Privacy statement

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bilaterals.org is a collaborative and open project that different groups and people participate in. GRAIN is the organisation legally hosting bilaterals.org and its subsite, the ISDS platform. [1] Together, we respect your privacy and aim to be compliant with the European Union General Data Privacy Regulation. This document explains how we do this.

Data collection
We use Matomo [2], an open-source, privacy-focused web analytics platform, to track aggregate (not personally identifiable) information about our website traffic. Unlike Google Analytics, Matomo allows us to retain full ownership and control of user-collected data. This ensures that user privacy is respected, and we comply with data protection regulations. We use this data to draw up annual statistics about the number of unique visitors to the site, pages most visited, documents most downloaded, the countries that users are browsing from, etc. We share such statistics with our funders and the public in our activity reports, as it helps us account for our work to those who support us. The data centre for Matomo’s cloud services is located in Germany.

When you subscribe to our mailing list, you are asked to give an email address for delivery. We do not use your address for any other purpose. You may cancel your subscription at any time by clicking ”unsubscribe” at the footer of the email.

We offer basic social media services that allow you to share material from our site on your own accounts at Facebook [3] or X [4]. But we do not collect personal information through any of these services.

Both bilaterals.org and the ISDS platform are open-publishing, meaning anyone can register and publish relevant information on it. If you register, you must create a login and give us an email address. This is strictly for the purpose of identifying you as a contributor to the site and may be changed or deleted by the user at any time.

Cookies
Cookies are small files that get stored on your device when you visit bilaterals.org. They help us run the website smoothly and make your experience better. Here’s a breakdown of the types of cookies we use:

a. Essential Cookies

These cookies are crucial for our website to work properly. Without them, certain features wouldn’t function as expected. The session cookies, for example, remember your actions as you move through our site, like keeping track of search terms. They are temporary and disappear once you close your browser.

b. Analytical Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors use our website. The information they collect is anonymous and helps us improve the site. This is the case of Matomo cookies, which are used to track how the site is performing. They tell us information, such as how many people visit, where they come from, and what pages they look at. All this data is anonymous, meaning it doesn’t identify you personally.

c. Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us remember your choices on the site, like the language you prefer or your location. This makes your experience more personalized and convenient. For example, the language preference cookie remembers your preferred language if you select any, so you don’t have to choose it every time you visit.

Surveys
From time to time, we may invite people who use our services to answer an online survey or questionnaire. We appreciate your participation as it helps us improve our work. Any data collected through these forms is used only for the purpose stated.

Storage and transfer
Our web server is located in the UK [5]. The mailing list is hosted in Germany (EU) [6] Any personal data collected through our websites or email services are held by our web developer in the Philippines. We do not use, share, rent, transfer or sell your information with anyone except as described in this privacy policy.

Changes in our policy
We may revise this policy from time to time. Any changes will be announced on the homepage for one week.

Contact
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@bilaterals.org

[1] GRAIN: Casanova 118, escalera derecha, 1ºB, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
[2] Matomo: 150 Willis Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
[3] Facebook: 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
[4] X: 1355 Market Street Suite 900. San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
[5] Maxer Host: Limited, 19 Alfred Street, Belfast, BT2 8EQ, United Kingdom
[6] phpLists: Unit 15 Marston Business Park, Lower Hazeldines, Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, MK43 0XT, United Kingdom. Company number 07582966.

Last update: September 2024