Privacy Policy
Last updated: 15 October 2026
PlayCatalyst UK respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.
This privacy policy explains how we collect, use and protect personal information when you visit our website, contact us, participate in our research or engagement activities, or otherwise interact with PlayCatalyst UK.
Who we are
PlayCatalyst UK is an independent policy organisation focused on games, esports and competitive play.
For the purposes of UK data protection law, PlayCatalyst UK is the controller of personal information collected through our activities.
Once the company is incorporated, we will add our registered company number and registered office address to this policy.
Information we may collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
your name and contact details;
your organisation, job title or professional affiliation;
information you provide when contacting us;
information submitted through forms, consultations, surveys or research projects;
information provided when registering for events, updates or other PlayCatalyst activities;
correspondence with us;
technical information about use of our website, such as device, browser and basic website-usage information;
any other information you choose to provide to us.
We will only collect information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
How we use your information
We may use personal information to:
respond to enquiries and correspondence;
manage relationships with stakeholders, partners, researchers and supporters;
conduct research, surveys, consultations and Policy Beta exercises;
organise events, meetings and livestreams;
analyse engagement with our website and activities;
provide updates where you have asked to receive them;
improve our research, policy and public-engagement work;
maintain appropriate organisational, financial and governance records;
protect the security and integrity of our systems and services; and
comply with legal or regulatory obligations.
Our lawful basis
We will process personal information only where we have a lawful basis for doing so.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
Legitimate interests — where processing is reasonably necessary to operate PlayCatalyst UK, conduct research, engage with relevant stakeholders, respond to enquiries or improve our work, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
Consent — where you have actively agreed to a particular use of your information, for example subscribing to certain communications or participating in research where consent is appropriate.
Contract — where processing is necessary to provide something you have requested or to perform an agreement with you.
Legal obligation — where we need to retain or use information to comply with the law.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we will consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate and balance our interests against the rights and interests of the people concerned. The ICO requires organisations relying on this basis to carry out that balancing exercise.
Research and consultation
PlayCatalyst UK may invite people to participate in surveys, consultations, interviews, panels, events and other research activities.
Where we publish research, we will normally seek to present findings in aggregated or anonymised form unless we have a clear lawful basis to identify an individual.
Participation in voluntary research or consultation will not automatically add you to a marketing or mailing list.
Where a particular research project requires additional privacy information, we may provide a separate notice explaining how information will be used.
Who we share information with
We may use trusted service providers to help operate PlayCatalyst UK. These may include providers of:
website hosting;
email and cloud productivity services;
forms and survey tools;
event or video platforms;
analytics;
accounting and professional services; and
IT and administrative systems.
Our current infrastructure includes Framer for our website and Microsoft 365 for organisational email and productivity services.
We may also share information where required by law or where reasonably necessary to protect our legal rights.
We do not sell personal information.
International transfers
Some of the technology providers we use may process information outside the United Kingdom.
Where this happens, we will take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK data protection law.
How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, research or reporting requirements.
Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the reason we hold it.
We will periodically review information we hold and delete or anonymise information that is no longer required.
Your rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights including the right to:
request access to your personal information;
ask us to correct inaccurate information;
ask us to erase information;
ask us to restrict how information is used;
object to certain processing;
receive certain information in a portable format; and
withdraw consent where we rely on consent.
You can exercise these rights by contacting hello@playcatalystuk.co.uk.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your personal information has been handled improperly.
Cookies and website analytics
Our website may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for the site to operate.
If we use non-essential cookies, including certain analytics or advertising technologies, we will provide appropriate information and consent controls.
UK cookie rules generally require users to be told what non-essential cookies do and to actively consent before they are placed on their device.
Children
PlayCatalyst UK may engage with gaming communities that include younger people.
We will take particular care where activities involve children or young people and may introduce additional consent, safeguarding and privacy arrangements for specific projects.
Our general website and contact channels are not intended to collect unnecessary personal information from children.
Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.
No internet-based system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those organisations, and you should review their privacy information separately.
Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy as PlayCatalyst UK develops or our use of personal information changes.
The latest version will be published on this website with the date of the most recent update.
Contact us
Questions about this privacy policy or how we use personal information can be sent to: