Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKSWhen you use this website, we process your personal data as data controllers and store them for the duration required to fulfill the defined purposes and legal obligations. In the sections below we inform you about the data this involves, how they will be processed and what rights you have in this regard.
Personal data, as defined by Article 4 (1) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), include all information related to an identified or identifiable natural person.
1. Name and Contact Information of Controller and Corporate Data Protection Officer
2. Personal Data Processing and Purposes of Data Processing
8. Information on Your Right to Object Pursuant to Art. 21 GDPR
10. Timeliness and Amendments to this Data Protection Information
1. Name and Contact Information of Controller and Corporate Data Protection Officer
This data protection information applies to data processing on all websites of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS that refer to this data protection information. The controller is:
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
Hansastraße 27 c,
80686 München, Germany
on behalf of its Fraunhofer Institute for Cognitive Systems IKS
(hereinafter referred to as “Fraunhofer IKS”)
Email: presse@iks.fraunhofer.de
Telephone: +49 89 547088-0
Fax: +49 89 547088-220
The corporate data protection officer at Fraunhofer can be reached at the above-mentioned address, c/o Data Protection Officer or at datenschutz@zv.fraunhofer.de.
Please feel free to contact the data protection officer directly at any time if you have questions concerning data protection law and/or your rights as data subject.
2. Personal Data Processing and Purposes of Data Processing
You may access our website without having to disclose any details on your identity. The browser installed on your device merely transmits information automatically to the server of our website (e.g., browser type and version, date and time of access) to enable a connection with the website. This includes the IP address of your requesting device. This information is temporarily stored in a so-called log file and will be deleted after 4 days.
Your IP address is processed for technical and administrative purposes regarding connection set-up and stability, to guarantee the security and functioning of our website and, if necessary, to be able to track any illegal attacks on the website.
The legal basis for processing the IP address is Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest ensues from said security interest and the necessity of the unobstructed availability of our website.
We cannot draw any direct conclusions about your identity from processing the IP address and other information in the log file.
Moreover, we use cookies and analytics services when you visit our website. Further details can be found below in this data protection information.
b) When registering for events
We regularly offer a variety of events through our website, for which you can register online.
In order to register online, our website’s visitors have to provide some mandatory data, which generally include:
- First and last name
- Address
- Email address
- Payment information (only for events that require payment and depending on the selected method of payment)
Any other mandatory data are marked as such (e.g., with *). Often, additional information can be provided voluntarily.
The purpose of processing the mandatory data is to identify you as event participant, to reserve a spot for you as well as to establish and implement a contractual relationship regarding your participation, and to provide you before, during and after the event with information that will optimize your participation, and to help us plan and ensure a smooth event experience. If we collect your payment information for events that require payment, those data are needed to process the registration fee. Voluntary data allow us to plan and conduct the event based on participants’ interest.
We process data at your request, and it is mandatory pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. b GDPR for the purposes named to fulfill the obligations of the participant agreement and implement precontractual measures.
We store the data we collect in the context of event registrations for 6 months unless you have consented to a longer storage period under Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR.
Photos and videos will be taken to document the event in pictures. Since you can possibly be identified in these images, either directly or indirectly, they constitute personal data.
The images are created for Fraunhofer and will be used for news reporting directly associated with the event as well as for internal and external reporting by Fraunhofer.
Furthermore, the images will be published for the purpose of post-event reporting on our media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn or on our website. This processing is required in particular to document our event and promote future events.
The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. The purposes mentioned are legitimate interests within the meaning of the aforementioned provision.
The images will be stored for 3 years.
c) Participation in an online event
If the event in which you participate is not on-site, but rather online (e.g., via video- and/or audioconference), the following instructions shall also apply.
To conduct the online event we use a technical service provider as processor, which processes the data according to our instructions.
In connection with participation in the online event the following data may be collected:
- Access data: e.g., an individualized link through which you dial into the online event
- Content data: Contents of your contributions, e.g., in chats or in votes or files released by you. Image or sound recordings of you will be made only if and to the extent that you have separately consented to this in advance (Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR). The purpose as well as your consent to recording will be documented within the recording.
