1. Introduction
This privacy policy applies to the ESM Foundation, hereinafter referred to as “we” or “us,” with its headquarters at Junkerngasse 56, CH-3011 Bern . We recognize the importance of protecting personal data and are committed to respecting the privacy of visitors to the IRTC website and our business partners. This privacy policy explains how we process personal data that we collect in connection with your visit to our website www.irtc.info and during our business relationships and provides information about your rights. These rights are determined by the applicable data protection laws. By continuing to use our website, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Scope
This privacy policy applies to all individuals who visit our website or engage with us in Switzerland and the European Union (EU).
3. Responsible Entity
The entity responsible for data processing in accordance with data protection laws is the ESM Foundation, Junkerngasse 56, CH-3011 Bern, info@esmfoundation.org, +41 31 311 01 68.
4. Collection and Processing of Personal Data
Personal data includes any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. We collect and process personal data only to the extent necessary to provide a functional website, as well as our content and services. Processing is based on your consent, to fulfill a contract or pre-contractual measures, and to protect our legitimate interests. Data may be collected and processed for the following purposes:
- To register you for events and provide you with access to required materials.
- To communicate with you about events you have registered for, including updates and important information.
- To process payments for registrations.
- To analyze and improve our offerings and website.
- To analyze the success of our marketing campaigns.
- To comply with legal obligations.
- To communicate with you if you have registered for the newsletter (see 4.4).
4.1. Logfiles
Our website is hosted by Devault (Seftigenstrasse 310, CH-3084 Wabern). To optimize and maintain our website, we log technical errors that may occur when accessing our website. Furthermore, when using this website, information is automatically collected that your device’s browser transmits to our host provider. This information includes:
- IP address and operating system of your device,
- Browser type, version, language,
- Date and time of the server request,
- Accessed file,
- The website from which the access was made (referrer URL),
- The status code (e.g., 404), and
- The transmission protocol used (e.g., HTTP/2).
This data is collected and stored by our host provider to optimize processes and procedures, particularly in connection with the use of our website and the security and stability of the computer system. If the GDPR is applicable, the legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
4.2. Contact Form and Email Contact
If you contact us via the contact form or email, the data you provide will be stored to process your inquiry. We do not share this data without your consent. Usually, we require the following information:
- First and last name
- Email address
- Message content
We may also require your phone number and postal address. We use the data you provide to answer your inquiry. If the GDPR is applicable, the legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
4.3. Registration
If you open an account on our website, the information you provide will be stored. We collect the following information:
- First and last name
- Email address
- Organisation type or role ((PhD) Student/Regular)
- Gender
If you register for our training or conferences, we may also collect further information you provide, such as affiliation and job title. If you make a payment for our training or conferences, we collect payment details, including credit card information, as necessary to process your payment securely. We use the data to provide you with the account. If the GDPR is applicable, the legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b and f GDPR.
4.4. Newsletter
We offer a newsletter that you can subscribe to. If you sign up for the newsletter, we collect at least your email address. We use Mailchimp as our email marketing service provider. For more information on how Mailchimp processes data, please refer to https://mailchimp.com/legal/. We use your email address to send you the newsletter by email. If the GDPR is applicable, the legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
4.5. Newsletter Analytics
We use an analytics service to measure the reach of our newsletter. This measures how often the newsletter is opened and which links the recipients follow. If the GDPR is applicable, the legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
4.6. Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third-party sources, such as social media platforms or event partners, in accordance with their privacy policies.
5. Data Transfer to Third Parties
To provide you with the information on our website, we collaborate with various service providers, namely IT service providers, to offer you a modern website. They use your data only within the scope of order processing for us. We may share your personal information with:
- Service Providers: We may engage third-party service providers to assist with conference and training operations and services.
- Event Partners: We may share information with our event partners for the purpose of organizing and promoting our conference.
- Legal Compliance: We may disclose your information to comply with legal requirements or respond to lawful requests from governmental authorities.
Except for the provisions in section 4.4 of this privacy policy, we transfer data to entities outside Switzerland and the European Union (third countries) without your consent only if this is required by the respective contract, to fulfill legal obligations, or to protect our legitimate interests.
6. Legal Basis
We process your data on the following legal bases:
- Your consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR)
- To fulfill a contract or pre-contractual measures (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR)
- To protect legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR), unless your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms, which require the protection of personal data, override them.
