Version: WS2-P2026-10-20-r1 · For: LBPS Geological Suggestions only
If the feature is enabled, signed-in Website Members who meet the feature-specific 18+ age eligibility requirement may voluntarily propose geological corrections concerning expressly approved public fossil Localities, or suggest new Geological Units, for private manual scientific review. LBPS is the Linked Basins Palaeontological Survey, operated by Sam Harris as data controller for this activity. You can contact the controller at info@lbps.org.uk. This notice supplements the wider LBPS Privacy Policy.
Age and eligibility: LBPS may invite a Member to provide a minimum age-category declaration, either at registration after that form has been updated or when trying an age-restricted scientific feature. We store whether the Member has self-declared as aged 18 or over or under 18, the UTC declaration time and how the declaration was obtained (registration or on-demand). We do not routinely collect a full date of birth or identity documents for this purpose. The declaration is not independently verified age. Members previously recorded as under 18 may update their declaration when they reach 18, without creating a new account. An unknown or under-18 status cannot authorise a Geological Suggestion; eligibility is checked server-side. Existing educational resources and standard website membership remain accessible to younger people, subject to separate safeguards.
Information used: Your LBPS account identifier, the scientific claim and locality/unit scope, the explanation, observations, source references, uncertainty, time and status of submission, limited curator notes and correspondence, and a secure record of which Submission Terms and Privacy Policy version you acknowledged. The system may use a limited technical request identifier to prevent replay or abusive requests. The initial form does not request photographs, telephone numbers, sensitive personal information or exact private-location coordinates. The age-category declaration exists solely to apply feature eligibility and proportional safeguards; it is not evidence of independently verified age. Do not include such information in free text.
Why and lawful basis: Subject to a documented purpose, necessity and balancing assessment, our legitimate interests under UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f) are to improve the accuracy of geological records, assess volunteered evidence, maintain proportionate accountability for supplied material and protect the feature from misuse. Where internal expertise is insufficient, the same proposed basis may cover a genuinely necessary, proportionate and appropriately safeguarded confidential specialist consultation. We use no mandatory consent checkbox as the GDPR lawful basis for this ordinary workflow; accepting submission terms is distinct from consenting to data processing. Where a legal duty applies to a statutory rights request or specific compliance record, we may instead rely on Article 6(1)(c) for that identified duty. Any materially different purpose will need a separate lawful basis and notice before it begins.
Who receives it: Only authorised LBPS administrators/reviewers who need the information. Limited information may be processed by our website hosting and other contracted service providers acting on our instructions. Scientific experts are not automatically granted access. We first consider an anonymised summary; if personal information must be disclosed, we record why, check the expert’s role and confidentiality and share only what is necessary. Wider publication or disclosure of original text or restricted locations needs a separate assessment and appropriate rights. We do not plan routine overseas sharing of identifiable Geological Suggestion data; any future restricted transfer must first satisfy the applicable UK transfer rules and be reflected in our notice.
Scientific outcome: The suggestion is not automatically published or used to change geology. After separate review LBPS may use verified geological facts in curated records. Unnecessary attribution or full original text is not thereby authorised for public display. This workflow cannot change your My Collection, Trips, Finds or Matrix rights or research permissions.
Retention: Pending suggestions are assessed for ongoing necessity after 12 months inactive. For rejected suggestions we normally erase or anonymise unnecessary identifying details no later than 12 months after the decision, sooner if no longer needed; documented exceptions may apply. Accepted verified facts may be retained for an ongoing scientific record, while related identity and source correspondence are periodically minimised or removed. Identifiable acknowledgement receipt links are reviewed when a case ends and are normally de-linked within 24 months of its final decision if not still justified; decision/security logs are reviewed on a standard 24-month schedule, with earlier deletion where appropriate. We document any justified exception and handle backup copies according to access, restoration and lifecycle controls. These are review targets applied proportionately, not grounds for keeping unneeded personal information.
Your rights: Depending on the particular circumstances and lawful basis, you may request access, rectification, erasure and restriction, or object to use based on legitimate interests. To object, email info@lbps.org.uk; we will consider your reasons and stop or restrict the relevant processing unless the law permits a compelling reason for continuing. We generally respond to UK GDPR rights requests without undue delay and within the applicable calendar-month deadline, subject to lawful extensions and identity checks. Objections should be brought clearly and separately to your attention at collection as well as here.
Data protection complaints: You can complain directly to LBPS at info@lbps.org.uk (please say it is a data protection complaint, although no special wording is required). We acknowledge complaints within 30 days, investigate without undue delay, keep you appropriately informed and communicate the outcome. You may also raise concerns with the UK data-protection regulator; information on doing so is at ico.org.uk. A scientific disagreement about a fossil or a curator judgement is separate unless it concerns the handling of personal information.
No automated decisions: Geological Suggestions are not used for automated decisions having legal or similarly significant effects. Do not include personal information about another person unless it is necessary and you have a lawful reason; if unexpectedly present, we may isolate and minimise it.