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our privacy policy

The British Army, as part of the Ministry of Defence, is committed to protecting your privacy. When you contact us, visit our websites, or share information with us, your personal information is stored securely and processed fairly in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations.

This privacy policy explains:

  • What information the Army may collect about you

  • How the Army uses this information

  • The purpose and legal basis for processing your personal data

  • Your legal rights and our responsibilities as data controller

  • Who will have access to your information

  • How long your information may be held on our systems

  • Your rights to access personal data or request the correction of inaccurate data

  • Who to contact in the Army if you have any questions about this policy or the information we hold about you

  • Your right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner

  • How cookies are used on our websites and the options available to reject these

Changes to our privacy policy

We may update our privacy policy from time to time, so you may want to check the latest version before providing personal data to the Army.

This version was last updated on 27 August 2025.

How we collect information

We collect personal information when you:

  • Register online, request information, or submit an application through our websites

  • Provide information requested through the Candidate Portal in support of your application

  • Complete a printed form or questionnaire

  • Contact us by phone, post, email, or messaging service

  • Use web chat to talk to a recruiter or our contact team

  • Participate in any assessment activity during the recruiting and selection process, whether conducted via video, telephone, or face-to-face

In addition, information is automatically captured each time you visit our websites. We use cookies (as described below) and collect IP addresses to track visitors to our websites and prepare management reports.

We use secure tools to help us better understand how people interact with our services, so we can improve what we offer and how we communicate. One of these tools is a Customer Data Platform, which helps us bring together information (like website visits or form submissions) to create a clearer picture of what people are interested in.

Sometimes, we also work with trusted partners to analyse this information in what’s called a “data clean room”. This is a highly secure environment where data is protected and anonymised, so no one can see who you are. It allows us to understand trends and improve our services without ever sharing your personal details.

What we do with this information

We use the personal information you provide to:

  • Answer your requests for information

  • Process your applications to join the Army

  • Improve our websites and recruitment practices

  • Conduct data analytics and profiling to improve recruitment strategies

  • Use secure data clean rooms to analyse anonymised data in collaboration with approved partners, ensuring your identity is protected

  • Manage unified audience segments using a Customer Data Platform, to deliver tailored marketing communications when you have opted in

  • Understand what matters to you, so we can deliver personalised messages and advertising—whether by email, online, or other channels - if you’ve given your consent.

What are my rights?

Your legal rights, and our responsibilities as data controller, are dependent on the legal basis used to process your personal data.

If you register online or contact us to express an interest in any part of the UK Armed Forces, or you submit an application to join the UK Armed Forces, your personal data will be processed using the following legal basis:

  • Public task - processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the data controller.

    In this case it is necessary for the MOD to perform its official duties in relation to recruitment to the Armed Forces, including answering your requests for information, processing your application to join the UK Armed Forces, making improvements to our websites and conducting data analytics studies to enable equal opportunities monitoring and the improvement of recruiting strategy and process.

If you consent to receive marketing communications, your data may be processed for targeted communication via our customer data platform. Profiling based on shared characteristics or behaviours may be used to send more relevant content, but not for automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects.

You may still object to direct marketing, or processing where it can be demonstrated that your rights and interests outweigh those of the MOD, but there is no absolute right to request the removal of your personal data.

You have the right to:

  • Be informed about how your data is used

  • Access your personal data

  • Request corrections

  • Object to marketing or certain profiling activities

  • Withdraw consent for marketing at any time

  • Request exclusion from audience segments or data clean room analysis

Who will have access to your information

Your personal information may be handled by companies providing marketing and recruitment services. These companies act as data processors and must comply with our privacy policies and applicable data protection laws, which prohibit the use of personal data for their own business purposes.

We may use data clean rooms to securely combine and analyse anonymised data with selected third-party partners. No raw personal data is shared, and strict access controls are in place.

Our customer data platform may also allow for grouping and management of your data to provide personalised communications, where consent is given.

We will not share your information outside the Ministry of Defence, and its authorised data-processors, unless required by law. We will in some circumstances transfer your personal information outside the UK. If we do, you can expect a similar degree of protection in respect of your personal information.

If you apply to join the Army, data may be shared with other Armed Forces branches (Royal Navy, RAF) for purposes such as application coordination, aggregated analytics, or organisational change.

How long do we keep your information?

  • If you register interest but do not apply we will keep your information for up to 3 years. This period starts on the day you last made contact with the Army and is reset each time you logon to our website or contact us to request further information.

  • If you apply but do not end up joining the Army your information will be retained.

  • Special category data is removed after 1 year unless otherwise stated

  • If you join the Army your data may be retained for up to 100 years under the Public Records Act

  • Data in our customer data platform is retained in accordance with consent and retention policies. You may withdraw marketing consent at any time.

Can I remove the information held in my online account?

You can request account removal if no active applications exist. You may withdraw applications, but data will be retained.

Will I be contacted by the Army for marketing purposes?

We will only contact you if you have given explicit permission. You can specify your preferred contact method (post, phone, email, SMS, WhatsApp) and update these preferences at anytime. Audience segmentation in our customer data platforms is only used for individuals who have opted in.

Will the information be used to make automated decisions that affect me?

Automated decisions may be used to assess eligibility or role suitability. When used, we will notify you and safeguard your rights, including your right to challenge the decision. Profiling driven from our customer data platform for marketing does not have significant effects and is subject to your consent.

Advice for parents and young people

We encourage parental oversight of young people’s online activity. We do not accept or process data from individuals under 13.

Those under 18 must confirm they have parental consent before registering or applying and must provide signed consent before attending recruitment events.

What information do we hold about you?

You may request a report of your personal data and ask for corrections.

What to do if you don't want us to contact you in the future

You may opt out at any time by updating preferences or contacting us.

What to do if you object to processing and want us to remove your personal data

Write to us specifying which data to remove, especially if you’ve interacted with more than one Armed Service.

Complaints related to the processing of personal data

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the MOD Information Rights Team or the Information Commissioner.

MOD Information Rights Team, Ground floor, zone D, Main Building, Whitehall, London SW1A 2HB

Email: [email protected]

Information Commissioner’s Office: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113

Website: ico.org.uk

Data protection: More information about your rights is available at ico.org.uk

Freedom of information: Information about the Freedom of Information Act 2000 can be found on the MOD pages on GOV.UK

Contacting the Army about personal information: Please use MOD Form 1694 to contact the Data Protection Advisor with any privacy queries.