Privacy Policy
AI translation the German original (Datenschutzerklärung, elea Foundation). As stated in the policy itself, the German-language version remains authoritative.
With this privacy policy, we inform you about the processing of personal data in connection with our activities and operations, including our website at the domain name elea.org. In particular, we inform you which personal data we process, for what purpose, in what manner and at what location. We also inform you about the rights of persons whose data we process.
We have drafted this privacy policy in German. If it is published in another language, the German-language privacy policy remains authoritative.
For individual or additional activities and operations, we may publish further privacy policies or other information on data protection.
We are subject to Swiss law and, where applicable, foreign law, in particular that of the European Union (EU) with the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
By decision of July 26, 2000, the European Commission recognized that Swiss data protection law ensures an adequate level of data protection. By report of January 15, 2024, the European Commission confirmed this adequacy decision.
1. Contact addresses
The controller within the meaning of data protection law is:
elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization
Wiesenstrasse 7
8008 Zürich
Switzerland
In individual cases, third parties may be responsible for the processing of personal data, or there may be joint responsibility with third parties. Upon request, we are happy to provide data subjects with information about the respective responsibility.
2. Terms and legal bases
2.1 Terms
Data subject: Natural person about whom we process personal data.
Personal data: All information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.
Sensitive personal data: Data on trade union, political, religious or ideological views and activities, data on health, the intimate sphere or membership of an ethnic group or race, genetic data, biometric data that uniquely identifies a natural person, data on criminal and administrative sanctions or prosecutions, and data on social assistance measures.
Processing: Any handling of personal data, regardless of the means and procedures used, for example querying, matching, adapting, archiving, retaining, reading out, disclosing, procuring, recording, collecting, deleting, revealing, arranging, organizing, storing, altering, disseminating, linking, destroying and using personal data.
European Economic Area (EEA): Member States of the European Union (EU) as well as the Principality of Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway.
2.2 Legal bases
We process personal data in accordance with Swiss law, in particular the Federal Act on Data Protection (Data Protection Act, FADP) and the Ordinance on Data Protection (Data Protection Ordinance, DPO).
Where and to the extent that the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, we process personal data pursuant to at least one of the following legal bases:
Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a contract with the data subject and for the implementation of pre-contractual measures.
Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary for the purposes of safeguarding legitimate interests – including the legitimate interests of third parties – unless the fundamental freedoms and fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject override them. Such interests include in particular the lasting, humane, secure and reliable conduct of our activities and operations, ensuring information security, protection against misuse, the enforcement of our own legal claims and compliance with Swiss law.
Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject under any applicable law of Member States of the European Economic Area (EEA).
Art. 6(1)(e) GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.
Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR for the processing of personal data with the consent of the data subject.
Art. 6(1)(d) GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person.
Art. 9(2) et seq. GDPR for the processing of special categories of personal data, in particular with the consent of the data subjects.
The European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) refers to the processing of sensitive personal data as the processing of special categories of personal data (Art. 9 GDPR). [Translator’s note: the German original distinguishes between “Bearbeitung von Personendaten” (Swiss law) and “Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten” (GDPR). English has a single term; both are rendered here as “processing of personal data”.]
3. Type, scope and purpose of the processing of personal data
We process the personal data that is necessary in order to be able to conduct our activities and operations on a lasting, humane, secure and reliable basis. The personal data processed may in particular fall within the categories of browser and device data, content data, communication data, metadata, usage data, master data including inventory and contact data, location data, transaction data, contract data and payment data. The personal data may also constitute sensitive personal data.
We also process personal data that we receive from third parties, obtain from publicly accessible sources or collect in the course of conducting our activities and operations, to the extent that such processing is permitted.
We process personal data, where necessary, with the consent of the data subjects. In many cases we may process personal data without consent, for example in order to fulfill legal obligations or to safeguard overriding interests. We may also ask data subjects for their consent where their consent is not required.
We process personal data for the period that is necessary for the respective purpose. In particular, we anonymize or delete personal data depending on statutory retention and limitation periods.
4. Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We may process personal data in an automated manner or use artificial intelligence for the processing of personal data.
