Skip to content

Data Protection Declaration

This data protection declaration has been translated from the German version. Where inconsistencies occur, the German version will take precedence. For the German version, please switch languages on the top right corner of this website.

Information on the processing of personal data within the framework of the participation platform dialog@hhu

(October 20th 2023)

Contact Details

Contact Details of the responsible person

The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation and other national data protection laws of the member states as well as other data protection provisions is:

Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf

Universitätsstr. 1

40225 Düsseldorf

tel: +49 211 81-11

Further information and contact details in the imprint of Heinrich Heine University.

Contact Person for Processing

Düsseldorfer Institut für Internet und Demokratie

Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf

Universitätsstraße 1

D-40225 Düsseldorf

tel.: 0211 81-10429

e-mail: diid@hhu.de

Contact Details of the Data Protection Officer

You can contact the HHU data protection officer by mail at the above address of the person responsible or at:

e-mail: datenschutz@hhu.de

tel.: 0211 81 – 13060

https://www.hhu.de/datenschutz

General Information on Data Processing

a) Scope of the Processing of Personal Data

We process personal data of our users only insofar as this is necessary for the provision of a functional website and our content and services. Details on the scope and purposes of data processing are provided in the following sections. An exception applies in cases where it is not possible to obtain prior consent for actual reasons and the processing of the data is permitted by legal regulations.

b) Legal Basis for the Processing of Personal Data

Insofar as we obtain the consent of the data subject for processing operations involving personal data, Art. 6 (1) lit. a of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) serves as the legal basis.

When processing personal data that is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party, Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR serves as the legal basis. This also applies to processing operations that are necessary for the performance of pre-contractual measures.

Insofar as the processing of personal data is necessary for the fulfillment of a legal obligation to which our company is subject, Art. 6 (1) lit. c GDPR serves as the legal basis.

If the processing is necessary for the performance of a task which is in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller, Article 6 (1) (e), (3) GDPR in conjunction with Section 3 (1) DSG NRW shall serve as the legal basis for the processing.

c) Data Deletion and Storage Duration

The personal data of the data subject shall be deleted or blocked as soon as the purpose of the storage no longer applies. Storage may also take place if this has been provided for by the European or national legislator in Union regulations, laws, or other provisions to which the controller is subject. Data will also be blocked or deleted if a storage period prescribed by the aforementioned standards expires, unless there is a need for further storage of the data for the conclusion or performance of a contract.

Processing operations of personal data when using dialog@hhu.de

a) Server-Log-Files

Description and Scope of Data Processing

Each time a page of our website is called up, our system automatically records data and information from the computer system of the calling computer.

The following data is collected:

(1) Information about the browser type and version used

(2) The operating system used

(3) The IP address of the user

(4) Date and time of access

(5) Websites from which a page of our Internet presence is called up

(6) Websites that are accessed via our website

The data is also stored in the log files of our system.

Legal Basis for Data Processing

This data processing is based on legal basis for the temporary storage of the data and the log files is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. e, para. 3 GDPR in conjunction with. § 3 para. 1 DSG NRW.

Purpose of Data Processing

The temporary storage of data by the system is necessary to enable delivery of the website to the user's computer and to be able to recognize, ward off and track misuse of our services.

Disclosure to Third Parties

No disclosure of the data specified in paragraph 1 to third parties is intended.

Duration of Storage

We anonymize all technical data with personal reference mentioned in the first paragraph 24 hours after its collection. We delete the information on the operating system, browser type and version 30 days after it is collected.

Revocation and Removal Option

The collection of data for the provision of the website and the storage of the data in log files is absolutely necessary for the operation of our website. Consequently, there is no possibility for the user to object.

b) Use of Cookies

Description and Scope of Data Processing

When you visit our platform, we place a "cookie" on your device. This is a small text file that allows us to recognize your device when you visit our site again at a later date.

Legal Basis for Data Processing

The legal basis for the processing of personal data using technically necessary cookies is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. e, para. 3 GDPR in conjunction with. § Section 3 (1) DSG NRW.

Purpose of Data Processing

With the help of the cookie, we can prevent misuse of our services as well as analyze certain user behavior, such as which parts of our platform you use, how long you stay on our site and when and how often you return to our site. This is necessary to enable you to use our platform safely and comfortably, to better tailor our platform to the interests of our visitors and the technology they use (device and browser types).

Disclosure to Third Parties

No disclosure of the data specified in paragraph 1 to third parties is intended.

