Legal information

Privacy policy

An overview of data protection

General information
At Vathos GmbH, the protection of your personal data is important to us. The following information will provide you with an easy to navigate overview of what will happen with your personal data when you visit this website. The term “personal data” comprises all data that can be used to personally identify you. For detailed information about the subject matter of data protection, please consult our Data Protection Declaration, which we have included beneath this copy.

Last updated on September, 26th 2023.

Data recording on this website

Who is the responsible party for the recording of data on this website (i.e., the “controller”)?
The data on this website is processed by the operator of the website, whose contact information is available under section “Information about the responsible party (referred to as the “controller” in the GDPR)” in this Privacy Policy.

How do we record your data?
We collect your data as a result of your sharing of your data with us. For example, you may provide us with information when you login to your account. Other data shall be recorded by our IT systems automatically or after you consent to its recording during your website visit. This data comprises primarily technical information (e.g., web browser, operating system, or time the site was accessed). This information is recorded automatically when you access this website. We pass on your data to processors. We do not intend to transfer your personal data to a recipient in a third country or to an international organization.

What are the purposes we use your data for?
Some of the data is collected in order to provide the information or services you have requested. Likewise, data is collected to ensure that the website operates correctly. Other data may be used to analyze your user patterns.

What rights do you have as far as your information is concerned?
You have the right to receive information about the source, recipients, and purposes of your archived personal data at any time without having to pay a fee for such disclosures. You also have the right to demand that your data are rectified or eradicated. If you have consented to data processing, you have the option to revoke this consent at any time, which shall affect all future data processing. Moreover, you have the right to demand that the processing of your data be restricted under certain circumstances. Furthermore, you have the right to log a complaint with the competent supervising agency which is for Vathos GmbH:

Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen
Postfach 20 04 44
40102 Düsseldorf

https://www.ldi.nrw.de/kontakt/ihre-beschwerde.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if you have questions about this or any other data protection related issues. You can find our contact details in the data protection declaration under “Information about the responsible party (referred to as the “controller” in the GDPR)” or also in the imprint of this website.

Analysis tools and tools provided by third parties
There is a possibility that your browsing patterns will be statistically analyzed when you visit this website. Such analyses are performed primarily with what we refer to as analysis programs. For detailed information about these analysis programs please consult our Data Protection Declaration below.

Hosting

We are hosting the content of our website at the following provider:

Google Ireland Limited
Gordon House, Barrow Street
Dublin 4
Irland

When you visit our website, Google collects various log files including your IP addresses.

For details, please refer to Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en

We use Google on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in making the depiction of our website as dependable as possible. If you have been asked for your respective consent, processing shall occur exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TTDSG, if the consent comprises the archiving of cookies or access to information on the user’s device (e.g., device finger printing) as defined in the TTDSG. Such consent may be revoked at any time.

Conclusion of a data processing agreement
A data processing agreement (DPA) for the use of the above-mentioned service was concluded. This is a contract mandated by data privacy laws that guarantees that they process personal data of our website visitors only based on our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

General information and mandatory information

Data protection
Vathos GmbH takes the protection of your personal data very seriously. Hence, we handle your personal data as confidential information and in compliance with the statutory data protection regulations and this Data Protection Declaration. Whenever you use this website, a variety of personal information will be collected. Personal data comprises data that can be used to personally identify you. This Data Protection Declaration explains which data we collect as well as the purposes we use this data for. It also explains how, and for which purpose the information is collected. We herewith advise you that the transmission of data via the Internet (i.e., through e-mail communications) may be prone to security gaps. It is not possible to completely protect data against third-party access.

Information about the responsible party (referred to as the “controller” in the GDPR)
The data processing controller on this website is:

Vathos GmbH
Graf-Adolf-Str. 41
40210 Düsseldorf

Authorised representatives:
Dr. Nicolas March, Dr. Jonathan Balzer

Telephone: (+49) 211 15860794
E-Mail: info@vathos-robotics.com

Legal Disclosure: https://www.vathos-robotics.com/imprint

The controller is the natural person or legal entity that single-handedly or jointly with others makes decisions as to the purposes of and resources for the processing of personal data (e.g., names, e-mail addresses, etc.).

Storage duration
Unless a more specific storage period has been specified in this privacy policy, your personal data will remain with us until the purpose for which it was collected no longer applies. If you assert a justified request for deletion or revoke your consent to data processing, your data will be deleted, unless we have other legally permissible reasons for storing your personal data (e.g., tax law retention periods); in the latter case, the deletion will take place after these reasons cease to apply.

