The Laughing Cow

Privacy Policy

The entity responsible for processing personal data for this website is BEL UK Ltd, as a subsidiary of FROMAGERIES BEL SA.

Before communicating your personal data to us and to give us a consent for their processing, we recommend you read this Policy on the protection of our consumers’ privacy carefully.

The BEL Group’s commitment to protecting consumers’ privacy and personal data

“Personal data” (hereinafter “PD”) means any information collected about our consumers who are natural persons that enables us to identify them directly or indirectly.

To better meet the requirements of all our consumers and to forge a close relationship with you, the Group collects personal data in various ways. You need to be confident that the information you communicate to us and our brands is not disclosed.

Our Group gives an undertaking that it will not contravene your privacy and that your personal data will be collected and retained in a totally transparent and secure way.

As part of our commitment to meet your requirements, we have implemented a privacy protection policy for our customers. This Policy describes the conditions in which BEL uses your personal data.

The entity responsible for processing personal data for this website is BEL UK, as part of FROMAGERIES BEL SA.

Personal data protection of consumers: the principles

Legitimacy: the data will be collected only for particular, explicit and legitimate purposes. Processing will not concern sensitive data (racial or ethnic origins, political, philosophical or religious views, trade union membership, health, sex life, offences, criminal convictions or security measures).

Relevance and Accuracy: we ensure that the data collected are appropriate, relevant and not excessive given the purposes for which they are collected, and that they are accurate, complete, and, if necessary, updated.

Transparency: when collecting your PD, you will be informed of any information regarding the collection and processing of data about you, in particular about why the data are collected.

Retention limit: the PD will be retained for a period which does not exceed the period required for the purposes for which the data are collected and processed;

Consent: your consent will be required before any collection of PD for purposes which will be described at the time of its collection;

Access, correction, objection: at any time, you may access and request the correction or deletion of your PD. You may also object to the use of your PD. To exercise these rights, please refer to Article 11 of the Policy.

Privacy & Security: The BEL Group undertakes to process your PD in a way that guarantees the privacy and security of the PD by implementing appropriate technical and organisational measures.

Scope

This policy applies to all processing of The Laughing Cow website and the UK websites belonging to the entities of the Bel group to which you could be redirected during your navigation.

Personal data collected

Depending on the type of relationship we have with you, we may need to ask you for information about yourself and/or your family members, such as:

  • Contact information (last name, first name, telephone No, email, address etc.)
  • Location / city
  • Any other information necessary for us to provide the requested service (e.g. to resolve a customer service query or to enable your participation in a marketing / promotional initiative.

Time of collection

Depending on the purposes for which your “PD” will be processed, the collection may take place at different times including:

  • When your contact the consumer service (Questions, Complaints, etc.)
  • When you take part in marketing programmes or initiatives (contests, games, subscription to newsletters, etc.)
  • When you visit the BEL group’s websites

Data collection purposes

  • Meet all your requests as regards the consumer service
  • Improve our products, in particular, thanks to improved knowledge of your needs and wishes
  • To provide coupons
  • Send you newsletters, promotions or offers from partners, when you have authorised us to do so. At any time, you may unsubscribe from these newsletters by clicking on the link provided at the bottom of these e-mails;
  • Participate in a competition, prize draw or other specific marketing initiative.
  • Reach you with relevant advertising content on partner or publisher websites

Sharing your personal data

As part of management of our relationship, we will transmit, or give access to your “PD” to internal and external recipients for the following purposes.

  • Internally, to authorised staff in our entities, for the purpose of maintenance / management of the data:

    • IT services
    • Marketing services

  • Externally, to the following types of company, for the following purposes:

  • Technology providers providing a service to Bel and / or yourself – e,g, a provider of coupons like Shopmium, or an emailing marketing tool like Mailchimp

  • Externally sourced Customer service and social media community management teams (typically the first point of contact when you contact us)

  • Marketing agencies / suppliers managing our email marketing communications

  • Marketing / PR agencies managing promotions/ competitions for your benefit

  • Media owners (including e.g. Facebook and Google) , and by extension media agencies for the sake of building lookalike audiences (as per clause 6.1 above).

  • Marketing / Consultancy suppliers for the purposes of analysing marketing performance

  • We may also need to forward your information to local authorities due to a legal obligation or at the request of an administrative authority empowered to make this type of request

Security

BEL makes every effort, by taking appropriate technical measures, to protect you against the destruction, accidental or otherwise and the accidental loss or alteration or unauthorised disclosure of or access to your “PD”.

Cookies

BEL informs you that it may use temporary “cookies” that are valid only during a session of visiting the Website.

What is a cookie?

Cookies are data placed in your browsers or mobile devices. They can be distinguished by their unique identifiers, associated with your browser or device.

