Privacy · Data protection · Editorial responsibility
Your information deserves careful and transparent handling.
This Privacy Policy explains how Bigmedia24 Dynamics Ltd., as publisher of Ireland Newspaper, collects, uses, stores and shares personal data. It applies when you visit irelandnewspaper.com, contact us, send a reader story or news tip, request a correction, make a privacy request, enquire about advertising or use another service linked to this policy.
Our approach: we seek to collect only information reasonably necessary for a defined purpose, protect it with proportionate safeguards and respect the rights of individuals. As an independent newspaper, we must also protect confidential sources and balance privacy with freedom of expression, information, accuracy and legitimate public-interest journalism.
How this policy applies
“Personal data” means information relating to an identified or identifiable individual. Some information may be more sensitive, including health, political opinion, religion, trade-union membership, biometric or genetic information, sexual life or orientation, and information about criminal allegations or convictions.
This policy covers personal data controlled by Bigmedia24 Dynamics Ltd. in connection with Ireland Newspaper. A linked third-party website, social platform, embedded service or advertiser may process information under its own privacy notice and as a separate controller.
Lawful and fair use
We identify an appropriate legal basis and consider the reasonable interests, rights and expectations of affected individuals.
Defined purposes
Information is used for stated or compatible purposes such as providing the website, communication, journalism, security and legal compliance.
Data minimisation
We seek not to collect or publish more personal information than is reasonably needed for the relevant purpose.
Accuracy
We take reasonable steps to keep personal data accurate where accuracy is necessary and provide routes for correction and editorial complaints.
Limited retention
Information is retained according to purpose, legal duties, security, source protection, journalistic value and the need to establish or defend claims.
Security and accountability
We use proportionate organisational and technical measures and review risks as systems, suppliers and editorial practices change.
Data you provide, data created through use and journalistic sources
- Directly from you: when you email, telephone, submit a story, request a correction, exercise a privacy right, subscribe to an offered service or enter a commercial discussion.
- From website use: through server logs, security systems, cookies, consent choices, device information and the technical delivery of pages.
- From public sources: official records, public statements, websites, social platforms, registers, court material, company information and other lawfully accessible sources.
- From journalistic sources: readers, witnesses, contributors, agencies, public bodies, documents, datasets, researchers and confidential sources.
- From service providers: limited information generated by hosting, security, email, analytics, content delivery, consent management or other suppliers acting for us or providing their own services.
- About other people: a submission may contain information about third parties. The sender should share only what is lawful, relevant and reasonably necessary.
Information we may process
The exact categories depend on how you interact with Ireland Newspaper and whether information is being handled for ordinary website, business or journalistic purposes.
Contact and identity data
Name, email address, telephone number, postal address, organisation, role, preferred contact method and information needed to verify identity or authority.
Technical and log data
IP address, date and time, requested page, browser, device, operating system, referrer, error and security events, approximate location and similar technical identifiers.
Cookie and preference data
Consent choices, session information, language or display preferences, analytics identifiers and advertising preferences where those technologies are active and permitted.
Communications
Email, letters, call notes, questions, feedback, attachments, complaint history, correction requests and records of our response.
Reader stories and news tips
Your account, chronology, source relationship, documents, images, recordings, witness details, confidentiality requirements and editorial assessment notes.
Published and public information
Statements, professional details, official records, photographs, social posts, public documents and information included in journalistic content or archives.
Commercial information
Company details, campaign information, correspondence, contracts, invoices, payment and tax records relating to advertising, suppliers or other business relationships.
Sensitive information
Health, belief, political opinion, trade-union, sexual-life, criminal-allegation or other sensitive data where relevant and lawful for a communication, claim or journalistic purpose.
Rights and legal records
Information needed to handle access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, legal claims, court orders, source protection, compliance and security incidents.
Why we use personal data
Depending on the circumstances, processing may rely on consent, performance of a contract or pre-contractual steps, compliance with legal obligations, legitimate interests, protection of vital interests in a genuine emergency, or another lawful ground. Sensitive data requires an additional valid condition or applicable legal provision.
