LinkedIn Information

The University of Mannheim uses the information service offered on LinkedIn via the technical platform and services of LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA:
https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-mannheim/

The controller for the data processing of persons living in the designated countries of the GDPR (European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland) is LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/impressum

We would like to point out that you use the YouTube platform and its features at your own risk. This applies in particular to the use of interactive features (e.g. sharing, evaluating, commenting).

The information and publications published on our LinkedIn page are a voluntary additional offer. Visiting our LinkedIn page is only possible for registered users of the LinkedIn platform. Alternatively, you can also access the information offered on this page on our website at www.uni-mannheim.de.

1. Data processed by LinkedIn
Information about which data is processed by LinkedIn and for what purposes can be found in LinkedIn’s privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

When you use LinkedIn, your personal data is collected, transferred, stored, disclosed and used by the LinkedIn Corporation. LinkedIn transfers your data from the countries designated in the GDPR to the United States of America (USA) and back. The LinkedIn data centers for storing member information are currently located in the USA and Singapore.

The University of Mannheim has no influence on the type and scope of the data processed by LinkedIn, the type of processing and use or the transfer of this data to third parties nor does it have any effective means of control in this regard.

Similarly, the University of Mannheim has no knowledge of the content of your data transmitted to LinkedIn and cannot provide any information about what data is stored about you through your use of the LinkedIn service.

In addition to the data you voluntarily enter, such as profile, registration, contact, and calendar data, LinkedIn also collects and processes, for example, location and device information as well as Internet protocol addresses (IP addresses). LinkedIn may also use cookies or similar technologies to identify you outside of its own services and across different devices.

LinkedIn collects and analyzes data from the content you publish and upload, news and messages, as well as data from partners and affiliated companies, such as information provided by your workplace/educational institution, websites or third-party services.

For more information, please refer to https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

LinkedIn states that it will use your personal data to provide you with additional services (including advertisements) and customize them to make them more relevant and useful to you and others, including through automated systems and its own inferences.

For this purpose, LinkedIn may also merge data internally via various services covered in its privacy policy (details at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy#use).

How LinkedIn uses the data from visits to LinkedIn pages for its own purposes, to what extent activities on the LinkedIn page are assigned to individual users, how long LinkedIn stores this data and whether data from a visit to the LinkedIn page is passed on to third parties is not conclusively and clearly stated by LinkedIn and is not known to the University of Mannheim.

LinkedIn also states that it may use the services of third parties (partner companies and external service providers) to assist it in providing its services (e.g. maintenance, analysis, examination, payment, fraud detection, marketing and development).

These third parties have access to your information to the extent reasonably necessary to perform the relevant tasks for LinkedIn and are obligated not to disclose or use your information for any other purpose. For more information, please refer to https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy#share.

Should third-party services of LinkedIn be used by LinkedIn for the University of Mannheim's account, the University of Mannheim has neither commissioned nor approved this, nor does it support it in any other way. Furthermore, the personal data obtained during the analysis will not be made available to you. Only certain non-personal, aggregated information about the activity, such as the number of profile or link clicks on a specific post or page, can be viewed by the University of Mannheim via your account. Furthermore, the University of Mannheim has no way of preventing or stopping the use of such tools on its LinkedIn page.

Finally, LinkedIn also receives information when you view content, even if you have not created an account (for example via a public LinkedIn profile). This “log data” may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, information about the website you previously visited and the pages you visited, your location, your mobile phone provider, the device you used (including device ID and application ID), the search terms you used, and cookie information.

Through LinkedIn buttons or widgets embedded in websites and the use of cookies, LinkedIn is able to track your visits to these websites and associate them with your LinkedIn profile. This data can be used to tailor content or advertising to you.

Even though LinkedIn Corporation is a non-European provider, it is bound by the GDPR in the designated countries. This concerns, for example, your right of access as well as your right to have your data blocked or erased.

You can restrict the processing and visibility of your data in your account navigation under “Settings and data protection” in the various menu items listed there.