General information on the legal basis for the data processing on this website
If you have consented to data processing, we process your personal data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR or Art. 9 (2)(a) GDPR, if special categories of data are processed according to Art. 9 (1) GDPR. In the case of explicit consent to the transfer of personal data to third countries, the data processing is also based on Art. 49 (1)(a) GDPR. If you have consented to the storage of cookies or to the access to information in your end device, the data processing is additionally based on § 25 (1) TTDSG. The consent can be revoked at any time. If your data is required for the fulfillment of a contract or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Furthermore, if your data is required for the fulfillment of a legal obligation, we process it on the basis of Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. Furthermore, the data processing may be carried out on the basis of our legitimate interest according to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Information on the relevant legal basis in each individual case is provided in the following paragraphs of this privacy policy.

Information on data transfer to the USA and other non-EU countries
Among other things, we use tools of companies domiciled in the United States or other from a data protection perspective in non-secure non-EU countries. If these tools are active, your personal data may potentially be transferred to these non-EU countries and may be processed there. We must point out that in these countries, a data protection level that is comparable to that in the EU cannot be guaranteed. For instance, U.S. enterprises are under a mandate to release personal data to the security agencies and you as the data subject do not have any litigation options to defend yourself in court. Hence, it cannot be ruled out that U.S. agencies (e.g., the Secret Service) may process, analyze, and permanently archive your personal data for surveillance purposes. We have no control over these processing activities.

Revocation of your consent to the processing of data
A wide range of data processing transactions are possible only subject to your express consent. You can also revoke at any time any consent you have already given us. This shall be without prejudice to the lawfulness of any data collection that occurred prior to your revocation.

Right to object to the collection of data in special cases (Art. 21 DSGVO)
In the event that data is processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR, you have the right to at any time object to the processing of your personal data based on grounds arising from your unique situation. This also applies to any profiling based on these provisions. To determine the legal basis, on which any processing of data is based, please consult this data protection declaration. If you log an objection, we will no longer process your affected personal data, unless we are in a position to present compelling protection worthy grounds for the processing of your data, that outweigh your interests, rights and freedoms or if the purpose of the processing is the claiming, exercising or defense of legal entitlements (objection pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR).

Right to log a complaint with the competent supervisory agency
In the event of violations of the GDPR, data subjects are entitled to log a complaint with a supervisory agency, in particular in the member state where they usually maintain their domicile, place of work or at the place where the alleged violation occurred. The right to log a complaint is in effect regardless of any other administrative or court proceedings available as legal resources.

Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen
Postfach 20 04 44
40102 Düsseldorf

is the supervisory authority responsible for Vathos GmbH.

Right to data portability
You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfillment of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a common, machine-readable format. If you should demand the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will be done only if it is technically feasible.

Information about, rectification and eradication of data
Within the scope of the applicable statutory provisions, you have the right to demand information about your archived personal data, their source and recipients as well as the purpose of the processing of your data at any time. You may also have a right to have your data rectified or eradicated. If you have questions about this subject matter or any other questions about personal data, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

Right to demand processing restrictions
You have the right to demand the imposition of restrictions as far as the processing of your personal data is concerned. To do so, you may contact us at any time. The right to demand restriction of processing applies in the following cases:

• In the event that you should dispute the correctness of your data archived by us, we will usually need some time to verify this claim. During the time that this investigation is ongoing, you have the right to demand that we restrict the processing of your personal data.
• If the processing of your personal data was/is conducted in an unlawful manner, you have the option to demand the restriction of the processing of your data instead of demanding the eradication of this data.
• If we do not need your personal data any longer and you need it to exercise, defend or claim legal entitlements, you have the right to demand the restriction of the processing of your personal data instead of its eradication.
• If you have raised an objection pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR, your rights and our rights will have to be weighed against each other. As long as it has not been determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to demand a restriction of the processing of your personal data.

If you have restricted the processing of your personal data, these data – with the exception of their archiving – may be processed only subject to your consent or to claim, exercise or defend legal entitlements or to protect the rights of other natural persons or legal entities or for important public interest reasons cited by the European Union or a member state of the EU.

SSL and/or TLS encryption
For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as in the case of online donations via our website that you send to us as the website operator, this website uses either an SSL or a TLS encryption program. You can recognize an encrypted connection by checking whether the address line of the browser switches from “http://” to “https://” and also by the appearance of the lock icon in the browser line. If the SSL or TLS encryption is activated, data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Recording of data on this website

Cookies
Our websites and pages use what the industry refers to as “cookies.” Cookies are small data packages that do not cause any damage to your device. Cookies serve to make our website more user-friendly, effective and secure. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and saved by your browser. They are either stored temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or they are permanently archived on your device (permanent cookies). Session cookies are automatically deleted once you terminate your visit. Permanent cookies remain archived on your device until you actively delete them, or they are automatically eradicated by your web browser.

