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Information on data protection
In today's multimedia world, the Internet in particular is opening up many new and fascinating opportunities. The Net is a source of comprehensive information on specialist or very mundane issues. We can send news in the form of e-mails or SMS or correspond in other ways with Internet surfers around the world. Not least, we can also shop over the Internet or conduct banking transactions. Many processes require you to give personal details, in order to make the service possible.
As part of this multimedia world and conscious of the risks this creates in terms of data protection, Lycos (“we”) takes the protection of your personal data very seriously. We have set ourselves the aim of making a wide range of online services available to you, while protecting your right to informational self-determination and guaranteeing the protection of your privacy. Abiding by data protection regulations is a matter of course for us.
We would like to take this opportunity to inform you which of your personal details are collected by us, for what purposes these are required and how sensitively we handle your details. Please read through these notes on data protection on a regular basis, as they will be revised from time to time.
In the event that the content of this privacy statement differs from the terms and conditions of certain services you use, the relevant terms and conditions shall prevail.
Lycos' standpoint on data protection
1. We endeavour to provide you with most services on an anonymous usage basis.
2. Your personal details are only used within the scope of your authorisation. You are at liberty, however, to withdraw this authorisation at any time.
3. Without your express agreement, we will not divulge any personal information - unless we are legally obliged to disclose such information.
Important terms
Personal details refers to any information that enables you to be identified. This includes in particular your name, date of birth, address and telephone number.
In principle it is not possible, or at least only possible by going to quite considerable lengths, to identify you on the basis of anonymous data. Anonymous data includes, for instance, information you provide about your preferences or similar details. The evaluation of this data, which cannot be traced back to you, helps us to ascertain the habits of our users, in order to make our service more user-friendly as well as adapt it to our users' wishes and needs.
FAQ
1. What data is being collected when you are surfing on Lycos pages?
2. What personal details will Lycos request from me?
3. Who collects my details?
4. What does Lycos do with my personal and anonymous details?
5. Do I have any influence on Lycos' use of my details?
6. What does Lycos do with my personal and anonymous details?
7. How can I review, amend or delete my details held by Lycos?
8. What are cookies?
9. What technical measures does Lycos take to protect my details?
10. What can I do myself to prevent my personal details getting into the wrong hands?
11. Legal texts
1. What data is being recorded when you are surfing on Lycos pages?
We automatically collect Server Log Files information which is being submitted to us by your Browser. This information includes:
the type and version of browser you are using; and
technical data of the accessing computer (operating system, screen resolution, JavaScript settings etc.); and
the referrer URL (the page you have visited previously); and
Hostname of the accessing computer (IP-address).
Furthermore we will save the address (the complete URL address of the Lycos pages you are visiting.
As we do not match the data described above with data that could identify you, we cannot allocate this data to your person.
It is common practice and necessary to collect and store such data to ensure the function of our server (for error diagnostics etc.) and to enable us to compile general and depersonalised usage statistics to optimise our online content.
2. What personal details will Lycos request from me?
In principle, we only ask for your personal details when absolutely necessary. For certain Lycos services, for instance, you have to register. We may ask you in such circumstances for your name, your postal address and your e-mail address, your date of birth, your sex and your telephone number. Some of these details are optional.
On occasion, only other information is required, such as indicating locations in order to use the route planner or the weather service. Sometimes, you will also be asked for information in connection with surveys.
3. Who collects my details?
In principle, all information you provide on Lycos sites will be gathered only in Lycos databanks, unless you are expressly told otherwise. This may be the case, for instance, with competitions, when by way of exception the competition prises are handed out by Lycos partner companies. In such cases, you will always be told who is collecting your details and can then decide whether the details you are disclosing to our partners can be passed on to us.
Please note that our partners (i.e. companies with which we collaborate and who as a rule offer services independently at Lycos, advertising clients advertising on Lycos and other Internet sites and services accessible via Lycos) may also collect data about you. These companies may have their own data protection guidelines, which are independent of this statement.
