Privacy policy

This privacy policy informs you about the processing of your personal data in the context of your use of this website and the functionalities provided through it (referred to collectively in the following as the Website).

Data Controller

The website is operated by IU Internationale Hochschule GmbH, Juri-Gagarin-Ring 152 D-99084 Erfurt, Germany („IU“). IU is the Data Controller responsible for the processing of your personal data. IU has appointed Dr Annette Demmel, SPB DPO Services GmbH, Unter den Linden 14, 10117 Berlin, annette.demmel@spb-dpo-services.com, as its Data Protection Officer.

Data categories

The following data categories are processed by IU in connection with your use of the website:

Log data, such as your IP address, including details on the request sent to our website, e.g. date and time, status and volume of data transferred, information about the browser you use (browser type and version number), information on the website from which you have come to our website and any downloads you have undertaken. IU stores this data in a log file every time a page is accessed. Without further additional information, such as information from an Internet service provider concerning the connection owner, to which IU generally does not have access without specific grounds, such as suspicion of a legal violation, IU is not capable of assigning this data to any individual, identifiable persons.

Cookies, to expand the range of the website’s functions and make it easier for you to use. These are small text files that are stored on your computer. Most of the cookies used by IU are deleted from your hard drive at the end of the browser session (session cookies). IU also uses what are known as permanent cookies, which stay on your device so that we can identify you the next time you visit our website. You have the option of preventing the storage of cookies on your device by making the corresponding change to your browser settings.

Purpose and legal basis of processing

Your personal data will be processed for the purpose of facilitating your use of the website, to avoid and resolve website errors, and for the purpose of optimisation in respect of user behaviour. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) (b) of the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’). Where we use your personal data to fulfil a legal obligation, the legal basis is Art. 6 (1) (e) GDPR. Your personal data will also be processed in the context of the comment function of the blog and the chat to allow the desired communication to take place. The legal basis in this regard is Art. 6 (1) (b) of the General Data Protection Regulation. The processing of your personal data for Google Analytics and the social plug-ins takes place as described below.

Consent can be withdrawn at any time with effect for the future. For this purpose, please contact datenschutz@iu.org.

Recipients

Access to your personal data is exclusively granted to employees of IU who are responsible for the technical administration, maintenance and further development of the website, and to employees providing support for the website. In addition, IU uses external IT service companies to maintain its IT systems which may obtain access to your personal data in the course of their activities. The same applies to the hosting provider. In addition, employees of Google and the operators of the social plug-ins may gain access to your personal data as described below.

Transfer

In no case will your data be disclosed to third parties without your express prior consent.

By accepting this privacy policy, you consent to us disclosing to third parties such personal data that is indispensable for the sending of information material, the management of your distance learning course and the provision of our services. This includes in particular the disclosure of:

• Address data for the dispatch of our study guides/brochures
• Address data for the dispatch of study scripts
• Personal data (name, date of birth, study and course information) required for you to sit examinations at external examination centres
• Personal data (name, date of birth, study and course information) for the printing of documents, certificates and references

Data transmitted to third parties may be used only for the provision of the above services, and all cooperation partners are obliged to treat your data in accordance with this privacy policy and the applicable laws. Transmitted data will be deleted without delay after the provision of the service.

With the exception of the transfer of usage data to the USA in connection with Google Analytics and the social plug-ins as described below, IU will not transfer your personal data to third countries outside the EU. Other transfers of data will take place only where IU is obliged by law or by public authorities to do so, or where the disclosure is necessary in the context of your use of the website. You can contact datenschutz@iu.org to request a copy of the standard contract clause on data protection which is used to secure the transfer.

How long will your personal data be stored?

Your personal data will be deleted when you have withdrawn your consent to processing or when the personal data is no longer required to fulfil the purpose of the processing. The deletion will not take place before the expiry of the archiving period stipulated in tax or commercial regulations. This will not apply where statutory provisions stand in the way of deletion, where continued storage is required for evidentiary purposes, or where you have expressly consented to a longer storage period. The deletion of your personal data generated within the framework of Google Analytics and the social plug-ins will take place as described in the respective privacy policies of the operators.

Your rights

You can contact IU either in writing or by email at datenschutz@iu.org in order to exercise the following rights:

• To check or review information concerning your data,
• To receive a copy of your personal data,
• For the rectification or erasure of data or restriction of processing, including the right to complete incomplete or incorrect data by providing supplementary information,
• The right to withdraw consent to processing,
• You can receive the data you have provided in a structured, conventional and machine-readable format and transfer this data to another controller where you have given your consent to processing, or where this processing is based on a contract.
• You also have the right to complain to a supervisory authority in respect of the processing of your personal data.

Why is your personal data collected?

IU requires your personal data to allow you to use the website. You have the option of refusing to provide your personal data or of providing IU with incomplete data. This may, however, make it impossible for IU to allow you to use the website, either wholly or in part.

Automated decision-making and profile generation

Your personal data will not be used by IU for automated decision-making. Nor will IU generate profiles from your personal data. The evaluation of your user behaviour via Google Analytics will take place after abbreviation of your IP address, thus making it impossible to associate the data with your person.

Google Analytics and Social Plug-ins

Google Analytics

On its website, IU uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA („Google“). Google Analytics uses cookies. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) will be transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. Google will use this information to analyse your use of the website, to compile reports for IU about website activities and to provide further services associated with use of the website and the Internet. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law or where third parties process this data on behalf of Google. You can prevent the installation of cookies by changing the corresponding setting in your browser software. IU would point out, however, that you may not then be able to make full use of all the functions of this website. You can withdraw your consent to the processing of your data at any time with effect for the future. For details concerning Google’s use of your personal data, please click here: https://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/partners/

Privacy policy for the use of Facebook plug-ins (‘Like’ button)

Plug-ins for the Facebook social network, 1601 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA are integrated into the website. You can recognise these from the Facebook logo or the ‘Like’ button on the website. An overview of possible Facebook plug-ins can be found at the following link: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/. These Facebook plug-ins (‘Like’ button) cause a direct link to be created between your browser and the Facebook server when you visit the website. Your visit will send Facebook the information that you have visited the website from your IP address. If you now click on the Facebook ‘Like’ button on the website while logged into your Facebook account, the content of the website will be linked to your Facebook profile. Facebook will then be able assign your visit to the website to your user account. IU would inform you that, as the website provider, it does not become privy to the content of the data transmitted or how such data is used by Facebook. For this reason, IU asks you to click on the following link for further information regarding Facebook’s privacy policy: http://de-de.facebook.com/policy.php.

Privacy policy for the use of Twitter

The website also uses functions of the Twitter service. These functions are provided by Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. If you use Twitter and the ‘Retweet’ function, the websites you visit will be linked with your Twitter account and disclosed to other users. Data will also be sent to Twitter in the process. IU would inform you that, as the website provider, it does not become privy to the content of the data transmitted or how such data is used by Twitter. For this reason, IU asks you to click on the following link for further information regarding Twitter’s privacy policy: http://twitter.com/privacy. If you wish to change your privacy settings for Twitter, you can do so here:http://twitter.com/account/settings.

Privacy policy for the use of Google +

The website uses the ‘+1’ button of the Google Plus social network, which is operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. When you access a website page with this plug-in, a connection will be created to the Google servers, and the content of the ‘+1’ button displayed on the website by means of information sent to your browser. This transfers information concerning the subpages of the website you have visited to the Google server. IU has no influence over the scope of data that Google collects via this transfer. If you are logged in as a member of Google, Google will assign this information to your personal Google user account. When you use the plug-in functions (e.g. by clicking the ‘+1’ button), this information will also be assigned to your Google account; to prevent this, you will need to log out before using the plug-in. Further information on the processing of your personal data by Google Plus can be found at http://www.google.com/intl/de/+/policy/+1button.html.

Privacy policy for the use of the ‘Pin it’ button from Pinterest

The website uses the ‘Pin it’ button of the Pinterest social network, which is operated by Pinterest, Inc., 808 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. If you use the ‘Pin it’ button, Pinterest will receive the information that you have visited the website. If you are logged into your Pinterest account at this time, Pinterest will also be able to assign your visit to your Pinterest account. Clicking on the ‘Pin it’ button will send data to Pinterest which will then be stored on servers in the USA. If you wish to prevent this, you should log out of your Pinterest account before clicking on the ‘Pin it’ button. Further information on the processing of your personal data by Pinterest can be found under https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy.

Privacy policy for the use of the XING Share button

This website uses the ‘XING Share’ button. When accessing the website, your browser temporarily creates a connection to the servers of XING AG („XING“), which provide the ‘XING Share’ button functions (in particular the calculation/display of the counter value). XING will not store any of your personal data when you access this website. In particular, XING does not store any IP addresses. Nor will cookies associated with the ‘XING Share’ button be used to analyse your user behaviour. The most recent version of the privacy policy regarding the ‘XING Share’ button and supplementary information can be accessed on the following website: https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection.

Privacy policy for the use of the YouTube Play button

We use one or more YouTube plug-ins on our website. YouTube is a service provided by Google Inc., San Bruno/California, USA. Every time a user accesses our website, which has such a component, this component creates a connection with the YouTube servers. This process informs YouTube which specific page of our website is currently being visited. If you are logged in to YouTube, this will allow your surfing behaviour to be assigned directly to your personal YouTube account. This can be prevented by first logging out of your YouTube account. Further information on the collection and use of your data by YouTube can be found in the notes under http://www.youtube.com.