This privacy policy applies to the processing of personal data collected through the SALVUS website.
The SALVUS website is dedicated to the dissemination of the Horizon Europe-funded project SALVUS – Ensuring SAfer justice outcomes in onLine and undercoVer child sexUal abuse inveStigations. SALVUS is a 36-month project running from June 2025 to May 2028, focused on addressing gaps in knowledge, best practice, and legislative frameworks for online and undercover child sexual abuse investigations. The project develops research-based guidance, supports legal harmonisation, and aims to strengthen prosecution across Europe.
The protection, security, and confidentiality of personal data processed through this website are important to the SALVUS consortium.
1. When are your personal data collected and used?
We may collect and use your personal data when you:
- use our website;
- contact us by email, form, phone, or other digital communication channels;
- apply to join or otherwise engage with the Practitioner’s Network;
- subscribe to our newsletter or other project updates;
- interact with SALVUS through linked social media channels;
- take part in surveys, consultations, stakeholder engagement activities, or dissemination events related to the project.
2. What if this privacy policy does not answer all of your questions?
Data protection law requires us to provide clear information about how your personal data are processed. If you have questions about this privacy policy or about the way your personal data are handled, you may contact us at:
info@salvusproject.eu
3. Who are “we”?
For the purposes of this privacy policy, “we” refers to the SALVUS project entity or consortium partner responsible for operating and managing this website and determining how personal data collected through it are processed. SALVUS is a project conducted by 13 organizations in 9 countries around Europe. This is the consortium partner responsible for communication of the project, including this website: ICMEC CH (International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, Switzerland). ICMEC CH’s address: Claridenstrasse 13, 8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland
4. What personal data do we process, why, and on what legal basis?
We process personal data only where there is a valid legal basis under applicable data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where relevant.
a) When you contact us
If you contact us through a contact form, by email, or through another communication channel, we process your personal data to communicate with you, respond to your questions, and manage project-related requests.
Legal basis: legitimate interest, namely the interest in managing communications related to the SALVUS project and responding to stakeholders.
Personal data processed: name, email address, organisation, professional role, country, message content, and technical communication metadata where relevant.
b) When you join or express interest in the Practitioner’s Network
The SALVUS website invites stakeholders such as law enforcement officers, forensic experts, legal professionals, and child advocates to join the Practitioner’s Network.
If you register, apply, or otherwise participate, we process your data to assess eligibility, administer participation, communicate with members, and organise related research, consultation, validation, and dissemination activities.
Legal basis:
- legitimate interest, for stakeholder engagement and project coordination; and/or
- consent, where required for specific communications or participation activities.
Personal data processed: name, email address, organisation, country, job title, sector, professional expertise, application details, participation records, and any information you voluntarily provide.
c) When you subscribe to newsletters or updates
If you sign up to receive newsletters or project updates, we process your personal data to send those communications to you.
Legal basis: consent.
Personal data processed: email address and, where applicable, name and communication preferences.
You may unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe link in the communication or by contacting us directly.
d) When you browse our website
We may process certain technical and usage data to ensure the website functions properly, maintain security, understand how visitors use the website, and improve content and user experience.
Legal basis:
- legitimate interest, where analytics are privacy-friendly and do not require consent; and/or
- consent, where cookies or similar technologies are not strictly necessary.
Personal data processed: IP-related technical data, browser type, device information, pages visited, time spent on pages, referring URLs, clicks, and related usage data collected using Google Analytics and installed plugins.
e) Cookies and similar technologies
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies. Strictly necessary cookies may be used without consent where permitted by law. Any non-essential cookies, including analytics, preference, or marketing cookies, will only be placed where required consent has been obtained.
Please see our Cookie Policy for more information.
f) Compliance with legal obligations
We may also process your personal data where necessary to comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests from competent authorities, protect legal rights, or establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
Legal basis: legal obligation and, where relevant, legitimate interest.
5. Links to social media and third-party websites
The SALVUS website may contain links to third-party websites or social media platforms. These third-party services operate under their own privacy policies and terms.
6. With whom do we share your personal data?
In principle, we only share your personal data where necessary and only with appropriate safeguards.
Recipients may include:
- members of the SALVUS consortium, where relevant for project implementation and stakeholder engagement ;
- service providers who support the operation of the website, mailing lists, event registration, hosting, analytics, or communication systems;
- public authorities, law enforcement, regulators, courts, or other bodies where disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect legal rights.
All recipients who process personal data on our behalf are expected to be bound by confidentiality and data protection obligations.
International transfers
Some recipients may be located outside the European Economic Area. Where this occurs, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:
- an adequacy decision by the European Commission; or
- standard contractual clauses or another lawful transfer mechanism.
7. How long do we keep your personal data?
We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this privacy policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.
Examples:
- contact requests: kept for as long as necessary to handle the request and any related follow-up;
- newsletter data: kept until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent;
- Practitioner’s Network data: kept for as long as necessary to manage participation, support project activities, and maintain project records;
- technical and analytics data: retained according to the settings of the relevant systems and only for as long as necessary for security, performance, and reporting purposes.
Once data are no longer needed, they will be deleted, anonymised, or de-identified, unless legal retention obligations require otherwise.
8. What do we do to keep your personal data safe?
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure, or unauthorised access.
These measures may include:
- access controls and role-based permissions;
- secure hosting and infrastructure management;
- use of encrypted connections where appropriate;
- internal procedures for handling personal data;
- minimisation of data collected and processed;
- contractual safeguards with processors and service providers.
No system can guarantee absolute security, but we take reasonable steps to protect the data we process.
9. Which rights do you have regarding your personal data?
Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:
- access your personal data;
- request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
- request deletion of your personal data;
- request restriction of processing;
- object to processing based on legitimate interests;
- withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent;
- receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format, and request transmission where technically feasible;
- lodge a complaint with a competent data protection authority.
To exercise your rights, please contact:
info@salvusproject.eu
To help us process your request, please clearly describe the right you wish to exercise and provide enough information for us to verify your identity where necessary.
We will respond within the time period required by applicable law.
10. Right to lodge a complaint
If you believe that your personal data have been processed unlawfully, you may lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.
11. Changes to this privacy policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect legal, technical, or organisational changes. The most current version will always be published on the SALVUS website with its effective date.
Effective date: 10/03/2026