Startup Office

I. LinkedIn

1. Concept of use
2. Impact assessment
3. Privacy Policy
4. Disclaimer
5. Netiquette

1. Concept of use

The Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg supports spin-offs and promotes continuing education and teaching in the field of start-up-related qualifications. The aim is to establish a sustainable start-up culture. The Start-up Office provides support on the path to self-employment.

The University of Freiburg Start-up Office also conducts public relations work on LinkedIn. With this usage concept, the University of Freiburg Start-up Office complies with the “Guideline of the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (LfDI) on the use of social networks by public authorities” (https://www.baden-wuerttemberg. datenschutz.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DE_Richtlinie-zur-Nutzung-sozialer-Netzwerke-durch-ff.-Stellen-20200205.pdf) as a public body, the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg assumes its responsibility and exemplary role in the use of social media. Please also note our privacy policy and assessment of the consequences of using LinkedIn.

1. General information about LinkedIn
LinkedIn, based in Mountain View, USA, is a social career network for maintaining existing business contacts and establishing and connecting new business connections. With over 350 million users, LinkedIn is currently the largest online professional network in the world. It is international and particularly widespread in English-speaking countries. This gives LinkedIn a large international reach compared to other career networks, such as Xing, which is mainly used in German-speaking countries. There is a free basic version, and premium services with additional features can be purchased as an option.

LinkedIn is primarily aimed at managers and professionals, as well as those who are generally interested in their careers. The network enables its users to communicate and exchange information directly with people who share the same professional interests. The network also serves as a recruitment tool, with users presenting themselves as qualified employees and companies and organizations presenting themselves as attractive employers. Although LinkedIn typically focuses on the professional sphere, many users also use the network to connect with private contacts.

On LinkedIn, you can create personal profiles or company pages, although company pages can only be set up via a personal profile with administrator rights. There is no real name policy. To use the network functions, you must be registered as a user. Some content shared by LinkedIn users can also be viewed without the need to register.

On LinkedIn, posts can be shared in the form of text, photos, videos, and live streams. Registered users can use this service to publish their content free of charge, network with other users or company pages, comment on their posts, mark them with “Like” or “Unlike,” and share them. Users can recommend or subscribe to company pages so that relevant posts are displayed in their own LinkedIn feed.

You can find more information about LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin.

2. Purpose of LinkedIn use by the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office
The LinkedIn company page of the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office effectively complements existing communication channels such as the website, press releases, newsletters, print products, and events.

Social career networks are becoming increasingly important for success in the international job market. LinkedIn offers the advantage of enabling us to reach our target groups—graduates/alumni and their (potential) employers—much more directly and quickly, especially since interested users can simply subscribe to the company page. This is particularly beneficial for our target groups of graduates/alumni and their (potential) employers, but also for those interested in continuing education, our own internationally operating employees and potential employees, as well as startups, companies, and network partners. The LinkedIn presence of the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office thus enables the wide dissemination of posts and impressions from the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office and the observation of immediate reactions.

LinkedIn can facilitate communication for the University of Freiburg's start-up office, as target groups can easily and directly contact the department with questions, suggestions, or even criticism. LinkedIn enables fast and straightforward communication on an equal footing and can thus convey an informative and inviting image of the start-up culture at the university with its offerings, qualities, and goals.

With the help of the LinkedIn company page, the LinkedIn community, such as potential employers of University of Freiburg graduates and those interested in continuing education, as well as those interested in founding a company and startups, can gain insights into continuing education and teaching in the field of start-up-related qualifications and the establishment of a sustainable start-up culture at the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office. It also supports the activities of internationally networked and active employees within their individual networks, for example with international project partners. This can support the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office in its efforts to further internationalize its training and continuing education programs and offerings on start-up-related topics and to strengthen its networking with international players and those interested in starting a business.

3. Type and scope of use of LinkedIn by the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg
The Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg operates a company page on LinkedIn in the basic version of LinkedIn with a logo and short profile.

The LinkedIn company page of the University of Freiburg's start-up office provides users with the latest news on start-up-related topics, news from the start-up network, events, and current job vacancies. However, we do not use LinkedIn as a channel for providing advice. Enquiries sent to us via the comment function are forwarded directly to the relevant department and referred to communication channels such as telephone and email.

