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Fifty5Blue Privacy Notice for Audience Measurement

Fifty5Blue is committed to protecting your privacy.

Introduction

This notice explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data for media and advertising measurement, and delivering insights to our clients. Our audience measurement services capture how, when, and what content you consume, whether on linear or on-demand TV, online video streaming platforms, or radio. These insights provide a true understanding of media and advertisement performance, highlighting content reach and effectiveness.

Data Collection and Use

Survey Data

When you sign up to a Fifty5Blue panel or register with a panel that uses our measurement technology, we collect and process personal data about you and your household.

We use this information to manage your participation in the panel, including recruitment, eligibility checks, onboarding, support, and administering incentives or rewards. We may also use survey data to contact you about follow-up surveys and opportunities to take part in similar panels.

Direct identifiers and contact details

This includes personal data such as your name, email address, phone number, and home address.

Demographic information

In audience research, we use demographic information to understand who makes up an audience and to ensure our panels and reporting reflect the wider population. This helps us produce accurate, representative measurement results.

The demographic information we collect can vary by country and can include personal data about you and members of your household, such as date of birth or age group, interests and preferences, the city or town where you live, your level of education, household income, sex, and what you do for a living.

In some cases, we may also collect information about your race or ethnic background to ensure panels accurately represent the population of a given country. If we need this information, it will be requested directly from you at the point of collection.

Online identifiers, device information and media services

This includes personal data such as IP address, MAC address, advertising ID, cookie ID, and other unique identifiers of the devices you use to watch content and advertising. We also collect information about the number and types of devices in your household, as well as the media services you subscribe to.

Legal basis

We process your personal data because it is necessary to take steps at your request to enter into a contract with you and to perform our obligations under that contract with you. For example, when you sign up to join a Fifty5Blue panel, we process your personal data to register you as a panellist, verify eligibility, manage your participation, communicate with you about onboarding, and administer incentives and rewards.

Where we process sensitive personal data, such as information about your race or ethnic background, we do this only where you have given your explicit consent. Providing this information is optional, and you can withdraw your consent at any time without affecting your ability to remain a panel member.

We also process your personal data where this is necessary for our legitimate interests (or based on your consent, where required by local law), including:

recruiting and managing panellists, including verifying eligibility and panel quotas;
understanding panellists at a high level to ensure panels are demographically representative;
communicate with panellists about participation, onboarding, and survey completion;
respond to queries or issues raised before measurement starts; detecting and preventing fraud or misuse of panels during recruitment or onboarding; and
improving how we deliver our measurement services.

Where we rely on our legitimate interests, we carry out a balancing test to consider how this processing affects you. You can request more information about this assessment using the contact details at the end of this notice.

Measurement Data

Fifty5Blue collects and processes personal data about how you and your household consume content and advertising using our meters. The type of meters we use depends on the country you live in. We will explain which meters apply to you before any measurement starts.

We also use this information to operate, maintain, and support measurement activities, including schedule home visits to install, fix, replace, or remove equipment, providing technical support during measurement, and ensuring measurement quality and continuity.

TV Data

Fifty5Blue will ask you to install meters, called People Meters, near each TV set in your household, or our engineers can install them for you. You will also receive a remote control to indicate which household members are watching TV.

Each People Meter collects viewing data at regular intervals, including the content and advertising being watched, and who is watching, based on the information you entered using the remote control.

We use this data to understand what content and advertising you and your household watch, and when and how long they are viewed.

Radio Data

Fifty5Blue will ask you to install meters, called a RateOnAir Meters, near each radio in your household, or our engineers can install them for you.

Each RateOnAir Meter collects audio data at regular intervals, including the radio content and advertising being listened to, and who is listening.

In some countries, radio data is collected through participant declarations rather than via a meter. Where this applies, you will be informed of the method used.

We use this data to understand what content and advertising you and your household listen to, and when and how long they are listened to.

Internet Data

Fifty5Blue will ask you to install a meter, called a Focal Meter, that connects directly to your broadband router, or our engineers will install it for you. To operate measurement, the Focal Meter recognises devices connected to your home network so we can determine which devices are included in measurement. If a device connects to your home network that is not part of your household, such as a guest’s device, we do not include it in measurement and do not keep any data from it.

