Data protection notices
We take data protection and confidentiality very seriously and adhere to the current national data protection regulations. Please read this data protection information carefully before submitting a report.
Purpose of the reporting system
The reporting system (BKMS® System) provides a secure and confidential portal for receiving and processing information about certain crimes and violations of the law on white-collar crime and/or corruption.
Responsible authority of data protection
The authority responsible for data protection in the whistleblowing system is Evonik Industries AG, Group Data Privacy Department, Rellinghauser Straße 1-11, 45128 Essen. The reporting system is operated by a specialised company, EQS Group GmbH, Bayreuther Str. 35, 10789 Berlin in Germany, on behalf of Evonik.
Personal data and information entered into the reporting system are stored in a database operated by EQS Group GmbH in a high-security data centre. Only Evonik has access to the data. EQS Group GmbH and other third parties do not have access to the data. This is ensured in the certified procedure through extensive technical and organizational measures.
All data are stored encrypted with multiple levels of password protection so that access is restricted to a very small selection of expressly authorized persons at Evonik.
Type of the collected personal data
Use of the reporting system takes place on a voluntary basis. If you submit a report via the reporting system, we collect the following personal data and information:
- your name, if you choose to reveal your identity,
- whether you are employed at Evonik, and
- the names of persons and other personal data of persons that you name in your report.
Confidential handling of reports
Incoming reports are received by a small selection of expressly authorized and specially trained employees of Evonik's legal and compliance department and always handled confidentially. The employees of the legal and compliance department will evaluate the matter and perform any further investigation required by the specific case.
Within the context of the examining of a report or within the scope of a special investigation, it may become necessary to forward reports to other employees of Evonik or employees of other group companies, e.g. when the report relates to occurrences within subsidiaries. The latter may be based in countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area with different regulations about the protection of personal data. We always ensure compliance with the relevant data protection legislation when forwarding reports.
All persons who receive access to the data are obligated to maintain confidentiality.
Retention period of personal data
Personal data is retained for as long as necessary to clarify the situation and perform an evaluation. After the report processing is concluded, this data is deleted in accordance with the statutory requirements.
Use of the reporting portal
Communication between your computer and the reporting system takes place over an encrypted connection (SSL). Your IP address will not be stored during your use of the reporting system. In order to maintain the connection between your computer and the BKMS® System, a cookie is stored on your computer that merely contains the session ID (a so-called session cookie). This cookie is only valid until the end of your session and expires when you close your browser.
You have the opportunity to set up a secured postbox with a pseudonym/username and password chosen by you. This way you can send reports to the responsible employee of Evonik anonymously and safely. This system only stores data inside the reporting system, which makes it particularly secure; it is not like ordinary e-mail communication.
Note on sending attachments
When submitting a report or an addition, you can simultaneously send attachments to the responsible employee of Evonik. If you wish to submit an anonymous report, please take note of the following security advice: Files can contain hidden personal data that could compromise your anonymity. Remove this data before sending. If you are unable to remove this data or are uncertain about how to do so, copy the text of your attachment into your report text or send the printed document anonymously to the address listed in the footer, citing the reference number received at the end of the reporting process.
Version: 2022-11-01
