Privacy Statement

Contributor Privacy Notice

About Middlechild Productions Limited 

Middlechild Productions Limited (‘Middlechild’) is an independent television production company  based in the United Kingdom which makes programmes and other content for broadcasters and  platforms around the world. 

Middlechild’s registered office is at 6TH Floor Charlotte Building, 17 Gresse Street, London, W1T  1QL. 

Middlechild is committed to protecting the privacy of others and complying with all relevant data  protection laws and regulations. This Privacy Policy sets out how Middlechild collects and uses  information about individuals, including those who appear in or are otherwise involved in the  programmes and other content which we produce (collectively ‘Content’). 

Please contact Middlechild if you have any questions or concerns at: info@middlechild.tv

Why do we collect personal information? 

We collect and process personal information in connection with our business activities generally  and our Content-making activities for a number of reasons including: 

  • operating and managing our business effectively and lawfully; 

  • contacting individuals about, and assessing individuals’ suitability to appear in, or  otherwise be involved in, Content that we produce; 

  • as part of and in connection with our Content-making and other activities; 

  • producing, exhibiting, exploiting, distributing, publicising, advertising and promoting our  Content by any media (now known or hereafter invented) throughout the world; and 

  • responding to queries from members of the public. 

What personal information will we collect 

We will, are likely, or may process the following information about you in connection with our  business activities and the Content we produce which we may obtain from you directly or from a  third party: 

  1. your name, your gender, your age and date of birth, your address and contact details such as  your email address and telephone number, your handwriting, as well as other basic details  about you.  

  2. your image, your gender, your age and birth date, information contained within your passport,  your driving licence and possibly other official documents which identify you.  

  3. information about your past and present personal, home and family life.  

  4. information about your past and present professional life including information about your  current role and work schedule, your previous work history, your qualifications and your  experiences. 

  5. whether you consent or object to being identified in Content and if you object, the basis of your  objection.  

  6. information about you that is on social media and the internet including images of you and  other personal information that is contained there.  

  7. information concerning your physical and mental health.  

  8. information concerning any criminal convictions or cautions you may have, information about  any criminal activity you may be or have been involved in and information concerning current  criminal proceedings or criminal allegations relating to you or in which you are involved.  

  9. your age, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation.  

  10. any and all personal information relating to you, revealed or recorded on cameras and/or  microphones and contained within footage and/or sound recordings made for Content, or  provided by or sourced from you or a third party in connection with the production and  exploitation of Content, including without limitation:  

    1. 10.1. your image; voice; name; your gender; your age and date of birth; your address and  contact details; information about your past and present personal, home and family life;  information about your future plans, hopes and aspirations; information about your  financial affairs; information about your past, present and future professional life  including without limitation information about your current job, your position, work  schedule and the nature of your work, your previous work history, your qualifications  and your experiences, and your plans, intentions, and hopes for the future in  connection with your professional life; and the details of any legal claim made by or  against you and enforcement action taken against you or on your behalf, including any  assets seized and the circumstances surrounding the seizure. 

    2. 10.2. information concerning your racial and ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or  philosophical beliefs, your membership of a trade union, your health and any medical  treatment you receive, your sex life or your sexual orientation (“special category data”);  and 

    3. 10.3. information concerning any criminal convictions or cautions you may have and any  other criminal activity you may have been suspected of or involved in; information  concerning the nature and status of any arrests, charges, prosecutions, court  proceedings or other interactions between you and the authorities (“criminal  convictions and offences data”).  

Purposes for processing

The personal information listed above may be used for one or more of the following purposes: 

  • to correspond with you and/or to contract with you and for administrative and other  purposes in connection with the development, production and exploitation of the Content  we produce and/or our other business activities; 

  • to administer and manage any application you make to take part in Content we produce; 

  • to check your identity, conduct background checks and more generally to assess your  suitability to take part in Content we produce; 

  • to select Contributors to take part in Content we produce;

  • to ensure compliance with our contractual obligations, to you and others, and with all other  relevant laws and regulations; 

  • for editorial reasons and for the development, production and exploitation of the Content  we produce; 

  • for diversity analysis monitoring. 

Lawful basis for processing the above information  

The numbers below refer to the types of personal information set out in the numbered paragraphs above. Next to this are the lawful basis (and further conditions for processing where relevant) we rely upon in order to process these types of data.

Paragraph 1

Processing is: 

• necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish the  Content we produce.  

• necessary for the performance of our contract with you or in order to take steps prior to entering  into the contract.

Paragraph 2 

Processing is: 

• necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish the  Content we produce.  

• necessary for the performance of our contract with you or in order to take steps prior to entering  into the contract.

Paragraph 3 

Processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish  the Content we produce.

Paragraph 4 

Processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish  the Content we produce.

Paragraph 5 

Processing is: 

• necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish the  Content we produce. 

• necessary for the performance of our contract with you or in order to take steps prior to entering  into the contract.

Paragraph 6 

Processing is necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish  the Content we produce. 

Paragraph 7 

Processing is: 

• necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others; and / or 

• necessary for the performance of our contract with you or in order to take steps prior to entering  into the contract; and  

• undertaken with your explicit consent.

Paragraph 8 

Processing is: 

• necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish the  Content we produce; and / or  

• necessary for the performance of our contract with you or in order to take steps prior to entering  into the contract; and 

• undertaken with your explicit consent and / or 

• undertaken in connection with our artistic/journalistic purposes.

Paragraph 9 

Processing is: 

• necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others’ e.g. those that publish the  Content we produce; and

 • undertaken with your explicit consent.

