Privacy Policy

Effective: June 2025

This privacy policy applies to the Better Networks project operated at better-networks.org by ESMT European School of Management and Technology GmbH ("ESMT"). It explains how we collect, process, and use personal data when you participate in the Better Networks survey and access your personal report.

1. Controller

ESMT European School of Management and Technology GmbH Schlossplatz 1
10178 Berlin, Germany
Email: info@better-networks.org

All questions about data privacy in this context may be directed to this email address.

2. Purpose of Data Collection

We collect and process your data solely for the purpose of generating a personalized report about your professional network and for analyzing anonymized patterns in the context of the Better Networks research initiative.

Participation is voluntary. Your responses will not be shared with others in personally identifiable form. Aggregated, anonymized data may be used in academic publications, future iterations of the project, or for broader insights.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

The legal basis for processing your personal data is your consent under Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at info@better-networks.org.

4. Data Hosting and Access

Survey responses are collected using Qualtrics, and personal reports are displayed via a dashboard hosted on ShinyApps.io. Both services are hosted in the United States. These providers act as data processors on behalf of ESMT.

To safeguard your rights, ESMT has implemented Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) with these providers, as required under the GDPR for international data transfers.

Access to identifiable data is restricted to the internal Better Networks project team at ESMT Berlin. No external parties have access to your data.

5. Data Retention

We store your data for a maximum of five years following your participation, unless legal obligations require a longer retention period. After this period, data will be deleted or fully anonymized.

6. Cookies and Technical Data

The Better Networks website and dashboard use essential session cookies to maintain technical functionality. These cookies do not track users or collect personal data for marketing purposes.

In addition, Qualtrics may set minimal cookies required for proper survey delivery. These cookies are functional in nature and are not used for advertising or behavioral tracking.

No third-party analytics, social media plug-ins, or profiling tools are used on this website.

7. Your Rights

You have the following rights under the GDPR:

Right to access your data
Right to correction or deletion
Right to restrict or object to processing
Right to data portability
Right to withdraw your consent at any time

To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@better-networks.org.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The version posted at better-networks.org is the current applicable version.