Regular content on the LinkedIn company page of the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office includes:

• News, events, and happenings related to topics relevant to start-ups
• News from the start-up network
• Presentation of spin-offs from the university and the Freiburg start-up ecosystem
• Rankings and awards for start-ups from the university
• Selected job offers
• Selected press articles
• Information on topics relevant to starting a business

4. Responsibilities for editorial/technical support:
The University of Freiburg's Founding Office is responsible for editorial support: zft-gruenden@zv.uni-freiburg.de

5. Alternative information and contact options:
We would like to point out to users that the LinkedIn channel is merely an additional option for contacting the Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg or obtaining information from it. Alternatively, the information offered via LinkedIn can also be accessed via the corresponding links on our website at www.gruenden.uni-freiburg.de or accessed on the other linked websites.

You can send all inquiries to our central mailbox: zft-gruenden@zv.uni-freiburg.de

You can also reach our social media team at this address.

Visiting address/postal address:
Gründungsbüro der Universität Freiburg
Stefan-Meier-Str. 8
79104 Freiburg

6. Voluntary commitment
We evaluate this usage concept once a year to determine whether and how it is being used. This evaluation of the usage concept takes into account usage figures and reach as well as the target group structure of the networks.

As of: October 2025

2. Impact assessment

A data protection impact assessment must be carried out in accordance with the general rule set out in Article 35(1) of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), if a form of processing, in particular when using new technologies, is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons due to the nature, scope, context, and purposes of the processing. The “Richtlinie des Landesbeauftragten für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit (LfDI) (Guidelines of the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (LfDI)) on the use of social networks by public authorities” makes it mandatory to assess the consequences of the intended processing operations for the protection of personal data within the meaning of the GDPR.

The LinkedIn service offered by the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office itself does not trigger this consequence due to the very limited scope of its own data processing (see LinkedIn's privacy policy), particularly in view of the fact that its posts mainly consist of sending content without any personal reference, and in the case of references to other LinkedIn users, only data that they themselves have voluntarily provided is processed (since LinkedIn is a career network, information about employers and positions can often be found in addition to user names and posts).

However, from the perspective of the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office, the use of LinkedIn itself represents a high-risk processing operation due to its far-reaching implications, particularly with regard to the evaluation of data by LinkedIn for advertising purposes and similar activities, for which a data protection impact assessment must be carried out.

By using a LinkedIn account, the user places themselves under systematic observation by LinkedIn. This can also reveal sensitive data such as political views, sexual orientation, or health problems, which can be linked together and used to create a personality profile. People who are particularly vulnerable, such as young people, may also be LinkedIn users and thus affected, although they are naturally not part of LinkedIn's target group, even if official registration is permitted from the age of 16. Even when merely passively reading LinkedIn without having an account, sensitive data can be collected through the collection of log data, such as the websites previously visited or the location data of the user.

This is all the more true given that LinkedIn cannot be monitored, or only to a limited extent. Since the data of German users is not processed within Germany but in non-European countries, there are greater obstacles to accessing (legal) protection than would be the case with a company based in Germany.

The Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg therefore assumes that, as a public body that uses a social network for public relations and to provide general information, it bears joint responsibility.

Shared responsibility does not mean that the Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg confirms or guarantees the data protection compliance of LinkedIn products. It cannot do so under the given circumstances. Rather, shared responsibility means that the Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg makes itself and others aware of the risks of social networks. Currently, social networks need improvement in many areas from a data protection perspective. For this reason, LinkedIn users are shown alternative, more data protection-friendly communication channels via links to the homepage of the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office.

Users are made aware of the risks generally associated with the use of social media in the privacy policy of the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office for LinkedIn.

The Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg has committed to these measures in its usage concept. The advantages and disadvantages of using LinkedIn are regularly evaluated in accordance with the LinkedIn Corporation's terms of use. This evaluation of the usage concept takes place annually and takes into account usage figures and reach, as well as the target group structure and usage behavior of the networks.

