Privacy statement

GF Corporation is part of the Georg Fischer group, located in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The controller for your personal data is GF Corporation, in parallel with its local GF subsidiaries (together “GF”). You can contact our privacy team by email to dataprotection@georgfischer.com or by letter to Global Compliance and Privacy at Georg Fischer Ltd., Amlser-Laffon-Strasse 9, 8201 Schaffhausen. Requests regarding the processing of your personal data are answered swiftest through this form: Privacy Web Form.

When using the Site, certain personal data that can be connected to you may be collected and processed. GF will only process your personal data for a specific purpose on a suitable legal basis.

Your personal data is processed for the following purposes under the legal basis of performing a potential contract between you and GF:

• provision of products and services 
• ensuring the functionality and security of GF products and services, 
• if you communicate with us using the Site, and/or register as a user of the Site (where applicable) then we process your personal data GF as necessary for the performance of a contract between you and GF through preparatory measures in connection to the contract: 

Your personal data is processed for the following purposes under the legal basis of GF's legitimate interests. These are always balanced against your right to privacy:

• for statistical and analytical purposes in the interest of providing better products and services to website visitors
• identifying you for the provision of products to the appropriate persons 
• preventing and investigating possible misuses for the purpose of criminal and fraud prevention
• maintenance and development of the Site and GF products and services;

Your personal data is processed for the following purposes under the legal basis of GF's legal obligation: 

• when required by law to disclose to authorities or auditors in applicable situations. 
• When asserting legal claims and/or defences in legal disputes and official proceedings 
• In the event GF sells, buys, merges or reorganizes in some other way, this may involve GF disclosing personal data e.g. to potential and actual purchasers and their advisers in accordance with M&A law 
• When otherwise required or by request of authorities, under the applicable law 

Your personal data is processed for the following purposes under the legal basis of consent: 

• Marketing and analytics purposes, using tools such as Google Analytics 
• When registering to GF products or services 
• When registering to receive updates from GF

When GF processes your personal data on your consent, you have the right, at any time and free of charge, to withdraw the consent that you give for GF to process your personal data by either messaging dataprotection@georgfischer.com. Your request will be answered fastest by using the following form: Privacy Web Form.  

(a)       Your requests

If you submit a request of services provided by the GF Websites (e.g. newsletters, invitations to events, accounts, closed user groups), a contact request, a request of further information on GF products and services, a media inquiry, you may be asked to provide certain personal data such as first and last name, title, company, address, e-mail address, telephone number, etc.

If you voluntarily provide or make available to GF personal data through the use of the GF Websites or electronically in any way, e.g. by entering them on a registration form, by signing up for a newsletter, by sending an e-mail, by providing feedbacks, by completing a customer survey, by participating in a competition, etc., GF may collect and process such personal data for the purposes indicated or evident from the circumstances at the time of collection. In particular, GF may process your personal data as it is necessary to administer your request or inquiry and to provide you with the requested service or an appropriate response.

In addition, in line with the applicable law and where appropriate, GF may process your personal data for the following purposes which are in GF's legitimate interest, such as (i) providing, improving and developing the GF Websites, products and services, (ii) statistical and market research purposes, (iii) technical operations and security, (iv) asserting legal claims and defense in legal disputes and official proceedings, (v) complying with applicable laws and regulations or (vi) other purposes provided for or permitted by law.

If you have registered to receive regular updates from GF, you may opt out from receiving such communication at any time by sending a request to the addresses provided in Section 2 above. If you choose to withhold any personal data requested by GF, it may not be possible for you to gain access to or use certain parts, services or functions of the GF Websites and for GF to respond to your query.

(b)      Server log files

When you access the GF Websites, the web server of GF automatically collects, records and stores in server log files certain information about your access, e.g. your Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer or mobile device sending the request, your file request as well as its date, time and duration, the HTTP response code, the pages of the GF Websites that you actually visit, the website from which you visit the GF Websites (referrer URL), the type, version and language of the web browser, the operating system used by the computer or mobile device sending the request, cookies that may uniquely identify your browser. For more information on cookies see Section 8 below. This information is not analyzed in a way that identifies individual persons. GF collects and processes this information on a technical level for operational purposes for displaying and ensuring the proper functioning of the respective GF Website, for better understanding the users' behavior and improving its offerings as well as for ensuring stability and security.

