Privacy policy for social media

Data privacy statement relating to our social media presence

1. Responsibilities and Assertion of User Rights

If you visit one of our social media channels (e.g. Facebook), we (Stiftung Mercator GmbH), together with the operators of the social media platforms (see “Individual social networks” below for information about those persons with co-responsibility for the respective social media platform), are responsible for the data processing entailed by your visit. You can assert your rights (to information, correction, deletion, restriction of processing, data transmissibility and complaints) both vis-à-vis ourselves and vis-à-vis the operators of the social media portal in question (e.g. vis-à-vis Facebook).

Please note that although we share responsibility with the social media portal operators we do not have complete influence over the data processing activities of the social media portals. Our scope for action is determined primarily by the corporate policy of the providers in question.

Our Contact Information
Stiftung Mercator
Huyssenallee 40
45128 Essen

address for correspondence:

Postfach 10 33 26
45033 Essen
Tel. +49 201 245 22-0
Fax +49 201 245 22-44

Contact Information of our Data Protection Officer
2B Advice GmbH,
Joseph Schumpeter Allee 25
53227 Bonn
Tel: +49 (228) 926165 120
@

2. Data processing within the framework of our social media presences, general information

We maintain publicly accessible profiles on social networks. A large number of data processing activities is set in motion when you visit these profiles. We provide you with an overview below of which of your personal data is collected, used and stored by us when you visit our profiles.

The individual social networks used by us can be found further below.

Social networks like Facebook, Twitter etc. can create a user profile in which your preferences and interests are recorded. This allows advertising that reflects your particular interests to be shown to you within and outside the respective social media presence. If you have an account with the respective social network, this interest-based advertising can be displayed on all devices on which you are or have been logged in.

Please also note that we are unable to track all the processing activities that take place on the social media portals. Depending on the provider, it is therefore possible that other processing activities will be conducted by the operators of the social media portals. Details of these can be found in the conditions of use and data privacy regulations of the respective social media portals.

Legal basis

Our social media appearances are intended to maintain as comprehensive an online presence as possible. This is a legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6 paragraph 1 point f of the GDPR.

Duration of storage

The data collected directly by us via the social media presence will be deleted from our systems as soon as you request us to delete it, revoke your consent to its storage or the purpose of the data storage is no longer applicable.

We have no influence over the duration of storage of your data that is stored by the operators of the social networks for their own purposes. Details of this can be obtained directly from the operators of the social networks (e.g. in their data privacy statement, see below).

Cookies

We have no influence whatsoever over the cookies that are used on the social networks and refer you to the cookie policy of the respective social networks.

3. Data processing with the framework of the individual social networks
3.1 Facebook

We have a profile on Facebook. This service is provided by Facebook Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland.

We have concluded a joint controller agreement (Controller Addendum) with Facebook. This agreement defines the data processing activities for which we and/or Facebook are responsible when you visit our Facebook page. You can view this agreement by clicking on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum.

Because personal data are transmitted to the USA, further protective mechanisms are necessary to ensure the data protection level of the GDPR. To guarantee this, we have agreed with the provider on standard data protection clauses pursuant to Article 46 paragraph 2 point c) of the GDPR. These oblige the recipients of the data in the USA to process the data in line with the protection level in Europe.

Details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum and https://de-de.facebook.com/help/566994660333381.

Processing of personal data by Facebook:

We would like to point out that you use this Facebook page and its functions at your own risk. This applies in particular to the use of the interactive functions (e.g. commenting, sharing, liking).

When you visit our Facebook page, Facebook records among other things your IP address and other information available on your PC in the form of cookies. This information is used in order to provide us, as the operator of the Facebook pages, with statistical information about use of the Facebook page. Facebook makes more detailed information about this available in the following link:

http://de-de.facebook.com/help/pages/insights

The data recorded about you in this context is processed by Facebook Ltd., which may involve it being transmitted to countries outside the European Union. In its privacy policy, Facebook provides a general description of which information Facebook receives and how it is used. You will also find information there about ways of contacting Facebook and about setting options for displayed advertising. The privacy policy can be accessed via the following link:

http://de-de.facebook.com/about/privacy

Facebook’s full data use policy can be found here:

https://de-de.facebook.com/full_data_use_policy

How Facebook uses the data from Facebook page visits for its own purposes, the extent to which activities on the Facebook page are attributed to individual users, how long Facebook stores this data and whether data stemming from a Facebook page visit is passed on to third parties is not specified conclusively and clearly by Facebook and is not known to us.