The use of LinkedIn is thus embedded in a package of measures (usage concept, privacy policy, disclaimer, and netiquette). Against this background, the assessment of the consequences of the use of LinkedIn by the University of Freiburg's start-up office is as follows:

1. Risk identification:
The risks associated with using LinkedIn described above exist regardless of the University of Freiburg Start-up Office's own use of LinkedIn. Furthermore, in the vast majority of cases, the posts made by the University of Freiburg Start-up Office do not contain any personal data, but rather disseminate its own factual content.

Finally, the data processed through interaction with the LinkedIn account of the University of Freiburg's Start-up Office or other accounts—namely, the posts and/or account name of a LinkedIn user—is already public/generally accessible/freely available on the internet.

However, by appearing on the LinkedIn page of the University of Freiburg's Founding Office and interacting with a broader/more “specific” audience, they are made available to a wider audience and may thus receive greater attention and wider dissemination than they would without this interaction.

The fact that the University of Freiburg's start-up office follows other accounts, or that other accounts follow it, also creates additional cross-links and information about the respective LinkedIn user. For example, areas of interest can be identified from subscriber/follower characteristics, regular posts, activities, and group memberships.

Finally, even when users passively read the page, user log data is collected by LinkedIn.

Through its own use of LinkedIn, the Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg is therefore increasing the amount of data that is used and evaluated by LinkedIn.

2. Risk analysis:
Expanding the distribution circle and increasing the number of links facilitates the processing of data for other purposes by LinkedIn and the covert creation of profiles. Furthermore, openness to visitor contributions can lead to adverse social consequences such as inappropriate or discriminatory comments or the dissemination of sensitive data, particularly in relation to current or future employment and the professional environment.

While this damage may be significant if caused by LinkedIn itself, it is only exacerbated to a very limited extent by the LinkedIn profile of the University of Freiburg's start-up office. This is because most of the data is already available to LinkedIn. In particular, the University of Freiburg Start-up Office's offer does not create any obligation to create a LinkedIn account, as there are sufficient alternative contact and information options for the University of Freiburg Start-up Office.

Furthermore, the topics covered by the University of Freiburg's start-up office, such as start-up-related issues and news from the start-up network, are only suitable to a limited extent for triggering hateful debates, so that the probability of damage occurring is also very limited in this respect.

3. Risk assessment
Overall, the additional risk posed by the LinkedIn account of the University of Freiburg's start-up office can therefore be classified as low to medium.

In addition, remedial measures can be taken to further reduce the risk. However, most of these measures are the responsibility of the user: the user can protect themselves to a certain extent by adjusting various settings, such as deleting their browser history, disabling cookies, or not sharing their location when using photos.

With regard to particularly vulnerable individuals, such as young people, it is clear that they do not generally belong to LinkedIn's target audience. Although registration with LinkedIn is possible from the age of 16, LinkedIn is primarily a career network aimed at professionals and executives who want to network with each other worldwide on their own initiative.

This target group is generally significantly older and has the relevant education, and must therefore weigh up the professional benefits of the service against the protection of their data. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that there is an increased risk of fake profiles and identity theft, particularly on business networks, as the business/professional environment of LinkedIn users is often described in detail.

In addition, some LinkedIn practices, such as pretending to be a member of LinkedIn users' existing contacts and independently sending email invitations to join LinkedIn to LinkedIn users' acquaintances, can cause suspicion or even damage their professional reputation.

LinkedIn users should therefore be advised to prohibit LinkedIn from accessing address books and other external services and to deactivate the automatic sending of email invitations, as LinkedIn also contacts people outside their own network and stores their data. For additional security, users can be advised to only use LinkedIn from a desktop browser and not to install LinkedIn apps on their smartphones or mobile devices.

As a further remedial measure, continuous editorial support enables intervention in the event of comments that are defamatory or offensive, up to and including blocking the account. The Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg has formulated a netiquette policy for the use of its services, which it will ensure is adhered to when managing the site.

4. Result
The use of LinkedIn by the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg is justifiable in view of the risks described and the binding measures planned. The Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg undertakes to monitor further developments and to repeat the review carried out here on a regular basis and, if necessary, to develop it further.

