Data Protection & Cookie Policy
Website Privacy Notice for Linde-finance.comPlease note the following Statement is intended for Linde Finance B.V. in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR” - EU Regulation 2016/679) requirements and the laws of Ireland.
If you are a resident of California, please refer to our Addendum for California Privacy Rights Act below.
1. Who We Are
With the following data privacy notice, we would like to inform you about the processing of your personal data by Linde Finance B.V. (hereinafter also referred to as "Linde”).
From time to time, it may be necessary to adapt this privacy policy as whole as well as specific parts of it to comply with legal requirements or to cover changed or additional processing activities.
1.1. Controller
The controller responsible for processing of your personal data in the sense of data protection law is Linde Finance B.V.
1.2. Data Protection Office
The contact details of the Data Protection Office of Linde Finance B.V. are:
Linde GmbH
Legal & Compliance Department
Dr.-Carl-von-Linde-Strasse 6-14, 82049 Pullach, Germany
Email: dataprotection@linde.com
2. What Data We Will Process
2.1. For Core Business Purposes
Personal data processed by us for core business purposes includes:
- Master and contact data of customers and suppliers, such as name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, function, department of our contact persons, etc.
- Data we need for invoicing and payment processing, such as bank details, tax number, credit management information, etc., as far as it concerns the data of a natural person
- Supplier and customer relationship management information, such as order history, etc., as far as it concerns the data of a natural person
We regularly receive the personal data processed by us within the framework of and in the course of our business relationship with our customers. In some cases, we also receive personal data from affiliated companies of Linde, e.g., contact data from suppliers within Linde's supplier relationship management.
In some cases, we also process personal data that we have received in another manner, in accordance with the applicable data protection laws. This is regularly the case regarding:
- Publicly accessible sources, e.g., trade and business registers, trade fairs, exhibitions, Internet sources, newspapers, trade directories, etc.
- Third parties who are not affiliated with Linde plc, e.g., trade/business associations, credit agencies, insurance companies, etc.
2.2. For the Purposes of Operating Our Website
When you visit the website of Linde Finance, we collect certain personal data from you, which may include your name, address, phone number or email address. Such data is typically actively provided by you when you use our website, but in some cases, may be provided by third parties who are not affiliated with Linde, such as internet service providers or marketing affiliates or software plug-ins due to technical reasons.
The following data (in particular log information and device data) is automatically processed by Linde:
- The name of your Internet Service Provider (ISP)
- Your IP address
- Your browser type and your operating system (OS)
- Date, duration and time of your visit
- Visited websites
- Extracted data & downloaded files
- Your country
- Your referrer URL
- Your search term in case you were referred to our website by a search engine
3. Why We Will Process Your Personal Data & Legal Basis
We process your personal data for permitted purposes and in accordance with the applicable legal provisions of the GDPR and relevant national data protection laws.
3.1. Core Business Purposes
We process personal data to the extent necessary to fulfill our contractual and legal obligations in connection with the business relationship with our customers, suppliers and partners. "Processing" means that we collect, store, delete or transfer personal data, to list a few examples.
3.2. Purposes of Operating Our Website
When you visit the website of Linde Finance B.V., the personal data we collect from you shall be processed in connection with the operation of our websites and is typically actively provided by you when you use our website, e.g., when you register for a certain service such the alert subscription, or as a result of services provided by third parties who are not affiliated with Linde, such as internet service providers or marketing affiliates or software plug-ins due to technical reasons.
3.3. Legal Bases of Processing
3.3.1. We Process Data to Protect Legitimate Interests
We process personal data insofar as it is necessary to safeguard the legitimate interests of Linde or Linde companies as well as our customers (and, if applicable, other third parties). Where this is the case, we process personal data only after due consideration of your relevant interests.
3.3.2. We Process Data with Your Consent
We process your personal data in cases where you have given us your consent. You may revoke your consent at any time. Please note, however, that data processing up to the date of revocation remains permissible. This may include alert registrations or measures to analyze pseudonymized user behavior to further improve our websites.
