Privacy Policy

The Coordination and Transfer Office Model Projects Smart Cities (KTS) takes the protection of personal data very seriously. The KTS wants the users to know when data is stored, which kind of data and how it is being used.

1) Contact (Data) of the Controller and the Data Protection Officer

This data protection information applies to data processing by:

Responsible:

Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB)
Krausenstraße 17-18
10117 Berlin
Email: smart-city-dialog@bmwsb.bund.de
Email Data Protection Officer: datenschutz@bmwsb.bund.de
http://www.bmwsb.bund.de

Responsible in the sense of the State Media Treaty:
Referat S III 5, Smart Cities

Participants in the KTS Smart Cities Consortium

The Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) is implementing the Smart Cities project together with various organisations (consortium) - which have joined forces in a Coordination and Transfer Office Model Projects Smart Cities (KTS Smart Cities). In addition to the BMWSB, the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) is also a client of the KTS Smart Cities. The BMWSB and the BBSR as well as the participants in the KTS Smart Cities Consortium also process the personal data mentioned here in this sense.

The participants of the consortium can be viewed here

2) Collection and Storage of Personal Data and the Nature and Purpose of Their Use

When you visit our websites http://www.smart-city-dialog.de and https://wuv.smart-city-dialog.de, the browser used on your device automatically sends information to the server of our website. This information is temporarily stored in a so-called log file for a maximum period of 7 days. The following information is collected without any action on your part and stored until it is automatically deleted:

  • IP address of the requesting computer,
  • Date and time of access,
  • Access status/HTTP status code
  • Amount of data transferred in bytes
  • Name and URL of the retrieved file,
  • Website from which the access was made (referrer URL),
  • browser version used
  • operating system

We process the aforementioned data for the following purposes:

  • Ensuring a smooth connection to the website,
  • Ensuring a comfortable use of our website,
  • analysing system security and stability, and
  • for other administrative purposes.

The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) and e) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our public interest follows from the data collection purposes listed above. There is no personalised analysis or analysis of the data for marketing purposes or profiling.

We also use cookies and analysis services when you visit our website. You will find more detailed explanations in sections 4 and 5 of this privacy policy.

3) Forwarding of Data

Your personal data will not be transferred to third parties for purposes other than those listed below.

We only pass on your personal data to third parties if:

4.) Cookies

We use cookies on our website. These are small files that your browser automatically creates and that are stored on your end device (laptop, tablet, smartphone or similar) when you visit our website. Cookies do not cause any damage to your end device and do not contain any viruses, Trojans or other malware.

Information is stored in the cookie that results in each case in connection with the specific end device used. However, this does not mean that we gain direct knowledge of your identity.

Cookies are only set after you have registered with us and then logged in. The cookie is used to identify your user account and to authorise access to protected content.

The legal basis for the data processed by cookies is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) and e) GDPR.

Most browsers accept cookies automatically. However, you can configure your browser so that no cookies are stored on your computer or a message always appears before a new cookie is created. However, completely deactivating cookies may mean that you cannot use all the functions of our website. Cookies already stored on your computer can be deleted at any time via the browser.

5.) Analysis Tools

On the basis of Article 6(1)(e) GDPR in conjunction with Section 3 of the Federal Data Protection Act, the BMWSB analyses usage information for statistical purposes as part of its public relations work and for the needs-based provision of information on the tasks to be performed by the BMWSB.

This is done using the web analysis service Matomo.

When individual pages of our website are accessed, the following data is stored:

  • two bytes of the IP address of the user's accessing system (anonymous)
  • the website accessed
  • the website from which the user came to the accessed website (referrer)
  • the subpages that are accessed from the accessed website
  • the time spent on the website
  • the frequency with which the website is accessed

No cookies are placed on the user's computer as part of our web analysis. The data is also not passed on to third parties.

If you do not agree to the completely anonymous storage and analysis of this data from your visit, you can object to its storage and use at any time by clicking below.

In this case, a so-called opt-out cookie is stored in your browser, which means that Matomo no longer collects any session data.

You can decide here whether a unique web analysis cookie may be stored in your browser to enable the operator of the website to collect and analyse various statistical data.

If you wish to opt out, remove the following tick to store the Matomo deactivation cookie in your browser.

Cookie Opt Out

6.) Registration

The following data is collected for registration with KTS Smart Cities on the Smart Cities Knowledge and Networking Platform of the Coordination and Transfer Office Model Projects Smart Cities (KTS):

  • Salutation
  • Title, if applicable
  • First name, surname
  • E-mail address
  • Name, legal form and address of the organisation (institution, company or authority)
  • Department, if applicable
  • Position, if applicable
  • Function, if applicable
  • Telephone number, if applicable
  • and mobile number if applicable
  • Website, if applicable
  • Affiliation to a Model Project Smart Cities (MPSC)
  • Project title of your MPSC, if applicable
  • If applicable, specification of a company type (category)
  • Information on fields of action and competences, if applicable

The following data is also stored at the time of registration:

  • Date and time of registration

By registering, you will be entered in the Smart Cities Knowledge and Networking Platform and listed in the KTS Smart Cities contact database. The registration system with an additional confirmation message containing a link to the final registration (double opt-in) ensures that you explicitly wish to register. Activation only takes place after the registration data has been checked.