As of: October 2025

3. Privacy Policy

The Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg uses the information service offered on LinkedIn via the technical platform and services of LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA: LinkedIn-Unternehmensseite des Gründungsbüros der Universität Freiburg.

LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland, is responsible for data processing for individuals residing in the designated countries of the GDPR (European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland).

Please note that you use the LinkedIn page offered here and its functions at your own risk. This applies in particular to the use of interactive functions (e.g., commenting, sharing, rating).

The information and publications found on our LinkedIn page are a voluntary additional service. Only registered users of the LinkedIn platform can visit our LinkedIn page. Alternatively, you can also access all the information offered on this page on our website at www.gruenden.uni-freiburg.de.

1. Data processed by LinkedIn:
Information about which data is processed by LinkedIn and for what purposes can be found in LinkedIn's privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

With regard to the collection, use, and storage of personal data provided to LinkedIn by LinkedIn users from designated GDPR countries, LinkedIn Corporation and its US subsidiaries (“LinkedIn”) have committed to the principles of the EU-US Privacy Shield.

For more information, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000L0UZAA0 and https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/62533?trk=microsites-frontend_legal_privacy-policy&lang=de.

The Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg has no influence on the type and scope of data processed by LinkedIn, the type of processing and use, or the transfer of this data to third parties. Nor does it have any effective means of control in this regard. Similarly, the Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg has no knowledge of the content of your data transmitted to LinkedIn and cannot provide any information about what data about you is stored through your use of the LinkedIn service.

When you use LinkedIn, your personal data is collected, transferred, stored, disclosed, and used by LinkedIn Corporation. LinkedIn transfers your data from the countries designated in the GDPR to the United States of America (USA) and back. Currently, LinkedIn's data centers for storing its members' information are located in the USA and Singapore.

In addition to the data you voluntarily enter, such as profile, registration, contact, and calendar data, LinkedIn also collects and processes location and device information, as well as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. LinkedIn can also identify you outside of its own services and across different devices using cookies or similar technologies.

LinkedIn collects and analyzes data from the content, news, and messages you publish and upload, as well as data from partners and affiliated companies, such as information provided by your workplace/educational institution, websites, or third-party services.

You can find more information at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

LinkedIn states that it uses your personal data to provide you with additional services (including advertisements), among other things, using automated systems and its own conclusions, and to tailor these services so that they are more relevant and useful to you and others.

To this end, LinkedIn may also combine data internally across various services covered by its privacy policy (details at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy#use).

LinkedIn does not conclusively and clearly state how it uses data from visits to LinkedIn pages for its own purposes, to what extent activities on the LinkedIn page are assigned to individual users, how long LinkedIn stores this data, and whether data from visits to the LinkedIn page is passed on to third parties. This information is not known to the Founding Office of the University of Freiburg.

LinkedIn also states that it may use third-party services (partner companies and external service providers) to assist it in providing its services (e.g., maintenance, analysis, testing, payment, fraud detection, marketing, and development).

These third parties have access to your information to the extent reasonably necessary to perform the relevant tasks for LinkedIn and are obligated not to disclose or use your information for any other purpose. For more information, see: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy#share.

If third-party services from LinkedIn are used for the LinkedIn page of the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg, the Start-up Office has neither commissioned nor approved this, nor has it supported it in any other way. Furthermore, the personal data obtained during the analysis will not be made available to you. Only certain non-personal, aggregated information about activity, such as the number of profile or link clicks on a specific post or page, is visible to the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg via its account. Furthermore, the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg has no way of preventing or stopping the use of such services on its LinkedIn page.

Finally, LinkedIn also receives information when you view content, for example, even if you have not created an account (e.g., via a public LinkedIn profile). This so-called “log data” may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, information about the website you previously visited and the pages you visited, your location, your mobile service provider, the device you are using (including device ID and application ID), the search terms you used, and cookie information.

LinkedIn buttons or widgets embedded in websites and the use of cookies enable LinkedIn to track your visits to these websites and assign them to your LinkedIn profile. This data can be used to tailor content or advertising to you.