Please also note that all information you provide in your profile is publicly visible by default, i.e., members who log into the network and customers of LinkedIn services can view it. This also applies to your activities within the service, such as comments on posts, “Likes” or the “Follow” function. Group memberships are also publicly visible.

If you share posts, the default setting is that this is done publicly. You can restrict the visibility of these posts to your contacts in the options. You can also specify in the LinkedIn settings whether you want to share your contact list with all your contacts. With a so-called public profile, your content can also be found outside LinkedIn and in search engines.

Further information on these points is available on the following LinkedIn help pages:
https: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin

The option to view and download your own data from LinkedIn can be found in your account navigation under “Settings and data protection” in the “Data protection” tab under “How LinkedIn uses your data” or at https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/member-data

For information about LinkedIn's comprehensive data collection and further data protection settings, please refer to http://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

The option to turn off interest-based advertising (not advertising in general) can be found here: Opt-Out: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out

You also have the option of contacting LinkedIn via the LinkedIn contact form or via the LinkedIn office in Ireland responsible for the designated countries if you have any questions about the privacy policy or user agreement.

Online contact form: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/PPQ

Postal address:
LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company
Attn: Legal Dept. (Privacy Policy and User Agreement)
Wilton Plaza
Wilton Place, Dublin 2
Ireland

You can request LinkedIn to delete some of your personal data (for example, if the provision of services to you is no longer necessary) using the contact details above.

However, there are also uses of data that you cannot influence via the settings.

If you do not agree to such use, your only option is to close your account: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/account-management/close-submit

If you are located in one of the designated countries of the GDPR, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Officer: https://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Contact-us/b/11.html

2. Data processed by the University of Mannheim
The University of Mannheim also processes your data. It does not collect any data via its LinkedIn account. However, we process the data you enter on LinkedIn, in particular your user name and the content published under your account, to the extent that we may share or comment on your postings or write postings that refer to your account. The data you freely publish and distribute on LinkedIn is thus included in the University of Mannheim's services and made available to its fans and subscribers.

As the provider of our LinkedIn page, we do not collect and process any personal data from your use of our service. The page is for information and communication purposes only.

3. Rights, documentation, evaluation
If you have any questions about the information we provide, please contact us at infomail-uni-mannheim.de. You can exercise your rights to access, block, or delete data by contacting our data protection officer at datenschutzbeauftragte@uni-mannheim.de.

The utilization plan on which the services are based can be found here. We will evaluate this utilization plan once a year to determine whether and how it is being used. This evaluation of the utilization plan will take into account usage figures and reach as well as the target group structure of the networks.

Further information on data protection on LinkedIn can also be found at https://www.datenschutz.org/linkedin/

Public relations work for the University of Mannheim also takes place on LinkedIn. With this utilization plan, the University of Mannheim is assuming its responsibility and role model function for using social media as a public body in accordance with the “Guidelines of the commissioner for data protection and freedom of information of Baden-Württemberg (LfDI) on the use of social networks by public bodies” (PDF). Please also refer to our Data Protection Declaration and Impact assessment of the use of LinkedIn.

1. General information on LinkedIn
LinkedIn, based in Mountain View/USA, is a social career network for maintaining existing business contacts and for establishing and linking new business connections. With over 350 million users, LinkedIn is currently the largest online professional network in the world. It is used internationally, particularly in English-speaking countries. Compared to other career networks, such as XING, which is predominantly used in German-speaking countries, LinkedIn has a large international reach. There is a free basic version, but premium services with additional functions can also be booked for a fee.

LinkedIn is primarily aimed at managers and specialists as well as people interested in careers in general. The network enables its users to communicate directly and exchange ideas with people who have the same professional interests. The network is also used for personnel recruiting; users present themselves as qualified employees and companies and organizations as attractive employers. Although the focus of LinkedIn is typically on professional contacts, many users also use the network to connect with private contacts.

On LinkedIn, you can create personal profiles or company pages, whereby company pages can only be set up via a personal profile with administrator rights, there is no clear name policy. To use the network functions, you must be registered as a user. Some content shared by LinkedIn user can also be read without the need to log in.

