Privacy Policy

20230501_rev01 · COMPARED WITH 20230201_rev01 · ARCHIVE SNAPSHOT, DATE APPROXIMATE

Full text changes — 20230201_rev01 to 20230501_rev01

1This policy was last updated on 10/28/2022.
1This policy was last updated on 4/10/2023.
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3This is the privacy policy ("policy") for _scientificamerican.com_ which is run and provided by Springer Nature America, Inc. (**we**, **us** and **our**). Springer Nature America, Inc. (_Scientific American)_ is located at 1 New York Plaza New York, NY 10004_._ We can also be contacted at sadigital@sciam.com.
3This is the privacy policy ("policy") for _scientificamerican.com_ and the Scientific American mobile apps (collectively our "web properties"), which are operated and provided by Springer Nature America, Inc. (**we**, **us** and **our**). Springer Nature America, Inc. (_Scientific American)_ is located at 1 New York Plaza New York, NY 10004_._ We can also be contacted at sadigital@sciam.com.
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55We will only use the personal data gathered over this website as set out in this policy. Below you will find information on how we use your personal data, for which purposes your personal data is used, with whom it is shared and what control and information rights you may have.
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77I. Summary of our processing activities
88
99We publish magazines, eBooks, news and data. Some of this material is freely available, some of it is only available to subscribers. The following summary offers a quick overview of the data processing activities that are undertaken on our website. You will find more detailed information under the indicated sections below.
1010
11- When you visit our website for informational reasons without setting up an account, only limited personal data will be processed to provide you with the website itself (see III).
11- When you visit our web properties for informational reasons without setting up an account, only limited personal data will be processed in order to service your request (see III).
1212- If you are identified as belonging to a customer organization then we collect information in order to be able to provide usage reporting to that customer.
13- In case you register for one our services or subscribe to our newsletters, further personal data will be processed in the scope of such services (see IV and V).
14- Furthermore, your personal data will be used to provide you with relevant advertising for our services and products (see VII) and for statistical analysis that helps us to improve our website (see VIII). Additionally, we improve your website experience with third party content (see IX).
13- If you register for one of our services or subscribe to our newsletters, further personal data will be processed in the scope of such services (see IV and V).
14- Furthermore, your personal data will be used to provide you with relevant advertising for our services and products (see VII) and for statistical analysis that helps us to monitor the performance of our internet properties, improve those properties, and personalize your experience (see VIII). Additionally, we improve your website experience with third party content (see IX).
1515- Your personal data may be disclosed to third parties (see X) that might be located outside your country of residence; potentially, different data protection standards may apply (see XI).
1616- We have implemented appropriate safeguards to secure your personal data (see XII) and retain your personal data only as long as necessary (see XIII).
1717- Under the legislation applicable to you, you may be entitled to exercise certain rights with regard to the processing of your personal data (see XIV).
1818
1919II. Definitions
2020
2121- **Personal data:** means any information relating to a natural person who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, or an online identifier.
2222- **Processing:** means any operation which is performed on personal data, such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or any kind of disclosure or other use.
2323
24III. Informational use of the website
24III. Informational use of our web properties
2525
26When you visit our website for informational reasons, i.e. without registering for any of our provided services listed under IV and without providing us with personal data in any other form, we may automatically collect additional information about you which will contain personal data only in limited cases and which is automatically recognized by our server, such as:
26When you visit our web properties for informational reasons, i.e. without registering for any of our provided services listed under IV and without providing us with personal data in any other form, we may automatically collect additional information about you which will contain personal data only in limited cases and which is automatically recognized by our server, such as:
2727
2828_Examples might include:_
2929
3030_\- your IP address;_
3131
3232_\- your device type, name and IDs;_
3838_\- information on your browser version;_
3939
4040_\- your screen resolution;_
4141
4242_\- information on your operating system, including language settings._
4343
44We use such information only to assist us in providing an effective service (e.g. to adapt our website to the needs of your device or to allow you to log in to our website), and to collect broad demographic information for anonymized, aggregated use.
44We use such information only to assist us in providing an effective service (e.g. to adapt our web properties to the needs of your device or to allow you to log in to our web properties), and to collect broad demographic information for anonymized, aggregated use.
4545
4646If you are identified by IP or equivalent method as belonging to a customer organization such as university or a company then we will also collect the identity of that organization and use it to create usage reports which show the organization how much of the content we publish is being read by their students, members or employees. This information does not contain anything related to a personal login unless (a) you are a nominated administrator for that organization or (b) your organization specifically requires it as a part of a usage-based access contract.
4747
48The personal data automatically collected is necessary for us to provide the website, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. b GDPR, and for our legitimate interest to guarantee the website's stability and security, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. f GDPR.
48The personal data automatically collected is necessary for us to provide the website, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. b GDPR, and for our legitimate interest to guarantee the web properties' stability and security, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. f GDPR.
4949
5050IV. Registration for our services
5151
52Access to subscription content is provided via a variety of mechanisms such as IP site licenses, login via third party federated identity providers or by an personal account with us. If your access to our content is provided by an organization or an institution like a university or a company then they choose the access method on your behalf. A personal account is required to purchase content directly from us, or to receive personal services like newsletters and alerts.
52Access to subscription content is provided via a variety of mechanisms such as IP site licenses, login via third party federated identity providers or by a personal account with us. If your access to our content is provided by an organization or an institution like a university or a company then they choose the access method on your behalf. A personal account is required to purchase content directly from us, or to receive personal services like newsletters and alerts.
