1. ABOUT THIS PRIVACY POLICY

British Forces Broadcasting Service (“BFBS”, "We", "Us" "Our") is a  registered charity and provides the armed forces with broadcasting and communications including UK TV, sport and music (“Services”). 

This privacy policy sets out the basis on which we will process any personal data that: 

• we collect from you; or  

• that you provide to us when you use https://about.bfbs.com/ (“Website”), apps, or any of the SServices provided through it; or  

• when you enter any competitions such as esports tournaments that we are responsible for.  

Together, “you” throughout this privacy policy.  

Please read the following privacy policy carefully to understand how we use and protect the information that you provide to us. For privacy policies related to other processing activities we undertake, please see the following links: 

• Competitions 

• Register for a newsletter 

• User research 

• Job applications 

• Jobs for ex-military 

• Personal information request 

• Tea & Medals Podcast 

• Seasonal messages 

• BFBS Academy training courses  

2. CONTACTING US

British Forces Broadcasting Service (“BFBS”, "We", "Us" "Our") will be the data controller in respect of any personal data that you submit to us or that we collect from you when using our Website or apps or when you enter one of our competitions such as esports tournaments irrespective of the method that you choose to submit your entry. We are a private company limited by guarantee and a UK registered charity. Our registered charity number is 233480 and our company registration number is 407270. Our registered office is at Chalfont Grove, Narcot Lane, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, SL9 8TN. For more information about us please visit the about us page on our Website. 

If you would like to know what information we hold about you or if you have any other queries or complaints in relation to this privacy policy, or our Website or apps, our contact details are as follows: 

• Complete the Information access request form: here 

• Or you can write to us as well: 

BFBS 
Chalfont Grove 
Narcot Lane 
Chalfont St Peter 
Buckinghamshire 
SL9 8TN 

• Or you can email: [email protected]  

3. THE SOURCES OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE COLLECT 

We may collect your personal information from a variety of sources. For example: 

1. We may collect information that you provide to us when you: interact with our Website, apps and Services. This includes when you submit an entry into any competitions, esports tournaments, promotional mailings or any other promotions organised by us that we are running either on our Website, apps or via any of our broadcast Services including our radio or television channels or through any social media Websites that we use to announce our competitions or promotions such as Facebook or X. This information may vary depending on the type of competition or esports tournament but will often include your name, age, gender, home address, email address and telephone number. We will use this information to administer the competition, esports tournament or promotion you have entered including to contact you with a promotional product  or if you have won a prize. We may also need to share this information with any third party providers and business partners who enable us to operate the Website/apps and who are providing any prizes or other products and Services as part of the competition or promotion, but we will not share this information with third parties for marketing purposes. 

2. We will collect any information that is generated during our relationship: such as information contained in any correspondence between you and us. For example, if you contact us, we may keep a record of that correspondence or any phone numbers/email address used to contact us. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with our Website/apps or any content or Services made available through it.  We may also share your information with our third party Service providers when corresponding with you to provide customer support as necessary. 

3. If you submit a CV or job application to us, whether directly or via an agent or recruiter, you may share with us additional information about your academic and work history, qualifications, your personal identifiers or other identity document details, and any other such similar information. We will collect and use this information to process your job application and we may contact your recruiter, current and former employers and/or referees to obtain further information about you and your application. 

4. We may collect certain technical information about your visits to our Website and apps and how you use it. This may include your IP address, geographical location (e.g. country), browser type, referral source, length of visit and number of page views and similar information. We may use this information for a number of purposes including Website administration, optimising the use and performance of the Website, disclosing to third party contributors or for security purposes. Individual users will not be identifiable from this information. This information may be collected by a third-party Website analytics Service provider on our behalf and may be collected using cookies or other similar technologies. Cookies generally work with web browsers but there are similar technologies that are used with apps. For more information on our use of cookies please refer to the cookie section below. 

5. In some instances, we may receive some information that you submit to any third-party Website that you access from a link contained in our Website such as social media Websites. Both us and the owner or operator of that third-party Website will be the data controller in respect of any such information. You should check the privacy policy of that Website to find out how they will use your data. 

6. We may receive information about you from other third parties such as agencies, third party references and authorities. We may receive personal information from publicly available sources too such as social media, Google and agency Websites. 

7. Children's data 

   1. In relation to competitions, you must be at least 13 years of age at the time of registration for entry. 

   2. Anyone aged between 13 - 18 (Minors) must get permission to take part from a parent or their legal guardian to take part in the competition. However, we acknowledge that under UK data protection laws, the age of consent for the processing of personal data (where the personal data is processed on the legal basis of consent and we provide information society services as part of our Services) is 13 years of age. 

We do not collect, store or use any personal information contained in any messages posted on our Website/apps. Please note that any materials or information that you post to our Website/apps may be visible to other users of the site. We advise you to be selective about what information you post on the Website. For more information please visit www.gov.uk/think-before-you-share.

 

4. THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT 

Personal information is any information from or about an identified or identifiable person, including information that you choose to submit to us and that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with you or your household.  

We may collect the following categories of personal information: 

1. Personal and contact information, such as your name, home address, telephone number and e-mail address, when you contact us directly, do business with us in the course of our Productions we produce, or provide feedback. 

2. Device and technical information, such as information about the computers, phones, and other devices used when interacting with our Website, app or Services, which may include unique personal identifiers, online identifiers, the name of the domain and host from which you access the Internet, the browser software you use, your OS version, and IP address (which may be used to infer general location at a city or country level). This includes, activity and usage information, or information regarding your use of our Website, including the time, date, and length of time of use; the pages you view, including the time spent on each page and clicks on each page; how you got to the Website, app or Services (i.e., referring URL).  

3. Competition or promotional entry information: When you submit an entry into any competitions, esports tournaments, or promotions, we may collect your name, age, gender, home address, email address, and telephone number. We may also require parental/guardian consent if you are aged 13–18 and entering a competition. 

4. Job application information: If you submit a CV or job application, whether directly or via an agent or recruiter, we may collect information about your academic and work history, qualifications, referees, personal identifiers, or identity document details. 

5. Correspondence between us such as: by email and social media. 

6. Other: any other information you voluntarily provide

 

5. USE OF YOUR INFORMATION 

When you contribute to BFBS on our Website and on our app, we may use your contribution in our programmes which are broadcast or published in content on our Website, app or BFBS social media pages. If we broadcast your contribution it may be used again in future broadcasts. We will only use the personal information that we collect from you in accordance with this privacy policy. We may use your information for the following purposes: 

1. to ensure that content from the Website is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer; 

2. to monitor your use of our Website and app to improve your experience; 

3. to notify you of any changes; 

4. to send you general (non-marketing) commercial service related communications, such as information about the Website and Services provided to you by us at that time; 

5. to provide customer Service in relation to your use of the Website, to contact you, to deal with enquiries and complaints relating to the use of the Website; 

6. to develop, improve and personalise the Website to improve your user browsing experience; and 

7. to comply with applicable laws and regulations 

8. as necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; and 

9. to provide third parties with statistical information about our users but this information will not be able to be used to identify any individual user. 

10. When you submit a job application, we may use your personal information to deal with new enquiries and contacts and to assess your application. 

6. LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION 

1. We will only process your personal information where we have a legal basis to do so. The legal basis will depend on the purposes for which we have collected and use your personal information.  

2. Please note if you fail to provide certain information when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract we have entered into with you (such as providing you with our Services), or we may be prevented from complying with our legal obligations (such as to ensure safety).    