On LinkedIn, postings can be shared in the form of text, photos, videos, and live streams. Registered users can use this service free of charge to publish their content, network with other users or company pages, comment on their posts, mark them with “Like” or “Unlike,” and share them Users can recommend or subscribe to company pages so that relevant posts are displayed in their own LinkedIn feed.

For more information on LinkedIn, please go to: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin

2. Purpose of the LinkedIn use by the University of Mannheim
The LinkedIn page of the University of Mannheim is a useful addition to existing communication channels such as the website, press releases, newsletters, print products, and events.

Social career networks are becoming increasingly important for success on the international labor market. LinkedIn offers us the advantage of reaching our target groups—graduates/alumni and their (potential) employers, as well as those interested in continuing education, our own internationally operating staff members, and potential recruits—much more directly and quickly, especially since interested users can easily subscribe to the company page. The University of Mannheim's LinkedIn presence thus enables the wide dissemination of posts and impressions of the University of Mannheim and the monitoring of immediate reactions.

LinkedIn can facilitate communication at the University of Mannheim, as target groups can easily and directly contact the University of Mannheim with questions, suggestions, or criticism. LinkedIn thus enables fast and uncomplicated communication at eye level and can convey an informative and inviting image of the higher education institution with its services, qualities, and goals.

The University of Mannheim offers a wide range of international programs and exchange programs. These offer students from Germany the opportunity to gain international experience abroad, and foreign students the opportunity to participate in an international program at the University of Mannheim. This results in a heterogeneous composition of students and graduates, including those from outside the German-speaking region and from non-European countries. Since many former students of the University of Mannheim register independently on LinkedIn, the University of Mannheim uses this additional channel to inform its alumni worldwide about developments and topics at the University of Mannheim and to increase alumni identification with their higher education institution. Many alumni of the University of Mannheim  also use the LinkedIn company page independently to stay in touch with their former fellow students.

With the help of the LinkedIn company page, the LinkedIn public, such as potential employers of our graduates and those interested in continuing education, can gain insights into teaching and research at the University of Mannheim. It also supports the activities of staff members who are part of international networks, such as those with international project partners. This can support the University of Mannheim in its efforts to further internationalize its education and research programs and to qualify its graduates for the international job market.

3. Type and scope of use of LinkedIn by the University of Mannheim
The University of Mannheim operates a company page on LinkedIn in the basic version with a logo and brief profile.

The LinkedIn page of the University of Mannheim informs users about current reporting on university topics, news from science, research and teaching, events and other interesting facts about the campus. Additionally, the University of Mannheim posts its own job openings to recruit qualified employees.

The University of Mannheim's posts essentially correspond to the content posted on other University of Mannheim social media channels.

Regular content of the University of Mannheim's LinkedIn page includes:

• information about ranking results and other achievements of the university, as well as achievements and awards given to researchers, employees, students, and alumni of the university
• information on current research projects and research results
• Information about campus life and important developments at the university, as well as student involvement
• sharing articles about the university's research published in national and regional media
• sharing articles and interviews with students and alumni of the University of Mannheim from our own channels
• information on university events

4. Responsibilities for editorial/technical supervision
The controller for editorial supervision is the media spokeswoman Linda Schädler and the Communications department.

5. Alternative information and contact options
We would like to point out to users that the LinkedIn channel is only an additional option for contacting the University of Mannheim or obtaining information from it. Alternatively, the information offered on LinkedIn can also be accessed via the corresponding links on our website at www.uni-mannheim.de or on the other linked websites.

You can send all inquiries to our central inbox infomail-uni-mannheim.de. Press inquiries can be sent to the University of Mannheim. The social media team can be reached at redaktionmail-uni-mannheim.de.

The University of Mannheim can be reached by telephone at +49 621 181-2222. The hotline is staffed Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Postal address:
Universität Mannheim
Schloss
68131 Mannheim

You can find an overview of the various ways to get in touch with the University of Mannheim on the contact website.