3.3.3. We Process Data to Fulfill Legal Obligations
We are required to process certain data in order to comply with legal obligations. Such obligations may arise from certain provisions of national commercial, trade, tax and social law as well as European legislation, e.g., in connection with regulations to avoid the financing of terrorism. In detail, this may also result in obligations for Linde to safeguard, store, report and collect data, which generally serve control purposes from the respective authorities.
3.3.4. Information Regarding Change of Purpose
Should we process your personal data for any reason other than that for which we originally collected them, we will only do so to the extent permitted by law and will inform you of this new purpose.
3.4. Automated Decision Making & Profiling
We do not use automated decision-making processes for procedures that have legal implications or a similarly significant impact on you. No decision will be made without further human review. Profiling within the meaning of Art. 4 (4) GDPR in general does not take place at Linde. In case of an exception, a separate data protection notice will be provided.
4. With Whom We Will Share Your Personal Data
4.1. Data Collected for Core Business & Website Purposes
Personal data will be made available to other companies of Linde if and insofar as this is necessary for internal administrative purposes. Typical examples are centralized IT services, and communications.
We use external service providers as processors who may process personal data only on our behalf and subject to our instructions. This is the case, for example with website analytics, hosting of IT infrastructure or subscription to alert services.
In the context of the continuous development of our business, we may divest subsidiaries or business parts or merge our business or parts thereof with another company. Such transactions typically entail the transfer of customer information pertaining to the sold or divested subsidiary or business part to the buyer or to the company created by the merger. In the unlikely event of a complete sale of Linde or substantial parts thereof, your personal information will also be transferred to the buyer.
4.2. Website Data Shared with Social Media Providers
On some websites, Linde integrates content and publications (blogs, posts, news, videos, interviews etc.) provided by other social media / social networks (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter). As long as you do not click on any such content, no personal information will be transmitted to the respective social media provider.
By clicking on Social Media Wall content, your IP address will be transferred to the respective social media provider and stored, processed and used there in accordance with his privacy policy. An information banner at the Social Media Wall informs you that by clicking on a specific content, you agree to such transfer of your personal information. You can control sharing of your personal data with our media providers through our cookie management tool.
You can find further details regarding the processing of your personal information by the social media providers here:
5. Where We Transfer Your Personal Data - International Data Transfers
We take care not to transfer your data to recipients in countries without an adequate level of data protection (third countries). However, in some cases, this cannot be completely avoided. Where this is the case, Linde takes appropriate measures to ensure an adequate level of data protection at the recipient. These include in particular adequacy decisions by the EU Commission or standard data protection clauses adopted by the EU Commission which are available via the EU Data Protection Office.
6. Storage – How Long We Retain & When We Delete Your Personal Data
We process personal data only as long as necessary for the purpose of processing. Log files are stored for 30 days. However, we may have to store some data for an extended period of time subject to applicable legal requirements or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
7. Your Data Subject Rights & How to Exercise Them
To exercise any of your rights, please contact info@linde.com.
7.1. GDPR Data Subject Rights Over Any Processing of Personal Data by Linde Finance B.V.
Data subjects have the following rights subject to applicable law:
- Right to information
- Right to correction
- Right of deletion
- Right to limitation of processing
- Right to data transferability
- Right of objection
Furthermore, you have the right to revoke your consent to the processing of your personal data at any time with effect for the future. Such revocation has no effect for the past, i.e., it does not affect the legitimacy of the data processing carried out up to the revocation.
If you are of the opinion that the processing of personal data by Linde Finance is not in accordance with the data protection regulations or you are not satisfied with the information provided by us, you have the right to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority (see Art. 77 GDPR), which for Linde Finance is: Data Protection Commission, 21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, Ireland.
7.2. Objection to Processing Based on Legitimate Interests or in the Public Interest
You have the right to object at any time to processing of your personal data based on public interest and to data processing based on legitimate interests (Art. 6 para 1 € and (f) GDPR) for reasons arising from your particular situation. This right also applies to profiling, insofar as it is based on these two provisions. We may continue processing personal data if we have compelling legitimate grounds which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
In particular, you have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes.
8. Links
Our websites contain links to other websites, which are subject to separate data protection notices of the respective operators of such websites.
