This privacy policy is effective as of June 23rd, 2025

Your privacy matters to us at The College Tribune. We are committed to protecting your personal information and ensuring your trust when you visit or use our website. This Privacy Policy explains:

  • What personal data we collect.
  • Why we collect it.
  • How we use and share it.
  • Your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other relevant data protection laws.

We collect information when you access our site or engage with our services and content. This policy is designed to help you understand how we handle that information and your choices regarding it.

Please read this policy carefully alongside any other privacy notices we may provide, so you are fully informed about how and why your data is used. We value your opinions. Should you have any questions or comments related to this privacy policy, feel free to contact us at editor@collegetribune.ie.

Changes to this privacy policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or services. If significant updates are made, we will notify you before the changes take effect, either by updating this page, adding a notice on our website, or contacting you directly where appropriate.

Who is The College Tribune, and how are we contacted?

Throughout this privacy policy, “we”, “us”, and “ours” refer to The College Tribune, an independent student publication. Our registered address is LG18, John Henry Newman Building, UCD, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. We are the “data controller” responsible for the processing of your personal data under applicable data protection laws.

Data protection officer

We have appointed an internal Data Protection Officer (DPO) to help with any queries you may have about this policy, our data handling practices, or your data rights. You can contact the DPO by email at: editor@collegetribune.ie.

1. Information We Collect and How We Use It

For Marketing, Promotions, and Research

Competitions and Promotions:

From time to time, we may run competitions, giveaways, or other promotional events. If you choose to participate, we will collect and use your personal data (such as your name and contact details) solely to manage the promotion, as described in the terms you agree to when entering.

In certain cases, your entry may be shared with the competition sponsor or promoter, which will be clearly stated. If you are selected as a winner, we may:

  • Contact you using the information you provided.
  • Publish your name and prize details on our website.

This information will only be used to administer the competition and announce the results.

Survey and Polls:

We occasionally conduct surveys and polls to gather feedback and insights from our readers. Participation is completely voluntary.

  • You may choose to provide your email address if you’d like to be contacted for future research.
  • Survey responses are anonymised and analysed in aggregate.
  • If we collect your email for promotional or prize purposes, it is stored separately from survey responses.

We only process this information to administer the survey, research, or promotion you choose to take part in.

To deliver our content to you

Sharing Our Content:

Our website includes tools that allow users to forward or share articles via email. If someone shares content with you using these tools, we may temporarily collect your email address for the sole purpose of delivering the content.

  • We do not retain your email address after the content is sent.
  • By using this feature, the person sharing the content confirms they have your consent to do so.

We use this information only to fulfil the sharing request, nothing more.

Recommending Content:

We use aggregated (non-identifiable) data about your activity to help us recommend content that may be relevant or interesting to you.

  • If you regularly read articles in a specific category, we may highlight similar posts.
  • We do not profile you individually or track your personal reading history.

This processing is based on our legitimate interest in improving content relevance for our readers. You can object to this kind of data processing at any time by contacting editor@collegetribune.ie.

To understand how you use our services

Tracking How You Access and Use Our Content:

We collect certain technical and usage information when you interact with our website. This helps us understand how users access, read, and engage with our content, and allows us to improve your experience.

What We Collect:

  • Technical information sent by your browser or device, such as:
    • IP address.
    • Browser type and version.
    • Time zone, operating system, platform, and device type.
    • Access times and browser plug-in details.
  • Usage data, including:
    • Pages you visit and the actions you take (scrolling, clicking, mouse movement).
    • Articles or content you read or search for.
    • Time spent on pages, download errors, and response times.
    • How you navigate to and from our site.
  • Device identifiers (for mobile users), such as:
    • Device type, IMEI number, mobile OS, mobile network information, and time zone.
  • Mobile app data (if applicable), like:
    • Traffic logs, location data, communication metadata, and accessed resources.
  • Cookies and similar technologies, used to:
    • Store your preferences.
    • Analyse traffic (e.g., via Google Analytics, WordPress statistics).
    • Personalise content.
    • Enable location-based features (with your consent).

Location-Based Services:

Some features may require access to your precise location. If so, we will ask for your explicit consent before collecting location data. You can withdraw this consent at any time.

Your Rights:

You can control how we collect and use this data through:

  • Cookie preferences (managed via the Complianz banner that pops up when you enter the website).
  • Your device or browser settings.
  • Contact us directly to request data access or erasure. You can contact us at editor@collegetribune.ie.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Our Emails:

We use technologies such as tracking pixels to understand whether you:

  • Open our emails.
  • Click on links within them.

