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Data Privacy Declaration
The issue of data protection and confidentiality is a topic we take very seriously, and we follow the applicable national and European data protection regulations.

General information
Thank you for your interest in the website of the Merck Foundation gGmbH, hereinafter referred to as "Merck Foundation".

We take data protection and privacy issues very seriously and comply with the applicable national and European data protection regulations. Therefore, we would like to inform you with this declaration about data protection measures and which data we may store and how we use this data.

WHAT KIND OF DATA IS COLLECTED AND HOW IS IT USED?

Data collection by this website
Whenever a user accesses the website, the user's internet browser automatically transfers the following data to our web server for technical reasons:
  • date and time of access
  • name and URL of the retrieved file
  • transferred data volume
  • identification data of the browser and operating system used
This data is collected, processed and used for enabling the use of the website (connection setup), system security and technical administration of the network infrastructure. A comparison with other databases or a transfer to third parties, also in excerpts, does only take place after an anonymization of the IP address of the accessing computer. The legal basis for processing is Art. 6 para. 1 b GDPR.
The data collected as part of the voluntary entries under "Contacts & Service" will be used and processed exclusively for processing the enquiry and to carry out the services you may have requested.

USE OF GOOGLE ANALYTICS

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. ("Google"). Google Analytics uses "cookies", which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. However, if you activate the IP anonymization on this website, your IP address will be shortened previously by Google within Member States of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases the full IP address is transferred to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide the website operator with further services related to website and internet use. The IP address transmitted by your browser within the scope of Google Analytics will not be aggregated with other Google data. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. You can also prevent Google from collecting the data generated by the cookie and relating to your use of the website (including your IP address) and from processing this data by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under the following link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en

You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting data by clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie is set that prevents future collection of your data when you visit this website: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/eula.html?hl=en For more information on terms of use and privacy, please visit http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/en.html or https://www.google.com/intl/en/privacy.html

Please note that on the website Google Analytics has been extended by the code "anonymizeIP" in order to guarantee an anonymous registration of IP addresses (so-called IP masking).

The legal basis for processing is Art. 6 para. 1 f GDPR, whereby our authorization arises from the fact that, on the one hand,  Merck Foundation and affiliated companies, has an interest in evaluating the website data for purposes of website optimization and, on the other hand, a concerned person can reasonably foresee at the time when the personal data is collected and in view of the circumstances under which it is carried out (in particular the above-mentioned measures) that it will possibly be processed for this purpose.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLUGINS

We use social media plugins from various social networks (e. g. Facebook).  With the help of these plugins you can share content or recommend products. The plugins are deactivated by default and therefore do not send data to other websites. By clicking on the button “Share" and the confirmation by a second click on “OK” you can activate plugins (so-called 2-click solution).

If these plugins are activated, your browser establishes a direct connection with the servers of the respective social media network as soon as you access the operator's website. The content of the respective plugin is transmitted directly from the social media network to your browser and embedded into the website.
By embedding the plugins, the social media network receives the information that you have visited the respective page of the operator. If you are logged in to the social media network, it can allocate the visit to your account. When you interact with the plugins, the corresponding information is transferred directly from your browser to the social media network and stored there.

For the purpose and scope of data collection and the further processing and use of the data by social media networks, as well as your rights and options for the protection of your privacy, please refer to the data protection notices of the respective networks.

If you do not want social media networks to collect information about you through the operator's website, you must log out or disable the social media plugins before you visit our website.

Even if you are not logged in to social media networks, websites with active social media plugins can still send data to these networks. With an active plugin, a cookie with an identifier is placed each time the website is accessed. Since your browser sends this cookie every time you connect to a network server without being asked, the network could basically use it to create a profile of the websites visited by the user associated with the ID. And it would then also be possible to assign this identifier to a person again later - for example when logging on later to the social network.
Further information can be found in the data privacy statements of the social media platforms following these links: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube and Instagram. In case you disagree with the data collection by these platforms you can deactivate the plugins in your browser. To avoid the connection with your existing user profile on these platforms you have to logout from the following platforms prior to your visit of our websites:

The operator uses the following plugins: IS OTHER PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED AND PROCESSED?