5353
5454_If you need to create a personal login with us then we will store and process the following:_
5555
5656_\- Information (such as your name, user name and email address) that is provided by registration;_
5757
5858_\- Information in connection with an account sign-in facility (e.g. log-in and password details);_
5959
6060_\- Communications sent by you (e.g. via e-mail or website communication forms)._
6161
62The information that is necessary for the performance of the service is labelled accordingly. All further information is provided voluntarily.
62The information that is necessary for the performance of the service is labeled accordingly. All further information is provided voluntarily.
6363
6464_We will process the personal data you provide to:_
6565
6666_Examples might include:_
6767
6868_\- Identify you at sign-in;_
7676_\- (behavioral) Advertising and profiling_
7777
7878_\- Facilitate attendance of conference_
7979
8080_\- Provide access (where appropriate) to other Springer Nature group content if you so request_
8181
82For this, the legal basis is Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. b GDPR. The use of your personal data for behavioural advertising and profiling is done with consent, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR.
82For this, the legal basis is Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. b GDPR. The use of your personal data for behavioral advertising and profiling is done with consent, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR.
8383
84We use the personal data and contact data you provide by registration to inform you directly about our additional products and services. The use of your personal data for directly advertising related products and services is with consent, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR.
84We use the personal data and contact data you provide by registration to inform you directly about our additional products and services and to improve your experience on our web properties. The use of your personal data for directly advertising related products and services is with consent, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR.
8585
8686You can object to the use of your personal data for direct marketing at any time. We will then refrain from any processing to the extent it is related to such purposes. You may opt-out of direct marketing via opt-out links in any marketing communication or via user profile pages on the website (where available). You can also inform us about your objection by contacting our Data Protection Office at dataprotection@springernature.com.
8787
8888We offer notification services such as table-of-contents or new book alerts. This service is provided by means of a double-opt-in. Thus, you will receive an email containing a link by which you can confirm that you are the owner of the email address and wish to be notified via our email service. You can end this service by opting out via the link provided in each notification email. This notification service is based on your consent, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR.
8989
9090Registration data is kept until such time as an account deletion request is made. If such a request is received we will erase your data within 30 days. Statutory storage obligations or the need for legal actions that may arise from misconduct within the services or payment problems can lead to a longer retention of your personal data. In this case, we will inform you accordingly.
9191
9292V. Information about the specific uses that require registration
9393
941\. Blog
941\. Subscription store
9595
96You can publicly comment on our blog where we post a variety of articles to inform you about our activities. When posting a comment your name or user name will be made public. To be able to comment on our blog you will have to register as described in IV.
96For the use of our store you have to set up an account as described under IV. Your customer account retains your personal data for future purchases. You can change your personal data in your account's settings. To delete your account, please contact customer service at help@sciam.com. If you have made a purchase with your account, your account cannot be deleted. However, we can render your account inoperable by removing your personal information, including your email address. We will not perform any action to your account without your expressed permission. This processing is based on Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. b.
9797
98In addition to the extent of processing described under IV, when you post a comment we will retain some of your personal data such as your IP address and name and other metadata such as time of posting. This is necessary to defend ourselves from possible liability claims that may arise from unlawful comments posted by you and reflects our legitimate interest with regard to the legal justification of this processing activity in Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. f GDPR.
99
100We reserve the right to delete comments that are off-topic, spam, abusive, use excessive foul language, include ad hominem attacks or offend against legal regulations.
101
1022\. Web shop
103
104For the use of our web shop you have to set up an account as described under IV. Your customer account retains your personal data for future purchases. You can change your personal data in your account's settings. To delete your account, please contact customer service at help@sciam.com. If you have made a purchase with your account, your account cannot be deleted. However, we can render your account inoperable by removing your personal information, including your email address. We will not perform any action to your account without your expressed permission. This processing is based on Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. b.
105
10698When purchasing a product that requires shipping we may share the delivery data with a Contractor to provide shipment tracking to you. Such a transfer will be based on data processing agreements in accordance with Article 28 of the GDPR. Therefore, our Contractors will only use your personal data to the extent necessary to perform their functions and will be contractually bound to process your personal data only on our behalf and in compliance with our requests.
10799
108100By statutory law we are required to retain the provided financial data in relation to transactions (including address, payment and order information) for ten years. However, after 2 years we will restrict the processing of your personal data to comply with the statutory requirements and will not process the personal data any further. Regarding this, the retention of your personal data is based on Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. c GDPR.
109101
1103\. Article alerts and Newsletters
1022\. Article alerts and Newsletters
111103
112104With your email address you can subscribe to our newsletters that provide you with the latest news about our products and services if you consent to receiving such newsletters.
113105
114106You can further sign up for our newsletter via Facebook. For this purpose, we are using Facebook Lead Ads, a service by Facebook Inc., 1601 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304 U.S. ("Facebook"). Lead Ads makes it even easier for you to sign up for our newsletter as the form will already be pre-populated via Facebook with your data and you only need to submit the form. Of course, you have the opportunity to amend and review the data before submission. For more information on how lead ads works see here - [https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/lead-ads](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/lead-ads).
115107
116108If you sign up for editorial newsletters on Facebook and consent to receiving marketing emails or Facebook advertisements, you may or may not receive Facebook advertisements about products or services from Scientific American.
117109
118110If you reside in the EU please be aware that your personal data will be transferred back to Facebook to facilitate advertisements. Facebook processes this data also in countries outside of the EU where a different level of data protection applies and access to the data by authorities and public bodies is possible. With your consent, you also agree to the transfer to Facebook in third countries, including the USA.
119111
120112The legal basis for this processing is Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR. Your email address will be retained as long as you subscribe to our newsletters.
121113
122You can unsubscribe from this service by opting out via the link provided in each newsletter. If you inquired about a product or service and no longer wish to be contacted, you can email [onlineservice@springernature.com](mailto:onlineservice@springernature.com), citing the name of the product or service, and request that your email address be removed.
