Data protection

This English version of the German data protection page is intended to inform and assist international visitors. In any matters of dispute, the original German version takes precedent.

Thank you for your interest in VISIT. The Controller in relation to the content of this website is E.ON Stiftung gGmbH, Brüsseler Platz, D-45131 Essen, Germany. We have taken technical and organisational measures to ensure that all relevant legislation regarding data protection and IT security is observed. Below you will find an explanation of the information we collect and how we handle it.

In general, we will use your personal data in order to respond to your query or to provide you with access to special information or offers – for example, during the application phases for a sponsorship. You have the opportunity to provide us with your personal data voluntarily as part of a registration process, contact request or similar. In such circumstances, it may be necessary to transmit your data to cooperation partners. Your data will not be transferred to any external third party unless your query or the service/product you have requested explicitly requires it – for example, in the course of our VISIT jury’s annual selection meeting. If this is the case, you will be notified accordingly at the appropriate point in the process. If you wish, you can also provide us with personal data via applications integrated into our platform (the application form, for example). Conditions for the use of these applications may differ from those in the present privacy policy. We will explicitly draw your attention to such instances within additional data protection clauses. The legal basis for processing of personal data required for the performance of a contract to which you are a contractual party is point (b) of Article 6(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To the extent we are required to obtain consent from the data subject for the processing of personal data, the legal basis for such processing is point (f) of Article 6(1) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Log Files and Cookies

When you visit our website or retrieve a file, data relating to this process is saved in a log file on our Internet server. This means that the data your browser transmits to us is automatically collected and stored when you visit our website.

In concrete terms, this data consists of the shortened and therefore anonymised IP address (shortening excludes the possibility of assigning it to a specific person), the most recent website visited by you (referrer), the names of accessed files, the date and time of access, and the operating system and browser version of your PC.

We also store the aforementioned data in log files. This storage is for the purpose of ensuring the functionality of the website. Furthermore, we use the data to measure the coverage of our website, and to optimise our website and ensure its security. However, there is no storage of the aforementioned data together with other personal data. The log files are stored for seven days and then erased. An exception shall apply where there is a statutory duty to forward the data.

Cookies are text files that generally consist of letters and numbers and are stored on the user’s computer when they visit our website. Cookies enable us to expand the range of functionality within our Internet presence in order to make it as enjoyable as possible for you to use.

Session cookies are only stored on your computer for the duration of your visit to our website. We only use session cookies. You can prevent cookies from being stored by making the appropriate setting on your browser. However, we would like to point out that should you choose to do this, you may not be able to use the site’s functionalities to their full potential.

Children

Children must not transfer any personal data to us without the permission of a parent or guardian. We advise all parents and guardians to instruct children on how to handle personal data online in a safe and responsible manner. In any event, we will not knowingly collect or use in any way personal data from children, or disclose it to third parties without authorisation.

Security

The E.ON Foundation takes a range of precautions to ensure the security of your personal data. Your data will be conscientiously protected against loss, destruction, falsification, manipulation and unauthorised access or unauthorised disclosure.

Links to other webpages

This website contains links to other webpages. As the operator of our website, we are only responsible for the content of our own Internet presence. A distinction is drawn between our own content and content maintained by third parties for which we accept no responsibility and which content we do not seek to appropriate. The present privacy policy therefore does not apply to the Internet sites of other providers, including where these are retrieved via links on the website. Should you notice a breach related to a link, we would kindly ask you to draw our attention to it. We will then investigate the breach and, if necessary, remove the link in question.

Your rights

You have the right to obtain information from us regarding your stored personal data free of charge at any time and to object to the processing or use of your data, unless this is contrary to the purpose (for example, a contract). Moreover, you can also assert your rights to the blocking, erasure and rectification of your personal data against us. If you have questions or concerns relating to data protection, please contact us at kontakt@eon-stiftung.com or write to the postal address given above. Without prejudice to any other judicial remedy, you are entitled to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement.

Social Media Plugins

We have taken a deliberate decision not to use social media plugins. This means that your user data will not be automatically transmitted to servers belonging to social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or similar. Instead of social media network plugins, we have decided to use links. This ensures that data is not immediately forwarded to social media services.

Instagram

We maintain a presence on the Instagram social media portal. Our intent is to seek active communication with you and offer you the opportunity to inform yourself about VISIT through this channel as well.

Insofar as you use the opportunities to contact us through Instagram, we process the data provided by you in the course of this to handle your request underlying your enquiry and to answer your questions.

We process your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest in communication with you and in the continuous optimisation of our Internet presence.

The Instagram platform is not operated by us but by the service provider. We do not have any influence over the data collected by the service provider or their processing of the data, nor are we aware of the full scope of data collection, the purposes of processing or the retention periods.

Also please note that the processing of personal data in countries outside the European Union, in particular in the US, cannot be excluded. This can, under certain circumstances, be associated with the risk of impeded law enforcement, which represents a risk for the individual users.

Please refer to the privacy policy of the Instagram platform’s operator for information about their collection, processing and use of the data: Instagram (Facebook Ireland Ltd., Ireland) Instagram privacy policy

Application process

When you apply for VISIT sponsorship, your data is generally processed only by the E.ON Foundation’s bodies responsible for the concrete application process as well as assigned (IT) service providers with whom contractual agreements have been concluded according to the applicable data protection law provisions. The submitted documents are also provided to the current members of the jury for assessment purposes. Your data is processed for the purpose of conducting the concrete application process and to inform you of the opportunity to participate in subsequent VISIT application processes where applicable. There is no further use or dissemination of the application data to third parties. The personal application data is generally erased twelve months after the conclusion of the application process. This does not apply insofar as legal regulations stand in the way of erasure, continued storage is required for the giving of evidence or express consent was provided for extended storage. The transmission of the online application is encrypted in order to protect the data collected in the course of the application against manipulation and unauthorised access.