9. Cookies & Tracking
This Cookie Policy applies for the website of the Linde Finance B.V.. EU legislation requires all website operators to inform website visitors about their usage of cookies and similar technologies, e.g., pixels, (hereinafter "cookies") and to collect the user's consent to such cookie usage.
Cookie Consent
If you visit our websites for the first time, you will see our Cookie Banner and, when you click on Cookies Settings, our Privacy Preference Center. Here you can execute choice and control over the cookies we drop on your device.
What are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files which are sent to your device (computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet) by the website you visit. Cookies are stored on your device in your browser's file directory. Your browser sends these cookies back to the website each time you revisit it so it can recognize your device and improve your user experience on each subsequent visit. Cookies allow us e.g., to tailor a website to better match your interests or to store your password so that you do not need to re-enter it every time.
Note that certain functions of our website may no longer work or work not correctly without cookies.
If you want to learn more about cookies and how they work, please visit:
www.allaboutcookies.org
or
www.youronlinechoices.eu
Categories of Cookies
Depending on their function and their intended purpose, cookies can be assigned to the following categories: strictly necessary cookies, performance cookies, functional cookies and targeting cookies.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly necessary cookies are required to navigate our websites and operate basic website functions. Examples for strictly necessary cookies are login cookies, shopping cart cookies or cookies to remember your cookie settings. Without these cookies certain basic functionalities cannot be offered. Strictly necessary cookies are always active and will be placed without your consent.
To the extent that information processed in connection with strictly necessary cookies should qualify as personal data, the legal ground for that processing is Linde's legitimate interest to operate the website (Art. 6 (1) lit. (f) GDPR).
Performance Cookies
Performance cookies – aka analytics cookies - collect information on your usage of our websites. They identify e.g., your internet browser, operating system, visited websites, duration and number of website visits, previously visited website, most commonly visited websites and errors you experienced. The information collected is aggregated and anonymous. It does not allow a personal identification. It only serves the purpose of evaluating and enhancing the user experience of our websites.
To the extent that information processed in connection with performance cookies should qualify as personal data, the legal ground for that processing is your consent (Art. 6 (1) lit. (a) GDPR).
Functional Cookies
Functional cookies enable a website to store information and options you have already previously entered (e.g., username, language settings, layout settings, contact preferences or your location) in order to offer you improved personalized functions. They are also used to enable requested functions, like playing videos.
To the extent that information processed in connection with functional cookies should qualify as personal data, the legal ground for that processing is your consent (Art. 6 (1) lit. (a) GDPR).
Targeting Cookies
Targeting cookies – aka cookies for marketing purposes - are used to offer more relevant and interest-specific content to you, to limit the display frequency of ads and to measure the efficiency of an advertising campaign. They register if you have visited a promoted website or not, and which content you used. Such information may be shared with third parties, e.g., advertisers.
Legal basis for the processing of personal data in connection with targeting cookies (if any) is your consent (Art. 6 (1) lit. (a) GDPR).
Cookies We Use on Our Website
You may find further detailed information on cookies utilized by us in our Privacy Preference Center. Here, you can also provide or revoke your consent and/or change your cookie settings at any time. A list of cookies used on this site is available at the end of this notice.
10. Date
August 2023
Addendum for California Privacy Rights Act
Last Updated: January, 2024
This Addendum to Linde’s Privacy Statement applies only to individuals who reside in the state of California in the United States ("California residents"). This Addendum applies to personal information collected through our website - linde-finance.com - (the "Site") and in any other way, such as when California residents visit our retail branches.
This Addendum in combination with the Privacy Statement constitutes the California Notice at Collection and Online Privacy Policy for all Linde subsidiaries and affiliates that are doing business in California as required by the California Privacy Rights Act. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between this Addendum and the Privacy Statement, this Addendum controls.
Assistance For The Disabled
Alternative formats of this Addendum are available to individuals with a disability. Please contact info@linde.com for assistance.
- California Notice at Collection:
Categories of Personal Data We Collect And How We Use It
The categories of personal data we collect, whether through our website or from offline interactions with you, include:
| Category Name Under California Law | Corresponding Category Name in Privacy Statement |
| - Identifiers | "Master and contact data" |
| - Financial Information | "Data we need for invoicing and payment processing" |
| - Commercial Information | "Supplier and customer relationship management information" |
| - Personal information described under Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80 | "Special categories of personal data" |
We may also collect internet or other electronic network activity information, as described above.
