Privacy Policy

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

You can browse our websites without providing any personal information. However, to use some of our enhanced functionality, we will sometimes ask for additional information in order to process your request.

Examples include:

• Providing your name, email address, and preferences to create an account to receive email newsletters and save your preferences.
• Providing your name, email, and contact details to request a prospectus or make an enquiry to an education provider.
• Providing your name, contact details, and education history to engage with offline education counselling services.

Details of why we collect each piece of information is displayed clearly next to the field used to enter the data.

A full list of the data collected by each website is available on the site-specific data collection notice.

We also collect some technical information while you use our websites, such as information on the type of browser you use and your IP address. This information is used to maintain and monitor the performance of our websites.

Cookies

We use cookies on our websites to provide login and preferences functions, and to collect anonymized data on user interactions. For example, we use cookies to:

• Keep you logged into the website.
• Understand and save your user preferences for a future personalized experience and to deliver the type of content and products in which you are most interested.
• Compile anonymized data about site traffic and site interactions in order to offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We use tools such as Google Analytics to do this.
• Provide targeted content and advertising based on your preferences and previous interactions. We work with third-party companies to provide targeted advertising. Personal data is not shared with these companies. Further details of the companies we work with are available within our Cookie Policy.

You can choose to block some or all cookies through your browser settings. If you disable cookies, some advanced features will be disabled and some of our services may not function as intended.

Anonymized Analytics and Insights

Occasionally, we will ask for additional information to help us monitor the reach and effectiveness of our services. For example, when creating an account, we may ask for your country of residence or postcode. This data will only ever be used in an anonymized format to help us demonstrate the effectiveness and improve the products and services we offer.

We use Google Analytics to log aggregated use data across all of our websites. No personal data is shared with Google Analytics.

Geographical Data and Geotargeting

As with all websites, your IP address is sent to us each time a webpage is viewed. For some functionality, we use this, along with geo-location information provided by your browser, to provide location-specific content within our websites and apps. When you browse our website or use our apps, your IP address and location information are stored on our system anonymously unless you are a registered user, in which case it will be possible to link it to your profile. This link will only exist temporarily and will be removed three months after your visit.

We will not use this information to identify you personally. We use location data for analytics purposes to understand the locations our products are successful in and to deliver a better service. You can stop sharing this information by changing your browser settings.

Mobile App Specific Settings

We offer push notifications, location-based services, and targeted advertising through our apps. When you first use one of our apps, you will be asked whether or not you want to turn on these services. You can opt out of these services at any time by changing the permissions through your device settings.

Storing Your Data

The personal data you provide is stored in a secure hosting environment based in the United Kingdom. We employ a range of technology and procedures to ensure that this data is secure, including encryption, anti-virus and anti-malware software, intrusion detection, company-wide data usage policies, and mandatory security and privacy staff training.

Personal data is deleted in accordance with our internal retention policy. All identifiable personal data is deleted three years following your last interaction with this website for users registering from within the United Kingdom and after two years for international markets.

How long will you keep my Information for?

We will keep your data for as long as we are required to, either:

For as long as we require the data to provide a service to you.

Personal data is deleted in accordance with our internal retention policy. All identifiable personal data is deleted three years following your last interaction with this website, for users registering from within United Kingdom and after two years for international markets.

Your Rights

In line with privacy regulations across the world, you have the following rights:

• The right to be informed: You have the right to be informed why and how we collect your personal data, how we will use this information, who we share it with, what security measures we take to protect this information, and what your individual rights are.
• The right of access: You have the right to access the information we hold for you by logging into your online profile. Alternatively, you can make an offline Subject Access Request by contacting the Privacy Manager.
• The right to rectification: You have the right for inaccurate or incomplete data we hold to be updated. You can make a request to have your data updated through the Privacy Manager.
• The right to erasure: You have the right to be forgotten at any point by contacting the Privacy Manager or emailing account@timescoursefinder.com.
• The right to restrict processing: You have the right to restrict processing when you have exercised one of the above rights and it may take some time to process that request.
• The right to withdraw consent: For processing activities where we have asked you for consent, you have the right to withdraw this consent at any point.
• The right to object: You can object to the processing of your personal data at any point by contacting the Account Manager.
• The right to not be subject to automated decisions and profiling: None of our processing activities are purely automated.
• The right to data portability: If you have provided us with your personal data with consent or under the contact obligations, you have the right to request the data you have provided to us in a machine-readable format.

Marketing and Email Newsletters

As industry experts, it is our primary objective to help you with your educational journey. As part of this, we offer a number of subscription options:

• Newsletters: Inspiring emails from our editorial team, providing you with the latest university news, tips, and guides.
• University Updates: Emails providing news and updates of course information, open days, events, and scholarships from universities and partners that match your interests.

You can withdraw your consent at any point by logging in to our website and going to your profile page.

Marketing Options from Our Partner Institutions

When you use our applications, you may also be invited to subscribe to our partners’ (Universities) marketing directly. When this option is available, there will be a consent box on the relevant form with a link to the partner’s Privacy Notice.

If you give consent to a University, you will need to contact the University directly to subsequently withdraw your consent or change your preferences.

For more details, please contact us via the contact details provided in this Notice.

Multimedia Content

As part of multimedia production activities, TCO processes personal data on the basis of consent. There are number of instances when we may ask you to take part in a video or appear in a photograph:

Student Events (organized or attended by our team): Video and photo materials recorded at the event are used to stream the event live and/or promote future events. Some of these events will be featured in an article published on our websites and use video and photographic material from the event.

Promotional Video Production Events (commissioned by our clients): These videos and photographs are used to promote a specific university and highlight certain aspects of the facilities the university has to offer.

Review videos (recorded by our review collection team or supplied by you directly): These videos are produced to give our users an independent view of your student experience. Each time we record a video, or take a photograph, we will ask for your consent and provide you with a form containing specific information about the filming/photoshoot event. Please read all the information before signing.

Social Media

We use social media to make our editorial content more accessible and interact with you. You can engage with us by reading, sharing and commenting on our posts. You can also share any article that has that option on your social media page. When creating a post or leaving comments on a post, please do not leave any personal details as these posts are made public and anyone can see them. Instead, if you need to ask a more specific question, please send us a private message. Private messages will be stored, and will not be shared with anyone outside our company

When you log in to our websites using Facebook credentials, we will create a user account for you using your details from Facebook. This is necessary as some of the features like making an enquiry or downloading prospectuses are only available to registered users

You can stop sharing this information with us directly from your Facebook account. Please note this will not delete the data we have already received (name, email address or profile picture).

When contacting us via social media platforms please familiarize yourself with the privacy notice of that platform

Sharing Your Data with Partners

We work with a range of learning providers that either advertise courses on our platforms or offer services relevant to your educational research journey.

Your personal data will only be shared with learning providers you have chosen to engage with via our websites. For example, when you make an enquiry or a prospectus request to an institution, your details relating to that enquiry will be provided to the institution so that they may answer your enquiry directly.

We also provide anonymized site usage data to providers to enable them to monitor enrolment from users who use our websites.

If you take part in one of our market research campaigns or surveys, we will never share your personal data with our partners; we only share aggregated data that cannot identify you individually. Our data handling procedures ensure your personal data is protected through the service you receive from us. Furthermore, we have data sharing agreements in place with our partners to make sure they apply security operational and technical measures when processing your personal information.

Links to other websites

On our website there are lots of links to course provider websites. This privacy notice does not cover these links. We encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit.

Changes to the Privacy Notice

The date of the most recent version will appear on the top of this page. From time to time, we may be updating this Privacy Notice, please review it each time you are to submit personal information. If we make any significant changes to this notice we will send you an email informing you of these amendments. If you do not agree with these changes please do not use our websites to provide personal information. You can also delete your account at any time – please see your rights section.

Further questions

If you have any questions or complaints regarding your personal data, please contact the Privacy Manager at the address below:

• Account Manager
• Times Consultant
• 60 High Road Leyton, London
• account@timescoursefinder.com

If you feel the Privacy Manager has not dealt with your enquiry promptly or correctly, you have the right to complain to us https://timescoursefinder.com/make-a-complaint/..

Site specific privacy notice

The following section provides information on the collection and processing of personal data specific to the Times Consultant website.

This site is available at https://www.timescoursefinder.com/..

The site is intended for use by users aged 16 years and over. Users under this age are not allowed to create an account on the website. You will need to register with Times Consultant to get a full range of services such as sending enquiries, ordering prospectuses, downloading e-books, adding favorites universities, saving search results or leaving reviews. To get the most appropriate search results, advice and guidance, we strongly recommend you register with us and provide the information requested within your profile.

What personal data do we collect?

We can access all personal data we have collected about you from your TCO profile.

Data Collected Directly

The following items of personal data are collected as part of the registration process:

• First name
• Last name
• Email
• Country of residence
• Nationality
• Intake year and month
• Preferred study destination
• Subject
• Study level
• Date of birth
• Phone number
• Gender
• Mailing address
• Current qualification
• Current qualification status
• Grade type of current qualification
• Score of current qualification
• Date of completion of current qualification
• Test completed
• English proficiency test scores
• Other tests

Data Collected Indirectly

TCO allows you to log in to the website using your Facebook/Google account. The following items of personal data are collected if you use Facebook/Google to register or log in on TCO website:

We collect your search history and the articles you have read. We use this information to suggest courses you may be interested in or are eligible to apply to.

• First name
• Last name
• Gender
• Email address
• Contact number

IP Address

Each time you access our website, we will receive your IP Address. We keep this information for 6 months only and use it for analytics purposes only.

How We Process Your Data

While using the TCO website, you can carry out the following interactions where we process your personal data:

Creating a user account

Requesting a prospectus from a university

Initiating counselling services with our parent company Times Consultant

Booking a place at an open day

Adding an institution review

Search filtering

Contact us

We use your personal details to respond to your enquiry, i.e., create an account for you; answer your question, or send you newsletters if you have subscribed. We also use your personal data and search history to suggest tailored content such as posts, universities, and courses.

Consent Options

As part of the registration process, you can receive the following:

Newsletters from Times Consultant

Consultation calls and emails related to your course search

Market research, surveys, and competitions

In addition, you can also opt in to:

Marketing communication from our partner institutions (external subscription where you can opt in to receive newsletters and marketing materials from your chosen Universities directly)

When the option is available, you can also consent to be contacted further by Times Consultant for editorial purposes.

When using Facebook to log in to Times Consultant, you have the option to share your activity on Times Consultant with your Facebook friends.

All consent except the marketing options from our partner institutions can be withdrawn at any point by contacting Times Course Finder Account Manager, by updating your mailing preferences available within your profile online, or by clicking on the unsubscribe link available in every email you receive from us.

To withdraw your consent for marketing from one of our partner institutions (when given on Times Consultant), you will need to contact our Account Manager.

Data Sharing

Your contact details are shared with the education institutions where you have made an enquiry or requested a prospectus so that they can accommodate your request directly.

Any review you have supplied will be posted on Times Consultant and associated social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google).

If you engage with the counselling services on the Times Course Finder site, your data will be shared with our parent company, Times Consultant, which operates our counselling services.