COOKIES, PIXELS AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
Fitness Takeover may collect information from your browser, computer, mobile telephone, tablet or other device when you visit our website or interact with our online Services.
We may collect this information through cookies, tracking pixels, web storage, scripts, tags and other similar technologies. These technologies are referred to collectively in this section as “cookies and similar technologies”.
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations apply to technologies that store information on, or access information from, a person’s device. This includes cookies, tracking pixels, device fingerprinting, web storage, scripts and tags. Where the information collected is personal data, the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 also apply. (ICO)
This section explains what these technologies are, why Fitness Takeover may use them and how you can manage your preferences.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small file that a website stores on your computer, mobile telephone, tablet or other device when you visit the website.
Cookies allow a website to recognise a device and remember information about a visitor’s actions or preferences. For example, a cookie may help a website remember that you have logged in, added a ticket to a booking basket or selected particular privacy settings.
Some cookies are deleted when you close your browser. These are known as session cookies. Other cookies remain on your device for a defined period or until you delete them. These are known as persistent cookies.
Cookies may be set directly by Fitness Takeover or by the provider operating our website on our behalf. These are commonly known as first-party cookies.
Cookies may also be set by an external service included within our website, such as a booking platform, payment provider, analytics service, embedded video, social media feature or advertising provider. These are commonly known as third-party cookies.
What are pixels and similar technologies?
A tracking pixel is a small piece of code that may be included on a website, email or advertisement. It may record information such as whether a page was viewed, an email was opened or a link was selected.
Other technologies may perform similar functions. These may include browser storage, software development kits, scripts, tags, local storage, device identifiers, navigational tracking and technologies that recognise or distinguish between devices.
The legal rules applying to cookies may also apply to these technologies where they store information on, or access information from, your device.
What information may be collected?
Depending on the technologies used on our website and the choices you make, information collected may include your internet protocol address, cookie identifiers, browser type, device type, operating system, approximate location, language, time zone and screen size.
We may also collect information about the pages you visit, the links you select, how long you spend on a page, the website that referred you to us, the classes or events you view, booking activity, technical errors and whether you interacted with an advertisement or promotional communication.
Some information may be combined with information already held by a service provider, particularly where you are signed in to an account operated by that provider.
We do not place information from your PAR-Q form, health declaration, private mental health disclosures or emergency records into advertising cookies.
Why do we use cookies and similar technologies?
Fitness Takeover may use cookies and similar technologies to make our website function, maintain security, remember preferences, process bookings, analyse website performance, improve our Services and promote relevant classes and events.
The exact cookies used will depend on the website platform, booking services, payment services and marketing tools in operation at the time of your visit.
Fitness Takeover should maintain an up-to-date cookie list through its website Cookie Settings tool or cookie banner. That list should identify the cookie or technology, the provider, its purpose and how long it remains active.
Strictly necessary cookies
Strictly necessary cookies support functions required to provide a website service that you have requested.
These cookies may be used to maintain website security, prevent fraud, balance website traffic, remember the contents of a booking basket, authenticate an account, maintain a session or record your cookie preferences.
Without these cookies, parts of the website may not operate correctly and we may be unable to provide a feature you have requested.
Consent is not normally required where a technology is genuinely essential to transmit a communication or provide an online service requested by the user. The exemption is narrow and does not apply merely because a cookie is useful to Fitness Takeover or commercially beneficial. (ICO)
We will still provide information about strictly necessary cookies even where consent is not required.
Preference and functionality cookies
Preference and functionality cookies may allow our website to remember choices you make and provide an improved experience.
For example, these technologies may remember your language, accessibility settings, display preferences, region, account settings or choices made during a previous visit.
Current UK rules may allow certain technologies to be used without consent where their sole purpose is to adapt the appearance or functionality of a service according to the user’s preference. Where we rely on this exception, we must provide clear information and a simple, free method of objecting. (ICO)
Where a functionality cookie goes beyond these limited purposes, we will obtain consent where required.
If you disable functionality cookies, some preferences may need to be selected again on future visits and certain enhanced features may not operate as expected.
Performance and statistical analytics
Fitness Takeover may use analytics technologies to understand how visitors use our website and to help us improve it.
This may include measuring the number of visitors, pages viewed, time spent on the website, device types, general user journeys, page-loading performance, technical errors and how visitors reached the website.
Where the sole purpose is to produce aggregated statistics about how the website is used so that it can be improved, current UK rules may allow the technology to be used without consent if all conditions of the statistical-purpose exception are satisfied.
To rely on that exception, Fitness Takeover must provide clear information, offer a simple and free method of objecting, avoid tracking or profiling individual visitors, limit the use to service improvement and ensure that resulting information is aggregated. A third-party analytics provider must only use the information on our behalf to help improve our website or Service. (ICO)
Where analytics are used to identify people, retain individual-level histories, connect website activity with advertising, build profiles or track visitors across other websites and services, we will obtain consent before activating those technologies.