Purpose of data processing

The personal data is processed in order to be able to carry out the following activities as part of the project:

  • Networking the municipalities
  • Knowledge transfer
  • Use of the digital workspaces: By registering, you can view them and take part in discussions. The user profile can be used to identify and assign contributions, among other things.
  • Answering enquiries
  • Maintaining a contact database
  • Consultancy as part of the KTS Smart Cities,
  • Provision of content and services as part of the KTS Smart Cities

The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) and e) GDPR. The corresponding fields are marked as mandatory fields (using *).

Persons under the age of 16 should not transmit any personal data to us without the consent of their parents or legal guardians.

7.) Entry of Information and Contact Details

Description and scope of data processing

After registering, you have the opportunity to provide information about yourself and your institution/company as well as planned projects/measures via the Smart Cities Knowledge and Networking Platform. This also includes the provision of personal data to varying degrees. The information you publish in your profile is entirely up to you. You are not obliged to provide additional information on your profiles.

The following data may be collected:

Community profile

  • Name if applicable
  • E-mail address, if applicable
  • Profile picture, if applicable
  • Chat username, if applicable

Contact database profile

  • Salutation
  • Title, if applicable
  • First name, surname
  • E-mail address, if applicable
  • Organisation information (institution, company or authority)
  • Department, if applicable
  • Position, if applicable
  • Function, if applicable Telephone and
  • Mobile number if applicable
  • If applicable, website affiliation to a Model Project Smart Cities (MPSC)
  • Project title of your MPSC
  • If applicable, specification of a company type (category)
  • Information on fields of action and competences, if applicable

When entering the data, your consent to the processing of this data is obtained.

8.) Presence in Social Networks (Social Media)

The Smart City Dialogue is active on the social network LinkedIn and has integrated a link to LinkedIn on the Smart City Dialogue website. KTS processes personal data via the LinkedIn channel on behalf of BMWSB; at the same time, data is processed by LinkedIn. The BMWSB is not responsible for the data processing of these companies based in the United States of America. Insofar as the BMWSB processes personal data, please refer to the BMWSB's separate "Social Media" privacy policy which can be found here.

The operating company of LinkedIn is LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. For data protection matters outside the USA, LinkedIn Ireland, Privacy Policy Issues, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland, is responsible.
Website: https://www.linkedin.com;
Privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy;
Option to object (opt-out): https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out

9.) Data for Sending Newsletters

If you register on one of the Coordination and Transfer Office Model Projects Smart Cities's newsletter mailing lists, your email address, the date and time of registration and the type of newsletter you have selected will be stored by us on a server. The data is processed on the basis of your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR. We use this data exclusively for sending the newsletter and for statistical evaluations to analyse system performance. In the case of the "ISCN Newsmail", you will also receive invitations to ISCN events. We do not pass on your data to third parties and do not use it for any other purposes of our own.

The registration system with an additional confirmation message containing a link for final registration (double opt-in) ensures that you explicitly wish to receive the newsletter.

When you register, your data is stored on our server and a confirmation message with a link to the final registration is generated and sent to the e-mail address you have provided. Only when you confirm the link in the e-mail will your data for sending the newsletter be stored for the duration of your use of our newsletter service.

If you no longer agree to the storage of your data for this purpose and therefore no longer wish to use our service, you can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time. The data you have provided will be deleted. Please follow this link (https://www.smart-city-dialog.de/newsletter-abmeldung) to unsubscribe. To do this, you will need the e-mail address you provided when you registered.

10) Deployment and Use of YouTube

The data controller has integrated YouTube components on this website. YouTube is an Internet video portal that enables video publishers to post video clips free of charge and other users to view, rate and comment on them free of charge. YouTube allows the publication of all types of videos, which is why complete film and television programmes as well as music videos, trailers or videos made by users themselves can be accessed via the Internet portal.

The company that makes YouTube available in the European Economic Area and Switzerland is Google Ireland Limited, a company incorporated and operated under Irish law (registration number: 368047) with its registered office at Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Google processes your personal data. You can find more information about this here: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de#infocollect.

In some cases, information is transmitted to the parent company Google Inc. based in the USA, to other Google companies and to external Google partners, some of which may be located outside the European Union. Google uses standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission and relies on the adequacy decisions issued by the European Commission regarding certain countries. You can find more information on data transfer here: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de#infosharing.

The BMWSB uses the "extended data protection mode" option provided by Google. When you access a page that has an embedded video, a connection to the Google servers is established and the content is displayed on the website by notifying your browser.

