Who are BT Global Services?

BT Global Services is British Telecommunications plc's (BT) business services and solutions division serving customers worldwide. BT Global Services are part of British Telecommunications plc (BT), a subsidiary of BT Group plc. Other businesses within BT have their own privacy policies. Other policies exist for BT Retail (BT's provider of telephone lines to most people in the UK, as well as a wide range of communications products and services to the residential and business markets), BT Openworld (BT's mass market internet access division), BT Wholesale (BT's wholesale arm providing network services and solutions to communications companies) and BT Group (our head office function).

When we refer in this Privacy Policy to "our website" we are referring to BT Global Services, we are referring to our website at http://www.btglobalservices.com/.

BT is registered in England number 1800000 and its registered address is 81 Newgate Street, London EC1A 7AJ.

Why do BT Global Services 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 plc is registered under the data protection laws in the United Kingdom 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.

You do not have to register to access most of the BT Global Services website. However, if you provide information via the "contact us" or other interactive features, you indicate your consent to our use of your personal data in the manner described in this Policy.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you are visiting our website or using our services, by continuing to use 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 Global Services website and services. It does not apply to any other BT or third party services, or to any other BT or third party sites, even if we host them or they are accessed from our website. If you disclose your personal information directly to other companies, and we process it for them, your personal information will be dealt with according to their privacy practices.

What personal information do BT Global Services obtain about me, and when?

If you participate in the "contact us" or other interactive features of our website, we may ask you for information such as your name, business address, contact telephone numbers and email address. We may also ask you for other information; this will be clear at the time.

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 Global Services 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 Global Services use personal information about me?

BT Global Services may use your personal information to:

Communicate with you about your access to or use of our service
Let you know (by post, telephone or e-mail) about any changes to our services or our website
Contact you to ask whether you would like to join in one of our research groups to help us improve our service to you
Improve our understanding of the type of customers we are attracting to our services and how they use our services
Subject to your agreement, provide you information about BT Global Services, BT and/or third party products and services.
Manage our network
Carry out research and analysis
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.

Do BT Global Services 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 required to act in accordance with the instructions we give them, may only do things that BT Global Services are entitled to do, and may only act on behalf of BT Global Services. In addition, they are required to meet the requirements in the Data Protection 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 Data Protection Act 1998.

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 do BT Global Services 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 Global Services 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 do BT Global Services 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 Data Protection Act.

What other information do BT Global Services 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 Global Services products and 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 Global Services 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 Global Services products and services, you need to complete the opt-out form.

When do BT Global Services 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 and if you receive some personalised content, or by welcoming you by name if you have supplied this in a previous visit (if using the "Remember Me" function). 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 www.btglobalservices.com from a different PC to the one you registered on.

BT Global Services use cookies subject to the following assurances:

No information regarding your telephone number, account or payment details is included in the cookie or can be accessed using it.
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 BTIgnite.com may not be available if you choose to disable cookies.

Other companies that advertise or offer their products or services on our website, www.btglobalservices.com, may also allocate cookies to your PC. The types of cookies they use and how they use the information generated by them will be governed by those companies' privacy policies, not ours.

How can I find out what personal information BT Global Services holds about me and change it if inaccurate?
If you are a BT Global Services customer and you want to know what personal information BT Global Services 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 £10 made payable to British Telecommunications plc under the terms of the Data Protection Act:

BT Global Services Data Subject Access Manager, PP LF11, Libra House, Sunrise Parkway, Linford Wood, Milton Keynes, MK14 6PH.

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.

How can I manage BT Global Services contact with me for marketing purposes

If you would like to stop unsolicited telemarketing calls from BT Global Services and other companies, please contact the Telephone Preference Service at www.fpsonline.org.uk. Direct marketing calls should stop after 28 days.

If you would like to stop unsolicited direct marketing mailings from BT Global Services and other companies, please contact the Mailing Preference Service at www.fpsonline.org.uk. Mailings should significantly reduce within 4 months. (Remember to re-register if you change your address).

If it is only BT Global Services that you would like not to call or mail you with details of products, services and special offers, please call 0800 800 150 (residential customers) or 0800 028 1801 (business customers - or contact your Account Manager).

How do BT Global Services protect personal information about me?

We at BT Global Services 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 Global Services do 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?

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 Global Services accept no responsibility or liability for these sites.

How do I find out about changes to BT Global Services Privacy Policy

We may change our privacy policy from time to time. New policies will be published on our website.