Cookies can be issued by us (first-party cookies) or by third-party companies (so-called third-party cookies). Third-party cookies enable the integration of certain services of third-party companies into websites (e.g., cookies for handling payment services in the case of online donations).

Cookies have a variety of functions. Many cookies are technically essential since certain website functions would not work in the absence of these cookies (e.g. for the correct provision of the donation form or for the display of videos).Other cookies may be used to analyze user behavior.

Cookies, which are required for the performance of electronic communication transactions, for the provision of certain functions you want to use (e.g. for online donations) or those that are necessary for the optimization (required cookies) of the website shall be stored on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, unless a different legal basis is cited. The operator of the website has a legitimate interest in the storage of required cookies to ensure the technically error-free and optimized provision of the operator’s services. If your consent to the storage of the cookies and similar recognition technologies has been requested, the processing occurs exclusively on the basis of the consent obtained (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TTDSG); this consent may be revoked at any time.

You have the option to set up your browser in such a manner that you will be notified any time cookies are placed and to permit the acceptance of cookies only in specific cases. You may also exclude the acceptance of cookies in certain cases or in general or activate the delete-function for the automatic eradication of cookies when the browser closes. If cookies are deactivated, the functions of this website may be limited.

Which cookies and services are used on this website can be found in this privacy policy. In the bottom right-hand corner of the screen you will find the “Service-Control”, which allows you to manage your individual cookie settings.

Server log files
‘The provider of this website and its pages automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser communicates to us automatically. The information comprises:

• The type and version of browser used
• The used operating system
• Referrer URL
• The hostname of the accessing computer
• The time of the server inquiry
• The IP address

This data is not merged with other data sources.

This data is recorded on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The operator of the website has a legitimate interest in the technically error free depiction and the optimization of the operator’s website. In order to achieve this, server log files must be recorded.

Request by e-mail or telephone
If you contact us by e-mail or telephone, your request, including all resulting personal data (name, request) will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of processing your request. We do not pass these data on without your consent.
These data are processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR if your inquiry is related to the fulfillment of a contract or is required for the performance of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, the data are processed on the basis of our legitimate interest in the effective handling of inquiries submitted to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on the basis of your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) if it has been obtained; the consent can be revoked at any time.

The data sent by you to us via contact requests remain with us until you request us to delete, revoke your consent to the storage or the purpose for the data storage lapses (e.g. after completion of your request). Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular statutory retention periods – remain unaffected.

Social media

Social media elements with Shariff
We do use elements of social media networks on this website and its pages (e.g. LinkedIn).

LinkedIn
This website uses elements of the LinkedIn network. The provider is LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. Any time you access a page of this website that contains elements of LinkedIn, a connection to LinkedIn’s servers is established. LinkedIn is notified that you have visited this website with your IP address. If you click on LinkedIn’s “Recommend” button and are logged into your LinkedIn account at the time, LinkedIn will be in a position to allocate your visit to this website to your user account. We have to point out that we as the provider of the websites do not have any knowledge of the content of the transferred data and its use by LinkedIn.

If your approval (consent) has been obtained the use of the abovementioned service shall occur on the basis of Art. 6 (1)(a) GDPR and § 25 TTDSG (German Telecommunications Act). Such consent may be revoked at any time. If your consent was not obtained, the use of the service will occur on the basis of our legitimate interest in making our information as comprehensively visible as possible on social media.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here:
https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/62538/datenubertragung-aus-der-eu-dem-ewr-und-derschweiz?lang=en

For further information on this subject, please consult LinkedIn’s Data Privacy Declaration at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

Analysis tools

Use of Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to analyze website usage. The data obtained from this is used to optimize our website as well as advertising measures.

Google Analytics is provided to us by Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland). Google processes website usage data on our behalf and is contractually committed to measures to ensure the security and confidentiality of the processed data.

During your website visit, the following data is recorded, among others:

• Pages viewed
• The achievement of “website goals” (e.g., contact requests)
• Your behavior on the pages (for example, dwell time, clicks, scrolling behavior)
• Your approximate location (country and city)
• Your IP address (in shortened form, so that no clear assignment is possible)
• Technical information such as browser, Internet provider, terminal device and screen resolution
• Source of origin of your visit (i.e. via which website or advertising medium you came to us)

No personal data such as name, address or contact details are ever transferred to Google Analytics. This data is transferred to Google servers in the USA. We would like to point out that the same level of protection under data protection law cannot be guaranteed in the USA as within the EU (see above).

