Privacy Policy

Data transfer to third countries

We only transfer or process data in countries outside the scope of the GDPR (third countries) if you consent to this processing or if there is another legal permission. This applies in particular if the processing is required by law or necessary to fulfill a contractual relationship and in any case only to the extent that this is generally permitted. In most cases, your consent is the most important reason why we have data processed in third countries. The processing of personal data in third countries such as the USA, where many software manufacturers offer services and have their server locations, can mean that personal data is processed and stored in unexpected ways.

We expressly point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, an adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA currently only exists if a US company that processes personal data of EU citizens in the USA is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. You can find more information at: https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en

Data processing by US services that are not active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework may result in data not being processed and stored anonymously. Furthermore, US government authorities may have access to individual data. In addition, it may happen that data collected is linked to data from other services of the same provider, provided you have a corresponding user account. Where possible, we try to use server locations within the EU if this is offered.
We will provide you with more detailed information about data transfer to third countries, where applicable, at the appropriate points in this privacy policy.

Security of data processing

We have implemented both technical and organizational measures to protect personal data. Where possible, we encrypt or pseudonymize personal data. In this way, we make it as difficult as possible for third parties to derive personal information from our data.

Article 25 GDPR speaks of "data protection through technical design and through data protection-friendly default settings" and means that security is always considered and appropriate measures are taken for both software (e.g. forms) and hardware (e.g. access to the server room). In the following, we will go into specific measures if necessary.

TLS encryption with https

TLS, encryption and https sound very technical and they are. We use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) to transfer data securely over the Internet.
This means that the complete transmission of all data from your browser to our web server is secure - no one can "eavesdrop".

We have thus introduced an additional security layer and comply with data protection through technology design (Article 25 paragraph 1 GDPR). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission on the Internet, we can ensure the protection of confidential data.
You can recognise the use of this data transfer security by the small lock symbol at the top left of the browser, to the left of the internet address (e.g. beispielseite.de) and the use of the https scheme (instead of http) as part of our internet address.
If you want to know more about encryption, we recommend doing a Google search for "Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure wiki" to get good links to further information.

Communication

If you contact us and communicate by telephone, email or online form, personal data may be processed.

The data will be processed to process and handle your question and the related business transaction. The data will be stored for as long as required by law.

Affected persons

The above-mentioned processes affect everyone who tries to contact us via the communication channels we provide.

Phone

When you call us, the call data is stored pseudonymously on the respective device and by the telecommunications provider used. In addition, data such as name and telephone number can be sent by email afterwards and stored to answer the query. The data is deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements allow it.

Email

If you communicate with us by email, data may be saved on the respective device (computer, laptop, smartphone, etc.) and data is saved on the email server. The data is deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements permit it.

Online forms

If you communicate with us using an online form, data will be saved on our web server and, if necessary, forwarded to an email address of ours. The data will be deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements permit it.

Legal basis

The processing of the data is based on the following legal bases:

• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent): You give us your consent to store your data and to use it further for the purposes related to the business case;
• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract): There is a need to fulfil a contract with you or a processor such as the telephone provider or we must process the data for pre-contractual activities, such as preparing an offer;
• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests): We want to handle customer inquiries and business communication in a professional setting. For this, certain technical facilities such as email programs, exchange servers and mobile phone operators are necessary in order to be able to operate the communication efficiently.

Cookies

What are cookies?

Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.
Below we explain what cookies are and why they are used so that you can better understand the following privacy policy.

Whenever you surf the Internet, you use a browser. Well-known browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing cannot be denied: cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. To be more precise, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other areas of application. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, the "brain" of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal page settings. When you visit our site again, your browser sends the "user-related" information back to our site. Thanks to cookies, our website knows who you are and offers you the settings you are used to. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file, in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

The following graphic shows a possible interaction between a web browser such as Chrome and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie back from the server, which the browser uses again when another page is requested.

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g. Google Analytics). Each cookie must be evaluated individually, as each cookie stores different data. The expiration time of a cookie also varies from a few minutes to a few years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans or other "malware". Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data can look like this:

Name: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152122955661-9
Purpose: Differentiation between website visitors
Expiry date: after 2 years

A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:

• At least 4096 bytes per cookie
• At least 50 cookies per domain
• At least 3000 cookies in total

What types of cookies are there?

The question of which cookies we use in particular depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the privacy policy. At this point we would like to briefly explain the different types of HTTP cookies.

There are 4 types of cookies:

Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic functions of the website. For example, these cookies are needed when a user puts a product in the shopping cart, then continues browsing on other pages and only later goes to the checkout. These cookies do not delete the shopping cart, even if the user closes their browser window.

Purposeful cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. In addition, these cookies are also used to measure the loading time and behavior of the website in different browsers.

Targeted cookies
These cookies ensure better user-friendliness. For example, entered locations, font sizes or form data are saved.

Advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver individually tailored advertising to the user. This can be very practical, but also very annoying.

Usually, when you first visit a website, you will be asked which of these types of cookies you would like to accept. And of course, this decision will also be saved in a cookie.

If you want to know more about cookies and are not afraid of technical documentation, we recommend https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265, the Request for Comments of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) called "HTTP State Management Mechanism".

Purpose of processing via cookies

The purpose ultimately depends on the respective cookie. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.

What data is processed?

Cookies are little helpers for many different tasks. Unfortunately, it is not possible to generalize which data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the data processed or stored in the following data protection declaration.

Storage period of cookies

The storage period depends on the cookie in question and is specified below. Some cookies are deleted after less than an hour, others can remain stored on a computer for several years.

You also have influence over the storage period. You can delete all cookies manually at any time via your browser (see also "Right of objection" below). Furthermore, cookies based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you revoke your consent, whereby the legality of the storage remains unaffected until then.

Right of objection - how can I delete cookies?

You decide how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come from, you always have the option of deleting, deactivating or only partially allowing cookies. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all other cookies.

If you want to find out which cookies have been stored in your browser, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this in your browser settings:

Chrome: Delete, enable and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Manage cookies and website data with Safari

Firefox: Delete cookies to remove data that websites have stored on your computer

Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and managing cookies

If you do not want cookies at all, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be placed. This way you can decide for each individual cookie whether you want to allow the cookie or not. The procedure varies depending on the browser. The best thing to do is to search for instructions in Google using the search term “delete cookies Chrome” or “deactivate cookies Chrome” in the case of a Chrome browser.

Legal basis

The so-called "cookie guidelines" have been in place since 2009. They state that storing cookies requires your consent (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter a of GDPR). However, there are still very different reactions to these guidelines within the EU countries. In Austria, however, this guideline was implemented in Section 165 Paragraph 3 of the Telecommunications Act (2021). In Germany, the cookie guidelines were not implemented as national law. Instead, this guideline was largely implemented in Section 15 Paragraph 3 of the Telemedia Act (TMG), which has been replaced by the Digital Services Act (DDG) since May 2024.

For absolutely necessary cookies, even if no consent has been given, there are legitimate interests (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f of GDPR), which in most cases are of an economic nature. We want to give visitors to the website a pleasant user experience and for this, certain cookies are often absolutely necessary.

If cookies that are not absolutely necessary are used, this only happens with your consent. The legal basis in this respect is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

In the following sections you will be informed in more detail about the use of cookies, provided that the software used uses cookies.

Customer data

What is customer data?