Common uses include:

  • Enabling anonymised website analytics
  • Remembering your login information and other preferences (e.g. location or language)
  • Personalising content for you based on previous visits
  • Reaching you with advertising on other websites / platforms

These “cookies” are stored in RAM in your computer. They do not allow us to identify you as an individual, they only allow the anonymous association of your device or browser with a visit (or visits) to our website(s) (date, time, pages visited etc) pages and with certain preferences (logins etc).

Cookies are non-permanent – but how long they last varies based on the type of cookie and its use. Some might be 24 hours, others might be up to 540 days.

What do we use cookies for on this website?

Strictly Necessary Cookies

  • These are necessary for the good functioning of the website and cannot be disabled. They are set to meet basic service needs like secure login, defining your privacy preferences, form filling … You can set your browser to block or alert you to these cookies, but some parts of the site will not be able to work afterwards. These cookies do not store any personal data.

Analytics Cookies

  • These cookies allow us to assess the website traffic and develop resources to improve performance.
  • All data gathered by Analytics cookies is anonymous and is crucial to our management of the website, and in delivering a quality experience to you, by enabling us to discover problems and make improvements to the site and the content.

Advertising cookies

  • Advertising cookies enable us to push advertisements to you on other websites and platforms.
  • Whenever we do this we undertake to do so in a controlled and relevant manner, based on your previous browsing history. We will not follow you wherever you go on the internet with the same advert.
  • As these cookies do have an impact on you going forwards we only serve these cookies to you if you specifically consent by selecting “accept” in the cookie banner when you arrived on the site, or by clicking here.
  • You may subsequently delete these cookies at any time using the instructions below.

Customisation Cookies

  • These cookies allow us to offer you improved and personalized features. They can be deposited by our partners who offer additional services on our pages or by us. By not accepting these cookies, some or all of these services may not work properly.

Deleting & managing cookies

You can object to “cookies” being saved on your computer by configuring your browser as follows:

  • If you browse the Internet using Internet Explorer (Microsoft): “Tools” tab, “Internet Options”, click on “Privacy”. Then in the “Advanced Privacy Settings”, click on “Override automatic cookie handling” and choose “Block all cookies” (internal and third party). Click on “OK”.
  • Under Firefox: “Tools” tab and then “Options”. In the “Privacy” tab, check “Send websites a “Do Not Track” signal that you don’t want to be tracked”. Click on “OK”.
  • Under Chrome, click in “Settings” and then “View Advanced settings”. In the “Privacy” part, click on “Content settings” and define the choice in the Cookies part.
  • If you use versions of browsers other than those mentioned: please refer to the relevant help files or the user guide.

Data retained by BEL

In compliance with the laws in force, the PD will be retained only for the period required for the purpose for which the data have been collected and processed.

We will retain your data for the following periods dependent on the type of data:

  • Data gathered as a result of contacting customer services: Up to 2 years after last contact between us, or until you ask us to delete your information if earlier
  • Email data & other data gathered for marketing purposes: Up to 2 years after last contact from us, or until you choose to unsubscribe if earlier.
  • Cookies: The duration varies but the maximum duration of any cookie is 540 days, or when you choose to delete cookies from your browser / device if earlier.

Your rights regarding your personal data

You enjoy all the rights under the applicable legislation as regards personal data protection.

In this regard, you may, in particular, at any time, request access to your “PD” collected by BEL and make a request to change them, by contacting our Customer Service using the contact details below

BEL Consumer Service

  • Address: Bel UK, 160 London Road, Sevenoaks, London, TN13 2JA
  • Phone: 0800 030 4596 (Open Mon-Fri, 9-5)
  • Email: [email protected]
  • More contact information including available social channels: website contact page

Similarly, if your “PD” are not accurate, complete or up-to-date, you can communicate any changes to be made to them to the above address.

You can also assert your right of opposition by contacting the Consumer Service at the above address. In particular, where processing of the PD is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time in order to object to any subsequent processing.

All requests will be processed as soon as possible and in accordance with the applicable law.

Protection of personal data of children

BEL considers that parents must be informed of the relationship that the company and its brands establish with their children. Therefore, the BEL group undertakes to request the electronic address of parents/guardians of web users who are under 15 in order to send them a copy of the registration email sent to their children.

At any time, on simple request by contacting the consumer service, parents/guardians may have access to the personal data stored about their child and, if they wish, request that they are deleted from our databases. Similarly, parents/guardians may exercise all the rights which their child has in accordance with the rules applicable regarding personal data rights by contacting the consumer service according to the terms set out in Article 11 of this Policy.

Updates to this policy

This Policy may change periodically. If we hold contact information on you and there are relevant changes then we will inform you.