www.btireland.ie

April 2005
Who is BT?

BT Communications Ireland Limited, "BT Ireland" or "BT" is British Telecommunications plc's ("BT plc") business & consumer services and solutions division serving customers in Ireland and customers worldwide for their communications needs in Ireland. BT is part of BT Global Services, which in turn is part of BT plc, a subsidiary of BT Group plc. Other businesses within BT plc have their own privacy policies.

When we refer in this policy to 'our website' we are referring to BT and our portal website http://www.btireland.ie.

BT Communications Ireland Limited T/A BT Ireland or BT is registered in Ireland under number 141524 and its registered address is BT, Grand Canal Plaza, Dublin 4, Republic of Ireland.

Tel: +353 1 432 5000
Fax: +353 1 432 5800
Freephone: 1800 923 222

Why does BT Ireland have a Privacy Policy?

We have developed this policy because we want you to feel confident about the privacy and security of your personal information. BT is registered with the Data Protection Commissioner and takes all reasonable care to prevent any unauthorised access to your personal information. When we refer to "personal information" in this Privacy Policy, we mean information that identifies you as an individual, or is capable of doing so.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully.

If you are visiting our website or using our services, by continuing to browse our website you indicate your agreement to our use of your personal information as set out in this Privacy Policy.

What does this Privacy Policy cover?

This privacy policy only applies to BT's website and services. Users should be aware that when on one of BT's websites you could be directed to other sites that are beyond our control. For example, if you 'click' on a banner advertisement or engage in [an oceanfree search - is this still relevant?] result, the 'click' may take you off the BT site. This includes links from advertisers, channel sponsors, and partners that may use BT's logo as part of a co-branding agreement. These other sites may send their own cookies to customers, collect data or solicit information.

Please be aware that when information is given out online, for example on a message board or chat, these details can be collected and used by people you do not know. While BT strives to protect our customers' privacy, we cannot guarantee the security of any information which you disclose online, and you will be doing so at your own risk.

What personal information does BT obtain about me, and when?

If you participate in the interactive features of our website ( e.g., contests, promotions or services that require registration or subscription, such as chat or email), we may ask you for information such as your name, address, contact telephone numbers and email address. BT requires this information for fulfilling prizes/competition obligations as well as complying with any necessary laws or regulations. When this information is required, we will give you the option to supply us with your details.

If you only browse our website, we may keep a record of your use to help make your visit to our website more satisfying. (Please see "When does BT use cookies" below for more information on how we do this).

We may receive personal information about you from third parties. Except in the cases where we are merely processing such information for them, we rely on third parties to obtain your consent for us to use this information.

For what purposes does BT use personal information about me?

BT may use your personal information to:

1. Communicate with you about your access to or use of our service
2. Let you know (by post, telephone,SMS or e-mail) about any changes to our services or our website
3. Contact you to ask whether you would like to join in one of our research groups to help us improve our service to you
4. Improve our understanding of the type of customers we are attracting to our services and how they use our services
5. Subject to your agreement, provide you information about BT and/or third party products and services.
6. Manage our network
7. Carry out research and analysis
8. Prevent and detect criminal activity, fraud and misuse of, or damage to, our network, and prosecute or sue those responsible

If you enter one of our competitions or promotions, we use the personal information you provide to manage the competition or promotion you have entered.

Does BT disclose information about me to anyone else?

We sometimes use other companies to provide some of our services or to provide services to us. To enable them to do this, we may need to let them process your personal information. When we do so, these companies are obliged to act in accordance with the instructions we give them under the regulations of the Data Protection Act 1988 (as amended from time to time) (the "Act"), may only do things that BT is entitled to do, and may only act on behalf of BT. In addition, they are required to meet the requirements in the Act to keep the information secure.

We may provide information, in response to properly made requests, for the purpose of the prevention and detection of crime, and the apprehension or prosecution of offenders. We may also provide information for the purpose of safeguarding national security. In either case we do so in accordance with the Act.

