Privacy Notice

This page was last updated in December 2025.

Introduction

This page explains what personal information we collect when you visit the Cambridge Online Trust and Safety Index (COTSI) website (cotsi.org), which is run by the Department of Psychology and Cambridge Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.

Who will process my personal information?

The information published here applies to the use of your personal information (also known as ‘personal data’) by the University of Cambridge through the viewing or use of this site.

Personal information collected on this website

You may choose to give us personal information when you:

We use this information so that we can:

respond to your inquiries,
manage any events, workshops, or research activities you register for,
send you the updates you have asked to receive,
monitor the reach and impact of our work and improve this website.

Legal basis for using your information

Consent – for example, when you ask to receive email updates. You can withdraw this consent at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in our messages or by contacting us.
Legitimate interests – for example, to respond to enquiries, manage events and improve this website, where doing so does not override your rights and freedoms.
Contract – where we need to process your data to deliver something you have requested (for example, attendance at an event with specific joining instructions).

Data sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information:

within the University of Cambridge, where this is necessary to operate COTSI and related research; and
with carefully selected service providers who support the technical operation of this website (for example, hosting, analytics or email services), acting only on our instructions and under contract.

How long we keep your information

We keep your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes described above, and in line with University records management and data protection policies. For example, we will normally:

retain enquiry emails and form submissions only as long as needed to deal with your enquiry and any follow-up; and
retain mailing-list details until you unsubscribe, or we no longer need to send updates.

For more detailed information about how the University handles personal data and your rights, please see the “Further information” section below.

Further information

For more information about how we handle your personal information, and your rights under data protection legislation, please see the University’s general data protection information: https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/general-data. If you have questions about how your data is used on this website, you can contact us via the Contact page. You can also contact the University’s Information Compliance team using the details provided in the general data protection information.

COTSI Data

The COTSI exclusively collects publicly available data from open-access sources. We exclusively collect data on the 1) price and 2) available numbers (stocks) of on-demand SMS verifications, using the Application Programming Interfaces provided by providers of SMS verification services. No information that is personally identifiable in any way is collected for that purpose.

The COTSI and the research projects associated with it comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). For more information on the University of Cambridge’s GDPR policy, see this link. We have ensured that we do not use any copyrighted or trademarked materials; the use of potentially copyrighted materials is governed under the UK’s Exceptions to Copyright directive.

Cookies

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They help the site remember information about your visit and can be used to support core functionality, improve performance and enhance your experience.

Cookies we use

On COTSI.org, we use cookies to:

remember specific preferences between visits (where applicable),
help us understand how the site is used so we can improve it,
support embedded content or interactive tools, where we use them.

Some of these cookies are set directly by us (“first-party” cookies). Others may be set by third-party services that we use to deliver content or functionality.

Cookie categories

Necessary cookies – required for core site functionality (for example, load balancing, security and session handling). These cookies are essential and are set automatically when you use the site. You can block them in your browser, but parts of the site may then not work correctly.
Analytical cookies – help us understand how visitors use the site (for example, which pages are visited most often), so we can improve content and usability. Where required, these cookies are only set with your consent.

Cookie control on this site

When you first visit COTSI.org, you may see a cookie banner or control tool that allows you to choose which types of non-essential cookies you are happy for us to use. You can change your preferences at any time using your browser settings, and (where provided) the cookie control settings on the site.

Necessary cookies are not optional because they are essential to the website's functioning.

Third-party cookies

If you view content from other providers embedded on this site or use social-sharing buttons, those external services may set their own cookies. These cookies are not controlled by us and are not affected by any cookie control widget on COTSI.org. You can manage third-party cookies using your browser settings and by reviewing the privacy and cookie policies of the relevant third-party services.

Disabling cookies completely

Most web browsers allow you to block cookies for all sites. If you do this, please be aware that some features of COTSI.org (and many other websites) may not work as intended. Guidance on managing cookies is available in the help pages for most modern browsers.