Privacy Policy
Data protection information
The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (MPG) takes the protection of your personal data very seriously. We process personal data gathered when visiting our websites in compliance with the applicable data protection legislation and, as a matter of principle, only to the extent that this is necessary to provide a functioning website and our content and services. We neither publish your data nor transmit them to third parties on an unauthorized basis. In the following sections, we explain which data we record when you visit one of our websites, and how exactly they are utilized:
A. Provision of the website
1. Visiting the website
a. Type of data
Each time you visit our website, our service and applications automatically record data and information from the system of the visiting device.
The following data are gathered temporarily:
- Your IP address
- Date and time of your access to the website
- Address of the page visited
- Address of the previously visited website (referrer)
- Name and version of your browser/operating system (if transmitted)
These data are stored in our systems' log files. There is no storage of these data together with other personal data relating to the user.
b. Legal basis
The legal basis for the temporary saving of data and log files is Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. Storage occurs in log files in order to ensure the website's functionality. The data also serve to optimize the websites, eliminate malfunctions and ensure our IT system security. Our justified interest in data processing pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR also lies in such purposes.
The recording of data for the provision of the website and the storage of data in log files are essential to operate the website. It is therefore not possible for the user to object.
c. Data deletion
The data are deleted as soon as they are no longer required in order to fulfil the purpose of their collection. If data are gathered for the provision of the website, this is the case if the respective visit is ended. In the event that data are stored in log files, this is the case after seven days at the latest. Storage above and beyond this period is possible. In this case, the users' IP addresses are deleted or removed so they can no longer be allocated to the visiting device.
2. User-friendly website design
a. Type of data
Our website uses cookies. Cookies are text files which are saved in or by the internet browser on the users’ systems. If a user accesses a website, a cookie can be saved on the user's system. These cookies contain a characteristic string of characters which enables definitive identification of the browser the next time the website is accessed.
We use cookies in order to make our website more user-friendly. It is a technical requirement of certain elements of our website that the accessing browser can also be identified after a page change. In the process, the following data are saved and transmitted in the cookies:
- Language settings (localization) of the browser, also when changing pages (functionality of the language switch): Sessioncookie i18next
- Session data (click path, pages visited, current language, remembering form data (terms used in the internal site search, entries in the contact form) as well as error messages for forms, if applicable): Sessioncookie mpg_session_r
Cookies are saved on your device and transmitted by the latter to our website. For this reason, you as the user also have full control over the use of cookies. By changing the settings in your internet browser, you can deactivate or limit the transmission of cookies. This can also happen on an automated basis. If cookies are deactivated for our website, the full range of functions of the website may not be entirely available for use.
b. Legal basis
The legal basis for the processing of personal data by means of cookies is Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR as well as § 25, para. 2, no. 2 of the German Act an Data Protection and Protection of Privacy in Telecommunications and Digital Services [TDDDG]. Some of the functions of our website cannot be offered without the use of cookies. For these, it is absolutely necessary that the browser is recognized even after a page change.
c. Data deletion
The cookies are deleted after closing the session.
B. Web analysis
1. Type of data
We use the web analytics programme Matomo for statistical data collection in relation to utilization behaviour; this programme uses cookies and JavaScript to collect various information on your computer and transmit this automatically to us. Every time our website is accessed, our system logs the following data and information from the computer system of the accessing device:
- IP address, anonymized by means of abbreviation
- Two cookies to distinguish between different visitors: pk_id and pk_sess
- Previously visited URL (referrer) if communicated by the browser
- Name and version of the operating system
- Name, version and language setting of the browser.
The following data are collected additionally if JavaScript is activated:
- URLs visited on this website
- Times of page visits
- Type of HTML requests
- Screen resolution and colour depth
- Technologies and formats supported by the browser (e.g. cookies, Java, Flash, PDF, WindowsMedia, QuickTime, Realplayer, Director, SilverLight, Google Gears).
The saving and analysis of data is carried out solely on a central server operated by the MPG.
It goes without saying that you have the opportunity to object to your data being collected. The following independent methods are available to you if you wish to object to data collection by the central server:
- In your browser, activate the Do-Not-Track setting. As long as this setting is active, our central server will not save any of your data. Important: Do-Not-Track generally only applies to the one device and browser on which the setting is activated. If you use several devices/browsers, you must activate Do-Not-Track separately on each one.
- Use our opt-out function. Click on the check mark in the following selection box under https://www.mpg.de/datenschutzhinweis/datenerhebung-deaktivieren in order to stop or reactivate data collection. As long as the selection box is deactivated, our central server will not save any of your data. Important: For the opt-out, we have to store a special recognition cookie in your browser. If you delete this or use a different PC/browser, you have to object to data collection once again on this page.
