Privacy Policy
Last updated: 13 August 2026
The Society for Microbial Ecology and Disease (SOMED) respects the privacy of visitors, members, membership applicants and other individuals who communicate with the Society.
This Privacy Policy explains what personal data may be processed through the website somed.nu, why the data is processed, the legal bases for processing, how it may be shared and retained, and the rights available to individuals under applicable data protection law.
1. Data Controller
For personal data processed through this website, the data controller is:
Society for Microbial Ecology and Disease (SOMED)
38 cours Georges Clémenceau
33000 Bordeaux, France
Email: sandrine.claus@l-n-c.fr
Telephone: +33 5 57 83 15 03
SOMED is responsible for determining the purposes and means of processing personal data within the scope of this Policy.
2. Applicable Data Protection Framework
Personal data is processed in accordance with applicable European and national data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation — Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”) — and applicable French data protection legislation.
Where relevant to processing falling within its territorial or material scope, applicable mandatory Greek legislation, including Law 4624/2019 and Law 3471/2006 concerning electronic communications and related technologies, is also respected.
3. Personal Data We May Collect
When you use the website without submitting information, technical information necessary for the operation, security and delivery of the website may be processed. This may include an IP address, browser and device information, date and time of access, requested pages, technical logs and security-related information.
When you contact SOMED through the website, we may process your name, email address, optional telephone number, selected subject and the content of your message.
When you submit a membership application or membership-related request, we may process your name, email address, telephone number, requested membership category and other academic, professional or administrative information that you voluntarily provide or that is reasonably required to assess and administer the application.
Further information may subsequently be requested where required by SOMED’s Constitution and Bylaws or membership procedures.
Please do not send health data, patient information, confidential clinical records or other special categories of personal data through general website forms unless SOMED has specifically requested such information and an appropriate lawful process has been established.
4. Purposes and Legal Bases for Processing
SOMED processes personal data only where an appropriate legal basis exists.
Data submitted through the general Contact form may be processed in order to respond to enquiries, provide requested information and maintain necessary correspondence. Depending on the nature of the request, processing is based on SOMED’s legitimate interests in communicating with visitors and managing the Society’s activities, or on steps taken at the request of an individual before entering into a relationship with SOMED.
Membership application information is processed in order to review applications, communicate with applicants, administer membership and perform activities associated with the membership relationship. The legal basis may include steps taken at the applicant’s request before entering into the membership relationship, performance of that relationship and SOMED’s legitimate interests in administering the Society in accordance with its Constitution and Bylaws.
Technical and security information may be processed on the basis of SOMED’s legitimate interests in providing a secure, functional and reliable website, preventing abuse and investigating technical or security incidents.
Where a non-essential cookie, analytics technology or other tracking mechanism requires consent, the legal basis is the visitor’s consent. Consent may be withdrawn at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, personal data may be processed on that basis.
5. Contact and Membership Forms
Information entered into website forms is transmitted for the purpose indicated by the form.
Contact-form information is used to respond to and manage the relevant enquiry.
Membership information may be made available to the Secretary, authorised officers, relevant Council members or other authorised persons where this is necessary to consider an application or administer membership.
Submitting a membership application does not itself constitute approval of membership.
6. Cookies and Similar Technologies
The website may use cookies and similar technologies for strictly necessary website functions and, subject to the visitor’s choices, for additional functionality or third-party services.
Non-essential technologies requiring consent must not be activated before valid consent has been obtained.
Further information about categories of cookies, third-party technologies, consent choices and methods for withdrawing consent is provided in the Cookie Policy and through the website’s cookie settings interface.
7. Third-Party Services
The website may provide access to or integrate services operated by third parties, such as mapping services, scientific publishers, social media platforms or other external resources.
For example, the Contact page provides mapping functionality related to SOMED’s address. Interaction with an external service may result in information such as the visitor’s IP address, browser details and interaction data being transmitted to the relevant provider.
Where applicable law requires prior consent before activating a third-party service or tracker, the service should remain blocked until the relevant consent is given.
Third-party providers process data in accordance with their own privacy documentation and, where they act as processors on behalf of SOMED, under appropriate contractual arrangements.
8. Recipients and Service Providers
Personal data may be accessible only to persons who reasonably require access for the relevant purpose.
This may include authorised SOMED officers and Council members, website and IT support providers, hosting and infrastructure providers, email service providers and other processors or professional advisers engaged where necessary.
SOMED does not sell personal data.
Personal data will not be disclosed to third parties for their independent advertising purposes without an appropriate legal basis.
9. International Data Transfers
SOMED aims to process personal data within the European Economic Area or in countries offering an appropriate level of data protection.
Where a service provider requires personal data to be transferred outside the European Economic Area, SOMED will use an appropriate transfer mechanism where required, such as an adequacy decision adopted by the European Commission, Standard Contractual Clauses or another lawful safeguard available under the GDPR.
10. Data Retention
Personal data is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and for any additional period required to satisfy applicable legal, accounting, administrative or dispute-resolution requirements.
General correspondence is retained for the period necessary to respond to and conclude the relevant matter and, where appropriate, for a limited period afterwards to maintain an appropriate record of the communication.
Membership application data is retained during the assessment process. Where an application is approved, relevant information may become part of the member’s administrative record and be retained for as long as necessary to administer membership and fulfil applicable legal or organisational requirements.
Where an application is not approved or is withdrawn, information will not be retained longer than reasonably necessary for administration, accountability or the handling of possible queries or disputes.
Technical and security logs are retained only for the period reasonably necessary for security, troubleshooting and system administration.
11. Data Security
SOMED takes reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access.
Access to personal data is restricted according to role and operational necessity.
No internet-based service can guarantee absolute security, and users should avoid transmitting unnecessary confidential or sensitive information through ordinary website forms or email.
12. Your Data Protection Rights
Subject to the conditions and limitations provided by applicable law, you may exercise the right of access to your personal data, rectification of inaccurate data, erasure, restriction of processing, objection to processing based on legitimate interests, and data portability where the relevant statutory conditions are met.
Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing undertaken before the withdrawal.
You also have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing that produces legal or similarly significant effects where the relevant GDPR conditions apply. SOMED does not currently use website-submitted membership or contact data for such solely automated decision-making.
To exercise your rights, contact:
SOMED may request reasonable information to verify identity before responding to a data-protection request.
13. Complaints to a Supervisory Authority
You have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent data protection supervisory authority if you believe that the processing of your personal data infringes applicable data protection law.
As SOMED is registered in France, the French data protection authority is the Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL).
Individuals may also contact the supervisory authority competent for their habitual residence, workplace or the place of an alleged infringement where permitted under the GDPR. In Greece, the competent supervisory authority is the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA).
14. External Links
The website contains links to third-party websites and resources.
SOMED is not responsible for the privacy practices of independent third parties. Visitors should review the privacy information provided by those services before supplying personal information to them.
15. Changes to This Privacy Policy
This Policy may be updated to reflect changes in SOMED’s activities, website functionality, service providers or applicable law.
The latest version will be published on this page and identified by the “Last updated” date.
16. Contact
For questions regarding privacy or the processing of personal data, contact:
Society for Microbial Ecology and Disease (SOMED)
38 cours Georges Clémenceau
33000 Bordeaux, France
Email: sandrine.claus@l-n-c.fr
Telephone: +33 5 57 83 15 03
