Introduction

This Privacy Policy aims to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, how we treat it, to where it can be transferred and how you can update and delete your information. Our services, processes and communication systems aim to ensure the highest possible degree of compliance with the applicable law: Regulation (EU) 2016/679, The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)).

This Privacy Policy covers all those residing in a country in the European Economic Area or in any included other country or territory (collectively referred to as the European Region).

This privacy policy governs the use of your data by the ENCODE Project – funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101132698; communicate with us via e-mail, telephone, the contact form available on the website and our social media channels; LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram (hereafter referred to as “Social Media Channels”); or interact with us at fairs and events.

1. Who is responsible for the processing of your data?

1.1 The European Center for Populism Studies (ECPS), dissemination and communication partner of the ENCODE project, processes your data. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme under grant agreement No 101132698. You can contact us via e-mail at  info@encodemotions.eu. 

1.3 The ECPS reserves the right to modify, change, or amend this Privacy Policy at its own discretion and occasionally. Such modifications, changes, or amendments shall be communicated via the Website. If you have questions or comments about the modifications, changes, or amendments, you can inform us by sending an email to  info@encodemotions.eu. 

2. How do we collect data and what categories of personal data do we process?

 We collect your data and process data when you:

a) Visit our website

b) Subscribe to receive our news (by completing a Mailchimp form)

c) Attend or participate in live events 

2.1 When you fill out the contact form on our Website or contact us via e-mail, telephone or Social Media Channels, we collect:

1. The basic identity information you provide us with, such as name, e-mail address, postal address, telephone number, the company you work for, your function;
2. The content of your communication and the technical details of the communication itself (with whom you correspond at our end, date and time, etc.);
3. Your preferences regarding receiving our e-mail communications, such as newsletters, advertisements, etc;
4. Electronic identification data, such as IP address;
5. Publicly available information about your profile on Social Media Channels and any other personal data you choose to provide to us.

2.2 Whenever you leave us your business card or interact with us at fairs and events at which we are present, we may collect:

1. The basic identity information you provide us with, such as name, e-mail address, postal address, telephone number, the company you work for, your function (i.e. when such information is provided by you or shown on your business card);
2. Your image.

3. For what purpose do we use your personal data?

3.1 ECPS processes your personal data to provide you in a personalized and efficient way with the information, products and/or services you request via the Website, e-mail, telephone, Social Media Channels and fairs and events.

3.2 ECPS processes your personal data to communicate with you as a result of our contact at a event or as a result of your approach via the Website, e-mail, telephone or one of our Social Media Channels.

3.3 ECPS processes your personal data to perform statistical analyses so that we may improve our Website, our products and services or develop new products and services.

3.4 ECPS processes your personal data to comply with legal obligations or to comply with any reasonable request from competent law enforcement agents or representatives, judicial authorities, governmental agencies or bodies, including competent data protection authorities. Your personal data may be transferred upon ECPS’s own initiative to the police or the judicial authorities as evidence or if there are justified suspicions of an unlawful act or crime committed by you through your registration with or use of the Website, our Social Media Channels or other communication with us.

3.5 ECPS may process your personal data for the preservation of the legitimate interests of the ENCODE project, its partners or a third party if and when you register with, or use of the Website, Social Media Channels or other communication channels can be considered 

a) a violation of any applicable terms of use or the intellectual property rights or any other right of a third party, 

b) a threat to the security or integrity of the Website, 

c) a danger to the Website or any of ENCODE project’s or its subcontractors’ underlying systems due to viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, malware or any other form of malicious code, or 

d) in any way hateful, obscene, discriminating, racist, slanderous, spiteful, hurtful or in some other way inappropriate or illegal.

3.6 ECPS processes your personal data mentioned under clauses 2.1, 2.2 and above for marketing purposes, i.e. to provide you with targeted communications, promotions, offerings and other advertisements of the ENCODE project and selected partners. ENCODE project will only send you communications, promotions, offerings, newsletters and other advertisements via e-mail or other person-to-person electronic communications channels if you have explicitly consented to receive such communications, newsletters and other advertisements.

4. Why is our processing of your personal data legitimate?

4.1 For the processing of your personal data for the purpose outlined in clause 3.1, we ask for your consent.

4.2 Although the partner responsible for the dissemination and communication activities within project ENCODE, ECPS, is registered in Belgium (an EU member), the data protection law in Belgium is fully aligned with the GDPR and other relevant data protection regulations. All the work that will be conducted in Belgium follows the procedures and criteria that have been set and are in accordance with the standards and guidelines of the Horizon Europe program, EU legislation, and the applicable national legislation for every EU country involved.