This helps us analyse how effective our newsletters and marketing messages are, so we can improve communication with our audience. We process this information based on our legitimate interest in optimising our communications.

Supporting our Advertising Services

We work with third-party advertising vendors, including Google, to display ads on our website. These ads may be tailored based on:

  • Your browsing behaviour on our site.
  • Interests inferred from the content you interact with.

This type of advertising is designed to target audience segments, not individuals. It helps us keep our content free and support the services we provide.

How This Works:

  • Third-party vendors may place cookies in your browser.
  • These cookies help track your activity and serve more relevant ads.
  • When you visit our site, data may be shared (anonymously) with ad partners.
  • None of this data is personally identifiable.

These technologies also help:

  • Detect fraudulent ad activity.
  • Measure ad performance.
  • Build interest profiles to deliver more meaningful content.

To Deliver Recruitment Services

To Apply to Write for Us:

If you apply to write for The College Tribune, you may be asked to provide personal information such as your name, contact details, and background. This information is used:

  • To review and respond to your application.
  • To evaluate your suitability as a candidate.
  • For current or future contributors or career opportunities.

We process this information in line with our legitimate interest in managing recruitment.

Other Purposes for Using Your Data

To Correspond with You:

If you contact us (e.g., by email), we will use your contact information to respond to your inquiry. We process this information as part of our legitimate interest in maintaining effective communication with readers and contributors.

To Manage our Business Operations:

We may use your personal data for internal operations, including:

  • Auditing and accounting.
  • Customer service and technical support.
  • Data analysis, troubleshooting, and fraud prevention.

This processing is necessary for our legitimate interest in running our publication efficiently.

To Verify your Identity:

If you request to exercise your data rights (e.g., access or deletion), we may ask you to provide additional personal information to confirm your identity. This is required to protect your data and fulfil your request securely.

When you Provide Professional Services to us:

If you offer professional services to The College Tribune, we may collect your information to:

  • Administer and manage the service agreement.
  • Fulfil our obligations under the terms of your contract.
  • Process payments and maintain business records.

2. Anonymous Information We Process

We may collect and use data that does not identify you directly. This means:

  • The data does not allow us to associate it with any specific individual.
  • It cannot reasonably be used to identify or contact you.

This aggregated or anonymised data is considered non-personal information under this Privacy Policy.

Push notifications

We may use push notifications to:

  • Alert you to breaking news.
  • Notify you of live coverage or important updates.

These notifications do not involve personal data, and we cannot identify individual users based on who subscribes. In some cases, we may use push notifications to share relevant updates based on:

  • Your device type (e.g., iOS or Android).
  • Your location or usage behaviour within our services.

You can control these notifications at any time through your mobile device’s settings.

Note:

  • iOS devices require users to opt in before receiving notifications.
  • Android devices may send notifications by default unless users opt out.

3. The Legal Basis for Processing Your Information

We collect and use your personal information for various purposes, each supported by a lawful basis under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

To Enter Into or Fulfil a Contract

We process your personal data to meet our contractual obligations or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract. This includes:

  • Delivering subscriptions, services, or products you request.
  • Processing payments for orders or services.
  • Providing customer service and technical support.
  • Administering competitions or similar activities.
  • Handling live chat or customer inquiries.
  • Offering recruitment services when requested.
  • Paying you for services you may provide to us.
  • Sending service-related communications (e.g., payment, delivery updates, terms & conditions).

With Your Consent (Which You Can Withdraw Anytime)

In some cases, we rely on your explicit consent to process your information. This includes situations like:

  • Sending marketing communications
  • Using optional cookies or analytics tools
  • Enabling push notifications or third-party content

You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us at editor@collegetribune.ie

To Comply with Our Legal Obligations

We are sometimes required to process personal data to meet legal and regulatory obligations. This may include:

  • Complying with tax, auditing, or financial reporting obligations.
  • Addressing requests from law enforcement or regulatory bodies.
  • Ensuring we meet GDPR and other applicable privacy regulations.

Processing Based on Our Legitimate Interests

We may process your personal information where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms under data protection law. These legitimate interests allow us to:

  • Enhance and personalise the services we provide
  • Operate our business effectively and efficiently
  • Improve the experience for our users and readers

You have the right to object to this processing at any time. If you wish to do so, please contact us at editor@collegetribune.ie. Please note that in some cases, we may continue to process your data if we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your rights or if the processing is necessary for legal claims.

