Select the panel to view the answers
Participation in the study
We offer participation in the study to randomly selected people. For the purposes of the study, we build a research sample. The research sample, i.e. the panel, is a permanent group of people among whom we will continuously measure media use. We want the structure of this group to correspond to the structure of the entire country for which we are conducting the study.
Recruitment for the study takes place through external recruitment conducted by a recruitment company. This is the only way to proceed to the examination.
Currently, we conduct recruitment in two ways. We recruit directly, meaning a recruiter representing Gemius contacts a randomly selected candidate at their place of residence. After completing the recruitment questionnaire and signing the contract, the panelist immediately receives the research device.
It is also possible to join the study by filling out an online form. On selected websites, a random invitation to participate in the study may appear. Once the form is submitted, the data is sent to Gemius. People who express willingness to participate and match the sought demographic profile are invited to take part in the project. The participation agreement is sent via email. Once signed, a courier will deliver the phone to the address provided in the form.
Personal data is required to sign the project participation agreement. We are offering a smartphone which is of significant value, so we want to sign a contract with you that regulates the obligations of both parties.
You can resign from participating in the study at any time - please let us know by e-mail or telephone. A person who resigns from participating in the screening is obliged to return the smartphone to Gemius.
No. You must insert your own SIM card into your Gemius phone.
You only incur costs related to the current use of the phone (internet connection, charging the phone, etc.). The increase in transfer consumption due to participation in the study is unnoticeable - the data files that will be sent to the research company are very small.
Installing the research plugin is optional and free of charge. It is installed in the web browser if you also use a desktop or laptop. The plugin collects data about your website visits, which is sent to the Gemius data analysis center and, combined with socio-demographic data, provides statistical insight into internet user behavior. Information about data processing is provided during installation and in the Privacy Policy.
Installing the research plugin entitles you to participate in contests organized by Gemius. Each contest has its own terms and conditions, which will be made available to you for acceptance before participating.
You can uninstall the plugin at any time.
We verify online-recruited candidates within a week. After qualifying for the project, we send information about the next recruitment steps. If you haven’t received a message from us within a week of completing the form, please contact us.
Installation and operating instructions
You are participating in a new research project. You will receive a contracted telephone and provide information about how you use this phone, which websites you visit, and which advertisements you see. Thank you for supporting our research.
1. Use the smartphone as your primary device;
2. Insert your SIM card into the smartphone you received. The phone number provided by the panelist in the contract will be verified by us;
3. Familiarize yourself with your smartphone's user manual;
4. Do not give or share your smartphone with anyone;
5. Protect your smartphone from damage and theft;
6. The smartphone's internet connection must always be active, e.g., via Wi-Fi or a mobile network signal (except in exceptional circumstances such as air travel);
7. Use the internet on your smartphone in a way that feels natural to you. This means that, as an internet user, you visit websites and use applications at least a dozen times a month while connected to the internet;
8. Use a browser to surf the internet;
9. Ensure that the smartphone is charged and switched on every day, especially between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM. If the device is not charged or switched on for more than 7 days in a calendar month, this will be considered a breach of contract, and you will be required to restore data collection in accordance with the contract;
10. Do not remove or modify the software we have installed on the smartphone. You may install other applications of your choice;
11. Do not restore your phone to its factory settings;
12. If your smartphone is damaged, you agree to report the damage to us immediately.
13. In the event of theft, you agree to report the theft to the police. Confirmation of the police report must be sent to us immediately by email to medienpanel@gemius.com in the form of a scan/PDF.
Using the smartphone
Use your Gemius phone normally, just like you usually do.
No. Research software automatically collects and transmits data. This should be unnoticeable to you.
This must be your main phone that you use every day.
No. During the term of the contract, only the person who signed a contract with us to participate in the study can use the phone.
Yes. We want you to use your phone in a natural way.
Yes. However, it sometimes happens that application producers do not allow their use on phones with Gemius research software. This situation is rare, but if it happens to an application that is important to you, please contact us - we will try to help.