Paragraph 10.1 

Processing is: 

• necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish the  Content we produce; and / or 

• necessary for the performance of our contract with you or in order to take steps prior to entering  into the contract; and / or 

• undertaken in connection with our artistic/journalistic purposes.

Paragraph 10.2 

Processing is: 

• necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish the  Content we produce; and / or  

• necessary for the performance of our contract with you or in order to take steps prior to entering  into the contract; and 

• undertaken with your explicit consent; and / or 

• undertaken in connection with our artistic/journalistic purposes. 

• In addition, following exploitation of Content, such information may be information manifestly made  public by you and, if so, we may rely on the relevant provisions of the DPA 2018 for any further  processing of that information.

Paragraph 10.3 

Processing is: 

• necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests and others e.g. those that publish the  Content we produce; and / or  

• necessary for the performance of our contract with you or in order to take steps prior to entering  into the contract; and 

• undertaken with your explicit consent; and / or 

• undertaken in connection with our artistic/journalistic purposes. 

• In addition, following exploitation of Content, such information contained within the Content may  be information manifestly made public by you and, if so, we will rely on the relevant provisions of  the DPA 2018 for any further processing of that information.

Legitimate Interests 

Where we rely on ‘legitimate interests’ as the lawful basis for processing data, such legitimate  interests include our legitimate interests in making and exploiting Content for worldwide  distribution. We only process data on this legal basis where we have considered that the  processing is necessary to achieve our legitimate interest and, on balance, our legitimate interests  are not overridden by your interests, fundamental rights or freedoms. 

The Special Purposes – journalism and artistic purposes 

Please note that the UK GDPR and DPA 2018 state that in certain circumstances we do not have  to comply with some aspects of data protection law (including this privacy notice) if we believe that  doing so would be ‘incompatible’ with our journalistic and/or artistic purposes (i.e. it would stop us  from doing our job as a producer of Content), data is being held with a view to publication, and  there is a public interest in publication. This is known as the ‘special purposes exemption’. 

We may process your personal data under the special purposes exemption in connection with  Content. References in the above table to ‘processing undertaken in connection with our  artistic/journalistic purposes’ includes examples of processing where we may rely upon the special  purposes exemption.  

Consent 

Generally, we anticipate that individuals will give their informed consent to take part in and work  on Content that we produce. However, we may refer to or even feature an individual in Content without their consent provided we comply with the relevant laws and regulatory codes, such as the  Ofcom Broadcasting Code. 

Where you have entered into a contract with us to participate in Content, we may be entitled to  distribute and show the relevant Content whether or not you later change your mind about  participation. 

Consenting to take part in Content, and our reliance on your consent to process your personal data  are two distinct, different things. We will not generally rely on your consent to process your  personal data if you appear in Content. This is something which we normally do as part of our  legitimate business interests, for contractual purposes, and/or in connection with our  artistic/journalistic purposes. 

Where we do rely upon ‘consent’ to process your personal information, you have the right to  withdraw your consent at any time, although please note that we may be relying on other lawful  bases at the same time.  

Sharing your personal information 

Your personal information is processed by our employees and staff. In addition, we use third  parties who are contractually engaged to provide services to us which may involve the sharing of  your personal information e.g. IT services, legal and accountancy services. We also may need to  share your personal information with other organisations from time to time including with: 

  • companies involved with our business activities e.g. co-producers, programme-making  partners, third party suppliers, broadcasters, SVOD platforms, post-production houses,  sales agents, distributors; 

  • broadcasting regulators e.g. Ofcom; 

  • the police or other regulatory bodies as required by law in connection with the investigation  of crimes.  

Although we are based in the UK, our business is global and so we may need to transfer your  personal information outside the UK. 

Wherever your information is transferred to organisations outside the UK, we will ensure that  adequacy regulations or appropriate safeguards, such as standard data protection clauses  recognised or issued in accordance with the UK data protection regime, are in place to ensure the  safety and security of your personal information and that it is processed in accordance with this  privacy notice (unless an exemption applies). You can find out more about these safeguards by  contacting us using the contact details below. 

How we store your personal information 

We have implemented appropriate measures to ensure that your personal information is kept safe  and secure e.g. by storing it securely, and by keeping electronic data on secure servers and hard  drives with appropriate levels of security including encryption and firewalls. However, the internet  is an open system and we cannot guarantee that unauthorised third parties will never be able to  defeat those measures. 

We will only keep your personal information for as long as we need to. For those appearing or  otherwise involved in our Content, we are likely to retain your personal information for as long as  is necessary in order to produce, exhibit, exploit, distribute, advertise, publicise and promote the  programme in accordance with our legitimate interests and legal obligations. Personal information 

that is no longer required will be deleted/destroyed. For others who apply to appear or be involved  in our Content, but who are unsuccessful, we will retain your personal data for as long as necessary  to address the purpose for which they have been sent, unless you request that data is deleted. If  you wish your data to be deleted, email info@middlechild.tv 

Your rights 

You have a number of rights in respect of your personal information, including the right to object  to and/or restrict our processing of your personal data and the right to request: 

  • access to the personal information that we hold about you; 

  • that we do not process your personal information for direct marketing purposes; • that inaccurate personal information we hold about you is corrected; 

  • that personal information is deleted; 

  • that your personal information is provided to you in a portable format. 

Please note that most of these rights are not absolute and are limited to certain defined  circumstances. Accordingly, we may not be able to comply with any such request.  

Getting in touch 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your personal data, please contact Middlechild at  info@middlechild.tv 

You may also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office if you have concerns about the way  in which your personal data has been processed by Middlechild: Information Commissioner’s  Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. https://ico.org.uk/make-a complaint/ 

Changes to this Privacy notice 

We may update or amend this Privacy Notice from time to time.  

Middlechild Productions Limited, January 2023