This is the Website of NatureCulture, a young climate-tech startup. Protecting your privacy when processing personal data is an important concern for us. Here you can read how we are handling your personal data, with further details on collection, processing and use of these data.
General information on data processing
Scope of processing of personal data
We collect and use your personal data only to the extent necessary to provide you with a functional website and deliver our services. The collection and use of your personal data is only carried out with your consent. An exception applies in those cases where obtaining prior consent is not possible for actual reasons and the processing of the data is permitted by legal regulations.
Legal basis for the processing of personal data
Insofar as we obtain the consent of the data subject for the processing of personal data, Art. 6 (1) lit. a EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) serves as the legal basis.
In the processing of personal data required for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party, Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR serves as the legal basis. This also applies to processing operations that are necessary to carry out pre-contractual measures.
If processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the University of Cologne is subject, Art. 6 (1) lit. c GDPR serves as the legal basis.
In the event that processing is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person, Article 6 (1) lit. d GDPR serves as the legal basis.
If processing is necessary for the performance of a task which is in the public interest or to exercise official authority which has been transferred to the university, Art. 6 (1) lit. e GDPR serves as the legal basis for processing.
Information we collect
You can browse the NatureCulture website without us requiring any personal data from you. If you use certain services on the NatureCulture website, technical access data are automatically recorded and evaluated by the web servers. These data can not be assigned to a specific person; the individual user remains anonymous. Technical access data includes, for example, the name of your Internet service provider, the IP address, information about the Internet browser and operating system used, the domain name of the website from which a visit to our website is made, the average time spent on our site and the information pages called up on our website. The legal basis for the temporary storage of the data is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO. The temporary storage of, among other things, the IP address by the system is necessary to enable delivery of the website to the user’s computer. For this purpose, among other things, the IP address of the user must remain stored for the duration of the session.
Data erasure and storage time
Your personal data will be erased or blocked as soon as the purpose of storage ceases to apply. Data may be stored beyond this point in time if this has been provided for by the European or national legislator in EU regulations, laws or other provisions to which the controller is subject. The data will also be blocked or erased 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 fulfilment of a contract.
Cookies
This website uses cookies. Cookies are small data elements that an Internet server can send to your computer. Such cookies can be used to identify your computer during your visit to our website or to make it easier for you to use our website. Cookies do not cause any damage to your computer and do not contain viruses. We do not use cookies to collect personal data. It is possible for you to set your Internet browser in such a way that you are informed about the acceptance or rejection of cookies. You can find out more about this, for example, in the help system of your Internet browser. If you deactivate cookies, the functionality of this website may be limited. We use this technical access information to continuously improve the attractiveness and usability of our Internet pages and their content and to identify possible technical problems in our Internet offering.
The legal basis for the processing of personal data using technically necessary cookies is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO.
You can always select which cookies to allow by opening the Privacy & Cookies Policy label at the bottom of the page.
SoilMate
Description and scope of data processing
Our website gives you the option to use our software product SoilMate. When using the software, all data entered are transmitted to us. When submitting your requests in the software, your consent is obtained for the processing of the data and reference is made to the Privacy Policy.
No data are passed on to third parties and the data will be used exclusively for providing the software service.
Legal basis for data processing
The legal basis for the processing of the data after registration for the newsletter by the user is Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR.
Purpose of data processing
The user’s email address is collected for communication purposes related to the usage of SoilMate. The other data collected are necessary for the service performance.
Duration of storage
The data will be erased as soon as they are no longer necessary to achieve the purpose for which they were collected.
Possibility of objection and erasure
You can revoke your consent to the storage of personal data collected for using SoilMate by writing to info@nature-culture.eu.
Web analysis with Matomo (formerly PIWIK)
Scope of processing of personal data
On our website we use the open source software tool Matomo (formerly PIWIK) to analyze the surfing behavior of our users. The software places a cookie on the user’s computer (see above on cookies). If individual pages of our website are accessed, the following data are stored:
- Two bytes of the IP address of the user’s accessing system
- The accessed web page
- The website from which the user has accessed the accessed website (referrer)
- The subpages that are accessed from the accessed website
- Duration of stay on the website
- The frequency of accessing the website
The software runs exclusively on the servers of our website. The personal data of users are only stored there. The data are not passed on to third parties.