In order to be able to offer our service or our contractual services, we also process data from our customers and business partners. This data always includes personal data. Customer data is all information that is processed on the basis of a contractual or pre-contractual collaboration in order to be able to provide the services offered. Customer data is therefore all information that we collect and process about our customers.

Why do we process customer data?

There are many reasons why we collect and process customer data. The most important is that we simply need various data to provide our services. Sometimes your email address is enough, but if you purchase a product or service, we also need data such as your name, address, bank details or contract details. We also use the data for marketing and sales optimization so that we can improve our service for our customers overall. Another important point is our customer service, which is always very important to us. We want you to be able to come to us at any time with questions about our offers and for that we need at least your email address.

What data is processed?

At this point, the exact data that is stored can only be shown in categories. This always depends on the services you receive from us. In some cases, you only give us your email address so that we can, for example, contact you or answer your questions. In other cases, you purchase a product or service from us and for this we need significantly more information, such as your contact details, payment details and contract details.

Here is a list of possible data that we receive and process from you:

• Name
• Contact address
• Email address
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• Payment data (invoices, bank details, payment history, etc.)
• Contract data (duration, content)
• Usage data (websites visited, access data, etc.)
• Metadata (IP address, device information)

How long is the data stored?

As soon as we no longer need the customer data to fulfil our contractual obligations and our purposes and the data is also not required for possible warranty and liability obligations, we delete the relevant customer data. This is the case, for example, when a business contract ends. After that, the limitation period is usually 3 years, although longer periods are possible in individual cases. Of course, we also adhere to the statutory retention periods. Your customer data will definitely not be passed on to third parties unless you have explicitly given your consent.

Legal basis

The legal basis for the processing of your data is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract or pre-contractual measures), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests) and in special cases (e.g. for medical services) Art. 9 Para. 2 lit. a. GDPR (processing of special categories).

In the case of the protection of vital interests, data processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 9 Para. 2 lit. c. GDPR. For the purposes of healthcare, occupational medicine, medical diagnostics, care or treatment in the health or social sector or for the administration of systems and services in the health or social sector, personal data is processed in accordance with Art. 9 Para. 2 lit. h. GDPR. If you voluntarily provide special category data, processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 9 Para. 2 lit. a. GDPR.

Webhosting Introduction

What is web hosting?

When you visit websites these days, certain information - including personal data - is automatically created and saved, including on this website. This data should be processed as sparingly as possible and only with justification. By website we mean the entirety of all web pages on a domain, i.e. everything from the start page (homepage) to the very last subpage (like this one). By domain we mean example.de or musterbeispiel.com, for example.

When you want to view a website on a computer, tablet or smartphone, you use a program called a web browser. You probably know some web browsers by name: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. We call them browsers or web browsers for short.

To display the website, the browser must connect to another computer where the website code is stored: the web server. Operating a web server is a complicated and time-consuming task, which is why it is usually handled by professional providers. They offer web hosting and thus ensure that website data is stored reliably and error-free. A lot of technical terms, but please stay tuned, it gets even better!

When the browser connects to your computer (desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone) and during data transfer to and from the web server, personal data may be processed. On the one hand, your computer stores data, and on the other hand, the web server must also store data for a while to ensure proper operation.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so the following graphic illustrates the interaction between the browser, the Internet and the hosting provider.

Why do we process personal data?

The purposes of data processing are:

1. Professional hosting of the website and security of the operation
2. to maintain operational and IT security
3. Anonymous evaluation of access behavior to improve our offer and, if necessary, for criminal prosecution or the pursuit of claims

What data is processed?

Even while you are currently visiting our website, our web server, which is the computer on which this website is stored, usually automatically stores data such as

• the complete Internet address (URL) of the website accessed
• Browser and browser version (e.g. Chrome 87)
• the operating system used (e.g. Windows 10)
• the address (URL) of the previously visited page (referrer URL) (e.g. https://www.beispielquellsite.de/vondabinichgekommen/)
• the hostname and IP address of the device from which access is made (e.g. COMPUTERNAME and 194.23.43.121)
• Date and time
• in files, the so-called web server log files

How long is data stored?

As a rule, the above data is stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not pass this data on, but cannot rule out that this data will be viewed by authorities in the event of illegal behavior.

In short: Your visit is logged by our provider (company that runs our website on special computers (servers)), but we do not share your data without your consent!

Legal basis

The legality of the processing of personal data in the context of web hosting arises from Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f of GDPR (protection of legitimate interests), because the use of professional hosting with a provider is necessary in order to present the company on the Internet in a secure and user-friendly manner and to be able to pursue attacks and claims arising from this if necessary.

There is usually a contract between us and the hosting provider for order processing in accordance with Art. 28 f. GDPR, which ensures compliance with data protection and guarantees data security.

Hostinger Privacy Policy

We also use the web hosting service Hostinger for our business. The service provider is the Lithuanian company HOSTINGER, UAB, Švitrigailos Str. 34, LT-03230 Vilnius, Lithuania.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Hostinger in the privacy policy at https://www.hostinger.de/legal/datenschutz-bestimmungen.

Website Baukastensysteme Introduction

What are website building blocks?

We use a website modular system for our website. Modular systems are special forms of a content management system (CMS). With a modular system, website operators can create a website very easily and without any programming knowledge. In many cases, web hosts also offer modular systems. By using a modular system, personal data can also be collected, stored and processed. In this data protection text, we give you general information about data processing by modular systems. You can find more information in the provider's data protection declarations.

Why do we use website builders for our website?

The biggest advantage of a modular system is its ease of use. We want to offer you a clear, simple and well-organized website that we can easily operate and maintain ourselves - without external support. A modular system now offers many helpful functions that we can use even without programming knowledge. This allows us to design our web presence according to our wishes and offer you an informative and pleasant time on our website.

What data is stored by a modular system?

What data is stored depends, of course, on the website construction kit system used. Each provider processes and collects different data from website visitors. However, technical usage information such as operating system, browser, screen resolution, language and keyboard settings, hosting provider and the date of your website visit are usually collected. Tracking data (e.g. browser activity, clickstream activities, session heatmaps, etc.) can also be processed. Personal data can also be collected and stored. This usually includes contact data such as email address, telephone number (if you have provided this), IP address and geographical location data. You can find out exactly which data is stored in the provider's privacy policy.

How long and where is the data stored?

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below in connection with the website modular system used, provided we have further information about it. You can find detailed information about this in the provider's privacy policy. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. It is possible that the provider stores your data according to its own specifications, over which we have no influence.

Right of objection

You always have the right to information, correction and deletion of your personal data. If you have any questions, you can contact the person responsible for the website modular system used at any time. You can find contact details either in our privacy policy or on the website of the relevant provider.

You can delete, deactivate or manage cookies that providers use for their functions in your browser. This works in different ways depending on which browser you use. Please note, however, that not all functions may then work as usual.

Legal basis

We have a legitimate interest in using a website construction kit system to optimize our online service and present it to you in an efficient and user-friendly manner. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use the construction kit if you have given your consent.

If the processing of data is not absolutely necessary for the operation of the website, the data will only be processed on the basis of your consent. This particularly applies to tracking activities. The legal basis in this respect is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

With this privacy policy, we have provided you with the most important general information about data processing. If you would like more detailed information on this, you can find further information - if available - in the following section or in the provider's privacy policy.

Web Analytics Introduction

What is Web Analytics?

