What is a Privacy Policy and what does it cover?

At stem4 we understand that when you want to support your mental health, your privacy is incredibly important, and so we have developed all of our resources to give you the maximum level of privacy and a feeling of safety. We want you to feel comfortable and safe when you use the stem4 apps and other resources, in a way that is right for you.

In this Privacy Policy, we tell you how we collect and use information. We also let you know what your rights are. Each section of the Policy uses simpler language to make what we do easier to understand. 

It’s important to us that you know how to control your privacy, so we will also tell you about things you can do about what happens online.

This Privacy Policy relates to the Move Mood app, and any information that is collected when you use the app.

What information do we collect?

To give you the greatest level of privacy, stem4 does not collect any personal information about you. Personal information is any information that would allow someone to know who you are. Personal information can include your name, the date when you were born, where you are, or where you live, but we do not collect this type of information.

We do ask if you are comfortable letting us know some information about yourself, which lets us develop the apps to make them better. The information we collect is anonymous, and combined with information from other people, so that we can’t know who any one person is.  We ask if you are comfortable telling us the county you are in (if in UK), your year of birth, your gender, your racial background, and whether you are receiving any treatment or advice from a health professional, such as a psychologist or counsellor.

It is important to know that you do not have to share any of this information, and it is entirely your choice if you do share anything. There is a skip button, so you can easily miss out these questions, and you can still use the whole app and get support, as we have support suitable for all ages and people. If you do tell us your age, we give you options that we think are best for someone of your age, but only if you are comfortable sharing that information. 

How do we use your information?

We use some software called Firebase SDK, that lets us understand how people are using the app, using Google Analytics 4. Google Analytics 4 collects information about the device you are using, the activities you do when using the app, and your location, but does not record your exact location.

How do we share information with partners, vendors, service providers and third parties?

Sometimes this information, on which groups of people are using the app, and how they are using it, may be shared with people who support the stem4 charity, such as the NHS or a donor. We will never share any information with companies who may use it for advertising or marketing.

stem4 is committed to only asking for essential information, that helps us to offer support, and we never collect personal information that would help someone know who or where you are. 

How can you manage or delete your information and exercise your rights?

Any information that we collect and use follows the UK-GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) and data protection laws.. As we do not collect any personal information your rights are already protected by our ‘Privacy by Design and by Default’ approach. However, to support a better understanding of your rights with any online service that does collect and process personal information, you have the following rights under UK-GDPR:

1. The right to access – You have the right to request us for copies of your personal data, if it is collected.
2. The right to rectification – You have the right to request us to correct any information about you that you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request us to complete the information you believe is incomplete.
3. The right to erasure – You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, if collected, under certain conditions.
4. The right to restrict processing – You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, if collected, under certain conditions.
5. The right to object to processing – You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, if collected under certain conditions.
6. The right to data portability – You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organisation, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
7. The right to avoid automated decision-making.

As mentioned before, as stem4 does not collect, save or process any personal information about you, and only uses anonymised information, your rights are already protected. So, for example, we cannot delete your personal information because we do not collect any from you. 

If you would like to discuss any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Lead at dpo@stem4.org.uk and we will respond within one month.

If you do use the app, we consider that as your consent to us collecting the anonymised information that we do.

We support and follow the ICO’s (Information Commissioner’s Office) Age-appropriate Design or Children’s Code, which is an additional data protection code of practice for online services, including apps. This code prioritises the rights of young people in their use of online service, particularly with respect to the design of the services and privacy. 

If you are an adult and are concerned about data privacy issues for any young person who may use the app, please contact us, see details below.

How long do we keep your information for?

Anonymised data collected from the app is stored in Google Analytics 4, which is stored securely in the cloud, and accessed by us using a secure 2-step authentication process. Google Analytics 4 does not share data between Google Analytics 4 users. Google tell us that “Retention of user-level data, including conversions, is set to 14 months”.

Your Privacy and Security

The security of personal information is important to us. We follow current regulatory UK and International standards and in the UK, the NHS standards. 

If data were lost (a security breach takes place), we will quickly establish whether any personal data has been lost, but this is highly unlikely as we do not collect it. But if this did occur, we would promptly take steps to address it, compliant with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recommendations, including informing the ICO if required within 72 hours.

If you have any concerns about a possible data breach or questions about the security of the app and your information, you can contact our Data Protection Lead at dpo@stem4.org.uk.

Changes to our privacy policy

We will update this Privacy Policy if there are any changes to our information practices. If we make any substantial changes to the way we collect or use your data, this will be reported in the ‘What’s new’ area in the app store. Please read about any updates, and make sure you are always up to date on how we use your data. 

Contact

Questions, comments and requests regarding this privacy policy are welcomed and should be addressed to dpo@stem4.org.uk or alternatively you can write to stem4, 51 St George’s Rd, Wimbledon, SW19 4EA.  This Privacy Policy is effective on 07/06/2023 and was last updated on 04/07/2023.

Updates, queries, comments and complaints

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), in relation to data protection issues and this app. We would appreciate you giving us the opportunity to respond. The ICO can be contacted by calling 0303 123 1113 or by going online at www.ico.org.uk/concerns. If you are outside the UK you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection regulator.

We are committed to updating the app and it is reviewed every three months and updated as required. Feedback from our users is very important to us. We are keen to respond to any users’ issues with the app and welcome your comments, suggestions and queries about this app. You can contact us by emailing movemood@stem4.org.uk and we will do our best to reply within 2 working days.

stem4 registered office: 51 St George’s Rd, Wimbledon, SW19 4EA. 

Registered Charity No 1144506

Company Registration No 07779151

www.stem4.org.uk