Data privacy statement

Privacy Policy in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Thank you for visiting the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) website and for your interest in freshwater science. Below you will find detailed information about how your data is handled. 

This text is a direct translation of the original Privacy Policy in German – for legal purposes, only the German version is binding.

In compliance with the applicable data protection laws, we process personal data that is collected when you visit our websites. We will not publish your data or disclose it to any third parties without authorisation. In the following sections, we explain which data we collect when you visit our websites, and exactly how this data is used.

Name and address of the controller

The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation, other national data protection legislation of the Member States and other data protection legislation is:

Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in the Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V.
Director Prof. Luc De Meester
Müggelseedamm 310
12587 Berlin
Germany
Telephone: +49 30 64181-500
Email: info(at)igb-berlin.de
Website: www.igb-berlin.de

Name and address of the Data Protection Officer

The controller’s Data Protection Officer is:

DID Dresdner Institut für Datenschutz
Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts
Contact persons Ms Kristin Beyer and Mr Max Just
Hospitalstraße 4
01097 Dresden
Email: datenschutz(at)fv-berlin.de

General information about data processing

Scope of personal data processing

As a general rule, we only process personal data concerning our users where necessary in order to provide a functional website and to provide our content and services. Personal data concerning our users will only be processed regularly if the user has given his or her consent. An exemption applies in such cases where it is impossible, for reasons of fact, to gain prior consent and the processing of data is permitted by law. 

Legal basis for personal data processing

Where we obtain the consent of the data subject for processing procedures, Article 6(1)(a) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) serves as the legal basis.

When processing personal data that is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party, Article 6(1)(b) GDPR serves as the legal basis. The same applies for processing procedures that are necessary in order to take steps prior to entering into a contract.

Where it is necessary to process personal data for compliance with a legal obligation that IGB must meet, Article 6(1)(c) GDPR serves as the legal basis.

In the event that the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person require the processing of personal data, Article 6(1)(d) GDPR serves as the legal basis.

If processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by IGB or by a third party and if the aforementioned interests are not overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject, then Article 6(1)(f) GDPR serves as the legal basis for processing. 

Erasure of data and storage period

The personal data concerning the data subject will be erased or made unavailable as soon as the purpose of storage ceases to apply. Data may also be stored where provision has been made for this by European or national legislators in Union regulations, laws or other provisions to which IGB is subject. Data will also be made unavailable or erased where a storage period prescribed by the aforementioned legislation expires, unless there is a need for the further retention of the data for the purpose of entering into or performing a contract.

Provision of the website and creation of log files

Every time our website is visited, our system automatically collects data and information from the computer system of the requesting computer in so-called log files. 

The following data is collected in this connection and stored in our systems’ log files:

  • Date and time of access
  • User’s IP address
  • Websites called up from the user’s system via our website
  • Websites from which the user’s system reached our website
  • Information about the browser type and version
  • Information about the user’s operating system
  • Information about the user’s internet service provider

This data will not be stored together with other personal data concerning the user.

Data is stored in log files in order to ensure the functionality of the website. In addition, the data serves the purpose of optimizing the website, of eliminating any possible malfunctions and of preserving the security of our information technology systems. 

Data is deleted as soon as it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. In the case of the provision of the website, this occurs at the end of the session. 

Log file data is usually deleted after seven days at the latest. If IGB has to store log file data for a longer period due to technical requirements or security aspects, users’ IP addresses are deleted or modified to prevent their identification. 

Such storage is essential and cannot be objected to by the user. 

The legal basis for the storage of data and log files is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Use of cookies

Description and scope of data processing

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are text files that are stored in the internet browser or by the internet browser on the user’s computer system. When a user requests a website, a cookie can be stored on the user’s operating system. This cookie contains a characteristic string that enables the browser to be uniquely identified when you next visit the website.

Essential cookies

We use cookies to make our website more user-friendly. Some elements of our website require that the requesting browser can also be identified after changing to a different website. 