Deliver and secure the website
Legitimate interests · Legal obligationsTo transmit pages, maintain availability, prevent abuse, investigate attacks, diagnose errors, protect systems, keep essential records and comply with security or legal duties.
Respond to communications
Legitimate interests · Contract stepsTo answer questions, route newsroom messages, evaluate proposals, provide requested information and maintain an appropriate record of the communication.
Produce and publish journalism
Legitimate interests · Expression and informationTo research, verify, edit, publish, archive, update and defend journalism; assess public interest; protect sources; seek replies; preserve accuracy; and exercise freedom of expression and information under applicable law.
Handle reader stories and tips
Legitimate interests · Consent where applicableTo understand the submission, communicate with the sender, evaluate credibility, agree confidentiality terms, verify information and decide whether and how reporting may proceed.
Corrections, complaints and rights
Legal obligations · Legitimate interestsTo verify identity where necessary, investigate concerns, protect the rights of others, correct the public record, document decisions and respond to valid data-protection or editorial requests.
Newsletters and optional communications
Consent · Legitimate interests where permittedTo send a service or communication you requested, maintain subscription preferences and provide a clear means to unsubscribe. The exact basis depends on the context and applicable electronic-marketing rules.
Analytics and service improvement
Consent where required · Limited legitimate interestsTo understand aggregate use, improve navigation, measure performance and develop editorial services. Non-essential storage or access is used only according to applicable consent requirements.
Advertising and business operations
Contract · Legal obligations · Legitimate interestsTo assess advertising enquiries, administer approved campaigns, manage supplier or customer relationships, process accounts and tax records, prevent fraud and enforce agreed terms.
Legal claims and compliance
Legal obligations · Legitimate interestsTo comply with lawful requests, court orders and regulatory duties; obtain advice; protect safety, rights and property; and establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Privacy is balanced with freedom of expression and information
News reporting frequently concerns identifiable people and may include information supplied by someone other than the person concerned. Consent is not the only possible legal basis for journalism. We assess relevance, accuracy, proportionality, public interest, source protection and potential harm in the context of applicable Irish and European law.
Confidential sources
Source identities, unpublished documents and related communications may receive restricted access and longer retention where necessary to protect confidentiality, verify reporting or defend the integrity of the publication.
Right of reply and verification
We may share the substance of an allegation with an affected person or organisation to check accuracy and obtain a fair response, without unnecessarily revealing a confidential source.
Publication and archives
Once personal information is lawfully published, it may be copied, indexed, archived or discussed by others. We maintain archives for journalistic and historical purposes but consider substantiated correction, privacy and removal requests individually.
Children and vulnerable people
Information about minors, victims, health, trauma, dependency or other vulnerability receives enhanced consideration, including whether identification is necessary and proportionate.
Legal exemptions and limitations
Data-protection law contains provisions intended to reconcile privacy with journalism and freedom of expression. Any relevant exemption or restriction is assessed for the particular processing rather than treated as a blanket exclusion.
Corrections and accuracy
A request to correct published personal information may be handled under both data-protection law and our Corrections Policy. Changing an accurate archive and correcting an inaccuracy are not the same decision.
Who may receive personal data
We do not sell personal data as a standalone business activity. Information may be disclosed only where reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose, under an appropriate role, agreement, confidentiality duty or legal basis.
Authorised personnel
Editors, contributors, administrative personnel and other authorised people who need access for editorial, technical, business, legal or security responsibilities.
Technology providers
Hosting, content delivery, security, email, storage, backup, consent management, analytics and other suppliers processing data under contract or as separately disclosed controllers.
Professional advisers
Lawyers, accountants, insurers, security specialists, auditors and other advisers subject to professional or contractual confidentiality.
Editorial parties
Sources, agencies, contributors, fact-checking contacts, affected parties and publication partners where needed to verify information, obtain responses or produce reporting.
Commercial partners
Advertising, payment, accounting or campaign providers where relevant to a requested or contracted service and subject to applicable consent and disclosure requirements.
Authorities and legal recipients
Courts, regulators, law enforcement or other recipients where disclosure is legally required, necessary to protect vital interests, or justified to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.
