Privacy policy

What is the scope of this privacy policy?

This information describes how we process the personal data of internet users visiting Paris Brain Institute’s website, cerclesdesamis.institutducerveau.org.

Who is responsible for processing your data?

Paris Brain Institute, acting as data controller, is a private foundation with recognized charitable status, with the purpose of supporting and developing research on the brain and spinal cord.

The Institute is committed to protecting personal data and respecting the privacy of all audiences with whom it has a relationship, and undertakes to comply with French and European regulations on the protection of personal data, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation of April 27, 2016 (“GDPR”) and the amended French Data Protection Law of January 6, 1978 (“LIL”).

What personal data do we collect about you?

Personal data refers to any information relating to a natural person that can be used to identify that person, either directly or indirectly.

We collect personal data for the purposes described in the section “Why do we process your personal data?”.

The following personal data may be collected for these purposes. Fields that must be completed are indicated by an asterisk.

When you contact us

Identification data: surname, first name, donor number

Contact details: postal address, email, phone number

Content of the request

When you sign up for the newsletter

Identification data: surname*, first name*

Contact details: postal address, email*, phone number

When you make a donation:

Identification data: surname*, first name*, title*

Contact details: postal address*, email*, phone number

Transaction data: bank details*, donation amount and date*, invoice*

When you exercise your rights:

Identification data: surname*, first name*, donor number

Contact details: postal address, email, phone number

Identity document, if applicable,

Content of the request

Using cookies:

Connection data: timestamp, IP address, geographic area, technical data relating to the equipment and browsers used;

Website activity data: pages visited, visit settings (display, language selected, etc.).

Certain data are collected automatically when you visit the site, through cookies.

 Why do we process your personal data?

The personal data collected by Paris Brain Institute allow us to:

• Respond to your requests for contact, information, documentation, and newsletters.
• Ensure high-quality management of our relationships with donors, testators, potential donors, and potential testators, and ensure that donations and bequests are administered effectively.
• Better target our charitable prospecting and fundraising campaigns and ensure they are properly monitored.
• Respond to your requests to exercise your rights.
• Provide you with optimal browsing by setting cookies (display preferences, etc.) and offering you targeted information.
• Allow you to view videos.
• Perform statistical analysis of visits to our website (traffic measurements, pages visited, etc.).

What is the legal basis for our processing of your personal data? 

The legal basis for processing your personal data varies depending on the purposes of the processing in question. This might be:

• The legitimate interest pursued by the Institute in the context of its activities.
• The public interest missions entrusted to the Institute.
• Your consent, which you may withdraw at any time.
• A legal obligation.

What cookies do we use?

A cookie is a tracker that allows us to obtain information about your browsing activity on our website.

These cookies may be placed directly by our website or issued and used by third-party companies (third-party cookies).

We use cookies for various purposes:

• Essential cookies, which are necessary for the website to function properly. If you block these cookies, we cannot guarantee normal access to the site.
• Functional cookies allow us to save the settings selected by users (such as language choice). If you block these cookies, we cannot guarantee optimal user comfort on the site.
• Performance cookies are used to measure website traffic and improve the user experience. The information we collect through these cookies is only used in an aggregated and anonymized form. You may object to the collection of this information.
• Marketing/targeting cookies are used to track our users’ activity, improve the interactivity of our site and its multimedia content, better target our marketing campaigns, and provide users with targeted information.

These are cookies that you can accept or decline.

Below is a list of cookies directly placed by our website:

How do you manage cookies? 

You can refuse cookies or change your preferences at any time by going to the “Cookie Management” tab.

You can also refuse cookies by configuring your browser:

• For Internet Explorer™: https://support.microsoft.com/
• For Microsoft Edge: https://support.microsoft.com/
• For Safari™: https://support.apple.com/
• For Chrome™: https://support.google.com/
• For Firefox™: https://support.mozilla.org/
• For Opera™: http://help.opera.com/

Who receives your data?

Paris Brain Institute only shares the data it collects with its internal departments and with its service providers and their staff for the purposes of performing the services entrusted to them and which they carry out on its behalf. The personnel who have access to your data are authorized to do so and are bound by a confidentiality obligation.

After informing you and giving you the opportunity to object, Paris Brain Institute might share data relating to its existing or prospective donors with profile enrichment service providers.

Are the data transferred outside the European Union? 

Paris Brain Institute might transfer personal data outside the European Union. If personal data are transferred to a third country that does not offer an adequate level of protection, the Institute ensures that appropriate safeguards are put in place with the recipients to protect your personal data, in particular by means of standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission.

How long are your data retained?

We ensure that your personal data are retained for no longer than is necessary for the purposes set out above and in accordance with applicable law, where necessary.

Data collected following a request to exercise your rights are retained for a maximum of six years from the date of response to your request.

The retention periods for cookies are indicated in the section “What cookies do we use?”.

What are your rights regarding your personal data?

In accordance with applicable legal and regulatory provisions, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and the French Data Protection Law (Law of January 6, 1978 on data processing, data files and civil liberties (Law No 78-17)), you have the right to:

• Request access to your personal data: obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Request that your data be rectified or updated if they are inaccurate or incomplete.
• Request that your personal data be deleted.
• Object to the processing of your personal data, for reasons relating to your particular situation.
• Withdraw your consent to the processing of your data, when one of our uses is based on that consent.
• Request that the processing of your data be restricted, which means requesting that your data no longer be used or not be deleted, while your request is being processed.
• Request the disclosure of personal data that you have provided to us to any person when we process those data on the basis of your consent (right to portability).
• Establish guidelines regarding the storage, deletion, or disclosure of your personal data after your death.

How can you exercise your rights or ask a question about data protection? 

You can contact us to exercise your rights or for any questions regarding data protection:

• By email: cercle@icm-institute.org
• By post: Institut du Cerveau, Bureau du Cercle des Amis, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, CS 21414, 75646 Paris Cedex 13, France
• By telephone: +33 (0)1 57 27 40 32

If you encounter any difficulties in exercising your rights, you can also contact the Data Protection Officer at Paris Brain Institute by email at dpo@icm-institute.org or by post at DPO, Institut du Cerveau, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47 bd de l’Hôpital, 75013 Paris.

If, after contacting us, you feel that your rights have not been respected, you may lodge a complaint with the French Data Protection Agency (CNIL).

• By post: 3 Place de Fontenoy – TSA 80715 – 75334 PARIS CEDEX 07
• Through the online complaint service: https://www.cnil.fr/en/plaintes.

We might need to modify or update this privacy policy. Any changes will be posted on this page to keep you informed.

Paris Brain Institute’s Data Protection Officer can be consulted about the processing of personal data associated with the website at the following address: dpo@icm-institute.org.

For information on participants in research projects conducted by the Institute or in which the Institute is involved, please consult the Institute’s transparency portal.

If you need more information, you can also consult our personal data protection policy by clicking here.

Updated: 09/09/2025