User research for people with LTHC: privacy notice

The user research team is part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). They conduct research to support its digital services. The user research team conducts user research to understand the needs of users, and to test and improve services both internally and externally for the public, to support the aims of the department.

This notice sets out how we will process your personal data, and your rights. It is made under Articles 13 and/ or 14 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The DSIT is the Data Controller for the use of personal data in this privacy notice.

This privacy notice gives you general information on how we process your personal data. For more details about a specific piece of research, you can refer to the consent form provided when you’re invited to take part in the research. This will also include contact details for the researcher and their team in case you have any further questions or should you wish to withdraw your consent.

1. Your data

The personal data we collect from you may include your:

• name
• age
• gender
• email address
• phone number
• geographical information

The special category data we collect from you may include:

• personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin
• disabilities, such as details of any condition that can affect your ability to use a computer
• personal data concerning health where it is required for the research project

We may collect additional information, based on the specific topic being researched. Please refer to the consent form if you’re invited to take part in the research.

Data collection

In most cases, we’ll collect personal data from you during the research session. This could be in the form of:

• audio recordings
• video recordings
• screen recordings
• written notes
• photos

2. Purpose 

The purposes for which we are processing your personal data are:  

• to conduct user research in the public interest to support the improvement or development of internal and external services aligned with the priorities of DSIT
• to contact you regarding your participation in user research
• to ensure that the sample of participants is representative of the user groups we are researching

The purpose for which we are processing your special category data is:  

• to ensure that the sample of participants is representative of the user groups we are researching

3. Legal basis of processing  

The legal basis for processing your personal data under Article 6 of the UK GDPR is:  

1(e) Public task: Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the data controller to support the improvement or development of internal and external services aligned with the priorities of DSIT.

1(a) Consent: You consent to the processing of your personal data to capture audio or video recordings and photos of you during the research session. Should you change your mind, you can withdraw consent at any time by contacting the user researcher leading on the project. Details can be found on the consent form for the research.

The legal basis for processing your special category data under Article 9 of the UK GDPR is: 

• 2 (g) Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest for the exercise of a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown, or a government department, and

• Schedule 1 Part 2 Paragraph 6 of the Data Protection Act 2018: Statutory etc and government purposes.

DSIT has an appropriate policy document in place that sets out how we will protect special category data How DSIT processes special category data and criminal offence data (Appropriate Policy Document).

4. Recipients 

As part of our IT infrastructure, your personal data will be stored in the UK on systems provided by our data processors - Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. This does not mean we actively share your personal data with these entities; rather, they are technical service providers who host infrastructure supporting our IT systems.

Your personal data will only be used by colleagues who require access to it. This may include contractors from third party organisations contracted to conduct user research as a data processor on behalf of DSIT.

5. Retention  

We will only retain your personal data for as long as it is needed for the purposes of the project.

Your personal data will be kept by us for a maximum duration of one year from the date the data was collected.

We would like to retain your personal data to contact you about future research. We will ask you whether you consent or not at the end of the research session. If you choose not to consent to be contacted for future research, we will erase your details at the end of this research.

6. International transfers

Your personal data shared directly with DSIT will be processed in the UK. 

7. Your rights 

You have the right to:

• request information about how your personal data is processed, and to request a copy of that personal data
• request that any inaccuracies in your personal data are rectified without delay
• request that any incomplete personal data is completed, including by means of a supplementary statement
• request that your personal data is erased if there is no longer a justification for them to be processed
• in certain circumstances (for example, where accuracy is contested) request that the processing of your personal data is restricted
• withdraw consent to the processing of your personal data at any time

To exercise your rights please contact the Data Protection Officer using the contact details below. 

Contact Details 

The data controller for your personal data is the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). You can contact the DSIT Data Protection Officer at:

DSIT Data Protection Officer
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
22-26 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2EG

Email dataprotection@dsit.gov.uk

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your personal data, please write to the department’s Data Protection Officer in the first instance using the contact details above.

9. Complaints

If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is a UK independent regulator.

Contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Email icocasework@ico.org.uk

Contact form https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Telephone 0303 123 1113

Any complaint to the Information Commissioner is without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.

10. Updates to this notice

If this privacy notice changes in any way, we will place an updated version on this page. Regularly reviewing this page ensures you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we will share it with other parties. The ‘last updated’ date at the bottom of this page will also change.

If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, we will take reasonable steps to let you know.

Date last updated: 28 May 2026