How information is protected over time and location
International transfers
Some service providers or recipients may process data outside the European Economic Area. Where required, we use an adequacy decision, approved contractual safeguards or another lawful transfer mechanism and assess supplementary protections where appropriate.
Retention
We retain information only as long as reasonably necessary for its purpose, taking account of legal and tax duties, complaints, consent, source protection, journalistic archives, security, limitation periods and the establishment or defence of claims. Different records therefore have different periods.
Security
Measures may include access controls, authentication, encryption where appropriate, backups, logging, updates, contractual safeguards, minimisation and incident procedures. No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.
Rights available under applicable law
Depending on the circumstances and legal basis, you may exercise the following rights. They are not all absolute, and exceptions may apply to protect other people, confidential sources, journalism, freedom of expression, legal obligations, security and legal claims.
To exercise a right: email support@bigmedia24.com with the subject “Ireland Newspaper — Privacy Request”. Provide enough information to identify the relevant data and request.
We may ask for proportionate proof of identity or authority, particularly where a response could disclose another person’s information or affect a confidential source. Please do not send original identity documents unless specifically requested. We respond within the period required by applicable law; that period may be extended where legally permitted for complex or numerous requests.
Children, links, automation and policy changes
Children
The general website is intended for a broad news audience and is not designed to collect unnecessary personal information from children. Reader stories, images or submissions involving minors receive enhanced editorial and privacy review. A parent’s consent does not automatically make publication appropriate.
External links and embedded content
Linked sites, video players, maps, social posts and other embedded services may receive technical data when loaded or used. Their operators control their own processing. Review their privacy information and use cookie controls where provided.
Artificial intelligence and automation
Approved tools may assist editorial or technical workflows. Personal and confidential information should be minimised and protected. AI output does not remove human responsibility, and material use is governed by our AI Content Policy and applicable data-protection requirements.
Solely automated significant decisions
Ireland Newspaper does not ordinarily use website-reader data to make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects. If such processing is introduced, required information and safeguards will be provided.
Policy changes
We may update this notice when services, suppliers, practices or legal requirements change. The current version and review date appear on this page. Material changes may receive additional notice where appropriate.
Questions and unresolved concerns
Contact us first if you believe information is being handled incorrectly. This does not limit your right to contact the Data Protection Commission or another competent supervisory authority at any time.
Important practical distinctions
Does Ireland Newspaper sell personal data?
We do not sell personal data as a standalone business activity. Information may be shared with service providers, editorial contacts, advisers, commercial partners or authorities only for the purposes and legal grounds described in this policy.
Can I demand removal of an accurate news article?
You may submit a request, but erasure is not automatic. We balance the relevant data-protection right against freedom of expression and information, public interest, archive value, legal obligations, source protection and the rights of others. Correction, anonymisation, updating or another measure may be more appropriate.
Will a confidential source be identified in an access request?
Not automatically. Access rights must be balanced against the rights and freedoms of others, journalistic protections and source confidentiality. We may withhold, redact or limit material where permitted or required by law.
Do you need consent to publish every news report?
No. Consent is one legal basis but is not the only basis for processing personal data. Journalism may rely on other lawful grounds and provisions protecting freedom of expression and information, subject to necessity, accuracy, proportionality and applicable law.
How long do you keep emails and source material?
There is no single period for every record. Routine enquiries, contracts, legal complaints, confidential-source records and published archives serve different purposes. Retention is determined using the criteria described above and reviewed where appropriate.
Can I change my cookie choices?
Yes. Use the cookie preference control offered on the website to change non-essential categories. You can also manage storage through your browser. Strictly necessary technologies may continue where required to provide a requested function or protect the service.
What information should I send with a privacy request?
Provide your name, contact details, the relevant URL, email address or service, approximate dates and the specific right or concern. Do not send unrelated sensitive data. We will request further verification only where reasonably necessary.
Is this policy a guarantee of complete security?
No system can guarantee absolute security. This policy describes the principles and measures we apply. If you believe information has been exposed or misdirected, contact us promptly with enough detail to assess the issue.
Ask a privacy question or exercise a right.
Identify the relevant page, communication or service and explain what you need. Please avoid sending unnecessary identity documents or sensitive information in your first email.