PRIVACY POLICY OF THE INTERNATIONAL HORIZON SCANNING INITIATIVE

This is the privacy policy of “International Horizon Scanning Initiative”, an international non-profit association having its registered office at Robert Schumanplein 6, 1140 Brussel, Belgium and registered with the Belgian Crossroads Bank of Enterprises with the company number 0735.645.228 (hereinafter “IHSI” or “we”).

This privacy policy is intended to inform you about the personal data that IHSI collects (e.g. via its website or through the contact form), to explain why we collect this data and how we deal with your data.

When does this privacy policy apply?

This privacy policy applies to the processing of personal data by IHSI (e.g. in the context of its website).

Who is responsible for the processing of your personal data?

IHSI is responsible for the processing of your personal data. This means that IHSI determines for what purposes and with what means your personal data will be processed.

Which personal data do we process about you?

We collect your personal data in three ways:

Information provided by you

In the first place, we receive your information when you share it with us. This is e.g. the case when you fill in a form on our website (e.g. a contact form or brochure form).

In these cases, we usually receive information such as your name, e-mail address, telephone number, address details (street, number, postal code, city, and country), date of birth and/ or other contact details.

We sometimes request you to provide us with your remarks, suggestions or other information regarding our website or our company.

Automatically obtained information

When you browse our website, we receive data from cookie providers about your activity on our website such as the webpages you visit and the information you are interested in. This information does not enable us to identify you directly. Therefore, we cannot know who you are merely based on the automatically obtained information. We can combine the automatically obtained information with the information provided by you to analyse your specific use of our website.

More information on the use of cookies by the IHSI can be found in our cookie policy.

Information obtained from third parties

Sometimes we also receive your information from third parties, such as information from our partners.

In this case, we usually receive data such as your name, e-mail address, address details, telephone number and/or your questions.

What is the legal ground for processing your personal data?

In general, IHSI processes your personal data for various purposes, which are further explained below. Regarding the processing of your personal data, IHSI always relies on:

either, the consent that you expressed. In certain cases we will request your explicit consent. In other cases, your consent can be expressed e.g. by ticking a box to this effect during your navigation on our site, or via another positive action from which your consent is inferred (e.g. by choosing to contact us via a contact form). In this case, you have the right to withdraw your consent for the future at all times;

or, on another legal basis laid down by law: for example, if the collection of data is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or if processing is necessary for the fulfilment of a legal obligation to which the IHSI is subject. In some cases, the processing of your data may also be necessary to realise a legitimate interest of IHSI. In this case, we will consider whether your interests or your fundamental rights and freedoms outweigh our legitimate interest.

For which purposes do we process your personal data?

IHSI can process your personal data for the purposes listed below. If IHSI wishes to process your personal data for purposes which are incompatible with the purposes as set out below, IHSI will provide you with further information to this end.

In order to provide you with personalised information based upon your profile

We may process your personal data based on your consent to send you personalised information or to manage your participation in our activities.
For this purpose, we can process data such as your name, your address, your e-mail address, your telephone number, your preferred language, and/or the information or project in which you are interested.

We can provide the personalised information to you by e-mail or mail (direct marketing), telephone, social media (including but not limited to Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn), our website or other electronic means. In each e-mail, you have the opportunity to unsubscribe. Furthermore, you are able to contact us regarding this topic at any given moment (see point 10 of this privacy policy with regard to your right to object).

Depending on the individual case, these data are processed based on your unambiguous consent or on the performance or entering into a contract with you.

In order to answer your questions or requests

We may process your personal data in order to answer your questions or requests (e.g. when you request certain information).

For this purpose, we can process data such as your name, your company name, your e-mail address, your telephone number, your address, your correspondence with IHSI and all other personal data that you provide to us that can be relevant for answering your question.

Depending on the individual case, these data are processed on the basis of the performance or entering into a contract with you, or on the basis of IHSI’s legitimate interest in informing you.

In order to send direct marketing of IHSI

We may process your personal data in order to keep you informed of new information or campaigns, or to hear your feedback.

We can send you direct marketing via e-mail, text message or mail, telephone, social media (including but not limited to Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn), our website SMS or other electronic means.

For this purpose, we can process personal data such as your name, your e-mail address, your telephone number and your address.

When you prefer not to receive such information any longer, you have the opportunity in each e-mail to unsubscribe. Furthermore, you are able to contact us regarding this topic at any given moment (see point 10 of this privacy policy with regard to your right to object).

In order to analyse data and perform statistical calculations

IHSI may process your personal data for analysis and statistical purposes. Statistical purposes mean any operation of collection and the processing of personal data necessary for statistical surveys or for the production of statistical results.

For this purpose, we can process personal data such as your name, email address or other contact details or personal information.

Depending on the individual case, these data are processed on the basis of your unambiguous consent or on the basis of IHSI’s legitimate interest.

The result of the processing for statistical purposes is aggregate data. We do not use the aggregate data or your personal data in support of measures or decisions with regard to you.

For the technical and functional management of our website

We may process personal data for the technical and functional management of our website and to ensure that the website is easy to use.

For this purpose, we can process data such as your IP address, the pages you visit, the browser you use, the websites you visited earlier, geographical data such as your location, your preferred language and the time and duration of your visit. We do this e.g. by using cookies. You can find more information about how we use cookies in our cookie policy. Depending on the individual case, these data are processed based on your unambiguous consent or based on IHSI’s legitimate interest in improving its website and protecting it against cyber-attacks.

Who has access to your personal data?

IHSI is selective in the parties to whom it discloses your personal data and chooses them carefully. In all cases, we will ensure that sufficient safeguards for the protection and confidentiality of your data are in place.

In the following cases, we may share your personal data with third parties:

  • business partners such as third parties with whom we cooperate to achieve or company goals;
  • IT service providers that provide technical support;
  • attorneys and external advisors;
  • supervisory authorities (in certain cases, IHSI may transfer your personal data to police, judicial or other authorities if we believe that we are required to do so based upon the applicable legislation or regulation or based upon another lawful request or order);
  • governments if required by law of regulation or by any order that IHSI needs to oblige;
  • possible acquirers of the company in the unlikely event that (a part of) our activities would be taken over by a third party.

Does IHSI process your data outside the european economic area (“EEA”)?

IHSI does not share your data with a third party outside the EEA. In the utmost exceptional case where IHSI does transfer your data to a company outside the EEA, IHSI is committed to always ensure an adequate and sufficient level of protection for your data, in particular by making sure that we can rely on a an adequacy decision under article 45 GDPR, by concluding standard contractual clauses under article 46.2 GDPR or via any other appropriate safeguard.

How are your personal data protected?

IHSI strives to protect your personal data as well as possible by means of administrative, technical and organisational measures. To this end, IHSI has developed several procedures.

IHSI furthermore has committed to ensure that the service providers that process personal data on behalf of IHSI also implement sufficient technical and organisational measures.

How long do we keep your personal data?

IHSI will retain your personal data for the period necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this privacy policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

What are your rights and how can you exercise them?

Under the GDPR, you have a number of rights with regard to your personal data. Some of these rights have a very specific scope or are subject to special conditions or exceptions.

Right of access

This means e.g. that you can ask us whether or not we process your personal data and for what purposes we do this. For more information, please consult article 15 GDPR.

Right to rectification

You also have a right to obtain the rectification of inaccurate personal data. For more information, please consult article 16 GDPR.

Right to erasure

In some cases, you can request us to erase your personal data e.g. when personal data is no longer required for the purposes for which we have collected it, when the personal data is processed based upon your consent and you withdraw your consent, etc.

In some exceptional cases, IHSI is not obliged to grant your request to erase your personal data. For more information, please consult article 17 GDPR.

Right to restriction of processing

You may request a restriction of our processing of your personal data, e.g. if you dispute the accuracy thereof or if you feel the processing activity to be unlawful. A restriction of the processing means that we may only store your data temporarily, except in case you nevertheless consent to the processing of your data, in the context of legal proceedings or in the public interest. A restriction can be terminated afterwards. For more information, please consult article 18 GDPR.

Right to data portability

If we process your personal data based upon your consent or based upon the performance of a contract, you can ask us to transfer your data to yourself or to another controller (if this is technically possible). In exceptional cases, IHSI is not obliged to follow up on your request. For more information, please consult article 20 GDPR.

Right to object

You can inform us of the particular reasons why you wish to object to the particular processing activity based upon IHSI’s legitimate interest or in the context of the public interest. If these particular reasons outweigh our legitimate interests, we will terminate the processing activity. IHSI cannot follow up on your request when we process your personal data for the purposes of a legal claim. For more information, please consult article 21 GDPR.

Right to object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes

If we process your personal data for direct marketing purposes, you can always request us to stop processing your personal data without you having to give up a special reason. For more information, please consult article 21 GDPR.

Right not to be subject to profiling

IHSI will not process your personal data for profiling purposes, unless you have given us your explicit consent thereto (see points 4 and 5 of this privacy policy). For this reason, you have the liberty to choose whether or not you wish to receive personalised information. As the case may be, IHSI will ensure that you have the right to obtain human intervention or to express your point of view. For more information, please consult article 22 GDPR.

Right to withdraw your consent at any time

If the processing of your data is based on your consent, you also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time, without this affecting the legitimacy of the processing done prior to the withdrawal of your consent.

Exercising the aforementioned rights

Exercising the above mentioned rights can easily be done in different ways, such as by e-mail, by mail, or by filling in the contact form on our website. For privacy and safety reasons, we may request proof of your identity.

Competent supervisory authority

In accordance with article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority of your habitual residence, your place of work or the place of an alleged infringement of the GDPR. The Belgian Data Protection Authority is the supervisory authority for Belgium and can be contacted at contact@apd-gba.be

What about links to other websites and social media?

The website of IHSI can contain references (e.g. via hyperlinks) to other websites, which are offered by other companies or by social media. IHSI is not responsible for the processing of your personal data via these websites. Nor does this privacy policy apply to these websites. IHSI advises you to check the privacy policies of these other websites, companies and/or social media.

If you share content from IHSI websites via social media, your personal data will be visible for the visitors of these social media. IHSI is not responsible for the processing of personal data via these social media. Nor does this privacy policy apply to these social media.

How are you informed of changes to this privacy policy

This version of the privacy policy was last modified on 25 October 2019.

We strive to provide you with the best service. Therefore, this privacy policy can be modified. We thus advise you to check this privacy policy regularly on our websites. Any major changes will be announced via other communication channels.

Who can you contact in order to exercise your rights?

If you have any further questions or complaints about the processing of your personal data, about IHSI’s websites or about this privacy policy you can always contact us: