This Privacy Policy explains how personal data are collected, used and protected in connection with See Cheese 2026 – International Congress on Traditional Cheeses, taking place from 1 to 3 December 2026 at CoRFiLaC, Ragusa, Sicily, Italy. This Privacy Policy applies to users of the website, abstract submitters, authors, corresponding authors, speakers, moderators, lecturers, participants, ticket purchasers, visitors and any person interacting with the organisational, scientific, administrative or communication services related to the congress.

This Privacy Policy is currently subject to review and may be updated in the coming weeks as organisational, technical and service-provider details are finalised, including ticketing, newsletter management, publication of proceedings, cookie settings and the appointment of the Data Protection Officer. Users are invited to check this page periodically for updates.

CoRFiLaC – Consorzio per la Ricerca nel Settore della Filiera Lattiero-Casearia e dell’Agroalimentare
Public law body with legal personality
Strada Provinciale 25 Ragusa Mare, km 5
97100 Ragusa (RG), Italy
Tax Code: 92014370883
VAT Number: 01116410885
Institutional email: info@corfilac.it
PEC: amministrazione@pec.corfilac.it
Phone: +39 0932 660411

See Cheese 2026 is organised and hosted by CoRFiLaC in collaboration with the University of Catania. CoRFiLaC is the entity that determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data collected and managed in connection with See Cheese 2026 and acts as the sole Data Controller. For any privacy-related request, users may contact: privacy@corfilac.it

The appointment of the Data Protection Officer is currently in progress. Until the appointment is finalised, all privacy-related questions, requests or communications may be addressed to: privacy@corfilac.it

Depending on the interaction with the congress, CoRFiLaC may process the following categories of personal data:

• Personal identification data, such as name, surname, email address, telephone number, professional address and affiliation;
• Professional and academic data, such as institution, company, department, role, authorship information, corresponding author details, keywords, research topics, abstract title, abstract content and submitted files;
• Registration and ticketing data, such as participant name, purchaser data, ticket type, registration status, payment status and administrative information connected with participation in the congress;
• Scientific evaluation data, such as abstract submission, topic selection, oral or poster presentation preference, evaluation outcome, acceptance or rejection, requests for revision and possible participation in the See Cheese 2026 Young Researchers Award;
• Image and audio-video data, such as photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, interviews, speaker recordings, audience images and general event documentation;
• Technical and website navigation data, such as IP address, browser information, device information, pages visited and analytics data collected through Google Analytics or similar tools, where active and subject to the applicable cookie and consent settings.

Abstracts are submitted through a dedicated process described on the abstract submission page of the See Cheese website. Authors are required to read the guidelines, download and complete the Word template, complete the Google Form available here and upload the completed abstract file. The Google Form may collect, among other information: email address, abstract title, authors, corresponding author details, affiliation, keywords, selected scientific topic or topics, abstract file, availability for oral presentation or poster presentation, and possible application for the See Cheese 2026 Young Researchers Award.

The data submitted through the abstract form are used to receive and manage abstract submissions, identify authors and corresponding authors, organise the scientific review, communicate acceptance, rejection or revision requests, prepare the congress programme, manage the Young Researchers Award where applicable, and include accepted contributions in congress materials or proceedings. Data and documents uploaded through the abstract submission process will not be used for purposes incompatible with the scientific and organisational management of the congress.

Ticketing and registration may be managed through Eventbrite or another ticketing platform. The final configuration of the ticketing process is currently under review. The data collected through the ticketing platform may be used to allow registration and ticket purchase, identify the purchaser and participant, manage payments and payment verification, issue and check tickets, organise access to the congress, manage participation in sessions, send service communications about the event, manage changes, cancellations and refunds, comply with administrative, fiscal and accounting obligations, and produce organisational statistics.

This section may be updated once the final Eventbrite configuration, collected fields, export procedures and payment/fiscal workflow are confirmed.

Personal data may be processed for the following purposes:

• To manage the See Cheese 2026 website and provide information about the congress;
• To manage abstract submissions, scientific review, correspondence with authors and preparation of the scientific programme;
• To manage the Young Researchers Award, where the author chooses to apply;
• To manage participant registration, ticket purchase, access to the congress and attendance services;
• To send organisational and service communications related to the congress, including deadlines, programme updates, registration reminders, practical information and event changes;
• To comply with administrative, fiscal, accounting and legal obligations;
• To document the congress through photographs, audio recordings and video recordings;
• To publish institutional, scientific, promotional and documentary content relating to the congress, subject to the applicable legal basis and, where required, to a specific release or consent;
• To analyse website traffic and improve website performance and communication activities, where analytics tools are used;
• To send future newsletters or communications about future editions and related initiatives, only where a specific and separate consent has been collected.

