Privacy Policy
Information pursuant to Articles 13 and 14 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, Regulation (EU) 2016/679).
1. Controller
The controller responsible for the processing of personal data on this website is:
Alexander Pekarsky
Austria (postal address available on request to legal@bioproguide.com)
Email: privacy@bioproguide.com
2. Scope and summary
This Privacy Policy applies to the website bioproguide.com and to all related sub-pages and services provided thereunder (collectively, the "Service"). It explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, with whom we share it, and what rights you have.
3. Data we collect
3.1 Start-button click counter (aggregate only, no personal data)
When you click the Start now button on the Get started tab, an anonymous counter is incremented via a third-party counter service (Abacus). This counter records only the total number of clicks across all visitors — no IP address, no cookie, no identifier, no personal data of any kind is stored by the counter service for this purpose. The counter value is publicly displayed next to the button ("… runs so far") purely as a social-proof indicator.
3.2 Feedback form submissions
If you use the science or UI/UX feedback forms on the Feedback tab, we collect the message content and any email address you optionally provide for follow-up. Handled by Formspree Inc. (see Section 6). No email address is captured from the Get started button — only from the feedback forms if you choose to include one.
3.3 Server-side logs
Our hosting provider (Vercel) automatically logs standard HTTP request metadata for security and abuse prevention:
- IP address
- User agent (browser / device identifier)
- Request timestamp and requested resource
These logs are retained for up to 30 days and are accessed only for security investigations.
3.4 Analytics
We use a privacy-friendly analytics tool (Plausible Analytics, EU-hosted) that collects aggregated, cookie-less pageview counts and referrer data. No personal data is transmitted, IP addresses are anonymised, and no cross-site tracking occurs.
3.5 What we do NOT collect
- Protein sequences, amino-acid data, FASTA files, structural models, or any bioprocess data you enter into the tool. The tool runs entirely in your browser.
- Outputs generated by the BioProGuide tool (all predictions, recommendations, tables, charts).
- Passwords or authentication credentials — no accounts exist.
- Advertising identifiers or tracking cookies.
- Any sensitive categories of personal data (Art. 9 GDPR).
4. Purposes and legal bases
We process your personal data for the following purposes and on the following legal bases:
| Purpose | Data processed | Legal basis (GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Aggregate click counting on the Start button | None — only a global counter is incremented | Not personal data (no data subject identifiable) |
| Feedback handling and optional follow-up | Message content, optional email | Art. 6(1)(a) — consent |
| Server-side security logs | IP address, user agent, timestamp | Art. 6(1)(f) — legitimate interest (security) |
| Aggregated analytics | Pageview counts, referrer, country (anonymised) | Art. 6(1)(f) — legitimate interest (service improvement) |
| Reactive service communications | Email, message content | Art. 6(1)(f) — legitimate interest (responding to your enquiry) |
5. Retention
- Aggregate click counter: retained indefinitely as a single integer (no personal data).
- Feedback-form submissions: kept while the Service is operating, or until you request deletion by emailing privacy@bioproguide.com.
- Server logs: up to 30 days.
- Analytics data: up to 24 months, in aggregated form only.
6. Recipients and sub-processors
We do not sell or rent personal data. We share personal data only with the sub-processors listed below, each of which is bound by a data-processing agreement (DPA) and processes data only on our instructions.
| Processor | Location | Purpose | Safeguards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vercel Inc. | USA | Website hosting, CDN, server-side request logs | EU Standard Contractual Clauses; EU-US Data Privacy Framework |
| Formspree Inc. | USA | Feedback-form message delivery | EU Standard Contractual Clauses |
| Abacus (jasoncameron.dev) | USA | Aggregate click counter on the Start-now button (no personal data) | No personal data transmitted; counter increments only |
| Plausible Analytics | Germany / EU | Privacy-friendly, cookie-less aggregated analytics | EU hosting; no personal data or cross-site tracking |
| Proton AG | Switzerland | Inbound email hosting for info@/privacy@/legal@bioproguide.com | Swiss DPA (adequate under Art. 45 GDPR); end-to-end encrypted where supported |
Future note: if we add user accounts, rate-limiting, or additional sub-processors, this policy will be updated at least 14 days before the new processing takes effect.
7. International transfers
Where a processor is located outside the European Economic Area (EEA), transfers are safeguarded by EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) pursuant to Art. 46 GDPR and, where applicable, by certification under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or an adequacy decision under Art. 45 GDPR.
8. Your rights
Under the GDPR you have the following rights:
- Right of access (Art. 15): you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification (Art. 16): you may request correction of inaccurate data.
- Right to erasure / "right to be forgotten" (Art. 17): you may request deletion of your data.
- Right to restriction (Art. 18): you may request that we limit processing in certain cases.
- Right to data portability (Art. 20): you may request a machine-readable copy of your data.
- Right to object (Art. 21): you may object to processing based on legitimate interest.
- Right to withdraw consent (Art. 7): where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time with effect for the future.
You can exercise these rights by emailing privacy@bioproguide.com. A deletion request will remove your feedback-form submissions (where applicable) within 30 days. No other personal data is held on you by us.
9. Right to lodge a complaint
You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority. The competent authority in Austria is:
Österreichische Datenschutzbehörde
Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Wien, Austria
Email: dsb@dsb.gv.at · Web: https://www.dsb.gv.at
10. Security
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:
- HTTPS-only connections (TLS 1.2+).
- Form submissions transmitted over encrypted channels to Formspree.
- No local storage of passwords or authentication credentials — the Service does not use accounts.
- Access to Formspree submission archive limited to the site operator.
- Regular security updates to hosting infrastructure.
11. Cookies
The Service uses no cookies. Because no non-essential cookies are used, no cookie consent banner is required under the EU ePrivacy Directive. Our analytics tool is cookie-less.
12. Children
The Service is not directed at individuals under the age of 16. If you are under 16, please do not use the Service. If we become aware that a child under 16 has provided us with personal data, we will delete it.
13. Automated decision-making
The tool performs automated scientific computations at your request, but does not carry out automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you within the meaning of Art. 22 GDPR.
14. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version is always published at bioproguide.com/privacy with the revision date. Material changes will additionally be announced on the Service homepage at least 14 days before they take effect.
15. Contact
Questions about this Privacy Policy or data-protection matters: privacy@bioproguide.com