The Machine Learning Group at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection laws. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data when you interact with our website, participate in our research activities, or engage with our group in any other way.

This policy applies to all personal data processed by our group, including data related to website visitors, research participants, collaborators, and event attendees. Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual, such as names, email addresses, or IP addresses.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us.

What we may collect

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.

Analytics

We may collect Website Usage Data, including your IP address, browser type, and device information to analyze site traffic and improve user experience.

Research-Related Data

If you participate in our machine learning studies, we may collect anonymized or pseudonymized datasets that could include personal elements (e.g., demographic data for model training). We ensure that any personal data in research is minimized and processed only for scientific purposes.

Other Data

We may collect other information you provide in surveys, feedback forms, or collaborations, such as your academic background or research interests.

We do not collect sensitive personal data (e.g., health, racial, or biometric data) unless explicitly required for a specific research project and with your explicit consent.

How we use your data

Your personal data is used for the following purposes:

  • To communicate with you about research updates, events, or collaborations.
  • To administer our website and analyze usage patterns for improvements.
  • In machine learning research: To train models, conduct analyses, or publish findings, always applying privacy-preserving techniques like data minimization, anonymization, or differential privacy where applicable.
  • To comply with legal obligations, such as reporting for funding or academic requirements.

We process data only to the extent necessary and ensure AI/ML activities respect GDPR principles, including fairness and transparency in automated decision-making.

Legal Basis for Processing

Our processing activities are based on:

  • Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR): For newsletters, event registrations, or voluntary research participation.
  • Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR): For website analytics and internal research improvements, balanced against your rights.
  • Contractual Necessity (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR): For collaborations or services we provide.
  • Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR): Where required by law or funding bodies.

For machine learning involving personal data, we conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) to mitigate risks.

Who we share your data with

We may share your data with:

  • ULB affiliates or academic partners for joint research.
  • Service providers (e.g., cloud storage like Google Cloud or AWS) that comply with GDPR.
  • Authorities if required by law.

Data may be transferred outside the EU/EEA only with adequate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or adequacy decisions.

We do not sell your data.

How long we retain your data

Suggested text: If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

We retain other personal data only as long as necessary:

  • Contact data: Until you unsubscribe or for 2 years after the last interaction.
  • Research data: As required for publication or funding (typically 5-10 years), then anonymized or deleted.
  • Website logs: Up to 1 year.

What rights you have over your data

Suggested text: If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Under GDPR, you have the right to:

  1. Access your personal data.
  2. Rectify inaccurate data.
  3. Erase data (right to be forgotten) under certain conditions.
  4. Restrict processing.
  5. Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
  6. Data portability in a machine-readable format.
  7. Withdraw consent at any time.
  8. Lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority (www.dataprotectionauthority.be).

To exercise these rights, contact us. We respond within one month.

Where your data is sent

Suggested text: Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encryption, access controls, and regular audits. For ML activities, we use privacy-enhancing technologies like federated learning where feasible to minimize data exposure.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically. Changes will be posted here with the updated date. Significant changes will be notified via email or a website notice.

Contact Information

Machine Learning Research Group
Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Email: gianluca.bontempi@ulb.be

Data Protection Officer
You can address your questions regarding the protection of your personal data to the ULB Data Protection Officer at: Avenue F. Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, CP 130, or by email at rgpd@ulb.be.

This policy is inspired by standard GDPR templates and tailored for an academic machine learning context. We recommend consulting a legal expert to customize it further for your specific needs.