We may process your personal data under legitimate interest for purposes such as:

  • Managing internal business operations (e.g., auditing, analytics, troubleshooting, support, fraud detection).
  • Providing you with personalised content, recommendations, and experiences.
  • Supporting advertising and measuring the effectiveness of campaigns.
  • Researching and improving The College Tribune’s content and services.
  • Ensuring content and user interfaces are optimised for your device.
  • Maintaining relationships with our readers and contributors.
  • Enhancing the usability and performance of our website and services.
  • Ensuring the security of our systems and services.
  • Protecting the rights and safety of The College Tribune, its staff, and its users.
  • Understanding reader demographics to tailor content and strategy.

4. When and How Your Information is Shared

Within Our Organisation

We may share your personal data with members of our internal team, including writers, editors, and administrative staff, strictly on a need-to-know basis and always in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

With Third Parties

We do not sell your personal data. However, we may share it with trusted third parties under the circumstances listed below. These third parties are either supporting the delivery of our services or operating on our behalf. We require them contractually to handle your data securely and lawfully.

Third-Party Service Providers

We may share your data with providers who perform tasks for us, such as:

  • IT and cloud hosting providers.
  • Accountants, legal advisors, or consultants.
  • App developers, printers, and payment processors.
  • Security, admin, and analytics services.

They only access your information to provide the contracted service, and not for their own use.

Third-Party Service Partners

From time to time, we may work with partners to run events, competitions, or promotional activities. If you engage with these, your personal information may be shared only to fulfil that activity. Please note: these partners operate under their privacy policies, which we recommend reviewing.

Third-Party Advertisers

We may share aggregated, anonymised data (that cannot identify you personally) with advertisers to help them understand audience reach and ad effectiveness. These parties may combine this with other data you’ve provided to them directly through your use of their services.

Independent auditors

We may share your personal data with independent third-party auditors as part of our legitimate interest in ensuring compliance and verifying the accuracy of aggregated usage statistics, such as readership and distribution figures, or to assess our internal processes against relevant industry standards and regulations.

Social Networking Sites

Our website and mobile applications integrate with third-party social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others. These integrations may allow those platforms to collect information about your interactions with our site, particularly if you are logged into those services while browsing.

If you interact with features like “like” or “share” buttons, or content embedded from these platforms, your data may be shared with those providers. This could include your browsing behaviour or site visit information.

Please note that this data is subject to the privacy policies of the respective platforms, and we advise you to consult their policies for more details. We may use aggregated, anonymised data from these interactions to tailor and improve our services and content.

5. Data Storage and Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, and to comply with our legal and contractual obligations.

In general:

  • Data will be kept no longer than is necessary for operational, legal, or regulatory requirements.
  • If a contract is entered into between you and The College Tribune, we may retain personal information for up to seven years following the end of that contract to comply with statutory limitation periods for legal claims.
  • After this period, data will either be securely deleted or anonymised.

6. International Transfers

In certain circumstances, we may need to transfer your personal data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). These countries may not offer the same level of data protection as is guaranteed under EU law.

When such transfers are necessary, we take all appropriate measures to ensure that your data remains protected. These safeguards may include:

  • Transferring data only to countries deemed by the European Commission to have an adequate level of data protection, or;
  • Implementing standard contractual clauses or other contractual mechanisms approved by the European Commission to ensure the safety of your data.

7. Your Data Rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have a number of rights concerning how your personal information is processed. These include the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectify inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on your consent to process data.
  • Request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain legal exceptions.
  • Request data portability, allowing you to receive your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
  • Restrict the processing of your data in specific circumstances.
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
  • Avoid automated decision-making, where such decisions significantly affect you.
  • Lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority if you believe your data rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at: editor@collegetribune.ie. We may request proof of identity to protect your personal data from unauthorised access.

We aim to respond to all requests within one month. If your request is particularly complex, we may need up to an additional two months and will inform you accordingly.

8. Consequences of Not Providing Information

In some circumstances, we are required to collect personal information either by law or under the terms of a contract with you. If you do not provide the requested data, we may be unable to fulfil our obligations. For example, we may be unable to provide you with products or services, or to complete a transaction.

If this becomes the case, we will inform you at the time and explain any potential impact on our ability to proceed.

9. Processing for Journalistic Purposes

As a news publishing organisation, The College Tribune processes personal data in accordance with the right to freedom of expression and information, specifically for journalistic purposes.

This type of processing is exempt from certain obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Examples of processing for journalistic purposes include:

  • Publishing personal information submitted as part of articles, letters to the editor, or reader forums.
  • Publishing voluntarily submitted opinions, experiences, or statements.
  • Moderating and publishing user comments or contributions on our digital platforms.

It is important to note that certain individual rights (such as the right to erasure or objection) may not apply to data processed for journalistic reasons if complying would compromise freedom of expression or the public interest.