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Privacy notice

Privacy notice regarding the use of ITU's website 

1.    Introduction 

At the International Telecommunication Union (“ITU", “us", “we", “our" or the “Union"), the UN specialized agency for information and telecommunication technologies, we value your privacy and protect your personal data in line with the ITU Policy on Data Protection and Privacy of 2023, the UN Personal Data Protection and Privacy Principles of 2018, and any relevant ITU internal policies. Personal data (“Personal Data") refers to any information that on its own, or in combination with other available information, can identify an individual. 

This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, share, and otherwise process your Personal Data when you interact with ITU through our main website (www.itu.int) and its subdomains (“Website"). This Notice must be read in conjunction with any other privacy notice that we may provide on specific occasions when you provide us with your Personal Data for a specific purpose.  In case of discrepancies between those notices and the present one, the former will take precedence. 

This Notice does not apply to third-party applications, websites, platforms that may be accessed through links that may be provided through our website. These sites are owned and operated independently from us, and they may have their own separate privacy policies and practices.           

2.    Which Personal Data do we collect from you and for what purposes? 

ITU needs to collect and further process your Personal Data either directly or indirectly in several instances, as further described below. 

2.1      Personal Data we collect directly from you 

 ITU newsletters 

At the bottom of the ITU hub webpage, you can register to the “ITU Newsletter", “ITU News Magazine", and “ITU Publications" newsletters. You can also register to the ITU newsletters through a dedicated subscribe webpage

To send you ITU newsletters, we only collect your email address. 

For this purpose, we process this Personal Data on the basis of your consent, and we will continue to do so until you revoke such consent by clicking on the unsubscribe link found at the bottom of every email you receive as part of ITU newsletters. 

 ITU News Releases and Media Advisories 

As a member of the press, you can subscribe to receive ITU media products, including press releases, statements and media advisories.​ 

To provide you with this service, we collect the following information from you:

  1. Your email address;
  2. Your first name;
  3. Your last name;
  4. Your job title (only for members of the press); and
  5. Your news organization/company (only for members of the press). 

    For this purpose, we process this Personal Data on the basis of your consent, and we will continue to do so until you revoke such consent by clicking on the unsubscribe link found at the bottom of every email you receive as part of ITU News Releases and Media Advisories. 

    ITU Members Registration 

    When your organisation applies to become an ITU member, we collect certain Personal Data of your organisations' representatives in order to manage the application. Such Personal Data may not necessarily relate to you, as the person who is submitting the application. We therefore ask you to contact any person whose Personal Data are included in the application form and make them aware of the processing of Personal Data related to the application, for example by sharing a link to this Notice. You should also read and understand the membership Terms and Conditions, which you will be asked to accept when you submit your application.  

    We collect the following Personal Data about the Head of Company/Executive, the Main Contact (for correspondence), and the Finance Contact of the potential ITU member:

    1. Job title;
    2. Title;
    3. First name;
    4. Last name;
    5. Email;
    6. Phone. 

    We process this Personal Data on the basis of on ITU's mandate and governing instruments to process your organisation's membership application, and henceforth to manage your organisation's membership. 

    ITU Media Accreditation & Event Registration 

    If you are a member of the press/media and wish to get accreditation to cover an ITU event, we will need to process certain information about you. 

    Such information includes the Personal Data related to the ITU User Account you will be asked to create (see point vii below), as well as your media credentials (e.g., first name, last name, email address, country of residence, job function, news organization), received at the dedicated email address as per the ITU Media Accreditation Guidelines (accessible here). 

    We process this Personal Data on the basis of your consent to review and validate your request, as well as to register and accredit you to the relevant event. 

    When you request accreditation and register for an ITU event as a member of the press/media, we will also process your Personal Data to subscribe you to ITU's media mailing list, and send you press releases, media advisories, and other media-related email communications. We process Personal Data for this purpose based on our legitimate interest. You may unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link located at the bottom of any of these emails. 

    ITU Careers

    Through the Careers webpage, you can apply to ITU job openings. 

    To assess your job application, we collect your Personal Data in the form of a CV, and, in case you are successful in your application, we keep processing your Personal Data throughout your employment relationship with ITU. 

    For this purpose, we process your Personal Data on the basis of our legitimate interest. 

    ITU User Account/TIES 

    Please refer to the following privacy notice: Privacy Notice for ITU User Account

    Personal Data we collect indirectly through Cookies 

    A cookie is a small file with information that your browser stores on your device. Information in this file is typically shared with the owner of the site (ITU) and potential third parties.

    Cookies may be set by ITU (first-party cookies) or third parties (e.g. YouTube). From a duration perspective, cookies remain in your device until you close your browser session (session cookies) or for longer, until they reach their expiration date (persistent cookies). 

    2.2.1 Strictly necessary cookies

    ITU uses cookies that are strictly necessary for the functioning of the website, e.g. setting language preferences, providing you with the option of downloading a file, or managing your TIES account. These are essential for you to use the website and its functionalities. They cannot be disabled and are set by default. 

    2.2.2 Analytic cookies

    ITU also uses cookies to understand your browsing behaviour and analyse trends e.g. number of visits to our website or finding out which topics gained most interest. These cookies can be customized and disabled.

    ITU uses three analytics tools on its webpages: Google Analytics, Hotjar and Bigip Server. 

    2.2.3 Controlling cookie preferences, Removing and Blocking Cookies 

    You can view the names, description and duration (session or persistent cookies) of all cookies used in the ITU website by accessing the cookie banner when you visit our website. Through the banner options, you can also control your cookie preferences, for cookies that are not strictly necessary. 

    You can remove cookies from your devise by clearing your browsing history of the browser that you use. Your device will no longer contain cookies from the websites you have visited. 

    You can also change the settings of your browser to manage or completely block cookies on your device. More information on how to do this can be found in your browsers' support pages. For the most commonly used browsers, these are found at the following web addresses:

    3.    How we keep your Personal Data secure? 

    We take precautions and measures to maintain the security and confidentiality of your Personal Data. These include putting in place appropriate organizational, administrative and physical safeguards and procedures to protect your Personal Data, including against or from unauthorized or accidental access, damage, loss or other risks associated with its processing. We periodically test such safeguards and procedures to validate their effectiveness. Prior to sharing your Personal Data with third parties (as described above), we satisfy ourselves that such parties afford appropriate protection with respect to the processing of personal information. 

    We only allow for encrypted HTTPS connections to be established with our website. 

    4.    With whom do we share your Personal Data? 

    ITU personnel carrying out tasks related to the purposes mentioned under 2.1 and 2.2 above as well as personnel working on IT matters has access to and processes your Personal Data for ITU. Such personnel is subject to the obligation of confidentiality. 

    Outside of ITU, your Personal Data may be shared with entities engaged by us as subcontractors who provide us with services related to the purposes mentioned under 2.1 and 2.2 above (e.g. IT service providers). Such entities typically process Personal Data on our behalf and in accordance with our instructions. ITU subcontractors include Microsoft and SAP. 

    5.    What are your rights in regard to your Personal Data? 

    You have the right to be provided with information about the processing of your Personal Data by ITU. 

    You may also request access to your Personal Data and their verification and/or rectification, in case they are inaccurate Personal Data. 

    You may also object to the processing of your Personal Data and/or request the deletion of your Personal Data when the Personal Data is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or when there is no legal basis for the processing of the Personal Data. 

    When you make any request about your Personal Data, we will need to verify your identity. We may not be able to accommodate your request if it is manifestly unfounded, fraudulent or abusive or in view of reasons of public interest, safety and security, historical/statistical/scientific purposes, the discharge of ITU's mandate and functions or ITU's internal, contractual or confidentiality obligations. We will in any case inform you as soon as possible on the outcome of your request. 

    6.    Privileges and Immunities 

    Nothing contained in or relating to this Notice shall be deemed or construed as a limitation or a waiver, whether express or implied, of any of the privileges, immunities and other facilities which ITU or any of its officials enjoys by virtue of the international treaties and national laws applicable to it. 

    7.    Changes to this Privacy Notice 

    We may modify this Notice at any time and post an updated version of it at this website. 

    8.    Contact us 

    You can contact us in case you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or if you wish to exercise your rights under section 5 of this Privacy Notice at servicedesk@itu.int.