The processing of personal data is based on one or more legal bases under the GDPR, depending on the specific purpose. Organisations must identify an appropriate legal basis before processing personal data; possible legal bases include consent, performance of a contract, legal obligation, public interest and legitimate interest. Processing connected with registration, participation, abstract submission and organisational communications is carried out for the performance of pre-contractual or contractual measures and for the organisation of the congress. Processing connected with accounting, tax and administrative obligations is carried out to comply with legal obligations. Processing connected with scientific review, congress organisation, institutional documentation and internal reporting may be carried out for the performance of institutional tasks and/or legitimate organisational interests, where applicable and without prejudice to the rights and freedoms of the data subjects. Processing for newsletters, future promotional communications and specific image/video uses requiring authorisation will be based on consent. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. Processing connected with website analytics and cookies will be handled in accordance with the applicable cookie rules and consent settings.

Abstract submission may be managed through Google Forms and related Google Workspace services. The Google account used for the form is managed by CoRFiLaC through institutional accounts.

The data collected through Google Forms are used to receive and manage abstract submissions and are accessed only by authorised persons involved in the organisation and scientific management of the congress. Uploaded files and exported data, where applicable, will be stored in protected institutional repositories with restricted access and managed through institutional accounts.

Abstracts and related information may be accessed by the organisational secretariat, scientific secretariat, administrative office and authorised members of the Scientific Committee.

Members of the Scientific Committee may receive the abstracts and the information strictly necessary for their qualitative evaluation. Access is limited to the purposes of scientific assessment, programme preparation and award evaluation where applicable.

During See Cheese 2026, photographs, audio recordings and video recordings may be taken for institutional, scientific, documentary and promotional purposes. These materials may be used to document the congress, promote CoRFiLaC activities and future editions of the event, publish reports, interviews and educational or dissemination content, and share excerpts of speeches or promotional materials. Speakers, moderators, course lecturers and interviewees may be asked to sign a specific image and video release form governing the possible full or partial use and dissemination of photographs, audio and video recordings. The audience may be included in panoramic, contextual or general images of the event. CoRFiLaC will seek, where possible, to avoid systematic close-ups of individual participants without specific authorisation.

CoRFiLaC may offer users the possibility to receive newsletters or future communications about See Cheese, future editions, scientific initiatives or related institutional activities. Such communications will be sent only where the user has provided a specific and separate consent. The newsletter management tool has not yet been finalised.

This section may be updated once the newsletter provider and technical workflow are confirmed. Users may withdraw their consent at any time.

The See Cheese website may use Google Analytics to collect aggregated statistical information about website traffic and user interaction. Analytics data may include technical information such as pages visited, approximate location, device type, browser type, session duration and interaction data. Where required, analytics and tracking technologies will be managed through the cookie banner and cookie preferences. Users may manage or withdraw cookie consent according to the options made available on the website.

A dedicated Cookie Policy may provide further details about cookies, analytics tools and user choices.

Personal data may be processed by authorised personnel of CoRFiLaC and by external service providers involved in the organisation of the congress. These may include, where applicable, Google Workspace, Google Forms, Eventbrite, website and IT service providers, payment and ticketing providers, photographers, videomakers, communication agencies, newsletter providers, social media platforms and other suppliers necessary for the organisation and promotion of the congress.

Where required, external providers will act as processors, independent controllers or authorised recipients according to their role and the applicable data protection rules. Some service providers, such as Google or Eventbrite, may process personal data outside the European Economic Area.

Personal data will be retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which they were collected, unless a longer retention period is required by law or justified by scientific, documentary or institutional purposes. CoRFiLaC adopts organisational and technical measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure. Access to data and documents is limited to authorised persons and managed through institutional accounts and protected repositories.

See Cheese 2026 is intended for adult participants and does not knowingly collect personal data from minors. Users may exercise the rights provided by the GDPR, including the right to access, rectify or erase their personal data, restrict or object to processing, request data portability where applicable, and withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Users also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent Data Protection Authority.

This Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect organisational, legal, technical or service-related changes. Some sections are currently under review, including the DPO appointment, Eventbrite configuration, newsletter provider, cookie and analytics setup, and publication format of congress proceedings. This Privacy Policy may therefore be revised in the coming weeks. The updated version will be published on this page.

For any question about this Privacy Policy or the processing of personal data, users may contact:
CoRFiLaC – Consorzio per la Ricerca nel Settore della Filiera Lattiero-Casearia e dell’Agroalimentare
Email: privacy@corfilac.it
Institutional email: info@corfilac.it
PEC: amministrazione@pec.corfilac.it
Phone: +39 0932 660411