This Data Protection Policy (the “Policy”) applies to bioMérieux the registered office of which is located at 69280 Marcy l’Etoile, France, and the bioMérieux entities owned or controlled by bioMérieux SA (hereinafter referred to collectively as “bioMérieux”, “we”, “us” or “our” or “bioMérieux group”).

In this Policy, your personal information is called personal data (“Personal Data”). We may also sometimes collectively refer to handling, collecting, protecting and storing your personal information as “processing” such Personal Data.

This Policy also contains information about when we share your personal data within the bioMérieux group and with other third parties (for example, our service providers).

We have adopted this Policy in order to ensure that the communication of your Personal Data is subject to a strict privacy and security policy by which we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your Personal Data in a fair and transparent manner. In this regard, and to ensure the application of bioMérieux’s commitments, bioMérieux has designated a data protection officer, in accordance with applicable regulation: PrivacyOfficer@biomerieux.com.

Such Personal Data may be collected because you provide it to us (for example by filling out a form on our Website), or because other people have provided this Personal Data to us (for example your employer or advisor, or third party service providers that we rely on in operating our business), or because it is publicly available.

We may also collect or obtain Personal Data about you by observing or inferring such information from the way you interact with us directly, or indirectly by means of other people (for example, partners, joint controllers or subcontractors, who may be involved in data collection operations on behalf of bioMérieux).

The Personal Data that we collect or obtain may include: First Name, Last Name, Email address and, in some circumstances, we may also collect other special types of Personal Data about you either because you have given us your prior express consent to do so at the time of the collection of the Personal Data, or in the framework of a contract, or, finally, because we are required to do so as a result of legal requirements imposed on us.

We will use your Personal Data to inform you of offers or news regarding bioMérieux products, services or events.

If you do not want to continue receiving any marketing materials from us, you can click on the unsubscribe function contained in the information form or send a request to data protection officer of bioMérieux : PrivacyOfficer@biomerieux.com.

In connection with one or more of the purposes outlined above, we may disclose information to the bioMérieux group and/or to third parties that provide services for us and/or the bioMérieux group.

We may also be required by law to disclose your Personal Data to a regulator or in the context of legal proceedings.

bioMérieux takes all necessary precautions — including administrative, technical, organizational  and physical measures — to safeguard the Personal Data of our employees, customers and partners against loss, theft and misuse, as well as against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction.

Although we employ all security measures deemed reasonably necessary once we have received your Personal Data, the transmission of data over the Internet (including by e-mail) is never completely secure.  We endeavor to protect Personal Data, but we cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted to us or by us.

bioMérieux strives to ensure that Personal Data in its possession is:

• Collected for clearly defined, explicit and legitimate purposes, and not subsequently processed in such a way as might prove incompatible with these purposes;
• Processed fairly, lawfully and transparently concerning the data subject (the individual);
• Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in order to achieve the purpose(s) for which it is processed (data minimization);
• Accurate and, if necessary, updated;
• Stored in a format allowing for the identification of the data subject(s) no longer than is necessary for the purpose(s) for which it is processed;
• Processed in such a way as to guarantee appropriate security;
• Only transferred from one country to another on condition of (i) an adequacy decision issued by the European Commission or (ii) appropriate safeguards. 

bioMérieux understands the importance of protecting children's privacy, especially in a digital environment. In this respect, our site(s) is (are) not intentionally designed for or aimed at children under the age of 16. It is our policy never knowingly to collect or maintain information about anyone under the age of 16, except as part of the provision of our professional services.

In the absence of any request for deletion sent to PrivacyOfficer@biomerieux.com, we will store your Personal Data on our systems for the longest of the following periods: (i) as long as is necessary for the relevant activity or operation; (ii) any such retention period as may be required by law; (iii) the end of the statute of limitations for any such litigation or inquiry as might arise in respect of the relevant activity or services. Upon the expiry of said period, your Personal Data will be deleted, as required by the applicable regulation.

In compliance with Personal Data protection regulations and laws, every individual is entitled to exercise the following rights with respect to bioMérieux, which processes Personal Data:

• To be informed of the existence and purpose of all processing of their Personal Data;
• To access their Personal Data, and to request rectification or deletion of their Personal Data, or the restricting of its processing;
• To object to the processing as well as to request the portability of Personal Data;
• To withdraw his/her consent given to bioMérieux at any time;
• To rapidly inform the Group manager in charge of data protection of any loss or abuse (illegal processing) of his/her Personal Data.