4. What does Lycos do with my personal and anonymous details?
In most cases, we need your personal details in order to carry out the requested service. The information you provide also enables us to obtain depersonalised statistical information about user habits, which we use to make standard adjustments to the respective services in line with users' needs.
5. Do I have any influence on Lycos' use of my details?
Naturally, it is up to you and you alone whether and for what purposes we can use your details. Hence with various services, you have the option of receiving a newsletter with targeted information. You can cancel this at any time. There is generally an unsubscribe link at the end of the newsletter, which makes it easy to unsubscribe. Also, you alone determine whether your details will be passed on to third parties or whether we may use your details for the purposes of advice, advertising and market research. Again, you can withdraw such authorisation, once given, at any time. You can also influence the use of cookies (for more information on cookies see Point 8 below). By changing your browser settings (usually found under "Options" or "Settings" in the browser menus), you can choose to accept all cookies, be informed when a cookie is set up, or reject all cookies. If you decide not to accept our cookies, this may impede the quality of the experience on our sites, and you may not be able to use some services.
6. Does Lycos pass on my details to third parties?
We will not sell or lend any user information without your explicit consent. Only in exceptional circumstances does the use of a service depend on your details being sent to our partner companies. In such cases you will, however, be informed before your details are collected and can choose whether you will agree to the details being passed on or would prefer not to use that particular service. We are occasionally asked by private individuals to disclose the identity of our users. In principle we only make our users' details available if we are legally obliged to do so. This may be the case if government institutions (e.g. Crown Prosecution Service) ask us for information or we receive a court order to that effect. Otherwise, we protect the confidentiality of your identity.
7. How can I review, amend or delete my details held by Lycos?
If you have registered to use a service, you will receive a member name and password. This gives you access to your details and you can update them or arrange for them to be deleted, if you no longer wish to use the service. Only with regard to our payable services we are, in accordance with the applicable laws, entitled and obliged to store your details for a longer period (e.g. for accountancy purposes).
8. What are cookies?
Cookies are small volumes of data in the form of text information, sent by the web server to your browser. These are only stored on your hard disk. They can only be read by the server that previously stored them and contain information on what you are looking at on a website and when. With the aid of cookies, Internet usage can be made more effective. Industry standards apply to the use of cookies. Quite a lot of Internet providers use them to offer their customers useful functions. Cookies themselves only anonymously identify the IP address of the computer and do not store any personal information, such as your name.
Our website uses servers (such as Double Click) which deliver the advertising formats that you can see on our site. It is possible that our advertising partners also use cookies which they deposit on your hard disk. We are nor responsible for these cookies. Please refer to the data protection statements of our advertising partners fro more information about their cookies and the information stored on them. The Lycos Data Protection Statements do not apply in these instances. As no individual can be identified simply on the basis of such information, the use of cookies is permissible. With cookies you have the choice of whether you wish to permit them. You can change your preferences in your browser settings to accept all cookies, be informed when a cookie is set up, or reject all cookies. For more information on this subject see point 5 above.
9. What technical measures does Lycos take to protect my details?
We work with secure data networks protected by both industry-standard firewalls and by passwords. We use security measures in order to secure that your details are protected against loss, changes or misuse. In sensitive areas in particular, such as the transfer of credit card information, we endeavour to offer the best possible security standard to protect your details. When credit card numbers are transmitted, this is done using the very latest encryption techniques. Only selected employees have access to the information you send to us. Those employees who come into contact with your personal details are bound in writing before starting their activities to observe the confidentiality of data. We do everything we possibly can, in organisational and technical terms, to protect your details.
10. What can I do myself to prevent my personal details getting into the wrong hands?
You may make your personal details known when using certain services such as Chat, when exchanging e-mails or on your own homepage. This type of disclosure is not covered by the above statements, as it is beyond our control. You should always be careful when making personal details available.
When choosing passwords you should, as far as possible, ensure that you do not use passwords that can easily be connected to you. We also recommend that you ensure to change your passwords at regular basis.
Changes to this data protection statement
Lycos reserves the right to make changes to this data protection statement.
Contact
If you have any questions on this data protection statement please send an e-mail to datenschutz@lycos-europe.com.