When you access a Facebook page, the IP address assigned to your end device is transmitted to Facebook. According to information from Facebook, this IP address is anonymized (in the case of “German” IP addresses) and deleted after 90 days. In addition, Facebook stores information about the end devices of its users (e.g. within the framework of the function “log-in notification”); it is possible that this allows Facebook to assign IP addresses to individual users.

If you are currently logged in to Facebook as a user, a cookie with your Facebook ID will be located on your end device. This enables Facebook to track that you accessed this page and how you used it. This also applies to all other Facebook pages. Facebook buttons embedded in websites allows Facebook to record your visits to these websites and assign them to your Facebook profile. On the basis of this data, you can be offered tailormade content or advertising.

You can adjust your advertising settings in your user account yourself. To do so, click on the following link and log in: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads.

Processing of data by us:

Our Facebook page offers you the chance to respond to and comment on our posts, to create your own posts and to send us private messages about personal issues. The data that is provided in this context by you and may be accessible to us (e.g. Facebook user name, images, and possibly interests and contact details) will be used by us solely for the purpose of communication based on an overriding legitimate interest (Article 6 paragraph 1 point f of the GDRP). Your data will be deleted, insofar as we are able to do so, when operation of the Facebook page is discontinued.

In addition, statistical data in different categories is accessible to us via the so-called “insights” on the Facebook page. These statistics are compiled and made available by Facebook. As operator of the page, we have no influence on their generation or depiction. We cannot deactivate this function, nor can we prevent the generation or processing of the data. Facebook makes the following data, among others, available to us with respect to our Facebook page:

Total number of page views and activities, post interactions (“likes”, comments, shared content, clicks on links, etc.), (post) reach, video views, responses, proportion of men and women, origin with respect to country and city, language.

Because Facebook is constantly evolving, the availability of the data and the way it is prepared are changing, so we refer you for further details to Facebook’s aforementioned data privacy statement. We use this data that is available in aggregated form to make our posts and activities on our Facebook page more attractive to users.

We cannot link the statistical data to the profile data of Facebook users.

3.2 Instagram

We have a profile on Istagram. This service is provided by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (formerly “Facebook Ireland Limited”), 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Irland Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA.

We have concluded a joint controller agreement (Controller Addendum) with Meta. This agreement defines the data processing activities for which we and/or Meta are responsible when you visit our Instagram page. You can view this agreement by clicking on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum.

Details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum und https://de-de.facebook.com/help/566994660333381.

For details on their handling of your personal data, please refer to Instagram’s privacy policy

https://help.instagram.com/581066165581870/

Processing of personal data by Instagram:

We would like to point out that you use this Instagram page and ist functions at your own risk. This applies in particular to the use oft he interactive functions (e.g. commenting, sharing, liking).

When you visit our Instagram page, Instagram records among other things your IP address and other information available on your PC in the form of cookies. This information is used in order to provide us, as the operator of the Instagram pages, with statistical information about use of the Instagram page.

The data recorded about you in this context is processed by Instagram Ltd., which may involve it being transmitted to countries outside the European Union. In its privacy policy, Instagram provides a general description of which information Instagram receives and how it is used. You will also find information there about ways of contacting Instagram and about setting options for displayed advertising. The privacy policy can be accessed via the following link:

https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/

How Instagram uses the data from Instagram page visits for its own purposes, the extent to which activities on the Instagram page are attributed to individual users, how long Instagram stores this data and whether data stemming from a Facebook page visit is passed on to third parties is not specified conclusively and clearly by Facebook and is not known to us.

When you access a Instagram page, the IP address assigned to your end device is transmitted to Instagram. According to information from Instagram, this IP address is anonymized (in the case of “German” IP addresses) and deleted after 90 days. In addition, Instagram stores information about the end devices of its users (e.g. within the framework of the function “log-in notification”); it is possible that this allows Instagram to assign IP addresses to individual users.