The software is set so that the IP addresses are not stored completely and that two bytes of the IP address are masked (e.g.: 192.168.xxx.xxx). In this way it is no longer possible to assign the shortened IP address to the accessing computer.
You can opt out from automated data collection by unchecking the box in the “Privacy & Cookies Policy” tab.
Purpose of data processing
The processing of users’ personal data enables us to analyze the surfing behavior of our users. We are able to compile information about the use of the individual components of our website by evaluating the data obtained. This helps us to continuously improve our website and its user-friendliness. By anonymizing the IP address, users’ interest in protecting their personal data is taken into account.
Duration of storage
The data will be erased as soon as they are no longer needed for our recording purposes.
Possibility of objection and erasure
Cookies are stored on the user’s computer and transmitted to our site. Therefore, you as a user also have full control over the use of cookies. You can deactivate or restrict the transmission of cookies by changing the settings in your internet browser. Cookies that have already been saved 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.
On our website we offer our users the option to opt out from the analysis procedure. To do this, you must follow the corresponding link. Another cookie is then placed on your system, which signals to our system not to store the user’s data. If the user deletes the corresponding cookie from his own system in the meantime, he must set the opt-out cookie again.
More information about the privacy settings of the Matomo software can be found at the following link: https://matomo.org/docs/privacy/.
Rights of the data subject
If your personal data are processed, you as the data subject have the following rights pursuant to the GDPR towards the controller:
Right to information
You can ask the controller to confirm whether personal data concerning you are being processed.
If such processing takes place, you can request the following information from the controller:the purposes for which the personal data are processed;
- the categories of personal data being processed;
- the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data concerning you have been or are still being disclosed;
- the planned duration of the storage of the personal data concerning you or, if specific information on this is not possible, criteria for determining the storage period;
- the existence of a right to correction or erasure of the personal data concerning you, a right to restriction of processing by the controller or a right to object to such processing;
- the existence of a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority;
- all available information on the origin of the data, if the personal data are not collected from the data subject;
- the existence of automated decision-making including profiling in accordance with Art. 22 (1) and (4) GDPR and, at least in these cases, meaningful information on the logic involved and the scope and intended effects of such processing on the data subject.
You have the right to request information as to whether the personal data concerning you are transmitted to a third country or to an international organization. In this context, you may request to be informed of the appropriate guarantees pursuant to Art. 46 GDPR in connection with the transmission.
Where data are processed for scientific, historical or statistical research purposes, the right of access may be limited to the extent that it is likely to render impossible or be seriously prejudicial to the realization of the research or statistical purposes and the limitation is necessary for the fulfilment of the research or statistical purposes.
Right to correction
You have the right to correct and/or complete your data towards the controller if the personal data processed concerning you are incorrect or incomplete. The controller must make the correction without delay.
Where data are processed for scientific, historical or statistical research purposes, the right of correction may be limited to the extent that it is likely to render impossible or be seriously prejudicial to the realization of the research or statistical purposes and the limitation is necessary for the fulfilment of the research or statistical purposes.
Right to restriction of processing
You may request that the processing of personal data concerning you be restricted under the following conditions:
- if you dispute the accuracy of the personal data concerning you for a period of time that enables the controller to verify the accuracy of the personal data;
- the processing is unlawful, you reject the erasure the personal data and instead demand the restriction of the use of personal data;
- the controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of processing, but you require them for the assertion of or to exercise or defend legal claims, or if you have filed an objection to the processing pursuant to Art. 21 (1) GDPR and it has not yet been determined whether the legitimate reasons of the controller outweigh your reasons.
If the processing of personal data concerning you has been restricted, such data may only be processed – except for being stored – with your consent or for the purpose of asserting, exercising or defending rights or protecting the rights of another natural or legal person or on grounds of an important public interest of the Union or a Member State.
If processing has been restricted according to the above conditions, you will be informed by the controller before the restriction is lifted.
Where data are processed for scientific, historical or statistical research purposes, the right of limitation of processing may be limited to the extent that it is likely to render impossible or be seriously prejudicial to the realization of the research or statistical purposes and the limitation is necessary for the fulfilment of the research or statistical purposes.