We use software on our website to evaluate the behavior of website visitors, known as web analytics or web analysis for short. This collects data that the respective analytic tool provider (also known as tracking tool) stores, manages and processes. The data is used to create analyses of user behavior on our website and makes them available to us as website operators. In addition, most tools offer various testing options. For example, we can test which offers or content are most popular with our visitors. To do this, we show you two different offers for a limited period of time. After the test (so-called A/B test), we know which product or content our website visitors find more interesting. For such testing procedures, as for other analytics procedures, user profiles can also be created and the data stored in cookies.

Why do we use web analytics?

We have a clear goal in mind with our website: we want to provide the best web offering on the market for our industry. To achieve this goal, we want to offer the best and most interesting offering on the one hand and, on the other hand, make sure that you feel completely comfortable on our website. With the help of web analysis tools, we can take a closer look at the behavior of our website visitors and then improve our web offering for you and us accordingly. For example, we can see how old our visitors on average are, where they come from, when our website is visited most often or which content or products are particularly popular. All of this information helps us to optimize the website and thus adapt it as best as possible to your needs, interests and wishes.

What data is processed?

What data is stored depends, of course, on the analysis tools used. However, as a rule, we store, for example, what content you view on our website, what buttons or links you click, when you visit a page, what browser you use, what device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use to visit the website, or what computer system you use. If you have agreed that location data may also be collected, this can also be processed by the web analysis tool provider.

Your IP address is also stored. According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), IP addresses are personal data. However, your IP address is usually stored pseudonymously (i.e. in an unrecognizable and shortened form). For the purposes of testing, web analysis and web optimization, no direct data such as your name, age, address or email address is stored. All of this data, if collected, is stored pseudonymously. This means that you cannot be identified as a person.

The following example shows schematically how Google Analytics works as an example of client-based web tracking with Java script code.

How long the respective data is stored always depends on the provider. Some cookies only store data for a few minutes or until you leave the website again, other cookies can store data for several years.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, if we have further information about it. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If it is required by law, as in the case of accounting, for example, this storage period can also be exceeded.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser.

Legal basis

The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. According toArt. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as it may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our offering technically and economically. With the help of web analytics, we can detect errors on the website, identify attacks and improve profitability. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (Legitimate Interests). However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent.

Since web analytics tools use cookies, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Information on specific web analytics tools, if available, can be found in the following sections.

Facebook Conversions API Privacy Policy

What is a Facebook Conversions API?

We use Facebook Conversions API, a server-side event tracking tool, on our website. The service provider is the American company Meta Platforms Inc. The company Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland) is responsible for the European region.

The Facebook Conversions API is a tool or function that can measure the performance of our advertising campaigns in real time. The API is an interface that connects our website to Facebook and thereby measures certain actions on our website. A conversion occurs when you, as a visitor to a website, perform a desired action. This can be, for example, clicking on a button or filling out a registration form. This conversion tracking method is an alternative to Facebook Pixel and aims to optimize conversion tracking through precision and reliability. The API sends data from our server directly to Facebook. Personal data may also be processed in the process. In this privacy policy, we go into more detail about the data processing by us and Facebook.

Why do we use the Facebook Conversions API on our website?

We use the Facebook Conversions API to improve the quality of our website, our offering and our advertising campaigns. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible service. We want you to feel comfortable on our website and get exactly what you expect. To do this, we naturally have to adapt our offering as best as possible to your wishes and requirements. With the Facebook Conversions API, we can respond very well to this and adapt content and offerings individually. This flexibility helps us to take different needs into account and at the same time improve our web offering. The data also helps us to carry out our advertising measures more cost-effectively and individually. Because of course we only want to show our offering to people who are interested in it.

What data is stored by the Facebook Conversions API?

With the help of the Facebook Conversions API, we can collect various data about events on our website and provide it to Facebook. Exactly which data is stored and processed depends on our individual settings and the specific events and parameters. As a rule, event data, user data, device data and the time at which an event (e.g. button click) took place are stored and sent to Facebook. Event data includes actions such as registration, product purchases, page views or button clicks that can be carried out on our website. User data can also include personal data such as IP address, name, address or email address. Device data refers to your device type, operating system, browser and screen resolution.

How long and where is the data stored?

Basically, Facebook stores data until it is no longer needed for its own services and Facebook products. Facebook has servers all over the world where data is stored. However, customer data is deleted within 48 hours after it has been compared with its own user data.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You have the right and the opportunity to access your personal data at any time and to object to the use and processing of it. You can also file a complaint with a government supervisory authority at any time. You can generally prevent data storage by not consenting to data processing via the Consent Management Tool. Facebook Conversions API works on the server side and therefore deleting data is different than with client-side methods. However, you can check the data protection and security settings in your browser and, if possible, block tracking resources (pixels, cookies, scripts).

Legal basis

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored by Facebook Conversions API, this consent is the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the Facebook Conversions API if you have given your consent.

Facebook processes your data in the USA, among other places. Facebook and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Facebook also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Facebook undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Facebook data processing conditions, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Facebook Conversions API in the Privacy Policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.

Google Analytics Privacy Policy

What is Google Analytics?

We use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics in version Google Analytics 4 (GA4) from the American company Google Inc. on our website. In Europe, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. By combining different technologies such as cookies, device IDs and login information, you as a user can be identified across different devices. This means that your actions can also be analyzed across platforms.

For example, if you click on a link, this event is stored in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. The reports we receive from Google Analytics help us better tailor our website and service to your needs. Below we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and, above all, inform you about which data is processed and how you can prevent this.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool that is used to analyze our website's traffic. These measurements and analyses are based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This number does not contain any personal data such as name or address, but is used to assign events to a device. GA4 uses an event-based model that records detailed information on user interactions such as page views, clicks, scrolling, and conversion events. In addition, various machine learning functions have been built into GA4 to better understand user behavior and certain trends. GA4 uses machine learning functions to model. This means that missing data can also be extrapolated based on the data collected in order to optimize the analysis and also to make forecasts.

In order for Google Analytics to work, a tracking code is built into the code of our website. When you visit our website, this code records various events that you perform on our website. With GA4's event-based data model, we as website operators can define and track specific events in order to obtain analyses of user interactions. In this way, in addition to general information such as clicks or page views, special events that are important for our business can also be tracked. Such special events can be, for example, submitting a contact form or purchasing a product.

As soon as you leave our website, this data is sent to the Google Analytics servers and stored there.

Google processes the data and we receive reports about your user behavior. These may include the following reports:

• Target group reports: Through target group reports we get to know our users better and know more precisely who is interested in our service.
• Advertising reports: Advertising reports help us analyze and improve our online advertising.
• Acquisition reports: Acquisition reports give us helpful information about how we can get more people excited about our service.
• Behavioral reports: Here we learn how you interact with our website. We can track the path you take on our site and which links you click on.
• Conversion reports: Conversion is a process in which you perform a desired action based on a marketing message. For example, when you go from being a pure website visitor to becoming a buyer or newsletter subscriber. These reports help us learn more about how our marketing measures are received by you. This is how we want to increase our conversion rate.
• Real-time reports: Here we always know immediately what is happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.

In addition to the analysis reports mentioned above, Google Analytics 4 also offers the following functions:

• Event-based data model: This model records very specific events that can take place on our website. For example, playing a video, purchasing a product or signing up for our newsletter.
• Advanced analysis functions: These functions enable us to understand your behavior on our website or certain general trends even better. For example, we can segment user groups, carry out comparative analyses of target groups or track your route or path on our website.
• Predictive modeling: Based on collected data, machine learning can extrapolate missing data that predicts future events and trends. This can help us develop better marketing strategies.
• Cross-platform analysis: Data can be collected and analyzed from both websites and apps. This gives us the opportunity to analyze user behavior across platforms, provided you have of course consented to data processing.

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

Our goal with this website is clear: we want to offer you the best possible service. The statistics and data from Google Analytics help us achieve this goal.

The statistically evaluated data gives us a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of our website. On the one hand, we can optimize our site so that it is easier for interested people to find on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us to better understand you as a visitor. We therefore know exactly what we need to improve on our website in order to offer you the best possible service. The data also helps us to carry out our advertising and marketing measures in a more personalized and cost-effective manner. After all, it only makes sense to show our products and services to people who are interested in them.

What data is stored by Google Analytics?

Google Analytics uses a tracking code to create a random, unique ID that is linked to your browser cookie. This allows Google Analytics to recognize you as a new user and assign you a user ID. The next time you visit our site, you will be recognized as a "returning" user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID. This makes it possible to evaluate pseudonymous user profiles.

In order to be able to analyze our website with Google Analytics, a property ID must be inserted into the tracking code. The data is then saved in the corresponding property. The Google Analytics 4 property is the default for every newly created property. Depending on the property used, data is saved for different lengths of time.

Using identifiers such as cookies, app instance IDs, user IDs or custom event parameters, your interactions are measured across platforms, provided you have consented. Interactions are all types of actions that you perform on our website. If you also use other Google systems (such as a Google account), data generated via Google Analytics can be linked to third-party cookies. Google does not share Google Analytics data unless we as the website operator approve this. Exceptions may apply if required by law.

According to Google, no IP addresses are logged or stored in Google Analytics 4. However, Google uses the IP address data to derive location data and deletes it immediately afterwards. All IP addresses collected from users in the EU are therefore deleted before the data is stored in a data center or on a server.

Because Google Analytics 4 focuses on event-based data, the tool uses significantly fewer cookies than previous versions (such as Google Universal Analytics). However, there are some specific cookies that are used by GA4. These include, for example:

Name: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152122955661-5
Purpose: By default, analytics.js uses the cookie _ga to store the user ID. Basically, it is used to distinguish between website visitors.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152122955661-1
Purpose: The cookie is also used to distinguish between website visitors
Expiry date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_
Value: 1
Purpose: Is used to reduce the request rate. If Google Analytics is provided via the Google Tag Manager, this cookie is given the name _dc_gtm_ .
Expiry date: after 1 minute

Note: This list cannot claim to be complete, as Google is constantly changing its choice of cookies. The aim of GA4 is also to improve data protection. Therefore, the tool offers several options for controlling data collection. For example, we can set the storage period ourselves and also control data collection.

Here we show you an overview of the most important types of data collected with Google Analytics:

Heatmaps: Google creates so-called heatmaps. Heatmaps show exactly the areas you click on. This gives us information about where you are on our site.

Session duration: Google defines the session duration as the time you spend on our site without leaving the site. If you have been inactive for 20 minutes, the session ends automatically.

Bounce rate: A bounce rate occurs when you only view one page on our website and then leave our website again.

Account creation: When you create an account or place an order on our website, Google Analytics collects this data.

Location: IP addresses are not logged or stored in Google Analytics. However, derivations for location data are used shortly before the IP address is deleted.

Technical information: Technical information includes your browser type, your Internet provider or your screen resolution.

Source: Google Analytics and we are of course also interested in which website or advertisement you came to our site from.

Other data includes contact details, any ratings, the playback of media (e.g. when you play a video on our site), sharing content via social media or adding it to your favorites. This list is not exhaustive and only serves as a general guide to data storage by Google Analytics.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google has distributed its servers all over the world. Here you can find out exactly where the Google data centers are located: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de

Your data is distributed across different physical storage devices. This has the advantage that the data can be accessed more quickly and is better protected against manipulation. Every Google data center has emergency programs for your data. If, for example, Google's hardware fails or natural disasters paralyze servers, the risk of a service interruption at Google remains low.

The retention period of the data depends on the properties used. The storage period is always set separately for each individual property. Google Analytics offers us four options for controlling the storage period:

• 2 months: this is the shortest storage period.
• 14 months: by default, data is stored in GA4 for 14 months.
• 26 months: you can also store the data for 26 months.
• Data will only be deleted when we delete it manually

In addition, there is also the option that data will only be deleted if you no longer visit our website within the period we have chosen. In this case, the retention period will be reset each time you visit our website again within the specified period.

When the specified period has expired, the data is deleted once a month. This retention period applies to your data that is linked to cookies, user recognition and advertising IDs (e.g. cookies from the DoubleClick domain). Report results are based on aggregated data and are stored independently of user data. Aggregated data is a fusion of individual data into a larger unit.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Under European Union data protection law, you have the right to obtain information about your data, to update it, to delete it or to restrict it. You can use the browser add-on to deactivate Google Analytics JavaScript (analytics.js, gtag.js) to prevent Google Analytics 4 from using your data. You can download and install the browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de. Please note that this add-on only deactivates data collection by Google Analytics.

If you generally want to deactivate, delete or manage cookies, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers under the "Cookies" section.

Legal basis

The use of Google Analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. According toArt. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as it may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our offering technically and economically. With the help of Google Analytics, we can detect errors on the website, identify attacks and improve profitability. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (Legitimate Interests). However, we only use Google Analytics if you have given your consent.

Google processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Google also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/.

We hope we have been able to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Google Analytics. If you would like to find out more about the tracking service, we recommend these two links: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/terms/de/ and https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de.

If you want to learn more about data processing, please use the Google privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Google Tag Manager Privacy Policy

What is Google Tag Manager?

We use the Google Tag Manager from Google Inc. for our website. In Europe, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. This Tag Manager is one of many helpful marketing products from Google. Using the Google Tag Manager, we can centrally integrate and manage code sections from various tracking tools that we use on our website.

In this privacy policy we want to explain to you in more detail what the Google Tag Manager does, why we use it and in what form data is processed.

The Google Tag Manager is an organizational tool that allows us to integrate and manage website tags centrally and via a user interface. Tags are small sections of code that, for example, record (track) your activities on our website. JavaScript code sections are inserted into the source code of our site for this purpose. The tags often come from Google's internal products such as Google Ads or Google Analytics, but tags from other companies can also be integrated and managed via the manager. Such tags perform different tasks. They can collect browser data, feed marketing tools with data, integrate buttons, set cookies and also track users across multiple websites.

Why do we use Google Tag Manager for our website?

As the saying goes: organization is half the battle! And of course that also applies to maintaining our website. In order to make our website as good as possible for you and all people who are interested in our products and services, we need various tracking tools such as Google Analytics. The data collected by these tools shows us what interests you most, where we can improve our services and which people we should show our offers to. And in order for this tracking to work, we need to integrate the appropriate JavaScript codes into our website. In principle, we could integrate each code section of the individual tracking tools separately into our source code. However, this takes a relatively long time and it is easy to lose track. That is why we use the Google Tag Manager. We can easily integrate the necessary scripts and manage them from one place. In addition, the Google Tag Manager offers an easy-to-use user interface and no programming knowledge is required. This is how we manage to keep order in our tag jungle.

What data is stored by Google Tag Manager?