If you are currently logged in to Instagram as a user, a cookie with your Instagram ID will be located on your end device. This enables Instagram to track that you accessed this page and how you used it. This also applies to all other Facebook pages. Instagram buttons embedded in websites allows Instagram to record your visits to these websites and assign them to your Instagram profile. On the basis of this data, you can be offered tailormade content or advertising.

Processing of data by us

Our Instagram page offers you the chance to respond to and comment on our posts, to create your own posts and to send us private messages about personal issues. The data that is provided in this context by you and may be accessible to us (e.g. Instagram user name, images, and possibly interests and contact details) will be used by us solely for the purpose of communication based on an overriding legitimate interest (Article 6 paragraph 1 point f of the GDRP). Your data will be deleted, insofar as we are able to do so, when operation of the Instagram page is discontinued.

In addition, statistical data in different categories is accessible to us via the so-called “insights” on the Instagram page. These statistics are compiled and made available by Instagram. As operator of the page, we have no influence on their generation or depiction. We cannot deactivate this function, nor can we prevent the generation or processing of the data. Instagram makes the following data, among others, available to us with respect to our Instagram page:

Because Instagram is constantly evolving, the availability of the data and the way it is prepared are changing, so we refer you for further details to Instagram’s aforementioned data privacy statement. We use this data that is available in aggregated form to make our posts and activities on our Instagram page more attractive to users. We cannot link the statistical data to the profile data of Instagram users.

3.3 Twitter

We use the Twitter microblogging service. This service is provided by the Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland.

Details can be found here: https://gdpr.twitter.com/en/controller-to-controller-transfers.html.

You have the possibility to limit the processing of your data in the general settings of your Twitter account and under the menu item “Privacy and safety”.

You can adjust your Twitter privacy settings in your user account yourself. To do so, click on the following link and log in: https://twitter.com/personalization.

Processing of personal data by Twitter:

We would like to point out that you use the Twitter microblogging service on offer here and its functions at your own risk. This applies in particular to the use of the interactive functions (e.g. sharing or liking). Information about which data are processed by Twitter and used for which purposes can be found in Twitter’s privacy statement: https://twitter.com/de/privacy.

We have no influence over the type or scope of the data processed by Twitter, the type of processing or the use or transfer of this data to third parties. In this respect we also have no effective control options.

Processing of data by us:

The data you enter on Twitter, especially your user name and the content published under your account, is processed by us to the extent that we may retweet or respond to your tweets or may compose tweets ourselves that reference your account.

If you share your data when you contact us independently using the tweet or direct messaging function that is provided by Twitter, this data will be processed by us.

In addition, we receive anonymous statistics from Twitter about use of the page. The following information is provided:

Followers: number of people who follow us – including growth rates and trends over a defined period of time.
Reach: number of people who see a specific post. Number of interactions in response to a post.
Ad performance: how many people were reached with a post or paid ad and interacted with it.

We use these statistics, from which we cannot draw conclusions about individual users, to constantly improve our online offering on Twitter and to better reflect the interests of our users. We cannot link the statistical data to the profile data of Twitter users.

3.4 LinkedIn

We have a profile on LinkedIn. This service is provided by the LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. LinkedIn uses advertising cookies.

We have concluded a joint controller agreement (Controller Addendum) with LinkedIn. This agreement defines the data processing activities for which we and/or LinkedIn are responsible when you visit our LinkedIn page. You can view this agreement by clicking on the following link:

https://legal.linkedin.com/pages-joint-controller-addendum

Details can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/l/dpa and https://www.linkedin.com/legal/l/eu-sccs.

Processing of personal data by LinkedIn:

We would like to point out that you use this LinkedIn page and its functions at your own risk. This applies in particular to the use of the interactive functions (for example when you post a comment, click a Like button, share a post, send us a message, visit the page or engage in any other interaction on our LinkedIn page).

