Data Protection

In this Section

Your Data and Your Privacy

It's worth saying that your data is really important to us; so much of what you do involves logging onto the website - maybe you're a member of a society or want to vote in our elections, you’ve come to the ARC for some advice, maybe you’ve bought a hoodie on your debit card from the SU shop - guess what - all this requires us to process your data in some way. The new law will make sure that we only use your data for the way we intended to when you signed up to the University - if we want to do something different with it, we have to ask your permission.

You have probably noticed loads of new notices on some of your favourite apps over the last few weeks. This is because of the new Data Protection Laws coming into play at the end of May.

Put simply, the new law gives you more control over your data by ensuring organisations only use what data they actually need for their legitimate interests.

The Students’ Union is no different in this respect and we are also required to inform you of how and why we process your data.

The ASU Data Protection policy is currently the go-to place for this information. You can download and read it here at your leisure. 

If you can’t be bothered to read the policy (let’s be honest, how many of us actually read the small print) we can confidently tell you that we follow these key principles of data protection: 

  1. Legitimate use of Personal Data
    We will only use your data (process it) for reasons that allow the Aston Students' Union to achieve its charitable aims (which are about supporting and representing you as students at Aston University).
     
  2. Data Minimisation
    We will only collect and use the data we need to; if we don't need it we will not collect it.
     
  3. Data Accuracy, Security, Storage and Limitations
    We will make sure it’s accurate, kept in a safe place and only for as long as we really need to.

Any questions? May we suggest you read the policy first and if that doesn’t give you the answers, email Max Mcloughlin, CEO and in this regard the Students’ Unions Data Controller.