To exercise any of your rights, you can fill in the data subject rights form available here.

If you have any other questions about the use of your Personal Data, please send your request to the  DPO of bioMérieux at the following email address: PrivacyOfficer@biomerieux.com.

You may also use the DPO email address if you wish to file a complaint with us relating to your privacy.

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your Personal Data or any privacy query or request unsuccessfully filed with us, you are entitled to file a complaint with the relevant Data Protection Authority (“DPA”) in your jurisdiction.

If you would like to be directed to the appropriate DPA, or if you would like to contact us with any questions or concerns about privacy issues or Personal Data management, please contact: PrivacyOfficer@biomerieux.com.

Introduction

This cookie policy (“Cookie Policy”) is intended to inform visitors and users of our website how and why cookies similar technologies (together, “Cookies”) are used by bioMérieux.

When you visit our websites, we may use cookies or similar technologies as described below. This information may relate to you, your preferences on your device and is used for the purposes listed below. We can place cookies and other similar technology on your device, including mobile device, in accordance with your preferences set on our Preference center .

So the deposit of strictly necessary cookies is subject to your consent being obtained when you connect to our website. With the Preference center, we offer you the possibility to choose which types of cookies you agree to:

• If you wish to accept all cookies, you can do so by clicking on "Accept All Cookies" on the cookie banner which is presented to you. We will use Cookies in accordance with this Cookie Policy and according to your choice.
• If you do not agree to our use of Cookies, we will only use strictly necessary cookies but will not be able to offer you personalized content.

- What is a Cookie?

A Cookie is small text file, which can be stored on your computer upon your visit to websites.

They can perform different functions such as, for example, to recognize you as a user, to obtain information about your browsing habits, but typically keep a record of websites visited.

 - What kind of Cookies are used by bioMérieux?

•   Strictly Necessary cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

•  Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and  cannot identify you directly. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

•  Functional Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.

• Targeting Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal data , but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

- For which purposes are Cookies used by bioMérieux?

bioMérieux uses Cookies to make the website work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience for the improvement of your experience through the visit of the website.

The use of Cookies is also used to have a more user friendly experience by remembering your preferences, and providing you with information that we think is of interest and useful for you based on your past navigation. It allows also to better understand how you access the website and to track traffic and to measure performance and help us improve the quality of our services.

Version 1.0

Processing through automated technologies (including AI systems)

In a way to enhance our services and in accordance with the data protection principles mentioned above, we may use your Personal Data through the development of automated technologies, including AI systems, allowing us to know you better and provide you with a better experience. We may also use automated technologies to provide you with assistance you are looking for (for example, through virtual assistance) and enhance this assistance experience. 

You will never be subject to a fully automated decision based on these technologies.

What is an AI system?

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) system is a machine-based system that is designed to operate varying levels of autonomy and that may exhibit adaptiveness after deployment, and that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers, from the input it receives, how to generate outputs such as predictions, content, recommendations, or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments. For example, virtual assistance or chatbot are AI systems that will generate answers based on your questions and the training it received before its deployment.

I need more information about how these technologies work 

If your Personal Data is used by automated technologies, including AI systems, you have the right to ask information on how the technology works. You can send your request to the DPO of bioMérieux at the following email address: PrivacyOfficer@biomerieux.com.

I don’t want my Personal Data to be used through automated technologies, including AI systems 

If your Personal Data is processed by automated technologies, you may also have the right to not be subject of any automated decision by requesting a human intervention. To exercise this, you can fill in the data subject rights form available here .

If you have any other questions about the use of automated technologies, please send your request to the  DPO of bioMérieux at the following email address: PrivacyOfficer@biomerieux.com. 

This Policy may be subject to further updates or changes (notably so as to comply with any new laws and/or regulations).

In order to keep you informed of the date of any changes or updates to this Data Protection Policy, we will amend the date at the top left-hand corner of this page to reflect the date of amendment or update. The new modified or amended Data Protection Policy will apply as from that date of revision. We therefore encourage you to review this statement periodically so as to remain informed of how we are protecting your Personal Data.

Version 2 Last Modication date: December 3, 2024