The Tag Manager itself is a domain that does not set cookies and does not store any data. It acts as a mere "administrator" of the implemented tags. The data is recorded by the individual tags of the various web analysis tools. The data is essentially passed through to the individual tracking tools in the Google Tag Manager and is not stored.

However, things are very different with the tags integrated in the various web analysis tools, such as Google Analytics. Depending on the analysis tool, various data about your web behavior is collected, stored and processed, usually with the help of cookies. Please read our data protection texts for the individual analysis and tracking tools that we use on our website.

In the account settings of the Tag Manager, we have allowed Google to receive anonymized data from us. However, this only concerns the use and utilization of our Tag Manager and not your data that is stored via the code sections. We enable Google and others to receive selected data in anonymized form. We therefore agree to the anonymous sharing of our website data. Despite extensive research, we were unable to find out exactly which summarized and anonymous data is forwarded. In any case, Google deletes all information that could identify our website. Google summarizes the data with hundreds of other anonymous website data and creates user trends as part of benchmarking measures. Benchmarking compares your own results with those of competitors. Processes can be optimized on the basis of the information collected.

How long and where is the data stored?

When Google stores data, it stores this data on Google's own servers. The servers are spread all over the world. Most are located in America. You can find out exactly where the Google servers are located at https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de.

You can find out how long the individual tracking tools store your data in our individual data protection texts for the individual tools.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

The Google Tag Manager itself does not set any cookies, but manages tags from various tracking websites. In our data protection texts for the individual tracking tools, you will find detailed information on how you can delete or manage your data.

Please note that when using this tool, your data may also be stored and processed outside the EU. Most third countries (including the USA) are not considered safe under current European data protection law. Data may therefore not simply be transferred to, stored and processed in unsafe third countries unless there are appropriate guarantees (such as EU standard contractual clauses) between us and the non-European service provider.

Legal basis

The use of the Google Tag Manager requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. According to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our offering technically and economically. With the help of the Google Tag Manager, we can improve our profitability. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (Legitimate Interests). However, we only use the Google Tag Manager if you have given your consent.

Google processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Google also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/.

If you want to learn more about Google Tag Manager, we recommend the FAQs at https://support.google.com/tagmanager/?hl=de#topic=3441530.

You can find out what data Google generally collects and what they use this data for at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Meta-Pixel Privacy Policy

We use the meta pixel (formerly Facebook pixel) from Facebook or Meta Platforms, Inc. on our website. We have implemented a code on our website for this purpose. The meta pixel is a section of JavaScript code that loads a collection of functions that Facebook can use to track your user actions if you came to our website via Facebook ads. For example, if you purchase a product on our website, the meta pixel is triggered and saves your actions on our website in one or more cookies. These cookies enable Facebook to compare your user data (customer data such as IP address, user ID) with the data in your Facebook account. Facebook then deletes this data again. The data collected is anonymous and not visible to us and can only be used in the context of advertising. If you are a Facebook user yourself and are logged in, your visit to our website is automatically assigned to your Facebook user account.

We only want to show our services and products to people who are really interested in them. With the help of meta pixels, our advertising measures can be better tailored to your wishes and interests. This means that Facebook users (provided they have allowed personalized advertising) see suitable advertising. Facebook also uses the data collected for analysis purposes and its own advertisements.

Below we show you the cookies that were set by integrating meta pixels on a test page. Please note that these are only example cookies. Different cookies are set depending on the interaction on our website.

Name: _fbp
Value: fb.1.1568287647279.257405483-6122955661-7
Purpose: This cookie is used by Facebook to display advertising products.
Expiry date: after 3 months

Name: fr
Value: 0aPf312HOS5Pboo2r..Bdeiuf…1.0.Bdeiuf.
Purpose: This cookie is used to ensure that meta pixels work properly.
Expiry date: after 3 months

Name: comment_author_50ae8267e2bdf1253ec1a5769f48e062122955661-3
Value: Author's name
Purpose: This cookie stores the text and name of a user who, for example, leaves a comment.
Expiry date: after 12 months

Name: comment_author_url_50ae8267e2bdf1253ec1a5769f48e062
Value: https%3A%2F%2Fwww.testseite…%2F (author's URL)
Purpose: This cookie stores the URL of the website that the user enters in a text field on our website.
Expiry date: after 12 months

Name: comment_author_email_50ae8267e2bdf1253ec1a5769f48e062
Value: Author's email address
Purpose: This cookie stores the user's email address if he or she has provided it on the website.
Expiry date: after 12 months

Note: The cookies mentioned above refer to individual user behavior. Changes on Facebook can never be ruled out, especially when using cookies.

If you are logged in to Facebook, you can change your ad settings yourself at https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/advertisers/. If you are not a Facebook user, you can generally manage your usage-based online advertising at https://www.youronlinechoices.com/de/praferenzmanagement/. There you have the option of deactivating or activating providers.

Facebook processes your data in the USA, among other places. Facebook and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Facebook also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Facebook undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Facebook data processing conditions, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing.

If you would like to learn more about Facebook's privacy practices, we recommend that you read the company's own data policies at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy.

Facebook Automatic Extended Matching Privacy Policy

As part of the Facebook pixel function, we have also activated automatic advanced matching. This pixel function enables us to send hashed emails, names, gender, city, state, zip code and date of birth or telephone number as additional information to Facebook, provided you have provided us with this data. This activation enables us to tailor advertising campaigns on Facebook even more precisely to people who are interested in our services or products.

TikTok Pixel Privacy Policy

What is TikTok Pixel?

We use the tracking software TikTok Pixel on our website. The service provider is the Chinese company Beijing Bytedance Technology Ltd. The Irish company TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland, is responsible for Europe. TikTok is a popular social media platform, especially among young people, where users can create, share and watch short video clips.

The TikTok Pixel is a snippet of code that we have built into our website to analyze behavior on the website. When used as one of the TikTok for Business tools, the pixel can help us measure traffic on our website, monitor the performance of advertising campaigns, optimize our campaigns, and acquire new customers.

In this privacy policy we inform you about which data is processed by TikTok Pixel, how long the data is stored and how you can manage your data protection settings.

Why do we use TikTok on our website?

We have integrated TikTok pixels into our website so that we can find out more about how you use our website, what interests you and where we can improve our service. This information also helps us to carry out advertising campaigns on TikTok in a more personalized way. After all, we only want to show our offer to people who are interested in it.

What data is processed by TikTok Pixel?

For tracking to work, a JavaScript code must be integrated into the website. The pixel collects various data about your user behavior on our website and uses cookies for this purpose. Personal data such as your IP address can also be processed. Which data is processed depends primarily on the individual settings and cannot be determined precisely in this general text section.

TikTok distinguishes between the following types of information that are collected and processed via TikTok pixels:

Ad/Event information: This is information about the advertisement that a user clicked on TikTok.
Timestamp: This is where the time at which a pixel event was triggered is specified. For example, if a certain button was clicked, the time of the click is saved.
IP address: The IP address is personal data and is determined by TikTok to determine your geographic location.
User Agent: The user agent is used to determine the device model, operating system and your browser version.
Cookies: Cookies are used to store data to measure the performance of campaigns or directly on website performance.
Metadata & button clicks: This includes various page performance data such as loading times and button clicks (button name, descriptive text and attributes). This means that it records exactly when you click which button and which subpage you visit.

