Terms and conditions: use of AAT systems

Before using this system/website, you must read and accept these terms and conditions of use. Users should be aware that by logging into any AAT system or using AAT websites, individuals are deemed to have read, understood and accepted these terms.

Your access to AAT systems and website

AAT systems are designed to provide secure access to data to avoid the need to transfer such data.

If you are accessing a system on behalf of a training provider or assessment centre your access has been provided for specific and limited purposes and is also governed by the terms of the agreement in place between AAT and the organisation you work for. Your access to the system has been arranged through an administrator at AAT and authorised by the training provider or assessment centre.

Use of AAT’s website is also subject to these terms. Users must take note of copyright terms below and are not authorised to use any personal data from the website other than for personal use; this includes the prohibition of data-scraping. Your use of personal data, even where it is in the public domain, must comply with data protection legislation. This includes, but is not limited to, identifying your own lawful basis and issuing privacy notices.

Terms and conditions

In using AAT systems/website, you agree:

• to only use any username and password issued to you in accordance with these terms and, where applicable, in the normal course of your employment or contract arrangement
• to check the operation of your username and password promptly after receiving it to ensure that you have been granted the correct access profile(s) and agree to notify AAT promptly if you become aware of any problem with your username and password or access profile, including unrequired access privileges
• to keep your username and password private and secure and not to permit anybody else to use them or any session established with the system/application. System users are responsible for all activities undertaken through the use of their user name and password
• to take all reasonable steps to ensure that you always leave your workstation secure when not using it by locking the screen or logging off
• to ensure that your screen cannot be overlooked by unauthorised users or passers-by, particularly if you are accessing the system from outside your normal place of work, or from home
• not to log on to the system using insecure WiFi, eg public WiFi hotspots
• to change your password and notify AAT immediately if you suspect that it has been discovered or used by a third party
• to treat information confidentially and not to use data for any purpose other than as authorised and not to copy, remove or screenshot data from the system without authorisation
• not to access any personal data unless required to do so as part of your role and not to disclose personal or sensitive information without authorisation from AAT
• to use the system/application and all data in accordance with data protection legislation and, where applicable, your employer's information governance, data protection, privacy and information security policies and procedures and in accordance with your contract of employment or contract of provision for service (whichever is appropriate) and with any instructions relating to the system which are notified to you from time to time
• not to maliciously alter, modify, delete, neutralise, circumvent, tamper with, manipulate, copy, reproduce, decompile or adapt any part of the system/application/website components and/or data, including, but not limited to software, access profiles or other code or scripts
• not to corrupt, invalidate, deface, damage or otherwise misuse, or interfere with, any part of the system/application/website or information stored by them, including but not limited to the introduction of computer viruses, malicious software or disruptive components that may cause disruption to the services or breaches in confidentiality
• to notify AAT of any data inaccuracies
• to ensure that your user account and profile details are accurate and up to date and to notify AAT promptly if your details are incorrect or change
• to ensure that you, your manager or employer notify AAT at any time should you either wish to terminate this agreement and to have your username and password revoked, eg on cessation of your employment or contractual arrangement or other relevant change in your job role, or any of your access profiles require amendment for any reason
• agree not to use or allow anyone else to use a system without authorisation, ie being issued with an individual username and password with access levels appropriate to their role and undertaking the appropriate systems training.

In agreeing to these terms, you also acknowledge that:

• your username and password may be revoked, or access profiles changed at any time without notice in the event of a breach of this agreement, any guidance or instructions notified to you regarding the use of the system/application or if such revocation or change is necessary as a security precaution
• AAT's responsibility under this agreement is for the administration of appropriate access profiles and the issue of a username/password for the system/application
• any breach of this agreement may be brought to the attention of law enforcement, AAT's Professional Standards team, and your employer and/or manager, who may then take appropriate action (including disciplinary proceedings and/or criminal prosecution)
• these terms and conditions form a binding agreement between yourself and AAT and you agree that this agreement is governed by English law and that the English courts shall settle any dispute under this agreement.

Notifications under this agreement should be sent to dataprotection@aat.org.uk.

Accuracy of information

• While AAT makes reasonable effort to ensure that information is correct and up to date, AAT makes no warranties or representations as to its accuracy, and accepts no liability or responsibility for any loss due to errors or omissions in the content, or caused by reliance on this information.
• Information is provided "as is" and on an "as available" basis without any representations or any kind of warranty made (whether express or implied by law), including the implied warranties of satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, compatibility, security and accuracy.
• As a user, you agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless AAT, its affiliates, business partners, partners, officers, agents and employees from any and all claims, demands and damages (whether actual and/or consequential), resulting from or associated in any way with any supplied content. It is advised that users check any information before acting or relying on it.
• Functions embodied on, or in the materials of, AAT systems/websites are not warranted to be uninterrupted or without error.

Intellectual property

• AAT is the owner and licensee of all intellectual property rights relating to the system and data. You may view information made available through the system subject to these terms and any contractual agreement between AAT and your employing organisation, provided that no trademark, copyright or other proprietary notices contained in or appearing on any materials are removed in whole or in part.
• All rights, including copyright and database right, in AAT's website and its contents are owned by or licensed to AAT or otherwise used by AAT as permitted by applicable law.
• You may download and make copies of the content on aat.org.uk for your own personal use only. Unless expressly noted on the page, you are not permitted to copy, download, store (including on any other website), distribute, transmit, broadcast, adapt or change in any way the content of these web pages for any other purpose without prior written permission from AAT.
• © 2022 The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). All rights reserved.

Data controller

• To the extent that any of the data constitutes personal data within the meaning of the Data Protection Act 2018 (“Personal Data”), or constitutes anonymised data (as defined by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)), but then becomes personal data in the hands of the system user or user's organisation, the user/organisation shall:
  • comply with all applicable data protection legislation
  • inform AAT immediately if it receives any communication from the ICO or any data subject which relates to such personal data.
• AAT is the data controller for all data stored on the system. You and/or your employing organisation are responsible for any data downloaded or copied from the system, where authorised, in whatever form and will be a data controller in their own right for all such data. The user and/or user's organisation shall use the data in accordance with all applicable laws.

Your privacy

AAT will ensure that any personal data we hold about you (ie your system registration details and usage) are processed in accordance with data protection legislation. You can read more about how we use your data in our privacy policy.

AAT websites provide links to other websites operated by third parties. This privacy notice does not capture how these sites use your data. AAT advises you to read the privacy notice, and terms, of any third-party site you visit. AAT does not accept responsibility for the lawfulness or any errors, omissions or out of date content on sites to which we link.