Understanding the Social Media Content Creation Sector - Privacy notice

Privacy Notice

In line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there are certain things that we need to let you, a research participant, know about how your information will be processed. In this privacy notice, we explain the legal basis for data processing, who will have access to your personal data, how your data will be used, stored and deleted, and who you can contact with a query or a complaint.

Who is collecting my data?

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is carrying out this research on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to better understand how social media content creators describe themselves and what they do, and how HMRC can best provide information to the sector.

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is Britain’s largest independent social research agency. For over 50 years, we have been working with charities, universities and government to find out what people really think about the big issues. NatCen is independent of all government departments and political parties.

What is the legal basis for processing data?

For the purpose of data protection legislation, HMRC are the data controllers and NatCen are the data processers. This means HMRC is responsible for deciding the purpose and legal basis for processing data from this study. For this study, the legal basis for processing data is ‘Public Task’.

Why have I been selected?

You have been selected for the research in one of the following ways: 

  1. HMRC have provided NatCen with a list of customers who may be social media content creators. 
    1. If you were selected using this approach, then you should have received a letter from HMRC in advance, informing you about the research and providing you with an opportunity to opt out before your details were shared with us. 
    2. If you did not opt out, your contact details (including your email address and phone number) were securely transferred to us and stored in a secure folder on NatCen’s service. They will be securely deleted once the research has been completed. 
    3. HMRC are allowed to do this under the ‘Public Task’ legal basis outlined above. This allows HMRC to use the information it gathers from you to undertake research to improve and develop their services. 
    4. As a contractor acting on HMRC’s behalf, it also allows NatCen to process this data. HMRC will never share any information with us that is not necessary and relevant to the research.
  2. You have been invited to take part as a member of the NatCen Panel who has agreed to be contacted about other research projects.
    1. If you were selected using this approach, this was because your responses to one of our recent surveys  indicated that you make some money or receive other benefits (such as gifts) through social media content creation. 
  3. NatCen have contacted you directly through social media as someone who may be eligible to take part in the research. 
  4. You contacted NatCen after the research study was recommended to you by someone else who was selected using one of the above approaches.

What data is being collected?

Personal data collected as part of this research will include contact details, some demographic information such as income, age and gender, as well as your view and experiences of generating income through content creation on social media. Your personal details will not be held for any longer than is necessary and will be securely deleted once the research has been completed. 

With your permission, interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed.

Who will have access to my personal data?

Your data will be held securely by NatCen in line with the UK GDPR. Only the NatCen research team and the transcription partner that we work with will have access to personal data that you provide during the interview. McGowan Transcriptions is the transcription service that NatCen use. They are on NatCen’s approved supplier list and are compliant with all of NatCen’s information security policies.

HMRC will also receive a small number of anonymised transcripts, which will be used for quality assurance purposes only. These will only be shared with your permission.

What will you do with the information I give?

The data collected will be used for research purposes only.

NatCen will write a report covering the main themes and issues that have been discussed in the interviews. NatCen will not name you in the report nor will it be possible to identify you from your interview data. The report may include quotes of what you have said. The quotes will be labelled anonymously and any other identifiable information will be removed.

The report will be published on the gov.uk website.

All personal information, and any other data held on the project, will be securely deleted at the end of the project.

You can withdraw from the study up until one month after your interview has taken place. If you wish to do so, please contact the NatCen research team on the study email address or freephone number provided below.

Will my contact information be shared with anyone else?

We will never share your contact details with third parties, including government, charities or commercial companies for marketing purposes. If there was a legitimate research purpose for sharing contact details or identifiable information, we would only do so with your direct permission.

Will I have access to my information?

Yes, but please note that once your data is combined with others’, anonymised or research findings have been published, we would not be able to change the findings by removing individual information. However, you can always request that your personal data be deleted or updated and we will let you know immediately if this is possible or not.

What are my rights?

You have rights with regards to your personal data. These include:

  • The right to request copies of your personal data.
  • The right to ask us to correct any personal data that we hold about you that’s inaccurate or incomplete.
  • The right to ask us to delete personal data that we hold about you.
  • The right to object or restrict how we’re processing your personal data.

Who to contact if you have a query or complaint?

To contact the research team at NatCen, please use email SMCCresearch@natcen.ac.uk or call 0808 168 8519 free of charge.

If you have any questions about how your data will be used, you can contact NatCen’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@natcen.ac.uk 

If you have been selected for the research from the list of customers that HMRC shared with us, the HMRC’s Office of the Data Protection Officer (ODPO) has more information about your rights in relation to your personal data, how to complain and how to contact the Data Protection Officer. You can view it at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hmrc-office-of-the-data-protection-officer-privacy-notice

If you are unhappy with the way your personal data is being processed, you can report it to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/ or by calling the ICO helpline on 0303 123 1113.