114You can unsubscribe from this service by opting out via the link provided in each newsletter. If you inquired about a product or service and no longer wish to be contacted, you can email [help@sciam.com](http://help@sciam.com/), citing the name of the product or service, and request that your email address be removed.
123115
116We utilize tools such as Acoustic, Amazon SES, and SendGrid to send emails. If you do not wish for your data to be processed by these providers, please email [help@sciam.com](mailto:help@sciam.com) - however, if you do not allow for this processing you will not be able to access our web properties or newsletters. For additional information on the use your data by these providers, please refer to:
117
118- [https://acoustic.com/privacy-notice](https://acoustic.com/privacy-notice)
119- [https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/](https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/)
120
121- [https://www.twilio.com/legal/privacy](https://www.twilio.com/legal/privacy)
122
124123VI. Automated decision making
125124
126We do not use your personal data for automated decision making which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you, however we do use your personal data to offer you content and services which we believe may be of interest.
125We do not use your personal data for automated decision making which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you, however we do use your personal data to offer you content and services which we believe may be of interest and to improve your experience on our web properties.
127126
128127VII. Online advertising, e-commerce and related tools
129128
130The cookies and web beacons enable our service providers to collect information about you and your surfing behaviour, e.g. IP address, browser information, information on user activities and click data, and to recognize visitors to our website under a pseudonym and only display products that are likely to be of interest to our visitors. Most of the tools use pseudonymised or aggregated data, e.g. shortened IP addresses. The data is used to analyse the use of our website and, thereby, improve and optimize the website and to display advertising tailored to your needs. We collect this data (to improve your website experience and to promote our products and services). You can update your preferences via the "Use of cookies/Do not sell my data" link in the page footer.
129The cookies and web beacons enable our service providers to collect information about you and your behavior, e.g. IP address, browser information, information on user activities and click data, and to recognize visitors to our website under a pseudonym and only display products that are likely to be of interest to our visitors. Most of the tools use pseudonymised or aggregated data, e.g. shortened IP addresses. The data is used to analyze the use of our website and, thereby, improve and optimize the website and to display advertising tailored to your needs. We collect this data (to improve your website experience and to promote our products and services). You can update your preferences via the "Use of cookies/Do not sell my data" link in the page footer.
131130
132131Personal data collected via first party cookies is based on consent, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR, to improve your website experience and promote our products and services. We collect this data via a cookie management tool; you can update your preferences via the "Use of cookies/Do not sell my data" link in the page footer.
133132
134133Personal data collected via third party targeting cookies is based on your consent, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR. You can update your preferences via the "Use of cookies/Do not sell my data" link in the page footer.
135134
136Please note that we neither have the control of the extent of personal data that is collected by the respective plug-in provider nor do we know the processing's purpose or the period your personal data will be retained. Your personal data will be transferred to and processed inside and outside of the EEA. For further information about the potential risks of a cross border data transfer refer to **XI.**
135Please note that we neither have the control of the extent of personal data that is collected by the respective plug-in provider nor do we know the processing's purpose or the period your personal data will be retained. Your personal data will be transferred to and processed inside and outside of the EEA.
137136
138137It is possible that the above providers may disclose your personal data to its business partners, third parties or authorities.
139138
140139You can prevent the installation of such a cookie (i) by a respective setting of your browser that blocks the installation of third party cookies, (ii) by deactivating the interest-related advertising under https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated, (iii) generally blocking cookies under https://support.google.com/ads/answer/7395996 or (iv) by deselecting the option for tracking cookies via the Springer Nature cookie preference centre.
141140
142141Further information about the processing of your personal data in the provider's course of operation is provided by its privacy policy. Moreover, you will be provided with further information with regard to your rights and settings concerning privacy. You can access the provider's privacy policy by following these links:
143142
144[Yahoo](https://policies.yahoo.com/xa/en/yahoo/privacy/index.htm)
145[Twitter](https://twitter.com/en/privacy)
146[Facebook](https://en-gb.facebook.com/policy.php)
147[Criteo](https://www.criteo.com/privacy/)
148[Google AdExchange](https://policies.google.com/privacy)
149[Google AdSense](https://policies.google.com/privacy)
150[Oracle MOAT](https://moat.com/privacy)
151[Google Ad Manager](https://policies.google.com/privacy)
152[Brightcom](https://www.brightcom.com/privacy-policy/)
153[Rubicon Project](https://rubiconproject.com/rubicon-project-advertising-technology-privacy-policy/)
154[Pubmatic](https://pubmatic.com/legal/privacy-policy/)
155[Appnexus](https://www.appnexus.com/fr/corporate-privacy-policy)
156[Permutive](https://permutive.com/privacy/)
157[Microsoft Advertising](https://about.ads.microsoft.com/en-gb/resources/policies/microsoft-advertising-privacy-policy)
158[Qualtrics](https://www.qualtrics.com/privacy-statement/)
159[Baynote](https://cop.evidon.com/companies/baynote)
160[CJ Affiliate](https://www.cj.com/legal/privacy-uk)
161[Hotjar](https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/privacy/)
162[Marvellous Machine](https://marvellousme.com/privacy-policy/)
163[SAP Marketing Cloud](https://www.sap.com/uk/about/legal/privacy.html)
1431. [Permutive](https://permutive.com/privacy/)
164144
1452. [Appnexus](https://www.appnexus.com/fr/corporate-privacy-policy)
146
1473. [Pubmatic](https://pubmatic.com/legal/privacy-policy/)
148
1494. [Brightcom](https://www.brightcom.com/privacy-policy/)
150
1515. [Criteo](https://www.criteo.com/privacy/)
