• Privacy policy

Privacy policy

Privacy policy for METRONOMIA website

Our commitment to privacy

Thank you for your interest in our website. METRONOMIA Clinical Research GmbH (“METRONOMIA”) is committed to protect the privacy of personal data (as defined below) and data privacy as well as information security are an inherent part of our corporate philosophy. METRONOMIA respects individual privacy and values the trust of clients, employees, patients, healthcare providers, business partners, and others who provide personal data. METRONOMIA adheres to regulatory requirements, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German data protection law (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz (BDSG)), regarding the protection of personal data. We also process personal data that arise from visiting our websites strictly observing these regulations.

We very much follow the principles of data reduction and data economy.

This data privacy statement contains information about the processing of personal data at METRONOMIA, i.e. what personal data are collected, how it is used and about the way in which you can exercise your rights with respect to personal data.

Collecting and processing or using personal data

As a globally active contract research organization, METRONOMIA collects, hosts and analyzes health data relating to clinical trial subjects, on behalf of our clients. To enhance privacy, consistent with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), subjects’ names and other direct identifiers are not attached to any records collected by METRONOMIA for research purposes. Instead, subjects are only identified by a code (information is anonymized or pseudonymized). Only study doctors and authorized personnel, may access named subject records at the investigational site. In certain cases where local law allows, METRONOMIA may collect full date of birth attached to study records. We maintain that this indirect identifier can on occasion serve to verify subject identity to the benefit of patient safety. All clinical and medical information processed by METRONOMIA is done so under contract with our clients. In terms established by current regulations, METRONOMIA considers that the sponsor/client is ultimately in control of how and why clinical and medical data are processed within our services and as such is the “controller,” whilst METRONOMIA is “processor".

METRONOMIA collects personal information from applicants to open positions within METRONOMIA, including private contact details, professional qualifications and previous employment history to inform employment decisions. Once employed, METRONOMIA collects information on staff for human resource, performance, payroll and tax purposes. Various METRONOMIA internal systems will collect and record employee information consistent with standard business operations. METRONOMIA processes similar information relating to consultants contracted on a freelance basis.

METRONOMIA collects personal information from clients and client employees for operational purposes (including addresses, email addresses, phone numbers).

METRONOMIA collects named information about visitors to METRONOMIA websites where this is voluntarily provided to meet a request from those individuals, for example where a client requests information on a METRONOMIA service. Through the use of cookie-based technologies, METRONOMIA may collect various data linked to virtual identities allocated to visitors when they access our websites. In certain cases, these virtual identities are linked to the real world identities of visitors when they provide their named information as described above.

Use of personal data

METRONOMIA will process personal data for the purposes for which it has been collected or authorized, including:

  • Respond to inquiries;
  • Provide requested information on METRONOMIA’s services;
  • For legitimate interests purposes.

METRONOMIA will not keep personal data for any longer than strictly necessary to realize the purposes for which personal data are collected or for the statutory period. A back-up of personal data that is submitted via the forms on the website are saved in the website’s Content Management System (CMS) and will be removed after 3 months by default.

Personal data may be saved in METRONOMIA’s CRM system for legitimate interest’s purposes.

METRONOMIA has Data Processing Agreements in place meeting GDPR requirements, with vendors processing personal data on behalf of METRONOMIA.

Contact form

If you contact us via email or the website’s contact form we store the content for processing purposes and possible following questions. In this context, there is no disclosure of the data to third parties and the transmission of the data to our server is encrypted.

The contact form contains the following mandatory fields:

  • First name and name
  • Email
  • Subject
  • Content of the message
  • Consent to the purposeful processing of your personal data and to the notice of our privacy policy.

At the time of sending the message, the following data is also stored:

  • The IP address of the user
  • Date and time of registration.

You have the right at any time to revoke your consent to the processing of your personal data. We will then delete your data immediately.

Use of cookies

Description and scope of data processing

As most current websites we use cookies as well. Cookies are small text files that are transmitted from a website server to your hard disc. Cookies cannot be used to start programs or infect a computer with viruses. With help of cookies and the information contained we are able to ease your navigation and enable correct display of our websites.
We do never pass collected personal data to third parties or link it with other personal data without your prior approval.
Normally internet browser are set regularly to accept cookies. To block cookies, most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, see http://www.aboutcookies.org/

Please use help function of your browser to get the information how to change your settings. Please note that special features of our website will possibly not work denying use of cookies.

Cookies are used on our website for the cookie-consent tool once you access our website. This is necessary for technical reasons, in order to log your consent or dissent to the use the Matomo web analytics software (see details below). The cookie for the cookie-consent tool is stored when the website is first loaded.

Legal basis for data processing

The legal basis for processing personal data using cookies is Article 6 (1) point (e) of the GDPR in conjunction with Section 3 of the new BDSG and/or Article 6 (1) point (a) of the GDPR for cookies which require consent.

Purpose of data processing

The purpose of using the technically necessary cookies is to fulfill the obligation of logging your consent or dissent to the use of Matomo web analytics.
The user data collected by technically necessary cookies will not be used to create user profiles.

Duration of storage and rights to objection and deletion

Cookies are stored on the user's computer and transmitted to our site from there. Therefore, you as a user also have full control over the use of cookies. By changing the settings in your Internet browser, you can disable or restrict the transfer of cookies. Previously stored cookies can be deleted at any time. This can also be done automatically. Matomo is deactivated when you visit our website. Only after you have actively allowed it will your user behaviour be recorded anonymously.

Server log files

Logging of server files is disabled for the METRONOMIA website with the exception of cookie consent/dissent logging.

Social media plugins

Our website does not use social media plugins. The LinkedIn, Xing and Google+ icons on our website are only weblinks to the respective websites (see below for further information about weblinks).

Use of Google Analytics

Our website does not use Google Analytics.

Web analytics by Matomo

Scope of processing personal data

On our website we use the open source software tool Matomo (formerly PIWIK) to analyse the surfing behaviour of our users. This is an open source web analysis tool. Matomo does not transfer any data to servers outside the control of Metronomia. Matomo does not record any session data without your consent.
Matomo uses cookies. These text files are saved on your computer and enable Metronomia to analyse how its website is used. The information on usage collected by the cookie is transferred to the Metronomia server and saved there so that we can analyse user behaviour. For us, your IP address is an anonymous code. This means we have no technical means of identifying you as a registered user. You will remain anonymous as a user.
Metronomia regards this analysis as an integral part of its online service. Its aim is to consistently improve the website and align it more closely with user needs.
If you consent to web analytics by Matomo, the following data is stored when individual pages of our website are accessed:

  • 2 Bytes of the IP address of the user’s accessing system
  • the website accessed
  • the website from which the user reached the website accessed here (referrer)
  • the other web pages visited from the main website accessed
  • the time spent looking at the website
  • the frequency with which the website is accessed.

The analysis software runs exclusively on the servers of our website. Storage of the user’s personal data only takes place there. The data is not passed on to third parties.
You can decide here whether or not to allow a web analysis cookie to be stored in your browser to enable Metronomia to gather and analyse statistical data.
If you decide against this, click on the link below to store the Matomo deactivation cookie in your browser.
You can decide here whether or not to allow a web analysis cookie to be stored in your browser to enable the website operator to gather and analyse statistical data. If you decide against this, remove the tick from the box below to store the Matomo deactivation cookie in your browser.

Legal basis for processing personal data

The legal basis for processing personal data of users is Article 6 (1) point (a) of the GDPR.

Purpose of data processing

The processing of personal data of users enables us to analyse the surfing behaviour of our users. By evaluating the collected data, we are able to generate information about the use of the individual components of our website. This helps us to continually improve our website and its user-friendliness. By anonymising the IP address, the interests of the users regarding protection of personal data are sufficiently taken into account.

Duration of storage

The data is deleted as soon as it is no longer needed for our record-keeping purposes. The generated statistics and underlying data are not deleted.

Right to objection and deletion

Cookies are stored on the user's computer and transmitted to our site from there. Therefore, you as a user also have full control over the use of cookies. By changing the settings in your Internet browser, you can disable or restrict the transfer of cookies. Previously stored cookies can be deleted at any time. This can also be done automatically. If cookies are disabled for our website, you might not be able to fully use all of the website’s functions.
Please see the following link for more information about the privacy settings of the Matomo software: https://matomo.org/docs/privacy/.
You are hereby reminded of your rights to correction, erasure and objection in terms of Articles 16, 17 and 21 GDPR; see Chapter XI for more details.

