Last updated: 8 November 2026
This notice explains how personal data are handled through medialab.athenarc.gr, the website of the MediaLab team at the Institute for Language and Speech Processing (ILSP), Athena Research Center. It complements Athena’s Personal Data Protection Policy.
Who is responsible and how to contact us
The data controller is the Athena Research and Innovation Center in Information, Communication and Knowledge Technologies (Athena Research Center), Artemidos 6 and Epidavrou, 15125 Maroussi, Athens, Greece. For privacy enquiries or to exercise your rights, contact Athena’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@athenarc.gr. For general ILSP enquiries, use info-ilsp@athenarc.gr.
Information processed through this website
- Browsing and security: technical information such as IP address, request time, requested page, browser information and security events may be recorded by the hosting infrastructure and website security tools to operate the site, diagnose problems and prevent abuse. The site uses Wordfence for security and login protection.
- Correspondence: when you email us, we receive your email address, name where supplied, message and any attachments. Please avoid sending sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for your enquiry.
- Comments: where comments are enabled, WordPress collects the information entered in the comment form, including your name, email address, optional website and comment, together with IP address and browser information for moderation and spam prevention. Approved comments and the name you provide are public; your email address is not displayed publicly. Comments are checked using Akismet, which receives comment content and associated technical information. See Automattic’s notice for visitors to sites using Akismet.
- Authorised website accounts: account and profile details, login activity and editorial activity are processed to administer the website. Website administrators can access information necessary to manage these accounts.
- Research and event information: pages and posts publish professional names, affiliations, biographies, publications, photographs and information about projects and events. This information comes from the people concerned, institutional and project sources, publication records and event documentation. Contact us if information about you needs correction or if you have a concern about an image or other published material.
Purposes and legal bases
We process data to operate and protect the website, respond to enquiries, moderate comments and communicate our research and activities. Where applicable, these activities rely on legitimate interests under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, taking account of your rights and expectations. Processing needed to comply with a legal obligation relies on Article 6(1)(c). Where consent is the applicable basis, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of earlier processing. Simply visiting this website does not constitute consent to optional tracking.
Cookies, fonts and embedded content
WordPress uses cookies for login sessions and administration preferences. If you choose the comment-form option to remember your details, cookies store those details for convenience, normally for one year. You can decline that option and still submit a comment. Browser settings let you inspect, delete or block cookies; blocking necessary cookies may prevent login or other functions from working.
Google Fonts
This website uses the Oswald and Source Sans Pro typefaces delivered by Google Fonts to display its text consistently. Your browser requests the relevant stylesheets and font files from Google servers, including fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com. These requests disclose your IP address and associated browser/request information to Google when the external resources load. The fonts are loaded directly; visiting the site is not treated as consent. For information about the provider’s processing, see Google’s Privacy Policy and Google’s explanation of privacy and Google Fonts.
YouTube and other external content
The Media page and some posts embed YouTube videos. Loading a page with an embedded player can connect your browser to Google/YouTube and disclose technical information, including your IP address, even before playback. The provider may use cookies or similar technologies and associate activity with your account if you are signed in. Some players use youtube-nocookie.com; this does not mean that no data are transmitted. See Google’s Privacy Policy for the provider’s practices and controls.
Links to social networks, project websites, publication platforms and other external services lead to websites governed by their own privacy notices. A normal link and an embedded player do not have the same behaviour: an embedded player can contact its provider while this website is being viewed.
Access, service providers and international transfers
Access is limited to authorised staff and service providers as needed for website hosting, maintenance, email, backups, security and spam prevention. Wordfence is provided by Defiant; see its Privacy Policy. External services, including Akismet, Google Fonts and YouTube, may process information outside the European Economic Area. The applicable arrangements depend on the service and processing concerned; you can ask Athena’s DPO for information about recipients and relevant transfer safeguards. We may also disclose information where required by law.
How long information is kept
Retention depends on the purpose and type of information. Correspondence is kept as needed to handle the enquiry and any related obligations. Comments and their metadata may remain while the associated discussion is published; WordPress does not automatically delete all approved comments after a fixed period. Account information is kept while needed for authorised access and associated administration. Public research and event material may remain as an institutional record, subject to accuracy, relevance and applicable rights.
Technical and security records are retained according to operational needs and the relevant infrastructure or service settings. Backup copies follow their backup cycle and may temporarily retain information removed from the live website. Athena’s DPO can provide further information about retention applicable to a particular request.
Your rights
Subject to the conditions and exceptions in the GDPR, you may request access, rectification, erasure, restriction or portability of your personal data, and object to processing based on legitimate interests. Contact dpo@athenarc.gr, identifying the relevant page, comment or interaction. We may need proportionate information to verify your identity. You may lodge a complaint with the Hellenic Data Protection Authority or another competent supervisory authority.
Changes to this notice
We review this notice when website functions, service providers or relevant requirements change. Updates will appear on this page with a revised date.