The Focal Meter measures content and advertising viewing on a limited list of approved websites, selected in advance for measurement purposes.

Fifty5Blue will also ask you to install software on each device you use to watch content and advertising on the internet. On PCs and laptops, this is our Browser Meter. On mobile devices, this is our Virtual Meter.

The Focal Meter, Browser Meter, and Virtual Meter work together to measure how often and for how long you watch content and advertising on websites, platforms, and applications from a predetermined list. You can view this list at any time in your online panellist portal.

We do not measure, collect, capture, or process any access or browsing activity that occurs outside the websites, platforms, and applications on this predetermined list.

Census Data

Some broadcasters and media companies use Fifty5Blue’s technology in their video-on-demand (VOD) services, websites, and apps.

When users access content or advertising on these services, our technology records a limited set of information, such as when viewing starts and ends, and sends this information to Fifty5Blue.

We use this census data to measure viewing of on-demand and live-streamed content and advertising across third-party media services.

Legal basis

We process measurement data based on your consent when you choose to join a Fifty5Blue panel and take part in measurement activities. If you do not provide your consent, we do not carry out measurement and you cannot participate in the panel. You can withdraw your consent at any time using your panellist portal or as described in this notice. If you do, measurement will stop and your participation in the panel will end.

We also process limited personal data where this is necessary to perform our obligations under a contract with you. For example, to maintain your account details and arrange installation, maintenance, or removal of our meters.

We also process your personal data where this is necessary for our legitimate interests (or based on your consent, where required by local law), including:

ensuring our measurement technology operate correctly and reliably;
identifying which devices connected to your home network are included in measurement;detecting faults, interruptions, or data quality issues;
providing technical support to panellists during measurement;
detecting and preventing fraud or misuse of our panels or measurement services; and
improving how our measurement technology functions over time.

Data Exchanges with Online Publishers

Fifty5Blue works with certain digital platforms known as online publishers. These publishers provide us with information about what content and advertisement their users have seen, as well as limited demographic information relating to those users. In return, we share unique identifiers linked to you or your devices with the online publishers. We refer to the data produced by the data matching process as Exchange Data.

If you are a member of a panel, your panellist portal will include an updated list of participating online publishers.

We use the Exchange Data to understand what content and advertising you have seen on the online publishers’ websites and applications, and to improve our understanding of the demographic characteristics of panellists.

Why do we want to process Exchange Data?

For some websites and applications, it is not possible to identify the content and advertisements that you have seen using measurement technology alone. In these cases, we rely on information provided directly by the online publishers.

Who are the online publishers?

A full and up-to-date list of participating online publishers is available in your panellist portal. We update this list whenever new online publishers are added. These online publishers are independently responsible for how they use your data, and this is explained in their own privacy notices.

How does Fifty5Blue process Exchange Data?

As part of the matching process, Fifty5Blue shares encrypted unique identifiers with the online publishers. These identifiers relate to you (such as your email address or social media handle) or your device (such as a mobile advertising ID or other device identifier associated with the device you use). Online publishers use these identifiers to match their records and provide us with information about:

your activity on their websites or applications; and
advertisements shown to you, including when they were shown.

In some cases, online publishes also provide demographic information such as age bracket, sex, and approximate location (for example, region or city).

Fifty5Blue then combines the Exchange Data with Survey Data, TV Data, and Internet Data to create pseudonymised profiles of panellists. We use this combined data to create statistical and demographically representative reports for clients who want to understand content and advertisement reach and the broad demographic characteristics of audiences.

These reports contain only aggregated information and do not identity individuals.

Legal basis

We process Exchange Data based on your consent when you choose to join a Fifty5Blue panel and agree to take part in measurement activities that involve data exchanges with online publishers. If you do not provide your consent, we do not exchange data with online publishers and you cannot participate in the panel. You can withdraw your consent at any time using your panellist portal, or as described in this notice. If you do, data exchanges will stop and your participation in the panel will end.

