Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy of Talk Business UK

Last Updated: [29 July, 2025]

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Talk Business UK is the trading name of Business Forums and Training Ltd. We operate the website www.talkbusinessuk.com and provide various services, including [business groups, training, networking events] (referred to as the "Service").

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This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use our Service. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a transparent and secure manner.

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By using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of your information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this policy, please do not use our Service.

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The terms used in this Privacy Policy have the same meanings as in our Terms and Conditions, accessible at www.talkbusinessuk.com, unless otherwise defined herein.

 

1. Who We Are

 

Talk Business UK (Business Forums and Training Ltd) [Your Company Registration Number, if applicable] [Your Registered Address] [Your Contact Email for Privacy Matters - e.g., privacy@talkbusinessuk.co.uk]

We are the data controller responsible for your personal data collected via our Service.

 

2. Information We Collect

 

We collect various types of information from and about users of our Service, including:

• Personal Information (Directly Provided by You):

  • Contact Data: Your name, email address, phone number, postal address.

  • Account Data: If you create an account, your username and password.

  • Communication Data: Information you provide when you contact us, send us feedback, or participate in surveys.

  • Payment Data: (If applicable) Details necessary for processing payments for services, though payment processing is typically handled by third-party providers (see Section 4). We generally do not store full payment card details.

  • Profile Data: Information you provide in your user profile on our forums or training platforms (e.g., business interests, industry).

• Usage Data (Automatically Collected):

  • Log Data: Information your browser sends whenever you visit our Service, such as your computer’s Internet Protocol ("IP") address, browser type and version, pages of our Service that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, and other statistics.

  • Device Information: Information about the device you use to access our Service, including hardware model, operating system, and unique device identifiers.

• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our Service and hold certain information. See our Cookie Policy (Section 3) for more details.

• Photographs and Videos: Images and video footage captured at our events where individuals may be identifiable.

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3. Photographs and Videos: 

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• Purpose of Collection:

  • Clearly state why you take photos/videos: "We take photographs and occasionally video footage at our events to document the event, capture the atmosphere, and for promotional and marketing purposes. This includes using images on our website (www.talkbusinessuk.co.uk), social media channels (e.g., [list your main channels, e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook, X]), and in other marketing materials."

• Lawful Basis:

  • Legitimate Interests (most common for general event photos): "Our lawful basis for processing photographs and videos is typically legitimate interests. We have a legitimate interest in promoting our Service and events, showcasing the value we provide, and engaging with our community. We conduct a balancing test to ensure that our legitimate interests do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms. We believe it is a reasonable expectation for attendees at public or semi-public events to be photographed as part of the event's record and promotion."

  • Consent (for specific cases): "However, for certain specific purposes, such as close-up images where an individual is clearly the primary focus, or where images are used in a highly personalised marketing context, we may seek your explicit consent. Where children are concerned, we will always seek explicit consent from a parent or guardian."

• Informing Attendees (Transparency):

  • "We will inform attendees that photography and/or filming will be taking place at our events through various means, including:

    • Notices displayed prominently at the event venue entrance and throughout the event space.

    • Information provided in event registration forms, tickets, or confirmation emails.

    • Announcements made at the event by event staff or speakers.

  • These notices will clearly state that photography/filming is occurring, the purposes for which images may be used, and how individuals can object or opt-out."

• Your Rights Regarding Your Images:

  • "You have the right to object to us taking or using your photograph. If you do not wish to be photographed or filmed, or if you wish to withdraw your consent for an image we hold, please:

    • Inform a member of our staff or the photographer at the event.

    • Contact us at [your privacy email, e.g., privacy@talkbusinessuk.co.uk] providing details of the event and the image(s) in question.

  • We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your request, particularly for close-up identifiable images. Please understand that for wide-angle crowd shots, it may not always be feasible to identify and remove all individuals. Also, once an image has been published (e.g., in print or widely shared on social media), it may be difficult or impossible to fully retract it."

• Data Retention:

  • "Photographs and videos used for marketing and promotional purposes will be retained for as long as they serve their intended purpose or until you request their removal, unless a longer retention period is required by law."

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4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

 

Our website uses "cookies" and similar technologies (like pixels and web beacons) to enhance your experience, analyze site usage, and improve our Service.

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• What are Cookies? Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the site owners.

• How We Use Cookies: We use cookies for various purposes, including:

  • Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function correctly (e.g., enabling secure login, remembering your preferences).

  • Analytical/Performance Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously (e.g., which pages are most popular, how long users stay on a page).

  • Functionality Cookies: Used to recognize you when you return to our website and remember your preferences (e.g., language or region selection).

  • Marketing/Targeting Cookies: Used to deliver advertisements more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and help measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

• Your Choices: You have the option to accept or refuse cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. Please be aware that refusing cookies may prevent you from taking full advantage of the Service.

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For more detailed information about the cookies we use and how to manage your cookie preferences, please refer to our dedicated Cookie Policy [Link to a separate Cookie Policy page, if you create one] or adjust your preferences via our Cookie Consent Banner.

