Terms
Participating online as a Civil Servant
The Civil Service Live Network is a business tool aimed at helping Civil Servants build connections with colleagues, share experiences, and learn from the experiences of others. There are no rules which prevent you, as a Civil Servant, from actively participating within the Civil Service Live Network.
The Cabinet office has issued Guidance for Civil Servants who wish to participate online: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/advice/poi/participation-online.pdf
About the House Rules
In order to ensure that all members feel welcome and safe to contribute, we’ve created a set of rules which we require members to abide by. The guidelines below set out the do’s and don’ts. Infringement of these rules may lead to action being taken against your account, for example the removal of a piece of content or your abilty to publish content on the site in future. In extreme circumstances, breaking the rules may lead to the full suspension of your account or legal action being taken against you by an aggrieved party.
The responsibilities of community members:
Community members should ensure that their content fully complies with any legal requirements (for example, ensuring they are not libelous or defamatory) and should conduct themselves always within the guidelines stated below.
Community members should keep their passwords secure to ensure that no comments or other content can be submitted falsely using the their name. We will not be held responsible for events resulting from a failure to keep the password secure.
Disciplinary procedure
Breaking the rules may lead to your membership account being temporarily suspended or terminated. We additionally reserve the right to suspend or terminate any membership account at any time and at our sole discretion. While suspended, do not try returning to the site and creating another account. This constitutes a further offense and will result in your account being closed permanently.
We also reserve the right to delete any posting, any time, for any reason and are under no obligation to publish any work submitted.
Who can submit content?
Any registered member can submit content. We welcome content from all our users, although the content submitted should not be used for commercial purposes.
Keep it legal
Contempt of court is a body of law which protects the integrity of the judicial process from outside influencers. You could be in contempt of court if you discuss a criminal case which is “active”, a period which usually beings with the granting of an arrest warrant, issue of a summons or actual arrest. Avoid being in contempt of court by not posting anything that risks prejudicing on-going or forthcoming court proceedings. Don’t break court injunctions by naming individuals or speculating as to their whereabouts after a court has issued an injunction against doing so.
No defamatory or libelous comments
If you publish something capable of causing a ‘right thinking member of the public’ to lower their opinion of a person or organisation, or which otherwise damages the reputation of another, it may be possible for them to sue you for libel. If successfully sued by an aggrieved party you could be held liable for considerable damages and costs.
Do not incite people to commit any crime or incite racial hatred.
Do not post plagiarized content
Quoting small sections of a text or other piece of content for the purpose of discussion is usually fine, but please don’t re-publish full texts to which you do not own the copyright.
Keep it clean, keep it fun
Comments can be controversial but should not be alienating. Do not post content that is harassing, unlawful, defamatory, abusive, threatening, harmful, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, homophobic or racially offensive.
Passion is encouraged, over zealousness is not
To allow as many people as possible to publish a comment keep contributions per debate to a reasonable level. Multiple posts from one individual or a group of individuals can discourage others who might also wish to contribute.
Keep it clean
People of all sensitivities use this service, many from a business environment. Please don’t use swearwords or post content that might offend fellow users.
Nobody likes a spammer
Don't re post the same content, or very similar content, more than once.
Keep your post relevant
Posts which aren't relevant lower the value of the experience for everyone.
No impersonating
Impersonating other people (including other members) is unacceptable.
PRIVACY POLICY
This Privacy Policy explains how we use the information we collect about you via the civilservicelive.com (the "Website") and the procedures that we have in place to safeguard your privacy. Please do read this carefully. If you have any questions or queries on this please contact us at Civil Service Live Network, 020 7091 7600.
1. About us
2. Information we may collect and how we use it
3. Who else may use your data
4. Your profile
5. Marketing
6. Cookies
7. Data storage and security
8. Links to other websites
9. Keep your information up to date and access to information
10. Changes to this Privacy Policy
11. Contact us
1. ABOUT US
This Website is operated by Dods Parliamentary Communications Limited ("Dods") of 4 Grosvenor Place, London SW1X 7DL (Company No. 1262354).
Dods is committed to safeguarding and respecting your personal information and privacy. We are registered with the Information Commissioner under the Data Protection Act 1998 with registration number Z8858854. This Act provides a framework to ensure that personal information is collected and handled properly and gives individuals certain rights to know what information is held about them. Please see www.ico.gov.uk for more information.
2. INFORMATION WE MAY COLLECT AND HOW WE USE IT
2.1 Dods collects the following information about you when you use this Website:
2.1.1 Information that you provide voluntarily
(a) We collect personal information (for example your user name and email address) when you register with the Website. We collect additional personal information when you submit profile data and photos.
(b) You may post information when you interact with the Website (for example when you post personal opinions/reviews as comments on group discussions or as a blog.)
(c) If you contact us via the Website we may keep a record of that email or comment.
(d) We may also ask you to complete surveys for research purposes from time to time.
Please note that whilst registration to the Website is entirely voluntary you will be unable to access or use certain parts of the Website if you are not a registered user.