We also process your personal data where this is necessary for our legitimate interests or the interests of online publishers (or based on your consent, where required by local law). This includes sharing data where:

the exchange is required to operate or support audience measurement that you have agreed to take part in;
it is not practicable or proportionate to rely on consent for the specific exchange; and
appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your rights and freedoms.

Our legitimate interests, and those of the online publishers, include:

operating and maintaining effective and reliable audience measurement services;
managing and improving data matching, quality, and accuracy;
supporting relationships with online publishers;
detecting and preventing fraud, misuse, or unusual activity relating to audience measurement or data exchanges;
and detecting and resolving technical or data integrity issues.

Insights

We use the survey data, measurement data, and exchange data we collect to generate insights about how content and advertising are consumed.

In most cases, we anonymise and aggregate this data before sharing with clients. These insights help clients understand viewing trends, reach, and demographic make-up of auidences to improve their products, services, and advertising decisions.

We do not share record-level data with clients by default. Where we share record-level data with clients as part of a specific agreed service, the data is pseudonymised and shared only where you have been informed of this and have given your consent. The data we share is limited to what is necessary for that service and is protected by contractual and technical safeguards.

In all other cases, clients receive only aggregated and anonymised insights, and do not receive personal data or information that can identify you or be used to single you out.

Legal basis

We process your personal data to generate insights because it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or based on your consent, where required by local law) in understanding how content and advertising are consumed and in producing audience measurement insights for our clients.

We protect your rights and freedoms by limiting how we use this data, including by anonymising and aggregating data wherever possible.

Where we share record-level data as part of a specific agreed service, we do so only where you have given your consent.

Legal obligations

We use your personal data where this is required by law. This includes keeping records for accounting and tax purposes, and responding to requests from courts, regulators, and other public authorities. We also use your personal data protect our legal rights, including to bring or defend legal claims, and to comply with and enforce our terms, policies, and applicable industry standards.

Legal basis

We process your personal data where this is required by law. This includes keeping records for accounting and tax purposes, and responding to lawful requests from courts, regulators, or other public authorities.

We also process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or based on your consent, where required by local law) in protecting our legal position. This includes using personal data to bring or defend legal claims, respond to complaints or disputes, and enforce our terms, policies, and applicable industry standards.

Data Sharing

Fifty5Blue shares your personal data in limited ways to operate our panels, measurement services, and insights.

Sharing within the Fifty5Blue group

We share your personal data within the Fifty5Blue group where this is necessary to operate our services, manage panels, carry out measurement, and produce insights.

We store and process your personal data in countries where Fifty5Blue operates. A full list of these countries is available on our website (https://www.fifty5blue.com/our-network ).

Sharing with service providers

We share personal data with trusted third-party service providers who support our services. This includes companies that help us with:

panel management and participant support;
installing, maintaining, or removing our meters;
providing incentives or rewards;
hosting and maintaining our systems; and
providing professional services (such as IT, security, or legal support).

These service providers act on our behalf and are required by contract to keep your personal data confidential and secure, and to use it only in line with our instructions.

Sharing with clients and partners

We share data with our clients and partners to support audience measurement, reporting, and industry collaboration. This includes media owners, advertisers, agencies, online publishers, and other partners involved in measurement activities.

In most cases, clients and partners receive only aggregated and anonymised information.

Where record-level data is shared as part of a specific agreed service, the data is pseudonymised and shared subject to appropriate contractual and technical safeguards.

For certain measurement activities, we also share encrypted identifiers with partners, such as online publishers, to allow matching and measurement. More detail about these exchanges is provided in the section Data exchanges with online publishers.

Sharing with industry bodies (Joint Industry Committees)

In some countries, we share information with industry bodies, such as Joint Industry Committees (JICs), which oversee audience measurement standards and governance.

Where this happens, the information shared is limited to what is necessary for audit, validation, or industry reporting purposes, and is subject to appropriate safeguards.