152
1536. [Rubicon Project](https://rubiconproject.com/rubicon-project-advertising-technology-privacy-policy/)
154
1557. [yieldmo](https://yieldmo.com/privacy-policy/)
156
1578. [sovrn](https://www.sovrn.com/privacy-policy/privacy-policy/)
158
1599. [lijit](https://www.sovrn.com/privacy-policy/privacy-policy/)
160
16110. [gumgum](https://gumgum.com/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy)
162
16311. [openx](https://www.openx.com/privacy-center/privacy-policy/)
164
16512. [Verizon](https://www.verizon.com/about/privacy/full-privacy-policy) ([adtech.com](https://adtech.com.ua/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/privacy-policy.pdf), [aolcloud.net](https://privacy.aol.com/legacy/privacy-policy.1.html))
166
16713. [audienciad](https://www.audienciad.com/privacy-policy.pdf)
168
16914. [Pulsepoint](https://www.pulsepoint.com/legal/platform-privacy-policy)
170
17115. [onomagic](https://www.onomagic.com/,%20https://www.theperspective.com/privacy-policy/)
172
17316. [rhythmone](https://unruly.co/legal/privacy/)
174
17517. [smartadserver](https://smartadserver.com/end-user-privacy-policy/)
176
17718. [adform](https://site.adform.com/privacy-center/overview/)
178
17919. [adpone](https://adpone.com/privacy-policy/)
180
18120. [richaudience](https://richaudience.com/en/privacy/)
182
18321. [proper.io](https://www.sovrn.com/privacy-policy/privacy-policy/)
184
18522. [x.adprime.co](https://www.adprime.com/privacy-policy)
186
18723. [media.net](https://www.media.net/privacy-policy/)
188
165189Google AdWords Remarketing
166190
167In this website, we use the remarketing or "Similar audiences" feature of AdWords offered by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to as "Google"
191On our web properties, we use the remarketing or "Similar audiences" feature of AdWords offered by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to as "Google"
168192
169Google uses cookies/tracking technologies, i.e., text files that are stored on your computer and that allow us to analyze your use of our website. Information generated by Cookies/tracking technology on your use of this website (including your IP address) will be transferred to a Google server in the U.S. and stored on that server. After that, the last three digits of the IP address will be deleted by Google so that it is no longer possible to clearly match this IP address with personal data. Google will use this information to analyze your use of the website, to create website activity reports for the website operators and to provide additional services in connection with the use of the website and the internet. Furthermore, Google may transfer this information to third parties, if it is required to do so in accordance with statutory provisions or if third parties process data on behalf of Google.
193Google uses cookies/tracking technologies, i.e., text files that are stored on your computer and that allow us to analyze your use of our web properties. Information generated by Cookies/tracking technology on your use of our web properties (including your IP address) will be transferred to a Google server in the U.S. and stored on that server. After that, the last three digits of the IP address will be deleted by Google so that it is no longer possible to clearly match this IP address with personal data. Google will use this information to analyze your use of the our web properties, to create activity reports for us and to provide additional services in connection with the use of the website and the internet. Furthermore, Google may transfer this information to third parties, if it is required to do so in accordance with statutory provisions or if third parties process data on behalf of Google.
170194
171195Third party providers, including Google, place advertisements on websites on the internet. Third party providers, including Google, use stored cookies/tracking information to place advertisements based on previous visits of a user on this website.
172196
173197For additional information on the anonymous analysis of your search behavior please refer to:
174198
175199- https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de
176200- http://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/
177201
178You may object to data collection and storage for the purpose of remarketing at any time - this objection will be effective for the future, but not retroactively - by deactivating interest-based advertising in Google or by deactivating the services on the website of the Network Advertising Initiative. Note: in that case, you may not be able to use all features of this website anymore. By using this website, you grant your consent to the processing of data collected about you by Google in the manner and for the purpose described above.
202You may object to data collection and storage for the purpose of remarketing at any time - this objection will be effective for the future, but not retroactively - by deactivating interest-based advertising in Google or by deactivating the services on the website of the Network Advertising Initiative. Note: in that case, you may not be able to use all features of our web properties anymore. By using this website, you grant your consent to the processing of data collected about you by Google in the manner and for the purpose described above.
179203
180204Facebook Custom Audience
181205
182206This Website uses retargeting tags and Custom Audience of Facebook Inc., 1601 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304 U.S., hereinafter referred to as "Facebook".
183207
184When you visit our web pages, remarketing tags will build a direct connection between your browser and the Facebook server. This way, Facebook learns that you have visited our web page with your IP address. This will enable Facebook to match your visit of our pages with your user account. The information obtained this way can be used to display Facebook ads. Please note that we as the provider of the webpages do not receive any information on the contents of data transferred and their use by Facebook.
208When you visit our web properties, remarketing tags will build a direct connection between your browser and the Facebook server. This way, Facebook learns that you have visited our web properties with your IP address. This will enable Facebook to match your visit of our pages with your user account. The information obtained this way can be used to display Facebook ads. Please note that we do not receive any information on the contents of data transferred and their use by Facebook.
185209
186With regard to the use of Custom Audience we would like to point out that Facebook and third parties use cookies, web beacons or similar technologies to collect or gather information on this website. Based on the data gained we can make our Facebook activities more efficient and, e.g., arrange for contents or ads to be shown only to visitors of our website. The data collected this way will encrypted and transferred to Facebook and is anonymous for us, e.g., we cannot see personal data of individual users.