Accordingly, the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg refrains from using such buttons and widgets on its own websites. Even though LinkedIn Corporation is a non-European provider, it is bound by the GDPR in the designated countries. This applies, for example, to your rights to information, blocking, or deletion of data.

You can restrict the processing and visibility of your data in your account navigation under “Settings and data protection” in the various menu items listed there.

Please also note that, by default, all information you provide in your profile is publicly visible, meaning that members who log into the network and customers of LinkedIn services can view it. This also applies to your activities within the service, such as comments on posts, “likes,” or the “follow” function. Group memberships are also publicly visible.

When you share posts, the default setting is for them to be public. In the options, you can restrict the visibility of these posts to your contacts. In LinkedIn's settings, you can also specify whether you want to share your contact list with all your contacts. With a so-called public profile, your content can also be found outside of LinkedIn and in search engines.

Further information on these points is available on the following LinkedIn Help pages: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin.

You can view and download your own data on LinkedIn by going to your account navigation, selecting “Settings and privacy,” then the ‘Privacy’ tab, and then “How LinkedIn uses your data” or https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/member-data.

Information about LinkedIn's comprehensive data collection and other privacy settings can be found at: http://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

You can opt out of interest-based advertising (https://www.datenschutz.org/werbung/) (not advertising in general) here: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.

You also have the option of contacting LinkedIn with any questions about the privacy policy or user agreement via the LinkedIn contact form or via the LinkedIn office in Ireland responsible for the designated countries:

Online contact form: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/PPQ.

Postal address:
LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company
Attn: Legal Dept. (Privacy Policy and User Agreement)
Wilton Plaza
Wilton Place, Dublin 2
Ireland

You can request LinkedIn to delete some of your personal data (for example, if the provision of services to you is no longer necessary) using the contact details above.

However, there are also uses of data that you cannot influence via the settings.

If you fundamentally disagree with such use, your only option is to close your account: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/account-management/close-submit.

If you reside in one of the designated countries of the GDPR, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner: https://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Contact-us/b/11.html.

2. Data processed by the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg:
The Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg also processes your data. Although it does not collect any data via your LinkedIn account, we do process the data you enter on LinkedIn, in particular your user name and the content published under your account, insofar as we may share or comment on your posts or write posts that refer to your account. The data you freely publish and distribute on LinkedIn is thus included in the University of Freiburg Start-up Office's offerings and made available to its followers and subscribers.

3. Rights, documentation, evaluation:
If you have any questions about the information we provide, please contact us at zft-gruenden@zv.uni-freiburg.de . You can assert your rights to information, blocking, or deletion of data by contacting the data protection officer at the University of Freiburg: datenschutzbeauftragter@uni-freiburg.de.

You can find the current version of this privacy policy here. In the event of changes to the privacy policy, you will find links to the previous versions.

The concept underlying the offer can be found under the corresponding menu item: LinkedIn usage concept. We evaluate this usage concept once a year in terms of whether and how it is used. This evaluation of the usage concept takes into account the usage figures and reach as well as the target group structure of the networks.

Further information about LinkedIn and other social networks and how you can protect your data can also be found at www.youngdata.de.

As of: October 2025

4. Disclaimer

Networking and communicating with other LinkedIn profiles
Subscribing to or liking other LinkedIn profiles or liking posts or comments by the University of Freiburg Start-up Office does not imply any statement about the relationship of the University of Freiburg Start-up Office to these profiles or the content published by them. In particular, it does not imply any approval or recommendation for their subscribers. Rather, the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg sees subscribing to other profiles or liking posts and comments as an opportunity to network with other bodies, individuals, and institutions for the rapid dissemination and dissemination of information related to university and start-up topics.

The Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg will not subscribe to all of its subscribers. Even if the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg does not subscribe to a profile, this does not imply anything in particular; in particular, it does not mean that the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg rejects or is not interested in the respective profile.

Method and purpose of use
The Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg uses its LinkedIn profile for its own posts in accordance with the terms of use outlined in its usage concept. It will also respond to comments where appropriate, provided that these relate to the exchange of information on topics relevant to start-ups. For all other types of enquiries, contact options outside of LinkedIn are available, such as emails to: zft-gruenden@zv.uni-freiburg.de. No detailed advice is provided, for example on setting up a business; instead, a website link refers users to the relevant telephone and email contacts at the University of Freiburg's start-up office.