In the process, the cookies store and transmit the following data:

  • Language settings
  • Log-in information (session data)

These two cookies are deleted when you close the session. No user profiles are created by essential cookies. The legal basis for the use of such cookies can be found in Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Non-essential cookies

In addition, we also use cookies on the IGB website that enable the analysis of users’ surfing behavior. Concerning this, please read Section “Web analytics”:

Web analytics

Matomo

Our website uses the web analytics program “Matomo” (formerly Piwik) for statistical data collection. Using cookies and JavaScript, this program collects various information on the user’s computer and transmits it automatically to the IGB system. The following data and information is collected every time the user visits the website:

  • IP address shortened to two bytes, making it anonymous (e.g. 192.168.xxx.xxx) 
  • Cookies to differentiate between different visitors to our website
  • Referrer URL
  • Name and version of the user’s operating system
  • Name, version and language setting of the user’s browser
  • Search terms entered
  • Frequency of page views

When JavaScript is enabled, the following information is additionally collected:

  • URLs visited on this website
  • Time when the website was visited
  • Nature of the HTML query
  • Screen resolution and color depth
  • Technologies and formats supported by the browser (e.g. cookies, Java, Flash, PDF, Windows Media, QuickTime, Realplayer, Director, SilverLight, Google Gears) 

This data is stored exclusively on a central server operated by IGB. Data is not disclosed to any third parties. 

All data collected in this way will be deleted after compiling the annual statistics.

In this way, IGB obtains information about how the individual components of a website are used. This enables IGB to improve its online content and the usability of the website. The user is notified accordingly when requesting the website.

The legal basis for the personal data processing required for this task involving the use of cookies is the legitimate interest of the provider in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Opt-out

When requesting our websites, the user is notified of this type of data collection. You may of course object to data being collected by the central server. The following independent opt-outs are available for this purpose:

  1. Enable the "Do Not Track" setting in your browser. As long as this setting is enabled, our server will not store any data concerning you whatsoever. Note: the Do Not Track instruction usually only applies for the device and the browser in which you enabled the setting. If you use several devices/browsers, then you must enable the Do Not Track function separately for each one.
  2. Use our Matomo opt-out function. Click on the check in the checkbox below to stop or re-enable data collection. As long as the checkbox is disabled, our central server will not store any data concerning you whatsoever. Important: the opt-out requires us to store a Matomo disable cookie in your browser. If you delete this cookie or use another device/browser, you must opt out of data collection on this website again.

Matomo opt-out function

For more information about Matomo, visit: https://matomo.org/docs/privacy/

Some FVB institutes that are accessible via a link from the IGB website use a different analytical software. Although the type of information collected by such software may differ slightly, an opt-out possibility is also available there. 

Duration of storage, possibility of objection and removal

Cookies are stored on the user’s computer and transmitted from there to our website. As the user, you therefore have full control over the use of cookies. By changing the settings in your internet browser, you can disable or restrict the transmission of cookies. Cookies that have already been stored can be deleted at any time. This can also take place automatically. If cookies are disabled for our website, you may not be able to use the full functionality of the website.

The transmission of flash cookies can be prevented by setting your flash player accordingly, but not via browser settings.

Newsletter

On our website, you can subscribe to a newsletter – the IGB FRESHWATER NEWS and the IGB press mailing – that is free of charge. When registering for the newsletter, the following data is transmitted to us:

  • Email address
  • Surname (optional)
  • First name (optional)
  • Organisation (optional)

We will inform you about the specific processing of this data during the registration process and obtain your consent. In addition, reference is made to this data protection declaration. The data will be used exclusively for sending the newsletter.