- Profile data: Data about yourself that you have voluntarily released in connection with the online event; for example, your name or your profile photo. Profile data are used for personalization, for tailoring contents to the interests of the public and for a more personal style of communication.
- Dial-in data: This includes, for example, the date and time of your dial-in to the conference and the time you leave it.
- Support /Feedback data: Information in connection with the handling of any troubleshooting tickets or feedback.
- Telemetry data: These include diagnostic data in connection with the use of the service, including the transmission quality. These data serve to improve troubleshooting, securing and updating technical service and its monitoring. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interests are the provision of a secure and error-free service for online events.
Unless otherwise specified, the processing of the data is done for the technical and content-related execution of the online event, i.e., for the performance of the contract (Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR) and we delete the data after 90 days at the latest.
During the conference, the following information is visible to other participants who are not the organizer: Your name, profile photo and your chat contributions.
We do not record whether you participated attentively in the event (e.g., whether you opened windows other than that of the online event, during the event).
If the online event takes place using the “Microsoft Teams” service, the following shall also apply:
The technical service provider is Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd. in Dublin, Ireland (Microsoft), which works for us as a processor. Data storage takes place in the Microsoft Cloud, specifically in computing centers in the European geographic space. It is not anticipated to transmit personal data to a third country for reasons related to the operation of Microsoft Teams. Should you dial in from a third country, the processing ordered by us will be done using European computer centers in this case as well.
In providing the service Microsoft captures certain diagnostic and service data and uses these on its own authority for its own purposes. To the extent that Microsoft processes personal data in connection with its own legitimate business processes, Microsoft is the independent controller within the meaning of the GDPR for such processing. Particulars concerning the processing by Microsoft may be found at https://docs.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoftteams/teams-privacy
You may also participate in an online event based on Microsoft Teams even without your own Microsoft user account. If you do use your own Microsoft user account to participate, then additional data pursuant to the provisions of your Microsoft user account may be processed.
d) When subscribing to a newsletter or other email list
Once you have given your explicit consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR, we will use your email address to regularly send you selected information about the work in our Institute as well as on other institutions and/or events of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. To receive our newsletter, we collect the following mandatory data from you:
- Email address
You may voluntarily provide additional personal data (e.g. name, title and language). We use this data to address you personally in our newsletter.
Once you have subscribed, you will receive a registration notification by email, which you need to confirm to receive the newsletter (so-called double opt-in). Your email response serves as confirmation that you are in fact the person who initiated the subscription.
You may unsubscribe at any time, e.g. via a link at the end of each newsletter. Alternatively, you may also unsubscribe by email safe-intelligence@iks.fraunhofer.de or by using the following link: https://www.iks.fraunhofer.de/en/unsubscribe.html.
Once we have received your cancellation of the newsletter subscription, we will immediately delete your email address.
Our service provider, Mailingwork GmbH, Birkenweg 7, 09569 Oederan (»Mailingwork«), sends out our newsletter on our behalf. Mailingwork stores the email addresses of our newsletter recipients on their servers in Germany on our behalf.
Mailingwork uses this information for the purpose of sending and analyzing newsletters on our behalf. For this purpose, we entered into a data processing agreement with Mailingwork. By signing this agreement, Mailingwork undertakes to process the subscriber data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and to ensure that the rights of data subjects are protected.
Mailingwork has assured us that personal data are comprehensively protected against unauthorized access. Mailingwork is barred from using the data provided by our newsletter subscribers to contact the subscribers itself and is not authorized to transfer the subscriber data to third parties. As a reputable email sending service, Mailingwork is also certified by the Certified Senders Alliance.
e) When using contact form
We offer the option to contact us via a contact form provided on the website. This involves the following mandatory information:
- Title
- First and last name
- Email address.
We require your data to determine who sent the inquiry and to be able to answer and process it.
This data processing in response to your inquiry is necessary in the context of responding to a contact request and is based on our legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR.
We will delete the personal data collected by us for use of the contact form after your inquiry has been processed.
