Privacy

Disclaimer

Although ETH Zurich takes all possible care to ensure the correctness of published information, no warranty can be accepted regarding the correctness, accuracy, up-to-dateness, reliability, and completeness of the content of this information. ETH Zurich expressly reserves the right to change, delete, or temporarily not publish the contents wholly or partly at any time and without prior notice. Liability claims against ETH Zurich for material or immaterial damages arising from access to, use or non-use of the published information, through misuse of the connection, or as a result of technical failures are excluded.

ETH Zurich has not verified third-party websites — that is, websites not located on its servers or within its area of influence — which may be linked to this website. ETH Zurich therefore accepts no responsibility for the content or services offered thereon, nor for compliance with data protection regulations or the absence of harmful software on such websites.

Copyright

All online documents and web pages as well as their parts are protected by copyright. They may be copied and printed only for private, scientific, or non-commercial use. Without prior written consent from ETH Zurich, it is not permissible for documents or parts thereof to be copied, stored on other servers, input into newsgroups or online services, or saved on CD-ROMs or other data carriers. This applies in particular to the ETH Zurich logo. Temporary storage in a cache or proxy server to optimise access speed is permitted. Citation of documents and web pages with correct source attribution and linking to this website is expressly allowed.

Use of Information

You may visit this website without providing any personal information. When accessing the site, certain technical data such as your IP address, browser type, date and time of access, and the last page visited are automatically recorded in server log files. This information is collected to ensure the security and stability of our services, to analyse usage in an aggregated and anonymised form, and to continuously improve the website. These data do not allow direct identification of individuals and are not combined with other sources.

We use Google Analytics in a cookieless configuration. In this mode, no cookies or other tracking technologies are stored on your device. The data collected are aggregated and anonymised, and IP addresses are truncated before transmission. Google Analytics therefore does not enable the identification of individual users. No third-party cookies are used on this website.

Data Storage and Retention

For the operation of the database search service, certain data must be stored temporarily. When a user submits a query, the text of the query is stored in plain text, and the associated e-mail address is stored in encrypted form. This information is retained solely to ensure the functionality of the service and to allow users to manage or delete their own query records. The data are never used for profiling, marketing, or any purpose beyond operating the service.

All stored information is automatically deleted after a maximum period of six months, or sooner if the user actively deletes their record via the user interface, whichever occurs first. When a record expires or is deleted, the corresponding query string and e-mail address are removed from our systems. If the same e-mail address is associated with other query records still within their retention period, those will be retained until their respective deletion conditions are met.

In addition, during an active browser session, certain non-personal settings — such as whether a pop-up should reappear or which databases have been selected — may be stored locally for convenience. These temporary settings are kept only while the search session remains open and are automatically removed once the browser window is closed or the session expires. They are not shared with third parties and do not involve the use of cookies.

All data are processed and stored on secure systems under the responsibility of ETH Zurich. Appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place to protect data from unauthorised access, misuse, loss, or disclosure. Once a record has been deleted, it cannot be recovered.

Legal Basis for Processing

The processing of personal data described above is carried out in accordance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (revDSG) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The legal bases for processing are the user's consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR) and ETH Zurich's legitimate interest in providing and maintaining a secure, reliable, and efficient online service (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR). Users may withdraw their consent at any time by deleting their data or contacting ETH Zurich.

Your Rights

Under applicable data protection law, you have the right to access, rectify, and delete your personal data, as well as the right to restrict or object to its processing. You also have the right to data portability in a commonly used, machine-readable format, where applicable. Requests relating to these rights should be directed to the contact address below.

If you believe that your data is being processed in violation of data protection law, you may lodge a complaint with the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) or, if you reside in the EU, with the competent supervisory authority in your member state.

Contact

For questions regarding data protection or this privacy policy, please contact:

ETH Zurich
Data Protection Officer
Rämistrasse 101
8092 Zurich, Switzerland
E-mail: datenschutz@ethz.ch

Links to Other Internet Services

The Biomedical Informatics Group has no influence over external sites to which this website links. Therefore, with regard to such sites, it can neither guarantee that the information contained therein is correct nor that the content is free from malware (e.g., viruses) nor that data protection legislation is observed there. Nor can it take any responsibility for ensuring that these links always function correctly or continue to refer to the same content. The Biomedical Informatics Group likewise has no control over sites that link to its services and therefore cannot accept any responsibility for them.

©2019-2025 BMI Lab | ETH Zurich