ITA-AITES is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal information in compliance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. What Data We Collect
We may collect the following categories of personal data:
Contact information (email address, phone number, postal address)
Professional details (role, affiliation, expertise)
Event-related data (registration details, participation preferences)
Technical data (IP address, browser type, cookies for website functionality)
3. Purpose of Processing
Your data is processed for:
Managing membership and communications
Organising events, conferences, and awards
Distributing publications and newsletters
Responding to enquiries and providing support
Ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory obligations
4. Legal Basis
Processing is based on:
Your consent (e.g., newsletter subscription)
Contractual necessity (e.g., event registration)
Legitimate interests (e.g., improving services)
Compliance with legal obligations
5. Data Sharing
We do not sell your data. However, we may share it with:
Service providers supporting ITA-AITES operations
Event partners, including the host organisation for the ITA World Tunnel Congress and ITA Tunnelling Awards. These hosts are selected from ITA's 81 national member organisations and may be located outside Switzerland, the EU, or Europe.
Authorities when legally required
When data is transferred outside Switzerland or the EU, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as contractual agreements and compliance with applicable data protection standards.
6. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy or to comply with legal, contractual, and regulatory requirements.
Event-related data (such as registration details, participation records, and contributions) may be retained beyond the conclusion of the event for legitimate purposes, including:
Maintaining historical archives of ITA-AITES activities
Preparing future events and invitations
Statistical and reporting obligations
Membership and communication data is retained for the duration of your membership and for a reasonable period thereafter to manage renewals or resolve queries.
Legal obligations may require us to keep certain records for a longer period (e.g., accounting or tax requirements).
We will keep such data for a reasonable period, typically up to 5 years, unless legal obligations require longer retention. After this period, data will be securely deleted or anonymised in compliance with Swiss FADP.