We may use profiling to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to data subjects in an automated manner. Profiling serves, for example, to analyze or predict interests, behaviors or personal preferences.
In individual cases, we inform data subjects about decisions that are based exclusively on automated processing of personal data and that produce legal effects concerning them or significantly affect them (automated individual decisions).
5. Disclosure of personal data
We may disclose personal data to third parties, have it processed by third parties or process it jointly with third parties. Such third parties may, for example, be specialized providers whose services we use. Such third parties may in turn disclose personal data to third parties.
In the course of our activities and operations, we may in particular disclose personal data to banks and other financial service providers, authorities, educational and research institutions, advisors and attorneys, accounting and fiduciary service providers, debt collection companies, interest groups, IT service providers, cooperation partners, credit and business information agencies, logistics and shipping companies, marketing and advertising agencies, media, parent, sister and subsidiary companies, organizations and associations, social institutions, telecommunications companies, insurance companies and payment service providers.
6. Communication
We process personal data in order to be able to communicate with individuals as well as with authorities, organizations and companies. In doing so, we process in particular data that a data subject transmits to us when making contact, for example by postal mail or e-mail. We may store such data in an address book or comparable tools.
Third parties who transmit data about other persons to us are legally obliged to ensure the data protection of those data subjects independently. In particular, they must ensure that they are permitted to transmit such data, and must also ensure the accuracy of the data transmitted.
We use selected services of suitable providers in order to enable and improve communication with individuals and other communication partners. With such services, we may also manage and otherwise process the data of data subjects beyond direct communication, for example in connection with orders, services, projects and resource planning.
We use in particular:
Jira Service Management: Customer service; providers: Atlassian Pty Ltd (Australia) / Atlassian Inc. (USA); privacy information: Privacy policy, Cookie and tracking policy.
Salesforce: Customer relationship management (CRM); providers: Salesforce.com Inc. (USA) / Salesforce.com Germany GmbH (Germany); privacy information: “Privacy” (with the “most important contents of the privacy policy”), Privacy policy.
7. Applications
We process personal data about applicants to the extent that it is necessary for assessing suitability for an employment relationship or for the subsequent performance of an employment contract. The necessary personal data result in particular from the information requested, for example in the context of a job advertisement. We may publish job advertisements with the help of suitable third parties, for example in electronic and print media or on job portals and job platforms.
We also process personal data that applicants communicate or publish voluntarily, in particular as part of cover letters, résumés and other application documents as well as part of online profiles.
Where and to the extent that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, we process personal data about applicants in particular pursuant to Art. 9(2)(b) GDPR.
We may enable applicants to store their details in our talent pool so that we can consider them for future vacancies. We may also use such details to maintain contact and to inform applicants about news. If, on the basis of the details provided, we consider that an applicant may be suitable for a vacancy, we may inform the applicant accordingly.
8. Data security
We take suitable technical and organizational measures to ensure data security appropriate to the respective risk. With our measures we ensure in particular the confidentiality, availability, traceability and integrity of the personal data processed, without, however, being able to guarantee absolute data security.
Access to our website and our other digital presence takes place using transport encryption (SSL / TLS, in particular with the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, abbreviated HTTPS). Most browsers warn before a website without transport encryption is visited.
Our digital communication is – like digital communication in principle – subject to mass surveillance without cause or suspicion by security authorities in Switzerland, in the rest of Europe, in the United States of America (USA) and in other countries. We have no direct influence on the corresponding processing of personal data by intelligence services, police authorities and other security authorities. Nor can we rule out that a data subject is subject to targeted surveillance.
9. Personal data abroad
We in principle process personal data in Switzerland and in the European Economic Area (EEA). However, we may also export or transmit personal data to other countries, in particular in order to process it there or have it processed there.
We may export personal data to all countries on earth and elsewhere in the universe, provided that the law there ensures adequate data protection according to the decision of the Swiss Federal Council and – where and to the extent that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies – also according to the decision of the European Commission.
