giving coral reefs a future

The content and works published on this website are governed by the copyright laws of Germany. Any duplication, processing, distribution or any form of utilisation beyond the scope of copyright law shall require the prior written consent of the author or authors in question.

Please note that all pictures and videos have been contributed by individuals who have given the right to SECORE to use their work. The content of this website including photographs and video clips can be used only for non- commercial purposes, such as personal use or not-for-profit education, and outreach activities if the source and name of the photographer/videographer is clearly indicated. Please contact us to request use of any material for more than personal use.

This Data Privacy Policy clarifies the nature, scope and purpose of the processing of personal data (hereinafter referred to as “data”) within our online offering and its related websites, features and content, as well as external online presences, such as our social media profiles (collectively referred to as “online offering”). With regard to the terminology used, for example “personal data” or their “processing”, please refer to the definitions in Article 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Controller:

SECORE International

4673 Northwest Parkway

Hillard, Ohio, 43026, USA

Executive Director: Dr. Dirk Petersen

Phone number: +1 - 614 - 969 - 3150

Email address: info@secore.org

Types of processed data:

• Contract data (e.g. names, addresses).

• Contact data (e.g. email addresses, phone numbers).

• Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos).

• Payment data (e.g. bank details, payment histories).

• Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).

• Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).

Processing of special categories of data (Article 9 (1) GDPR):

No special categories of data are processed.

Categories of data subjects:

• Interested persons.

• Visitors and users of the online offering.

• Newsletter subscribers.

• Donors.

Hereinafter the data subjects are also referred to collectively as “users”.

Purpose of processing:

• Providing the online offering, its contents and functions.

• Answering contact requests and communicating with users.

• Marketing, advertising and market research.

• Raising donations.

Version: 2018, May 25

1. Relevant legal bases

In accordance with Art. 13 GDPR, we hereby inform you about the legal bases of our data processing. Unless the legal basis is mentioned in the Data Privacy Policy, the following applies: the legal basis for obtaining consent is Article 6 (1)(a) and Art. 7 GDPR, the legal basis for the processing for the performance of our services and the execution of contractual measures as well as the response to inquiries is Art. 6 (1)(b) GDPR, the legal basis for processing in order to fulfil our legal obligations is Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR, and the legal basis for processing in order to safeguard our legitimate interests is Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR. In the event that vital interests of the data subject or another natural person require the processing of personal data, Art. 6 (1) (d) GDPR will serve as the legal basis.

2. Changes and updates to the privacy policy

We ask that you should regularly obtain information about the content of our privacy policy. We will adjust the privacy policy as soon as any changes to data processing we make require us to do so. We will notify you as soon as the changes require your participation (for example, your consent) or other individual notification.

3. Security measures

Subject to Art. 32 GDPR, we take the appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure an appropriate level of protection, taking into account the technical state of the art, the implementation costs and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing and the different likelihood and severity of the risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals; such measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical access to the data, as well as their access, input, disclosure, availability and separation. In addition, we have established procedures that ensure the enjoyment of data subjects’ rights, the deletion of data and the response to data endangerment. Furthermore, we consider the protection of personal data when we develop and/or select hardware, software and procedures, according to the principle of data protection through technology design and privacy-friendly default settings (Article 25 GDPR).

4. Cooperation with external processors and third parties

4.1. If, in the context of our processing, we disclose data to other persons and companies (external processors or third parties), send it to them or otherwise grant access to the data, we will only do so on the basis of a legal authorisation (for example, if the data must be sent to third parties, such as payment service providers, for the fulfilment of the contract pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR), if you have consented to it, if it is in accordance with a legal obligation or if it is based on our legitimate interests (such as the use of agents, website hosts, etc.).

4.2. If we commission third parties with the processing of data on the basis of a so-called “data processing agreement”, this takes place on the basis of Art. 28 GDPR.

5. Data sent to third countries

If we process data in a third country (i.e. outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)) or if data processing occurs in the context of the utilisation of third-party services or the disclosure or sending of data to third parties, such will only take place if it is to fulfil our (pre)contractual obligations, on the basis of your consent, on the basis of a legal obligation or on the basis of our legitimate interests. Subject to legal or contractual authorisations, we process or have data processed in a third country only if the special conditions of Art. 44 et seq. GDPR are met. This means that the processing occurs, for example, on the basis of specific guarantees, such as the officially recognised level of data protection (such as through the “Privacy Shield” in the US) or in compliance with officially recognised special contractual obligations (so-called “standard contractual clauses”).

6. Rights of the data subject

6.1. You have the right to ask for confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning you are being processed and the right to disclosure regarding this data as well as to further information and a copy of the data according to Art. 15 GDPR.

6.2. In accordance with Art. 16 GDPR, you have the right to demand the completion of the personal data concerning you or the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you.