The legal basis for the processing of the data after registration for the newsletter is the consent of the user in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a of the German Data Protection Act (DSGVO). The data is collected in order to deliver the newsletter. The data is deleted as soon as it is no longer required to achieve the purpose for which it was collected. The user's email address is therefore stored for as long as the subscription to the newsletter is active. The subscription to the newsletter can be cancelled by the user concerned at any time. For this purpose, a corresponding link can be found in each newsletter. The processing of the data takes place on the basis of the EU standard contractual clauses according to Art. 46 DSGVO as well as the AV contracts according to Art. 28 DSGVO. There is no fundamental data transfer outside the EU.

Contact form

Our website contains a contact form that can be used to establish contact electronically. If a user uses this option, the data entered in the input mask is transmitted to us and saved. In this connection, the data usually consists of:

  • Title (optional)
  • Surname
  • First name
  • Email address
  • Subject and content of your request
  • Language preference

At the time of sending the contact form, the following additional information is also collected automatically:

  • The user’s IP address
  • Date and time of registration

The automatically collected data mentioned above serve the purpose of ensuring the proper operation of IT; it is usually deleted after seven days.

During the process of using the contact form, we notify you of the specific processing of the data, and obtain your consent. In addition, reference is made to this Privacy Policy. The data will only be used for the purpose of processing the conversation. 

The legal basis for the processing of data in the context of using the contact form, if the user’s consent has been given, is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR. Personal data is processed solely for the purpose of processing the contact request. Data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. This is the case when the relevant conversation with the user has ended or when the user’s request has finally been processed. The conversation has ended when it can be gathered from the circumstances that the issue in question has finally been clarified. The user may at any time withdraw his or her consent to the processing of personal data vis-à-vis the contact persons listed.

Improper use of contact form

In order to prevent the improper use of the contact form, particularly automatic mass use, IGB reserves the right to add a control function to the contact form. This may involve the additional transmission of information from the user’s computer to our central server and possibly to a third party (manufacturer of the control function). The legal basis for this is the provider’s legitimate interest in the processing of data in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. A reference in the contact form enables you to find out about data processing from the manufacturer of the control function. 

There is no possibility to object to the use of the control function.

  • Two bytes of the IP address of the user’s requesting system
  • The requested website
  • The website from which the user accessed the requested website (referrer)
  • The subpages called up from the requested website
  • The time spent visiting the website
  • The frequency of requesting the website

In the process, the software runs on our website’s servers. The user’s personal data is only stored there. Data is not disclosed to any third parties.

Events

Event registration and organisation

In order to handle registrations for events and to organise such events, we process the personal data you provide us with, and especially your first name and surname, email address, organisational affiliation and role, on the basis of steps taken prior to entering into a contract and to perform the contract in accordance with the first sentence of Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Personal data will be passed on internally to the staff entrusted with the preparation and realisation of the event in question, as far as necessary for the fulfilment of the purpose.

To process pre-registrations, we additionally use the service “eveeno” provided by the company of the same name, which has its registered office in Erlangen, Germany. We have a data processing agreement with the company for the designated purposes of processing in accordance with the requirements of Article 28 GDPR. To ensure the technical functionality of the pre-registration form, technically necessary cookies (“PHPSESSID”; storage period: end of session) are set on the basis of Section 25(2)(2) of the Telecommunications Telemedia Data Protection Act (TTDSG). Personal data is not transferred to third countries outside the scope of the GDPR. For more information about the “eveeno” service, please refer to the company’s Privacy Policy.

We process personal data for as long as it is necessary for fulfilling the purposes mentioned above. Unless a longer retention period is required by law due to relevant statutory retention periods, the personal data of the persons participating in the event will be deleted after one month.

RSS-Feeds-Copyright

RSS is an electronic news presentation format that allows the user to subscribe to the content of a website – or parts thereof – as so-called RSS feeds or even integrate them into other websites. The IGB grants (revocable) authorisation for other websites to integrate the content of its RSS feeds using active links to the original article, provided the source is named. The feeds may not be displayed in frames, and must instead open in a new browser window. We only allow the integration of headings and teasers. Unfortunately, we cannot allow the integration of pictures from RSS feeds. Other extracts and in particular the integration or dissemination of full reports or other articles from our website are not permitted. The statutory provisions of copyright and trademark law apply.