7. Data Security
We employ technical and organizational security measures to protect your data against accidental or intentional manipulation, partial or total loss, destruction, or unauthorized access by third parties.
8. Your Rights
As provided by the applicable data protection law, you can request information about your stored data, its origin, recipients, and the purpose of data processing free of charge. You also have the right, under legal conditions, to correct, delete, restrict the processing of, or object to the processing of your data, and if the GDPR is applicable, to the transfer of this data to another entity. You can revoke any consent given by you at any time with effect for the future. An informal notification by email to us is sufficient for this. Please note that the above rights are subject to legal limitations and may impair or prevent the provision of our services. You are entitled to enforce your claims in court or file a complaint with the competent data protection authority. For Switzerland, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner is responsible (http://www.edoeb.admin.ch).
You have the following rights concerning your personal data:
- Right of access
- Right to rectification
- Right to erasure
- Right to restrict processing
- Right to data portability
- Right to object to processing
- Right to withdraw consent
- Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
To exercise these rights or if you have any questions about your data, please contact us at info@irtc.info.
9. Cookies and Tracking
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance user experience and make our website more efficient. Some cookies are essential for the operation of the website, while others are used to analyze user behavior. Cookies are small files that are placed on your device and stored by your browser. Some of the cookies we use are automatically deleted when you leave our website. Other cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them or until they expire. These cookies enable us to recognize your browser the next time you visit our website. You can configure your browser to inform you in advance about the setting of cookies and decide on a case-by-case basis whether to accept cookies for specific cases or generally exclude them, or to prevent cookies altogether. This may restrict the functionality of the Website. Cookies that are necessary for the electronic communication process, for desired functions, or to optimize your user experience, will be stored on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR if the GDPR is applicable.
10. Analytics and Advertising Tools
We use LinkedIn Campaign Manager’s conversion tracking to measure the effectiveness of our ads. This involves placing a LinkedIn Insight Tag on our website, which collects data such as your IP address, device and browser characteristics, and actions taken on our site. This is to measure the performance of our LinkedIn ads and improve our marketing strategies on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f and a GDPR. You can manage your preferences via LinkedIn’s privacy settings or opt-out options. For more details, refer to LinkedIn’s Privacy Policy and LinkedIn’s opt-out page.
11. External Services
We use various third-party services on our website. Below, we specify which services these are, what they are used for, and what data is collected.
- WPForms: Plugin used to create WordPress forms (i.e. Contact Form). For more information on how WPForms handles data, please refer to https://wpforms.com/privacy-policy/
- WP Mail SMTP: Reconfigures the wp_mail() function to use Gmail/Mailgun/SendGrid/SMTP instead of the default mail() and creates an options page to manage the settings. For more information on how WPForms handles data, please refer to https://wpmailsmtp.com/privacy-policy/
- WePlugins: WP Maps Plugin used to create Google Maps Shortcodes. For more information on how WePlugins handles data, please refer to https://weplugins.com/privacy-policy/
- WooCommerce: Powers our online store and manages e-commerce transactions. For more information on how WooCommerce handles data, please refer to https://automattic.com/privacy/
- Payrexx: We use Payrexx to process online payments. Payrexx collects and processes payment information, including credit card details and transaction data, to facilitate secure payment transactions. For more information on how Payrexx handles data, please refer to https://payrexx.com/en/datenschutzerklaerung
- Smart Slider: We use Smart Slider to create and manage sliders on our website. For more information on how Smart Slider handles data, please refer to https://nextendweb.com/privacy-policy/
- Cookie Notice: Informs users that our site uses cookies. For more information on how Redirection handles data, please refer to https://hu-manity.co/privacy-policy/
If the GDPR is applicable, the legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR or Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR or Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
12. Links
Our website contains links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the content and privacy practices of external websites that you can access through these links. Please inform yourself about the privacy policies on the respective websites.
13. Changes to the Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy to reflect changes in legal requirements or changes to our website and data processing.
14. Contact
For questions regarding the collection, processing, or use of your personal data, for information, correction, blocking, or deletion of data, as well as the withdrawal of consents granted, please contact:
ESM Foundation
Junkerngasse 56
CH-3011 Bern
info@esmfoundation.org
+41 31 311 01 68
This privacy policy was last updated on August 7th, 2024.