Privacy Policy

Process overview

The following overview summarises the types of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the data subjects.

Types of data processed

• Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses).
• Content data (e.g. text entries, photographs, videos).
• Contact data (e.g. email, phone numbers).
• Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).

Categories of data subjects

• Interests
• Communication partner
• User (i.e. website visitors, users of online services).

purposes of processing

• Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
• Visitor action evaluation.
• Direct marketing (e.g. by email or post).
• Interest-based and behavioural marketing.
• Contact enquiries and communication.
• Conversion measurement (measuring the effectiveness of marketing activities).
• Profiling (creation of user profiles).
• Reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors).
• Tracking (e.g. interest/behavioural profiling, use of cookies).
• Contractual services and service.

Relevant legal bases

In the following, we inform you about the legal basis of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, the national data protection provisions in your or our country of residence and domicile may apply. Furthermore, should more specific legal bases be relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.

Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a GDPR) – The data subject has given his/her consent to the processing of personal data relating to him/her for a specific purpose or purposes.

Performance of a contract and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. b. GDPR) – Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or for the performance of pre-contractual measures taken at the data subject’s request.

Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. GDPR) – Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests of the controller or a third party, unless such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require the protection of personal data.

National data protection regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation, national regulations on data protection apply in Germany. These include, in particular, the Act on Protection against Misuse of Personal Data in Data Processing (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz – BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special regulations on the right to information, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, the processing for other purposes and the transmission and automated decision-making in individual cases, including profiling. Furthermore, it regulates data processing for purposes of the employment relationship (Section 26 BDSG), in particular with regard to the establishment, implementation or termination of employment relationships as well as the consent of employees. Moreover, data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

Security policy

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the implementation costs and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the extent of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons.

The measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access to, input of, disclosure of, assurance of availability of and segregation of the data. We also have procedures in place to ensure the exercise of data subjects’ rights, the deletion of data and responses to data compromise. Furthermore, we already take the protection of personal data into account in the development or selection of hardware, software and procedures in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

SSL encryption (https): In order to protect your data transmitted via our online offer, we use SSL encryption. You can recognise such encrypted connections by the prefix https:// in the address line of your browser.

Transfer and Disclosure of Personal Data

In the course of our processing of personal data, the data may be transferred to or disclosed to other bodies, companies, legally independent organisational units or persons. The recipients of this data may include, for example, payment institutions in the context of payment transactions, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we observe the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude corresponding contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.

Use of Cookies

Cookies are text files that contain data from visited websites or domains and are stored by a browser on the user’s computer. A cookie is primarily used to store information about a user during or after their visit to an online offering. The stored information may include, for example, language settings on a website, login status, a shopping cart, or where a video was watched. The term cookies also include other technologies that perform the same functions as cookies (e.g. when user details are stored using pseudonymous online identifiers, also known as “user IDs”).

The following cookie types and functions are distinguished:

• Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed his browser.

• permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the browser has been closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, the interests of users used for reach measurement or marketing purposes can be stored in such a cookie.

• First-party cookies: First-party cookies are set by us ourselves.

• Third-party cookies (also: third-party cookies): Third-party cookies are mainly used by advertisers (so-called third parties) to process user information.

• necessary (also: essential or necessary) cookies: Cookies may be necessary for the operation of a website (e.g. to webstore logins or other user input or for security reasons).

• Statistical, marketing and personal cookies: Furthermore, cookies are usually also used in the context of range measurement and when a user’s interests or behaviour (e.g. viewing certain content, using functions, etc.) on individual websites are stored in a user profile. Such profiles are used, for example, to show users content that matches their potential interests. This procedure is also referred to as “tracking”, i.e. following the potential interests of users. . As far as we use cookies or “tracking” technologies, we will inform you separately in our data protection declaration or in the context of obtaining consent.

Notes on legal bases:

The legal basis on which we process your personal data using cookies depends on whether we ask you for consent. If this is the case and you consent to the use of cookies, the legal basis for processing your data is your declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the business operation of our online offer and its improvement) or, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations.

General information on revocation and objection (opt-out):

Depending on whether the processing is based on consent or legal permission, you have the option at any time to revoke any consent you have given or to object to the processing of your data by cookie technologies (collectively referred to as “opt-out”). You can initially declare your objection by means of your browser settings, e.g. by deactivating the use of cookies (whereby this may also restrict the functionality of our online offer). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared by means of a variety of services, especially in the case of tracking, via the https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/ websites. In addition, you can obtain further instructions on how to object within the scope of the information on the service providers and cookies used.

• Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. web pages visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a GDPR), Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

Contacting

When contacting us (e.g. via the contact form, email, telephone or social media), the information provided by the person enquiring is processed to the extent necessary to respond to the contact inquiries and any measures requested.

The response to the contact requests in the context of contractual or pre-contractual relationships is carried out to fulfill our contractual obligations or to respond to (pre)contractual requests and otherwise based on the legitimate interests in responding to the requests.

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

In order to provide our online offer securely and efficiently, we use the services of one or more web hosting providers from whose servers (or servers managed by them) the online offer can be accessed. For these purposes, we may use infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services as well as security services and technical maintenance services.

The data processed in the course of providing the hosting service may include all information relating to the users of our online service that is generated in the course of use and communication. This regularly includes the IP address, which is necessary to be able to deliver the contents of online offers to browsers, and all entries made within our online offer or from websites.

Collection of access data and log files: We (or our web hosting provider) collect data on every access to the server (so-called server log files). The server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, the date and time of access, the volume of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider.

The server log files may be used, on the one hand, for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the servers (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and, on the other hand, to ensure the utilisation of the servers and their stability.

Types of data processed: Content data (e.g. text entries, photographs, videos), usage data (e.g. web pages visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).

Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).

Legal grounds: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

Promotional communication via e-mail, post, fax or telephone

We process personal data for the purposes of promotional communication, which may take place via various channels, such as e-mail, telephone, post or fax, in accordance with legal requirements.

Recipients have the right to revoke consent given at any time or to object to promotional communication at any time.

After revocation or objection, we may store the data required to prove consent for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before deleting it. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defence against claims. An individual deletion request is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time.

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses), contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).

Data subjects: Communication partners.

Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).

Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a GDPR), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f GDPR).

Online marketing

We process personal data for online marketing purposes, which may include, in particular, marketing advertising space or displaying promotional and other content (collectively, “content”) based on users’ potential interests and measuring its effectiveness.

For these purposes, so-called user profiles are created and stored in a file (so-called “cookie”) or similar procedures are used, by means of which the information about the user relevant to the presentation of the aforementioned content is stored. This information may include, for example, content viewed, websites visited, online networks used, but also communication partners and technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, this may also be processed.

The IP addresses of users are also stored. However, we use available IP masking procedures (i.e. pseudonymisation by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) is stored within the scope of the online marketing process, but pseudonyms. This means that we as well as the providers of the online marketing procedures do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles.

The information in the profiles is usually stored in the cookies or using similar procedures. These cookies can generally be read later on other websites that use the same online marketing procedure and analysed to display content as well as supplemented with further data and stored on the server of the online marketing procedure provider.

Exceptionally, clear data can be assigned to the profiles. This is the case if, for example, the users are members of a social network whose online marketing procedure we use and the network links the users’ profiles with the aforementioned data. We ask you to note that users may enter into additional agreements with the providers, e.g. by giving their consent as part of the registration process.

In principle, we only receive access to summarised information about the success of our advertisements. However, within the framework of so-called conversion measurements, we can check which of our online marketing procedures have led to a so-called conversion, i.e., for example, to a conclusion of a contract with us. The conversion measurement is used solely to analyse the success of our marketing measures.

Unless otherwise stated, we ask you to assume that cookies used will be stored for two years.

Notes on legal basis:

If we ask users for their consent to use third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Otherwise, users’ data is processed based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economic and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

– Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. web pages visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).

– Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services), interested parties.

– Purposes of processing: tracking (e.g. interest/behavioural profiling, use of cookies), remarketing, visit action evaluation, interest-based and behavioural marketing, profiling (creating user profiles), conversion measurement (measuring the effectiveness of marketing measures), reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors).

– Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymisation of the IP address).

– Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a GDPR), Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f GDPR).

– Possibility of objection (opt-out): We refer to the data protection notices of the respective providers and the objection options given for the providers (so-called \”opt-out\”). If no explicit opt-out option has been specified, you have the option of switching off cookies in your browser settings. However, this may restrict the functions of our online offer. We therefore recommend the following additional opt-out options, which are offered in summary for the respective regions:

1. a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu.
2. b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices.
3. c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices.
4. d) Cross-territory: https://optout.aboutads.info.