There is no storage of these data together with other personal data relating to the users.
2. Legal basis
The legal basis for the processing of personal data by means of cookies is Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR as well as § 25 para. 2 no. 2 TDDDG. The processing of the users' personal data enables us to analyze the usage behaviour of our users. By evaluating the data obtained, we are able to compile information on the use of the individual components of our websites. This helps us improve our websites and their user-friendliness on an ongoing basis. These purposes also constitute our legitimate interest in data processing according to Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR as well as § 25, para. 2, no. 2 TDDDG. By anonymizing the IP address, the users' interest in the protection of their personal data is sufficiently taken into account.
3. Data deletion
The data are deleted after the final annual totals have been arrived at for access statistics.
D. Utilization of cookies
Our website utilizes cookies. Cookies are text files stored in the Internet browser or by the Internet browser on the user's computer system. If a user visits a website, a cookie can be stored on the user's operating system. This cookie contains a sequence of characters enabling the browser to be clearly identified when visiting the website again.
We deploy cookies to make our website more user-friendly. Some elements of our website also technically require the identification of the visiting browser after a change of page. The following data are saved and transmitted in the cookies:
- Language settings (localization) of the browser: session cookie i18next
- Session data (click path, pages visited, current language, and, where relevant, error messages for forms: session cookie MPG_session_r
Both cookies are deleted when the session is closed.
The legal basis for personal data processing while utilizing cookies is Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR and § 25 para. 2 No. 2 TTDSG. Some functions of our website cannot be offered without the use of cookies. For these, it is absolutely necessary that the browser is recognized even after a page change. We require cookies for the following applications:
- Transferring the browser's language setting: automatic selection of the homepage and spelling
- Noting of form data entered: terms and entries in the contact form utilized in searches within the website
User data gathered by technically necessary cookies are not utilized to prepare user profiles. Our justified interest in personal data processing pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. f GDPR also lies in such purposes.
Cookies are stored on the user's computer, which transmits them to our site. For this reason, you, as the user, also have full control over the utilization of cookies. You can deactivate or restrict the transmission of cookies through changing your Internet browser settings. Cookies that have already been saved can be deleted at any time. This can also occur automatically. If cookies for our website are deactivated, you may find not all of the website's functions can continue to be utilized in full.
In addition, we also utilize cookies on our website to enable users' utilization behaviour to be analyzed. For more information on this topic, please refer to the information provided under C.
E. Registration
On our websites, we offer users the option to register, entailing the entry of personal data in a data entry form. We generally gather your email address, family name and first name. We inform you about the specific processing of the data and we obtain your consent as part of the registration procedure. Reference is also made to this data protection statement.
The legal basis for the processing of data is the user's consent pursuant to Article 6 (1) lit. a GDPR. If registration serves to fulfil a contract whose contractual party is the user or to implement pre-contractual measures, the additional legal basis for the processing of data is Article 6 (1) lit. b GDPR. Registering the user is necessary to provide certain contents and services on our website or to fulfil a contract with the user or to implement pre-contractual measures. The data are deleted as soon as they are no longer required to achieve the purpose for which they were gathered. This is the case for data gathered during the registration process if registration is cancelled or modified on our websites. For the registration process to fulfil a contract or to implement pre-contractual measures, this is the case if the data are no longer required to fulfil the contract. After the contract ends, it may be necessary to continue to store the contractual partner's personal data in order to fulfil contractual or statutory obligations.
As a user, you can cancel the registration at any time. You can have the data saved in connection with yourself modified at any time. The procedure is described in more detail in the specific registration procedure. If the data are required to fulfil a contract or to implement pre-contractual measures, early deletion of the data is possible only to the extent that no contractual or statutory obligations prevent such deletion.
F. Facebook
The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion has a Facebook company page that is linked to on this website. Facebook is a social network.
A social network is an Internet-based social meeting place, an online community that usually enables users to communicate with each other and interact in virtual space. A social network can serve as a platform for the exchange of opinions and experiences or enables the Internet community to provide personal or company-related information. Facebook enables social network users to create private profiles, upload photos and network via friendship requests, among other things.
Facebook is operated by Facebook, Inc, 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. The person responsible for the processing of personal data if a data subject lives outside the USA or Canada is Facebook Ireland Ltd, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland.
No Facebook components (Facebook plug-in) have been integrated on this website. For this reason, Facebook does not know which specific subpage of our website is visited by the person concerned. An overview of all Facebook plug-ins can be found at developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/.
This website links to our Facebook page at the bottom of each page. By clicking on this link you leave this website and establish a direct connection between your browser and the Facebook servers.