4.3 The processing of your personal data for the purpose outlined in clause 3.4 is necessary to allow the ENCODE project to comply with its legal obligations.

4.4 The processing of your personal data for the purposes outlined in clauses 3.2, 3.3, and 3.6 is necessary for the purpose of the legitimate interests of ENCODE project, which are:

1. being able to respond to your requests for information and other requests appropriately;
2. communicate your data to our partners in the ENCODE project to provide you with adequate information;
3. allowing us to defend ourselves in legal proceedings;
4. continuous improvements to the Website, our Social Media Channels, products and services to ensure that you have the best experience possible;
5. keeping our Website, Social Media Channels, products and services safe from misuse and illegal activity;
6. safeguarding our commercial and project interests and needs in light of changing market conditions.
7. marketing and promotion of our research, services, and events and overall successful commercialization of our products and services.

4.5 For processing your personal data for the purposes outlined in clause 3.1, ECPS as the responsible party asks for your consent. By consenting to our processing of your personal data for sending you communications, promotions, offerings, newsletters and other advertisements via e-mail or other person-to-person electronic communications channels, you agree that we are allowed to process your personal data for this purpose in the manner and under the conditions outlined in this Privacy Policy.

5. What are our quality assurances?

5.1 ECPS does its utmost to process only those personal data that are necessary to achieve the purposes listed under the purpose for processing.

5.2 Your data is securely stored by ECPS on a password-protected server. Only authorized people can access the information. Data will be stored 12 months after project completion. Your data is processed only for as long as necessary for the purposes listed above or until you withdraw your consent for processing them. ECPS will de-identify your data when they are no longer necessary for the purposes outlined in the purpose for processing unless there is:

1. an overriding interest of the ENCODE project or any other third party in keeping your data identifiable;
2. a legal or regulatory obligation or a judicial or administrative order that prevents the ENCODE project from de-identifying them.

5.3 ECPS takes all the appropriate technical and organizational measures to keep your personal data safe from unauthorized access or theft, accidental loss, tampering, or destruction. Access by personnel of ECPS or its third-party processors will only be on a need-to-know basis and subject to strict confidentiality obligations.

6. What are your rights?

6.1 You have the right to request access to all personal data processed by ECPS pertaining to you. ECPS reserves the right to charge an administrative fee for multiple subsequent requests for access that are clearly submitted for causing nuisance or harm the to the ENCODE project.

6.2 You have the right to ask that any personal data pertaining to you that are inaccurate, are corrected free of charge. If a request for correction is submitted, such request shall be accompanied by proof of the flawed nature of the data for which correction is asked.

6.3 You have the right to withdraw your earlier consent under clause 4.4 for processing your data.

6.4 You have the right to request that personal data pertaining to you be deleted if they are no longer required in light of the purposes which are outlined above or if you withdraw your consent for processing them. However, you need to keep in mind that a request for deletion will be evaluated by ECPS against:

1. Overriding interests of ENCODE project or any other third party;
2. Legal or regulatory obligations or administrative or judicial orders that may contradict such deletion.

Instead of deletion, you can also ask that ECPS limit the processing of your data if and when

a) You contest the accuracy of that data, 

b) The processing is illegitimate or 

c) The data are no longer needed for the purposes outlined above, but you need them to defend yourself in judicial proceedings.

6.5 You have the right to oppose the processing of personal data if you are able to prove that there are serious and justified reasons connected with his particular circumstances that warrant such opposition. However, if the intended processing qualifies as direct marketing, you have the right to oppose such processing free of charge and without justification.

6.6 You have the right to receive all personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

6.7 If you wish to submit a request to exercise one or more of the rights listed above, you can send an e-mail to  info@encodemotions.eu. for all data subject rights matters. An e-mail requesting to exercise a right shall not be construed as consent to processing your data beyond what is required for handling your request. Such a request should clearly state and specify which right you wish to exercise and the reasons for it if such is required. It should also be dated and signed and accompanied by a digitally scanned copy of your valid identity card proving your identity.

ENCODE project will promptly inform you of having received this request. If the request proves valid, the ENCODE project shall notify it as soon as reasonably possible and at the latest thirty (30) days after having received the request.

If you believe that the processing of personal data has been carried out contrary to the provisions of the law, you have the right to file a complaint to the competent data protection authority – the Commissioner. The state administration body responsible for the protection of personal data in the Kingdom of Belgium is the Data Protection Authority, Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels (E-mail: contact@apd-gba.be.)

PS: If you want information on how we process personal data via cookies on our Website, you are kindly referred to our Cookie Policy.