The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) alongside the UK Data Protection Act 2018 provides a number of information rights. Our short guide explains everything that you need to know.
In our privacy policy, we explain how Data Protection legislation applies to you and your relationship with TalkTalk. It reflects our open and honest approach to collecting and using your personal information.
In summary, it covers what information we collect, how we collect it, how we use the information, who we’ll share it with and what your rights are.
Don't worry, here's everything you need to know.
Choose from the below for more information about your data and how we use it.
Data Protection legislation provides you with a number of Information Rights. You may exercise these rights free of charge and we'll fulfil your request within one month. After receiving your request, we may need to contact you to verify your identity and/or confirm the details of your request. This is to ensure the security of the information we will provide you with and/or help us to fully fulfil your request.
You can request a copy of the information we hold on you (such as personal data, call information, account notes, contracts & copies of correspondence) by completing a subject access request. It’s free-of-charge to request your information. However, in certain circumstances the legislation allows us to request a payment or refuse the request. In these circumstances, we will contact you. If you would like to make a request you can contact us
Data Protection Office
TalkTalk (Compliance)
PO Box 673
Salford
M5 0NH
In order to progress your request as quickly as possible, please ensure you include enough information for us to identify your account (or reason for contacting us), and the information you are requesting. To protect your information, we will also need to verify you are authorised to access this information.
Your request will be processed within one month upon receipt of all of the above. For more complex requests we may extend our handling time for a further two months. If we need to do this, we will let you know. Once processed we will securely send your information to you, along with a separate password to enable you to access your information.
If you’d like to know more about your Subject Access Requests (SAR) rights and how we administer them, please see the information we have provided
Your information will be provided via TalkTalk’s Information Request Portal. This is a secure portal, and we will send you a unique link to your email, to access your information via the portal. Instructions on how to use the portal can be found in our guide .
TalkTalk can provide your SAR in alternative formats such as encrypted USB or paper. When submitting your request you will be asked in which format you require your information and whether you have any accessibility requirements.
Yes, but only if you’ve previously added them as a nominated user or power of attorney on your account. We may also choose to contact you to validate the third-party request. Unless you confirm otherwise, we will send your information to the address on your account. For more information about these services checkout About Power of attorney and Nominated Users.
We will provide a factsheet with your request to provide this information.
We’ll usually send your SAR information to you within one month from receiving your validated request. However, certain requests may take a little longer, especially if we need to validate your identity or seek clarification about the information being requested.Sometimes we may need a little longer (the legislation allows us to extend up to a maximum of three months) we’ll let you know the timeframe within one month of receiving your request if this applies to you.
In most cases, we won’t charge a fee for a SAR. The legislation allows us to charge in certain circumstances, if this is the case we will contact you.
The legislation provides a number of exemptions. Where an exemption applies to your particular request, we may refuse to provide all or some of the requested information. We can also refuse to comply with a SAR if it is manifestly unfounded or manifestly excessive.
If we do not process your request, we will provide you with an explanation. If you would like to discuss our decision you can contact our Group Data Protection Officer, via GDPRPrivacy@talktalkplc.com.
We’ll consider whether it’s possible to comply with the request without disclosing information that identifies another individual. We will consider whether it is possible to redact (blank out) the third party’s information in order to provide your SAR. If this isn’t possible, we may seek the consent, where possible of any third parties. We will respond to you whether or not we are able to disclose information about a third party.
In certain circumstances it may be necessary for us to verify your identity in order to keep your data secure. To do this, we may contact you or you may prefer to send in a copy of your ID with your SAR. Please only send in copies of ID as they are securely destroyed as soon as the SAR is fulfilled.
If you are requesting your information to be sent to an address that we do not hold, we will contact you to verify the request and confirm the address you would like your SAR sent to.
We do not record all calls. Where calls are recorded, we only retain them for approximately 12 months. We are unable to provide call information where customer identification and verification has not been passed on the call. Please also note we may provide a call summary rather than a call recording.
If you’re unable to access your SAR, please contact us
If you haven’t received your SAR within the timeframe we provided you, please contact us
If your SAR has been refused and you would like to discuss this, please contact us at: GDPRPrivacy@talktalkplc.com
If you’re unable to access your SAR, please contact us
Please be advised we are unable to provide any call records relating to ‘Free to caller numbers’ such as numbers being used for confidential helplines such as Childline, along with various others or in this case 0800 numbers. This is an industry wide OFCOM requirement as well as ensuring we meet our obligations under Article 38 of the Electronic Communications Act 2003.
We are required to ensure that any of the numbers that are designated ‘free to callers’ are not identified in your itemised bills or any other records we might make available to you.
Not having those types of calls listed on itemised bills is a legal requirement that we have to comply with.
TalkTalk are unable to provide historic VAT invoices. If this is something that you require please contact our customer service team who can arrange and update our records for you. There is no additional charge for a VAT invoice. However, you will still be subject to paper bill charges.
In certain circumstances, you have the right to have your personal data erased. This right is not absolute and only applies in certain circumstances, we may retain your data for a period of time after you have ceased your service with us. You can submit your request in a way that suits you
DataProtection Office
TalkTalk (Compliance)
PO Box 673
Salford
M5 0NH
Remember to include enough information for us to identify your account and ensure we can verify you are authorised to submit the request.
Yes, but only if you’ve previously added them as a nominated user or power of attorney on your account. We may also choose to contact you to validate the third-party request. For more information about these services check out About Power of attorney and Nominated Users.
Privacy legislation allows you to obtain and reuse your personal data for your own purposes. It allows you to move, copy or transfer personal data easily from one IT environment to another in a safe and secure way, without affecting its usability.
Within the telecommunications industry, we already help customers to move or port your telephone number and service to different suppliers if you choose to leave us. Beyond this, there is no agreed or standard format for personal data files to be shared across internet service providers.
The following information will be included in a csv file which is generated when you download your data file:
You can download your data file via My Account. Remember you may wish to only download your data file on your own computer rather than a shared computer where someone else could see your personal information.
For technological and security reasons, we do not currently accept these files from other providers.
You have an absolute right to stop your personal data from being used for direct marketing. You can update your marketing preferences at any time in My Account or by contacting us
Data Protection Office
TalkTalk (Compliance)
PO Box 673
Salford
M5 0NH
You can also object if the processing is for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party). For more information see Legitimate Interest Groups to see where we use legitimate interests. You should give specific reasons why you are objecting to the processing of your data based on your particular situation.
In these circumstances, this is not an absolute right, and we can continue processing if we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing, which override your interests, e.g. we need it for the exercise or defence of legal claims.
You can register your objection by contacting us. When registering your objection please be aware that, depending on the processing you're objecting to, this may impact the relevance of any communications we can send to you e.g.:
You have the right to have your personal data rectified if it is incomplete or incorrect. Updating customer details and records is an everyday part of our business processes at TalkTalk.
If your personal data changes or you identify an error in any personal data we hold, speak to our customer service teams or you may be able to update your records in My Account. In some instances, we may require additional evidence to prove your identity before applying changes. We will let you know if this is the case.
We recognise that during the length of your contract your service uses may change and you may benefit from being on different products during this time. If you would like us to update you on products and services which may be relevant to you, please opt in to receiving these communications. You can update your preferences at any time please see the next section on how to do this.
You will be able to update your marketing preferences at any time through a variety of methods:
You can also choose how we contact you, for example by email, telephone or SMS.
You have the right to object to us processing your personal data in certain circumstances, e.g. if we're processing it for legitimate interests, or for direct marketing, including profiling.
When you do register an objection, please be aware that this may impact what we can do with your personal data e.g.:
Additionally, you have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data. e.g. if your personal information is not accurate.
To register your objection, simply request this when speaking to an advisor or in My Account.
You can also make a request via
Once your information request is complete, we'lll upload your files to our TalkTalk Information Request portal. To assist you we have included step by step instructions:
You can download all documents contained in your folder by selecting the Download button.
Once you've selected the Download button and depending on your web browser, you'll either be prompted to save the file to your preferred location on your computer or the system will automatically downdload the file locally onto your computer to a default folder. If you select the Download All option, the same process will happen.
If the folder is zipped, right click on the folder and choose the extract files option, you'll now see all your individual files. Please be advised that the information will only be available in the portal for 14 days, therefore we advise that you access, view or download the information within this time.