210With regard to the use of Custom Audience we would like to point out that Facebook and third parties use cookies, web beacons or similar technologies to collect or gather information on this website. Based on the data gained we can make our Facebook activities more efficient and, e.g., arrange for contents or ads to be shown only to visitors of our web properties. The data collected this way will encrypted and transferred to Facebook and is anonymous for us, e.g., we cannot see personal data of individual users.
187211
188We may also utilise other tools, such as Permutive, to build anonymous behavioural segments, and pass the status of membership of these segment(s) into the Facebook cookie. This will enable membership of these segments to be used when building Custom Audiences within Facebook.
212We may also utilize other tools, such as Permutive, to build anonymous behavioral segments, and pass the status of membership of these segment(s) into the Facebook cookie. This will enable membership of these segments to be used when building Custom Audiences within Facebook.
189213
190214For further information on the privacy policy of Facebook and Custom Audience please refer to https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/ or https://www.facebook.com/business/a/online-sales/custom-audiences-website.
191215
192216If you do not wish your data to be collected via Custom Audience, you can deactivate custom Audience using this [link](https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/).
193217
194**ResearchGate**
218We utilize tools such as Piano and Stripe to manage your subscriptions, identity, payments, and authorizations. If you do not wish for your data to be processed by these providers, please email [help@sciam.com](mailto:help@sciam.com) - however, if you do not allow for this processing you will not be able to access our web properties. For additional information on the use your data by these providers, please refer to:
195219
196You can sign up for products and services via ResearchGate. For this purpose, we are using ResearchGate OnSite Lead Collection, a service by ResearchGate GmbH, Chausseestr. 20, 10115 Berlin, Germany ("ResearchGate"). OnSite Lead Collection makes it even easier for you to sign up for products and services as the form will already be pre-populated via ResearchGate with your data and you only need to submit the form. Of course, you have the opportunity to amend and review the data before submission. For more information on how on-site lead collection works see here - https://solutions.researchgate.net/advertising/, with link to the privacy policy [here](https://www.researchgate.net/privacy-policy).
220- [https://piano.io/privacy-policy/](https://piano.io/privacy-policy/)
197221
198The legal basis for this processing is Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR. Your email address will be retained as long as you request our products and services, or until you request the removal of your email address.
222- [https://stripe.com/privacy](https://stripe.com/privacy)
199223
200You can unsubscribe by opting out via the link provided in each newsletter. You can also email onlineservice@springernature.com, citing the name of the product or service, and request that your email address be removed.
201
202224VIII. Analytics
203225
204226**OneTrust**
205227
206228Onetrust places the following cookies on your computer:
207229
209231This allows us to identify if the cookie banner is displayed, which choices you made and how to act upon those choices (Opt-in or Opt-out of cookie categories). These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences. To review your current settings please go to our Privacy Preference Centre. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.
210232
211233You can set your browser to block these cookies, but some parts of the site may then not perform as designed.
212234
213235For more information about privacy policies and Onetrust, please refer to the Onetrust website: https://Onetrust.com/privacy-notice/.
214236
215For statistical analyses we use web analytics services such as Google Analytics, collect information about the use of this site.
237For statistical analyses we use web analytics services such as Google Analytics, to collect information about the use of this site.
216238
217239**General tracking information**
218240
219241_The tools collect information such as:_
220242
221243_\- Device and browser information (operating system information, Mobile device identifier, mobile operating system, etc.)_
222244
223245_\- IP address_
224246
225_\- Page accessed, URL click stream (the chronological order of our internet sites you visited)_
247_\- Asset accessed, URL click stream (the chronological order of our internet sites you visited)_
226248
227249_\- Geographic location_
228250
229251_\- Time of visit_
230252
231253_\- Referring site, application, or service_
232254
233We use the information we get from the providers only to determine the most useful information you are looking for, and to improve and optimize this website.
255We use the information we get from the providers only to determine the most useful information you are looking for, and to improve and optimize our web properties.
234256
235We will track your behaviour online for the purposes described above; this data will not be shared outside of Springer Nature. You can stop this tracking using our Privacy Preference Centre. The legal basis for this processing via Google Analytics is consent, Art. 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit.a GDPR, to analyse our website's traffic, improve the user's experience and optimise the website in general.
257We will track your behaviour online for the purposes described above; this data will not be shared outside of Springer Nature and our processors as outlined below. You can stop this tracking using our Privacy Preference Centre. The legal basis for this processing is consent, Art. 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit.a GDPR, to analyze our web properties' traffic, improve the user's experience and optimize the website in general.
236258
237We do not share information on your web behaviour with any 3rd party providers without your explicit consent. Consent is provided by clicking the appropriate button on the web banner that appears on your first visit to the website. You can update or withdraw your consent by visiting our Privacy Preference Centre. The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR and represents you consent to accepting 3rd party targeting cookies.
259We do not share information on your web behavior with any 3rd party providers without your explicit consent. Consent is provided by clicking the appropriate button on the web banner that appears on your first visit to the website. You can update or withdraw your consent by visiting our Privacy Preference Centre. The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. a GDPR and represents you consent to accepting 3rd party targeting cookies.
238260
239Depending on the provider the information generated about your use of the website may be transferred to and processed in third countries, e.g. the United States. For further information about the potential risks of a cross border data transfer please refer to section XI. The tools collect only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit this site, rather than your name or any other identifying information. The provider will use this information in order to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activities and to provide other services relating to website and internet use to us.
261Depending on the provider the information generated about your use of the website may be transferred to and processed in third countries, e.g. the United States. For further information about the potential risks of a cross border data transfer please refer to section XI. The tools collect only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit this site, rather than your name or any other identifying information, unless noted. The provider will use this information in order to evaluate your use of the web properties, to compile reports on website activities and to provide other services relating to website and internet use to us.
