Privacy Policy

Effective date: 7 January 2023

Introduction

Alpaca Communications (collectively "we," "us") take the security and privacy of data seriously. We need to gather and use certain information or 'data' about you to manage our relationship with you and comply with our legal obligations. In addition, we are also required to comply with our legal obligations under UK Data Protection Legislation.

This Privacy Notice explains who we are, how we collect, share, and use personal information about you, and how you can exercise your privacy rights. This Privacy Notice applies to personal data we collect through our website (https://www.alpacacommunications.com/) ("Website"). This may include Special Category Data, as set out under the section "What data do we collect and why?" below.

It does not apply to information we collect through means other than our website, external visitors to our facilities, or our employees, for whom we make available separate privacy notices.

If you have any questions or concerns about our use of your personal information, please contact us using the contact details provided at the bottom of this Privacy Notice.

What do we do?

Alpaca Communications is a strategic environmental communications and social impact advisory firm. We assist renewable energy developers with public outreach and compiling feedback.

What data do we collect and why?

We will collect, process, and retain information about you that you provide voluntarily, that we collect automatically, and that we obtain from third-party sources. In general, we will use the personal data we collect from you only for the purposes described in this Privacy Notice or for purposes that we explain to you at the time we collect your personal data (such as archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes, or statistical purposes), if and where permitted by applicable data protection laws.

Information that you provide voluntarily

Certain parts of our materials (including website, feedback forms, etc) may ask you to provide personal information voluntarily. For example, we may ask you to provide your contact details to provide feedback to us and/or submit inquiries to us. The personal information you are asked to provide, and the reasons why you are asked to provide it, will be made clear to you at the point we request your personal information. In particular, in our feedback forms, we collect:

·       Name and contact information, including email address.

·       Demographic information, such as postcode, preferences, and interests.

·       Your views and opinions relevant to our business and projects.

·       Other information relevant to our business.

You may sign up to receive news, alerts, and publications from us. When you sign up, we may ask for information such as your name, address, telephone number, email address, and topics of interest. We use the information you provide to send you the communications you request. We may also use the information to communicate with you about other topics that we believe may be of interest to you, subject to obtaining your consent in accordance with applicable law.

You may register with us to attend events, including consultations. You may provide us with information such as your name, telephone number, and email address when registering for an event. We use this information to register you for the event and contact you about changes and updates regarding the event. We may also use the information to communicate with you about other events and topics that we believe may be of interest to you, subject to obtaining your consent in accordance with applicable law.

Information that we collect automatically

When you visit our Websites, we may collect certain information automatically from your device. This information may be considered personal information under applicable data protection laws.

Specifically, the information we collect automatically may include information like your IP address, device type, unique device identification numbers, browser type, broad geographic location (e.g., country or city-level location), and other technical information. We may also collect information about how your device has interacted with our Websites, including the pages accessed and links clicked.

Collecting this information enables us to better understand the visitors who come to our Websites, where they come from, and what content on our Websites is of interest to them. We use this information for our internal analytics purposes, to improve the quality and relevance of our Websites to our visitors, and for compliance with our legal obligations.

Information that we obtain from third-party sources

From time to time, we may obtain personal information about you from third-party sources (such as your organization's own website or from social media platforms) to check who you are or what your qualifications are in relation to any feedback that you have provided to us. We may use the information we receive from third-party sources to maintain and improve the accuracy of the records we hold about you for the purposes described in this notice.

Special Category Data that you provide voluntarily

The UK Data Protection Legislation recognizes certain types of information as being particularly sensitive and requiring a higher level of protection ("Special Category Data"). Special Category Data includes:

·       Race or ethnic origin.

·       Political opinions.

·       Religious or philosophical beliefs.

·       Trade union membership.

·       Health information.

·       Genetic or biometric data.

·       Sexual health and orientation.

Certain parts of our Websites may ask you to provide personal information voluntarily, and you may choose to include Special Category Data. We do not proactively collect Special Category Data, and it is completely optional for you to provide such information when engaging with us. When you provide us with this information, you consent to us processing your Special Category Data in accordance with this Privacy Notice. We may use any Special Category Data you provide us with to develop our projects and manage our relationship with you.

We are unable to filter Special Category Data from any engagement you have with us. Therefore, if you would prefer that your Special Category Data is not processed by us, we ask that you do not include such information in your engagement.

If you have provided us with Special Category Data and subsequently change your mind regarding its processing, you have rights set out under "Your Data Protection Rights" below.

In addition to the purposes described above, Alpaca Communications collects and uses personal data for the purposes of complying with applicable laws, regulations, industry codes of practice, and good industry practices.

Who do we share your personal data with?

We may disclose your personal data to the following categories of recipients:

·       Our group companies, business partners, third-party contractors, service providers, or suppliers who assist us with data processing services, security services for the management of our facilities, or other purposes described in this Privacy Notice.

·       Any competent law enforcement body, regulatory authority, government agency, court, or other third party where disclosure is necessary to comply with the law, protect our legal rights, or safeguard your vital interests or the interests of others.

·       A buyer of any part of our business, provided they comply with this Privacy Notice regarding the processing of your personal data.

·       Any other person with your consent.

Legal basis for processing your personal data

The legal basis for collecting and using your personal data depends on the specific context and personal data concerned. In most cases, we collect personal data based on our legitimate interests, which include developing projects, maintaining facility security, managing customer and government relationships, communicating about our services, managing the supply chain, performing contracts, and improving our technology and business. We ensure that your personal data is kept secure and limit our processing activities to what is necessary for our legitimate interests.

In some cases, we may have a legal obligation to collect personal data or process it to protect your vital interests or those of others.

Who will process your personal data and where will it be processed?

Your personal data may be processed by us and by authorized third parties. It may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the United Kingdom, which may have different data protection laws. We take appropriate safeguards to protect your personal data when transferred outside the United Kingdom.

How do we keep your personal data secure?

We employ technical and organizational measures to protect the personal data we collect and process, ensuring a level of security appropriate to the risk involved.

How long will we retain your personal data?

We retain personal data as long as necessary to fulfil our legitimate business purposes or comply with legal or regulatory requirements. When we no longer have a legitimate business need, we will securely delete or anonymize the data.

Your data protection rights

You have the right to access, correct, update, or request deletion of your personal data. You can also object to or restrict the processing of your personal data, and withdraw your consent if we rely on consent for processing. You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority.

Updates to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time in response to legal, technical, or business developments. We will inform you of any significant changes and obtain your consent if required by applicable data protection laws.

How to contact us

If you have any questions or concerns about the use of your personal data, please contact us using the following details: