in a structured, commonly-used and machine-readable format.
11.1.8 In certain circumstances, the right to ask us to limit, cease processing, or erase the personal information we hold about you.
11.1.9 The right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (https://ico.org.uk/) or with the relevant data protection authority in your country of work or residence if you believe we have not handled your personal data appropriately.
11.2 Please be aware that we may need to retain certain information for our own record-keeping, legal, and research purposes. Additionally, even if you opt out of marketing communications, we may still need to send you service-related communications.
12.1 You can exercise any of your rights by contacting us using the details provided in paragraph 2 of this Privacy Policy. We will comply with your request unless we have a lawful reason not to.
12.2 Please note that if you object to our processing or withdraw your consent, this may prevent us from performing the necessary actions to fulfil the purposes described above (see ‘How we use your information’). Even after withdrawing your consent, we may continue to process your personal data to the extent permitted or required by law, particularly in relation to defending our legal rights or complying with our legal and regulatory obligations.
12.3 You can request that we stop sending you marketing communications at any time by contacting us in writing using the details provided in paragraph 2. Additionally, every marketing email we send includes an easy way to unsubscribe. Simply follow the instructions at the end of any marketing email.
12.4 If you have received unwanted or unsolicited emails purporting to come from us, please forward a copy of the email, along with your comments, to [[email protected]] for review.
13.1 We may need to request specific information from you to verify your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This security measure helps ensure that personal data is not disclosed to anyone who does not have the right to access it. We may also contact you for further information to expedite our response to your request.
14.1 We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on our website, and, where appropriate, we will notify you of any significant changes via email.
14.2 It is crucial that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and up to date. Please inform us of any changes to your personal data during your relationship with us by contacting us using the details provided at the top of this Privacy Policy. Keeping your information current helps us provide you with the best possible service and ensures compliance with data protection regulations.