240262
241263**Google Analytics**
242264
265[https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en](https://policies.google.com/privacy)
266
243267The legal basis for the data transfer is Art. 28 GDPR in conjunction with the data processing agreement.
244268
245You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser or by amending your preferences. In addition to that you may prevent the collection of the information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including you IP address) and the processing of this data by Google if you download and install the browser
246plug-in available at the following link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
269You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser or by amending your preferences.
247270
271**Chartbeat**
272
273[https://chartbeat.com/privacy/](https://chartbeat.com/privacy/)
274
275The legal basis for the data transfer is Art. 28 GDPR in conjunction with the data processing agreement.
276You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser or by amending your preferences.
277
248278**IX. Third party content, social media plugins**
249279
250This website may contain links to third party websites. We are not responsible for the content and the data collection on respective third party websites; please check the privacy policy of respective websites for information of respective websites' data processing activities.
280The web properties may contain links to third parties. We are not responsible for the content and the data collection on respective third party properties; please check the privacy policy of respective websites for information of respective websites' data processing activities.
251281
2522821\. Social Media plug-ins
253283
254We use the following social media plug-ins: Facebook, Twitter. This allows you to communicate with such services and like or comment from our website. Social media plug-ins enable a direct communication between your device and the servers of the social media provider, allowing the social media provider to communicate with you and collect information about you browsing our website. This processing is based on Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. f GDPR and represents our legitimate interest to improve your website experience and to optimise our services.
284We use the following social media plug-ins: Facebook, Twitter. This allows you to communicate with such services and like or comment from our web properties. Social media plug-ins enable a direct communication between your device and the servers of the social media provider, allowing the social media provider to communicate with you and collect information about you using our web properties. This processing is based on Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. f GDPR and represents our legitimate interest to improve your experience and to optimize our services.
255285
256286Transfer of personal data takes place whether you have an account with the provider or not.
257287
258288Please note that we neither have the control of the extent of personal data that is collected by the respective plug-in provider nor do we know the processing's purpose or the period your personal data will be retained.
259289
260290Further information about the processing of your personal data in the provider's course of operation is provided via their respective privacy policy. Moreover, you will be provided with further information with regard to your rights and setting concerning privacy.
261291
262292a. Facebook Social plugins
263293
264294We use so-called social plugins ("plugins") of the social networking site facebook.com provided by Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA ("Facebook"). The plugins can be identified by one of Facebook's logos (white "f" on blue tile or a "thumps-up"-sign) or by the additional text "Facebook Social Plugin". The list of Facebook Social Plugins and their appearance can be accessed via: http://developers.facebook.com/plugins.
265295
266If a user visits one of the websites using such a plugin, the user's browser directly connects to Facebook's servers. The plugin and its content are made available directly on Facebook's servers and included in the website by the user's browser.
296If a user visits using such a plugin, the user's browser directly connects to Facebook's servers. The plugin and its content are made available directly on Facebook's servers.
267297
268Due to the integration of the plugin Facebook collects the information that a user is visiting the corresponding website. If the user is logged in on Facebook at the moment he or she visits the website, Facebook may be able to connect the visit on the website to the user's Facebook account. If the user interacts with the plugin - for example if he or she presses the like button or comments on something - the user's browser transmits this information to Facebook. Facebook stores this information. If a user is not a member of Facebook, Facebook may collect and store the user's IP-address. Facebook states that it only collects anonymized IP-addresses in Germany.
298Due to the integration of the plugin Facebook collects the information that a user is visiting the corresponding property. If the user is logged in on Facebook at the moment he or she visits the property, Facebook may be able to connect the session to the user's Facebook account. If the user interacts with the plugin - for example if he or she presses the like button or comments on something - the user's browser transmits this information to Facebook. Facebook stores this information. If a user is not a member of Facebook, Facebook may collect and store the user's IP-address. Facebook states that it only collects anonymized IP-addresses in Germany.
269299
270300The reason for and scope of the data acquisition and information about the way in which the data is processed and used by Facebook, as well as the user's rights in this respect and settings options for protecting the users privacy can be found under: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php.
271301
272302If the user is a member of Facebook and does not wish Facebook to collect personal data via this homepage and to link this with his data stored on Facebook, the user needs to log off from Facebook before going to this homepage.
273303The user may also block Facebook's plugins using add-ons for the user's browser, for example the "Facebook Blocker".
274304
275305b. Twitter
276306
277We use the twitter-button. The button is provided by Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. ("Twitter") The buttons are marked using the text "Twitter" or "Follow" and a stylized blue bird. The button enables the user to share an article or a website of this homepage on Twitter or to follow the provider on Twitter.
307We use the twitter-button. The button is provided by Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. ("Twitter") The buttons are marked using the text "Twitter" or "Follow" and a stylized blue bird. The button enables the user to share on Twitter or to follow the provider on Twitter.
278308
279If a user visits one of the websites using such a button, the user's browser directly connects to Twitter's servers. The Twitter-button and its content are loaded directly from Twitter's servers and included in the website by
280the user's browser. According to the provider's knowledge, Twitter collects the user IP-address and the website's URL when the button is loaded from Twitter's servers. However, this data is only be used for loading and displaying the Twitter-button.
309If a user visits one of the properties using such a button, the user's browser directly connects to Twitter's servers. The Twitter-button and its content are loaded directly from Twitter's servers. According to the provider's knowledge, Twitter collects the user IP-address and the URL when the button is loaded from Twitter's servers. However, this data is only be used for loading and displaying the Twitter-button.
281310
282311Further information can be found in Twitter's privacy statement under: [https://twitter.com/privacy](https://twitter.com/privacy).
283312
284313Should you have any questions regarding our privacy policy, please contact us via the email address [dataprotection@springernature.com](mailto:dataprotection@springernature.com).