2.1.2 Information collected by us as you use the Website
Dods collects and stores information transmitted by your computer when you use the Website. This includes your IP address, browser data, traffic and location data and information we receive from cookies (please see section 6 below).
2.2 We may use the information we collect in the following ways:
2.2.1 to register you as a user of the Website and create your profile;
2.2.2 to identify you when you visit the Website including to assist with logging you in;
2.2.3 to provide our service(s) to you as a user of the Website and to notify you about changes to our service and/or the Website;
2.2.4 for marketing purposes, unless you have withheld your consent for us to do so (eg by ticking the relevant boxes (for example on your registration form)), or if you subsequently notify us by email that you no longer wish to receive such messages (see section 5 below);
2.2.5 to ensure that content from the Website is presented in the most effective manner; and
2.2.6 to help administer our Website generally.
2.3 By using the Website and submitting information, you consent to:
2.3.1 the collection and use of your personal information by us as described in this Privacy Policy;
2.3.2 the sharing of your data with third parties in accordance with section 3 below; and
2.3.3 in the event that we should need to do so, the transfer of your personal information to countries outside the European Economic Area (noting that some countries do not provide the same level of protection for personal data as the UK).
3. WHO ELSE MAY USE YOUR DATA
3.1 We may disclose your personal information to third parties in the following circumstances:
3.1.1 for marketing purposes provided always that you consent to us sharing such data with third parties by notifying us via the Website (e.g. by ticking the relevant box(es) on your registration form) or in other communications with us;
3.1.2 if Dods or substantially all of its assets are acquired by a third party, in which case personal data held by it about users of the Website may be transferred;
3.1.3 if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal information in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply the Website terms of use, house rules and/or other agreements between you and us; or
3.1.4 to protect the rights, property or safety of Dods or other Website users.
3.2 We may pass aggregate information on the use of this Website to third parties but this will not include information which could be used to identify you.
4. YOUR PROFILE
4.1 This Civil Service network is intended for people aged 18 years and older. Please do not register to create a profile or submit any personal information to the Website if you are under 18.
4.2 Please remember that when you voluntarily post material to a public area of this Website (which may include your profile) that this may be viewed and used by others. We cannot prevent such uses. Please do think carefully about the type of information which you wish to provide to public areas of the Website and consider your privacy and account settings carefully. You can change your profile by logging onto the Website with your registered user name and password and clicking on My Profile.
5. MARKETING
5.1 You will only receive communications from us or third parties if you have consented to this (for example by ticking the relevant box(es) on your registration form) or in any communications with us.
5.2 You have the right at any time to ask us not to use your personal data for marketing purposes. If you do not wish to receive such communications, please email us at network@civilservicelive.com
6. COOKIES
6.1 When you visit this Website, the pages you see, along with a small file called a "cookie" are downloaded to your computer. "Cookies" are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually change your browser to prevent this. We may use cookies to keep track of your activity on this Website including the pages you have looked at, to recognise you when you return to the Website and to provide all visitors to the Website with a better experience.
6.2 You may refuse to accept cookies by activating the setting on your browser which allows you to refuse cookies (usually located under the Tools menu). However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of the Website. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you visit the Website.
6.3 For further information on how to find, control and delete cookies visit www.aboutcookies.org.
7. DATA STORAGE AND SECURITY
7.1 Where you have a username/password which enables you to access certain parts of the Website, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential and we recommend that you do not share your password with anyone. We recommend that you notify us of any unauthorised use of your username/password.
7.2 Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will try and protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our Website and any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent access by unauthorised persons and any unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage.
8. LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES
8.1 This Website may contain links to other websites owned and operated by third parties. These third party websites will have their own privacy policies that will govern the use of any personal information you submit whilst visiting these. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies or the privacy practices of such third party websites. Please check the policies before submitting any personal information to these websites. Your use of third party websites is at your own risk.
9. KEEP YOUR INFORMATION UP TO DATE AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION
9.1 We aim to keep any personal information we hold up to date, accurate and error free. Please help us to keep your information accurate and up to date by notifying us of any relevant changes in the personal data we hold about you by keeping your profile up to date. See Section 4. You can also ask us to correct any personal data we hold about you. In your request, please specify which data is inaccurate, and what corrections you want us to make. You can contact us for these purposes at [insert].
9.2 You have certain rights to see information we hold about you. Any request for such information may be subject to a small fee to meet our costs in providing you with such details. Please contact Civil Service Live Network, 020 7091 7600 if you would like further information on this.
10. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
10.1 We keep this Privacy Policy under review and may occasionally make changes to it (including if necessary as a result of development of the Website, changes to technologies, legal or regulatory changes etc). If we change this Privacy Policy we will post the changes on this page so that you will be aware of them. Your continued use of the Website after any such changes will constitute your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. If you do not wish to accept the revised Privacy Policy, you must not use or access (or continue to use or access) the Website. Please do regularly check the Website to determine if the Privacy Policy has been updated and to review those changes before deciding whether or not to access (or continue to access) the Website.
11. CONTACT US
Questions, comments and requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our practices relating to use of your personal information are very welcome and should be addressed to Civil Service Live Network, 020 7091 7560.