Privacy Policy

This page provides information on the collection of personal data when you visit our website. Personal data is any information concerning you personally, e.g. name, home address, email address, user behaviour.

Please Note: This Privacy Policy is available in German and English language. In the event of discrepancies or contradictions between the German and the English version, the German version shall prevail.

I. Name and address of the legally accountable institution and contact of data protection officer

Legally accountable institution as per art. 4 para. 7 GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is

GUC German Office
89081 Ulm
Germany
Phone +49 73150 22047

If you have questions concerning data protection, please send an email to the data protection officer to isabel.osswald(at)uni-ulm.de or a letter with the additional specification "Datenschutzbeauftragte" to the above-mentioned address.

II. General information on data processing

1. Collection of personal data as part of providing access to the website and storage of server log files

When you use our website for purely informative reasons, we collect the personal data that your browser transfers to our server and which are technically necessary in order to present our website to you and ensure stability and safety (legal basis is art. 6 para. 1 s. 1 GDPR):

Date and time of request
IP address
Time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Content of request (access address of the specific web page)
Access status / HTTP status code
Volume of transferred data (bytes)
"Referrer" address, if applicable
Browser type
Operating system and surface software
Language and version of the browser software

We store the above-mentioned data in so-called server log files in order to ensure the website’s functionality. This also serves to optimise the website and safeguard the security of our IT systems. The stored IP addresses are made anonymous each night by way of shortening to the last two domain parts. User profiles are not created. The shortened IP addresses and all other data are statistically evaluated once a month and deleted after 35 days. The collection of data for the provision of access to the website and the storage in server log files is a necessary requirement for the operation of the website. There is no option for the user to object.

2. Cookies

In addition to the aforementioned data, session cookies will be stored on your computer when you visit our website (legal basis for the use is art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR). A cookie is a text file that is created when you visit the website and stored on your hard drive. When you open the website again, the browser in which the website is opened sends the received cookie back to the server. This enables our server to analyse certain information. Session cookies are deleted automatically when the browser is closed.

It is not possible to use cookies to start programmes or transfer viruses onto a computer. We use cookies exclusively to increase the user-friendliness of our website and analyse user behaviour. Session cookies are required for a range of functions, such as login, Powermail and the web analytics software Google Analytics.

You can limit or deactivate the use of all or only certain cookies via the settings in your browser. Your browser’s help function provides instructions for how to do this. Please note that the functionality of this website might be limited when cookies are deactivated.

3. JavaScript

The webpages of the GUC partly use JavaScript functions in order to display information pages and various navigation aids in a visually appealing manner. However, all relevant information is accessible without JavaScript as well. You can deactivate this function in your browser.

4. TLS encryption

We use state-of-the-art encryption methods (e.g. TLS) via HTTPS in order to protect the security of your data during transfer.

5. Email communication

On our website, you usually have the option to get in touch with contact persons of the GUC via the provided email addresses. In this case, the personal data transmitted by you are being stored. The GUC uses these data exclusively for the processing of the conversation and deletes them once the purpose has been fulfilled. Legal basis is your agreement as per art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

You have the right to object to the use of your data any time with effect for the future.

6. Search function of this website

The integrated search function on this website uses the search engine DuckDuckGo. DuckDuckGo does not collect user data. For DuckDuckGo's privacy policy, please see: https://duckduckgo.com/privacy

7. Social networks and YouTube

The GUC maintains web presences in the social networks Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can also watch videos of the GUC on YouTube. These presences can only be opened via links. We deliberately refrain from embedding social plug-ins in order to prevent direct data exchange.

8. Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service of Google Inc. ("Google"). Google Analytics uses so-called cookies, which are text files that get stored on your computer in order to analyse your usage of the website. The information that the cookie gathers regarding your usage of this website is usually transferred to and stored on a Google server in the USA.

This website has IP anonymisation activated. Within the member states of the European Union or any other countries that are contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, Google shortens your IP address prior to the transfer. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transferred to a Google server in the USA and shortened there.

Google uses this information by order of the website operator to analyse your usage of this website, compile reports on the website activities and provide further services in relation to website usage and internet usage to the website operator. The IP address transferred by your browser as part of Google Analytics is not consolidated with other data from Google.

a) How to deactivate Google Analytics

You can prevent the storage of cookies by changing the settings of your browser software; please be advised, however, that this might inhibit you from using the full spectrum of functions of this website.

There are two other options to prevent cookies from collecting data about your usage of this website (incl. your IP address) and transferring them to Google as well as the processing of those data by Google:

1. Download and install the browser plugin provided by Google.

2. Set the so-called opt-out cookie provided by Google. You can set the cookie by clicking on this link Deactivate Google Analytics. Please note that clicking on the link changes the browser settings accordingly with immediate effect and without further notice. We also refer to the respective latest information on Google's Terms of service and Data privacy and security.

b) Further information

This website uses the extension code "anonymizeIp" to anonymise IP addresses (IP masking) for Google Analytics.

We use Google Analytics in order to analyse the use of our website and continuously improve it. The resulting statistics help us enhance our offer and make it more interesting for you as its user. In this purpose lies also our legitimate interest for the processing of data according to art. 6 para. 1 s. 1 lit. f GDPR. Making the IP addresses anonymous provides protection for your data.

For those exceptional cases in which personal data are transferred into the USA, Google has submitted to the EU-US Privacy Shield. https://www.privacyshield.gov/welcome

Information of the third-party provider: Google Dublin, Google Ireland Ltd., Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, Fax: +353(1) 436 1001

III. Your rights as "data subject"

You have the following rights with regards to personal data concerning you:

Right to information and access to your personal data that are stored by us (art. 15 GDPR)
Right to rectification of inaccurate or incomplete personal data (art. 16 GDPR)
Right to erasure of stored personal data, so long as their processing is not necessary for the purpose of exercising the right to freedom of speech and information, for the fulfilment of legal obligations, for reasons of public interest or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims (art. 17 GDPR)
Right to restriction of processing of personal data (art. 18 GDPR)
Right to object to processing that serves our legitimate or a public interest, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims (art. 21 GDPR); you have the right to withdraw your consent to the processing and use of your personal data at any time with effect for the future (art. 7 para. 3 GDPR). In consequence, we must discontinue the data processing which was based on this consent in the future.
Right to data portability (art. 20 GDPR)

You furthermore have the right to file a complaint with the supervisory authority for data protection regarding the processing of your personal data by us. Responsible supervisory authority is the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Baden-Württemberg.

IV. Changes to our Privacy Policy

To continuously keep our Privacy Policy in line with the current legal requirements, we reserve the right to amend our Privacy Policy as needed. To your own protection we recommend that you read the Privacy Policy regularly. By using our website, you accept our Privacy Policy and its updates.

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