285314
2863152\. Do Not Track
287316
288There are different ways you can prevent tracking of your online activity. One of them is setting a preference in your browser that alerts websites you visit that you do not want them to collect certain information about you. This is referred to as a Do-Not-Track ("DNT") signal. Please note that currently our website does not respond to these DNT signals from web browsers. At this time, there is no universally accepted standard for what a company should do when a DNT signal is detected.
317There are different ways you can prevent tracking of your online activity. One of them is setting a preference in your browser that alerts web properties you visit that you do not want them to collect certain information about you. This is referred to as a Do-Not-Track ("DNT") signal. Please note that currently our website does not respond to these DNT signals from web browsers. At this time, there is no universally accepted standard for what a company should do when a DNT signal is detected.
289318
290319X. Information sharing
291320
292321Where personal data is disclosed to third parties for the purposes mentioned above the legal basis for the transfer of your personal data is Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. b and f GDPR. Some of the recipients may reside outside the EEA. For further information about cross border transfer in general and transfers outside of the EEA see section on Cross border data transfers.
293322
294We may disclose your personal data to contractors who assist us in providing the services we offer through the website. Such a transfer will be based on data processing agreements (Art. 28 GDPR). Therefore, our contractors will only use your personal data to the extent necessary to perform their functions and will be contractually bound to process your personal data only on our behalf and in compliance with our requests.
323We may disclose your personal data to contractors who assist us in providing the services we offer through our web properties. Such a transfer will be based on data processing agreements (Art. 28 GDPR). Therefore, our contractors will only use your personal data to the extent necessary to perform their functions and will be contractually bound to process your personal data only on our behalf and in compliance with our requests.
295324
296325In the event that we undergo re-organisation or are sold to a third party, any personal data we hold about you may be transferred to that re-organised entity or third party in compliance with applicable law.
297326
298327We may disclose your personal data if legally entitled or required to do so (for example if required by law or by a court order). The legal basis for this will be Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. c GDPR (in conjunction with the respective national law).
299328
3001.Peer Review and Author Services
3291\. Usage Reports
301330
302In the course of providing our peer review services, your data may be accessed by different members of the editorial team such as editors and assistant to the editorial office. To determine the locations of the Editorial board members, you may refer to a journal's homepage. Granting access to your personal data and the respective processing activity will be based on our and the legitimate interest of the respective society publishing the Journal in successfully publishing high quality articles and papers and ensuring the quality and significance of the respective research published in our journals, products and databases, Article 6 sec. 1 sent. 1 lit. f GDPR. In order to do so we and/or the respective society may process your personal data to find, contact and evaluate suitable and qualified peer reviewers within the relevant research community.
303
304This also includes data sharing between us and the respective society. For example, we may share reviewer and author data to publish the journal.
305
306Please note that the society and we are independently responsible for the respective data processing conducted. We neither have the control of the extent to which personal data is processed by the respective society nor do we control the processing purpose or the period your personal data will be retained. It is also possible that the above-mentioned societies may disclose your personal data to their business partners, third parties or authorities. For further information on the data processing under the society's control please refer to the respective society's privacy notice.
307
308Your personal data will be transferred to and processed inside and outside of the EEA. For further information on cross border data transfer, please refer to section on Cross border data transfers.
309
310As an author we'll share your personal data with third parties, like your institution or employer. This is required to manage and approve payment of associated Article Publication Charges (APCs) in order to fulfill the publication of your manuscript. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) 1 lit. b GDPR.
311
312Customer service, administrative, operational and systems support is provided by other entities of the Springer Nature Group and third party contractors (together "Contractors"). We may disclose your personal data to Contractors who assist us in providing the services we offer through the Submission and Peer Review System. Such a transfer will be based on data processing agreements in accordance with Article 28 of the GDPR. Therefore, our Contractors will only use your personal data to the extent necessary to perform their functions and will be contractually bound to process your personal data only on our behalf and in compliance with our requests. Further services, provided by third party technology and service providers, are similarly bound by data processing agreements.
313
3142\. Usage Reports
315
316331We may disclose anonymous aggregate statistics about users of the website in order to describe our services to prospective partners, advertisers and other reputable third parties and for other lawful purposes, but these statistics will include no personal data. We also supply standardized usage reports to institutional customers, also known as Counter Reports. For more information on Counter Reports - https://www.projectcounter.org/code-of-practice-sections/usage-reports/
317332
318333**In addition to the above mentioned anonymous reports and by special arrangement:**
319334
320335When you read research journals and eBooks or use database products, we will process your personal data to create usage reports. For journals and eBooks this will include your full text HTML and PDF downloads, your IP address and potentially your email address. This data is necessary for the usage report as it provides information on the usage and overall interest in a particular journal or group of journals or eBooks.
321336
326341In addition, we ourselves have a legitimate interest in enabling the Licensee to use the usage data to conduct respective evaluation and assessments is also in our interest as it makes our service more attractive for the Licensees.
327342
328343If the Licensee resides outside the EEA, the transfer is safeguarded by a Commission's adequacy decision such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses. You can find further information about the aforementioned safeguards by contacting onlineservice@springernature.com.
329344
330345You may object to the transfer of the usage data to the Licensee at any time without reason by sending an email to onlineservice@springernature.com.
331346
3323\. Research Square
333
334We work closely with Research Square (of which Springer Nature is an investor) to provide Springer Nature authors with optional services to improve their manuscript and provide greater transparency into the peer review process.
335
336Research Square (Research Square R&D LLC, 601 W. Main St. Suite 102, Durham, NC, USA) provides software and services to the research community to help them communicate, publish and promote their research.