6.3. In accordance with Art. 17 GDPR, you have the right to demand that the personal data should be deleted without delay, or, alternatively, to require a restriction on the processing of the data in accordance with Art. 18 GDPR.

6.4. You have the right to demand to be sent your personal data provided to us in accordance with Art. 20 GDPR and to request that such data should be sent to other controllers.

6.5. In accordance with Art. 77 GDPR, you also have the right to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.

7. Right of revocation

You have the right to revoke consent granted pursuant to Art. 7 (3) GDPR with effect for the future.

8. Right to object

You may at any time object to the future processing of your data in accordance with Art. 21 GDPR. The objection may in particular be raised against processing for direct marketing purposes.

9. Cookies and the right to object in the case of direct marketing

We use temporary and permanent cookies, i.e. small files stored on users’ devices (for an explanation of the term and cookies’ function, see the last section of this Data Privacy Policy). In part, the cookies are used for security or to operate our online offering (such as for the presentation of the website) or to save the user’s decision in the confirmation of the cookie banner. In addition, we or our technology partners use cookies for measuring reach and for marketing purposes, about which users are informed by means of the privacy policy.

A general objection to the use of cookies used for online marketing purposes can be explained in a variety of services, especially in the case of tracking, via the US American website http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or the EU site http://www.youronlinechoices.com/. Furthermore, the storage of cookies can be switched off via your browser settings. Please note that in that case, you may not be able to use all features of this online offering.

10. Deletion of data

10.1. The data processed by us are deleted or restricted in their processing in accordance with Art. 17 and 18 GDPR. Unless explicitly stated in this privacy policy, the data stored by us are deleted as soon as they are no longer required for their purpose and the deletion does not conflict with any statutory storage requirements. If the data are not deleted because they are required for other and statutory purposes, their processing will be restricted, i.e. the data are blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be kept for commercial or tax reasons.

10.2. According to the legal requirements of the US state of Ohio, data are stored in particular for seven years (donation vouchers, etc.) as well as for three years (records, correspondence with customers, service providers and interested parties).

11. Contact

11.1. Once we are contacted (via our contact form or email), user data will be processed for the purposes of processing and handling the contact request in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR.

11.2. User information may be stored in our Customer Relationship Management System (“CRM System”) or similar query system.

11.3. We delete the requests if they are no longer necessary and evaluate the necessity every three years. In the case of legal archiving obligations, the deletion takes place after such obligations expire.

12. Comments and posts

12.1. If users leave comments or other posts, their IP addresses are stored for seven days based on our legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR.

12.2. This is for our own security in the case that someone leaves illegal content in comments and posts (insults, prohibited political propaganda, etc.). In such case, we ourselves could be prosecuted for the comment or post and therefore have an interest in knowing the identity of the author.

13. Collection of access data and logfiles

13.1. Based on our legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR, we collect data regarding every instance of access to the server on which this service is located (so-called server logfiles). The access data includes name of the retrieved website, file, date and time of retrieval, amount of data transferred, message about successful retrieval, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referral URL (the previously visited page), IP address and the requesting provider.

13.2. Logfile information is stored for security purposes (for example, to investigate abusive or fraudulent activities) for a maximum of seven days, and then deleted. Data of which further retention is required for evidential purposes are exempted from the deletion requirement until final clarification of the incident.

14. Online presence on social media

14.1. We maintain an online presence on social networks and platforms in order to communicate with customers, prospects and users active there, and to inform them about our services. When the respective networks and platforms are accessed, the terms and conditions and the data processing guidelines of their respective operators apply.

14.2. Unless otherwise stated in our Data Privacy Policy, users’ data will be processed insofar as they communicate with us on social networks and platforms, for example by writing posts via our online presence or sending us messages.

15. Cookies and reach measurement

15.1. Cookies are a form of information transmitted from our web server or third-party web servers to users’ web browsers and stored there for later retrieval. Cookies can be small files or other types of information storage.

15.2. We use “session cookies” that are only stored for the duration of the current visit to our site (for example, to enable the storage of your login status or the shopping cart function and thus the use of our online offering). In a session cookie, a randomly generated unique identification number is stored – a so-called session ID. In addition, a cookie contains information about its origin and the retention period. These cookies cannot save any other data. Session cookies are deleted once you have finished using our online offering and you have, for example, logged out or closed the browser.

15.3. Users are informed about the use of cookies in the context of pseudonymous reach measurement as part of this Data Privacy Policy.

15.4. If users do not want cookies stored on their computer, they are asked to disable the option in their browser’s settings. Saved cookies can be deleted in the browser settings. The exclusion of cookies can lead to functional restrictions of this online offering.

15.5. You may opt out of the use of cookies for reach measurement and promotional purposes through the Network Advertising Initiative’s opt-out page (http://optout.networkadvertising.org/) and the US website (http://www.aboutads.info/choices) or the European website (http://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices/).

