1. Controller
The controller responsible for the processing of personal data in connection with this website is:
GeSK Gesellschaft für empirische Sozialforschung und Kommunikation mbH
Ziegelstraße 29
10117 Berlin
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)30 217 50 460
Email: pr@gesk.berlin
Website: www.gesk.berlin
Management:
Gabriele von Molitor
Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Bernd A. Wegener
For questions regarding data protection, you can contact us at:
datenschutz@gesk.berlin
2. General Information
The protection of your personal data is important to us.
We process personal data in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) and the Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (TDDDG).
Personal data is information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.
With this Privacy Policy, we inform you about which personal data is processed when using our website, for what purposes this takes place and what rights you have.
3. Hosting and Accessing the Website
Our website is hosted by IONOS SE.
When you access our website, technically necessary information is processed by the web server. This may include in particular:
The IP address is technically processed when the website is accessed; in the log files stored by IONOS, the IP addresses are anonymized.
The processing of this data takes place in order to technically provide the website, ensure its security and stability, and detect and prevent abusive access or attacks on our systems.
The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the secure and technically functional provision of our online offering.
IONOS processes data on our behalf as part of the hosting. Insofar as personal data is processed by IONOS on our behalf, this takes place on the basis of a data processing agreement pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR.
For the webspace used by us, the log data is stored by IONOS for a maximum of eight weeks.
After the retention period has expired, the log data is deleted, unless, exceptionally, longer storage is required due to legal obligations or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
4. Cookies
Our website exclusively uses the cookie “pll_language”.
This cookie is used by the multilingual functionality employed by us. It stores the language you last selected so that the website can be displayed to you in the desired language when you visit again.
The cookie contains only information about the selected language and is not used to analyze your usage behavior, create user profiles or display personalized advertising.
The cookie has a lifespan of one year.
The use of this cookie serves exclusively to provide a function of the website requested by you – the storage of your language selection.
According to Section 25(2) No. 2 TDDDG, no consent is required for the storage of information on the end device if the storage is strictly necessary for the provider to make available a digital service expressly requested by the user.
Since the cookie is required exclusively for the language function requested by you and no analytics, tracking or advertising cookies are used, no cookie banner or consent management is required for the website.
5. Contact
If you contact us by email or telephone, we process the personal data transmitted by you insofar as this is necessary to handle your inquiry.
This may include in particular:
The processing takes place to handle and respond to your inquiry.
The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Insofar as your inquiry is aimed at the initiation or performance of a contract, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR may additionally serve as the legal basis.
The data is deleted as soon as the inquiry has been conclusively processed and no statutory retention obligations or other legal reasons for further storage exist.
6. External Links and Social Networks
Our website contains links to external online offerings, in particular to our presences on Instagram and LinkedIn.
These are exclusively links. When accessing our website, no data is transmitted to Instagram or LinkedIn via these links.
Only when you click on such a link do you leave our website and reach the online offering of the respective provider. From this point onward, the privacy policies of the respective provider apply.
We have no influence over the data processing by the operators of the linked websites.
7. Recipients of Personal Data
Personal data is generally only disclosed insofar as this is necessary for the stated purposes, there is a legal obligation to do so, or you have consented to the disclosure.
In connection with the operation of this website, the following recipients or categories of recipients may be considered in particular:
Insofar as service providers process personal data on our behalf, this takes place on the basis of corresponding agreements pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR.
We do not sell personal data and do not provide it to third parties for their own advertising purposes.
8. Transfer to Third Countries
The website does not use analytics, tracking or advertising services from third-party providers.
According to our knowledge, the services used on this website do not result in the transfer of personal data to countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area.
Insofar as you switch to a third-party offering via an external link, the privacy policies of the respective provider apply to the data processing there.
9. Duration of Storage
We store personal data only for as long as this is necessary for the respective processing purpose.
In addition, statutory retention obligations may require longer storage.
Once the respective processing purpose no longer applies or statutory retention periods have expired, the data concerned is deleted, unless, exceptionally, further storage is required for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
10. Your Rights
Subject to the statutory requirements, you have the following rights:
Right of Access
You may request information about whether and which personal data we process about you.
Right to Rectification
You may request the rectification of inaccurate personal data.
Right to Erasure
You may request the erasure of your personal data under the statutory conditions.
Right to Restriction of Processing
You may request the restriction of the processing of your personal data under the statutory conditions.
Right to Data Portability
Insofar as the statutory requirements are met, you have the right to receive the personal data you have provided in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or to request its transmission to another controller.
Right to Object
You have the right, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to object at any time to the processing of your personal data if the processing is based on Art. 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR.
If personal data is processed for direct marketing purposes, you may object to this processing at any time.
Right to Withdraw Consent
Insofar as processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time with effect for the future.
The lawfulness of the processing carried out until the withdrawal remains unaffected.
To exercise your rights, it is sufficient to send a notification to:
datenschutz@gesk.berlin
11. Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Data Protection Supervisory Authority
You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority about the processing of your personal data.
The competent supervisory authority for GeSK Gesellschaft für empirische Sozialforschung und Kommunikation mbH is in particular:
Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information
Friedrichstraße 219
10969 Berlin
Germany
Website: www.datenschutz-berlin.de
You may generally also contact the data protection supervisory authority of your habitual place of residence or your workplace.
12. Data Security
We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against loss, destruction, manipulation and unauthorized access.
Our website is transmitted via an encrypted HTTPS connection.
13. Automated Decision-Making
Automated decision-making, including profiling within the meaning of Art. 22 GDPR, does not take place in connection with the use of our website.
14. Updating This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to adapt this Privacy Policy if the legal requirements or the technical functions of our website change.
The current version published on our website applies in each case.
As of: October 2026
