Last updated: 5 November 2026
1. Who we are
The controller for www.physics.auth.gr is the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), acting through the School of Physics. Secretariat: 1st floor, Secretariats Building of the Faculty of Sciences (Biology building), AUTH Campus, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece, tel. +30 2310 998120, info@physics.auth.gr.
AUTH Data Protection Officer (DPO): data.protection@auth.gr.
This policy covers the School’s website only. For the University’s general policy see AUTH Personal Data.
2. What we collect, why, and on what legal basis
| Purpose | Data | Legal basis (GDPR Art. 6) |
|---|---|---|
| Running and securing the website | IP address, browser type, server logs | Public interest / legitimate interest in security (6(1)(e), 6(1)(f)) |
| Storing your cookie choice | “cookieyes-consent” cookie | Legal obligation (6(1)(c)) |
| Newsletter sign-up | Email, name, language | Consent (6(1)(a)) |
| Contact forms and Graduates Archive | The details you enter in the form | Consent (6(1)(a)) or a task carried out in the public interest (6(1)(e)), depending on the form |
| Visitor statistics | Pseudonymous identifiers, pages, device (Google Analytics 4) | Consent (6(1)(a)) |
| Usage analysis and session recording | Clicks, scrolling, mouse movement, device (Microsoft Clarity) | Consent (6(1)(a)) |
Statistics and analysis tools load only if you accept the “Analytics” category. We do not use advertising cookies.
3. Cookies and third-party tools
You can change or withdraw your consent at any time with the “Consent Preferences” button at the bottom left of every page.
| Tool | Provider | What it does | Cookies | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CookieYes | CookieYes Ltd (plugin on our server) | Shows the banner and stores your choice | cookieyes-consent (1 year) | Necessary |
| Google Tag Manager | Google Ireland Ltd | Loads analytics tools only after consent | None | Necessary |
| Google Analytics 4 | Google Ireland Ltd | Counts visits, pages and traffic sources | _ga, _ga_* (13 months) | Analytics |
| Microsoft Clarity | Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd | Heatmaps and session recordings to improve usability. Anything you type into forms is masked and not recorded. | _clck (1 year), _clsk (1 day), CLID (1 year, clarity.ms) | Analytics |
The website’s fonts are hosted on our own server, so your IP address is not sent to Google for them. The OneTap accessibility tool stores your settings only in your browser.
4. How long we keep data
| Data | Period |
|---|---|
| Cookie consent choice | 12 months, then we ask again |
| Google Analytics 4 | Up to 14 months |
| Microsoft Clarity | Up to 13 months, per the provider |
| Newsletter list | Until you unsubscribe |
| Form submissions / Graduates Archive | As long as needed for the purpose they were collected for, or as required by law for University records |
| Server logs | For a limited period, for security purposes |
5. Transfers outside the EU
Google and Microsoft may process data in the United States. These transfers rely on the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, under which both companies are certified, and additionally on the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses. Newsletter data is stored in Google Sheets (Google Workspace).
6. Your rights
Under Articles 15–22 GDPR you have the right to:
- Access the data we hold about you
- Rectify inaccurate data
- Erasure (“right to be forgotten”)
- Restrict processing
- Data portability
- Object to processing based on public or legitimate interest
Withdrawing consent: where processing is based on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time. For cookies, click “Consent Preferences” and choose “Reject All”. For the newsletter, use the unsubscribe link in any email or write to us. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before it.
To exercise your rights, write to data.protection@auth.gr or info@physics.auth.gr. We reply within one month.
Complaints: you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Hellenic Data Protection Authority, Kifisias 1-3, 115 23 Athens, www.dpa.gr.