According to Google, in "extended data protection mode" your data - in particular which of our websites you have visited and device-specific information including the IP address - is only transmitted to the YouTube server in the USA when you watch the video.

If you are logged in to Google at the same time, this information will be assigned to your YouTube member account. You can prevent this by logging out of your member account before visiting our website. You can find more information about the data protection settings on YouTube here: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de#infochoices

You have given your consent to this data processing by agreeing to the use of cookies.

11) Application and Use of Vimeo

The BMWSB uses the provider Vimeo, among others, for the integration of videos. Vimeo is operated by Vimeo.com, Inc, 330 West 34th Street, 10th Floor, New York, New York 10001, USA.

We use plugins from the provider Vimeo on some of our websites. When you access the web pages of our website that have such a plugin, a connection to the Vimeo servers is established and the plugin is displayed. This tells the Vimeo server which of our web pages you have visited. If you are logged in to Vimeo as a member, Vimeo assigns this information to your personal user account. When you use the plugin, e.g. by clicking on the start button of a video, this information is also assigned to your user account. You can prevent this assignment by logging out of your Vimeo user account before using our website and deleting the corresponding cookies from Vimeo.

Further information on data processing and notes on data protection by Vimeo can be found at https://vimeo.com/privacy

You have given your consent to this data processing by agreeing to the use of cookies.
 

12.) Your Rights

You have the following rights vis-à-vis the BMWSB with regard to your personal data:

  • Right of access, Art. 15 GDPR
    The right of access provides the data subject with a comprehensive insight into the data concerning him/her and some other important criteria, such as the purposes of processing or the duration of storage. The exceptions to this right set out in Section 34 BDSG apply.
  • Right to rectification, Art. 16 GDPR
    The right to rectification includes the possibility for the data subject to have incorrect personal data concerning them corrected.
  • Right to erasure, Art. 17 GDPR
    The right to erasure includes the possibility for the data subject to have data erased by the controller. However, this is only possible if the personal data in question is no longer necessary, is being processed unlawfully or consent has been withdrawn. The exceptions to this right set out in Section 35 BDSG apply.
  • Right to restriction of processing, Art. 18 GDPR
    The right to restriction of processing includes the possibility for the data subject to prevent further processing of the personal data concerning them for the time being. A restriction occurs above all in the examination phase of other rights exercised by the data subject.
  • Right to object to the collection, processing and/or use, Art. 21 GDPR
    The right to object includes the possibility for data subjects to object to the further processing of their personal data in a particular situation, insofar as this is justified by the performance of public tasks or public and private interests. The exceptions to this right set out in Section 36 BDSG apply.
  • Right to data portability, Art. 20 GDPR
    The right to data portability includes the possibility for the data subject to receive the personal data concerning him/her from the controller in a commonly used, machine-readable format in order to have it forwarded to another controller if necessary. According to Art. 20 para. 3 sentence 2 GDPR, however, this right is not available if the data processing serves the fulfilment of public tasks.
  • Right to withdraw consent, Art. 7 para. 3 GDPR
    If personal data is processed on the basis of consent, the data subject may withdraw this consent for the relevant purpose at any time. The lawfulness of the processing based on the consent given remains unaffected until the revocation is received.

You can assert the aforementioned rights in writing using the contact details given in section 1.

Contact details of the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI):
Graurheindorfer Str. 153
53117 Bonn
Phone: +49 228 997799 0
Fax: +49 228 997799 5550
Email: poststelle@bfdi.bund.de 

13.) Data Security and Deletion of Data

We use the widespread SSL (Secure Socket Layer) method in conjunction with the highest level of encryption supported by your browser when you visit our website. As a rule, this is 256-bit encryption. You can recognise whether an individual page of our website is transmitted in encrypted form by the closed display of the key or lock symbol in the lower status bar of your browser.

We also use suitable technical and organisational security measures to protect your data against accidental or intentional manipulation, partial or complete loss, destruction or unauthorised access by third parties. Our security measures are continuously improved in line with technological developments.

The personal data stored about you will be deleted if it can be ruled out that it is still required for evidence or auditing purposes. This is usually the case for data that has not been needed for one year. Otherwise, the retention period for documents of the Registry Directive (10 years) applies to the BMWSB, after which a transfer to the interim archive or deletion must be considered. Documents from court proceedings can be stored for up to 30 years.

14.) Duration of Storage

The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected. The collected data will be deleted at the latest at the end of the project and after any applicable legal deadlines. (Explanation: Data may be stored 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 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 fulfilment of a contract).

15.) Up-to-dateness and Amendment of This Privacy Policy

This privacy policy is currently valid and is dated January 2024.

It may become necessary to amend this privacy policy as a result of the further development of our website and services or due to changes in legal or official requirements. You can access and print out the current privacy policy at any time at http://www.smart-city-dialog.de and https://wuv.smart-city-dialog.de.

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