1 WHO WE ARE

Brand Scotland is a new approach and partnership between the Scottish Government, VisitScotland, Scottish Development International (the international arm of Scottish Enterprise) and Universities Scotland.

This Privacy Policy forms part of the Terms of Use of this website (www.Scotland.org), which is used specifically for consumers.

This Privacy Policy also relates to any other personal data Brand Scotland collects when providing services for consumers.

1.1 The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland and has its headquarters at St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH1 3DG.

1.2 VisitScotland promotes Scottish tourism, and is a body established under the Development of Tourism Act 1969 and has its main office at Ocean Point 1, Edinburgh, EH6 6JH.

1.3 Universities Scotland is the representative body of Scotland’s 19 higher education institutions with a headquarters at Holyrood Park House, 106 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS.

1.4 Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) are Scotland's economic development agencies and a non-departmental public bodies of the Scottish Government.  SE has its headquarters at Atrium Court, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6HQ, United Kingdom.  HIE has its headquarters at Highlands and Islands Enterprise, An Lòchran, 10 Inverness Campus, Inverness, IV2 5N.

1.5 Scottish Development International is Scottish Enterprise’s international arm and is a joint venture between Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

1.6 TalentScotland is part of Scottish Enterprise and provides information about moving to and living in Scotland. TalentScotland also provides information about visas and immigration, industries and employers in Scotland as well as job opportunities.

2 HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

This privacy statement explains how the Brand Scotland website collects and uses personal information about you to provide you with services.  In general terms, Brand Scotland collects and uses personal information about you:

  • to provide you with services, activities or online content, to provide you with information about them and to deal with your requests and enquiries;
  • to provide you with the most user-friendly online navigation experience;
  • for 'service administration purposes', which means that Brand Scotland may contact you for reasons related to the service, activity or online content you have signed up for, as set out in section 2.7
  • where we provide personalised services, we may analyse the information you supply, as well as your activity on our (and other) services, so that we can offer a more relevant, tailored service. For instance, if you are signed-in or subscribed to email newsletters, you will receive a personalised service. If you don’t want to receive these services, you can unsubscribe from email newsletters
  • we may also show you relevant advertising on third party sites, as set out in section 2.4 - 2.5
  • to use IP addresses and device identifiers to identify the general location (country or city) of users to block disruptive use, and to establish the number of visits from different countries;
  • for analysis and research purposes so that we may improve the services offered by Brand Scotland. This can include using geo-demographic information from external sources, where this helps us ensure we are making something for everyone;
  • we may also use and disclose information in aggregate (so that no individuals are identified) for marketing and strategic development purposes;
  • Scottish Connections – we have created a public-facing digital directory of organisations around the world affiliated with Scotland;
  • Scottish Connections – we have created a means by which individuals can register themselves as a member of Scotland’s international community, and enable them to receive the information that’s most relevant to them.

Scotland’s Migration Service: 

This privacy statement covers information on how Brand Scotland collects and uses personal information about you to provide you with Scotland’s Migration Service.  

This new Service is being hosted on www.www.scotland.org/move-to-scotland/migration-service and enables eligible users to engage with an information and advice services delivered by partner organisations: Citizens Advice Scotland and Seraphus. 

You can find Terms of Service at: https://www.scotland.org/move-to-scotland/migration-service/terms-of-service

2.1 WE COLLECT FROM YOU WHEN YOU:

  • visit our website (including cookies, IP addresses, hostnames and search engine)
  • use our social media channels (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn)
  • use Brand Scotland Applications (‘App’)
  • sign up for web and mobile notifications
  • subscribe to newsletters (we collect first name, last name, email address and country)
  • complete surveys
  • provide any personal information by phone, email, in letters and other correspondence and in person
  • request access to your personal information

Where Brand Scotland proposes using your personal information for any other uses we will ensure that we notify you first. Please see section 2.1 above for details.

Brand Scotland may also share your personal information with its partners (see section 1) to enable them to do any of these things.

2.2 LAWFUL BASIS

We process your personal data with your consent. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us using the details below.

2.3 LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES

The Brand Scotland website contains hyperlinks to websites owned and operated by partners and third parties. These partner and third-party websites have their own privacy statements, which will let you know how personal information collected on those websites will be used. Third party websites are also likely to use cookies, and will have their own policy on this also. We therefore urge you to review their privacy statement and cookies policy when using these websites. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the privacy practices of such partners or third-party websites and your use of such websites is at your own risk.

PARTNERS WEBSITES:

2.4 GOOGLE ANALYTICS & DOUBLECLICK

At an advertiser's discretion, Google Analytics data may be examined in concert with data about Brand Scotland ads that have been shown using the Google Display Network or DoubleClick for Advertisers. Thus, Brand Scotland can understand how anonymous users interacted with the advertiser's website after seeing Brand Scotland ads.

2.5 GOOGLE ANALYTICS & REMARKETING

Third party vendors, including Google, may show Brand Scotland ads on sites on the internet.

Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to Scotland is Now website(s).

We may also use analytics data to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to our website, as well as to develop remarketing lists for customised campaigns (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads).

Users may opt out of Google's use of cookies by visiting the Google advertising opt-out page. In addition, you may also opt out of third party vendor's use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page

2.6 SOCIAL MEDIA

Brand Scotland uses a variety of social media channels and any data captured by Brand Scotland via these channels will be done so with your consent.

Social channels we use can be found below:

  • Twitter (X)
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

2.7 APPS

When you download, or use Brand Scotland apps on your mobile device, information may be accessed from or stored to your device. Most often this is used in a similar way to a web browser cookie, such as by enabling the app to ‘remember’ you or provide you with the content you have requested.

Your web browser or device may also provide Brand Scotland with information about your device, such as a device identifier or IP address. Device identifiers may be collected automatically, such as the device ID, IP address, MAC address, IMEI number and app ID (a unique identifier relating to the particular copy of the app you are running).

When you sign in to a Brand Scotland app, your sign-in details may be stored securely on the device you are using, so you can access other Brand Scotland apps on the same device without needing to enter your sign-in details again.

If you have any concerns about the information which might be accessed from or stored on your device by Brand Scotland, you may wish to only access Brand Scotland content through a web browser and review your web browser settings.

2.8 E-NEWSLETTERS

You can register for a Brand Scotland preference based electronic newsletter on this website www.scotland.org.  Each communication contains an option to unsubscribe.

3 WHEN WILL BRAND SCOTLAND CONTACT ME?

3.1 BRAND SCOTLAND MAY CONTACT YOU:

  • in relation to any service, activity or online content to ensure that Brand Scotland can deliver the services, e.g. to verify your email when you sign up for a Brand Scotland newsletter
  • in relation to any correspondence we receive from you or any comment or complaint you make about Brand Scotland products or services;
  • in relation to any personalised services you are using: eg. Email newsletter
  • to invite you to participate in surveys about Brand Scotland services (participation is always voluntary);
  • to update you on any material changes to Brand Scotland’s policies and practices; and
  • for marketing purposes, as set out in section 2

Please be cautious if you receive any emails or calls from people asking for this information and claiming to be from Brand Scotland.

3.2 PERSONAL INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE BY PHONE, EMAIL, IN LETTERS AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE AND IN PERSON

When you phone Brand Scotland

  • Operators might ask for some personal information in relation to your query. Brand Scotland will retain this information until we respond to your call. Then we will destroy the information.

When you email Brand Scotland 

  • Any records we create after responding to your email will be destroyed once the email is sent

When you write a letter to Brand Scotland

  • Scotland is Now will only retain the information necessary to respond to your letter. This will be no longer than seven working days.

3.3 WILL I BE CONTACTED FOR MARKETING PURPOSES?

Brand Scotland will only send you marketing emails or contact you on Brand Scotland platforms where you have agreed to this.

We may personalise the message content based upon any information you have provided to us and your use of Brand Scotland platforms.

We may use information which we hold about you to show you relevant advertising on third party sites (e.g. Facebook, Google, and Twitter). This could involve showing you an advertising message where we know you have used Brand Scotland products and services. If you don’t want to be shown targeted advertising messages from Brand Scotland, some partners and third-party sites allow you to request not to see messages from specific advertisers on that site in future.

3.6 YOUR RIGHTS

Under data protection legislation, you have rights as an individual which you can exercise in relation to the information we hold about you. These rights are:

  • the right to be informed about how your data is used
  • the right to access a copy of your data
  • the right to withdraw consent for the use of your data
  • the right to have data deleted
  • the right to object to, or restrict, our use of your data

You can read more about these rights here - https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/

Please address requests and questions about this or any other question about this Privacy Statement to the Records Management and Data Protection Officer for Brand Scotland:

dataprotectionofficer@gov.scot

3.7 DO NOT TRACK (DNT) BROWSER SETTING

DNT is a feature offered by some browsers which, when enabled, sends a signal to websites to request that your browsing is not tracked, such as by third party ad networks, social networks and analytic companies. This website does not currently respond to DNT requests.

4 CHANGES TO BRAND SCOTLAND'S PRIVACY STATEMENT

We keep our Privacy Statement under regular review. This Policy was last updated on 27 March 2024.

Since this Policy is under regular review, you may wish to check it each time you submit personal information to Brand Scotland. If you do not agree to these changes, please do not continue to use Brand Scotland websites. You can also request deletion of your Brand Scotland data record at any time – please see section 3.4 for details. If material changes are made to the Privacy Statement, for instance affecting how we would like to use your personal information, we will provide a more prominent notice (including, for certain services, email notification of Privacy Policy changes).

4.1 CONTACTING BRAND SCOTLAND ABOUT THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT

If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy Statement, please contact: ceu@gov.scot

4.2 CONTACT INFORMATION AND FURTHER ADVICE

You may also wish to contact our partner organisations Data Protection Officers and their contact details can be found below:

Scottish Government's St Andrew's House, Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG. Email: dataprotectionofficer@gov.scot

VisitScotland DPO - Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG Email: dpo@visitscotland.com

Scottish Enterprise -  Atrium Court, 50 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 6HQ, Email: enquiries@scotent.co.uk

Universities Scotland -  Universities UK, Woburn House, 20 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9HQ; Email: dataprotection@universitiesuk.ac.uk

Seraphus - Work.Life, 13 Hawley Crescent, London, NW1 8NP. Email: cdesira@seraphus.co.uk 

Citizens Advice Scotland - Broadside Spectrum House, 2 Powderhall Road, Edinburgh EH7 4GB. Email: dpo@cas.org.uk 

4.3 COMPLAINTS

Brand Scotland seeks to resolve directly all complaints about how it handles personal information and you can contact us with any concerns at ceu@gov.scot. You also have the right to escalate this process, either by contacting dataprotectionofficer@gov.scot or by lodging a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office whose contact details are as follows:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone - 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745

Website - https://ico.org.uk/concerns

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