We have no influence over the type or scope of the data processed by LinkedIn, the type of processing or the use or transfer of this data to third parties. In this respect we also have no effective control options. You have the possibility to limit the processing of your data in the general settings of your LinkedIn account. On mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers) you can additionally use the settings there to limit the access LinkedIn has to contact and calendar data, photos, location data etc. This will depend on the operating system you use, however.

Further information about these points can be found in LinkedIn‘s privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy?_l=de_DE

Information about the personalization and privacy setting options can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/66?lang=de

If you wish to disable LinkedIn advertising cookies, please use the following link: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.

Processing of data by us:

We process your data when you communicate with us via LinkedIn.

Through the analysis of visits to and interactions on our LinkedIn page, we additionally receive statistics. The visitor statistics that are compiled are transmitted to us solely in anonymized form. We use these statistics, from which we cannot draw conclusions about individual users, to constantly improve our online offering on LinkedIn and to better reflect the interests of our users. We cannot link the statistical data to the profile data of LinkedIn users.

3.5 YouTube

We have a profile on YouTube. This service is provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Because personal data are transmitted to the USA, further protective mechanisms are necessary to ensure the data protection level of the GDPR. To guarantee this, Google applies the standard data protection clauses pursuant to Article 46 paragraph 2 point c) of the GDPR:

https://policies.google.com/privacy/frameworks?hl=de

Processing of personal data by YouTube:

We would like to point out that you use the YouTube channel on offer here and its functions at your own risk. This applies in particular to the use of the “Discussion” function. Information about which data are processed by Google and used for which purposes can be found in Google’s privacy statement: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de&gl=de#infocollect.

We have no influence over the type or scope of the data processed by Google, the type of processing or the use or transfer of this data to third parties. In this respect we also have no effective control options.

You have the possibility to limit the processing of your data in the general settings of your Google account. In addition to these tools, Google also offers specific privacy settings for YouTube. More information can be found in Google’s product privacy guide: https://policies.google.com/technologies/product-privacy?hl=de&gl=de.

Processing of data by us:

We process personal data when you contact us via our YouTube channel, for example by commenting on a video. If you contact us via our YouTube channel, the content of your message and the other personal data that is transmitted at the same time will be processed by us. However, the data you enter on YouTube, especially your user name and the content published under your account, is processed by us to the extent that we may respond to your comments and your publications under “Discussions”.

In addition, we receive anonymous statistics from YouTube about use of the channel. The following information is provided:

Number of total video views and average video views per person, and trend data (figures rising/falling by how much)
Number of subscribers and trend data
Number of visitors to the channel
Viewer interactions (likes, comments, shared content)
Time users have spent on the channel with videos or until they subscribe
The reach of the video
The average percentage proportion of the videos that a user watches

We use these statistics, from which we cannot draw conclusions about individual users, to constantly improve our online offering on YouTube and to better reflect the interests of our users. We cannot link the statistical data to the profile data of YouTube users.

4. Your rights

You also have certain rights in connection with the processing of your personal data. Further details can be found in the corresponding provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Chapter III, Art. 15 to 21 GDPR).

You have the right to obtain information from us about the processing of your personal data within the scope of Art. 15 GDPR.
You have the right to obtain from us without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you and/or the completion of incomplete personal data within the scope of Art. 16 GDPR.
You have the right, within the scope of Art. 17 GDPR, to demand the immediate deletion of personal data concerning you.
You have the right, within the scope of Art. 18 GDPR, to demand the restriction of data processing concerning you.
You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, machine-readable format and have the right to transmit those data to another controller in accordance with Art. 20 GDPR.
You have the right, within the scope of Art. 21 GDPR, to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for reasons arising from your particular situation, provided that the processing is based on an overriding interest or your data is used for the purpose of direct marketing.
You have the right to withdraw your consent to data processing at any time without affecting the lawfulness of data processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

In addition, you have the right to complain to a supervisory authority about our processing of your data. The supervisory authority responsible for us is

State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information North Rhine-Westphalia

P.O. Box 20 04 44
40102 Düsseldorf

Telephone: 02 11/384 24-0
Fax: 02 11/384 24-10
E-mail: poststelle@ldi.nrw.de
Homepage: https://www.ldi.nrw.de

5. Version

This privacy policy is dated July 19 2023.