Last updated: January 24, 2022.
1. Introduction
1.1 We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of visitors to Monsters and Critics (https://www.monstersandcritics.com).
1.2 This policy applies where we are acting as a data controller with respect to the personal data of our website visitors and service users; in other words, where we determine the purposes and means of the processing of that personal data.
1.3 We use cookies on our website. Insofar as those cookies are not strictly necessary for the provision of our website and services, if you are in the EU we will ask you to consent to our use of cookies when you first visit our website.
1.4 Our website incorporates privacy controls which affect how we will process your personal data. By using the privacy controls, you can limit the use of your information. You can access the privacy controls, find out information on each vendor and exercise your choices by clicking the “Change your CMP settings” link on this site. Or, to opt out, you can visit the NAI, DAA, or EDAA sites.
1.5 In this policy, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Digital Minefield Ltd. For more information about us, see Section 19.
2. How we use your personal data
2.1 In this Section 2 we have set out:
(a) the general categories of personal data that we may process;
(b) In the case of personal data that we did not obtain directly from you, the source and specific categories of that data;
(c) the purposes for which we may process personal data; and
(d) the legal bases of the processing.
2.2 We may process data about your use of our website and services (“usage data”). The usage data may include your IP address, geographical location, browser type and version, operating system, referral source, length of visit, page views and website navigation paths, as well as information about the timing, frequency and pattern of your service use. The source of the usage data is our analytics tracking system, Google Analytics. This usage data may be processed for the purposes of analysing the use of the website and services. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, namely monitoring and improving our website and services.
2.3 We may process your account data (“account data”). The account data may include your name and email address. The source of the account data is you. The account data may be processed for the purposes of operating our website, providing our services, ensuring the security of our website and services, maintaining back-ups of our databases and communicating with you. The legal basis for this processing is consent.
2.4 We may process your information included in your personal profile on our website (“profile data”) if you have created one. The profile data may include your name, address, telephone number, email address, profile pictures, gender, date of birth, relationship status, interests and hobbies, educational details and employment details. The profile data may be processed for the purposes of enabling and monitoring your use of our website and services. The legal basis for this processing is consent.
2.5 We may process information that you post for publication on our website or through our services (“publication data”). The publication data may be processed for the purposes of enabling such publication and administering our website and services. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, namely the proper administration of our website and business.
2.6 We may process information contained in any enquiry you submit to us regarding goods and/or services (“enquiry data”). The enquiry data may be processed for the purposes of offering, marketing and selling relevant goods and/or services to you. The legal basis for this processing is consent.
2.7 We may process information that you provide to us for the purpose of subscribing to our email notifications and/or newsletters (“notification data”). The notification data may be processed for the purposes of sending you the relevant notifications and/or newsletters. The legal basis for this processing is consent.
2.8 We may process information contained in or relating to any communication that you send to us (“correspondence data”). The correspondence data may include the communication content and metadata associated with the communication. Our website will generate the metadata associated with communications made using the website contact forms. The correspondence data may be processed for the purposes of communicating with you and record-keeping. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, namely the proper administration of our website and business and communications with users.
2.9 We may process any of your personal data identified in this policy where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, whether in court proceedings or in an administrative or out-of-court procedure. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, namely the protection and assertion of our legal rights, your legal rights and the legal rights of others.
2.10 We may process any of your personal data identified in this policy where necessary for the purposes of obtaining or maintaining insurance coverage, managing risks, or obtaining professional advice. The legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interests, namely the proper protection of our business against risks.
2.11 In addition to the specific purposes for which we may process your personal data set out in this Section 2, we may also process any of your personal data where such processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject, or in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another natural person.
2.12 Please do not supply any other person’s personal data to us, unless we prompt you to do so.
3. Automated decision-making
3.1 We do not currently use your personal data for the purposes of automated decision-making.
4. Providing your personal data to others
4.1 We may disclose your personal data to any member of our group of companies (this means our subsidiaries, our ultimate holding company and all its subsidiaries insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes, and on the legal bases, set out in this policy. Information about our group of companies can be found at www.monstersandcritics.com.