We also provide information when required to do so by law, for example under a Court Order, or in response to properly made demands under powers contained in legislation.

If there is a change (or prospective change) in the ownership of BT or any of its assets, we may disclose personal information to the new (or prospective) owner. If we do so, we will require them to keep it confidential.

For how long does BT keep personal information?

The time period for which we retain information varies according to the use of that information. In some cases there are legal requirements to keep data for a minimum period. Unless specific legal requirements dictate otherwise, BT will retain information no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the data were collected or for which they are further processed.

How does BT protect data about me when it is transferred out of Europe?

Countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) are required to have a similar standard of protection of personal data. This is not always the case outside that area. We do sometimes transfer data outside the EEA and before doing so take steps to ensure that there is adequate protection, as required by the Act.

What other information does BT collect?

If we have information about your use of our services (such as the amount of time you spend on-line), we will mainly use this information to manage our network and for billing. However, we may also use this information for marketing BT's services. We do not disclose this information to anyone other than to our agents who process it on our behalf. Your decision on whether you want to receive details of other BT products and services made when you register for or order a service also applies to this information. Consequently, if you do not wish us to use this information for marketing purposes but during registration elected to receive details on other BT products and services, you need to complete the opt-out form.

When does BT use "cookies"?

We use "cookies" to collect anonymous information from visitors to our website. A 'cookie' is a piece of information, like a tag, which some websites create against your PC (or personal computer). Our cookie stores some basic information which helps us to identify if you have visited the site before. We may also use it to help us improve our website and the services we make available. However, as the cookie is based on your PC, we will not find it if you visit [http://www.oceanfree.net - correct?] from a different PC to the one from which you registered.

BT uses cookies subject to the following assurances:

1. No information regarding your telephone number, account or payment details is included in the cookie or can be accessed using it.
2. They do not collect any information regarding the use of your PC or Internet browsing in any way.

If you do not want a cookie to be created on your PC, web browsers such as Netscape and Internet Explorer provide the option to disable them. Please bear in mind that some personalised services on [http://www.oceanfree.net - please confirm] may not be available if you choose to disable cookies.

How can I find out what personal information BT holds about me and change it if inaccurate?

If you are a BT customer and you want to know what personal information BT holds about you, you can obtain it by making your specific request in writing to the following address, enclosing a cheque for the administration fee of €5 made payable to BT.

The Data Protection Manager, BT, Grand Canal Plaza, Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin 4.

We will confirm your request within 21 days of receipt, and process your request within 40 days of receipt. If the information we hold about you is inaccurate, please let us know and we will make the necessary amendments and confirm that these have been made within 40 days of receipt of your request.

How can I manage BT's contact with me for marketing purposes?

If you would no longer like to receive email, written or SMS communication from BT about any of its products or services please email : dataprotection@esat.com or alternatively write to the Data Protection Manager, BT, Grand Canal Plaza, Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin 4.

How does BT protect personal information about me?

We at BT are serious about guarding the security of your personal data and the details of any transactions you make. We take appropriate organisational and technical security measures to protect your data against unauthorised disclosure or processing. We use a secure server to store the information you give us when you register or make an order. Any information you send us on-line is securely encrypted.

Over and above what BT does to safeguard your privacy and security, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from Internet fraud on-line:

Choose a password (letter and digits) you can remember but others will not guess, change it regularly and, if you do write it down, keep somewhere safe & secure.

When you have finished your session on our website, make sure you prevent your details being seen by anyone that you do not wish to see them. If you have registered and logged in, remember to log off. Clear any cache so there is no record of any transactions left on screen - both Netscape and Internet Explorer let you do this. We also recommend you then close your browser so any history of the session is cleared.

Are third party sites covered by this policy?

As noted above (please see "What does this Privacy Policy cover?"), third party Internet sites that you can link to from this website are not covered by our Privacy Policy, so we urge you to be careful when you enter any personal information online. BT accepts no responsibility or liability for these sites.

How do I find out about changes to BT's Privacy Policy?

We may change our privacy policy from time to time.

Last Updated: April 2005