Introduction
Myissues Charity Foundation ("we", "our", or "us") operates the MyissuesLearn online learning platform, accessible at myissueslearn.org. We are a registered charity committed to providing accessible, high-quality education on social, civic, and community issues.
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information when you visit our website, register for an account, enrol in a programme, or otherwise interact with our services. It should be read alongside our Terms of Service.
We act as the Data Controller for personal information processed under this policy. Where we engage third-party providers that process data on our behalf, they do so as Data Processors under appropriate data processing agreements.
By using MyissuesLearn, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the platform and contact us to delete your account.
Governing Law: This policy is governed by the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and — where applicable — the EU GDPR. If you are located outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, additional provisions may apply in your jurisdiction.
What We Collect
We collect information you provide directly to us, information generated as you use the platform, and in limited cases, information from third parties. The categories below explain each in detail.
Account Data
Name, email address, password (hashed), preferred language, and optional profile photo when you create an account.
Learning Activity
Course enrolments, lesson progress, quiz scores, completion certificates, and forum contributions.
Usage Data
Pages visited, time on page, browser type, operating system, referrer URL, IP address, and device identifiers.
Payment Data
If you make a donation or purchase, payment is processed by a PCI-DSS compliant third party. We receive only a transaction reference and amount — never full card details.
Communications
Messages you send us via contact forms, support tickets, or email, including any attachments.
Special Category Data
Only if you voluntarily disclose it (e.g., accessibility needs). We never request sensitive data unless strictly necessary, and always with explicit consent.
We collect information about children under 16 only with verified parental or guardian consent, in line with GDPR Article 8 and the UK GDPR.
How We Use Your Data
We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so under UK GDPR Article 6 (and Article 9 where applicable). The purposes are:
- Service Delivery: To register your account, provide access to courses, track your learning progress, issue certificates, and respond to support queries. Lawful basis: Contract performance.
- Platform Improvement: To analyse how users interact with the platform, identify and fix technical issues, and develop new features and content. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests.
- Communications: To send transactional emails (account confirmations, password resets, certificate notifications) and, with your consent, marketing or newsletter communications about new programmes. Lawful basis: Contract / Consent.
- Safety & Security: To detect, prevent, and investigate fraud, abuse, or other illegal activity, and to enforce our Terms of Service. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests / Legal obligation.
- Legal Compliance: To meet our obligations under applicable law, respond to lawful requests from public authorities, and maintain accurate financial records. Lawful basis: Legal obligation.
- Research & Impact Reporting: To produce aggregate, anonymised statistics demonstrating the charitable impact of our programmes. No individual can be identified from this output. Lawful basis: Legitimate interests.
We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you. We do not use your data for targeted advertising, and we do not sell your personal information to any third party.
Cookies & Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies (e.g., local storage, session storage) to operate and improve our platform. A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by your browser. You may control cookies through your browser settings; however, disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features.
| Category | Examples | Purpose | Retention | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strictly Necessary | session_id, csrf_token | Authenticate your session and protect against cross-site request forgery. | Session | Essential |
| Functionality | ui_lang, theme_pref | Remember your language preference, accessibility settings, and display choices. | 12 months | Preference |
| Performance / Analytics | _ga, _gid (Google Analytics 4) | Understand how visitors navigate the platform using aggregated, anonymised data. IP addresses are truncated before storage. | Up to 14 months | Analytics |
| Payment Processing | Stripe.js cookies | Securely handle payment flows when you make a donation or purchase. | Session / 30 days | Essential |
On your first visit, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner allowing you to accept, reject, or customise non-essential cookies. You may withdraw or change your consent at any time by clicking "Cookie Settings" in the site footer.
Sharing Your Data
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information. We may share data only in the following limited circumstances:
- Service Providers (Data Processors): We engage carefully vetted third parties to help us deliver the platform. These include our cloud hosting provider, email delivery service, analytics provider, and payment processor. Each operates under a Data Processing Agreement and is contractually prohibited from using your data for any purpose other than providing the agreed service.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or where necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Myissues Charity Foundation, its users, or the public.
- Organisational Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or transfer of the Foundation's activities, your data may be transferred to the successor organisation, subject to equivalent privacy protections. We will notify you in advance of any such transfer.
- With Your Consent: We may share information for any other purpose with your explicit prior consent, which you may withdraw at any time.
Where data is transferred outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place — such as UK IDTA or EU Standard Contractual Clauses — to protect your information to an equivalent standard.
Your Rights
Under UK GDPR and EU GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data. You may exercise any of these rights free of charge. We will respond within 30 days of receiving a verifiable request.
Right of Access
Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request).
Right to Rectification
Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data held about you.
Right to Erasure
Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten"), subject to legal retention obligations.
Right to Portability
Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format and transfer it to another service.
Right to Object
Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including use for direct marketing.
Right to Restrict
Request that processing of your data be temporarily suspended while a complaint is resolved.
Right to Withdraw Consent
Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.
Right to Complain
Lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Data Protection contact (see Section 7). We may ask you to verify your identity before processing your request.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data rights, or want to raise a concern, please reach out using the details below. We aim to acknowledge all enquiries within 2 business days.
Myissues Charity Foundation
Data Controller — MyissuesLearn Platform
- Privacy Enquiries privacy@myissueslearn.org
- Data Rights Requests dataprotection@myissueslearn.org
- Regulatory Body UK Information Commissioner's Office
- Effective Date June 2026
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in law, technology, or our services. When we make material changes, we will notify registered users by email and display a prominent notice on the platform. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the revision date.