4.2 We may disclose your personal data to our insurers and/or professional advisers insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes of obtaining or maintaining insurance coverage, managing risks, obtaining professional advice, or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, whether in court proceedings or in an administrative or out-of-court procedure.
4.3 In addition to the specific disclosures of personal data set out in this Section 4, we may disclose your personal data where such disclosure is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject, or in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another natural person. We may also disclose your personal data where such disclosure is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, whether in court proceedings or in an administrative or out-of-court procedure.
5. International transfers of your personal data
5.1 In this Section 5, we provide information about the circumstances in which your personal data may be transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
5.2 We and our other group companies have offices and facilities in the UK and the USA. The European Commission has made an “adequacy decision” with respect to the data protection laws of each of these countries. Transfers to each of these countries will be protected by appropriate safeguards, namely the use of standard data protection clauses adopted or approved by the European Commission, a copy of which can be obtained from here.
5.3 The hosting facilities for our website are situated in the USA. The European Commission has made an “adequacy decision” with respect to the data protection laws of the USA. Transfers to the USA will be protected by appropriate safeguards, namely the use of standard data protection clauses adopted or approved by the European Commission, a copy of which you can obtain from here.
5.4 You acknowledge that personal data that you submit for publication through our website or services may be available, via the internet, around the world. We cannot prevent the use (or misuse) of such personal data by others.
6. Retaining and deleting personal data
6.1 This Section 6 sets out our data retention policies and procedure, which are designed to help ensure that we comply with our legal obligations in relation to the retention and deletion of personal data.
6.2 Personal data that we process for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
6.3 We will retain your personal data as follows:
(a) Email addresses will be retained for a minimum period of six months following an enquiry, and for a maximum period of 12 months following an enquiry.
6.4 In some cases it is not possible for us to specify in advance the periods for which your personal data will be retained. In such cases, we will determine the period of retention based on the following criteria:
(a) Contact details for our newsletter will be retained until you inform us that you wish to unsubscribe.
6.5 Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 6, we may retain your personal data where such retention is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject, or in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another natural person.
7. Security of personal data
7.1 We will take appropriate technical and organisational precautions to secure your personal data and to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal data.
7.2 We will store all your personal data on secure servers, personal computers and mobile devices, and in secure manual record-keeping systems.
7.3 The following personal data will be stored by us in encrypted form: passwords, if you have them.
7.4 Data relating to your enquiries that is sent from your web browser to our web server, or from our web server to your web browser, will be protected using encryption technology.
7.5 You acknowledge that the transmission of unencrypted (or inadequately encrypted) data over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet.
7.6 You should ensure that your password, if you have one, is not susceptible to being guessed, whether by a person or a computer program. You are responsible for keeping the password you use for accessing our website confidential and we will not ask you for your password (except when you log in to our website).
8. Amendments
8.1 We may update this policy from time to time by publishing a new version on our website.
8.2 You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes to this policy.
8.3 We may notify you of changes to this policy by email.
9. Your rights
9.1 In this Section 9, we have summarised the rights that you have under data protection law. Some of the rights are complex, and not all of the details have been included in our summaries. Accordingly, you should read the relevant laws and guidance from the regulatory authorities for a full explanation of these rights.
9.2 Your principal rights under data protection law are:
(a) the right to access;
(b) the right to rectification;
(c) the right to erasure;
(d) the right to restrict processing;
(e) the right to object to processing;
(f) the right to data portability;
(g) the right to complain to a supervisory authority; and
(h) the right to withdraw consent.
9.3 You have the right to confirmation as to whether or not we process your personal data and, where we do, access to the personal data, together with certain additional information. That additional information includes details of the purposes of the processing, the categories of personal data concerned and the recipients of the personal data. Providing the rights and freedoms of others are not affected, we will supply to you a copy of your personal data. The first copy will be provided free of charge, but additional copies may be subject to a reasonable fee.
