hmcoastguard.uk is provided by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), an executive agency of the Department for Transport.

The MCA is the data controller for pages on hmcoastguard.uk.

If you follow a link to a service provided by another government department, agency or local authority, that organisation will:

• be the data controller
• be responsible for processing any data you share with them
• publish and manage their own privacy notice with details of how to contact them

The MCA also manages personal data for seafarers, ship owners, agents and members of the public who have registered for other services on GOV.UK. For further information, please see the MCA’s Personal information charter.

What data we collect

The personal data we collect from you includes:

• details of which version of  web browser  you used
• information on how you use the site, using cookies and page tagging techniques

Where you provide your consent, we use Google Analytics cookies to collect information about how you use this website. 

Google Analytics processes information about:

• the pages you visit on hmcoastguard.uk
• how long you spend on each hmcoastguard.uk page
• how you got to the site
• what you click on while you’re visiting the site

We make sure you cannot be directly identified by Google Analytics data. We do this by using  Google Analytics 4 which does not log or store individual IP addresse sand by removing any other personal data from the titles or URLs of the pages you visit.

We will not combine analytics information with other data sets in a way that would directly identify who you are.

Find out more about how we use Google Analytics and other cookies on hmcoastguard.uk .

Why we need your data

We collect your personal data in order to:

• gather feedback to improve our website, for example our navigation and homepage
• respond to any feedback you send us, if you’ve asked us to
• monitor use of the site to identify security threats
• monitor the performance of the site to identify inefficiencies and errors

We use the information we collect through Google Analytics to see how you use hmcoastguard.uk and to see how well the site performs on your device.

We do this to help:

• make sure hmcoastguard.uk is meeting the needs of its users
• make improvements
• make performance improvements, for example improving page load time and data usage

Our legal basis for processing your data

The legal basis for processing personal data in relation to site security is our legitimate interests, and the legitimate interests of our users, in ensuring the security and integrity of hmcoastguard.uk.

The legal basis for processing data collected with Google Analytics on hmcoastguard.uk is your consent.

The legal basis for processing all other personal data is that it’s necessary:

• to perform a task in the public interest
• in the exercise of our functions as a government agency

What we do with your data

The data we collect may be shared with other government departments, agencies and public bodies. It may also be shared with our technology suppliers, for example our hosting provider.

We will share your data if we are required to do so by law - for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime.

The data we collect with Google Analytics cookies is transferred and stored with Google where we analyse it with Google Analytics software (Google Analytics 4). We do not allow Google to use or share this data for their own purposes.

We will not:

• sell or rent your data to third parties
• share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

How long we keep your data

We do not collect or retain any personal data through this website.

Children’s privacy protection

Our services are not designed for, or intentionally targeted at, children 13 years of age or younger. We do not intentionally collect or maintain data about anyone under the age of 13.

Where your data is processed and stored

We design, build and run our systems to make sure that your data is as safe as possible at all stages, both while it’s processed and when it’s stored.

All personal data is stored in the European Economic Area (EEA). Data collected by Google Analytics may be transferred outside the EEA for processing.

How we protect your data and keep it secure

We are committed to doing all that we can to keep your data secure. We have set up systems and processes to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure of your data - for example, we protect your data using varying levels of encryption.

We also make sure that any third parties that we deal with keep all personal data they process on our behalf secure.

Your rights

You have the right to request:

• information about how your personal data is processed
• a copy of that personal data
• that anything inaccurate in your personal data is corrected immediately

You can also:

• raise an objection about how your personal data is processed
• request that your personal data is erased if there is no longer a justification for it
• ask that the processing of your personal data is restricted in certain circumstances

If you have any of these requests, get in contact with our data protection team.

Links to other websites

hmcoastguard.uk contains links to other websites.

This privacy notice only applies to hmcoastguard.uk, and does not cover other government services and transactions that we link to. These services, such as the Beacon Registry , have their own terms and conditions and privacy policies.

Following a link to another website

If you go to another website from this one, read the privacy policy on that website to find out what it does with your information.

Following a link to hmcoastguard.uk from another website

If you come to hmcoastguard.uk from another website, we may receive personal information from the other website. You should read the privacy policy of the website you came from to find out more about this.

Contact us or make a complaint

Contact the data protection team if you:

• have a question about anything in this privacy notice
• think that your personal data has been misused or mishandled

Email: dataprotectionmanager@mcga.gov.uk 

Data Protection Manager
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Bay 3/10, Spring Place
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG

You can also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator.

Information Commissioner

Email: icocasework@ico.org.uk 

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Textphone: 01625 545860
Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm 
Find out about call charges 

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Changes to this policy

We may change this privacy policy. In that case, the ‘last updated’ date at the bottom of this page will also change. Any changes to this privacy policy will apply to you and your data immediately.

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

Last updated: 4 April 2023