6. Commitment
We will evaluate this utilization plan once a year to determine whether and how it is being used. This evaluation of the utilization plan will take into account usage figures and reach as well as the target group structure of the networks.

According to the general regulation in Art. 35 paragraph 1 of the European General Data Protection Regulation, a data protection impact assessment must be carried out if a form of processing, in particular using new technologies, is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons due to the nature, scope, context, and purposes of the processing. The guideline of the commissioner for data protection and freedom of information of Baden-Württemberg (LfDI) on the use of social networks by public bodies (PDF) makes it mandatory to assess the impact of the intended data processing for the protection of personal data based on the GDPR which entered into force on 25 Mai 2018.

The LinkedIn services of the  University of Mannheim  itself do not have this impact due to the very small scope of its own data processing (cf. in this respect the data protection information), in particular in view of the fact that its posts are mainly a pure sending of content without personal reference, and in the case of a reference to other LinkedIn users, only the data that they have voluntarily provided themselves is processed (since LinkedIn is a career network, information on employer and position can often be found in addition to the user name and posts).

However, from the perspective of the University of Mannheim, the use of LinkedIn itself represents a high risk due to its far-reaching impact with regard to the evaluation of data by LinkedIn, for advertising purposes and the like, for which a data protection impact assessment must be carried out (by LinkedIn).

By using a LinkedIn account, the respective user places themselves under systematic observation by LinkedIn. This may also reveal sensitive data such as political views, sexual orientation, or health problems, which can be linked and used to create a personality profile. Particularly vulnerable persons, such as young people, can also be LinkedIn users and thus affected persons, although they are naturally not part of the LinkedIn target group, even if official registration is permitted from the age of 16 (see also “Risk assessment”).

Even when merely passively reading LinkedIn without an account of one's own, sensitive data may be collected through the collection of log data, such as the websites previously visited or the location data of the user.

This applies all the more as LinkedIn cannot be checked or can only be checked to a limited extent. As the data of users based in Germany are not processed within Germany but in non-European countries, there are higher hurdles to accessing (judicial) legal protection than with a company based in Germany. If data protection issues cannot be clarified directly with LinkedIn, the data protection officer in Ireland is the point of contact.

The University of Mannheimassumes that public bodies that use a social network for public relations work and to provide general information bear joint responsibility. Joint responsibility does not mean that the University of Mannheimconfirms or guarantees that the products of LinkedIn comply with data protection regulations. The University of Mannheim is unable to do this under the current circumstances. Joint responsibility rather means that the University of Mannheimmakes itself and others aware of the risks of social networks. From a data protection perspective, social networks are currently in need of improvement in many areas. For this reason, the University of Mannheimshows LinkedIn users alternative, more data protection-friendly communication channels by referring to the homepage of the University of Mannheim.

Users are also informed about the general risks associated with the use of social media in the Data protection information of the University of Mannheim. LinkedIn itself does not currently offer this option on the LinkedIn company page. In addition, the University of Mannheim explains the risks in its Data protection declaration for LinkedIn.

The University of Mannheim  committed to these measures in its utilization plan. The advantages and disadvantages of using LinkedIn are regularly evaluated accordingly, taking into account the user agreement of LinkedIn.com.

LinkedIn use is thus embedded in a package of measures. Against this background, the impact assessment of the LinkedIn use by the University of Mannheimis as follows:

1. Risk identification
The risks described at the beginning, which are associated with the use of LinkedIn, generally exist independently of the University of Mannheim's own LinkedIn use. In the vast majority of cases, the postings of the University of Mannheimdo not refer to sensitive personal data, but instead disseminate factual content.

Finally, the data processed through interaction with the University of Mannheim's LinkedIn account or other accounts– namely postings and/or the account name of a LinkedIn user—are already public/generally accessible/freely available on the Internet.

However, by appearing on the LinkedIn page of the University of Mannheimand through the interrelationship with a broader/“more specific” public, the data are made available and may thus attract greater attention and wider dissemination than without this interaction.