If you have any questions or requests in relation to UK GDPR, please get in touch and we’ll make sure you get the answers you need.
We appreciate you stopping by to read our Privacy Policy; we've tried to keep it as straight forward as possible.
Personal data is information that identifies you and is about you. From your name and address to account numbers, bank details and IP addresses. Any information that can identify you as an individual can be classed as personal data.
Personal data is used by us for a number of reasons such as setting up your service, managing payments, dealing with enquires, and a range of other activities in order to manage our relationship. You can find out more information within our Privacy Policy
We need to process your information for a number of reasons and we only collect and use information to efficiently deliver the products and services that you receive from us. Here are just a few of the reasons why we need your data:
The length of time we retain your information depends on the purpose it was collected for and whether that purpose is still valid.
As you maybe aware, privacy legislation has a number of reasons we can collect and process your information. We don’t always need your consent to process your information; we can use it without consent if we have a valid reason. These reasons are known as a lawful basis and there are six lawful processing purposes we can rely on:
You can find more information about this in our Privacy Policy.
We only collect and use the personal information we need to efficiently deliver the goods and services that you want from us. Plus, we’ll only keep your data for as long as we’re required to do so by law.
We may need to transfer your information to our trusted and approved partners/suppliers so that we can provide, deliver, and continue to maintain the relationship we have with you. We have ensured that all the necessary safeguards are in place to protect your information.
Where we share your information with third parties, they are required to follow our instructions in respect of the use of your information and they must comply with all applicable UK Data Protection laws to protect your information and keep it secure.
We may from time to time need to contact you with information about the relationship we have with you. These are service based messages.
We know over the duration of a contract, your needs, uses and circumstances can change, and you may benefit from moving to different services, products, or tariffs. As such, we would like to also contact you with details of those available to you, special promotional offers such as TV boost offers or products like our latest Wi-Fi Hub that we think you may be interested in.
You can opt into receiving these messages along with the communication channels you prefer us to use, such as for example, email, telephone, SMS, Whatsapp, or post.
If you would like us to keep you updated on products, services, and offers which may enhance your user experience, you can let us know and update you marketing preferences at any time via My Account or by contacting us via phone, online chat, email or by post.
You can get answers to any of your questions in a way that suits you;
Please send any questions you have about our Privacy Policy to the below address:
Data Protection Officer
TalkTalk
Soapworks
Colgate Lane
Salford
M5 3TT
For any queries about your Information Rights, including Subject Access Request, please write to us at the below address:
Data Protection Office
TalkTalk (Compliance)
PO Box 673
Salford
M5 0NH
You can request a copy of the information we hold on you ( such as personal data, call recordings, notes, contracts & copies of correspondence) by completing a subject access request. It’s free-of-charge to request your information. However, if your request is deemed excessive, we may request you to make a payment or refuse to respond.
You can request your information in the TalkTalk PLUS app. To do this:
Your request will be processed within one month upon receipt of all of the above. For more complex requests we may extend our handling time for a further two months. If we need to do this we will let you know. Once processed we’ll send your information back to you. If you've requested a physical copy, it will be burned onto a password protected disk or encrypted USB stick. Please note that your password will be sent separately. If you've requested a paper copy, we will send this as a PDF document to the email address attached to your account.
In certain circumstances, you have the right to have your personal data erased. This right is not absolute and only applies in certain circumstances. You can submit your request in the TalkTalk PLUS app. To do this:
Remember to include enough information for us to identify your account and ensure we can verify you are authorised to access this information.
Unfortunately, we cannot process a Right to be forgotten request in the TalkTalk PLUS app on behalf of another party. We are working on bringing this feature to the TalkTalk PLUS app in a future update.
Under the new privacy laws, you may ask us to port your personal data to you, which you could then use to move your service to another provider.
Within the telecommunications industry, we already help customers to move or port their telephone and mobile numbers to different providers. Beyond this, there is no agreed or standard format for personal data files to be shared across internet service providers. At the moment, it’s therefore unlikely that you’ll be able to use this file with another provider.
For technological and security reasons, we do not currently accept these files from other providers.
