TU/e ME People is a directory and information app for the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). It is published as a service to staff and students of TU/e, and includes:
The app displays the following information about TU/e Mechanical Engineering staff, retrieved from TU/e's public research portal (research.tue.nl) via the data feed at tuemeche.nl, which also mirrors staff profile photos:
All of this information is already publicly available at research.tue.nl and is published by TU/e itself. The app shows the same data in a mobile-friendly form. The data controller for this information is Eindhoven University of Technology. The purpose of showcasing this data is to enable everyone to find ME-related researchers, ME-related research groups and staff at the ME-faculty. TU/e has a legitimate interest to present this data publicly via the app. The data gets refreshed every 24 hours via API and the retention periods of the research portal are followed.
The News, Events, and Campus (buildings, parking, restaurants) sections show general TU/e content — not personal data about you — sourced directly from tue.nl. See "Network communication" below for details.
To work offline and respond quickly, the app stores the following locally on your device only:
None of this is transmitted off your device. Deleting the app from your device removes removes the data from your device, but potentially an additional action is required to also delete the data from possible back-ups (if used) at Google or iCloud.
The Campus section of the app can show your current location as a dot on the map, to help you orient yourself relative to buildings, parking, and restaurants. This uses iOS's standard location permission prompt — the app only accesses your location while you're using the Campus map, and only if you grant permission. Your location is used solely to position the map and is never sent to us, stored, or transmitted anywhere. If you decline the permission, or later revoke it in iOS Settings, the Campus map still works — it just won't show your position.
The app does not:
The app makes read-only network requests to the following TU/e domains to fetch content for display. These requests use standard HTTPS. No personal identifiers are sent beyond what's required for any web request (such as your IP address being visible to the server, as with any browser visit):
The Campus map is rendered using Apple's MapKit, which communicates with Apple's own map servers to display map tiles, buildings, and points of interest — this is standard for any app using Apple Maps and is covered by Apple's own privacy practices, not TU/e's or ours.
When you tap a staff member's e-mail address, ORCID link, or research portal link, the app asks iOS to open the link in your default Mail app or browser. The app itself does not send the message; it only pre-fills the recipient. The choice of whether and what to send remains entirely yours.
The app is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect any information from children. The data shown is general professional contact information about TU/e staff.
Because the app collects no personal data from you, there is nothing for you to access, correct, or have erased on our side. Deleting the app from your device removes all locally-stored data.
If you believe information about you displayed by the app (as a TU/e staff member) is inaccurate or should be corrected, please contact Eindhoven University of Technology — the source of that data. For contact details, and your rights regarding personal data displayed in the app, please consult TU/e’s privacy statement.
Who is responsible for the app? The TU/e is responsible for this app and is also Controller as described in the GDPR, for the processing of data as mentioned in this Privacy Statement.
Questions about this privacy policy can be sent to:
p.d.anderson@tue.nl
Prof.dr.ir. Patrick D. Anderson
Dean, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Eindhoven University of Technology