Privacy policy

This privacy policy explains how Webedia GmbH (“we”, “us” or “our”) uses personal information when you visit Book Leaves (the “Site”), a UK-facing news and entertainment publication. Use the headings below to find the topic you need.

Contents

1. Who we are and how to contact us
2. About this privacy policy
3. When you browse the Site
4. When you contact us or send tips
5. Newsletters, competitions and surveys
6. Social media and embedded content
7. Journalism and personal data
8. How we share data, keep it secure and how long we keep it
9. Children’s privacy
10. Your rights (UK)
11. Updates

1. Who we are and how to contact us

The controller for personal data processed through the Site is Webedia GmbH, Cuvrystraße 3–4, 10997 Berlin, Germany. Company registration: HRB 114531 (Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, Berlin). VAT: DE264913326. Managing director: Antony Dumas.

Privacy enquiries and rights requests: info@bookleaves.com. General enquiries: info@bookleaves.com. Postal address as above. See also our Contact page and Imprint.

For certain advertising technologies we may act as joint controllers with advertising or recommendation partners (“vendors”). Categories and partner types are explained in Cookie settings and the Cookie policy.

2. About this privacy policy

In broad terms we use information about people to:

• publish journalism and features for readers in the United Kingdom;
• operate, secure and improve the Site;
• finance the Site through advertising and related measurement where you consent via Cookie settings;
• respond to messages, tips and complaints, and run optional newsletters, surveys or prize draws when offered; and
• meet legal obligations and enforce our Terms of use.

We process personal data under the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR). Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

Related notices: Cookie policy, Editorial policy, How to complain.

3. When you browse the Site

The Site is free to use. We fund journalism in part with advertising that can be tailored to inferred interests where you give advertising consent. Non-essential cookies and similar technologies are off until you choose in the banner or Cookie settings.

Information we may collect

• Technical and HTTP data — IP address, browser type and version, operating system, language, requested URL, referrer, date and time.
• Device-related data — identifiers used for security or, where you consent, advertising (for example advertising IDs on mobile browsers where available).
• Approximate location — inferred at a coarse level (for example region) where relevant to security, audience measurement or advertising and permitted by your choices.
• Cookie and similar data — see the Cookie policy. Cookie files themselves do not store your name, postal address or email address.
• Usage patterns — pages viewed, scroll or engagement signals, and interactions with ads or recommendation units when you have consented to those tools.

Purposes and lawful bases

• Providing, securing and improving the Site — legitimate interests (and consent under PECR where device storage or access requires it).
• Recording your consent choices — legal obligation / legitimate interests.
• Analytics and audience measurement — consent where required; otherwise not used until you opt in.
• Advertising, ad measurement and content recommendations (including partners such as Taboola) — consent under PECR / UK GDPR.
• Fraud prevention, security and legal compliance — legal obligation and/or legitimate interests.

Where you consent to advertising technologies, we and our vendors may store or access information on your device; select and measure ads; create or use interest profiles; match or combine limited data across sources; and link devices — as described when you manage advertising choices. You can withdraw advertising consent at any time via Cookie settings; withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before withdrawal.

You are not obliged to provide personal data to browse the Site. Blocking all cookies (including necessary ones) may limit some features.

4. When you contact us or send tips

If you email us, use a contact form or send a tip, we process the details you provide (for example name, email and message content) to respond, investigate and keep a record of the correspondence. Lawful basis: legitimate interests and, where relevant, steps toward a contract or legal claims. Editorial complaints are also handled under our complaints procedure.

5. Newsletters, competitions and surveys

If we offer newsletters, you can subscribe with your email address on the basis of consent and unsubscribe at any time via the message link or by contacting us. If we run surveys, promotions or prize draws, we process the information you submit only for those purposes (and any age or eligibility checks stated in the rules). We do not combine that information with advertising cookie profiles unless we say so clearly and you agree.

6. Social media and embedded content

Share buttons and links to external networks typically send data to the provider only when you activate them. Embedded third-party content (for example social posts or widgets) may load only after a relevant consent, or after you choose to view the embed. Once you leave our Site or interact with a third-party service, that provider’s own privacy notice applies.

7. Journalism and personal data

UK law includes special rules for processing personal data for journalism. Where we process information in the course of news and feature reporting, we do so with regard to those rules and our Editorial policy. If a published story concerns you personally and you wish to raise an accuracy or fairness concern, use our How to complain and Corrections pages.

We are not a member of IPSO or another press regulator. We still aim to correct significant errors promptly and to treat complaints seriously through our own editorial process.

8. How we share data, keep it secure and how long we keep it

We may share personal data with:

• hosting, IT and security providers acting as processors on our instructions;
• analytics providers when you have consented;
• advertising and recommendation partners (for example Taboola), where you have consented;
• professional advisers, courts or authorities where required or appropriate; and
• others where you have given consent.

Some recipients may process data outside the UK or EEA. Where we transfer personal data internationally, we use appropriate safeguards (for example the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum, or standard contractual clauses, with supplementary measures where needed) or another lawful mechanism. You may ask about safeguards via info@bookleaves.com.

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purpose collected, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law. In particular: non-session cookies are typically retained for up to 12 months and at most 24 months unless a tool states otherwise; contact correspondence for as long as needed to resolve the matter and for a reasonable period afterwards; promotion or survey data for the activity plus up to 24 months; consent records as needed to demonstrate compliance.

We apply organisational and technical measures appropriate to the risk. No online transmission is completely secure.

9. Children’s privacy

The Site is aimed at a general adult audience in the United Kingdom. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children for marketing. If you believe a child has provided personal data to us in a way that should not have happened, contact info@bookleaves.com and we will take appropriate steps.

10. Your rights (UK)

Subject to applicable law, you may have rights to:

• access your personal data;
• rectify inaccurate data;
• erase data in certain circumstances;
• restrict processing in certain circumstances;
• data portability for data you provided where processing is based on consent or contract;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to processing for direct marketing at any time; and
• withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.

Some rights are limited by law (including in a journalism context). If we cannot fulfil a request we will explain why. You may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Contact info@bookleaves.com or use the Contact page. For cookie-based advertising choices that do not identify you by name, use Cookie settings in the site footer.

11. Updates

We may revise this policy when the Site or our processing changes. The current version is always on this page (effective date above). Material changes may also be highlighted on the Site where practical.