3. Transfer of Data
There will be no further transmission of your personal data to third parties for purposes other than those listed below.
a) For contract processing
To the extent permitted by law and in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 p. 1 lit. b DSGVO for the processing of contractual relation with you, your personal data will be disclosed to third parties. This includes in particular the transfer to event partners for the purpose of conducting the event as well as the processing of payment data by our payment service provider eveeno or credit institutions in order to process the payment of the participant fees. The data passed on may be used by the third party exclusively for the purposes mentioned.
b) For further purposes
In addition, we only pass on your personal data to third parties if:
- you have given your express consent in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 p. 1 lit. b DSGVO;
- in the event that there is a legal obligation to pass on the data pursuant to Art. 6 Para. 1 p. 1 lit. c DSGVO.
4. Web Analysis/Tracking by LeadLab (Wiredminds GmbH)
Our website uses the Leadlab service by Wiredminds GmbH and its tracking pixel technology to analyze user behavior and optimize our site accordingly. In particular, this service allows us to identify which companies have visited our site. In so doing we do not obtain any information that may identify you directly.
The use of Leadlab involves tracking pixels that allow statistical analysis of the use of this website based on your visits. Wiredminds uses a pseudonym to process the information in a usage profile for the purpose of analysis. The data are anonymized to the extent possible.
Without your specific permission, we neither use the data collected to identify you personally nor will we combine the data with personal data pertaining to the pseudonym associated with you.
If IP addresses are collected, they are immediately anonymized after collection by deleting the last number block.
For more information about data protection at Wiredminds, please visit the company’s website.
We process statistical data based on our legitimate interest pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR for the purpose of optimizing our online offering and our web presence. Wiredminds processes the data on our behalf based on a data processing agreement between us and Wiredminds. This agreement ensures that the data processing on our behalf is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation and guarantees the protection of the data subjects’ rights.
5. Social Media Plug-ins
We use so-called social media buttons (also called social media plug-ins) on our website. These are small icons you can use to publish contents from our website on social networks under your own profile.
If you activate such an icon, a connection is established between our website and the social network. In addition to the contents in question, the operator of the social network obtains further, in part also personal information. For example, this includes the fact that you are currently visiting our site.
The social media buttons are integrated using the so-called Shariff solution. This solution prevents your device from establishing a link to the social network merely because you visit a website featuring a social media plug-in button without you having clicked on that button. This means that information is only transmitted to the social network when you activate the button.
We integrate the following social plug-ins on our website:
a) Facebook Ireland Limited: Sharing on Facebook
In part, information is transmitted to the parent company Facebook Inc., headquartered in the USA, to other Facebook-companies and external partners of Facebook, each of which may be located outside the European Union. Facebook utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and relies on the European Commission's adequacy decisions about certain countries.
For the purpose and scope of data collection, further processing and use of data by Facebook as well as your related rights and configuration options for protecting your privacy, please refer to Facebook’s privacy policy.
b) Twitter International Company: Sharing on Twitter
In part, information is transmitted to the parent company Twitter Inc., headquartered in the USA, to other Twitter-companies and external partners of Twitter, each of which may be located outside the European Union. Twitter utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and relies on your consent.
Further information on data protection on Twitter can be found in Twitter’s privacy policy.
c) NEW WORK SE (formerly: XING SE): Sharing on XING
In part, information is transmitted to other NEW WORK-companies and external partners of NEW WORK, each of which may be located outside the European Union. NEW WORK utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission or other appropriate safeguards as set forth in article 46 GDPR and relies on the European Commission's adequacy decisions about certain countries as well as your consent.
For the purpose and scope of data collection, further processing and use of data by NEW WORK as well as your related rights and configuration options for protecting your privacy, please refer to XING’s privacy policy.
d) LinkedIn Corporation: Sharing on LinkedIn
In part, information is transmitted to the parent company LinkedIn Corporation, headquartered in the USA, to other LinkedIn-companies and external partners of LinkedIn, each of which may be located outside the European Union. LinkedIn utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission.