Right of erasure
Erasure obligation
You can demand that the controller erases the personal data concerning you immediately. The controller is obliged to erase these data immediately if one of the following reasons applies:
- The personal data concerning you are no longer necessary for the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.
- You withdraw your consent on which the processing was based in accordance with Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR or Art. 9 (2) lit. a GDPR and there is no other legal basis for processing.
- You object to processing in accordance with Art. 21 (1) GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate reasons for processing, or you object to processing in accordance with Art. 21 (2) GDPR.
- Your personal data were processed unlawfully.
- The erasure of your personal data is necessary to fulfil a legal obligation under Union or Member State law which the controller is subject to.
- The personal data concerning you were collected in relation to information society services offered pursuant to Art. 8 (1) GDPR.
- Information to third parties
If the controller has made the personal data concerning you public and is obliged to erase it pursuant to Art. 17 (1) GDPR, he shall take appropriate measures, including technical measures, taking into account the available technology and the implementation costs, to inform data processors who process the personal data that you as the data subject have requested the erasure of all links to these personal data or of copies or replications of these personal data.
Exceptions
The right to erasure does not exist insofar as the processing is necessary
- to exercise the right to freedom of expression and information;
- for the performance of a legal obligation required for processing under the law of the Union or of the Member States to which the controller is subject or for the performance of a task in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority conferred on the controller;
- for reasons of public interest in the field of public health pursuant to Art. 9 (2) lit. h and i and Art. 9 (3) GDPR;
- for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or for statistical purposes pursuant to Art. 89 (1) GDPR, insofar as the law referred to under section a) is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the attainment of the objectives of such processing, or
- to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.
Right to information
If you have exercised your right to have the controller correct, erase or limit the processing, the controller is obliged to inform all recipients to whom the personal data concerning you have been disclosed of this correction or erasure of the data or the restriction on processing, unless this proves impossible or involves a disproportionate effort.
You have the right to be informed of such recipients by the controller.
Right to data portability
You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you that you have provided to the controller in a structured, common and machine-readable format. In addition, you have the right to pass these data on to another controller without obstruction by the controller to whom the personal data was provided, provided that
- processing is based on consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR or Art. 9 (2) lit. a GDPR or on a contract pursuant to Art. 6 (1) lit. b GDPR and
- processing is carried out using automated methods.
In exercising this right, you further also have the right to request that the personal data concerning you be 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 shall not apply to the processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a task in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority conferred on the controller.
Right of objection
You have the right to object at any time, for reasons arising from your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you under Art. 6 (1) lit. e GDPR; this also applies to any profiling based on these provisions.
In the event of an objection, the controller will no longer process the personal data concerning you unless the controller can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms or if the processing is required for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
In the case of data processing for scientific, historical or statistical research purposes pursuant to Art. 89 (1) GDPR, you also have the right to object to the processing of personal data concerning you for reasons arising from your particular situation, unless the processing is necessary to fulfil a task in the public interest.
Right to revoke the data protection consent
You have the right to revoke your data protection consent at any time. The revocation of consent shall not affect the legality of the processing carried out on the basis of the consent until revocation.
Automated decision in individual cases including profiling
You have the right to not be subject to a decision based exclusively on automated processing – including profiling – that has legal effect against you or significantly impairs you in a similar manner.
This does not apply if the decision
- is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract between you and the controller,
- is admissible by law of the Union or of the Member States to which the controller is subject and that law contains appropriate measures to safeguard your rights, freedoms and legitimate interests, or
- is made with your express consent.
However, these decisions may not be based on special categories of personal data pursuant to Art. 9 (1) GDPR, unless Art. 9 (2) lit. a or g GDPR applies and appropriate measures have been taken to protect your rights and freedoms and your legitimate interests.
In the cases referred to in (1) and (3), the controller shall take reasonable measures to safeguard your rights, freedoms and legitimate interests, including at least the right to obtain the intervention of a person by the controller, the right to state one’s own position and to challenge the decision.
Right to lodge a complaint with 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 where you are staying, working or suspected of infringing, if you believe that the processing of personal data concerning you is in breach of the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
The supervisory authority with which the complaint has been lodged shall inform the complainant of the status and results of the complaint, including the possibility of a judicial remedy under Art. 78 GDPR.