Here we only give a rough overview of the types of data that can be processed by TikTok pixels. However, it should be noted that the type of data collected depends largely on the individual settings of the pixel. Basically, the data is used to analyze website trends and to personalize advertising.

How long and where is the data stored?

TikTok will retain your information for as long as necessary to provide the platform and for the other purposes set out in the TikTok Privacy Policy. The company will also retain the information when necessary to fulfill contractual and legal obligations, when TikTok has a legitimate business interest in doing so (for example, to improve and develop the platform and improve the security and stability of our services), and to assert or defend legal claims.

The storage period and storage locations of the data collected by TikTok can vary greatly and are subject to TikTok's privacy policy. TikTok can also store data on servers in the US and other countries. The storage period is generally based on the respective legal requirements and internal guidelines. However, we have not yet been able to find out exactly how long data is stored. As soon as we have more information, we will of course inform you.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You have the right to information, correction or deletion and restriction of the processing of your personal data at any time. You can also revoke your consent to the processing of the data at any time.

If you generally want to deactivate, delete or manage cookies, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers under the "Cookies" section.

If you have a TikTok account, you can manage your privacy settings directly on TikTok. For example, you can specify in your TikTok account settings which information can and cannot be shared.

Legal basis

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored by TikTok Pixel, this consent is the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the integrated TikTok Pixel if you have given your consent. TikTok Pixel can also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy about cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

TikTok processes your data in the USA, among other places. We would like to point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. This can involve various risks for the legality and security of data processing.

TikTok uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR) as the basis for data processing for recipients based in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, i.e. in particular in the USA) or for data transfer there. Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through these clauses, TikTok undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

For more information about TikTok's privacy policy and how TikTok Pixel collects data, please visit the TikTok website at https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/eea/privacy-policy/en and the general information about TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/en/.

E-Mail Marketing Introduction

What is email marketing?

In order to keep you up to date, we also use email marketing. If you have agreed to receive our emails or newsletters, your data will also be processed and stored. Email marketing is a sub-area of online marketing. News or general information about a company, products or services is sent by email to a specific group of people who are interested in them.

If you want to participate in our email marketing (usually via newsletter), you normally just have to register with your email address. To do this, you fill out an online form and send it off. However, we may also ask you for your title and name so that we can write to you personally.

Basically, registering for newsletters works using the so-called "double opt-in process". After you have registered for our newsletter on our website, you will receive an email confirming your newsletter registration. This ensures that the email address belongs to you and that no one has registered with someone else's email address. We or a notification tool we use logs every single registration. This is necessary so that we can prove that the registration process was legally correct. The time of registration, the time of registration confirmation and your IP address are usually saved. In addition, it is also logged if you make changes to your stored data.

Why do we use email marketing?

We naturally want to stay in touch with you and always present you with the most important news about our company. To do this, we use email marketing - often referred to as just a "newsletter" - as an essential part of our online marketing. If you agree to this or it is permitted by law, we will send you newsletters, system emails or other notifications by email. When we use the term "newsletter" in the following text, we mainly mean emails that are sent regularly. Of course, we do not want to bother you in any way with our newsletter. That is why we really always try to offer only relevant and interesting content. For example, you can find out more about our company, our services or products. Since we are always improving our offers, you will always find out about any news or when we are currently offering special, lucrative promotions via our newsletter. If we commission a service provider that offers a professional shipping tool for our email marketing, we do this so that we can offer you fast and secure newsletters. The purpose of our email marketing is basically to inform you about new offers and to get closer to our business goals.

What data is processed?

If you subscribe to our newsletter via our website, you will confirm your membership in an email list by email. In addition to your IP address and email address, your title, name, address and telephone number may also be saved. However, only if you agree to this data storage. The data marked as such is necessary so that you can participate in the service offered. Providing this information is voluntary, but failure to provide it will prevent you from using the service. In addition, information about your device or your preferred content may also be saved on our website. You can find out more about how data is saved when you visit a website in the "Automatic data storage" section. We record your declaration of consent so that we can always prove that it complies with our laws.

Duration of data processing

If you remove your email address from our email/newsletter mailing list, we may store your address for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests so that we can still prove that you gave your consent at the time. We may only process this data if we have to defend ourselves against any claims.

However, if you confirm that you have given us your consent to subscribe to the newsletter, you can submit an individual deletion request at any time. If you permanently revoke your consent, we reserve the right to save your email address in a blocked list. As long as you have voluntarily subscribed to our newsletter, we will of course also keep your email address.

Right of objection

You have the option to cancel your newsletter subscription at any time. All you have to do is revoke your consent to the newsletter subscription. This usually only takes a few seconds or one or two clicks. You will usually find a link to cancel your newsletter subscription right at the end of every email. If you really cannot find the link in the newsletter, please contact us by email and we will cancel your newsletter subscription immediately.

Legal basis

Our newsletter is sent based on your consent (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter a of GDPR). This means that we may only send you a newsletter if you have previously actively registered for it. We may also send you advertising messages if you have become our customer and have not objected to the use of your email address for direct advertising.

Information about specific email marketing services and how they process personal data can be found - if available - in the following sections.

Messenger & Communication Introduction

What are messenger & communication functions?

We offer various options on our website (such as messenger and chat functions, online or contact forms, email, telephone) to communicate with us. Your data will also be processed and stored to the extent necessary to answer your query and our subsequent measures.

In addition to traditional means of communication such as email, contact forms or telephone, we also use chats or messengers. The messenger function currently used most frequently is WhatsApp, but there are of course many different providers that offer messenger functions specifically for websites. If content is end-to-end encrypted, this is indicated in the individual data protection texts or in the data protection declaration of the respective provider. End-to-end encryption means nothing other than that the content of a message is not visible even to the provider. However, information about your device, location settings and other technical data can still be processed and stored.

Why do we use messenger & communication functions?

Communication options with you are very important to us. After all, we want to talk to you and answer all possible questions about our service in the best possible way. Good communication is an important part of our service. With the practical messenger & communication functions, you can always choose the ones you prefer. In exceptional cases, however, it may also happen that we do not answer certain questions via chat or messenger. This is the case when it comes to internal contractual matters, for example. In these cases, we recommend other communication options such as email or telephone.

We generally assume that we remain responsible for data protection, even if we use the services of a social media platform. However, the European Court of Justice has ruled that in certain cases the operator of the social media platform may be jointly responsible with us within the meaning of Art. 26 GDPR. If this is the case, we will point this out separately and work on the basis of an agreement to this effect. The essence of the agreement is reproduced below for the platform in question.

Please note that when using our built-in elements, your data may also be processed outside the European Union, as many providers, such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, are American companies. This may mean that you will no longer be able to easily demand or enforce your rights with regard to your personal data.

What data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored and processed depends on the respective provider of the messenger & communication functions. Basically, this includes data such as name, address, telephone number, email address and content data such as all information that you enter in a contact form. Information about your device and the IP address are usually also stored. Data collected via a messenger & communication function is also stored on the provider's servers.

If you want to know exactly which data is stored and processed by the respective providers and how you can object to data processing, you should read the respective company's data protection declaration carefully.

How long is data stored?

How long the data is processed and stored depends primarily on the tools we use. You can find out more about the data processing of the individual tools below. The providers' privacy policies usually state exactly which data is stored and processed for how long. In principle, personal data is only processed for as long as it is necessary to provide our services. When data is stored in cookies, the storage period varies greatly. The data can be deleted immediately after leaving a website, but it can also be stored for several years. Therefore, you should look at each individual cookie in detail if you want to know more about data storage. You can usually find informative information about the individual cookies in the privacy policies of the individual providers.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser. For more information, please refer to the section on consent.