Duration of Storage, Revocation and Elimination Options

Cookies are stored on the user's computer and transmitted from it to our site. Therefore, you as the user also have full control over the use of cookies. By changing the settings in your Internet browser, you can disable or restrict the transmission of cookies. Cookies that have already been stored can be deleted at any time. This can also be done automatically. If cookies are deactivated for our website, it may no longer be possible to use all functions of the website in full.

c) Registration and Application for Participation Procedures

Description and Scope of Data Processing

A user account must be created in order to write your own contributions. Personal data is collected and processed by means of automated EDP. There are two registration options. Persons who have a university ID from the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf can register and log in to the platform by clicking on the "Log in with hhu" button. After consenting to the transfer of information from the university to the platform, you can enter a username of your choice. By clicking the 'Register' button, an account will be created on the platform based on your chosen username and the email address that is on file with the university. Persons who do not have an identification of the Heinrich Heine University register by entering a username of their own choice and an e-mail address. Please note that you can avoid drawing conclusions about your person by choosing a username that does not correspond to your real name.

With your contributions, your username will be published so that a meaningful exchange between the users of the platform is possible. We will not publish your e-mail address on our platform. Please note that it may be possible to draw conclusions about your identity from your username if, for example, you use your first and/or last name as your username. Please also note that it may be possible to draw conclusions about your identity even if you do not use your real name but a fictitious name (pseudonym) as your username. This is the case, for example, if you use the same pseudonym on other websites and this can be linked to your personal data (e-mail address, real name, etc.). If you want to remain unrecognized on our platform, we recommend that you use a pseudonym that you have not used or are not currently using anywhere else.

By clicking the register button, you consent to the processing of your data. You agree to your username appearing publicly when you write an idea, suggestion, or comment in a participation process (see section 2.4).

Legal Basis for Data Processing

The basis for the collection, processing and use of personal data is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

Purpose of Data Processing

Without the above data, we cannot set up a user account for you. Participation contributions are always linked to a user account. This facilitates communication between users and the platform or project managers and among users.

Disclosure to Third Parties

We will not pass on your e-mail address to third parties. Your username may be disseminated and passed on to third parties as described in point 2.4.

Duration of Storage

The storage period of the user account ends with its deletion.

Revocation and Removal Option

The deletion of a user account is possible at any time by sending an e-mail message to the responsible office. The e-mail must be sent from the e-mail account used for registration. The lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent until revocation is not affected by this.

d) Participating

Description and Scope of Data Processing

Participation on dialog.diid.hhu.de includes the public submission of suggestions and ideas (with or without map marking), commenting, voting and rating. The data is sometimes processed by means of automated EDP. When submitting suggestions and ideas (with or without map marking) and when commenting, the username is also published. Please note that by publishing contributions with markings on geographical maps, you may enable conclusions to be drawn about your whereabouts and your identity. On the platform, we distinguish between public, private and semi-public projects. Public participation projects are publicly visible. All users of the platform can actively participate. Private participation projects are not publicly visible. Only invited users can see the content and actively participate. Semi-public participation projects are publicly visible. But only invited users can actively participate. Private projects are indicated by a lock symbol and semi-public projects by an eye symbol in the upper left corner of the project tile. While your contributions to public and semi-public projects can be viewed by anyone without logging in, only people who have been invited by the project managers and have registered and logged in can view your contributions to private projects. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that if personal data is published (in this case: your contribution on our platform) in public and semi-public projects, the personal data can be accessed by anyone worldwide - also with the help of "search engines" (e.g., Google). In this way, personality profiles can be created by linking this data with other data available about you on the Internet. Likewise, the data can be used for other purposes. Archive functions of search engines (see e.g., www.archive.org) may still allow access to the data even if it has already been removed or changed from the above-mentioned HHU Internet offerings.

Legal Basis for Data Processing

The basis for the participation is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

Purpose of Data Processing

Participation on dialog.diid.hhu.de serves to involve people in a wide variety of consultation, design and decision-making processes.

Disclosure to Third Parties

We reserve the right to evaluate data sets ourselves for research and publication purposes, consisting of, among other things, the content of the posts, the likes & dislikes, the creation date and the author (the username you have chosen). We also reserve the right to forward the data anonymously to project-related cooperation partners for this purpose and to make it available to future research partners. If such cooperation is foreseeable in a specific case, this is noted in the information tab of the respective project. We also reserve the right to publish, reproduce, make publicly available and otherwise disseminate all components of the contribution (texts, images, audiovisual content and other data), for example in printed form to document the process. This also applies to possible publications by the respective cooperation and research partners.

Duration of Storage

The storage period of the participation contributions ends with its deletion. We reserve the right to delete contributions that violate our terms of use or netiquette at any time. If you delete your user account, your contributions remain on our platform so that other users can continue to track the progress of a participation process. However, we will remove the username previously published with your posts from the posts. Personal data contained within a contribution text - if, for example, you have written your own name or the names of third parties in it - remains unaffected by the deletion of the user account.

Whether and when participation projects are removed from the platform is the decision of the respective project managers. As long as the participation projects are not removed from the platform, your contributions remain publicly visible. We reserve the right to store the above data records for further use even after the participation project has been removed from the website.