The fact that the University of Mannheimfollows other LinkedIn accounts, or that other LinkedIn accounts follow the University of Mannheim’s account, also creates additional cross-connections and information about the respective LinkedIn user; for example, areas of interest can be identified from the subscriber/follower status, regular posts, activities, and group memberships.

Finally, LinkedIn also collects log data when users passively read the page.

By using LinkedIn itself, the University of Mannheimincreases the amount of data that is used and analyzed by LinkedIn.

2.Risk assessment
The expansion of the dissemination circle and the increase in linking options facilitates the processing of data for other purposes by LinkedIn and secret profiling. Openness to visitor contributions can lead to detrimental social consequences, such as inappropriate or discriminatory comments, and the dissemination of sensitive data. For career networks, this is especially relevant in terms of the current or future workplace and professional environment.

While these damages may be significant if caused by LinkedIn, they are only increased to a limited extent by the LinkedIn profile of the University of Mannheim. This is because a substantial part of the data is already available to LinkedIn. In particular, the services of the University of Mannheimdo not lead to an obligation to create a LinkedIn account, as there are sufficient alternative contact and information options for the University of Mannheim. In principle, all postings and job offers that are displayed on the LinkedIn account of the University of Mannheimare also available via the website of the University of Mannheimso that their consumption is possible without any data generation.

Also, the topics of the University of Mannheimsuch as academia, teaching, research etc. are only suitable for triggering hateful debates to a limited extent, so that the probability of damage occurring is very limited.

3.Risk assessment
Overall, the additional risk caused by the LinkedIn account of the University of Mannheimcan therefore be classified as low to medium.

It is also possible to implement remedial measures to further reduce the risk, which the University of Mannheim also refers to in its data protection declaration for LinkedIn.

The majority of these measures are within the sphere of the user: Users can protect themselves to a certain extent by making various settings, such as deleting their browser history, deactivating cookies or not sharing their location when using photos.

With regard to particularly vulnerable individuals such as minors, it is clear that they are not generally part of LinkedIn's target audience. Even though registration with LinkedIn is possible from the age of 16, LinkedIn is primarily aimed at professionals and executives who want to network with each other worldwide on their own initiative.

This target group is generally significantly older and consists of experienced professionals, who must therefore weigh up the professional benefits of the service against the protection of their data themselves. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that there is an increased risk of fake profiles and identity theft, especially on business networks, as the business/professional environment of LinkedIn users is often described in detail.
In addition, some LinkedIn practices, such as faking membership of existing contacts of LinkedIn users and independently sending email invitations to join LinkedIn, can cause suspicion among acquaintances of LinkedIn users or even damage their professional reputation.
LinkedIn users should therefore be particularly advised to prohibit LinkedIn from accessing address books and other external services and to deactivate the automatic sending of e-mail invitations, as LinkedIn also contacts contacts outside its own network and stores their data. For additional security, users can be advised to use LinkedIn only from the desktop in the browser and not to install any LinkedIn apps on their smartphone/mobile devices.

In addition, continuous editorial support enables us to intervene in the event of comments that are defamatory or offensive up to and including blocking the account. The University of Mannheim has formulated a netiquette for the use of its website and will ensure that users adhere to this netiquette when maintaining the site.

4. Result
The use of LinkedIn by the University of Mannheim is justifiable in view of the risks described and the binding measures established. The University of Mannheimcommits to monitoring further developments and to regularly repeating and, if necessary, further developing the review carried out.

Networking and communication with other LinkedIn profiles
Subscribing to or liking other LinkedIn profiles or liking posts or comments by the University of Mannheim does not imply any statement about the relationship of the University of Mannheim to these profiles or the content published by them. In particular, it does not imply any approval or recommendation for its subscribers. Rather, the University of Mannheim sees subscribing to other profiles or liking posts and comments as an opportunity to network with other bodies, individuals, and institutions for the rapid dissemination and sharing of information related to the university.

The University of Mannheim will not subscribe to all of its subscribers. The University of Mannheim's decision not to subscribe to a profile does not imply any statement, in particular it does not imply rejection or disinterest on the part of the University of Mannheim towards the respective profile.

