Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

This website (www.semcommunity.com) and the publication The SEM Dispatch are operated by Booked Up Media Ltd, a company registered in Scotland (company number SC832128), whose registered office is at 5 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH2 4AN.

We are the data controller responsible for your personal data under this policy. In these documents, “we”, “us” and “our” mean Booked Up Media Ltd. The company also trades as BYLT Media.

If you have any question about this policy or about how we handle your personal data, please contact us and mark your message “Data Protection Query”.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• visitors to www.semcommunity.com;
• registered contributors and editors;
• people who apply to write for the publication; and
• subscribers to our newsletter.

3. The personal data we collect

(a) Information you give us

We collect the personal data you choose to provide, including:

• Account details. When you create an account, your name and email address are handled by our authentication provider. Passwords are managed by that provider and are not stored by us.
• Contributor application data. When you apply to write, we collect your first name, last name, email address, the desk you have chosen, your article pitch (ideas and relevant experience), an optional LinkedIn profile URL, and a record of your confirmation that you meet the experience bar and have read the editorial guidelines. Unsuccessful applications are retained for up to 12 months, after which they are deleted.
• Author profile. The details you choose to publish, such as your name, biography, photo and links.
• Correspondence. The content of any messages you send us and our replies.
• Newsletter email. The email address you give us to subscribe to our newsletter.

(b) Information we collect automatically

When you use the site we may collect usage data, device and technical data, your IP address and approximate location. We collect this through cookies and similar technologies. For detail, see our Cookie Policy.

(c) Information from third parties

We may receive personal data about you from:

• our authentication provider, when you sign in;
• analytics and advertising platforms; and
• social networks, where you interact with us on them.

From these sources we may receive your name and email address (from our authentication provider), aggregated usage and device data (from analytics and advertising platforms), and the public profile information you choose to share (from social networks).

4. How we use your data, and our lawful bases

We use your personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so under the UK GDPR. The list below sets out each purpose and the basis we rely on.

• To operate accounts and publish contributions. Performance of a contract with you, and our legitimate interests in running the publication.
• To review applications to write. Our legitimate interests in maintaining editorial quality, and taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• To send The Tuesday Briefing, our newsletter. Your consent.
• To set analytics and advertising cookies. Your consent.
• For site security, fraud prevention and service improvement. Our legitimate interests in keeping the site secure and making it better.
• To comply with legal and accounting obligations. Compliance with a legal obligation.

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time. Where we rely on our legitimate interests, you have the right to object, as explained in section 9.

5. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to run the site, to measure how it is used and to support our advertising. Non-essential cookies are set only after you consent through our cookie banner. You can change your choices at any time. Full detail of every cookie we use is set out in our Cookie Policy.

6. Who we share your data with

We share personal data with the service providers and recipients that help us run the publication. Each acts only on our instructions or under its own privacy terms, which you can review using the links below.

• Clerk · User authentication and account management for contributors and editors (United States). Privacy policy.
• Neon · Database hosting for contributor submissions and account records (European Union / United States). Privacy policy.
• Vercel · Website hosting, content delivery and server logs (United States). Privacy policy.
• GitHub (Microsoft) · Version-controlled storage of published article content (United States). Privacy policy.
• Google · Website analytics (Google Analytics 4) and advertising measurement (Google Ads) (United States). Privacy policy.
• Meta · Advertising measurement and audiences (Meta Pixel) (United States). Privacy policy.
• Microsoft · Product analytics (Microsoft Clarity) and advertising measurement (Microsoft UET) (United States). Privacy policy.
• LinkedIn (Microsoft) · Advertising measurement and professional audiences (LinkedIn Insight Tag) (United States). Privacy policy.
• CookieYes · Cookie consent management (European Union). Privacy policy.

We also share personal data with our professional advisers, such as our accountants and lawyers, and with public authorities or a successor business where the law allows or requires it, for example in connection with a merger, acquisition or reorganisation.

We do not sell your personal data.

7. International data transfers

Some of our providers are based in the United States. When we transfer personal data outside the United Kingdom, we rely on one of the following safeguards: UK adequacy regulations; the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, where the recipient is certified under it; or the International Data Transfer Agreement, or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses. This ensures your data continues to receive an equivalent level of protection.

8. How long we keep your data

We keep personal data only for as long as we need it. Our usual retention periods are:

• Account data: while your account is active, and for a reasonable period afterwards.
• Unsuccessful applications: up to 12 months.
• Newsletter data: until you unsubscribe.
• Published articles and bylines: kept while published; you may ask us to update or remove them.
• Analytics data: up to 26 months.
• General enquiries: up to 3 years.
• Records we must keep for legal or accounting reasons: up to 7 years.

9. Your rights

Under the UK GDPR you have the following rights over your personal data:

Right of access

You can ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

Right to rectification

You can ask us to correct data that is inaccurate or incomplete.

Right to erasure

You can ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.

Right to restriction

You can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.

Right to data portability

You can ask us to provide certain data to you, or to another controller, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.

Right to object

You can object to our processing based on legitimate interests, and you can object to direct marketing at any time.

Right to withdraw consent

Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing before you withdrew it.

We do not make solely automated decisions that produce legal effects about you, or that significantly affect you in a similar way.

To exercise any of these rights, email info@byltmedia.com. We will respond within one month, and usually free of charge.

10. Keeping your data secure

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encryption in transit, access controls and limiting access to those who need it. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your data and to keep our measures under review. Where the law requires it, we will notify you and the Information Commissioner’s Office of a personal data breach.

11. Children

The publication is intended for marketing professionals and is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under that age. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

12. Links to other websites

Our site links to other websites that we do not control. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post any updates on this page with a new effective date and, where the changes are material, we will tell you where we reasonably can.

14. How to contact us and complain

If you have any question about this policy, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority for data protection. We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns before you approach the regulator.

Please also read our Terms and our Cookie Policy.