Revocation and Removal Option

Self-authored ideas can be changed by users during the active participation phases, but not deleted. The deletion of ideas during and after the active participation phase can be initiated by sending an e-mail message to the person responsible. The e-mail must be sent from the e-mail address marked and verified as "primary" in the user account.

Self-authored comments can be changed and deleted by users during the active participation phases. Comments can be deleted after the active participation phase by sending an e-mail message to the person responsible. The e-mail must be sent from the verified e-mail address marked as "primary" in the user account.

The lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent until revocation is not affected by this.

e) Follow/Unfollow Projects, Newsletters and Notifications

Description and Scope of Data Processing

In the user account, you can voluntarily agree to receive e-mail newsletters from the platform managers and automatic notifications from the system. The latter include, for example, notifications about the start and end of participation opportunities and notifications that someone has commented on your posts. The emails are sent to the addresses stored in the profile. Individual participation projects can be added to the newsletter and notification list by using the "Follow" button.

Legal Basis für Data Processing

The legal basis for sending newsletters and notifications is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

Purpose of Data Processing

Notifications serve to inform about new contributions of other users and reactions to own contributions. Newsletters are sent out by those responsible for the platform to draw attention to relevant information in connection with individual participation projects.

Disclosure to Third Parties

The data is linked to the storage period of the profile data. Additionally entered e-mail addresses can be deleted there again.

Duration of Storage, Revocation and Elimination Options

Consent to receive newsletters and notifications can be revoked at any time in the user account. Consent to "follow" projects can be revoked at any time by using the "Unfollow" button in the respective project. The lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent until the revocation is not affected by this.

f) Processor

Liquid Democracy e.V. is responsible for the technical provision of the platform. The processing of personal data in accordance with the regulations and principles explained in this privacy policy is regulated with Liquid Democracy e.V. in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR as part of a contract for commissioned processing. You can find more information about the association's data protection here: https://liqd.net/en/datenschutz/

Your Rights as Data Subject

If personal data is processed by you, you are a data subject within the meaning of the GDPR and you have the following rights against the controller:

a) Right of Information

You may request confirmation from the controller as to whether personal data concerning you is being processed by us.

If there is such processing, you may request information from the controller about the following:

(1) the purposes for which the personal data are processed;

(2) the categories of personal data which are processed;

(3) the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data concerning you have been or will be disclosed;

(4) the planned duration of the storage of the personal data concerning you or, if concrete information on this is not possible, criteria for determining the storage duration;

(5) the existence of a right to rectification or erasure of personal data concerning you, a right to restriction of processing by the controller or a right to object to such processing;

(6) the existence of a right of appeal to a supervisory authority;

(7) any available information on the origin of the data, if the personal data are not collected from the data subject;

(8) the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, according to Article 22(1) and (4) of the GDPR and, at least in these cases, meaningful information about the logic involved and the scope and intended effects of such processing for the data subject.

You have the right to request information about whether the personal data concerning you is transferred to a third country or to an international organization. In this context, you may request to be informed about the appropriate safeguards according to Art. 46 GDPR in connection with the transfer.

This right of access may be restricted to the extent that it is likely to prevent or seriously impair the achievement of the research or statistical purposes and the restriction is necessary for the fulfillment of the research or statistical purposes.

b) Right to Rectification

You have a right to rectification and/or completion towards the controller, if the processed personal data concerning you are inaccurate or incomplete. The controller shall carry out the rectification without any delay.

Your right to rectification may be limited to the extent that it is likely to prevent or seriously impair the achievement of the research or statistical purposes and the limitation is necessary for the fulfillment of the research or statistical purposes.

c) Right to Restriction of Processing

Under the following conditions, you may request the restriction of the processing of personal data concerning you:

(1) if you contest the accuracy of the personal data concerning you for a period of time that enables the controller(s) to verify the accuracy of the personal data;

(2) the processing is unlawful and you object to the erasure of the personal data and request instead the restriction of the use of the personal data;

(3) the controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of processing, but you need them for the assertion, exercise, or defense of legal claims, or

(4) if you have objected to the processing according to Art. 21 (1) GDPR and it has not yet been determined whether the legitimate grounds of the controller(s) override your grounds.

Where the processing of personal data concerning you has been restricted, such data may be processed, with the exception of their storage, only with your consent or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest of the Union or a Member State.

If the restriction of processing has been restricted in accordance with the above conditions, you will be informed by the controller before the restriction is lifted.

Your right to restrict processing may be limited to the extent that it is likely to prevent or seriously prejudice the achievement of the research or statistical purposes and the restriction is necessary for the fulfillment of the research or statistical purposes.

d) Right of Deletion

1) Obligation to Delete

You may request from the controller that the personal data concerning you be erased without delay, and the controller is obliged to erase such data without delay, if one of the following reasons applies:

(1) The personal data concerning you are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.

