Data Protection Policy

Introduction

The Institute for Affective Computing e.V. (IAC) takes the protection of your personal data very seriously. We handle your personal data confidentially and in accordance with statutory data protection regulations as well as this data protection policy. Below, we provide an overview of how we collect, use, and protect your data.

1. Name and Contact Information of the Data Controller

Institute for Affective Computing e.V. (IAC)

Kaiser-Friedrich Ring 108

40547 Düsseldorf

Germany

Telephone: NA

Email: info@iac-duesseldorf.de

2. Contact Information of the Data Protection Officer

You can contact our Data Protection Officer at the following address:

Data Protection Officer

Institute for Affective Computing e.V. (IAC)

Kaiser-Friedrich Ring 108

40547 Düsseldorf

Germany

Email: info@iac-duesseldorf.de

3. Collection and Storage of Personal Data and the Nature and Purpose of Their Use

a. When Visiting the Website

When you visit our website, the browser on your device automatically sends information to our website’s server. This information is temporarily stored in a log file. The following information is collected without your intervention and stored until automated deletion:

• IP address of the requesting computer

• Date and time of access

• Name and URL of the retrieved file

• Website from which access is made (referrer URL)

• Browser used and, if applicable, the operating system of your computer as well as the name of your access provider

We process the above data for the following purposes:

• Ensuring a smooth connection setup of the website

• Ensuring comfortable use of our website

• Evaluation of system security and stability

• Other administrative purposes

The legal basis for data processing is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest follows from the purposes listed above for data collection. Under no circumstances do we use the collected data for the purpose of drawing conclusions about you.

b. When Using Our Contact Form

If you have any questions, we offer you the opportunity to contact us using the form provided on the website. It is necessary to provide a valid email address so that we know who the request came from and to be able to respond to it. Further information can be provided voluntarily.

Data processing for the purpose of contacting us is carried out in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) GDPR based on your voluntarily given consent.

4. Disclosure of Data

Your personal data will not be transferred to third parties for purposes other than those listed below. We will only share your personal data with third parties if:

• You have given explicit consent pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) GDPR

• The disclosure is necessary for the assertion, exercise, or defense of legal claims pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR and there is no reason to assume that you have an overriding interest in not disclosing your data

• There is a legal obligation for disclosure pursuant to Article 6(1)(c) GDPR

• It is legally permissible and necessary for the processing of contractual relationships with you pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) GDPR

5. Cookies

We use cookies on our website. These are small files that your browser automatically creates and that are stored on your device when you visit our website. Cookies do not cause any damage to your device and do not contain viruses, trojans, or other malware.

The information stored in the cookie results in each case in connection with the specific device used. However, this does not mean that we are immediately aware of your identity.

The use of cookies serves to make the use of our offer more pleasant for you. For example, we use session cookies to recognize that you have already visited individual pages of our website. These are automatically deleted after you leave our site.

In addition, we also use temporary cookies that are stored on your device for a specified period to optimize user-friendliness. If you visit our site again to use our services, it automatically recognizes that you have already been with us and what entries and settings you have made so that you do not have to enter them again.

We also use cookies to statistically record the use of our website and evaluate it for the purpose of optimizing our offer (see Section 6). These cookies allow us to automatically recognize that you have already been with us when you visit our site again. These cookies are automatically deleted after a defined period.

The data processed by cookies are necessary for the purposes mentioned to protect our legitimate interests as well as third parties according to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Most browsers accept cookies automatically. However, you can configure your browser so that no cookies are stored on your computer or a notice always appears before a new cookie is created. However, disabling cookies completely may mean that you cannot use all the features of our website.

6. Analysis Tools and Tools from Third-Party Providers

a. Tracking Tools

The tracking measures listed below and used by us are carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. With the tracking measures used, we want to ensure a needs-based design and the continuous optimization of our website. On the other hand, we use the tracking measures to statistically record the use of our website and evaluate it for the purpose of optimizing our offer. These interests are to be regarded as justified within the meaning of the aforementioned provision.