More information about these categories of personal data and examples of the types of personal data in each category are provided in Sections II.1 and III.1 of the Privacy Statement. Sections II.2 and III.2 of the Privacy Statement describes how we use your personal data.We do not, and will not, sell your personal information or disclose it to third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising, including the personal information of children under 16. We also do not collect or process sensitive personal information for the purpose of inferring characteristics about you.
Retention of Personal Data We Collect
We retain personal data for the period described in Section I.4 of the Privacy Statement.
- California Online Privacy Policy
This section of this Addendum supplements the Privacy Statement to address all subject matters required by the California Privacy Rights Act ("CPRA") in the Online Privacy Policy.
Categories of Sources
We may collect and process your personal data from the sources described in Sections II.1 and III.1 of the Privacy Statement.
Categories of Third-Party Recipients and Disclosures for Business Purposes
We may disclose your personal data to the third-party recipients described in Sections II.3 of the Privacy Statement for the purposes described in Section II of the Privacy Statement. We may also disclose the categories of your personal data listed above to the following categories of third parties, for the following "business purposes" as that term is defined under the CPRA:
- Affiliated Companies: Linde may disclose the categories of personal data described in Sections II.1 and III.1 of the Privacy Statement, to other companies of Linde for the business purposes of (a) auditing compliance with policies and applicable laws, (b) helping to ensure security and integrity, (c) debugging, (d) internal research, and (e) activities to maintain or improve the quality or safety of a service or device.
- Service providers: Linde may disclose the categories of personal data described in Sections II.1 and III.1 of the Privacy Statement, for the business purpose of performing services on the Linde’s behalf.
- Auditors, lawyers, consultants, and accountants engaged by Linde: Linde may disclose the categories of personal data described in Sections II.1 and III.1 of the Privacy Statement, to these services providers or contractors for the business purpose of auditing compliance with policies and applicable laws, in addition to performing services on Linde’s behalf.
Your California Privacy Rights
Subject to applicable exceptions, California residents have the following rights under the CPRA:
- Right to Know: You have the right to submit a verifiable request for specific pieces of your personal information obtained from you and for information about our collection, use, and disclosure of categories of your personal information, including the categories of personal information collected, the categories of sources from which the personal information is collected, the business or commercial purpose for collecting the personal information, the categories of third parties to whom we disclose personal information, and the specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
- Right to Delete: You have the right to submit a verifiable request to delete personal information that we have collected from or about you.
- Right to Correct: You have the right to submit a verifiable request to correct inaccurate personal information about you maintained by us, taking into account the nature of the personal information and the purposes of processing the personal information.
Non-Discrimination: We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights under the California Privacy Rights Act.
How to Exercise Your California Privacy Rights
We will respond to requests to know, delete, and correct in accordance with applicable law, if we can verify the identity of the requestor. You can exercise these rights in the following ways:
- Call 1-800-225-8247
- Email info@linde.com
How We Will Verify Your Request
To prevent anyone other than you, or your authorized agent, from exercising the right to know or the right to delete with respect to your personal information, we follow procedures to verify your, or your agent’s, identity. These procedures seek to confirm that the person making a request is the person about whom we have collected personal information or that person’s authorized agent. The verification procedures involve matching data points that you provide with your request against information about you we already have in our records and that we have determined to be reliable for purposes of verifying your identity. We will use information you provide in your completed request form to verify your identity, and we may request additional information, if necessary, to complete the verification process.
Authorized Agent
You may designate an authorized agent to exercise your right to know, to correct, or to delete. If an authorized agent submits a request to know, to correct, or to delete on your behalf, the authorized agent must submit with the request another document signed by you that authorizes the authorized agent to submit the request on your behalf. In addition, we may ask you or the authorized agent to follow the applicable process described below for verifying your identity. In the alternative, you can provide a power of attorney compliant with the California Probate Code.
- Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance
We do not collect any information from anyone under 16 years of age. Our website, products and services are all directed to people who are at least 13 years old or older. If you are under the age of 13, you are not authorized to use the website.