Type and purpose of use
The University of Mannheim uses its LinkedIn page for its own postings in accordance with the manner described in its utilization plan. The University of Mannheim will reply to comments provided that these relate to the exchange of information on university-related topics. For all types of requests, contact options outside of LinkedIn are available, such as emails to: infomail-uni-mannheim.de. Detailed advice, e.g. on programs, is not provided; instead, a website link to the relevant telephone and email contacts of the University of Mannheim will be provided.

LinkedIn and data protection
The use of LinkedIn by the University of Mannheim does not imply any endorsement of this medium or the company or LinkedIn's privacy policy. The University of Mannheim recommends that all users inform themselves about the processing of their data by LinkedIn and protect their privacy as much as possible: This includes reading LinkedIn's privacy policy. Key aspects are also summarized in the University of Mannheim's own data protection declaration on its use of LinkedIn.

In addition, every user should at least make the following settings to protect their privacy:

• open a user account only with the data that are absolutely necessary
• disable the widget function
• prevent cross-site tracking (for example, by using the Ghostery add-on in your browser)

1. We do not tolerate offensive or illegal postings on this social media page. In particular, please refrain from:
   • threats, bullying, harassment, insults, degrading comments, defamation, slander, malicious gossip, and hate speech in any form
   • posts expressing attitudes/views that are xenophobic, sexist, or discriminatory toward minorities, communities, or individuals
   • posts that explicitly represent party political, religious, and/or ideological content and goals
   • approving, triggering, or glorifying: violence, war, discrimination, unconstitutional, or anti-democratic acts
   • pornographic or sadistic depictions.
2. Do not post any advertising or spam.
   Any commercial content will be removed immediately. It is also not permitted to use social networks to send advertising or other marketing content to others via private messages (spam).
3. Respect privacy and anonymity! Please help us to protect the privacy and rights of other users. Do not disclose any personal/private details about other people, regardless of whether they are also users of the network or not. This primarily includes names, addresses, and other personal information, as well as photos/videos. Keep in mind that it may be difficult to delete such data completely at a later time.
4. As a user of this website, please respect copyright and intellectual property rights. In particular, please ensure that you have the rights to distribute the content, photos, artwork, or other works protected by copyright, trademark, or name rights that you publish on these social media pages. By posting certain content, you confirm that you have the necessary permission to do so. You also consent to the further use of this content on the various social media sites of the University of Mannheim.
5. “Be careful what you say!” While it's fine to be casual and use dialect or colloquial language, offensive language, swear words, or similar expressions are not tolerated. Likewise, sexist remarks are not tolerated. Please remain friendly and tolerant! Even if you feel attacked or insulted by a post or comment, remain objective and fair. If you feel that you have been treated unfairly, please let us know. The easiest way to do this is to send a direct message to the page administrators or an email to the university's social media coordinators at redaktionmail-uni-mannheim.de.
6. To make the exchange accessible and understandable for everyone, please post only in German or English.
7. The comments, opinions, and links posted by users on social media pages operated on behalf of the University of Mannheim do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the University of Mannheim. Furthermore, copyrighted works or trademarks of the University of Mannheim may not be used without the prior written consent of the university.
8. All posts must have a concrete, direct connection tothe University of Mannheim. In case of doubt, the respective page administrator should be contacted before posting.
9. Posts/content that violate the principles defined here will be removed immediately.
10. Users who ignore the netiquette of our social media pages despite repeated warnings will be excluded from using our social media pages. Depending on the nature of the content and/or the intensity of the insult, discrimination, threat, etc., we reserve the right to report the incident and the user to the respective site provider. These providers all have their own community standards, which also form the basis of our netiquette. As an example, we refer to the Facebook Community Standards provided at https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/.
11. We are unable to review all postings in a timely manner. Therefore, administrators cannot be held responsible or liable for the content of comments. Each user is responsible for their own contributions. We would like to point out that you can be prosecuted for comments violating applicable law even when they are posted online and you can be reported by the University of Mannheim or by other users.