The privacy policy for the MPI CEC Facebook page provides more detailed information about the collection, use and storage of your data when you visit the Facebook page.
The data policy published by Facebook, which is available at de-de.facebook.com/about/privacy/, provides information about the collection, processing and use of personal data by Facebook. It also explains what setting options Facebook offers to protect the privacy of the person concerned. In addition, various applications are available that make it possible to suppress data transmission to Facebook. Such applications can be used by the person concerned to suppress data transmission to Facebook.
G. Twitter
The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion has a Twitter profile linked to this website.
Twitter is a multilingual, publicly accessible microblogging service on which users can publish and distribute so-called tweets, i.e. short messages limited to 280 characters. These short messages can be accessed by anyone, including those not registered on Twitter. The tweets are also displayed to the so-called followers of the respective user. Followers are other Twitter users who follow a user's tweets. Furthermore, Twitter makes it possible to address a broad audience via hashtags, links or retweets.
The operating company of Twitter is Twitter, Inc. 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA.
No Twitter components (Twitter plug-in) have been integrated on this website. However, it can happen that Twitter gets information about which specific subpage of our website is visited by the person concerned, since some browsers transmit such information by default. A complete overview of all Twitter plug-ins can be found at https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-for-websites/overview.html.
This website links to our Twitter profile at the bottom of every page. By clicking on this link, you leave this website and establish a direct connection between your browser and the Twitter servers.
The data policy published by Twitter and available at https://twitter.com/de/privacy provides information on the collection, processing and use of personal data by Twitter. It also explains which settings Twitter offers to protect the privacy of the person concerned. In addition, various applications are available that make it possible to suppress data transmission to Twitter. Such applications can be used by the data subject to suppress data transmission to Twitter.
H. LinkedIn
The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion has a LinkedIn company page that links to this website.
LinkedIn is a web-based social network for maintaining business contacts. A social network is an Internet-based social meeting place, an online community that usually enables users to communicate with each other and interact in virtual space. A social network can serve as a platform for the exchange of opinions and experiences or enables the Internet community to provide personal or company-related information. LinkedIn enables social network users to create private profiles, upload photos and network via connection requests, among other things.
The operating company of LinkedIn is LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.
No LinkedIn components (LinkedIn plug-in) have been integrated on this website. Nevertheless, it may happen that LinkedIn obtains knowledge of which specific sub-page of our website is visited by the data subject, as some browsers transmit such information by default. A complete overview of when LinkedIn uses plug-ins can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/97562.
The data policy published by LinkedIn, which can be accessed at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy?trk=content_footer-privacy-policy#choices, provides information about the collection, processing and use of personal data by LinkedIn. It also explains the settings options LinkedIn offers to protect the privacy of the data subject. The data collection can be deactivated at any time by the logged-in user under the following link: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/enhanced-advertising.
I. YouTube
On some pages, our website uses external links to videos on the YouTube platform that are not directly embedded in the pages. The external links are provided with a preview image generated via an API service provided by YouTube.
All YouTube content displayed on www.mpg.de [Please, insert the institute´s address] is subject to YouTube's terms of use. By accessing this content, users of www.mpg.de [Please, insert the institute´s address] accept these terms of use.
YouTube's terms of use can be viewed at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/t/terms
The data protection declaration (Google PrivacyPolicy) can be accessed at the following link: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en
J. General details
1. Contact details of the controller
The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation and other national data protection acts as well as other data protection legislation is the
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. (MPG)
Hofgartenstrasse 8
D-80539 Munich, Germany
Telephone: +49 (89) 2108-0
Contact: https://www.mpg.de/kontakt/anfragen
Internet: https://www.mpg.de
2. Data Protection Officer's contact details
The controller’s Data Protection Officer can be reached as follows:
Data Protection Officer of the MPG
Hofgartenstrasse 8
D-80539 Munich, Germany
Telephone: +49 (89) 2108-1554
datenschutz(at)mpg.de
E. Rights of the data subjects
As a data subject whose personal data are collected in the context of the above-mentioned services, you generally have the following rights unless legal exceptions apply in individual cases:
- Information (Article 15 GDPR)
- Correction (Article 16 GDPR)
- Deletion (Article 17 (1) GDPR)
- Restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR)
- Data transmission (Article 20 GDPR)
- Revocation of processing (Article 21 GDPR)
- Revocation of consent (Article 7 (3) GDPR)
- Right to complain to the regulator (Article 77 GDPR). For the MPG, this is the Bavarian Data Protection Authority (BayLDA), Postfach 1349, 91504 Ansbach, Germany.