IGB reserves the right to deny the use or integration of RSS feeds without stating reasons. We do not guarantee any availability and we do not provide any services in the scope of this offer. In particular, we reserve the right to technically modify, revise or completely discontinue the feeds at any time without notice.

If you integrate our RSS feeds into third-party websites, please send the link to: pr(at)igb-berlin.de

Plug-ins

MyFonts

This website uses web fonts provided by MyFonts Inc - a company owned by Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc, 600 Unicorn Park Drive, Woburn, Massachusetts 01801 USA, to display fonts consistently. When you view a page, your browser loads the required web fonts into your browser cache to display text and fonts correctly. If your browser does not support web fonts, a default font from your computer is used. For billing purposes and license control, a so-called pixel-code/web beacon from MyFonts has been placed on our website. This allows the IP address or technical data of the user's terminal device, for example, to be transmitted to MyFonts. Further information about MyFonts Web Fonts can be found here.

Links to YouTube videos

The website of IGB uses a plugin of the company YouTube, a subsidiary of Google.inc. When you visit a page that contains this plugin, a connection is made to the servers of YouTube and YouTube learns that a video has been accessed via the IGB website. If you happen to be logged into your YouTube account at the same time, then YouTube can identify you as the viewer of this video. If you do not wish your viewing history to be recorded, then you should log out of your YouTube account before using the plugin. More information on how YouTube collects and uses your data can be found at www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/.

Facebook-Disclaimer

You have the possibility to share our content on the social network Facebook (Address: Facebook Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland). You may access these pages via access points (plugins) on the IGB website. The plugins used here are the facebook company logo or the "Like" button. A list of different facebook-plugins may be found here.

On visiting the IGB website this plugin creates a connection between your browser and a Facebook-server, thus informing facebook about a contact between your IP-address with our website. If you click the like-button while simultaneously being logged into your Facebook-account, content of our website will be connected to your Facebook-account. This will enable Facebook to link your account to your visit of our pages.

IGB has no knowledge about the content or the data transferred with this connection and also has no information about the use of said data by Facebook. We refer, however, to the Facebook privacy policy.

Should you object to a connection of the IGB-content to your Facebook-account, we recommend to log off facebook before visiting our website or the IGB pages on facebook.

Use of Twitter functions

Twitter is a microblogging service of the company Twitter Inc. On Twitter registered users can spread telegram-like short messages. The website of the ITUC contains functions of the company Twitter Inc. (Address: 795 Folsom Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA). If you use Twitter, in particular the function "Re-Tweet", Twitter links your Twitter account with your visited websites. This will be announced to other users on Twitter, especially the subscribers of your Tweet messages ("followers"). In this case a data transmission on Twitter takes place.

Although IGB provides a website with Twitter functions, the Institute is not informed by the company Twitter about the content of the transmitted data or data use.

We refer to the privacy policy of the company Twitter. If desired, you can change your privacy settings at Twitter in your local account settings under http://twitter.com/account/settings.

Data transmission 

Your personal data will only be transmitted to state institutions and authorities when required by legislation or for the purpose of prosecution for attacks on our network infrastructure. Data will not be disclosed to third parties for any other purpose. 

Rights of the data subject

If personal data concerning you is processed, you are the data subject within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation and have the following rights vis-à-vis the controller – unless statutory exceptions apply in specific cases:

  • Withdrawal of consent (Article 7(3) GDPR)
  • Access (Article 15 GDPR)
  • Rectification (Article 16 GDPR)
  • Erasure (Article 17(1) GDPR)
  • Restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR)
  • Data portability (Article 20 GDPR)
  • Objection to processing (Article 21 GDPR)
  • Lodging of a complaint with the supervisory authority (Article 77 GDPR)

For Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. and IGB, the supervisory authority is: The Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, Friedrichstr. 219, 10969 Berlin, Germany.