Use of Google Maps

We link to Google Maps on our website. Google Maps is only opened after the explicit consent of the user.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites owned by third-party vendors, conferences, and/or our clients. This enables you to easily access websites that may be of interest to you. However, once you click on a hyperlink that transfers you from our website to a hyperlinked site, METRONOMIA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such hyperlinked sites. You should carefully review the privacy policies and practices of other websites.

Application procedure

We process your applicant data exclusively for the purpose of and within the scope of the application procedure in accordance with the legal requirements. Applicant data is processed in order to fulfill our (pre)contractual obligations within the scope of the applicant selection process in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b. DSGVO as well as § 26 BDSG, insofar as data processing becomes necessary for us, e.g. in the context of legal procedures.

The application procedure requires applicants to send us their application documents. The required applicant data are marked in the online form and otherwise result from the job descriptions. In principle, this includes personal details, address and contact data, as well as the documents relating to the application, such as cover letter, curriculum vitae and certificates. In addition, applicants may voluntarily provide us with additional information.


By submitting their application to us, applicants consent to the processing of their data for the purposes of the applicant selection process in the manner and to the extent set out in this privacy policy.


Insofar as special categories of personal data within the meaning of Art. 9 (1) DSGVO are voluntarily communicated within the scope of the application procedure, their processing is additionally carried out in accordance with Art. 9 (2) lit. b DSGVO (e.g. health data, severely disabled status or ethnic origin). Insofar as special categories of personal data within the meaning of Art. 9 (1) DSGVO are requested from applicants as part of the application process, their processing is additionally carried out in accordance with Art. 9 (2) a DSGVO (e.g. health data if this is necessary for the exercise of the profession).


Applicants can submit their applications to us using an online form on our website. The data is transmitted to us in encrypted form in accordance with the state of the art. Applicants can also send us their applications by e-mail. However, please note that e-mails are generally not encrypted and applicants must ensure that they are encrypted themselves. In addition to applying via the online form and by e-mail, you also have the option of sending us your application by mail.


If the application for a job offer is not successful, the applicants' data will be deleted. Applicants' data will also be deleted if an application is withdrawn, which applicants are entitled to do at any time.


Subject to a justified withdrawal by the applicants, the deletion will take place after the expiry of a period of six months so that we can answer any follow-up questions about the application and satisfy our obligations to provide evidence under the Equal Treatment Act. Invoices for any reimbursement of travel expenses are archived in accordance with tax law requirements.

  • Types of data processed: applicant data (e.g. personal details, address and contact data, CV, certificates and other information provided with regard to a specific position or voluntarily by applicants regarding their person or qualifications).
  • Data subjects: Applicants
  • Purposes of processing: Applicant selection procedure
  • Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b DSGVO in conjunction with Section 26 para. 1 BDSG, legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f DSGVO).


We use the following third-party providers to carry out the online application process:


Services used and service providers: Kenjo.io: applicant management system and candidate database; service provider: Kenjo GmbH, Urbanstr. 71, 10967 Berlin; website: www.kenjo.io ; privacy policy: https://www.kenjo.io/legal/privacy

Commitment to data security

To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data integrity, and ensure the correct use of information, we secure our website and other systems through technical and organizational measures against loss, destruction, access, modification or distribution of your data by unauthorized persons. Additionally, METRONOMIA has issued a corporate policy for the protection of the confidentiality of individually identifiable information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, regardless of the nature, source or form of the information.

Amendments

As we provide more services on our website and as privacy laws and regulations evolve, it may be necessary to revise or update our Privacy Policy without notice, but we will post those changes on our website's home page so our users are aware of what information we collect, use and disclose. However, we will continue to protect your identifiable information.

Right for information, correction, blocking, deletion and objection

You have a right to free information about your personal data we have stored, as well as the right to correct, block, or delete this data. If you have questions about the collection, processing or use of your personal data, the disclosure, correction, blocking or deletion of data and, if applicable, revocation of permission granted, or objection to a particular use of the data, please contact us. You will the contact information at the end of this data privacy statement.

How to contact us

Should you have any questions or concerns about our data privacy policies, please contact our data protection officer.

Also in case of questions on the collection, processing or use of personal information, the disclosure, correction, blocking or deletion of data and revocation of consent, our data protection officer is the right person to be contacted:

Oliver Kunert
Data Protection Officer
METRONOMIA Clinical Research GmbH
Paul-Gerhardt-Allee 42, 81245 München, Germany
phone: +49-89-829265-100
data_privacy@metronomia.net

This data privacy statement was last updated on July 1, 2022.