Services used and service providers:

– Google Tag Manager:

Google Tag Manager is a solution with which we can manage so-called website tags via an interface (and thus, for example, integrate Google Analytics and other Google marketing services into our online offer). The tag manager itself (which implements the tags) does not process any personal data of the users. With regard to the processing of users’ personal data, please refer to the following information on Google services. Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, Parent Company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Privacy Shield (guaranteeing the level of data protection when processing data in the USA): https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active.

– Google Analytics:

Online marketing and web analysis; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; data protection declaration: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Privacy Shield (guaranteeing the level of data protection when processing data in the USA): https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active; opt-out option: opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, settings for the display of advertising: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

Plugins and embedded functions and content

We integrate functional and content elements into our online offer that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”). These can be, for example, graphics, videos or social media buttons and posts (following uniformly referred to as “content”).

The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, as without the IP address they could not send the content to their browser. The IP address is thus required for the presentation of these contents or functions. We endeavour to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as “web beacons”) for statistical or marketing purposes. The “pixel tags” can be used to analyse information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and may contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and other information about the use of our online offering, as well as being linked to such information from other sources.

Notes on legal basis: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the processing of data is consent. Otherwise, users’ data is processed based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economic and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

– Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. web pages visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).

– Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).

– Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness, contractual performance and service.

– Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

Services used and service providers:

Google Fonts: We integrate the fonts (“Google Fonts”) of the provider Google, whereby the user’s data is used only for the purpose of displaying the fonts in the user’s browser. The integration is based on our legitimate interests in a technically secure, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts, their uniform display and taking into account possible licensing restrictions for their integration. Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://fonts.google.com/; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Privacy Shield (guaranteeing the level of data protection when processing data in the USA): https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active.

Planning, organization and support tools

We use services, platforms and software from other providers (in the following referred to as “third party providers”) for organising, managing, planning and providing our services. When selecting the third-party providers and their services, we observe the legal requirements.

In this context, personal data may be processed and stored on the servers of third party providers. This may involve various data which we process in accordance with this data protection declaration. This data may include, in particular, master data and contact data of users, data on transactions, contracts, other processes and their contents.

If users are referred to the third party providers or their software or platforms in the course of communication, business or other relationships with us, the third-party providers may process usage data and metadata for security purposes, service optimisation or marketing purposes. We therefore ask you to observe the data protection notices of the respective third-party providers.

Notes on legal basis: If we ask users for their consent to use the third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Furthermore, their use may be a component of our (pre-)contractual services, provided that the use of the third-party providers was agreed within this framework. Otherwise, user data is processed based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economical and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

– Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses), contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers), content data (e.g. text entries, photographs, videos), usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).

– Data subjects: Communication partners, users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).

– Legal grounds: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a GDPR), Contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. GDPR), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

Deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as their consent permitted for processing is revoked or other permissions cease to apply (e.g. if the purpose of processing this data has ceased to apply or it is not required for the purpose).

If the data are not deleted because they are required for other and legally permissible purposes, their processing will be limited to these purposes. i.e. the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person.

Further information on the deletion of personal data can also be found in the individual data protection notices of this privacy policy.

Change and update of the privacy policy

We ask you to regularly inform yourself about the content of our data protection declaration. We adapt the data protection declaration as soon as changes in the data processing carried out by us make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as changes require an act of cooperation on your part (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.

If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organisations in this data protection declaration, please note that the addresses may change over time and please check the information before contacting us.

Rights of data subjects

– Right to object: You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you which is carried out based on Article 6(1)(e) or (f) of the GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such commercial; this also applies to profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.

– Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to revoke any consent given at any time.

– Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether data in question is being processed and to information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.

– Right to rectification: You have the right, in accordance with the law, to request that data concerning you be completed or that inaccurate data concerning you be rectified.

– Right to erasure and restriction of processing: You have the right, in accordance with the law, to request that data concerning you be erased without delay or to request restriction of the processing of the data in accordance with the law.

– Right to data portability: You have the right to receive data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, common and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements, or to demand that it be transferred to another authorised person.

– Complaint to the supervisory authority: You also have the right to complain with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, your place of work, or the place of the alleged infringement, in accordance with the law, if you believe that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR.