Privacy Notice

Introduction

This privacy notice explains how European Social Survey ERIC (ESS ERIC) collects, uses and shares your personal data, and your rights in relation to your personal data ESS ERIC holds.

ESS ERIC is a data controller in terms of the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). ESS ERIC is registered with the UK Information Commissioners Office (ICO) with the registration number ZA106409.

The ESS ERIC website is provided by NSD - Norwegian Centre for Research Data, a data processor, who acts in accordance with instructions from the ESS ERIC.

How ESS collects your Information

When you register to access the ESS data we will collect data to allow us to record user details.

What Information ESS collects

ESS may collect the following types of personal data about you:

• Your name (title, first and surname) and contact information such as address, email address and institutional address. Your country of domicile and user category (eg Faculty member, PhD Student, Government official or other) as well as the academic discipline are recorded.
• The personal data are stored in a safe environment in accordance with GDPR requirements at NSD – Norwegian Centre for Research Data, Bergen, Norway. Backup systems are provided by the University of Bergen, Norway.

How ESS ERIC uses your information

• Monitor the use of the ESS datasets and website by academic disciplines, user group and country of use. No individual will be identifiable in statistical profiles of the ESS data user and User Bulletin recipient groupings.
• From time to time ESS may use your contact details to send you information about the ESS, such as a new data release, if you have selected this option.
• It may also send requests to participate in user surveys.
• We may use a third party and will share your email address for the sole purpose of administering an ESS user survey. Your email address will not be stored by the third party beyond an agreed period and will not be transferred outside the EU/EEA.

The legal basis for processing your information

ESS ERIC relies on several different legal basis depending on the processing being performed:

(Article 6(1)(a)), Consent – on specific occasions ESS ERIC will only process certain data if you explicitly consent e.g. on registration for the ESS User Bulletin.

(Article 6 (1)(b)), necessary for the performance of a contract.

(Article 6 (1)(e)), processing necessary for the performance of a task carried in the public interest –ESS ERIC is a research infrastructure whose activity is conducted in a public interest (including your interest and the interest of others). This is the basis on which we will process the personal data in the survey (Article 6 (1)(f)), processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interest of ESS ERIC or a third party subject to overridden interests of the data subject – the ESS ERIC (and sometimes third parties) has a broad legitimate interest in activities that connect to the activities and education of students. Subject to those interests not being overridden by the interests of fundamental rights and freedoms of students, it will pursue those interests.

Our legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described above will depend on the personal information concerned and the specific context in which it is collected.

Others ESS ERIC shares your information with

ESS ERIC will not share your information with third parties beyond its Core Scientific Team and providers, data processors, with whom it has written agreement about keeping all information secure. In each case your information will only be shared with these third parties in accordance with the data protection principles.

Data retention

ESS ERIC retains personal information it collects from you where there is an ongoing legitimate business need to do so (for example, to keep records of its registered data user community).

Your contact details will be deleted when you delete your account, or after being inactive for 5 years.

When there is no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, ESS ERIC or its processors will either delete or anonymise it or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then ESS will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.

Analytical tool for web statistics

The europeansocialsurvey.org website uses the analytical tool Google Analytics to monitor how readers use the website. Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google").

ESS ERIC uses the analytical tool to collect and evaluate information on how visitors use the ESS website, with the aim of improving the functionality of the website. Visits to europeansocialsurvey.org are registered with anonymous information, which does not contain any identifiable personal data.

In line with normal practice, a user’s IP address is registered when visiting europeansocialsurvey.org. However, NSD/ESS ERIC has chosen to mask parts of this information, so that no identifiable personal data is registered. IP masking is a security measure used to control how Google Analytics uses and stores website visitors’ IP addresses. By default, Google Analytics uses the entire IP address of website visitors in the general geographic reporting. On europeansocialsurvey.org, IP masking is enabled, which means that Google Analytics removes the last eight-bit byte of visitors’ IP addresses before they are analysed and stored.

Using cookies to monitor website usage

During website visits, cookies (information capsules) are stored as text files on your computer. The information collected by the cookie on your usage (including an anonymised version of your IP address) is sent to Google and stored on its servers. Google then uses this information to monitor website usage, draw up website activity reports for the website owner and provide other services related to the website activity and usage.

Google can also transfer this information to third parties where there is a legal obligation to do so, or if such third parties process the information on behalf of Google. Google will not combine your IP address with any other data it may have in its possession.

Preventing storage of your visitor data

Google Analytics’ guidelines on privacy protection entitle you to deny Google Analytics permission to store your visitor data. If you do not want Google Analytics to store your data, you can install "Google Analytics Opt-out", which is an add-on function for your browser that will prevent storage of such data.

You can also prevent the use of cookies on your computer by adjusting the necessary browser settings. If you choose to do this, you should be aware that you may not be able to use all of the website’s functionality.

By using the website you agree to Google processing data on you in the way and for the purpose as described above.

Use of Cookies on the ESS Website

Cookies are in use on the europeansocialsurvey.org to check whether the user has logged in before he/she can download data, and stay logged in across services that require login. Cookies are also used to retain form data in the website's built-in applications for improved ease-of-use".

Your rights

You have rights to your personal data held by ESS ERIC and the ESS archive are set out in the GDPR. These include:

• Rights to access your personal data to be provided by ESS ERIC within one calendar month – known as a Subject Access Requests (Article 15) This includes information on:
  • A description of your data
  • The Recipients of your data
  • A copy of your data
• Rights to rectification and erasure. You have the right to correct any inaccurate personal data held by ESS ERIC. Once information ESS ERIC has collected is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and processed, you sometimes have the right to have your data erased.
• Rights to restriction of processing
  • You sometimes have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data or object to the processing of your data.
  • If you wish to withdraw consent for the processing of your personal data or otherwise restrict or object to the processing of your personal data please contact the Information Compliance Team.
• Rights to data portability. You have the right to receive your personal data ESS ERIC holds in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit that data to another controller without hindrance from ESS ERIC.

Norway and GDPR

Although not a member of the EU, Norway is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA). The GDPR was incorporated into the EEA agreement and became applicable in Norway on 20 July 2018. Norway is thus bound by the GDPR in the same manner as EU Member States.

Changes to this notice

ESS ERIC may amend this privacy notice and will occasionally update to reflect feedback and enhance its accessibility.

In that case, ESS ERIC will post notice of the change on this website and you will be deemed to have accepted such changes.

ESS ERIC encourages you to periodically review this notice to be informed of how the institution is protecting your privacy.

Contact details

The Director of the European Social Survey ERIC, Professor Rory Fitzgerald has appointed NSD - Norwegian Centre for Research Data to act as its Data Protection Officer (DPO).

Should you have any concerns about your personal data by ESS ERIC please contact the DPO by email: dpo.esseric@europeansocialsurvey.org

If you would like to make a complaint, please contact the Information Commissioners’ Office:

By Post Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow Cheshire
SK9 5AF
By Telephone 01625 545700
Website www.ico.org.uk

For a list of all European Data Protection Supervisors: http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/article29/item-detail.cfm?item_id=612080

ESS ERIC Representative in the EU (Art. 27): CESSDA ERIC, Solheimsgaten 16, 5058 Bergen, Norway: ess-gdpr@cessda.eu