(Last updated 21 October 2025)
1. Who we are
Curiae Virides is a research project website sharing information about our work.
Website: https://www.curiaevirides.eu
Host and service provider: Automattic Inc. (operator of WordPress.com, Jetpack, Akismet, Gravatar, and Crowdsignal). Automattic Inc. is established in the United States and Ireland.
2. What personal data we collect and why
The legal basis for processing this data is our legitimate interest in maintaining the security and functionality of the website (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).
a. Cookies
This website uses only one essential cookie:
| Name | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
wpEmojiSettingsSupports | Checks whether your browser can display emojis correctly | Session (deleted when you close your browser) | Necessary |
No analytics, marketing, or advertising cookies are used.
b. Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
c. Technical logs and security
Our hosting provider (Automattic Inc.) automatically records technical data such as IP address, browser type, and pages visited to keep the website secure and ensure proper performance.
d. Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.
e. Registration for events
To facilitate the organisation of events, Curiae Virides processes the personal data provided during registration. Registration for events may be managed through external platforms such as Zoom, Eventbrite or Microsoft Forms. When you register through these platforms, their respective privacy policies apply in addition to this one.
Data: [name, email address, preferences]
Purpose: organisation of events
Legal basis: execution of contract (art. 6.1.b GDPR)
Transfer: your data may be transferred to external parties who assist us in the organization of our events
Retention time: following an event registration, your personal data is deleted immediately after the event took place.
3. Who we share your data with
Your data is processed by Automattic Inc., which operates the WordPress.com platform and related services (Jetpack, Akismet, Gravatar, Crowdsignal).
Automattic Privacy Policy: https://automattic.com/privacy/
We do not sell or otherwise share your data.
4. How long we retain your data
Server logs: retained by WordPress.com only as long as needed for security and maintenance.
Cookies: the single session cookie is deleted when you close your browser.
Event Registration: Your personal data is deleted immediately after the event took place.
5. What rights you have over your data (under the EU GDPR)
Curiae Virides would like to make sure you are fully aware of all your data protection rights. Every user is entitled to the following:
- right to access – You have the right to request Curiae Virides for copies of your personal data.
- right to rectification – You have the right to request that Curiae Virides corrects any information you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request Curiae Virides to complete the information you believe is incomplete.
- right to erasure – You have the right to request that Curiae Virides deletes your personal data under the conditions determined by law.
- right to restrict processing – You have the right to request that Curiae Virides restricts the processing of your personal date, under certain conditions.
- right to object to processing – Whenever the processing is based on general or legitimate interest (art. 6.1.e & f GDPR), you have the right to object to Curiae Virides processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
- right to data portability – You have the right to request that Curiae Virides transfers the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions and as far it is technically possible.
When our processing activity is based on your prior consent (art. 6.1.a GDPR), withdrawal of such given consent is always possible without this affecting the lawfulness of the processing of personal data as this is on the basis of the permission previously granted.
To exercise these rights you can contact us at curiaevirides@vub.be, or, alternatively, contact the Data Protection Officer of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel at dpo@vub.be.
If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you may lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority.
6. Where your data is sent and stored
Data is hosted on servers operated by Automattic Inc., which may be located outside the EU. Automattic relies on EU Standard Contractual Clauses and other safeguards to ensure an adequate level of protection.
7. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy occasionally to reflect changes in the website or legal requirements. The “Last updated” date at the top always shows the current version.