Guidance

DVSA email alerts: privacy notice

Updated 2 December 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dvsa-privacy-notices/dvsa-email-alerts-privacy-notice

1. About this service

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) provides this service to allow you to create or update your subscription preferences to information and news email alerts. The service is called GovDelivery. DVSA is an executive agency of the Department for Transport (DfT).

We carry out this service to send information or news to you based on the preferences you have selected. This service lets you subscribe to topics that are relevant to you, such as:

  • driving for a living
  • job vacancies
  • learning to drive
  • MOTs and vehicle testing
  • the Highway Code

You can find details of each topic area you can subscribe to within the service.

The data controller for DVSA is DfT – a data controller determines the reasons and how personal data is processed. For more information, see the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Data Protection Public Register. DfT’s registration number is Z7122992.

2. What data we need

The personal data we collect from you will include:

  • email address
  • password
  • frequency of news
  • preferences
  • activity, such as read, opened and clicked on links
  • location
  • IP address

The lawful basis for processing this data is consent. You can change your preferences or delete your account by clicking on the link you receive in an information or news email, or by logging on to the system. Please note it may take up to 30 days to update your data.

We shall also ask you to refresh your preferences on an annual basis.

3. Why we need it

We need the personal data we collect from you to:

  • send you relevant news and information on the topics or locations you have selected
  • update your preferences or change your email address
  • see what messages have been sent to you (message history)
  • see how successful an information or news story is by looking at activity information, such as page views, time on page, ‘click through’ rates
  • deactivate your account
  • to identify you and contact you regarding your activities in the system
  • for authentication and authorization of access
  • for support, auditing and troubleshooting purposes.
  • to inform you of any technical issues with your account or the application in general or in the event your issue cannot be immediately resolved. Your agent string is collected for internal auditing and support purposes.

4. What we do with it

We collect, use and store the data you give us for the reasons set out in this policy.

We will not:

  • sell or rent your data to third parties
  • share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

An external company called Granicus provides the GovDelivery service.

We will share your data if required to do so by law – for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime.

5. How long we keep your data

We’ll only keep your personal data for as long as it is needed for the reasons set out in this policy or as long as is required by law.

Granicus will hold your personal data for the duration of the contract. After the contract has ended Granicus will return your personal data to us. The data will be held in line with our data retention policy.

6. Where it might go

Our IT infrastructure and technology has been checked to make sure it’s safe and secure.

Granicus is allowed to collect and process personal information in the USA.

We have standard contractual clauses with Granicus for data processing outside of the European Economic Area.

Granicus has its own separate privacy notice.

7. Protecting your data and your rights

The DVSA personal information charter sets out what steps are taken to protect your data, and the rights you have over your data.

8. Automated decision making and profiling

Your data is not subject to automated decision making or profiling as defined in data protection legislation.

9. Changes to this notice

We may change this privacy notice at our discretion at any time.

When we change this notice, the date on the page will be updated. Any changes to this privacy notice will be applied to you and your data as of the revision date.

We encourage you to periodically review this privacy notice to be informed about how your data is protected.

10. How to contact us

If you have any questions about anything in this document or if you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you can contact the DVSA data protection manager

DVSA data protection manager

Data Protection Manager
DVSA
1 Unity Square
Nottingham
NG2 1AY

Contact DVSA customer services if you have a query that is not about how your personal data is used.

You may also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator.

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