Marketing and advertising cookies
Marketing and advertising cookies may be used to understand the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and show Fitness Takeover advertisements to people who may be interested in our Services.
These technologies may record that you visited our website, viewed an event page, selected a link or completed a booking. Depending on the service and your choices, information may be shared with social media or advertising providers.
Advertising providers may use information to measure advertisements, limit how frequently an advertisement is shown, create audience groups or display advertisements through other websites and platforms.
Fitness Takeover will obtain consent before using cookies or similar technologies for online advertising, cross-site tracking, profiling or personalised marketing.
Current ICO guidance confirms that online advertising technologies, including advertising measurement and cross-site or cross-device tracking, require consent and do not fall within the statutory cookie exceptions. (ICO)
Marketing cookies will remain disabled unless you actively agree to them through our cookie controls.
We do not sell personal data collected through marketing cookies.
Social media cookies and features
Our website may include links, sharing buttons, feeds, videos or other features supplied by social media platforms.
These features may allow the relevant platform to recognise your device or receive information about your interaction with our website, particularly where you are signed in to your social media account.
Where a social media feature tracks visitors or uses information for advertising or profiling, we will obtain consent before activating it.
Selecting an external social media link will take you to a service controlled by another organisation. The social media platform’s own privacy policy, cookies policy, terms and account settings will then apply.
Fitness Takeover is not responsible for how an independent social media platform processes information through its own website or application.
Embedded videos, maps and external content
Our website may contain videos, maps, booking widgets, forms, music, social media posts or other content provided by external services.
An external provider may use cookies or similar technologies when the content loads or when you choose to interact with it.
Where appropriate, we may prevent external content from loading until you provide consent or actively select the content. We may also use privacy-enhanced settings or provide a link to the external content instead of embedding it directly.
ICO guidance recommends configuring embedded content so that technologies are not automatically activated when a visitor opens a page, where possible, and explaining what may happen when a visitor chooses to play or access the content. (ICO)
Once you access an external service, that provider’s privacy and cookies policies will apply.
Email pixels
Promotional emails sent by Fitness Takeover may include technologies that indicate whether the email was delivered, opened or whether a link was selected.
We may use this information to understand whether our communications are useful, measure campaign performance, improve future messages and maintain the security of our communications.
Where consent is required for these technologies, we will obtain it before using them.
You may opt out of promotional emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the message or contacting Fitness Takeover.
Disabling image downloads through your email settings may also prevent some email pixels from operating, although this depends on your email provider.
Cookie consent and lawful exceptions
Except where a legal exception applies, Fitness Takeover will not place or activate non-essential cookies and similar technologies until you have provided valid consent.
Consent must involve a clear and positive action. It cannot be inferred merely because you continued browsing the website, remained silent or failed to change a pre-selected setting. ICO guidance requires prior consent to the UK GDPR standard unless an exception applies. (ICO)
Our cookie banner or preference tool may allow you to:
You may accept all optional cookies.
You may reject all optional cookies.
You may choose individual categories of optional cookies.
You may obtain more information about the technologies in use.
You may save your preferences.
You may change or withdraw previous consent.
Rejecting optional cookies should be as straightforward as accepting them.
Strictly necessary cookies may remain active because they are required to provide requested website functions or maintain security.
For limited statistical or appearance functions, Fitness Takeover may rely on a current statutory exception rather than consent where all legal conditions are met. Where we do so, we will provide clear information and an accessible method for objecting.
Changing your cookie preferences
You may change your cookie choices at any time by selecting the “Cookie Settings” link displayed on our website.
Withdrawing consent will prevent the future use of technologies that rely on that consent. It will not make processing carried out before withdrawal unlawful.
Where possible, cookies associated with a withdrawn category will be deleted or prevented from operating. Some information already provided to an external service may remain subject to that provider’s retention requirements and privacy policy.
Consent must be capable of being withdrawn easily, and an organisation relying on consent must stop the processing based on that consent after it is withdrawn. (ICO)
Managing cookies through your browser
Most browsers allow you to view, delete or block cookies.
Your browser may allow you to block all cookies, block third-party cookies, delete cookies when the browser closes or permit cookies only from selected websites.
You may also use a private or incognito browsing mode, although this does not necessarily prevent every form of tracking or data collection.
The steps for managing cookies vary between browsers and devices. You should review the privacy or help settings provided by your browser or device manufacturer.
Blocking all cookies may prevent parts of the Fitness Takeover website from working correctly. For example, you may be unable to remain signed in, complete a booking, retain items in a booking basket or save your privacy preferences.
Browser controls provide an additional method of managing cookies but may not replace the website consent choices required by law.
Cookie duration
Some cookies operate only during your visit and are deleted when you close your browser.
Other cookies may remain on your device for a defined period so that preferences, security settings or other functions can be remembered.
We will not retain cookies for longer than is reasonably necessary for their stated purpose.
The duration of individual cookies should be displayed in the website’s Cookie Settings tool or detailed cookie list.
The duration may be determined by Fitness Takeover, our website provider or another third-party provider. Third-party providers may change their technologies from time to time, so we will review our cookie information periodically.
Auditing our cookies
Fitness Takeover will take reasonable steps to review the cookies and similar technologies used through our website.
This may include identifying the provider, purpose, data collected, duration, whether the technology is first-party or third-party and whether consent or a legal exception applies.
We will seek to remove unnecessary technologies and update our cookie information when our website, booking systems or marketing arrangements change.
The ICO recommends that organisations audit their technologies, identify what each one does, distinguish essential from non-essential uses, document consent arrangements and establish an appropriate review period. (ICO)
USING FITNESS TAKEOVER SERVICES WITH THIRD-PARTY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Fitness Takeover may use or link to third-party websites, applications, platforms and services to deliver parts of our Services.
These may include ticketing platforms, payment processors, class-booking systems, website hosts, email providers, online forms, video platforms, mapping services, social media platforms, messaging applications and community-group services.
When you use a third-party service, that provider may collect personal data directly from you.
For example, a ticketing provider may collect your booking and payment information, a mapping service may receive information about your device or approximate location, and a social media platform may receive information when you view or interact with embedded content.
Where a third party processes personal data only on Fitness Takeover’s instructions, we will take appropriate steps to establish contractual, confidentiality and security requirements.
Where the provider independently decides how and why it uses personal data, it will act as a separate data controller and its own privacy policy will apply.
Booking and ticketing platforms
Fitness Takeover may use external platforms to advertise events, issue tickets, collect registration information, process discount codes, manage waiting lists and communicate with attendees.
Information you submit through a booking platform may be shared with Fitness Takeover so that we can administer your booking and deliver the relevant event or class.
The provider may also use certain information for its own legal, security, payment or service-management purposes.
You should review the provider’s privacy policy before completing a booking.
Payment services
Payments may be processed by external payment providers.
The payment provider may collect your payment-card details, billing information, fraud-prevention information and transaction records directly.
Fitness Takeover will normally receive confirmation of the payment, the amount, the transaction reference and limited information needed to identify the booking.
The payment provider is responsible for the security and use of complete payment credentials collected through its system.
Social media and messaging platforms
Fitness Takeover may operate social media pages, direct-message services, broadcast lists or community groups through third-party platforms.
When you join, follow or communicate through these platforms, your name, profile image, username, telephone number or other account information may be visible to Fitness Takeover, the platform and, depending on the service, other group members.
You should check the privacy settings and membership information before joining an online community group.
Fitness Takeover may moderate groups that it manages, but we cannot control how another participant saves or shares information that is visible to them.
External links
Our website and communications may contain links to websites that are not owned or controlled by Fitness Takeover.
We provide these links for convenience, information, bookings, payments, venue directions or access to relevant services.
Fitness Takeover is not responsible for the content, security, availability or privacy practices of an independently operated website or application.
We encourage you to review the privacy and cookies policies of third-party services before providing personal data.
Connecting or sharing content
You may choose to share Fitness Takeover content through a social media account or send us content created through another platform.
Information stored by the external platform will remain subject to its policies and settings.
Where you publicly tag Fitness Takeover or submit content for reposting, we may interact with or share that content in a manner consistent with the context in which it was provided.
We may request separate permission where we wish to use the content for a materially different promotional purpose.
CHANGES TO OUR PRIVACY AND COOKIES POLICY
Data protection law, technology and the way Fitness Takeover operates may change over time.
We may update this Privacy and Cookies Policy to reflect changes to our Services, website, booking platforms, partnerships, legal responsibilities or data-processing practices.
When we make changes, we will publish the revised policy on our website and update the “last updated” date displayed at the beginning of the policy.
Where a change is significant, we may also provide additional notice through email, a booking platform, website notice, membership communication or another appropriate method.
Where the law requires us to obtain consent for a new use of personal data, we will request that consent before beginning the new processing.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how Fitness Takeover handles personal data.
QUESTIONS, FEEDBACK AND COMPLAINTS
Fitness Takeover welcomes questions, feedback and concerns about this Privacy and Cookies Policy or the way we process personal data.
You may contact us if you would like to:
You may ask a question about this policy.
You may exercise a data protection right.
You may change your marketing preferences.
You may withdraw consent.
You may object to a photograph or video.
You may request deletion of eligible health information.
You may raise a concern about the security or confidentiality of your information.
You may make a privacy complaint.
You can contact Fitness Takeover using the following details:
Organisation: Fitness Takeover CIC
Company number: 17316965
Email: info@fitnesstakeover.org
Postal address: 40 Montague Side, Basildon, England, SS14 3GS
Website: www.fitnesstakeover.co.uk
Please provide enough information for us to understand and investigate your request. We may ask for reasonable evidence of your identity before disclosing, changing or deleting personal data.
Privacy complaints will be reviewed with the aim of providing a fair and timely response.
If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the independent regulator responsible for data protection in the United Kingdom.
Contacting Fitness Takeover first does not affect your right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office or pursue another legal remedy.