LinkedIn and data protection
The use of LinkedIn by the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg does not imply any endorsement of this medium or the company or the privacy policy of LinkedIn. The Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg recommends that all users inform themselves about how LinkedIn processes their data and protect their privacy as best they can. This includes reading LinkedIn's privacy policy. Key points are also summarized in the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg's own privacy policy regarding its use of LinkedIn.

In addition, every user should at least configure the following privacy settings:

• User accounts may only be opened with the absolutely necessary data.
• Disabling the widget function
• Verhinderung des seitenübergreifenden Trackings (zum Beispiel durch Nutzung des Ghostery-AddOn im Browser)

As of: October 2025

5. Netiquette

1. We do not tolerate offensive or illegal posts on this social media page. In particular, please refrain from:
1.1. Threats, bullying, harassment, insults, humiliation, disparagement, insinuations, slander, defamation, malicious gossip, and hate speech in any form.
1.2. Posts expressing attitudes/views that are xenophobic, sexist, or discriminatory toward minorities, communities, or individuals
1.3. Posts that explicitly represent party political, religious, and/or ideological content and goals
1.4. Endorsing, inciting, or glorifying: violence, war, discrimination, unconstitutional or anti-democratic actions
1.5. Pornographic or sadistic depictions.

2. Do not post any advertising or spam.
2.1. We will immediately remove any commercial content.
2.2. It is also not permitted to use social networks to send advertising or other marketing content to others via private messages (spam).

3. Respect privacy and anonymity! Please help us to protect the privacy and rights of other users. Do not disclose any personal/private details about other people, regardless of whether they are also users of the network or not. This primarily includes names, addresses, and other personal data, but also photos/videos. Please note that it may be difficult to completely delete such information at a later date.

4. As a user of this site, please respect copyright and intellectual property rights! In particular, please ensure that you have the rights to distribute the content, photos, artwork, or other works protected by copyright, trademark, or name rights that you publish on this social media site. By posting certain content, you confirm that you have the necessary permission to do so. You also consent to the further use of this content on the various social media sites of the University of Freiburg.

5. “Watch what you say!” There is nothing wrong with being informal and using dialect or colloquial language, but offensive language, swear words, or similar expressions will not be tolerated. Sexist comments will also not be tolerated. Stay friendly and tolerant! Even if you feel attacked or offended by a post/comment, remain objective and fair. If you feel you have been treated unfairly, please let us know. The easiest way to do this is to send a direct message to the site administrator or an email to our social media team at: zft-gruenden@zv.uni-freiburg.de.

6. To make the exchange accessible and understandable for everyone, please only post in German or English.

7. The comments, opinions, and links posted by users on the social media pages operated on behalf of the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg. Furthermore, copyrighted works or trademarks of the Start-up Office of the University of Freiburg may not be used without the prior written consent of the Start-up Office of the University.

8. All posts must have a specific, direct connection to the activities of the Start-up Office at the University of Freiburg, and comments must relate to the post being commented on. If in doubt, the respective page administrator should be contacted before posting.

9. Posts/content that violate the principles set out here will be removed immediately. The author will be notified and warned.

10. Users who ignore the netiquette of our social media pages despite repeated warnings will be excluded from using our social media pages. Depending on the type of content and/or the intensity of the insult, discrimination, threat, etc., we reserve the right to report this incident and the user to the respective site provider. These providers all have their own community standards, which also form the basis of our netiquette. As an example, we refer here to the Facebook Community Standards: https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/

11. It is not possible for us to review all posts by our users immediately. The site administrators cannot therefore be held responsible or liable for the content of comments. Rather, each user is responsible for their own contributions. We would like to point out that comments that violate applicable law are also subject to criminal prosecution on the Internet and may be reported by the Founding Office of the University of Freiburg or by users.

As of: October 2025

Web: http://www.pr.uni-freiburg.de/publikationen/soziale-medien