Who is undertaking this project?
The research project is being undertaken by a research team based in the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) within the University of Essex.
Institute of Social and Economic Research,
University of Essex,
Wivenhoe Park,
Colchester,
Essex
CO4 3SQ
Web: https://www.iser.essex.ac.uk
The University of Essex is registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Registration Number: Z699129X).
The Data Protection Officer for the University of Essex is:
Data Protection Officer
University of Essex,
Wivenhoe Park,
Colchester,
CO3 4SQ
+44 (0) 1206 872285
dpo@essex.ac.uk
The printing and mailing of survey invites to sample members has been sub-contracted to Corporate Document Services Limited (CDS), who are acting as data processors (https://www.cds.co.uk/printing-services).
The primary data collection for this project has been sub-contracted to Avicenna Research, who are acting as data processors (https://avicennaresearch.com).
What are the purpose(s) for which data are being processed within this project?
Understanding Society is an ongoing longitudinal household panel study that covers the UK.
The Understanding Society Activity Tracker study is part of the wider Understanding Society study, and involves participants being invited to wear a smartwatch device that collects information about physical activity and sleep. They will also be invited to install an app on their smartphone that will collect information about their location. The smartphone app will also handle transferring the information from the smartwatch to the research team. Data are collected and made available to researchers in a pseudonymised form.
What is the legal basis under which data is processed within this project?
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a legal basis is required for processing of personal data. The legal basis under which data is processed within this project is:
Article 6 (1) (e) – “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 controller;”
Processing of data concerning ‘special categories’ of data require the fulfilment of an additional condition under GDPR. The specific condition fulfilled by the processing of such data within this project is:
Article 9 (2) (j) – “processing is necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89(1) based on Union or Member State law which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to data protection and provide for suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject.”
For further information, see: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/lawful-basis-for-processing/
Under the Data Protection Act 2018 we are also required to identify an appropriate condition for processing Special Category Data, and this is Schedule 1, part 1, paragraph 4.
How is the data being collected within this project?
Sample members will be sent a postal invitation with information about the Activity Tracker study. The invitation will include links to more information on a project-specific website, including FAQs and this Privacy Notice. The invitation will include information about what the participant would be asked to do as part of the study.
If the sample member decides they would like to be part of the study, they will be asked to complete a short online survey indicating their willingness and asking some questions about whether they have smartphone and if so what type it is. Only those who opt-in to the study will be eligible to take part. People will also need to have a compatible smartphone to participate in the study, so people who do not have a smartphone or have a smartphone that might be incompatible will also not be able to take part.
The number of smartwatch devices is limited, so it may be the case that not all those who indicate willingness to participate will be able to do so. If there are more volunteers than smartwatches, a sub-set of those eligible will be selected. Those selected will be sent a smartwatch and further instructions. They will be instructed to download the smartphone app, register, and activate the smartwatch, including linking it to the smartphone app.
The smartwatch will collect information about physical activity and sleep. The smartphone app will collect information about location. The smartphone app will also invite participants to take part in a short daily questionnaire at the start of the study. Participants will be asked to wear the smartwatch for 4 weeks and complete the daily questionnaires for 10 days. At the end of the Activity Tracker study, the participant will be able to keep the smartwatch. Participants will also be asked to complete an online debrief survey at the end of the Activity Tracker study.
Data from the smartwatch will be extracted by the smartphone app, sent to Avicenna’s secure servers and stored there. Data from the daily questionnaires will also be sent from the smartphone app to Avicenna’s servers. During and after the study, these data will be securely transferred to ISER.
What categories of data will be obtained from these sources?
The project will collect data from sample members. This will include ‘special category’ data: the daily questionnaires will include questions about participants’ mood and mental well-being. Data will be collected using the smartwatch and smartphone app relating to physical activity, sleep, and location. The smartphone app will also collect ‘paradata’, which includes data about the smartphone the app is running on (such as its make, model, and operating system), its battery usage, and how the app runs (such as timing of app usage). The paradata will be sent to Avicenna’s servers. Avicenna may use the paradata to support users, understand how the app is running, and to inform future app developments. The paradata will also be sent to the research team for research purposes.
Personal data from the sample file are used to allow CDS to send invitation letters. These personal data are kept securely separate from survey responses, and are not deposited with the UK Data Archive, nor are they made available to researchers.
Study participants may provide their email address and/or mobile phone number to Avicenna via the smartphone app, in order to receive reminders to complete the daily questionnaire. These personal data are kept securely separate from the collected survey responses and the information related to physical activity, sleep, and location. These contact details will be securely deleted at the end of the study.
Who will have access to the data from the project?
The responses given in the surveys and the information collected by the smartwatch and smartphone app will be made available to the project team based in ISER. If sample members contact us and ask that we remove their data, we can remove any data they have given us.
Can I opt-out of the use of my data by the project?
Yes, sample members may request that their data are removed.
How will my privacy be protected?
Information that easily identifies sample members, such as their name and address, will not be included in the data made available to the researchers. These identifiable data are stored on a separate secure server, with access limited only to those who require the information to maintain the integrity of the database – such as to process change-of-address information.
As the information collected within this study includes location data, it would in theory be possible to identify some sample members from the data that is made available to researchers. Only a select group of authorised researchers will have access to this location data. Authorised researchers are always bound to respect participants confidentiality, which is further enforced by a project specific undertaking addressing several conditions that must be adhered to by the authorised researcher.
All data received at the University of Essex will be securely stored within an infrastructure that is certified to the internationally agreed standard for Information Security (ISO27001:2022). CDS, the agency sending the survey invites, is accredited to a version of the same internationally agreed Information Security Standard (ISO27001:2013).
What are my rights in relation to the data?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides the following rights for individuals in relation to their personal data:
The right to be informed
The right of access
The right of rectification
The right to erasure
The right to restrict processing
The right to data portability
The right to object
Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling
For further information, see: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/.
A summary of these rights and their applicability in respect of this project is provided in the table below.
| Right | Applies to this project? | Rationale |
| The right to be informed | Yes | Details regarding the project and its use of data are provided within this privacy notice. |
| The right of access | Yes | Sample members may make a data subject access request. However, the data provided may well be codes rather than plain English responses since this is how the data are collected and stored. |
| The right to rectification | Yes | Sample members may request that errors within their information is rectified. |
| The right to erasure | Yes | Sample members may request that their information is erased. When sample members request that we delete their contact details, this can be done but may mean that they are contacted again in the future – for example if another sample of addresses is drawn. Otherwise, we would retain the sample members contact details but mark them as not to be contacted in the future – this way, we can also withdraw them from any future samples. |
| The right to restrict processing | Yes | The sample member may request that we restrict processing on their record. |
| The right to data portability | No (exempt) | The right to data portability does not apply to this project as the lawful basis for processing is not consent or for the performance of a contract. |
| The right to object | Yes | The sample member may contact us to object to us using their data and to stop us processing their data. |
| Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling | No | The project does not involve any automated decision making or individual profiling. |