Further information on data protection on LinkedIn can be found in the company’s privacy policy.
e) Facebook Ireland Limited: Sharing on Instagram
In part, information is transmitted to the parent company Facebook Inc., headquartered in the USA, to other Facebook-companies and external partners of Facebook, each of which may be located outside the European Union. Facebook utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and relies on the European Commission's adequacy decisions about certain countries.
For the purpose and scope of data collection, further processing and use of data by Facebook as well as your related rights and configuration options for protecting your privacy, please refer to Instagram’s privacy policy.
6. YouTube
We embed components (videos) of the video hosting service “YouTube” of the company Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (hereinafter “Google”) in our websites. The implementation is based on Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR; our legitimate interest in this case is the smooth integration of the videos and the attractive design of our website.
Our websites use a solution that prevents the establishment of a connection to Google simply because you visit a site with an integrated video, without having activated the video. This means that information is transmitted to Google only if you actually click on the video to view it.
In part, information is transmitted to the parent company Google Inc., headquartered in the USA, to other Google-companies and external partners of Google, each of which may be located outside the European Union. Google utilizes standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and relies on the European Commission's adequacy decisions about certain countries.
Further information on data protection in connection with YouTube can be found in Google’s privacy policy.
7. Rights of the Data Subject
- pursuant to Art. 7(3) GDPR, to withdraw your consent at any time. This means that we may not continue the data processing based on this consent in the future;
- pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR, to obtain access to your personal data processed by us. In particular, you may request information about the purposes of the processing, the categories of personal data concerned, the categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed, and the envisaged period for which the data will be stored. Moreover, you have the right to request rectification, erasure, or restriction of processing, to object to processing, the right to lodge a complaint, and to obtain information about the source of your data if they were not collected by us, as well as about the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, and, if applicable, meaningful information about the logic involved;
- pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR, to obtain the rectification of inaccurate data or the completion of your personal data without undue delay;
- pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR, to obtain the erasure of personal data saved by us unless processing is necessary to exercise the right of freedom of expression and information, to comply with a legal obligation, for reasons of public interest, or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims;
- pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR, to obtain restriction of processing of your personal data if you contest the accuracy of the data, the processing is unlawful but you oppose the erasure of the personal data, or if we no longer need the personal data while you still require it for establishing, exercising or defending legal claims, or if you have filed an objection to the processing pursuant to Art. 21 GDPR;
- pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR, to receive your personal data that you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or to transmit those data to another controller and
- pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR, the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Generally, you may contact the supervisory authority of your habitual residence, place of work or the registered offices of our organization.
8. Information on Your Right to Object Pursuant to Art. 21 GDPR
You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to processing of your personal data pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. e GDPR (data processing carried out in the public interest) and Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR (data processing for purposes of legitimate interests). This also applies to any profiling as defined in Art. 4 (4) GDPR that is based on said provision in Art. 6.
If you file an objection, we will no longer process your personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for processing that override your interests, rights and freedoms, or unless the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
If your objection is directed against the processing of data for the purpose of direct advertising, we will stop the processing immediately. In this case, citing a special situation is not necessary. This includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct advertising.
If you would like to assert your right to object, simply send an email to datenschutzkoordination@zv.fraunhofer.de.
9. Data Security
All your personal data are transmitted in encrypted format, using the widely used and secure TLS (Transport Layer Security) standard. TLS is a secure and proven standard that is also used, for instance, in online banking. You will recognize a secure TLS connection by the additional s after http (i.e., https://...) in the address bar of your browser or by the lock icon in the bottom part of your browser window.
In all other regards, we use suitable technical and organizational security measures to protect your data against accidental or intentional manipulations, partial or complete loss, destruction, or the unauthorized access of third parties. We continuously improve our security measures in accordance with the state of the art.
10. Timeliness and Amendments to this Data Protection Information
This data protection information as amended in August 2024 is currently applicable.
The further development of our website and the products and services offered or changed due to statutory or regulatory requirements, respectively, may make it necessary to amend this data protection information. You may access and print out the latest data protection information at any time from our website at https://www.iks.fraunhofer.de/en/data_protection.html.