Google Analytics stores cookies in your web browser for a period of two years since your last visit. These cookies contain a randomly generated user ID with which you can be recognized during future website visits. The recorded data is stored together with the randomly generated user ID, which enables the evaluation of pseudonymous user profiles. This user-related data is automatically deleted after 14 months. Other data remains stored in aggregated form indefinitely.

If you do not agree with the collection, you can prevent it with the one-time installation of the browser add-on to disable Google Analytics or by rejecting cookies via our cookie settings dialog (Source: traffic3.net).

Plug-ins and Tools

YouTube
This website embeds videos from the website YouTube. The operator of the website is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

When you visit one of our websites on which YouTube is embedded, a connection to the YouTube servers is established. This tells the YouTube server which of our pages you have visited.

Furthermore, YouTube may store various cookies on your end device or use comparable technologies for recognition (e.g. device fingerprinting). In this way, YouTube can obtain information about visitors to this website. This information is used, among other things, to collect video statistics, improve the user experience and prevent fraud attempts.

If you are logged into your YouTube account, you enable YouTube to associate your surfing behaviour directly with your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account.

YouTube is used in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online content. This represents a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f DSGVO. If a corresponding consent has been requested, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a DSGVO and § 25 para. 1 TTDSG, insofar as the consent includes the storage of cookies or access to information in the user’s terminal device (e.g. device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TTDSG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Further information on the handling of user data can be found in YouTube’s privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

Privacy policy for our social media presence

Our social media appearances
This privacy policy applies to the following social media presence:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vathos/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vathos-robotics

Data processing through social networks
We maintain publicly available profiles in social networks. The individual social networks we use can be found below.
Social networks such as LinkedIn etc. can generally analyze your user behavior comprehensively if you visit their website or a website with integrated social media content (e.g., like buttons or banner ads). When you visit our social media pages, numerous data protection-relevant processing operations are triggered. In detail:
If you are logged in to your social media account and visit our social media page, the operator of the social media portal can assign this visit to your user account. Under certain circumstances, your personal data may also be recorded if you are not logged in or do not have an account with the respective social media portal. In this case, this data is collected, for example, via cookies stored on your device or by recording your IP address.
Using the data collected in this way, the operators of the social media portals can create user profiles in which their preferences and interests are stored. This way you can see interest-based advertising inside and outside of your social media presence. If you have an account with the social network, interest-based advertising can be displayed on any device you are logged in to or have logged in to.
Please also note that we cannot retrace all processing operations on the social media portals. Depending on the provider, additional processing operations may therefore be carried out by the operators of the social media portals. Details can be found in the terms of use and privacy policy of the respective social media portals.

Legal basis
Our social media appearances should ensure the widest possible presence on the Internet. This is a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. The analysis processes initiated by the social networks may be based on divergent legal bases to be specified by the operators of the social networks (e.g., consent within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).

Responsibility and assertion of rights
If you visit one of our social media sites (e.g., LinkedIn) we, together with the operator of the social media platform, are responsible for the data processing operations triggered during this visit. You can in principle protect your rights (information, correction, deletion, limitation of processing, data portability and complaint) vis-à-vis us as well as vis-à-vis the operator of the respective social media portal (e.g., LinkedIn).
Please note that despite the shared responsibility with the social media portal operators, we do not have full influence on the data processing operations of the social media portals. Our options are determined by the company policy of the respective provider.

Storage time
The data collected directly from us via the social media presence will be deleted from our systems as soon as you ask us to delete it, you revoke your consent to the storage or the purpose for the data storage lapses. Stored cookies remain on your device until you delete them. Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular, retention periods – remain unaffected.
We have no control over the storage duration of your data that are stored by the social network operators for their own purposes. For details, please contact the social network operators directly (e.g., in their privacy policy, see below).

Your rights
You have the right to receive information about the origin, recipient and purpose of your stored personal data at any time and free of charge. You also have the right to object, the right to data portability and the right to file a complaint with the responsible regulatory agency. Furthermore, you can request the correction, blocking, deletion and, under certain circumstances, the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
Individual social networks

LinkedIn
We have a LinkedIn profile. The provider is the LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. LinkedIn uses advertising cookies.

If you want to disable LinkedIn advertising cookies, please use the following link: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission.

Details can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/l/dpa and https://www.linkedin.com/legal/l/eu-sccs.

For details on how they handle your personal information, please refer to LinkedIn’s privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

YouTube
We have a profile on YouTube. The provider is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Details on how they handle your personal data can be found in the YouTube privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.