Privacy Policy

The data controller for personal data collected through The Finn Awards website and nomination process is:

The Awards are delivered through North Star Media Scotland, a company operated by S.E.O., and presented as a Finn Moray Social Compact initiative. All data processing activities described in this Policy are carried out under the authority of Sheret Energy Offshore Limited as data controller.

We collect the following categories of personal data through the Awards nomination process:

Nominator information: Full name, email address, telephone number (optional), and your relationship to the nominee.

Nominee information: Full name, location (optional), email address (optional), social media handle(s), primary platform(s), approximate follower count (optional), and publicly available social media content links.

Nomination content: Your reasons for nominating, the nominee's community impact, and any nominated Scottish charity.

Technical data: IP address, browser type, and device information collected automatically when you visit our website, for security and analytics purposes.

We process your personal data for the following purposes and on the following legal bases under UK GDPR:

Administering the Awards (Contractual necessity / Legitimate interests): Processing nominations, compiling shortlists, contacting nominees and winners, and distributing prizes.

Promoting the Awards (Legitimate interests): Using nominee names, social media handles, and publicly available content to promote the Awards on our website, social media channels, and in press materials. We will always notify nominees before using their information in this way.

Building a creator database (Legitimate interests): Maintaining a proprietary database of Scottish social media creators to support the ongoing development of Scotland's creator economy. This database is used solely by S.E.O. and North Star Media Scotland and is not sold to third parties.

Legal compliance (Legal obligation): Retaining records as required by applicable law, including company and tax legislation.

Website analytics (Legitimate interests): Understanding how visitors use our website to improve the user experience.

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with the following categories of recipient, strictly for the purposes described in this Policy:

The judging panel: Nominee details (name, handle, platform, nomination content) are shared with the independent judging panel solely for the purpose of evaluating nominations.

Payment processors: Winner payment details are shared with our payment processor solely for the purpose of distributing prize funds.

Nominated charities: Where a winner nominates a charity to receive their prize, we will share the winner's name and the prize amount with that charity.

Technology service providers: We use third-party services to operate our website and database. These providers act as data processors under our instruction and are bound by data processing agreements.

Legal authorities: Where required by law, regulation, or court order.

We retain personal data for the following periods:

Nomination records: Twenty-four (24) months following the conclusion of the Awards, unless a longer period is required by law or for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.

Winner records: Seven (7) years for financial and tax compliance purposes.

Creator database entries: Retained indefinitely in anonymised or aggregated form for industry research purposes. Identifiable records are retained for twenty-four (24) months and then reviewed for deletion or anonymisation.

Website analytics data: Up to twenty-six (26) months.

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in respect of your personal data:

Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

Right to rectification: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to erasure: You may request that we delete your personal data where there is no longer a lawful basis for processing it.

Right to restriction: You may request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.

Right to object: You may object to processing based on legitimate interests. We will cease processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests.

Right to data portability: Where processing is based on consent or contractual necessity and carried out by automated means, you may request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one calendar month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

Our website uses essential cookies necessary for the site to function correctly. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. Analytics data is collected in aggregate and anonymised form to help us understand how the site is used and improve the experience for visitors.

You can control cookie settings through your browser. Disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of the site.

Sheret Energy Offshore Limited and North Star Media Scotland implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures include encrypted data transmission (HTTPS), access controls, and regular security reviews.

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. If you have concerns about the security of your data, please contact us at [email protected].

Your personal data is stored and processed within the United Kingdom. Where any third-party service providers process data outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR, including Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions.

The Finn Awards are open to individuals aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 16. Where a nominee is aged 16 or 17, we require written consent from a parent or legal guardian before processing their data or awarding any prize. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 16, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The date of the most recent update is shown at the top of this page. Where changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to notify affected individuals. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data processing activities, please contact:

You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues, at ico.org.uk or by telephone on 0303 123 1113.