Introduction
With the following data protection declaration, we would like to inform you about the types of your personal data ( also referred to below as “data”) that we process, for what purposes and to what extent. The data protection declaration applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both as part of the provision of our services and in particular on our websites, in mobile applications and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “online offer”).
The terms used are not gender-specific.
Status: 23 March 2021
Content Overview
- Introduction
- Responsible
- Overview of processing operations
- Relevant legal basis
- Security measures
- Transfer of personal data
- Data processing in third countries
- Use of cookies
- Use of online marketplaces for e-commerce
- Provision of the online offer and web hosting
- Contacting
- Online marketing
- Plugins and embedded functions and content
- Deletion of data
- Amendment and updating of the privacy policy
- Rights of data subjects
Definitions
Responsible
Overview of the processing
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. entries in online forms).
- Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).
- Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
- Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
- Contract data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category).
- Payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history).
Categories of persons concerned
- Communication partners.
- Customers.
- Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of the processing
- Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
- Marketing.
- Contact requests and communication.
- Profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
- Provision of contractual services and customer service.
Relevant legal bases
Below you will find an overview of the legal basis of the GDPR/DSGVO on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR/DSGVO, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. 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. DSGVO) – The data subject has given his/her consent to the processing of personal data relating to him/her for a specific purpose or purposes.
- Contract performance and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. DSGVO) – 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. DSGVO) – Processing is necessary to protect 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.
Security measures
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.
Transmission 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, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we comply with the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude appropriate contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.
Data processing in third countries
If we process data in a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or the processing takes place in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or companies, this will only be done in accordance with the legal requirements.
Subject to express consent or contractually or legally required transfer, we only process or have data processed in third countries with a recognised level of data protection, contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission, in the presence of certifications or binding internal data protection regulations (Art. 44 to 49 DSGVO, information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_de).
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 his or her visit within an online offer. 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 includes 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 is 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 range measurement or marketing purposes can be stored in such a cookie.
- First-party cookies: First-party cookies are set by 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 absolutely necessary) cookies:Cookies may, on the one hand, be absolutely necessary for the operation of a website (e.g. to store logins or other user input or for security reasons).
- Statistical, marketing and personalisation cookies: Furthermore, cookies are generally 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. tracking the potential interests of users. Insofar 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.
Storage period: If we do not provide you with explicit information on the storage period of permanent cookies (e.g. in the context of a so-called cookie opt-in), please assume that the storage period can be up to two years.
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 in the context of the information on the service providers and cookies used.
Processing of cookie data on the basis of consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure, in the context of which the consent of users to the use of cookies, or the processing and providers named in the cookie consent management procedure, can be obtained and managed and revoked by users. The declaration of consent is stored in order not to have to repeat the request and to be able to prove the consent in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie or with the help of comparable technologies) in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or their device. Subject to individual information on the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of consent can be up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created and stored with the time of consent, information on the scope of consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) and the browser, system and end device 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. DSGVO), Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).
Use of online marketplaces for e-commerce
We offer our services on online platforms operated by other service providers. In this context, the data protection notices of the respective platforms apply in addition to our data protection notices. This applies in particular with regard to the reach measurement and interest-based marketing procedures used on the platforms..
- Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses), payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history), contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers), contract data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category), usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
- Data subjects: Customers.
- Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service.
- Legal grounds: Contract performance and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. DSGVO), Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).
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 ourselves (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 can be used for security purposes, e.g. to prevent server overload (especially in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and to ensure the utilisation of the servers and their stability.
- Types of data processed: Content data (e.g. entries in online forms), usage data (e.g. websites 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.
- Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).
Kontaktaufnahme
When contacting us (e.g. via contact form, email, telephone or via social media), the information of the inquiring persons is processed to the extent that this is necessary to answer the contact enquiries and any requested measures.
The response to the contact requests in the context of contractual or pre-contractual relationships is carried out to fulfil our contractual obligations or to respond to (pre)contractual requests and otherwise on the basis of the legitimate interests in responding to the requests.
- Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses), contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers), content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
- Data subjects: Communication partners.
- Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication.
- Legal basis: Contract fulfilment and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. DSGVO), Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).
Onlinemarketing
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 the potential interests of users 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 by means of similar procedures. These cookies can generally also be read later on other websites that use the same online marketing procedure and analysed for the purpose of displaying 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 a period of 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 on the basis of 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: marketing, profiling with user-related information (creating user profiles).
- Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymisation of the IP address).
- Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO), Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).
- Possibility of objection (opt-out): We refer to the data protection notices of the respective providers and the possibilities of objection given to 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: a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu. b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices. c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices. d) Cross-territory: https://optout.aboutads.info.
Services used and service providers:
- Google Analytics: online marketing and web analytics; 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/; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; opt-out: opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, settings for display of ads: 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 city maps (hereinafter 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 would not be able to 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 on the basis of 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.
Data deletion
The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as their consents permitted for processing are 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.
Our data protection notices may also contain further details on the retention and deletion of data which have priority for the respective processing operations.
Amendment and updating of the data protection declaration
We ask you to regularly inform yourself about the content of our data protection declaration. We adapt the data protection declaration as soon as the changes in the data processing carried out by us make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require an act of cooperation on your part (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.
Where we provide addresses and contact details of companies and organisations in this privacy statement, please note that the addresses may change over time and please check the details before contacting us.
Rights of the persons concerned
As a data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Articles 15 to 21 of the GDPR:
- 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 on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) or (f) DSGVO; 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 marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as 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, alternatively, 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 person responsible.
- Complaint to the supervisory authority: Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the requirements of the GDPR.
Definitions of terms
This section provides you with an overview of the terms used in this privacy policy. Many of the terms are taken from the law and defined above all in Art. 4 of the GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are primarily intended to help you understand them. The terms are sorted alphabetically.
- IP masking: IP masking is a method of deleting the last octet, i.e. the last two numbers of an IP address, so that the IP address can no longer be used to uniquely identify a person. Therefore, IP masking is a means of pseudonymising processing procedures, especially in online marketing.
- Personal data: “Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subject”); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
- Profiles with user-related information: The processing of “profiles with user-related information”, or “profiles” for short, includes any type of automated processing of personal data that consists of using such personal data to analyse, evaluate or to predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this may include different information concerning demographics, behaviour and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.) (e.g. interests in certain content or products, click behaviour on a website or location). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
- Controller: “Controller” is the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
- Processing: “Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed upon personal data, whether or not by automatic means. The term is broad and encompasses virtually any handling of data, be it collection, analysis, storage, transmission or erasure.