337
338Where enabled on the journal Springer Nature authors are provided with access to a private author dashboard upon submission to the journal which provides granular insight into the status of their manuscript as it progresses through the peer-review process, and a place where authors can improve their manuscript via free and paid for services offered by Research Square, should they wish.
339
340Where offered during submission, authors will be able to opt in to the In Review service which posts their manuscript as a permanent, public,
341preprint on the Research Square platform. The preprint will be published under a CC-BY license.
342
343To be able to offer both services, Springer Nature will send Research Square R&D LLC data on the author's manuscript and status updates as it progresses through the peer-review process. The data transferred includes: manuscript metadata (title, authors (names, email addresses, corresponding author details) subject areas, keywords, funding information); manuscript, figure, table and supplementary information files (but not cover letters and any other files explicitly indicated to be for use of editorial staff only) of initial submissions only for hybrid and subscription titles, and all versions for Open Access titles; notification and date of key stages in the peer-review process. These stages include but are not limited to: passing of initial checks, manuscript assignment to an editor, peer reviewers invited, peer reviewers agreed, peer review reports returned, editorial decision. For journals that operate an open or transparent peer review model for all submitted manuscripts, the reviewer reports (but not reviewer identities) are also passed to Research Square. For these titles only the reviewer reports are posted in the private author dashboard and never publicly.
344
345Research Square uses this data to populate the peer review timeline in the private author dashboard, and surface free and paid for services that are appropriate to the author depending on where their manuscript is within the peer-review process. If authors have opted in for the In Review service during submission this data will be used to post the manuscript as a public preprint and populate the public peer review timeline (if offered).
346
347Research Square acts as a data processor on our behalf, please see their Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for further information as to how Research Square will process your data.
348
349347XI. Cross border data transfers
350348
351349Within the scope of our information sharing activities set out above, your personal data may be transferred to other countries (including countries outside the EEA) which may have different data protection standards from your country of residence. Please note that data processed in a foreign country may be subject to foreign laws and accessible to foreign governments, courts, law enforcement, and regulatory agencies. However, we will endeavor to take reasonable measures to maintain an adequate level of data protection when sharing your personal data with such countries.
352350
353351In the case of a transfer outside of the EEA, this transfer is safeguarded by privacy the EU Model Clauses. You can find further information about the aforementioned safeguards by following this link [https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection\_en](https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection_en)
354352
355353XII. Security
356354
357355We have reasonable state of the art security measures in place to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of personal data under our control. For example, our security and privacy policies are periodically reviewed and enhanced as necessary and only authorized personnel have access to personal data. Whilst we cannot ensure or guarantee that loss, misuse or alteration of information will never occur, we use all reasonable efforts to prevent it.
358356
359You should bear in mind that submission of information over the internet is never entirely secure. We cannot guarantee the security of information you submit via our website whilst it is in transit over the internet and any such submission is at your own risk.
357You should bear in mind that submission of information over the internet is never entirely secure. We cannot guarantee the security of information you submit via our web properties whilst it is in transit over the internet and any such submission is at your own risk.
360358
361359XIII. Data retention
362360
363361We strive to keep our processing activities with respect to your personal data as limited as possible. In the absence of specific retention periods set out in this policy, your personal data will be retained only for as long as we need it to fulfill the purpose for which we have collected it and, if applicable, as long as required by statutory retention requirements.
364362
365363XIV. Your rights
3773755\. take legal actions in relation to any potential breach of your rights regarding the processing of your personal data, as well as to lodge complaints before the competent data protection regulators;
378376
3793776\. require (i) to receive the personal data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and (ii) to transmit those data to another controller without hindrance from our side; where technically feasible you shall have the right to have the personal data transmitted directly from us to another controller;
380378
3813797\. not to be subject to any automated decision making, including profiling (automatic decisions based on data processing by automatic means, for the purpose of assessing several personal aspects) which produce legal effects on you or affects you with similar significance; and/or
382380
3838_. Your California Privacy Rights_**:** Please see https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/california-consumer-privacy-statement/
3818_. Your California Privacy Rights_**:** Please see [https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/california-consumer-privacy-statement/](https://www.scientificamerican.com/page/california-consumer-privacy-statement/)
384382
385383You may (i) exercise the rights referred to above or (ii) pose any questions or (iii) make any complaints regarding our data processing by contacting us using the contact details set out below.
386384
387385XV. Minors
388386
389Our website is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect any personal data from children under 16 years old through our website. However, if the parent or the guardian of a child under 16 years old believes that the child has provided us with personal data, the parent or guardian of that child should contact us at dataprotection@springernature.com to request the deletion of this data from our files.
387Our web properties are not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect any personal data from children under 16 years old. However, if the parent or the guardian of a child under 16 years old believes that the child has provided us with personal data, the parent or guardian of that child should contact us at dataprotection@springernature.com to request the deletion of this data from our files.
390388
391389XVI. Contacting us
392390
393391Please submit any questions, concerns or comments you have about this privacy policy or any requests concerning your personal data by email to our Group Data Protection Officer. You can contact our Group Data Protection Officer via dataprotection@springernature.com.
394392
395393The information you provide when contacting us at dataprotection@springernature.com will be processed to handle your request and will be erased when your request is completed. Alternatively, we will restrict the processing of the respective information in accordance with statutory retention requirements.
396394
397395XVII. Amendments to this policy
398396
399We reserve the right to change this policy from time to time by updating our website respectively. Please visit the website regularly and check our respective current privacy policy. This policy was last updated on 10/15/2020.
397We reserve the right to change this policy from time to time by updating our web properties respectively. Please visit our web properties and check our respective current privacy policy. This policy was last updated on 4/10/2023.