We collect and process your personal data only if you request certain services and we need your data for this purpose or if you have voluntarily given us your express consent. The legal basis for processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 b GDPR and Art. 6 Para. 1 a GDPR.

You can do this, for example, by completing a registration form or sending us an email, submitting inquiries to us, unless otherwise required by law, we will only use your personal data for the purposes for which you have given your consent.

The data collected within the scope of our whistleblower system ("SpeakUp-Line") are processed exclusively for the processing and follow-up of the reports received. The legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 para. 1 f DSGVO.
For special services such as newsletters, sweepstakes, etc. the respective special data protection provisions apply.

WILL MY DATA BE TRANSFERRED TO THIRD PARTIES, E. G. AUTHORITIES?

At Merck Foundation, those bodies within our company receive your data that are required to fulfill our contractual and legal obligations. Some data must be disclosed under strict contractual and legal requirements:
  • Due to legal obligation:
In certain cases, we are required by law to transfer data to a requesting public authority.
Upon submission of a court order, we are obliged pursuant to § 101 of the German Copyright Act to provide owners of copyright and ancillary copyrights with information about customers who are alleged to have offered copyright-protected works on internet file-sharing sites. In these cases, our information contains the user ID of an IP address allocated at the time requested and, if known, the name and address of the customer.
In other respects, personal data will only be transferred to state institutions and public authorities within the framework of mandatory national legal provisions or if disclosure is necessary in the event of attacks on the network infrastructure for legal or criminal prosecution. The legal basis for processing is Art. 6 Para. 1 c GDPR or § 24 Para. 2 No. 1 German Federal Data Protection Act.

•          To external service providers for data processing:

When service providers get access to our customers' personal data, this usually takes place in the course of so-called order processing of personal data. This is expressly provided for by law. In this case, Merck Foundation and affiliated companies, remains responsible for the protection of your data – in addition, the processor may also be responsible. The service provider works strictly in accordance with our instructions, which we ensure by means of strict contractual regulations, technical and organizational measures and supplementary controls.

Merck Foundation, Darmstadt, Germany, works with service suppliers as processors. These are Group companies and service providers for IT services (e. g. for technical-administrative tasks and for usage analysis), telecommunications, consulting and advisory services as well as sales and marketing.

The data protection regulations for instruction-bound order processing of personal data are complied with.
Beyond this, we do not transfer data to third parties unless you have given your express consent, the transfer is obviously necessary for the provision of an offer or service requested by you or this is provided for by law. We also do not intend to transfer your data beyond this to a third country or international organization.

HOW LONG WILL MY DATA BE STORED?

We store data as long as it is legally necessary or necessary for the provision of the service requested by you, or as long as it has been agreed upon in a declaration of consent.

DO I HAVE A RIGHT TO INFORMATION AND RECTIFICATION OF MY STORED DATA?

What other rights do I have regarding my stored data?

You may at any time and free of charge request information about the scope, origin and recipients of the stored data as well as the purpose of the storage; in addition, you have the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of the processing of your data in accordance with data protection regulations, a right to object to the processing as well as a right to data portability. Please note that there is a right of appeal to a supervisory authority.

CAN I WITHDRAW MY CONSENT TO THE USE OF MY DATA?

You have the right to withdraw your consent to the use of your data at any time. Just send an Email or send a letter to the following address:
Merck Foundation gGmbH
Frankfurter Str. 250
64293 Darmstadt
Germany

The data processing performed based on your consent is legal until the time of withdrawal.

WHO IS MY CONTACT PERSON IF I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT DATA PROTECTION?

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact the Merck Foundation Data Protection Officer at any time:

Merck Foundation gGmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
Group Data Protection Officer
Frankfurter Strasse 250
64293 Darmstadt
Email

HOW LONG IS THIS DATA PRIVACY DECLARATION VALID?

This data privacy declaration is up to date. We reserve the right to amend the data privacy declaration at any time with effect for the future, in particular to adapt it to a further development of the website or the implementation of new technologies.