9.4 You have the right to have any inaccurate personal data about you rectified and, taking into account the purposes of the processing, to have any incomplete personal data about you completed.
9.5 In some circumstances you have the right to the erasure of your personal data without undue delay. Those circumstances include: the personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed; you withdraw consent to consent-based processing; you object to the processing under certain rules of applicable data protection law; the processing is for direct marketing purposes; and the personal data have been unlawfully processed. However, there are exclusions of the right to erasure. The general exclusions include where processing is necessary: for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information; for compliance with a legal obligation; or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
9.6 In some circumstances you have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data. Those circumstances are: you contest the accuracy of the personal data; processing is unlawful but you oppose erasure; we no longer need the personal data for the purposes of our processing, but you require personal data for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; and you have objected to processing, pending the verification of that objection. Where processing has been restricted on this basis, we may continue to store your personal data. However, we will only otherwise process it: with your consent; for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person; or for reasons of important public interest.
9.7 You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data on grounds relating to your particular situation, but only to the extent that the legal basis for the processing is that the processing is necessary for: the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of any official authority vested in us; or the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party. If you make such an objection, we will cease to process the personal information unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing is for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
9.8 You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes (including profiling for direct marketing purposes). If you make such an objection, we will cease to process your personal data for this purpose.
9.9 You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes on grounds relating to your particular situation, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.
9.10 To the extent that the legal basis for our processing of your personal data is:
(a) consent; or
(b) that the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are party or in order to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract,
and such processing is carried out by automated means, you have the right to receive your personal data from us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. However, this right does not apply where it would adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.
9.11 If you consider that our processing of your personal information infringes data protection laws, you have a legal right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority responsible for data protection. You may do so in the state of your habitual residence, your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement.
9.12 To the extent that the legal basis for our processing of your personal information is consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal.
9.13 You may exercise any of your rights in relation to your personal data by written notice to us.
10. Third party websites
10.1 Our website includes hyperlinks to, and details of, third party websites.
10.2 We have no control over, and are not responsible for, the privacy policies and practices of third parties.
11. Personal data of children
11.1 Our website and services are targeted at persons over the age of 16.
11.2 If we have reason to believe that we hold personal data of a person under that age in our databases, we will delete that personal data.
12. Updating information
12.1 Please let us know if the personal information that we hold about you needs to be corrected or updated.
13. Acting as a data processor
13.1 In respect of personal data that we process on behalf of our advertising customers, we do not act as a data controller; instead, we act as a data processor.
13.2 Insofar as we act as a data processor rather than a data controller, this policy shall not apply. Our legal obligations as a data processor are instead set out in the contract between us and the relevant data controller.
14. About cookies
14.1 A cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser and is stored by the browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.
14.2 Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies: a persistent cookie will be stored by a web browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date, unless deleted by the user before the expiry date; a session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed.
14.3 Cookies do not typically contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal information that we store about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.
15. Cookies that we use
15.1 We use cookies for the following purposes:
(a) authentication – we use cookies to identify you when you visit our website and as you navigate our website;
(b) status – we use cookies to help us to determine if you are logged into our website;
(e) security – we use cookies as an element of the security measures used to protect user accounts, including preventing fraudulent use of login credentials, and to protect our website and services generally;
(f) advertising – we use cookies to help us to display advertisements that will be relevant to you;
(g) analysis – we use cookies to help us to analyse the use and performance of our website and services; and
(h) cookie consent – we use cookies to store your preferences in relation to the use of cookies more generally.
16. Cookies used by our service providers
16.1
Mediavine Programmatic Advertising (Ver 1.1)
The Website works with Mediavine to manage third-party interest-based advertising appearing on the Website. Mediavine serves content and advertisements when you visit the Website, which may use first and third-party cookies. A cookie is a small text file which is sent to your computer or mobile device (referred to in this policy as a “device”) by the web server so that a website can remember some information about your browsing activity on the Website.
