Privacy

VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH’s data protection statement is based on the terms used by the European legislator for the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our data protection statement should be clear and understandable to the general public, as well as our customers and business partners. To ensure this, we will start with an explanation of the terminology we use.

In this data protection statement, the following terms shall have the following meaning:

a)Personal data

Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (“data subject“). An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

b) Data subject

Data subject is any identified or identifiable natural person, whose personal data is processed by the controller responsible for the processing.

c) Proccessing

Processing is any operation or set of operations that is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

d) Restriction of processing

Restriction of processing is the marking of stored personal data with the aim of limiting their processing in the future.

e) Profiling

Profiling means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyse or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, location or movements.

f) Pseudonymisation

Pseudonymisation is the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person.

g) Controller or controller responsible for the processing

Controller or controller responsible for the processing is the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body that, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law.

h) Processor

Processor is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body that processes personal data on behalf of the controller.

i) Recipient

Recipient is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or another body, whether a third party or not, to which the personal data are disclosed. However, public authorities that may receive personal data in the framework of a particular inquiry in accordance with Union or Member State law shall not be regarded as recipients; the processing of those data by those public authorities shall be in compliance with the applicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing.

j) Third party

Third party is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body other than the data subject, controller, processor and persons who, under the direct authority of the controller or processor, is authorised to process personal data.

k) Consent

Consent of the data subject is any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her.

a) Right of confirmation

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller the confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning him or her are being processed. If a data subject wishes to avail himself of this right of confirmation, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller.

b) Right of access

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller free information about his or her personal data stored at any time and a copy of this information. Furthermore, the European directives and regulations grant the data subject access to the following information:

•  the purposes of the processing
•  the categories of personal data concerned
•  the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed, in particular recipients in third countries or international organisations
•  where possible, the envisaged period for which the personal data will be stored, or, if not possible, the criteria used to determine that period
•  the existence of the right to request from the controller rectification or erasure of personal data, or restriction of processing of personal data concerning the data subject, or to object to such processing
•  the existence of the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
•  where the personal data are not collected from the data subject, any available information as to their source
•  the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, referred to in Article 22(1) and (4) of the GDPR and, at least in those cases, meaningful information about the logic involved, as well as the significance and envisaged consequences of such processing for the data subject.

Furthermore, the data subject shall have a right to obtain information as to whether personal data are transferred to a third country or to an international organisation. Where this is the case, the data subject shall have the right to be informed of the appropriate safeguards relating to the transfer.
If a data subject wishes to avail himself of this right of access, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller.

c) Right to rectification

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning him or her. Taking into account the purposes of the processing, the data subject shall have the right to have incomplete personal data completed, including by means of providing a supplementary statement.

If a data subject wishes to exercise this right to rectification, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller.

d) Right to erasure (Right to be forgotten)

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data concerning him or her without undue delay, and the controller shall have the obligation to erase personal data without undue delay where one of the following grounds applies, so long as the processing is not necessary:

•  the personal data are no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed
•  the data subject withdraws consent on which the processing is based according to point (a) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR, or point (a) of Article 9(2) of the GDPR, and where there is no other legal ground for the processing
•  the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) of the GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(2) of the GDPR
•  the personal data have been unlawfully processed
•  the personal data must be erased for compliance with a legal obligation in Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject
•  the personal data have been collected in relation to the offer of information society services referred to in Article 8(1) of the GDPR.

If one of the aforementioned reasons applies, and a data subject wishes to request the erasure of personal data stored by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of the controller. An employee of VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH shall ensure that the erasure request is complied with promptly.

Where the controller has made personal data public and is obliged pursuant to Article 17(1) to erase the personal data, the controller, taking account of available technology and the cost of implementation, shall take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform other controllers processing the personal data that the data subject has requested erasure by such controllers of any links to, or copy or replication of, those personal data, insofar as processing is not required. An employee of VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH shall take the necessary measures on a case-by-case basis.

e) Right of restriction of processing

 Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to obtain from the controller restriction of processing where one of the following applies:

•  the accuracy of the personal data is contested by the data subject, for a period enabling the controller to verify the accuracy of the personal data
•  the processing is unlawful and the data subject opposes the erasure of the personal data and requests the restriction of their use instead
•  the controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but they are required by the data subject for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims
•  the data subject has objected to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) of the GDPR pending the verification of whether the legitimate grounds of the controller override those of the data subject.

If one of the aforementioned conditions is met, and a data subject wishes to request the restriction of the processing of personal data stored by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, he or she may at any time contact any employee of the controller. The employee of VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH will arrange the restriction of the processing.

f) Right to data portability

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator, to receive the personal data concerning him or her that was provided to a controller, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. He or she shall have the right to transmit those data to another controller without hindrance from the controller to which the personal data have been provided, so long as the processing is based on consent pursuant to point (a) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR, or point (a) of Article 9(2) of the GDPR, or on a contract pursuant to point (b) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR, and the processing is carried out by automated means, so long as the processing is not necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

Furthermore, in exercising his or her right to data portability pursuant to Article 20(1) of the GDPR, the data subject shall have the right to have personal data transmitted directly from one controller to another, where technically feasible and when doing so does not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

In order to assert the right to data portability, the data subject may at any time contact any employee of VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH.

g) Right to object

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to object, on grounds relating to his or her particular situation, at any time, to processing of personal data concerning him or her, which is based on point (e) or (f) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR. This also applies to profiling based on these provisions.

VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH shall no longer process the personal data in the event of the objection, unless VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject, or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Where VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH processes personal data for direct marketing purposes, the data subject shall have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning him or her for such marketing. This applies to profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. Where the data subject objects to the processing for direct marketing purposes, VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH will no longer process the personal data for these purposes.

In addition, the data subject has the right, on grounds relating to his or her particular situation, to object to the processing of personal data concerning him or her by VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH for scientific or historical research purposes, or for statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1) of the GDPR, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.

The data subject can exercise his or her right to object by contacting any employee of VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH. In addition, the data subject is free in the context of the use of information society services, and notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, to use his or her right to object by automated means using technical specifications.

h) Automated individual decision-making, including profiling

Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning him or her, or similarly significantly affects him or her, so long as the decision (1) is not necessary for entering into, or the performance of, a contract between the data subject and a data controller, or (2) is not authorised by Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject and which also lays down suitable measures to safeguard the data subject’s rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, or (3) is not based on the data subject’s explicit consent.

If the decision (1) is necessary for entering into, or the performance of, a contract between the data subject and a data controller, or (2) is based on the data subject’s explicit consent, VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH shall implement suitable measures to safeguard the data subject’s rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of the controller, to express his or her point of view and contest the decision.

If the data subject wishes to exercise the rights concerning automated individual decision-making, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH.

i) Right to withdraw data protection consent
Each data subject shall have the right granted by the European legislator to withdraw his or her consent to the processing of his or her personal data at any time.

If the data subject wishes to exercise the right to withdraw the consent, he or she may, at any time, contact any employee of VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH.