Purpose and controller

This policy explains the use of cookies and similar technologies on https://www.metrics-summit.org in its various language versions, and the means available to manage your choices. It supplements the privacy policy.

The website is operated by AEGIS EVENT, a limited liability company governed by Belgian law and in the process of incorporation, whose proposed registered office is located at avenue des Gerfauts 10, box 34, 1170 Watermael-Boitsfort, Belgium.

Mr Antoine Rizk is designated as AEGIS EVENT’s contact point for data processing. You may send questions to [email protected], expressly stating that your question concerns the processing of your data.

Definition of cookies and similar technologies

A cookie is information stored on your computer, tablet or telephone, or read from that device when an online service is used. In particular, it may remember a choice, maintain a session or recognise a browser.

Other techniques, including local storage and certain pixels, may also store information on or access information from your device. Their use is governed in particular by Article 10/2 of the Belgian Act of 30 July 2018, irrespective of whether the information is personal. In this policy, “trackers” refers to all such processes where they store information on your device or access information already stored there.

Trackers may be placed by the website operator or a third party. Some are linked to a session, while others remain for a defined period unless deleted earlier. These characteristics alone do not determine whether your consent is required.

Depending on the tracker, processed information may include an identifier, IP address, browser characteristics or browsing information. It is not necessarily anonymous. Where this information identifies you directly or indirectly, its processing is also governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).

Technologies used

Strictly necessary trackers

Under Article 10/2 of the Belgian Act of 30 July 2018, prior consent is not required for operations whose sole purpose is to transmit a communication over an electronic communications network or which are strictly necessary for a service you have expressly requested.

Depending on their actual operation, this may include trackers used to maintain a session or remember your privacy choices. Their use must remain limited to the function that makes them necessary. The mere fact that a tracker improves the website, measures visits or has commercial value does not make it strictly necessary.

Any other trackers require your consent before being stored or read. They may include trackers for audience measurement, optional personalisation, advertising or third-party content where those features are actually offered on the website.

The description “functional” does not automatically mean “strictly necessary”. Likewise, audience measurement is not exempt from consent merely because it helps improve the website or the resulting statistics are described as anonymous.

Where a video player, social module or other external content uses trackers requiring consent, that content is activated only after you make your choice. You are informed of its purpose and the third parties concerned before activation.

Inventory of website trackers

For every tracker used, the information below specifies its provider, purpose and duration. Necessary trackers and those requiring consent are distinguished.

To date, the website uses no tracker or technical tracking or identification technology. Only data voluntarily submitted by users is collected and processed by AEGIS EVENT.

Such technology may be added to the METRICS website in the future, in which case website users will be informed directly. The information below will then be completed and communicated to users.

Provider and role of the technology;
Purpose and information collected through cookies;
Conditions of use, legal grounds and purposes;
Exact period for which data is stored on the device;
Recipients and location: not applicable at present; this information will be specified before any tracker is activated, together with the applicable safeguard for transfers outside the European Economic Area and the means of obtaining a copy.

Accepting or refusing

Where consent is required, the management tool allows you to choose “Accept all”, “Reject all” or “Customise”. Acceptance and refusal are presented at the same level with comparable visibility. You may choose the purposes you accept and review the identity of the providers concerned before deciding.

Optional purposes are disabled by default. No box is pre-ticked. Continuing to browse, scrolling a page or closing the tool without making a positive choice does not constitute consent. The relevant trackers remain disabled.

Refusing optional trackers does not prevent access to features that do not depend on them. External content requiring your consent may remain blocked; information allows you to decide whether to activate it separately.

Your choice concerning trackers does not constitute a subscription to commercial communications or authorisation to transfer your data to congress sponsors. Those uses are covered by separate information and, where necessary, a separate choice.

Changing or withdrawing a choice

You may change your preferences or withdraw consent at any time through the “Manage cookies” link. This link will be activated if tracking technology requiring consent is used. Withdrawal must be as easy as acceptance.

Withdrawal prevents new storage, reading and processing based on the withdrawn consent. The relevant trackers are deleted or disabled to the extent permitted by the website tool.

Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of operations carried out beforehand. Rights concerning data already collected are exercised as described in section 5. Deleting a cookie does not necessarily delete data already sent to a recipient.

Retention period and evidence of your choice

Your acceptance or refusal is remembered for six months unless you change it. A new choice is requested where a change in purposes or recipients requires it, before the relevant processing is activated.

This period is separate from the lifetime of each tracker and the retention period of the data collected. If you delete the mechanism remembering your preferences or change browser or device, you may need to express them again.

Information needed to demonstrate and comply with your choice is retained for twelve months from the date consent is given.

Browser settings

Your browser generally allows you to view, delete or block cookies. Instructions are available in its help or privacy menu. Blocking strictly necessary cookies may affect some features you have requested.

These settings supplement the website management tool. They do not replace the ability to withdraw consent given directly on METRICS. Deleting browsing history does not necessarily delete all cookies or other trackers.

Personal data and rights

Where a tracker involves personal-data processing, the legal basis for that processing must be distinguished from the conditions governing access to the device. Consent required for a tracker cannot be replaced by reliance on legitimate interests.

For optional processing described in the inventory and the processing of data collected by any trackers, the legal basis is consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.

AEGIS EVENT’s privacy policy explains the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection and, where applicable, portability, and how to exercise them. Retention periods, recipients and any transfers specific to each tracker are stated in the inventory above.

You may send a request to Mr Antoine Rizk using the contact details in section 1.

You may also lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority, including the Belgian Data Protection Authority: https://www.autoriteprotectiondonnees.be/citoyen/agir/introduire-une-plainte. Prior contact with METRICS is not a condition for exercising this right.

Changes to this policy

This policy is updated when trackers, their purposes, providers or terms of use change. The update date appears at the beginning of the document.

A change to this policy does not constitute consent to a new use. Where new consent is required, it is obtained before the relevant processing is activated.