3. Your personal information may be used by us for the following purposes and lawful bases:  

PURPOSE	TYPE OF DATA USED	LAWFUL BASIS
Administering competitions, including esports tournaments (e.g., contacting winners, delivering prizes).	Name, age, gender, home address, email address, telephone number.	Article 6(1)(b) – Performance of a contract (competition entry).
Operating the BFBS Website and apps (e.g., user experience, analytics, and security).	Technical information such as IP address, geographical location, browser type, referral source, length of visit, page interaction information.	Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate interests (to ensure the functionality, security, and performance of the Website/apps).
Responding to queries, complaints, or correspondence.	Contact information (e.g., email address, telephone number) and details of the correspondence.	Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate interests (to ensure effective communication and customer service).
Processing job applications.	CV, academic and work history, qualifications, referees, personal identifiers, identity document details.	Article 6(1)(b) – Performance of a contract (application process).
Broadcasting user contributions in BFBS programmes or on social media.	Contributions that may include personal information (e.g., voice recordings, names).	Article 6(1)(a) – Consent (for broadcasting contributions).
Sending general (non-marketing) communications about services or account-related changes.	Contact information (e.g., email address).	Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate interests (to provide updates about Services).
Sending newsletters or promotional updates about our Services including advertisement	Contact information (e.g., email address).    Technical information such as IP address, geographical location, browser type, referral source, length of visit, page interaction information.	Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate interests: For postal marketing, it is in our legitimate interest to add you to our postal marketing list and send you postal marketing on the understanding that our products, services, events and other news may be of interest to you – this helps us grow our business.    Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate interests: For digital marketing such as email and SMS, when you have previously used our Services or interacted with us or supported our charitable activities, it is in our legitimate interest to send you emails or SMSs about our Services, events or other news about our business which we believe may be of interest to you.     Article 6(1)(a) – Consent: When you sign up to receive emails or SMSs from us such as by submitting your personal information to receive marketing communications such as our newsletter, it is on the basis of your consent to receive such digital marketing communications.    Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate interests For business contacts, we rely on our legitimate interests to send you promotional emails about our Services, events or other news about our business which we believe may be of interest to you.    Article 6(1)(a) – Consent: For advertising technologies such as advertisements you may see on other websites such as social media: we rely on you consent to deploy such non-strictly necessary cookies such as analytical and advertising cookies to deploy advertisements that are more personalised and relevant to you.    You have the right to opt-out of receiving any of our marketing communications at any time without affecting the lawfulness of the processing before its opt-out.
Conducting market research and improving services (e.g., competitions, Website usability).	Aggregated and anonymised user data; feedback provided by users.	Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate interests (to improve Services and understand customer needs).
Complying with legal obligations (e.g., tax, regulatory compliance, fraud prevention).	Any data necessary to fulfil legal obligations, such as financial records or personal identifiers.	Article 6(1)(c) – Legal obligation.
Safeguarding children participating in competitions (where applicable).	Name, age, parental/guardian consent (if aged 13–18).	Article 6(1)(c) – Legal obligation (compliance with UK data protection laws for children).
Statistical analysis for reporting and improving Services.	Aggregated data from your use of our Services, apps and Website.	Article 6(1)(f) – Legitimate interests (to improve Services through statistical analysis).    Article 6(1)(a) – Consent: We rely on your consent to deploy non-strictly necessary cookies such as functional cookies to help a video play. You have the right to withdraw your consent for this specific processing at any time without affecting the lawfulness of any processing undertaken prior to you withdrawing such consent.

 

7. FURTHER INFORMATION - SCHEDULE OF PRIVACY NOTICES

BFBS collect data across the business for different purposes. Please click here to view the schedule of privacy notices that could apply and for more information about the purposes, legal basis, retention and sharing of personal data. 

 

8. DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION

1. Other than as expressly set out in this privacy policy or as otherwise required or permitted by law, we will not share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent 

2. We may disclose your personal information to: 

   1. any third party to whom disclosure is necessary to enable us to provide you with any Services or products that you have requested through the Website including any of our competition prizes which may be provided by such third parties. This is on the basis of our legitimate interests and of third parties who help us with our Services;  

   2. any person to whom disclosure is necessary to enable us to enforce our legal rights, or to protect the rights, property or safety of BFBS or our members or employees or the safety or security of any member of the UK’s armed forces or their family or supporters. Typically, this on the basis where such disclosure may be required by law or on the basis of our legitimate interests for our business operations and the legitimate interests of third parties such as those in connection with law enforcement; 

   3. Our professional advisers: including IT services, legal and accountancy services that assist us in carrying out our business activities in our legitimate interests.   

   4. companies involved with our business activities e.g. broadcasters, SVOD platforms, post-production houses, sales agents, distributors; 

   5. broadcasting regulators e.g. Ofcom; 

   6. Group companies and other companies we work closely with: for security, assistance, improving our Productions, and reporting, based on our legitimate business interests.  

   7. In the context of a transaction and change of control: We may share personal information with actual or prospective acquirers, their representatives and other relevant participants in connection with the consideration, negotiations or completion of a corporate transaction of, any sale, merger, acquisition, restructuring, or change in control involving all or a portion of our business or assets. This is on the basis of our legitimate interests for our business operations and the legitimate interests of third parties such as those in connection with the transaction. 

   8. You should note that the public elements of the Website, such as the Forces Radio BFBS message board, will be visible to other users of the Website anywhere in the world. You should therefore be careful when submitting information about yourself and only submit information that you are happy to be public information.

 

9. USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (“AI”) 

We may use AI-powered tools such as those integrated into Microsoft Office applications, to assist with tasks such as content drafting, summarisation, and analysis. When using AI, data may be temporarily processed by AI service providers such as Microsoft to generate outputs. BFBS ensures that any data processed through AI is lawful with our obligations under applicable data protection laws. The use of AI is based on our legitimate interests in improving the efficiency and quality of our business operations and no automated decision making takes place as human intervention is in place for every AI output.