Google Analytics

For the purpose of the needs-based design and continuous optimization of our pages, we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (https://www.google.de/intl/en/about/) (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; hereinafter “Google”). In this context, pseudonymized usage profiles are created and cookies are used (see Section 5). The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website such as

• Browser type/version

• Operating system used

• Referrer URL (the previously visited page)

• Host name of the accessing computer (IP address)

• Time of server request

are transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. The information is used to evaluate the use of the website, to compile reports on website activities, and to provide other services related to website and internet use for the purposes of market research and needs-based design of these internet pages. This information may also be transferred to third parties if required by law or if third parties process this data on behalf of the company. Under no circumstances will your IP address be merged with other data from Google. The IP addresses are anonymized so that an assignment is not possible (IP masking).

You can prevent the installation of cookies by adjusting the browser software accordingly; however, we point out that in this case, not all functions of this website may be fully usable.

You can also prevent the collection of data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) as well as the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing a browser add-on (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en).

As an alternative to the browser add-on, especially for browsers on mobile devices, you can also prevent the collection by Google Analytics by clicking on this link. An opt-out cookie is set which prevents the future collection of your data when visiting this website. The opt-out cookie is only valid in this browser and only for our website and is stored on your device. If you delete the cookies in this browser, you have to set the opt-out cookie again.

Further information on data protection in connection with Google Analytics can be found in Google Analytics Help (https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en).

7. Your Rights

You have the right:

• To request information about your personal data processed by us in accordance with Article 15 GDPR. In particular, you can request information about the purposes of processing, the category of personal data, the categories of recipients to whom your data has been or will be disclosed, the planned storage period, the existence of a right to rectification, erasure, restriction of processing or objection, the existence of a right to lodge a complaint, the origin of your data if not collected by us, and the existence of automated decision-making including profiling and, if applicable, meaningful information about their details;

• To immediately request the correction of incorrect or complete personal data stored by us in accordance with Article 16 GDPR;

• To request the deletion of your personal data stored by us in accordance with Article 17 GDPR, unless the processing is necessary for exercising the right to freedom of expression and information, for fulfilling a legal obligation, for reasons of public interest, or for asserting, exercising, or defending legal claims;

• To request the restriction of the processing of your personal data in accordance with Article 18 GDPR if the accuracy of the data is disputed by you, the processing is unlawful but you oppose its deletion, we no longer need the data but you need it to assert, exercise, or defend legal claims, or you have objected to the processing in accordance with Article 21 GDPR;

• To receive your personal data that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format or to request the transfer to another controller in accordance with Article 20 GDPR;

• To revoke your once-given consent to us at any time in accordance with Article 7(3) GDPR. As a result, we are no longer allowed to continue the data processing based on this consent for the future;

• To complain to a supervisory authority in accordance with Article 77 GDPR. As a rule, you can contact the supervisory authority of your usual place of residence or workplace or our office.

8. Right to Object

If your personal data is processed based on legitimate interests in accordance with Article

6(1)(f) GDPR, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in accordance with Article 21 GDPR, provided that there are reasons for doing so arising from your particular situation or the objection is directed against direct advertising. In the latter case, you have a general right to object, which we will implement without specifying a particular situation.

If you wish to exercise your right of revocation or objection, an email to info@iac-duesseldorf.de is sufficient.

9. Data Security

We use the widely used SSL (Secure Socket Layer) procedure in conjunction with the highest level of encryption supported by your browser when you visit our website. Usually, this is 256-bit encryption. If your browser does not support 256-bit encryption, we use 128-bit v3 technology instead. You can tell whether an individual page of our website is being transmitted in encrypted form by the closed display of the key or lock symbol in the lower status bar of your browser.

We also take appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your data against accidental or intentional manipulation, partial or complete loss, destruction, or unauthorized access by third parties. Our security measures are continuously improved in line with technological developments.

10. Updating and Changing this Data Protection Policy

This data protection policy is currently valid as of July 2024.

Due to the further development of our website and offers above or due to changed legal or regulatory requirements, it may be necessary to change this data protection policy. You can access and print the current data protection policy at any time on the website at www.iac-duesseldorf.de/datenschutz.