First party cookies are created by the website that you are visiting. A third-party cookie is frequently used in behavioral advertising and analytics and is created by a domain other than the website you are visiting. Third-party cookies, tags, pixels, beacons and other similar technologies (collectively, “Tags”) may be placed on the Website to monitor interaction with advertising content and to target and optimize advertising. Each internet browser has functionality so that you can block both first and third-party cookies and clear your browser’s cache. The “help” feature of the menu bar on most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to receive notification of new cookies, how to disable existing cookies and how to clear your browser’s cache. For more information about cookies and how to disable them, you can consult the information at All About Cookies.
Without cookies you may not be able to take full advantage of the Website content and features. Please note that rejecting cookies does not mean that you will no longer see ads when you visit our Site. In the event you opt-out, you will still see non-personalized advertisements on the Website.
The Website collects the following data using a cookie when serving personalized ads:
- IP Address
- Operating System type
- Operating System version
- Device Type
- Language of the website
- Web browser type
- Email (in hashed form)
Mediavine Partners (companies listed below with whom Mediavine shares data) may also use this data to link to other end user information the partner has independently collected to deliver targeted advertisements. Mediavine Partners may also separately collect data about end users from other sources, such as advertising IDs or pixels, and link that data to data collected from Mediavine publishers in order to provide interest-based advertising across your online experience, including devices, browsers and apps. This data includes usage data, cookie information, device information, information about interactions between users and advertisements and websites, geolocation data, traffic data, and information about a visitor’s referral source to a particular website. Mediavine Partners may also create unique IDs to create audience segments, which are used to provide targeted advertising.
If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices to opt-in or opt-out of this data collection, please visit National Advertising Initiative opt out page. You may also visit Digital Advertising Alliance website and Network Advertising Initiative website to learn more information about interest-based advertising. You may download the AppChoices app at Digital Advertising Alliance’s AppChoices app to opt out in connection with mobile apps, or use the platform controls on your mobile device to opt out.
For specific information about Mediavine Partners, the data each collects and their data collection and privacy policies, please visit Mediavine Partners.
16.2 Our other service providers use cookies and those cookies may be stored on your computer when you visit our website.
16.3 We use Google Analytics to analyse the use of our website. Google Analytics gathers information about website use by means of cookies. The information gathered relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of our website. Google’s privacy policy is available at: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/. If you don’t want Google Analytics to be used in your browser you can install the Google Analytics browser add-on. Learn more about Google Analytics and privacy here.
16.4 We publish Google AdSense interest-based advertisements on our website. These are tailored by Google to reflect your interests. To determine your interests, Google will track your behaviour on our website and on other websites across the web using cookies. You can view, delete or add interest categories associated with your browser by visiting the NAI, DAA, or EDAA sites. You can also opt out of the AdSense partner network cookie using those settings or using the Network Advertising Initiative’s multi-cookie opt-out mechanism at: http://optout.networkadvertising.org. However, these opt-out mechanisms themselves use cookies, and if you clear the cookies from your browser your opt-out will not be maintained. To ensure that an opt-out is maintained in respect of a particular browser, you may wish to consider using the Google browser plug-ins available at: https://support.google.com/ads/answer/7395996. You can find out more about how Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services here: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
16.5 We publish Playwire (Playwire Media, LLC) interest-based advertisements on our website. These are tailored by Playwire to reflect your interests. To determine your interests, Playwire will track your behaviour on our website and on other websites across the web using cookies. You can read their privacy policy here: https://www.playwire.com/privacy-policy/. Their adserver will no longer place cookies on your computer if you visit https://www.aboutads.info/choices and make your choices. Playwire may also use third-party advertising companies to serve ads. If you would like to know and manage more opt outs visit the NAI, DAA, or EDAA sites.
