Information on data protection
We take data protection and confidentiality very seriously and adhere to the provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) as well as current national data protection regulations. Please read this data protection information carefully before submitting a report.
Purpose and legal foundation of the whistleblowing system
The whistleblowing system (BKMS® System) serves for securely and confidentially receiving, processing and managing reports concerning violations of the compliance rules of ista SE. The processing of personal data within the framework of the BKMS® System is based on the legitimate interest of our company in discovering and preventing abuses and thereby averting damage to ista SE, its employees and customers. The legal foundation for this processing of personal data is Article 6 paragraph 1f EU-GDPR.
Responsible authority
The party responsible for data protection in the whistleblowing system is
- ista SE and
- its subsidiaries
as parties with mutually autonomous responsibility (hereafter also: “ista”). The whistleblowing system is operated by a specialised company, EQS Group GmbH, Bayreuther Str. 35, 10789 Berlin in Germany, on behalf of ista.
Personal data and information entered into the whistleblowing system are stored in a database of a high security data centre operated by EQS Group GmbH. Only ista has access to the data. EQS Group GmbH and other third parties do not have access to the data. This is ensured in the certified procedure through extensive technical and organisational measures.
All data are stored encrypted with multiple levels of password protection so that access is restricted to a very small selection of expressly authorised persons at ista.
ista has appointed a data protection officer. Inquiries regarding data protection at ista can be sent to Rainer Dartmann (Datenschutz@ista.com).
Type of personal data collected
Use of the whistleblowing system takes place on a voluntary basis. If you submit a report via the whistleblowing system, we collect the following personal data and information:
- your name, if you choose to reveal your identity,
- whether you are employed at ista and
- the names and other personal data of persons whom you list in your report, if applicable.
Confidential handling of reports
Incoming reports are received by a small selection of expressly authorised and specially trained employees of the Corporate Internal Audit & Compliance department of ista and are always handled confidentially. The employees evaluate the matter and carry out any further investigation that may be required by the specific case.
During the processing of a report or the conducting of a special investigation, it may become necessary to forward reports to additional employees of ista or employees of other group companies, such as if the reports refer to activities in subsidiaries. The latter may be based in countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area with different regulations about the protection of personal data. We always ensure that the applicable data protection regulations are complied with when sharing reports.
All persons who receive access to the data are obligated to maintain confidentiality.
Information about the accused
We are legally obliged to inform accused parties of any reports received against them as soon as the disclosure of this information no longer jeopardises the investigation. Your identity as a whistleblower will not be disclosed unless we are legally bound to do so.
Rights of the data subject
Pursuant to European data protection legislation, you and the persons named in the report have a right of information, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing and objection to processing of your personal data. If the right to object to the processing of the personal data is invoked, the necessity of the stored data for the examination of a report will be evaluated immediately. Data that are no longer required will be deleted at once. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority.
Retention period of personal data
Personal data is retained for as long as necessary to clarify the situation and perform a concluding evaluation or for as long as a legitimate interest exists on the part of the company or retention is required by law. After the report processing is concluded, the data are deleted in accordance with the statutory requirements.
Use of the whistleblowing portal
Communication between your computer and the whistleblowing system takes place over an encrypted connection (SSL). Your IP address will not be stored during your use of the whistleblowing system. In order to maintain the connection between your computer and the BKMS® System, a cookie is stored on your computer that merely contains the session ID (a so-called session cookie). This cookie is only valid until the end of your session and expires when you close your browser.
It is possible to set up a postbox within the whistleblowing system that is secured with an individually chosen pseudonym/user name and password. This allows you to send reports to the respectively responsible employee at ista either by name or in an anonymous, safe way. This system only stores data inside the whistleblowing system, which makes it particularly secure. It is not a form of regular e-mail communication.
Note on sending attachments
When submitting a report or an addition, you can simultaneously send attachments to the Corporate Internal Audit & Compliance department. If you wish to submit an anonymous report, please take note of the following security advice: files can contain hidden personal data that could endanger your anonymity. Remove this data before sending. If you are unable to remove this data or are uncertain about how to do so, copy the text of your attachment into your report text or send the printed document anonymously to the address listed in the footer, citing the reference number received at the end of the reporting process.
Version: 08-May-2018