The following information will be included in a csv file which is generated when you download your data file:
You can download your data file through the TalkTalk PLUS app To do this:
Remember to only download your data file on your own device rather than a shared device where someone else could access your personal information.
You have an absolute right to stop your personal data being used for direct marketing. You can also object if the processing is for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party). You can update your marketing preferences at any time in the TalkTalk PLUS app. To do this:
In these circumstances, this is not an absolute right, and we can continue processing if we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing, which override your interests, e.g. we need it for the exercise or defence of legal claims.
You can register your objection by contacting us. When registering your objection please be aware that, depending on the processing you're objecting to, this may impact the relevance of any communications we can send to you e.g.:
You have the right to have your personal data rectified if it is incomplete or incorrect. Updating customer details and records is an everyday part of our business processes at TalkTalk. If your personal data changes or you identify an error in any personal data we hold, you can update your records in the TalkTalk PLUS app. To do this:
In some instances, we may require additional evidence to prove your identity before applying changes. We will let you know if this is the case.
In order to meet our obligations under privacy laws, we need consent to market to individuals. We won’t be able to contact individuals directly about any new products we launch, or promotions and offers that are relevant to them, if we do not have such consent. You can also choose how we contact you, for example by email, telephone or SMS.
You will be able to update your consents at any time through the TalkTalk PLUS app. To do this:
You have the right to object to us processing your personal data in certain circumstances, e.g. if we are processing it for legitimate interests* or for direct marketing, including profiling.
When you do register an objection, please be aware that this may impact what we can do with your personal data e.g.:
Additionally, you have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data. E.g. if your personal information is not accurate
To register your objection in the TalkTalk PLUS app:
If you've legally changed your name, you'll need to submit a change of name form. Please note that the change of name form is only to change the name of the existing account holder. If you've noticed a mistake in the name on your account, e.g. a spelling error, please contact us and we'll amend this for you. To change your name in the app:
We require you to send us ID with the form to process a name change request. You can find a list of acceptable forms of ID evidence on the Change my name page in the app.
To change the owner of your account, both the current account holder and the new account holder will need to complete a Change of Ownership form. This can be requested by chatting to us in the app.
Personal data is any information which relates to you. From your name and address to account numbers, bank details and IP addresses. Any information that can identify you as an individual can be classed as personal data.
Personal data is used by organisations from your employer storing your personal details at work, to how your favourite companies targets you with their promotional offers. Under UK GDPR & DPA 2018, businesses are required to take greater care over your personal information and how it's used.
We need to process your personal data for a number of reasons and we only collect and use the personal information we need to efficiently deliver the goods and services that you want from us. Here are just a few of the reasons why we need to retain your data:
The length of time we retain your data depends on the nature of the of the personal data and the reason we are obliged to hold it for. We'll only keep your data for as long as we’re required to do so by law.
As an organisation we don’t always need your consent to use your personal data; we can use it without consent if we have a valid reason. These reasons are known as a lawful basis and there are six lawful bases we can use:
You can find more information about this in our Privacy Policy.
We only collect and use the personal information we need to efficiently deliver the goods and services that you want from us. Plus, we’ll only keep your data for as long as we’re required to do so by law.
We need to transfer your personal information to our trusted and approved partners/suppliers so that we can provide and deliver you the best service. We have ensured that all the necessary safeguards are in place to protect your personal information. Where we share your information with third parties, they are required to follow our instructions in respect of the use of your personal information and they must comply with all applicable UK data protection laws to protect your information and keep it secure.
There will be times we may contact you with details on special promotional offers such as TV boost offers or products like our latest Wi-Fi Hub that we think you would be interested in. We will contact you via email, telephone, SMS or post or from our specially selected third parties. If you do not want to receive these communications, you can opt out in the following ways:
You can get answers to any of your questions in a way that suits you. Our live chat team are happy to help with any queries or you can write to us if you prefer.
Please send any questions you have about our Privacy Policy to the below address:
Data Protection Officer
TalkTalk
Soapworks
Colgate Lane
Salford
M5 3TT
For any queries about your Information Rights, including Subject Access Request, please write to us at the below address:
Data Protection Office
TalkTalk
PO Box 673
Salford
M5 0NH