16.6 We publish content.ad (Broadspring, Inc.) advertisements on our website. If you are inside the EU these do not include cookies and no data is collected on users. You can see content.ad’s privacy policy here: https://content.ad/privacy-policy/
16.7 We publish Zergnet (7hops.com, Inc.) advertisements on our website. Zergnet uses session cookies to better understand how you interact with the services they offer, to monitor aggregate usage by their users and web traffic routing, and to improve their services. Session cookies should be deleted from your computer when you leave our website or the ZergNet website. ZergNet also uses a persistent cookie that stays on your computer for the sole purpose of ensuring you receive a variety of ZergNet content (also called “frequency capping”. You can see ZergNet privacy policy here: https://zergnet.com/privacy. If you want to stop ZergNet from leaving a cookie on your computer, you can instruct your internet browser to do so. See section 17 below.
16.8 We publish Amazon advertisements on our website. These are tailored by Amazon to reflect your interests. To determine your interests, Amazon will track your behaviour on our website and on other websites across the web using cookies. You can see Amazon’s EU privacy policy here and their global one here. You can set your preferences here: https://www.amazon.com/adprefs
16.9 We use CloudFlare to provide security services relating to our website, and CloudFlare uses cookies for this purpose. ClouldFlare’s privacy policy is available at: https://www.cloudflare.com/security-policy/
16.10 We use Jetpack by WordPress.com (Automattic Inc.) to analyse the use of our website. Automattic uses cookies for this purpose. Automattic’s privacy policy is available at: https://automattic.com/privacy/
16.11 We use the YouTube video widget (Google Inc.) to incorporate video content into our webpages. YouTube uses cookies for this purpose. Google’s privacy policy is available at: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/
16.12 We use the Facebook Like button and social widgets (Facebook, Inc.) to incorporate content into our webpages and allow interaction with the Facebook social network provided by Facebook, Inc. Facebook uses cookies for this purpose. Facebook’s privacy policy is available at: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation
16.13 We use Instagram social widgets (Facebook, Inc.) to incorporate content into our webpages and allow interaction with the Instagram social network provided by Facebook, Inc. Instagram uses cookies for this purpose. Instagram’s data policy is available at: https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875
16.14 We use Twitter social widgets (Twitter, Inc.) to incorporate content into our webpages and allow interaction with the Twitter social network provided by Twitter, Inc. Twitter uses cookies for this purpose. Twitter’s data policy is available at: https://twitter.com/en/privacy
16.15 We use the SoundCloud widget (SoundCloud Limited) to incorporate audio content into our webpages. SoundCloud uses cookies for this purpose. SoundCloud’s privacy policy is available at: https://soundcloud.com/pages/privacy
17. Managing cookies
17.1 Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies and to delete cookies. The methods for doing so vary from browser to browser, and from version to version. You can however obtain up-to-date information about blocking and deleting cookies via these links:
(a) https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en (Chrome);
(b) https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-and-disable-cookies-website-preferences (Firefox);
(c) http://www.opera.com/help/tutorials/security/cookies/ (Opera);
(d) https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies (Internet Explorer);
(e) https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10-microsoft-edge-and-privacy (Edge).
17.2 Blocking all cookies will have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites.
17.3 If you block cookies, you will not be able to use all the features on our website.
18. Cookie preferences
18.1 You can also manage your preferences relating to the use of cookies via the tab at the bottom of your screen.
19. Our details
19.1 This website is owned and operated by Digital Minefield Limited
19.2 We are registered in Scotland under registration number SC582258 and our registered office is at G2/B, Banchory Business Centre, Burn O’Bennie Road, Banchory, Scotland, AB31 5ZU.
19.3 Our principal place of business is at G2/B, Banchory Business Centre, Burn O’Bennie Road, Banchory, Scotland, AB31 5ZU.
19.4 You can contact us:
(a) by post, to the postal address given above;
(b) by email, using the address: [email protected]
20. Data protection officer
20.1 Our data protection officer’s contact details are: Julian Cheatle, G2/B, Banchory Business Centre, Burn O’Bennie Road, Banchory, Scotland, AB31 5ZU.
This Privacy and Cookies Policy was updated on Jan 24, 2022.