 

10. COOKIES

1. In common with other Websites and apps we use cookies to ensure that you get the most out of our Website and apps and to improve the Service we offer. When you visit our Website and app, we may also collect information from you automatically, for example using cookies and other similar technologies. A cookie is a text file containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your device when you access a Website. The text file is then sent back to the server each time your browser requests a page from the server. This enables the web server to identify and track the web browser you are using. 

2. The type of information we may collect including the following: 

   1. information about your device (including a unique device identifier or device ID), operating system and IP address; 

   2. your login information; 

   3. browser type and version; 

   4. information about your visit on our Website or app, including URL, clickstream (i.e. your journey to, through and from our site), length of visits to certain pages, and page interaction information; 

   5. information about your use of our app, for example to distinguish you from other users of our app, and to remember your preferences to helps us to provide you with a good experience when you use our app and also allows us to improve the app. 

3. The cookies that we use fall into the following categories: 

   1. Strictly necessary cookies: These cookies are essential for you to be able to navigate the Website and use its features. Without these cookies, the Services you have asked for could not be provided. 

   2. Performance cookies: These cookies collect information about whether our Website is performing as it should e.g. whether a video plays when you click on it. 

   3. Functionality cookies: These cookies allow the Website to remember the choices you make (such as your username, language, last action and search preferences) and provide enhanced, more personal features. 

   4. Analytics cookies: These cookies collect information about how you use the Website e.g. to check how much traffic is being driven to the Website and from where.  

   5. Advertisement or targeting cookies: These cookies collect information about how you advertisements e.g. if you click on an advertisement.   

4. In the UK, there are other types of cookies which do not need consent such as:  

   1. cookies that are strictly necessary to provide a function required or requested during use of the website. This includes:

      1. protecting user-related service information (e.g. security tools used to protect personal contact details inputted);

      2. ensuring security (e.g. multi-factor authentication); 

      3. preventing or detecting fraud or technical faults with the website; and  

      4. enabling automatic user identity authentication (e.g. saving a recent search) or maintaining records of user choices on the Website (e.g. location settings).

   2. cookies used to collect statistical data to improve our Website; and

   3. cookies used to adapt website display or functionality to user preferences or enhance Website performance (e.g. language preferences or accessibility preferences). 

5. Although you make your cookie preferences when you first access our Website, you may change your preferences at any time by contacting us or the settings on your internet browser to reject cookies.  

6. For more information please consult the "Help" section of your browser. Please note that if you do set your browser to reject cookies, you may not be able to use all of the features of our Websites.  

7. To indicate your acceptance of our use of cookies in accordance with this cookies policy you can click accept in the appropriate place on the banner that appears on our Website.

8. Please note that if you choose to decline cookies you may not be able to access some parts of our Website or such parts of the Website may not work the way you would expect it to. 

9. A table of the cookies we use is at the bottom of this page. 

 

11. THIRD PARTY CONTENT, WEBSITES AND CONTRIBUTORS

1. Our Websites and apps may contain content and links to other Websites and microsites that are operated by third parties. In addition, advertisements contained on our Websites/apps may operate as links to that advertiser’s Websites, and such advertisers and third parties may also use and place cookies on your computer. 

   1. This privacy policy does not apply to such third party Websites, microsites, advertisements and cookies and any information such third parties collect by virtue of you clicking one third party link on our Websites will be collected and used in accordance with the privacy policy of that third party. Please therefore consult the terms and conditions and privacy policy of those third party Websites and microsites to find out how they collect and use your personal data and to establish whether and for what purpose they use cookies. 

   2. One such example of the above is our partnership with Freestar, involving the showing of advertisements on our www.forcesnews.com site. Forcesnews.com is affiliated with Publisher First, Inc. dba Freestar ("Freestar") for the purposes of placing certain advertising on the Site, and Freestar will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about Freestar’s data usage, please refer to the following link for further information, Freestar's Privacy Policy. 

 

12. SECURITY AND DATA RETENTION

1. We employ appropriate technological and operational security measures to protect against any unauthorised access to or any unlawful processing of any personal information about you that we hold. We will retain your information for a reasonable period or as long as the law requires or permits. 

2. Data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure, and although we employ appropriate technological and organisational security measures to protect your data we cannot guarantee the security of any data sent over the internet. 

3. Where we have collected the personal information based on your consent and we have no other lawful basis to continue with that processing, if you subsequently withdraw your consent then we will delete your personal information.

13. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

1. Our servers are situated in the UK, however we collect data from wherever users are situated. The information that we collect will therefore be transferred to the UK from any other country in which you may be located and will be subject to UK data protection laws rather than the laws of the country in which you are resident. 