(c)      No automated decisions and profiles

GF does not use the personal data collected from you to make decisions based solely on automated processing and GF does not process your personal data automatically with the aim of evaluating certain personal aspects (profiling).

In the context of the GF business activities and in line with the purposes of the data processing set out in Section 3, GF may transfer personal data to third parties, insofar as such a transfer is permitted and GF deems it appropriate, in order for them to process data for GF or, as the case may be, their own purposes. In particular, GF may disclose your personal data to third parties ("Recipients") in the following cases:

(a)      Any relevant GF controller entity may transfer your personal data to other GF entities and to any third-party service providers ("Processors") to which the GF controller entity delegates all or part of the processing (e.g. hosting providers, e-marketing service providers, technical support providers etc.). The Processors are allowed to use your personal data only for the purposes for which the personal data were originally collected. The Processors are carefully selected by the relevant GF controller entity. They are contractually obliged to handle your personal data exclusively on instructions of the GF controller entity, in accordance with this Policy and the applicable data protection laws, to keep the personal data confidential and to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect the personal data.

(b)       The relevant GF controller entity may also disclose personal data in connection with a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy or sale, assignment or other transfer of all or substantially all of its assets.

(c)        GF may disclose your personal data to certain public authorities in order to respond to appropriate request of legitimate government agencies or where required by applicable laws, court orders or government regulations.

(d)       GF may disclose personal data where this is needed for corporate audits or to investigate or respond to a compliance or security treat.

The Recipients may be located in Switzerland or in any country worldwide. In particular, you must anticipate that your personal data are transmitted to any country in which the GF group is represented by affiliates, branches or other offices as well as to other countries in Europe and the USA where service providers of GF are located (such as Microsoft, T-Systems, Publicis Pixelpark (DE), Siteimprove GmbH (CH), Google (USA), Umantis (DE), Prescreen International GmbH (AT)). If GF transfers data to a country without adequate legal data protection, GF ensures an appropriate level of protection as legally required by way of using appropriate contracts (in particular on the basis of the standard contract clauses of the European Commission) or GF relies on the statutory exceptions of consent, performance of contracts, the establishment, exercise or enforcement of legal claims, overriding public interests, published personal data or because it is necessary to protect the integrity of the persons concerned. You can request more information about such measures by getting in touch with to the addresses provided in Section 2 above.

Unless otherwise set forth in this Policy or other data protection statements applicable in specific circumstances, GF will not sell or otherwise transfer your personal data to any third parties without your explicit consent.

A cookie is a small piece of data sent to your computer device from a website and stored in your web browser while you are browsing a website. When you browse the same website again, the data stored in the cookie may be retrieved by the website to notify the website of your previous activity. GF uses our own cookies set by us (“first-party cookies”) and cookies set and provided by different service providers (“third-party cookies”) for GF approved purposes.

From time to time, a cookie file may be placed on your computer to enable the Site to work properly, provide GF services to you and/or to improve the effectiveness of this Site Cookies are used only to the extent you have accepted those separately. However, cookies which are necessary for the technical functioning of the website (“Essential Cookies”) may be used without your consent to ensure the functioning of the website. You may change your cookie settings and manage the consents you have given at any time by clicking “Adjust Cookie settings.”

Below details how GF utilizes cookies and cookie-like files and technologies on the Site. For even more detailed information on the individual cookie-like files used on our site, please check the cookie banner on your local website. 

Strictly Necessary cookies: The use of certain cookies and tracking technology is necessary to run basic functions on the Site. The cookies in this category are essential in allowing the Site to be usable.

Functional cookies: These cookies provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of the services listed may not function properly.

Performance cookies: These cookies enable monitoring of the website traffic and optimizing your user experience and analysing of aggregated data about usage of the website, or to compile statistics on the number of visitors on the Site. These cookies may be provided by third parties, as specified below.

Targeting cookies: These cookies are used for personalization and advertising and may be provided by third parties as specified below. GF also performs analytical profiling to discover e.g. what is popular among users. Our partners and parties may use this for profiles to generate more unique and personal advertisements.

The length of storage of your information depends on the type of cookie used and the Third-Party Service provider providing that cookie. Below you will find general details on our cookie providers. For more detailed information, please consult our cookie banner and setting.

The following cookies may be placed on your device, depending on the category of cookie selected. 

The Site may use social media plugins, such as the “Like” button provided by the social networks Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram. The content of the social media plugins on the Site is from such social network(s) directly. When you visit the Site while logged into a social network, your browser establishes a direct connection with the social network’s servers. If you are logged out from the social network(s) while visiting Site, your browser sends the social network(s) a more limited information. The social media plugins on the Site are subject to the privacy terms and other terms and conditions of the relevant social media sites (please see the links to relevant Privacy Policies above). The information collected by the social network(s) is not disclosed to GF without your explicit consent.

The personal data covered by this Privacy Statement may also exclusively be shared or disclosed on a strict need-to-know basis with the following categories of recipients:

• other companies within the Georg Fischer group;
• authorized external service providers, external auditors and/or subcontractors of the Georg Fischer group;
• a competent public authority, government, regulatory or fiscal agency where it is necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation to which the relevant Georg Fischer group company is subject to or as permitted by applicable local law;
• in connection with a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy or sale, assignment or other transfer of all or substantially all of its assets;       or
• as necessary or appropriate to enforce our terms and conditions, and to protect our rights, privacy, safety or property, and/or that of our affiliates, you or others.

GF may disclose and transfer Personal Data outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”) in accordance and subject to the following limitations:

• with a contract entered into between the relevant GF's entities, incorporating the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses or other appropriate safeguards for data transfers as listed in the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which ensure that adequate data protection arrangements are in place;
• to authorized third parties who process personal data on GF's behalf for the purposes stated in this Privacy Statement. Your personal data may be processed by such authorized third parties also outside EU or EEA in accordance with a contract entered into between GF and such authorized third party, incorporating the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses or other appropriate safeguards for data transfers as listed in the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which ensure that adequate data protection arrangements are in place;
• in personal processing for marketing or other joint communication purposes together with GF's partners, the avoidance of unnecessary communications;
• based on consent; or
• as otherwise permitted by applicable legislation

For technical reasons and for reasons related to the use of data, the personal data may be stored on servers of external service providers who may process the data on behalf of GF.

Any transfers of personal data shall be made in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and any applicable mandatory legislation, as may be amended from time to time.

GF may further conduct marketing and other communication jointly with GF's partners and in connection with this, GF may combine information GF has collected about you with information GF's partners have collected about you to e.g. avoid unnecessary communication and tailor GF's message to you.

GF shall ensure that sufficient technical and organizational personal data protection measures are implemented and maintained throughout its own organization. Further, GF shall ensure that any transfer or disclosure of personal data described in this privacy statement to any third party is subject to GF having ensured an adequate level of data protection by agreements or by other means required by law.

Technical controls:
Physical material is stored in locked spaces with restricted access. Any IT systems are secured by means of the operating system’s protection software. Access to the systems requires entering a username and a password and data transfers happen via high encryption channels.

Organizational controls:
Within the organization of GF, the use of the personal data is instructed, and access to IT systems including personal data is limited to such persons who are entitled to access them on the basis of their work assignments or role and who are subject to confidentiality obligations regarding the personal data.

Unless any limitations apply, each data subject has the following rights regarding the personal data processed that is covered by this privacy statement:

• the right to access all personal data GF has on them;
• the right to request that GF corrects, erases or stops using any erroneous, unnecessary, incomplete or obsolete personal data;
• the right to withdraw any consent previously provided by them, including an objection to all direct marketing.

Any requests are most efficiently handled via the following request form: Privacy Web Form.

If dissatisfied with the decisions or actions of GF, each data subject has the right to lodge a complaint with their country’s data protection authority. Alternatively you may lodge a complaint with the lead supervisory authority for GF, the lead supervisory authority for GF, namely the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner FDPIC, Feldeggweg 1, 3003 Bern, Switzerland (https://www.edoeb.admin.ch).

Limitations to these rights include statutory restrictions, excessive or unfounded requests.

Please be aware that GF may change this Privacy Statement from time to time. However, in the event of any material, adverse changes, GF will post a notice informing of such changes both at the beginning of this Privacy Statement and on the Site’s home page. GF advises you to visit this Privacy Statement from time to time to be aware of such changes.

Should you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us through our customer service or by writing to us at dataprotection@georgfischer.com.