16. Google Analytics

16.1. Based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation and economic operation of our online offering as defined in Art. 6 (1)(f), GDPR), we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”). Google uses cookies. The information generated by the cookie about the use of the online offering by users is usually sent to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

16.2. Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, which provides a guarantee of compliance with European privacy legislation (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

16.3. Google uses this information on our behalf to evaluate the use of our online offering by users, to compile reports on the activities within this online offering, and to provide us with further services related to the use of this online offering and Internet usage. In this case, pseudonymous user profiles may be created from the processed data.

16.4. We use Google Analytics to display advertisements displayed within Google and its affiliate advertising services, only to those users who have shown an interest in our online offering or who have certain characteristics (such as interests in specific topics or in certain products determined by the websites they visit) that we submit to Google (so-called “remarketing audiences” or “Google Analytics audiences”). With remarketing audiences, we also want to make sure that our ads are in line with the potential interest of users and are not annoying.

16.5. The IP address submitted by the user’s browser is not merged with other data provided by Google. Users can prevent the storage of cookies by setting their browser software accordingly; users may also prevent the collection by Google of the data generated by the cookie and related to their use of the online offering as well as the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.

16.6. For more information about Google’s data usage, settings and opt-out options, please visit the following Google websites: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/partners (“How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services”),  https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads (“Advertising”), https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated “Control the information Google uses to show you ads”).

17. Google remarketing services

17.1. Based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation and economic operation of our online offering as defined in Art. 6 (1)(f), GDPR), we use the marketing and remarketing services (“Google marketing services”) of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Irland, (“Google”).

17.2. Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, which provides a guarantee of compliance with European privacy legislation (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

17.3. Google Marketing Services allows us to better target advertisements for and on our website in order to only present ads to users that potentially match their interests. If a user, for example, is shown ads for products they have been interested in on other websites, the service is called remarketing. For these purposes, when a user visits our website and other websites accessing Google Marketing Services, a code is executed by Google and so-called (re)marketing tags (invisible graphics or code, also called “web beacons”) are incorporated into the website. With their help, the user is provided with an individual cookie, i.e. a small file is saved (in the place of cookies, comparable technologies can also be used). The cookies can be set by different domains, including google.com, doubleclick.net, invitemedia.com, admeld.com, googlesyndication.com or googleadservices.com. This file notes which web pages the user visited, what content the user is interested in and which offers the user has clicked, as well as technical information about the browser and operating system, referring web pages, visit duration and other information on the use of the online offering. The user’s IP address is also recorded; however, please note that in the context of Google Analytics the IP address is shortened within member states of the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and, only in exceptional cases, is sent to one Google server in the USA and shortened there. The IP address is not merged with data of the user within other offers from Google. The above information may also be linked by Google with similar information from other sources. If the user then visits other websites, ads tailored to the user may be displayed according to their interests.

17.4. User data are pseudonymously processed in the context of the Google marketing services. This means Google stores and processes, for example, cookie-related data within pseudonymous user profiles, not the name or e-mail address of the users. From the perspective of Google, the ads are not managed and displayed to a specifically identified person, but to the cookie owner, regardless of who that cookie owner is. This does not apply if a user has explicitly allowed Google to process the data without this pseudonymisation. The information collected about users through Google Marketing Services is sent to Google and stored on Google’s servers in the United States.

17.5. The online advertising program “Google AdWords” is among the Google marketing services we use. In the case of Google AdWords, each AdWords client receives a different “conversion cookie”. Cookies cannot be tracked through AdWords clients’ websites. The information collected through the cookie is used to generate conversion statistics for AdWords clients who have opted for conversion tracking. Advertisers will see the total number of users who clicked on their ad and were redirected to a page furnished with conversion tracking tags. However, they do not receive any information that personally identifies users.

17.6. We may incorporate third-party ads based on Google’s “DoubleClick” marketing service. DoubleClick uses cookies that enable Google and its affiliate websites to serve ads based on users’ visits to this site or other sites on the Internet.

17.7. We may incorporate third-party ads based on the Google “AdSense” marketing service. AdSense uses cookies that enable Google and its affiliate websites to serve ads based on users’ visits to this site or other sites on the Internet

17.8. We may also use the service “Google Optimizer”. Using so-called “A/B tests”, Google Optimizer allows us to understand the effects of various changes to a website (such as changes to the input fields, the design, etc.). Cookies are stored on users’ devices for these purposes. Only pseudonymous data of the users are processed.

17.9. In addition, we may use the “Google Tag Manager” to integrate and manage the Google Analytics and Marketing Services on our website.