(2) You revoke your consent on which the processing was based according to Art. 6 (1) a or Art. 9 (2) a GDPR and there is no other legal basis for the processing.

(3) You object to the processing according to Art. 21 (1) GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or you object to the processing according to Art. 21 (2) GDPR.

(4) The personal data concerning you has been processed unlawfully.

(5) The deletion of the personal data concerning you is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation under Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject.

(6) The personal data concerning you was collected in relation to information society services offered according to Art. 8 (1) GDPR.

2) Disclosure to Third Parties

If the controller has made the personal data concerning you public and is obliged to erase it according to Article 17(1) of the GDPR, it shall take reasonable measures, including technical measures, having regard to the available technology and the cost of implementation, to inform data controllers which process the personal data that you, as the data subject, have requested that they erase all links to or copies or replications of such personal data.

3) Exceptions

The right to erasure does not exist insofar as the processing is necessary

(1) to exercise the right to freedom of expression and information;

(2) for compliance with a legal obligation which requires processing under Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject, or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;

(3) for reasons of public interest in the area of public health according to Art. 9(2)(h) and (i) and Art. 9(3) GDPR;

(4) for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes, or statistical purposes according to Article 89(1) of the GDPR, insofar as the right referred to in section a) is likely to prevent or seriously prejudice the achievement of the purposes of such processing, or

(5) for the assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims.

e) Right of Information

If you have asserted the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing against the controller, the controller shall be obliged to communicate this rectification or erasure of the data or restriction of processing to all recipients to whom the personal data relating to you have been disclosed, unless this proves impossible or involves a disproportionate effort.

You have the right towards the responsible person to be informed about these recipients.

f) Right to Data Transferability

You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you that you have provided to the controller in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format. You also have the right to transmit this data to another controller without hindrance from the controller to whom the personal data was submitted, provided that

(1) the processing is based on consent according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR or Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a GDPR or on a contract according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR and

(2) the processing is carried out with the help of automated procedures.

In exercising this right, you also have the right to have the personal data concerning you transferred directly from one controller to another controller, insofar as this is technically feasible. The freedoms and rights of other persons must not be affected by this.

The right to data portability does not apply to processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

g) Right of Objection

You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data relating to you which is carried out on the basis of Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. e, Para. 3 GDPR in conjunction with. § Section 3 (1) DSG NRW; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions.

The controller shall no longer process the personal data concerning you unless it can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

If the personal data concerning you is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing; this also applies to profiling, insofar as it is related to such direct marketing.

If you object to processing for direct marketing purposes, the personal data concerning you will no longer be processed for these purposes.

You have the possibility, in connection with the use of information society services - notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC - to exercise your right to object by means of automated procedures using technical specifications.

You also have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you which is carried out for scientific or historical research purposes or for statistical purposes according to Article 89(1) GDPR.

Your right to object may be limited to the extent that it is likely to prevent or seriously impair the realization of the research or statistical purposes and the limitation is necessary for the fulfillment of the research or statistical purposes.

h) Right to Revoke the Declaration of Consent under Data Protection Law

You have the right to revoke your declaration of consent under data protection law at any time. The revocation of consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent until the revocation.

i) Automated Decision in Individual Cases including Profiling

You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing - including profiling - which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you. This does not apply if the decision

(1) is necessary for the conclusion or fulfillment of a contract between you and the responsible party,

(2) is permitted by legislation of the Union or the Member States to which the controller is subject and that legislation contains appropriate measures to safeguard your rights and freedoms and your legitimate interests, or

(3) is carried out with your explicit consent.

However, these decisions may not be based on special categories of personal data according to Art. 9(1) GDPR, unless Art. 9(2)(a) or (g) GDPR applies, and appropriate measures have been taken to protect the rights and freedoms as well as your legitimate interests.

With regard to the cases referred to in (1) and (3), the controller shall take reasonable steps to safeguard the rights and freedoms of, and the legitimate interests of, the data subject, including at least the right to obtain the intervention of a person on the part of the controller, to express his or her point of view and to contest the decision.

j) Right to Complain to a Supervisory Authority

Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your residence, workplace or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the GDPR.

The following office is responsible for the supervision of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in terms of data protection law:

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

Kavalleriestr. 2-4

40213 Düsseldorf

tel: +49 211 38424-0

fax: +49 211 38424-999

Send e-mail

The supervisory authority to which the complaint has been lodged shall inform the complainant of the status and outcome of the complaint, including the possibility of a judicial remedy under Article 78 GDPR.

Validity of this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy in order to adapt it to changes in relevant laws or regulations or to better meet your needs. This privacy policy applies in the most recently published version.