Data policies - third party cookies and analytics
Dear London School of Economics,
I am writing as a research volunteer at the Open Rights Group. We are conducting a study to better understand the data policies of public websites.
We would like to know, in relation to your publicly accessible Internet networks, or Internet networks for your clients:
1) What your policy is regarding cookies, other persistent storage and fingerprinting technologies, specifically referring to cookies set by third parties. In particular:
a) What instruction do you give to the operators of website services under their purview regarding cookies?
b) Is this instruction publicly available online and if not, why not?
Note - we are not asking you to send us your cookie policy, but to give information about your policy for creating/managing such a policy, so to speak.
2) Whether you use analytics based on cookies or any other persistent storage concerning users of these public website services. Specifically:
a) If applicable, what Google Analytics data sharing settings do you use?
b) Are your analytics settings, or use of analytics more broadly, publicly available online and if not, why not?
3) What correspondence or advice you have received from the Information Commissioner’s Office concerning cookies. This can be narrowed to a reasonable search for the word “cookie” or “e-privacy” in correspondence between the ICO and your team/department that developed your policy on cookies or the use of cookies. This can be further narrowed down to the timeframe when the policy was under active development.
Yours faithfully,
Charlie Parker
Researcher
Open Rights Group
Dear Charlie,
With reference to your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act, please find below the School's response. I apologise for the late response and hope this has not inconvenienced you.
1) What your policy is regarding cookies, other persistent storage and fingerprinting technologies, specifically referring to cookies set by third parties. In particular:
a) What instruction do you give to the operators of website services under their purview regarding cookies?
b) Is this instruction publicly available online and if not, why not?
The School's policy relating to cookies is here: http://www.lse.ac.uk/lse-information/coo.... Further instructions sent to staff are attached - these are due to be updated.
2) Whether you use analytics based on cookies or any other persistent storage concerning users of these public website services. Specifically:
a) If applicable, what Google Analytics data sharing settings do you use?
This is in the type of cookie section in the above link.
b) Are your analytics settings, or use of analytics more broadly, publicly available online and if not, why not?
Not publicly available. We store no personal data, and we only retain the data for 50 months.
3) What correspondence or advice you have received from the Information Commissioner’s Office concerning cookies. This can be narrowed to a reasonable search for the word “cookie” or “e-privacy” in correspondence between the ICO and your team/department that developed your policy on cookies or the use of cookies. This can be further narrowed down to the timeframe when the policy was under active development.
No such correspondence held.
If you think that the information provided does not meet your request, contact me on 020 7849 4622 or write to Louise Nadal, School Secretary, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE. We will then review the response to your request and get back to you within 20 working days. You can also contact the Information Commissioner's Office http://www.ico.gov.uk/, though they expect the internal review to be carried out before receiving a complaint directly.
The provision of information by the LSE under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 does not imply a right to copy, reproduce publish or otherwise use such information.
Copying or reproducing such information in any way either in whole or in part without prior written consent may be an infringement of copyright or other intellectual property right belonging to the LSE or a third party.
Yours sincerely,
Rachael Maguire
Records Manager
London School of Economics
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