17.10. For more information about Google’s data usage for marketing purposes, please visit the overview page: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads; Google’s Privacy Policy is available at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

17.11. If you wish to opt out of interest-based advertising through Google Marketing Services, you can take advantage of Google’s settings and opt-out options: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

18. Newsletter

18.1. The following information provides information about the contents of our newsletter as well as the subscription, delivering and statistical evaluation methods and also your right of revocation. By subscribing to our newsletter, you agree to receive it and allow the methods described.

18.2. Content of the newsletter: we send newsletters, emails and other electronic notifications with advertising information (hereinafter “newsletter”) only with the consent of the recipient or a legal permission. Insofar as the contents of a newsletter are concretely described upon subscription, they are decisive for the user’s consent. Incidentally, our newsletters contain information about our products, offers, promotions and our company.

18.3. Double opt-in and logging: subscription to our newsletter takes place in a so-called double-opt-in procedure. In other words, upon subscribing, you will receive an email asking you to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that nobody can register with another’s email addresses. Newsletter subscriptions will be logged in order to prove the subscription process according to the legal requirements. This includes the storage of the subscription and confirmation time, as well as the IP address. Changes to your data stored with the delivery service provider will also be logged.

18.4. Delivery service providers: the newsletter is sent by Constant Contact Inc., Waltham, 1601 Trapelo Road, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, USA, hereafter referred to as the “delivery service provider”. The delivery service provider’s privacy policy can be viewed here: https://www.constantcontact.com/legal/privacy-statement. Constant Contact Inc. is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, which provides a guarantee of compliance with European data protection standards (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000TNdGAAW&status=Active)

18.5. Furthermore, the delivery service provider may, according to its own information, send these data in pseudonymous form, i.e. without assignment to a user, to optimise or improve their own services, such as for the technical optimisation of the delivery and presentation of the newsletters, or for statistical purposes in order to determine which countries the recipients come from. However, the delivery service provider does not use our newsletter recipients’ data to contact them or pass such data on to third parties.

18.6. Subscription data: to subscribe to the newsletter, it is sufficient to provide your email address.

18.7. Measuring success: the newsletters contain a so-called “web beacon”, i.e. a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from the delivery service provider’s server when the newsletter is opened. This retrieval initially collects technical information, such as information about the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and time of retrieval. This information is used to improve the technical performance of services based on the technical data or target groups, and their reading habits, based on their access locations (which can be determined using the IP address), or access times. Statistical collections also include determining if the newsletters have been opened, when they have been opened and which links have been clicked. For technical reasons, this information can be assigned to the individual newsletter recipients. However, it is neither our endeavour nor that of the delivery service provider to observe individual users. The evaluations serve much more to enable us to recognise the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content to their needs or to send different content according to the interests of our users.

18.8. The delivery of the newsletter and the success measurement are carried out on the basis of the recipients’ consent according to Art. 6 (1)(a), Art. 7 GDPR in conjunction with § 7 (2) No. 3 of the Unfair Competition Act (UWG) or on the basis of the legal permission pursuant to Art. § 7 (3) UWG.

18.9. The logging of the subscription process is based on our legitimate interests in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR and serves to prove the recipient’s consent to receive the newsletter.

18.10. Termination/revocation: you may terminate the receipt of our newsletter at any time, i.e. revoke your consent. A link to unsubscribe from the newsletter can be found at the end of each newsletter. If the users have only subscribed to the newsletter, once they terminate this subscription, their personal data will be deleted.

19. Integration of third-party services and content

19.1. Based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation and economic operation of our online offering as defined in Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR), we make use of content or services offered by third-party providers in order to provide their content and services, such as videos or fonts (collectively referred to as “content”). This always presupposes that the third-party providers of this content detect the IP address of the users, since they could not send the content to their browser without the IP address. The IP address is therefore required for the presentation of such content. We endeavour to use only content where the respective providers use the IP address solely for the delivery of the content. Third parties may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also referred to as “web beacons”) for statistical or marketing purposes. The “pixel tags” can be used to evaluate information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and may include, but is not limited to, technical information about the browser and operating system, referral web sites, visit duration, and other information regarding the use of our online offering.

19.2. The following presentation provides an overview of third-party providers as well as their content, including links to their data privacy policies, which contain further information on the processing of data and, as partially already mentioned here, revocation (so-called opt-out) options:

• If our customers use the payment services of third parties (such as PayPal), the terms and conditions and the privacy notices of the respective third-party providers apply, which can be accessed on the respective websites or via transactional applications.

• To solicit online donations and manage the data needed to process the transfer of funds, we use the third-party DonorPerfect.com service provided by SofterWare, Inc. Horsham, 601 Office Center Dr, Suite 200, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, USA. SofterWare, Inc. is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, which provides a guarantee of compliance with European privacy legislation (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000CbchAAC&status=Active). Data Privacy Policy: https://www.donorperfect.com/company/privacy-policy/

• Videos from the platform YouTube provided by Google LLC, Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Irland. Data Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy, opt out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.