2. We do not transfer personal data collected via our Websites or through any competitions we run outside the European Economic Area ("EEA") or UK (unless you have consented; it is necessary to provide the Services you have requested; or it is otherwise required or permitted by law). 

3. Whenever we transfer your information outside of the EEA or UK, we will take steps which are reasonably necessary to ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to protect your personal information and to make sure it is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy. In these cases, we rely on approved data transfer mechanisms (such as derogations set our in data protection laws e.g. for the fulfilment of the contract with you, an adequacy decision; self-certification mechanisms such as the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the UK extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework; or standard contractual clauses such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, UK International Data Transfer Agreement and the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses) to ensure your information is subject to adequate safeguards in the recipient country. If you are located in the UK or the EEA, you may contact us for a copy of the safeguards which we have put in place to protect your personal information and privacy rights in these circumstances. 

14. YOUR RIGHTS

1. You have the following rights that we need to make you aware of. You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. However, we may charge a ‘reasonable fee’ when a request is manifestly unfounded or excessive, particularly if it is repetitive. This also applies to additional copies of the same information. You can exercise you rights by contacting us using the contact information provided in section 1 above. We have one month to respond to you. This period can be extended by a further two months where requests are complex or numerous and this period can also be paused if we need to seek clarification on your request or request a copy of your ID. If this is the case, we will inform you within one month of the receipt of the request and explain why the clarification, ID and/or extension is necessary. 

2. Under certain circumstances, you have the right to: 

   1. Your right to be informed: this right is fulfilled through this privacy policy.

   2. Your right of access: You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you. 

   3. Your right to rectification: You have the right to ask us to rectify any information we hold about you that you think is inaccurate or incomplete. 

   4. Your right to erasure: You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. 

   5. Your right to restrict processing: You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information. When processing is restricted, we are permitted to store the personal data, but not further process it. 

   6. Your right to object to processing: You have the right to object to processing your personal data if the processing is based on legitimate interests (including profiling) or where we are processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes. 

   7. Your right to data portability: You have the right to ask us to transfer the information you gave us to another organisation, or to give it to you. The right only applies if we are processing information based on your consent or in talks about entering into a contract and the processing is automated. 

   8. Withdraw your consent. In the limited circumstances where you may have provided your consent to the collection, processing and transfer of your personal information for a specific purpose, you have the right to withdraw your consent for that specific processing at any time without affecting the lawfulness of any processing undertaken prior to you withdrawing such consent. 

   9. Right to complain to us. In the UK, if you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate the matter via our complaints procedure by contacting us. During this process we will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, make enquiries into the complaint without undue delay and make an appropriate level of enquiries. 

Lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your country of work or residence. If after the complaints process, you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority for data protection, which is the UK data protection regulator is the Information Commissioner’s Office: https://ico.org.uk/. If you are in the EU, you do not need to escalate the matter via our complaints process and you can complain to the data protection regulator in the country you live or work in. For the EU, a list of supervisory authorities and their contact details can be found here: https://www.edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/about-edpb/members_enIf you would like to request to exercise any of the rights above, please contact [email protected] with details of your request or complete the Information access request form: here. 

 

15. OUR COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

1. In the UK, you have the right to and must make a complaint to us before making a complaint to a data protection authority in the country you live or work in, if you think we have processed your personal information in a manner which is unlawful or breaches your rights. In the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) is the UK’s regulator for data protection issues and their contact details can be found here: https://ico.org.uk/. 

2. BFBS make every effort to comply with the requirements for the timely delivery of privacy information requests.  We will also respond to complaints about our process as fast as possible. We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, make enquiries into the complaint without undue delay and make an appropriate level of enquiries. 

3. Data subjects can complain to BFBS about:  

   1. how their personal data has been processed; 

   2. how their request for access to data has been handled; 

   3. how their complaint has been handled; 

   4. appeal against any decision made following a complaint. 

4. Data subject(s) lodging a complaint can do so via email at [email protected]  

5. Complaints received are directed to the Data Protection Team for resolution.  

6. The data subject may also write into the organisation:  

The Data Protection Team 
BFBS 
Chalfont Grove 
Narcot Lane 
Chalfont St Peter 
Buckinghamshire 
SL9 8TN 

 

16. CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY 

1. We reserve the right to make changes to this privacy policy from time to time. Any such changes to our privacy policy will be posted to our Website. 

2. This Privacy Policy was last updated September 2026.