Website Privacy & Cookie Policy
This website privacy & cookie policy (“Website Privacy & Cookie Policy”) applies to the website www.drainology.org including subpages (“Website”). Other websites connected directly or indirectly with this Website, e.g., by hyperlinks, do not fall within the scope of this Website Privacy & Cookie Policy.
This Website Privacy & Cookie Policy governs the collection, processing and use of your personal data, when you visit and/or interact with this Website, and explains the practices with respect to the placement of cookies, including the types of cookies we use and how you can manage them.
This Website is owned and maintained by Medela AG, Lättichstrasse 4b, 6340 Baar, Switzerland.
Website Privacy & Cookie Policy last revised on 10 April 2026.
- Collection, Processing and Use of Your Personal Data
1.1 Anonymous Usage of our Website
You are welcome to visit our Website while remaining anonymous and without revealing any of your personal data.
However, when you first visit our Website we will ask for your consent to place cookies on your device and to track your website usage behavior. This helps us to better understand how visitors use this Website and to improve this Website’s offering and services, which may include providing you with a more personalized website experience and targeted content.
If you do not agree with the above practices and wish to remain fully anonymous, you can indicate that you do not provide your consent, or withdraw your consent with effect for the future, by using the opt-out mechanisms available (see Section 2 below). In this case, we will only collect certain anonymous information which do not directly relate to your person. For example, we may collect the number of visitors to this Website, browsing patterns and areas of interest. We analyze this information to understand how visitors use this Website, and to assess trends, statistics and our visitors’ needs, which help us to improve our Website and to provide better content and functionality.
Other than as indicated above, we will only collect your personal data if you voluntarily decide to share such information with us, such as by sending an enquiry (via our contact form) or requesting a specific service. Unless you have provided your explicit consent, and unless indicated otherwise in this Website Privacy & Cookie Policy, we will use the personal data that you have shared with us only as necessary for enabling your use of our Website, including handling your requests and providing the requested services. Apart from that, we may use any personal data we receive only in anonymized form (i.e., in a non-personally identifiable form which does not allow for any conclusions as to your identity) for statistical purposes and for internal evaluation on how to better serve the needs of the visitors and members of this Website. Your personal data will not be processed for other purposes or beyond the scope of this Website Privacy & Cookie Policy, except where expressly permitted or required by applicable law.
1.2 Using the Contact Form
We collect the personal data you voluntarily disclose when you contact us through the contact form on this Website, for example, if you send us an enquiry. The contact form contains the following categories of personal data: Identification information (e.g. Name), contact information (e.g. E-Mail address) and enquiry details. Unless indicated otherwise in this Website Privacy & Cookie Policy, the legal base for processing your personal data is your freely given consent, which you provide us with when submitting your enquiry. We do not process your personal data other than to handle your request/enquiry, e.g., to provide you with the information you asked for, unless expressly permitted or required by applicable law. We may share your personal data with the board members in order to respond to your request.
1.3 Newsletter Registration
You are free to register for our newsletter. The legal base for processing your personal data is your freely given consent. We process the following categories of personal data: Identification information (e.g. First name, last name), contact information (e.g. E-mail address, phone), professional details (e.g. specialty area), residence information (e.g. state and country). We will use such data solely to provide you with regular email updates about new content, services, surveys and events of Drainology.org. We may personalize the content of our newsletter according to your needs and interests based on other information we receive and store from you, such as your profession or other information revealed by you. In case you have also given your consent to the placement of cookies and the tracking of your website usage behavior, we will also use information about your website usage to provide you with personalized communications which reflect your specific interests and preferences.
After you have submitted your newsletter request, you will receive a confirmation email which contains a link that you need to click-on to confirm your registration. This double-opt-in procedure helps us to ensure that the email-account holder consents with the receipt of our newsletter.
When registering for our newsletter, you further consent that your usage of our newsletter, such as email-opens and email-clicks, may be tracked by drainology.org using an analytics tool provided by a third party. This tool also collects information about email-forwarding, undeliverable emails and unsubscribes. The personal data collected by this third party system contains your name, email-address and location (not your physical address).
In addition, we may use other technical service providers, located in the European Union to help us managing the newsletter subscriptions and providing related communication and marketing services.
Our service providers will process your information as our data processor only on our behalf and in accordance with our instructions. They may not disclose your personal data to unauthorized third parties or use your personal data for purposes other than as instructed.
You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time, and withdraw your consent with effect for the future, by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the newsletter emails you received or by sending an email or letter to the contact details provided in Section 7 of this Website Privacy & Cookie Policy.
- Cookies
Cookies are small text files that our Website asks to place on your computer or other internet enabled devices, such as tablets or smartphones. If your browser is set to accept cookies, then your browser adds the text in a small file.
When you access our Website, we will ask for your consent to place cookies on your device by displaying a cookie banner (“Cookie Consent”). The cookie banner informs you about the main purposes of the cookies and provides you with information about your choices and where you may access further information.
These cookies will either be strictly necessary for the functioning and performance of our Website or will help us to collect some of your personal data relating to your website usage behavior to improve our Website offering and services and/or to provide you with more personalized information and services. We explain the cookies that may be placed on your device, the purpose of the different cookie categories and the duration of the cookies saved on your device in the following cookie list: Cookie list.
At all times, you have the right to withdraw your Cookie Consent and individually opt-out from the placement of cookies and any collection of your information for different purposes at any time with effect for the future.
Most browsers are initially set to accept cookies. If you prefer, you can change your settings to generally refuse cookies, to delete cookies that have already been placed on your device, or to warn you before a cookie is placed. Please refer to your browser instructions or to http://www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more about how to adjust or modify your browser settings.
If you choose not to accept cookies, this may impair the usability of the Website and you may not be able to take advantage of some of the features and services offered.
If you use different devices to access our Website (e.g., smartphone, tablet, computer, etc.) you will need to ensure that each browser on each device is adjusted to reflect your cookie preferences.
- Disclosure of your Personal Data
Medela is operating the Website as data controller. Medela and/or the Local Group Company may use external technical service providers which are authorized to provide services on its behalf and in accordance with its instructions. Medela may also share your personal data with the Board Members of Drainology if you send us an enquiry through the contact form. These service providers and the Board Members may have access to your personal data but only to the extent necessary to enable your use of this Website, including providing related services or handling your requests or enquiries. For instance, Medela may use service providers to host our Website, store your personal data, or analyze the information collected. These service providers may not disclose your personal data to any unauthorized third parties or use your personal data for any purposes other than as instructed. Some of these service providers may be located in countries outside Switzerland and the EU/EEA which may not provide for the same level of data protection as in your country of residence. Medela and/or, as applicable, the Local Group Company have appropriate agreements in place with these service providers to ensure that they will take all necessary measures to protect your personal data in accordance with applicable requirements. For further information about our service providers, please contact us as further explained in Section 7 below.
Other than as indicated above, we will not provide your personal data to any third party without your prior consent, unless we are compelled by law to do so.
- Storage location and duration of your Personal Data and Data Security
Your data will be stored on servers in Germany. We have taken the necessary measures to ensure your personal data will be handled and protected appropriately and only be processed on our behalf and in accordance with our instructions. The personal data processed for the newsletter and to manage your enquiry submitted through the contact form is stored until you withdraw your consent.
Moreover, we will treat your personal data confidentially. We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized disclosure or access, alteration, misuse, accidental or unlawful destruction or loss.
- U.S. State Law Requirements
Some U.S. state privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), Colorado Privacy Act (CPA) and the Connecticut Personal Data Privacy and Online Monitoring (2022 S.B.6) require specific disclosures for state residents. State laws like the CCPA, VCDPA, CPA and 2022 S.B.6 also provide the right to request information about how we collect, use and disclose your information. These laws also provide the right to request deletion or anonymization. We do not discriminate against individuals for exercising these privacy rights. Medela fully complies with all applicable State Privacy Laws, including, but not limited to the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), Colorado Privacy Act, Connecticut Data Privacy Act, Utah Consumer Privacy Act, Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, and any other United States state privacy laws, together with applicable implementing regulations, that provide general privacy protection to consumers.
- Medela Does Not Sell Personal Data
Medela has never sold Personal Data and does not intend to sell any Personal Data in the future. If this intent changes, we will update this Privacy Notice accordingly. “Personal data” means any information that is linked or reasonably linkable to an identified or identifiable natural person. “Personal data” does not include de-identified data or publicly available information.
From time to time we may collect “Sensitive Personal Information” (SPI). SPI includes, but is not limited to, racial origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, genetic data, private communications, specified health information and precise geolocation. We do not sell SPI or utilize automated decision making.
- How to exercise your privacy rights
The following data protection rights describe the commonly known privacy standards. However, some rights may not apply according to local privacy law.
Right to access personal data: You have the right to request and receive information on the personal data collected on you or processed or, where applicable, shared with third parties.
Right to rectification: You have the right to have any inaccurate personal data corrected.
Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”): You have the right to have your personal data deleted – for example, if your personal information is no longer required for the original purpose it was collected – subject to statutory retention obligations.
Right to restrict data processing: You have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data, for example if the processing is unlawful or the accuracy of your personal data is contested.
Right to data portability: You have the right to receive a copy of the personal data you have provided us. You can request to have your personal data transmitted to you or, where technically feasible, to another data controller of your choice.
Right to object: You have the right to object to having your personal data processed for certain purposes or to withdraw your consent to such processing.
You may further at any time, with effect for the future, withdraw any consent you have given. For this purpose, please make use of the opt-out mechanisms or unsubscribe options provided for the different services (please see the respective descriptions in the corresponding Sections of this Website Privacy & Cookie Policy).
Please note that the above-mentioned privacy rights cannot be guaranteed if there are exceptions by law or any regulations which do not allow us to process your requests on privacy rights.
If you would like to exercise any of the above rights, please use our Privacy Request Webform.
For US residents: Click here
For any other state residents: Click here
Please note that any email requests will not be processed.
In case of any questions about the collection, processing and/or use of your personal information, please send your request to Medela AG, Global Data Protection Officer, Lättichstrasse 4b, 6340 Baar, Schweiz or email us at privacy.drainology@medela.com.
To file an official complaint, please contact the data protection authority in your jurisdiction (in Switzerland): Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner / Eidgenössischer Datenschutz- und Öffentlichkeitsbeauftragter, EDÖB; in Europe: List of National Data Protection Authorities, members of the European Data Protection Board)
- Changes to this Website Privacy & Cookie Policy
We reserve the right to make changes to this Website Privacy & Cookie Policy at any time with effect for the future. The then current version of this Website Privacy & Cookie Policy will be made available on the Website. While we do not intend to make changes to this policy very often, it is always a good idea to double check our most current policy statement when you visit us to be sure that you have read and agree with what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances we disclose it.