Yes. Your data is safe, we only collect information about the websites you visit and the start and end time of using individual applications.
According to the provisions of the contract - no. Research software works with a specific version of the operating system. We are constantly working on adapting the software to newer versions of the system. If you need to update the system, please contact us.
According to the provisions of the contract - no. If necessary, please contact us.
Warranty service for the phone is the responsibility of Gemius. In case of damage, please contact us.
In this case, please contact us.
Gemius services the research telephone at its own expense. In case of damage to the device, please contact us.
1. If your smartphone is damaged or malfunctions, report the repair to Gemius at medienpanel@gemius.com. We will assist you with the repair.
2. If the repair requires sending your smartphone to us, we will offer you this service.
3. We do not provide a loaner device for the duration of the repair, but if the repair is uneconomical or impossible, we will replace the smartphone with another (working used) device. Replacing the smartphone will change the phone's IMEI number (as indicated in the "Data and Consent Sheet"), but we do not need to sign a new contract or addendum for this reason. We will send you the new IMEI number to your email address.
4. Please note that we may terminate the contract if you have your smartphone repaired for the third time and the need for repair is not due to a malfunction of the Gemius software installed on your smartphone.
In this case, please contact us as soon as possible. We will provide the next steps.
Terms of contract
Generally the contract's basic period is 2 years.
We use an electronic contract signing method. The contract will be emailed to you and can be opened on any device with a web browser. Signing is simple—just follow the SIGN arrow. After signing, both parties will receive a copy along with a verification report. This ensures content integrity. Signing the contract this way is safe, fast, and legally binding.
Yes – in this case, please send your cancellation notice by email to medienpanel@gemius.com. You can use the template below. We will then send you further instructions on how to return the device.
Instructions
Complete the template, sign it, scan it, and send it to medienpanel@gemius.com. Alternatively, you can send a printed and signed original declaration to a postal address provided by us – send your request to medienpanel@gemius.com. If you wish to withdraw from the contract, you must submit your declaration within 14 days of the contract's conclusion, i.e., after receiving the smartphone. You are not obligated to use this template. You can send a declaration of similar content to the email address above or our postal address.
Once you have submitted this declaration, you are obligated to return the loaned smartphone to the postal address. We will provide this address in our response to your withdrawal, in correspondence with medienpanel@gemius.com. You are responsible for the return shipping costs.
SAMPLE:
,......................, dated ......................
...............................................
................................................
First Name, Last Name, Address
Gemius GmbH
Kapstadtring 7
22297 Hamburg, Germany
Send to medienpanel@gemius.com
DECLARATION OF WITHDRAWAL FROM A DISTANCE SELLING CONTRACT
I declare that, in accordance with consumer law, I withdraw from the contract for the execution of the research project.
After the contract ends, the phone may become your property.
After the contract ends, we remotely deactivate the research tracking tools installed on the phone. If you notice any activity from our apps, please contact us.
- There may be situations when we ask you, for example, to restart your phone or manually update the application. You will then receive detailed instructions from us on how to do it.
- If you change data such as name, address, telephone number or e-mail, please contact us. Therefore, for the quality of the study, it is important that the data we receive from you is up to date
- If your phone breaks, please contact us. All phone repairs are the responsibility of Gemius.
- We contact the panelist at the begining of the contract to verify user of the phone, during satisfaction surveys of participation in the project.
- We may also contact you when we do not receive information about activity on your phone or when there are technical problems with the data we receive.
- We periodically contact our panelists to update your demographic information (e.g. education, household size). This may be a telephone contact or an electronic form in the form of a link to a survey to be completed, sent by text message or e-mail.
Complaints
1. Any panelist may submit a complaint.
2. A complaint is defined as an inquiry from a panelist expressing dissatisfaction regarding the correctness of the service or the quality of the smartphone.
3. The panelist may submit a complaint, at least in written form, to medienpanel@gemius.com. Complaints should be submitted in writing, electronically, or in hard copy to the addresses provided.
4. In the complaint, the panelist must specify the subject of the complaint, describe the reasons for the complaint, and submit the documents on which the complaint is based.
5. We will respond to a complaint promptly, but no later than 14 days after receipt. In particularly complex cases that make it impossible to review and respond to the complaint within the aforementioned timeframe, we will inform the complainant of the reason for the delay, provide the circumstances and information necessary to review the complaint, and state the anticipated date for review and response. This period may not exceed 60 days from the date of receipt of the complaint.
6. The response to the complaint will be provided in paper form or on another durable medium and will be sent to the complainant's current postal address. A response to the complaint may be sent by email at the complainant's request. The response will be sent to the current address registered in our database or to the address provided in the complaint.
7. In the event of disputes relating to the performance of the contract, the panelist may, after exhaustion of the complaint procedure, assert claims in court and before consumer protection institutions in Germany.
Forms of communication
1. Our electronic address available to you for smartphone technical support, personal data processing and any other questions: medienpanel@gemius.com
2. Sometimes we write in the contract that a document form, a written or electronic form should be used. For the purposes of this Agreement, the meanings are given in the table:
| Form of communication | What is required for the form to be preserved? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Written form | A handwritten signature is required on a document containing the content of the declaration of intent and the identification data of the declarant. The delivery of a letter to an address in our database that has not been updated by you will be treated as a service to the correct address, i.e. it will have the same legal effect. If a consignment that has been notified twice is not collected, it is also treated as if it had been received (fictional delivery). The date of receipt is the date on which the recipient refused to accept the letter. | Letter by post or courier, signing of the contract in the presence of the signatory parties, personal delivery of the handwritten signed document to the other party. |
| Electronic form | It is necessary to submit the declaration of intent in electronic form and to affix a qualified electronic signature. Such a declaration of intent is to be equated with a written declaration of intent. | If you send us an email from the e-mail address assigned to you in our database with the content of the declaration you wish to make and you provide this declaration with a qualified electronic signature. |
| Document form | An electronic declaration of intent using the e-mail address provided to us on the data and consent sheet (possibly updated later) is required. Our employees will send the letters of intent via e-mail addresses in the domain gemius.com. We can also use systems to sign documents, always specifying that the author of the information is the person using the domain gemius.com. | When you send us a message from the e-mail address assigned to you in our database with the content of the statement you wish to make. This form will also be saved if you tick the corresponding option (checkbox), e.g. in an update survey. |
1. The contract is concluded in writing or in the form of a document. Amendments to the contract must be made at least in the form of a document in order to be effective. For example, we can amend a written contract in the form of a document.
2. Notices of termination require at least one document form.
Research software
The research software installed on the phone prepares reports (data packets) and sends them to Gemius.
We use 'Sound Matching' technology to recognize radio and TV stations. It works by comparing samples generated from signals received from TV stations with reference samples.
The Gemius software does not store audio files, and the original sound cannot be reconstructed from the samples. This method is widely used by research companies worldwide to measure media consumption, even via smartphones. It’s also used in some apps, such as music recognition tools.
Data is sent continuously whenever there is an internet connection (Wi-Fi or other).
The amount of data depends on how actively you use browsers and apps on your phone. Data is sent to Gemius continuously. If there is no internet connection, it is stored until the connection is restored, then the stored data is sent.
Data and security
Yes. The security of your data is our priority. We operate in accordance with the principles of the international ICC/ESOMAR code, which proves that our projects are carried out in compliance with the highest ethical standards. More information can be found in the privacy policy.
As part of the project, we collect data about Internet activity - both on websites and in applications.
We also collect information about TV and radio channels. The Gemius software does not collect any audio files, and the original sound cannot be reproduced from the prepared samples
The data we collect is only used in aggregate reports. It is not possible to identify a specific person based on them. Each project participant has a specific socio-demographic profile (e.g. age, gender, education), and we use the measurement results in rankings based on these characteristics.
We do not collect data regarding the content of your communication and correspondence. Our research does not have access to text messages, phone numbers, photos, account numbers or passwords on your phone.