BuzzFeed Privacy Policy

DATED 2023-06-29 · VERSION 20240601_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20240201_rev01 · ARCHIVE SNAPSHOT

Full text changes — 20240201_rev01 to 20240601_rev01

COLOUR MARKS THE SEVERITY OF A FLAGGED CLAUSE · + AND − MARK ADDED AND REMOVED

 [7\. How we collect personal data](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
 [8\. Marketing Choices](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
 [9\. Sharing your personal data](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
+[10\. UK and EU users: international transfer of your personal data](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
+[10\. EU users: international transfer of your personal data](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
 [11\. Retaining your personal data](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
 [12\. Social Media Platforms and Other Third-Party Sites](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
 [13\. Cookie policy](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
 [15\. Privacy Information for United States Residents](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
 [16\. BuzzFeed legal entities](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy)
 ## **1\. Who we are**
+When we mention "BuzzFeed", "we", "us" or "our" in this Privacy Policy, we mean BuzzFeed, Inc., or the relevant BuzzFeed company responsible for processing your data. BuzzFeed legal entities are listed in our [section 16](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy).
+When we mention "BuzzFeed", "we", "us" or "our" in this Privacy Policy, we mean BuzzFeed, Inc., or the relevant BuzzFeed company responsible for processing your data. BuzzFeed legal entities are listed in our [section 16](https://www.buzzfeed.com/about/privacy). **Please note that Independent Digital News and Media Limited now manage operations for UK users. For further details please see Section 14 - Privacy Information for EEA and UK users for further details.**
 ## **2\. About this Privacy Policy**
 This Privacy Policy explains how BuzzFeed collects, uses, and discloses your personal data. We collect personal data when you use our website(s), mobile apps, and other online and offline products, services and experiences (collectively, the "Services"). This Privacy Policy does not apply to any third parties you may interact with through our Services. From time to time, we parties with third parties to provide you with products, promotions or other experiences. If those third parties will receive your personal data, we will make their privacy policy available to you.
 ## **3\. Changes to this Privacy Policy**
 ### **5.4 Profile data.**
 If you sign up for an Account, we will collect the data you give us as part of your Account sign-up, information you give us in connection with purchases or orders made by you, and your interests, preferences, feedback and survey responses. Your interests and preferences are inferred from data we collect regarding the content you have interacted with, how long you interacted with them, how often you interacted with them, and the nature of your interaction with the content. We do not disclose email addresses to other users except where it is necessary to comply with the law, to protect our rights, or to protect the rights of our users.
 ### **5.5 Special category data.**
+When we conduct research or carry out surveys and you participate in our research or surveys, we may collect sensitive personal data about you, for example, information about your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life or sexual orientation. We will get your explicit consent for our collection, use, or sharing of this data as required by law.
+When we conduct research or carry out surveys and you participate in our research or surveys, we may collect sensitive personal data or sensitive personal information ("SPDI") about you, for example, information about your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life or sexual orientation. We will get your explicit consent for our collection, use, or sharing of this data as required by law. We do not collect or process SPDI for any other purpose other than those permitted by applicable law.
 ## **6\. Aggregated data**
 .1 We analyze and aggregate personal data we collect, such as the number and frequency of your visits to the Services, to produce anonymized metrics and statistical information that does not identify you as an individual.
 .2 We combine information about you with information about other users to create audience segments of aggregated data, for example, statistical, demographic and usage data. If we combine or connect aggregated data with your personal data, we treat the combined data as personal data and treat it in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
 **Other Sharing**
 We may also share aggregated or de-identified information, which cannot reasonably be used to identify you (we do not attempt to re-identify de-identified information, except as permitted or required by law). For example, we may share aggregated or de-identified information with our ad partners and service providers so that we, and they, can understand how people use our Services; this helps us grow our business and improve and develop our products and services.
 We may also share information about you along with a hashed version of your email address with our Advertising Partners so that they and we can facilitate customized ad campaigns and other offers on the Services and on other platforms. "Hashing" transforms your email into an unrecognizable series of numbers and letters (e.g. a "hashed" version of [jane@email.com](mailto:jane@email.com) would be [k5f7g23@email.com](mailto:k5f7g23@email.com)).