Sharing in connection with a business transaction or reorganisation

We share personal data when there is a business transaction or reorganisation, such as a merger, acquisition, joint venture, financing, or sale of company assets. This means we disclose, transfer, or assign personal data to third parties during negotiations or as part of the transaction. If Fifty5Blue goes into bankruptcy, receivership, or insolvency, personal data is also disclosed, transferred, or assigned to third parties as part of those proceedings or the handling of our assets.

International Transfers

Fifty5Blue is a global company headquartered in the United Kingdom.

We generally store and process personal data in the country or region where it is collected to support our local panel and measurement activities. Sometimes, we transfer personal data to other countries where Fifty5Blue companies or our trusted service providers are located. This can include countries with data protection laws different from those in your country.

Where we transfer personal data to another country, we take steps to protect it and follow applicable data protection laws. This includes using approved transfer mechanisms, such as standard contractual clauses, to ensure your personal data continues to be handled safely.

You can ask for more information about international transfers and the safeguards we use by contacting us using the details at the end of this notice.

Security Measures

We take steps to keep your personal data safe. This includes appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure.

Our employees, contractors and service providers are required to follow our policies and procedures on confidentiality, security and privacy. We also contractually require third-party service providers who handle personal data to meet appropriate data security standards.

We have processes in place to identify and manage data security incidents. Where required by law, we will notify affected individuals and relevant regulators if a data breach occurs.

Children’s Data

If you are a panelist and you have children under the age of 18 living in your household, we also measure the content and advertising they wat as part of household measurement.

Before measurement starts, we require consent from a parent or guardian. As a parent or guardian, you are responsible for explaining this privacy notice to your children in a way they can understand.

We use children’s data only for audience measurement purposes.

Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have certain rights in relation to your personal data. These can include the right to:

know whether we process your personal data, and how we use it;
access your personal data and receive a copy of it;
correct or update inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
delete your personal data in certain circumstances;
restrict our processing of your personal data;
object to our processing of your personal data in certain situations;
ask us to we transfer (port) your personal data to another organisation;
withdraw your consent where we rely on consent to process your personal data.

These rights are not available everywhere and may be limited by local laws. For example, we may not be able to fulfil your request if doing so would affect another person’s rights or if you ask us to delete information that we are required to keep to comply with the law.

Exercising your rights

If you would like to exercise any of your rights, please contact [email protected].

Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please tell us so we can look into it. We’ll review your complaint and respond to you.

If you have any unresolved data protection concerns and we are unable to resolve them, you have the right to complain to the data protection authority. You can do this in the country where you normally live, work, or where you believe the data protection issue has occurred.

Retention Period

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was originally collected and used, namely the delivery of our measurement services. In some circumstances, we may need to retain personal data for longer periods where this is required to comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations, or to protect our legitimate business interests. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it is used. Where possible, data is anonymised or aggregated and retained for longer periods for statistical and research purposes.

Survey Data

This data is retained for the duration of a participant’s active engagement with our panels and for a limited period thereafter to manage follow‑up communications, handle queries, and meet audit and quality‑control requirements. Where participation ends, Survey data is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymised.

Measurement Data

For all measurement activities, personal data is retained only for the duration of a participant’s active engagement with our panels and for a limited period thereafter to allow for processing, validation and quality assurance. After this period, personal data is deleted or irreversibly anonymised.

Data Exchanges with Online Publishers

Personal data shared with online publishers as part of a data exchange is retained for the duration of a participant’s active engagement with our panels and for a limited period thereafter After this period, any personal data received from online publishers is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymised.

Legal Obligations

We may retain personal data for longer periods where required to comply with applicable laws, regulations, court orders, or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims. In such cases, data is retained for the duration required by law or until the relevant matter is resolved, after which it is securely deleted or anonymised.

Automated Decision Making

Fifty5Blue does not use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

Additional information for US Residents

We have provided additional information for people living in the United States. This includes details about your privacy rights and how you can use them. Please see the Additional Information for U.S. Residents [FK2] notice for more details.

Contact

Data Protection and Privacy team

If you have any questions or concerns about this notice, or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, you can contact the Fifty5Blue Data Protection and Privacy team at [email protected].

Data Protection Officer

You can contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected]

Last updated

February 2026

[FK2]Link to be added