We may transmit personal data to countries whose law does not ensure adequate data protection, provided that data protection is ensured on other grounds, in particular on the basis of standard data protection clauses or other suitable safeguards. Exceptionally, we may export personal data to countries without adequate or suitable data protection if the special data protection requirements for this are met, for example the explicit consent of the data subjects or a direct connection with the conclusion or performance of a contract. Upon request, we are happy to provide data subjects with information about any safeguards or to provide a copy of any safeguards.
10. Rights of data subjects
10.1 Data protection claims
We grant data subjects all rights under the applicable law. In particular, data subjects have the following rights:
Access: Data subjects may request information on whether we process personal data about them and, if so, which personal data. Data subjects also receive the information necessary to assert their data protection claims and to ensure transparency. This includes the personal data processed as such, but also, among other things, information on the purpose of processing, the duration of retention, any disclosure or export of data to other countries and the origin of the personal data.
Rectification and restriction: Data subjects may have inaccurate personal data rectified, incomplete data completed and the processing of their data restricted.
Opportunity to state their own position and human review: In the case of decisions that are based exclusively on automated processing of personal data and that produce legal effects concerning them or significantly affect them (automated individual decisions), data subjects may state their own position and request a review by a human being.
Erasure and objection: Data subjects may have personal data erased (“right to be forgotten”) and may object to the processing of their data with effect for the future.
Data release and data portability: Data subjects may request the release of personal data or the transfer of their data to another controller.
Within the limits permitted by law, we may postpone, restrict or refuse the exercise of data subjects’ rights. We may point out any prerequisites that must be met for the exercise of their data protection claims. For example, we may refuse to provide information in whole or in part by reference to confidentiality obligations, overriding interests or the protection of other persons. We may also, for example, refuse the erasure of personal data in whole or in part, in particular by reference to statutory retention obligations.
Exceptionally, we may provide for costs for the exercise of rights. We will inform data subjects in advance of any costs.
We are obliged to identify, by appropriate measures, data subjects who request information or assert other rights. Data subjects are obliged to cooperate.
10.2 Legal remedies
Data subjects have the right to enforce their data protection claims through legal action or to file a report or complaint with a data protection supervisory authority.
The data protection supervisory authority for private controllers and federal bodies in Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC).
European data protection supervisory authorities are organized as members of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). In some Member States of the European Economic Area (EEA), the data protection supervisory authorities are structured on a federal basis, in particular in Germany.
11. Use of the website
11.1 Cookies
We may use cookies. Cookies – both our own cookies (first-party cookies) and cookies of third parties whose services we use (third-party cookies) – are data stored in the browser. Such stored data need not be limited to traditional cookies in text form.
Cookies may be stored in the browser temporarily as “session cookies” or for a certain period of time as so-called permanent cookies. “Session cookies” are deleted automatically when the browser is closed. Permanent cookies have a specific storage period. Cookies make it possible in particular to recognize a browser on the next visit to our website and thereby, for example, to measure the reach of our website. Permanent cookies may, however, also be used for online marketing, for example.
Cookies can be deactivated, restricted or deleted in whole or in part in the browser settings at any time. Browser settings often also allow cookies to be deleted automatically and otherwise managed. Without cookies, our website may no longer be fully available. We actively request – at least where and to the extent required under the applicable law – explicit consent to the use of cookies.
For cookies used for performance and reach measurement or for advertising, a general objection (“opt-out”) is possible for numerous services via AdChoices (Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada), the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), YourAdChoices (Digital Advertising Alliance) or Your Online Choices (European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance, EDAA).
11.2 Logging
For each access to our website and our other digital presence, we may log at least the following information, provided that it is determined or transmitted by default during such access to our digital infrastructure: date and time including time zone, IP address, access status (HTTP status code), operating system including user interface and version, browser including language and version, individual subpage of our website accessed including the amount of data transferred, website last accessed in the same browser window (referrer).
We log such information, which may also constitute personal data, in log files. The information is necessary in order to be able to provide our digital presence on a lasting, humane and reliable basis. The information is also necessary in order to be able to ensure data security – including by or with the help of third parties.