+## **10\. UK and EU users: international transfer of your personal data**
+## **10\. EU users: international transfer of your personal data**
 .1 When we process your personal data within BuzzFeed, we will do so in countries in which we have offices (United States, India, Australia, Japan, Mexico, Canada). We have put into place intra-group controls (including the standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission) to ensure that your rights continue to be protected.
 .2 Third parties with whom we share your data may be based outside the EEA and their processing of your personal data may involve a transfer of data outside the EEA. For more information, please refer to the privacy policy links for such third parties in our consent management platform.
 .3 Our agreements with those third parties include Commission-approved standard contractual clauses and otherwise make clear the standards we expect of them in order to safeguard your information and your legal rights.
 Browsers and devices have tools that allow you to disable Cookies. If you disable Cookies you may not be able to access all the features of our services. We suggest that you keep our essential cookies active for a better user experience and to help us keep improving and developing our products and services. You can decide who you will allow to set third party cookies on your browser or device by going to our [consent preferences center](https://www.buzzfeed.com/consent-preferences). You can change your mind and revisit your consent choices at any time by returning there.
 If you would like more information about this practice and to know your choices about having your information used in this manner by our partners, you may visit [https://optout.networkadvertising.org/?c=1](https://optout.networkadvertising.org/), [https://optout.aboutads.info/?c=2&lang=EN](https://optout.aboutads.info/) or [https://youradchoices.com/token](https://youradchoices.com/token).
 ## **14\. Privacy information for EEA and UK users**
+### **14.1 Information for UK/EU Users (including legal bases)**
+### **14.1 Information for EU Users (including legal bases)**
 We will use your personal data only for the purposes for which we collect it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason that is compatible with the original purpose. If we need to use your personal data for another purpose, we will explain the legal basis we rely on.
 The table below shows what we use your personal data for and the lawful basis for processing it in each case.
 | Purpose | Type of data | Lawful basis |
 | Allow you to take part in a prize draw, sweepstake, or other competition or other promotional activity. | Data that directly identifies you such as your name, username, and email address. | Creation or performance of a contract. |
 | Administration and protection of our business including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, system maintenance, user support, reporting and hosting data, administration and IT services, network security, fraud prevention, customer services and business reorganization, including exchanging information with third parties for fraud protection and spam/malware prevention. | Data that indirectly identifies you (such as your IP address or mobile device ID and location data) and data that directly identifies you (such as your name, username, and email address). | Legitimate interest. |
 | Send marketing communications to you if you subscribe to our newsletters or other products and services. We explain how we comply with the law and how you can manage your preferences in our "Marketing choices" section. | Data that directly identifies you such as your name and email address. | Consent |
 | Communicate with you about our services that you sign up to receive when you create an Account and transactions that you conduct using our services, including published content you visit, content you submit for publication on buzzfeed.com, and content posted by you on buzzfeed.com (including your comments on content, feedback and reviews). | Data that directly identifies you such as your name and email address. | Creation or performance of a contract |
 | Comply with applicable laws, regulations and legal and regulatory processes. | Data that indirectly identifies you (such as your IP address or mobile device ID and location data) and/or data that directly identifies you (such as your name, username, and email address). | Creation or performance of a contract |
+### **14.2 Legal rights for EEA and UK users**
+### **14.2 Legal rights for EEA users**
+If you are an EU or UK resident, you have certain rights in respect of the information that we hold about you. Below is a short overview of those rights:
+If you are an EU resident, you have certain rights in respect of the information that we hold about you. Below is a short overview of those rights:
 - **Access.** With some exceptions designed to protect the rights of others, you have the right to a copy of the personal data that we hold about you. Where the data is data that you have given to us, you have the right to receive your copy of it in a common electronic format, and to provide copies of it to other people if you wish.
 - **Correction.** You have the right to have the personal data we hold about you corrected if it is factually inaccurate. This right does not extend to matters of opinion, such as views expressed in editorial content.
 - **Deletion.** In some limited circumstances, you have the right to have personal data that we hold about you erased (the "right to be forgotten"). This right is not generally available where we still have a valid legal reason to keep the data (for example, because we are obliged to do so by law).
 ### **14.3 How to exercise your rights**
 To exercise your rights, please complete the form on our Request Portal which can be accessed [here](https://buzzfeed-privacy.my.onetrust.com/webform/a2fdc8ea-c07a-4e1a-9c6e-d481efbe7ce8/852b34f0-af60-481c-a823-8a8ea0b4147e). In order to protect your privacy and that of others, we will ask you to prove your identity before we take any steps in response to a request you have made. If a third party is making a request on your behalf, we will ask them to prove that they have your permission to act for you.
 We may contact you to ask you for further information to help you exercise your legal rights or to speed up our response. We will try to respond to requests within one month and we will let you know if we need to take longer, for example because your request is complicated. We may have an overriding lawful basis for processing your personal data, or certain exemptions may apply. If we refuse your request, we will explain why. You may also reach us at [data-privacy@buzzfeed.com](mailto:data-privacy@buzzfeed.com).
+### **14.4 Complaints**
+**UK users: please contact** [customerservices@independent.co.uk](file:////Users/joanabelardo/Library/Group%20Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/TemporaryItems/msohtmlclip/clip_filelist.xml)
+You have the right to complain about data privacy matters to the Information Commissioner's Office ([www.ico.org.uk](http://www.ico.org.uk/)), or the relevant data protection regulator in your country of residence. You can contact the ICO on 0303 123 1113. We invite you to raise your concerns with us first, so that we can try to resolve them.
+### **14.4 UK Users**
+UK Users of BuzzFeed's site are subject to the privacy policy ([https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html)) of the Independent Digital News and Media Limited.
+To contact Independent Digital News and Media Limited, please email [customerservices@independent.co.uk](mailto:customerservices@independent.co.uk).
+Below are additional contacts:
+**Data Protection Officer (DPO)**
+Contact name: Nicola Mckilligan-Regan
+Address: Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London, United Kingdom, EC2A 1AH
+Contact info: [dpo@independent.co.uk](mailto:dpo@independent.co.uk)
+If you are based in the EEA please contact our EU Representative:
+**EU Representative**
+Contact name: IDNML EU Representative
+Address: IDNML EU REP c/o Kazient Privacy Experts, 77 Lower Camden Street, Dublin, Ireland, D02 XE80
+Contact info: [idnml.eurep@kazient.eu](mailto:dpo@independent.co.uk)
 ## **15\. Privacy Information for United States Residents**
 Residents of certain states have additional rights and choices beyond what is described in Sections 1-13 of this Privacy Policy. This section addresses those additional rights.
 ### **15.1 United States Privacy Rights**
 Only you or a person that you authorize to act on your behalf may make a verifiable consumer request related to your personal data. You may also make a verifiable consumer request on behalf of your minor child.
 You may only make a verifiable consumer request for access or deletion twice within a 12-month period.
 Please note that certain data may be exempt from such access, data portability, correction, and deletion requests under US Privacy Law. For example, we need to retain certain data in order to provide the Services to you or to comply with our legal obligations.
+If we are unable to honor your request or you are not satisfied with the outcome of your request, you have the right, within a reasonable period of time, to appeal our decision. Please send your appeal by email to [data-privacy@buzzfeed.com](mailto:data-privacy@buzzfeed.com) with "Privacy Appeal" in the subject line
+If we are unable to honor your request or you are not satisfied with the outcome of your request, you have the right, within a reasonable period of time, to appeal our decision. Please send your appeal by email to [data-privacy@buzzfeed.com](mailto:data-privacy@buzzfeed.com) with "Privacy Appeal" in the subject line.
 ### **15.3 Notice for California Users**
 This section provides you with our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal data in the 12 months prior to our last update to this Policy (see the date at the top). It also explains your rights regarding your personal data that we collect pursuant to applicable U.S. state privacy laws.
 #### **Categories of Information We Collect:**
 - Torando Labs, Inc.
 - Lexland Studios, Inc (formerly known as BFMP Video, Inc.)
 - The [HuffingtonPost.com](http://huffingtonpost.com/), Inc.
+- Complex Media, Inc.