 

5. How We Use Your Information (Legal Basis for Processing)

 

We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes, relying on specific legal bases as required by data protection laws:

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• To Provide and Maintain Our Service:

  • Legal Basis: Performance of a contract with you, or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.

  • Purpose: To operate and deliver our services to you, manage your account, provide access to forums, training materials, and events, and process your requests.

• To Improve Our Service:

  • Legal Basis: Legitimate interests (to improve our services and user experience).

  • Purpose: To understand how users interact with our website, identify areas for improvement, troubleshoot technical issues, and develop new features.

• To Communicate with You:

  • Legal Basis: Performance of a contract (for service-related communications), Legitimate interests (for marketing if you're an existing customer), or Consent (for direct marketing where required).

  • Purpose: To send you service announcements, administrative messages, updates about your account, and, if you have opted in, promotional communications about our services, events, or partners.

• For Security and Fraud Prevention:

  • Legal Basis: Legitimate interests (to protect our business and users), Legal obligation (where required by law).

  • Purpose: To detect and prevent fraudulent activity, unauthorized access, and other malicious behaviour, and to ensure the security of our Service.

• To Comply with Legal Obligations:

  • Legal Basis: Legal obligation.

  • Purpose: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or governmental requests (e.g., tax, accounting, or audit requirements).

 

6. Sharing Your Personal Information

 

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your personal information with third parties only in the following circumstances and for the purposes described below:

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• Service Providers: We engage trusted third-party companies and individuals to perform services on our behalf and to assist us in operating our Service. These include:

  • Hosting providers: To store our website data.

  • Analytics providers: To help us understand website usage (e.g., Google Analytics).

  • Payment processors: To handle secure payment transactions (e.g., Stripe, PayPal).

  • Email communication services: To send emails on our behalf (e.g., Mailchimp).

  • Customer support platforms: To manage your inquiries. These third parties are obligated not to disclose or use your information for any purpose other than to perform the tasks assigned to them.

• Business Transfers: If Talk Business UK (Business Forums and Training Ltd) is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your personal information may be transferred as a business asset. We will provide notice before your personal information is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court order or government agency).

• Protection of Rights: To protect the rights, property, or safety of Talk Business UK, our users, or the public, as required or permitted by law.

• With Your Consent: We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

 

7. International Data Transfers

 

As we operate in the UK, your data will primarily be processed within the UK. However, some of our third-party service providers (as listed in Section 5) may be located outside the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA).

When we transfer your personal data outside the UK/EEA, we ensure a similar degree of protection is afforded to it by ensuring at least one of the following safeguards is implemented:

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• The transfer is to a country that has been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data by the UK government or European Commission.

• Where we use certain service providers, we may use specific contracts approved for use in the UK/EEA which give personal data the same protection it has in the UK/EEA (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses, International Data Transfer Agreements/Addendums).

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Please contact us if you want further information on the specific mechanism used by us when transferring your personal data out of the UK/EEA.

 

8. Data Security

 

We are committed to ensuring the security of your personal information. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or access.

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These measures include [encryption, access controls, regular security assessments, employee training].

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While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

 

9. Data Retention

 

We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

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To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data, and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

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For example:

• Account Data: Retained for as long as your account is active and for a period thereafter to allow for account recovery or for our legitimate business purposes (e.g., record-keeping).

• Marketing Consent: Retained until you withdraw your consent or for a set period after your last interaction, in accordance with industry best practices.

• Transaction Data: Retained for a period required by tax and accounting laws (e.g., 6 years in the UK).

 

10. Your Data Protection Rights

 

Under data protection laws, you have certain rights regarding your personal information. We are committed to facilitating the exercise of these rights:

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• The right to be informed: To know how your data is being used. This Privacy Policy serves to fulfil this right.

• The right of access: To request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

• The right to rectification: To request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you.

• The right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): To request that we delete your personal information in certain circumstances.

• The right to restrict processing: To request that we limit the way we use your personal information in certain circumstances.

• The right to data portability: To receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transmit that data to another controller.

• The right to object: To object to our processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, particularly when we are relying on legitimate interests as a legal basis.

• Rights in relation to automated decision-making and profiling: The right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you. (Note: We do not currently engage in such processing).

• The right to withdraw consent: Where we are relying on consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

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To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 12 (Contact Us). We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights).

 

11. Links to Other Sites

 

Our Service may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit.

We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

 

12. Children's Privacy

 

Our Service is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 18.

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If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers immediately.

 

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

 

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, and other factors. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. We may also notify you through other means, such as email, if the changes are material.

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We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

 

14. Contact Us

 

If you have any questions or suggestions about our Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Email: [Your dedicated privacy email, e.g., privacy@talkbusinessuk.co.uk] Postal Address: [Your Company's Registered Address]

 

15. Complaints

 

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) [ICO Website: www.ico.org.uk] [ICO Helpline: 0303 123 1113]