11.3 Tracking pixels
We may integrate tracking pixels (German: “Zählpixel”) into our digital presence. Tracking pixels are also referred to as web beacons. Tracking pixels – including those of third parties whose services we use – are usually small, invisible images or scripts written in JavaScript that are retrieved automatically when our digital presence is accessed. With tracking pixels, at least the same information can be captured as with logging in log files.
12. Notifications and communications
12.1 Performance and reach measurement
Notifications and communications may contain web links or tracking pixels that record whether an individual communication was opened and which web links were clicked. Such web links and tracking pixels may also record the use of notifications and communications on a personal basis. We need this statistical recording of usage for performance and reach measurement, in order to be able to send notifications and communications effectively and in a humane manner, as well as on a lasting, secure and reliable basis, in line with the needs and reading habits of the recipients.
12.2 Consent and objection
You must in principle consent to the use of your e-mail address and your other contact addresses, unless the use is permitted on other legal grounds. To obtain any doubly confirmed consent, we may use the “double opt-in” procedure. In this case you will receive a communication with instructions for the double confirmation. We may log consents obtained, including IP address and timestamp, for reasons of evidence and security.
You may in principle object to the receipt of notifications and communications, such as newsletters, at any time. With such an objection you can at the same time object to the statistical recording of usage for performance and reach measurement. Necessary notifications and communications in connection with our activities and operations remain unaffected.
12.3 Service providers for notifications and communications
We send notifications and communications with the help of specialized service providers.
We use in particular:
Mailchimp: Communication platform; provider: The Rocket Science Group LLC DBA Mailchimp (USA) as a subsidiary of Intuit Inc. (USA); privacy information: Privacy statement (Intuit) including “Country and region-specific provisions”, “Frequently asked questions about data protection at Mailchimp”, “Mailchimp and European data transfers”, “Security”, Cookie policy, “Requests regarding data protection rights”, “Legal terms”.
13. Social media
We maintain a presence on social media platforms and other online platforms in order to be able to communicate with interested persons and to inform them about our activities and operations. In connection with such platforms, personal data may also be processed outside Switzerland and the European Economic Area (EEA).
The general terms and conditions (T&Cs) and terms of use as well as the privacy policies and other provisions of the individual operators of such platforms also apply in each case. These provisions inform in particular about the rights of data subjects directly vis-à-vis the respective platform, which includes, for example, the right of access.
For our social media presence on Facebook, including the so-called Page Insights, we are – where and to the extent that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies – jointly responsible together with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland). Meta Platforms Ireland Limited is part of the Meta companies (including in the USA). The Page Insights provide information on how visitors interact with our Facebook presence. We use Page Insights in order to be able to provide our social media presence on Facebook effectively and in a humane manner.
Further information on the type, scope and purpose of the data processing, information on the rights of data subjects, and the contact details of Facebook and of Facebook’s data protection officer can be found in Facebook’s privacy policy. We have concluded the so-called “Controller Addendum” with Facebook and have thereby agreed in particular that Facebook is responsible for ensuring the rights of data subjects. For the so-called Page Insights, the corresponding information can be found on the page “Information about Page Insights”, including “Information about Page Insights data”.
14. Third-party services
We use services of specialized third parties in order to be able to conduct our activities and operations on a lasting, humane, secure and reliable basis. With such services, we can, among other things, embed functions and content into our website. In the case of such embedding, the services used capture, for technically imperative reasons, at least temporarily the IP addresses of users.
For necessary security-related, statistical and technical purposes, third parties whose services we use may process data in connection with our activities and operations in aggregated, anonymized or pseudonymized form. This concerns, for example, performance or usage data, in order to be able to offer the respective service.
We use in particular:
Google services: Providers: Google LLC (USA) / Google Ireland Limited (Ireland), in part for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and in Switzerland; general privacy information: “Handling of data protection”, Privacy policy, “How Google uses personal data”, “Google is committed to compliance with applicable data protection laws”, “Guide to data protection in Google products”, “How we use data from websites or apps on or in which our services are used”, Cookie policy, “Advertising you can influence” (settings for personalized advertising).
Microsoft services: Providers: Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited (Ireland) for users in the European Economic Area (EEA), in Switzerland and in the United Kingdom / Microsoft Corporation (USA) for users in the rest of the world; general privacy information: “Data protection at Microsoft”, “Data protection and privacy”, Privacy statement, “Data and privacy settings”.
14.1 Digital infrastructure
We use services of specialized third parties in order to be able to make use of the required digital infrastructure in connection with our activities and operations. This includes, for example, hosting and storage services from selected providers.
We use in particular:
Cyon: Hosting; provider: cyon AG (Switzerland); privacy information: “Data protection”, Privacy policy.
14.2 Automation and integration of apps and services
We use specialized platforms in order to integrate and connect existing apps and services of third parties. With such “no-code” platforms, we can also automate processes and activities with apps and services of third parties.
We use in particular:
Microsoft Power Automate including Microsoft Power Platform: Integrated application platform; provider: Microsoft; Microsoft Power Platform-specific privacy information: “Compatibility and data protection”, “Data storage and governance”, “Security”.
n8n: Platform for the integration of apps and services; provider: n8n GmbH (Germany); privacy information: Privacy policy, “Privacy and security”.
14.3 Online collaboration
We use services of third parties in order to enable online collaboration. In addition to this privacy policy, any directly visible terms of the services used, such as terms of use or privacy policies, also apply in each case.
We use in particular:
Microsoft Teams: Platform for productive collaboration, in particular with audio and video conferences; provider: Microsoft; Teams-specific information: “Security and compliance in Microsoft Teams”, in particular “Data protection”.
14.4 Social media functions and social media content
We use services and plugins of third parties in order to be able to embed functions and content of social media platforms and to enable the sharing of content on social media platforms and in other ways.
We use in particular:
Facebook (social plugins): Embedding of Facebook functions and Facebook content, for example “Like” or “Share”; providers: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland) and further Meta companies (including in the USA); privacy information: Privacy policy.
Instagram platform: Embedding of Instagram content; providers: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland) and further Meta companies (including in the USA); privacy information: Privacy policy (Instagram), Privacy policy (Facebook).
LinkedIn Consumer Solutions Platform: Embedding of functions and content from LinkedIn, for example with plugins such as the “Share Plugin”; provider: Microsoft; LinkedIn-specific information: “Privacy”, Privacy policy, Cookie policy, Cookie management / objection to e-mail and SMS communication from LinkedIn, Objection to interest-based advertising.
14.5 Digital content
We use services of specialized third parties in order to be able to integrate digital content into our website. Digital content is in particular image and video material, music and podcasts.
We use in particular:
YouTube: Video platform; provider: Google; YouTube-specific information: “Privacy and Safety Center”, “My data on YouTube”.
15. Extensions for the website
We use extensions for our website in order to be able to use additional functions. We may use selected services of suitable providers or use such extensions on our own digital infrastructure.
16. Performance and reach measurement
We seek to measure the success and reach of our activities and operations. In this context, we may also measure the effect of referrals from third parties or examine how different parts or versions of our digital presence are used (“A/B testing” method). Based on the results of the performance and reach measurement, we may in particular correct errors, strengthen popular content or make improvements.
For performance and reach measurement, the IP addresses of individual users are captured in most cases. In this case, IP addresses are in principle shortened (“IP masking”) in order to follow the principle of data minimization through the corresponding pseudonymization.
Cookies may be used and user profiles created in the course of performance and reach measurement. User profiles that may be created include, for example, the individual pages visited or content viewed on our digital presence, information on the size of the screen or browser window, and the – at least approximate – location. In principle, any user profiles are created exclusively in pseudonymized form and are not used to identify individual users. Individual third-party services with which users are logged in may possibly assign the use of our online offering to the user account or user profile with the respective service.
We use in particular:
Matomo: Performance and reach measurement; provider: InnoCraft Ltd. (New Zealand, free open-source software); privacy information: use on our own digital infrastructure and with anonymized IP addresses, “List of all Matomo features”.
17. Final notes on the privacy policy
We created this privacy policy with the data protection generator of Datenschutzpartner.
We may update this privacy policy at any time. We inform about updates by publishing the respective current privacy policy on our website.
V: 12.10.2026