Since cookies can be used for messenger and communication functions, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Legal basis

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored by integrated messenger and communication functions, this consent is the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). We process your request and manage your data within the framework of contractual or pre-contractual relationships in order to fulfill our pre-contractual and contractual obligations or to answer inquiries. The basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b. GDPR. In principle, if you have given your consent, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners.

WhatsApp Privacy Policy

What is WhatsApp?

We use the instant messaging service WhatsApp on our website. The service provider is the American company WhatsApp Inc., a subsidiary of Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook Inc. until October 2021). The company responsible for Europe is WhatsApp Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland.

We probably don't need to introduce WhatsApp to you in more detail. The likelihood that you yourself use this well-known messaging service on your smartphone is relatively high. For many years there have been voices criticizing WhatsApp or its parent company Meta Platforms with regard to the handling of personal data. The main criticism in recent years has been related to the merging of WhatsApp user data with Facebook. Facebook responded in 2021 and adjusted the terms of use. Facebook announced that currently (as of 2021) no personal data of WhatsApp users is shared with Facebook.
Nevertheless, a lot of your personal data is of course processed by WhatsApp if you use WhatsApp and have agreed to the data processing. In addition to your telephone number and chat messages, this also includes photos, videos and profile data that you send. However, photos and videos should only be cached for a short time and all messages and phone calls are end-to-end encrypted. This means that they should not be visible even to Meta itself. In addition, information from your address book and other metadata is also stored on WhatsApp.

Why do we use WhatsApp?

We want to stay in touch with you and the best way to do that is via WhatsApp. Firstly because the service works perfectly and secondly because WhatsApp is still the most used instant messaging tool in the world. The service is practical and enables uncomplicated and fast communication with you.

What data is processed by WhatsApp?

Using WhatsApp can process various types of data, including personal data. This includes account information such as your phone number, your profile picture, your username or other information that you provide to WhatsApp when creating and managing your WhatsApp account. Of course, WhatsApp also stores the content of your messages (text, photos, videos, voice messages). WhatsApp also stores so-called metadata, such as the date and time at which a message was sent or received. The phone numbers of the people involved and technical data such as device type, operating system or location data are also stored.

How long and where is the data stored?

In principle, WhatsApp stores data for as long as it is necessary for legitimate purposes and to fulfill legal obligations. It is not possible to give a specific answer at this point as to how long the data is stored, as this depends heavily on the type of data. As a rule, messages are only stored in encrypted form on WhatsApp during delivery and are deleted from the servers as soon as a message has been delivered. Messages are only stored for longer on your own device. When media is sent, WhatsApp stores this data in encrypted form for up to 30 days in order to optimize delivery. Account data is stored as long as you have an active WhatsApp account. If you delete or deactivate the account, your account data is usually also deleted. The company stores the data stored on WhatsApp on its own servers, which are distributed around the world. In order to operate the web-based WhatsApp services, data is also collected using cookies.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You have the right to information, correction or deletion and restriction of the processing of your personal data at any time. You can also revoke your consent to the processing of the data at any time.

If you do not want cookies to be set in the desktop version and data to be saved as a result, you can prevent cookies from being set in your browser. You can manage, deactivate or delete cookies in your browser. This works a little differently depending on your browser. You can find out more in our section on cookies.

Legal basis

The use of WhatsApp requires your consent, which we have obtained using our consent tool (pop-up). According toArt. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by WhatsApp.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in improving our communication offering. With the help of WhatsApp, we can respond to your inquiries faster and better, communicate important messages to you and thus take our service to the next level. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (Legitimate Interests). However, we only use WhatsApp if you have given your consent.

WhatsApp processes your data in the USA, among other places. WhatsApp is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

WhatsApp also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, WhatsApp undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de.

Information on data transfer via WhatsApp, which complies with the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/business-data-transfer-addendum-20210927

We hope we have provided you with the most important information about the use and data processing by WhatsApp. You can find out more about the data that is processed through the use of WhatsApp in the Privacy Policy at https://www.whatsapp.com/privacy.

Social Media Introduction

What is social media?

In addition to our website, we are also active on various social media platforms. User data can be processed so that we can specifically address users who are interested in us via social networks. In addition, elements of a social media platform can also be embedded directly in our website. This is the case, for example, if you click on a so-called social button on our website and are redirected directly to our social media presence. So-called social media or social media refers to websites and apps through which registered members can produce content, exchange content openly or in specific groups, and network with other members.

Why do we use social media?

For years, social media platforms have been the place where people communicate and get in touch online. With our social media presence, we can bring our products and services closer to prospective customers. The social media elements integrated into our website help you to switch to our social media content quickly and without complications.

The data that is stored and processed through your use of a social media channel primarily serves the purpose of being able to carry out web analyses. The aim of these analyses is to be able to develop more precise and personalized marketing and advertising strategies. Depending on your behavior on a social media platform, the evaluated data can be used to draw appropriate conclusions about your interests and create so-called user profiles. This also enables the platforms to present you with customized advertisements. Cookies are usually placed in your browser for this purpose, which store data about your usage behavior.

We generally assume that we remain responsible for data protection, even if we use the services of a social media platform. However, the European Court of Justice has ruled that in certain cases the operator of the social media platform may be jointly responsible with us within the meaning of Art. 26 GDPR. If this is the case, we will point this out separately and work on the basis of an agreement to this effect. The essence of the agreement is then reproduced below for the platform in question.

Please note that when using the social media platforms or our built-in elements, your data may also be processed outside the European Union, as many social media channels, such as Facebook or Twitter, are American companies. This may mean that you can no longer easily demand or enforce your rights with regard to your personal data.

What data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored and processed depends on the respective provider of the social media platform. But it is usually data such as telephone numbers, email addresses, data that you enter in a contact form, user data such as which buttons you click, who you like or follow, when you visited which pages, information about your device and your IP address. Most of this data is stored in cookies. Especially if you have a profile on the social media channel you visit and are logged in, data can be linked to your profile.

All data collected via a social media platform is also stored on the providers' servers. This means that only the providers have access to the data and can give you the appropriate information or make changes.

If you want to know exactly which data is stored and processed by the social media providers and how you can object to data processing, you should read the respective company's data protection declaration carefully. If you have any questions about data storage and data processing or want to assert corresponding rights, we recommend that you contact the provider directly.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, provided we have further information. For example, the social media platform Facebook stores data until it is no longer needed for its own purposes. However, customer data that is compared with our own user data is deleted within two days. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If it is required by law, as in the case of accounting, for example, this storage period can also be exceeded.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third-party services such as embedded social media elements at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser.

Since social media tools may use cookies, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Legal basis

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored by integrated social media elements, this consent is the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, if you have given your consent, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy about cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Information about specific social media platforms can be found - if available - in the following sections.

Facebook Privacy Policy

What are Facebook tools?

We use selected tools from Facebook on our website. Facebook is a social media network of the company Meta Platforms Inc. or, for the European region, of the company Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. With the help of these tools, we can offer you and people who are interested in our products and services the best possible offer.

If data is collected and forwarded from you via our embedded Facebook elements or via our Facebook page (fan page), both we and Facebook Ireland Ltd. are responsible for this. Facebook is solely responsible for the further processing of this data. Our joint obligations have also been anchored in a publicly accessible agreement at https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum. It states, for example, that we must clearly inform you about the use of Facebook tools on our site. We are also responsible for ensuring that the tools are securely integrated into our website in accordance with data protection law. Facebook, on the other hand, is responsible for the data security of Facebook products, for example. If you have any questions about data collection and processing by Facebook, you can contact the company directly. If you address the question to us, we are obliged to forward it to Facebook.

Below we provide an overview of the various Facebook tools, which data is sent to Facebook and how you can delete this data.

In addition to many other products, Facebook also offers the so-called "Facebook Business Tools". This is the official name of Facebook. However, since the term is hardly known, we have decided to simply call them Facebook tools. These include:

• Facebook Pixel
• social plug-ins (such as the "Like" or "Share" button)
• Facebook Login
• Account Kit
• APIs (programming interface)
• SDKs (collection of programming tools)
• Platform integrations
• Plugins
• Codes
• Specifications
• Documents
• Technologies and Services

Through these tools, Facebook expands its services and has the ability to obtain information about user activities outside of Facebook.

Why do we use Facebook tools on our website?

We only want to show our services and products to people who are really interested in them. With the help of advertisements (Facebook Ads) we can reach exactly these people. In order to show users suitable advertising, however, Facebook needs information about people's wishes and needs. The company is provided with information about user behavior (and contact details) on our website. This allows Facebook to collect better user data and show interested people the right advertisements about our products or services. The tools thus enable customized advertising campaigns on Facebook.

Facebook calls data about your behavior on our website "event data." This is also used for measurement and analysis services. Facebook can create "campaign reports" on our behalf about the impact of our advertising campaigns. Furthermore, analyses give us a better insight into how you use our services, website or products. As a result, we use some of these tools to optimize your user experience on our website. For example, you can use the social plug-ins to share content on our site directly on Facebook.

What data is stored by Facebook tools?

By using individual Facebook tools, personal data (customer data) can be sent to Facebook. Depending on the tools used, customer data such as name, address, telephone number and IP address can be sent.

Facebook uses this information to compare the data with the data it has about you (if you are a Facebook member). Before customer data is sent to Facebook, a process known as "hashing" takes place. This means that a data set of any size is transformed into a character string. This also serves to encrypt data.

In addition to contact data, "event data" is also transmitted. "Event data" refers to the information that we receive about you on our website. For example, which subpages you visit or which products you buy from us. Facebook does not share the information received with third parties (such as advertisers) unless the company has explicit permission or is legally obliged to do so. "Event data" can also be linked to contact data. This enables Facebook to offer better personalized advertising. After the matching process mentioned above, Facebook deletes the contact data again.

In order to be able to deliver advertisements in an optimized manner, Facebook only uses the event data if it has been combined with other data (which has been collected by Facebook in another way). Facebook also uses this event data for security, protection, development and research purposes. Much of this data is transferred to Facebook via cookies. Cookies are small text files that are used to store data or information in browsers. Depending on the tools used and whether you are a Facebook member, different numbers of cookies are created in your browser. In the descriptions of the individual Facebook tools, we go into more detail about individual Facebook cookies. You can also find general information about the use of Facebook cookies at https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies.

How long and where is the data stored?

Basically, Facebook stores data until it is no longer needed for its own services and Facebook products. Facebook has servers all over the world where its data is stored. However, customer data is deleted within 48 hours after it has been compared with its own user data.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to information, rectification, portability and erasure of your data.

The data will only be completely deleted if you completely delete your Facebook account. This is how you delete your Facebook account:

1) Click on Settings on the right side of Facebook.

2) Then click on "Your Facebook information" in the left column.

3) Now click on "Deactivation and deletion".

4) Now select “Delete account” and then click “Continue and delete account”

5) Now enter your password, click "Next" and then "Delete account"

The data that Facebook receives from our site is stored using cookies (e.g. social plugins). You can deactivate, delete or manage individual or all cookies in your browser. This works in different ways depending on which browser you use. Under the "Cookies" section you will find the relevant links to the respective instructions for the most popular browsers.

If you do not want cookies at all, you can set your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be placed. This way you can decide for each individual cookie whether you want to allow it or not.

Legal basis

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored by integrated Facebook tools, this consent is the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy about cookies carefully and view Facebook's privacy policy or cookie guidelines.

Facebook processes your data in the USA, among other places. Facebook and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Facebook also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Facebook undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Facebook data processing conditions, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing.

We hope we have provided you with the most important information about the use and data processing by Facebook tools. If you would like to learn more about how Facebook uses your data, we recommend that you read the data guidelines at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/.

Facebook Lookalike Audience Privacy Policy

We also use the advertising tool Facebook Lookalike Audience. The service provider is the American company Meta Platforms Inc. The company Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland) is responsible for the European region.

Facebook processes your data in the USA, among other places. Facebook and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Meta Platforms also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Meta Platforms undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Facebook data processing conditions, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Facebook Lookalike Audience in the privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.

Instagram Privacy Policy

What is Instagram?

We have integrated Instagram functions into our website. Instagram is a social media platform of the company Instagram LLC, 1601 Willow Rd, Menlo Park CA 94025, USA. Instagram has been a subsidiary of Meta Platforms Inc. since 2012 and is one of the Facebook products. Embedding Instagram content on our website is called embedding. This allows us to show you content such as buttons, photos or videos from Instagram directly on our website. When you visit websites on our website that have an integrated Instagram function, data is transmitted to, stored and processed by Instagram. Instagram uses the same systems and technologies as Facebook. Your data is therefore processed across all Facebook companies.

Below we want to give you a more detailed insight into why Instagram collects data, what data it is and how you can largely control the data processing. Since Instagram belongs to Meta Platforms Inc., we get our information from the Instagram guidelines on the one hand, but also from the Meta privacy guidelines themselves on the other.

Instagram is one of the most well-known social media networks in the world. Instagram combines the advantages of a blog with the advantages of audiovisual platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo. You can upload photos and short videos to "Insta" (as many users casually call the platform), edit them with various filters and also share them on other social networks. And if you don't want to be active yourself, you can just follow other interesting users.

Why do we use Instagram on our website?

Instagram is the social media platform that has really taken off in recent years. And of course we have also responded to this boom. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible on our website. That's why it's a matter of course for us to prepare our content in a varied way. The embedded Instagram functions allow us to enrich our content with helpful, funny or exciting content from the Instagram world. Since Instagram is a subsidiary of Facebook, the data collected can also be useful for personalized advertising on Facebook. This means that our advertisements are only shown to people who are really interested in our products or services.

Instagram also uses the collected data for measurement and analysis purposes. We get aggregated statistics and thus more insight into your wishes and interests. It is important to note that these reports do not identify you personally.

What data does Instagram store?

If you come across one of our pages that has Instagram functions (such as Instagram images or plug-ins) built in, your browser automatically connects to Instagram's servers. Data is sent to Instagram, stored and processed, regardless of whether you have an Instagram account or not. This includes information about our website, your computer, purchases made, advertisements you see and how you use our services. The date and time of your interaction with Instagram are also stored. If you have an Instagram account or are logged in, Instagram stores significantly more data about you.

Facebook differentiates between customer data and event data. We assume that this is also the case with Instagram. Customer data includes names, addresses, telephone numbers and IP addresses. These customer data will only be transmitted to Instagram if they have been "hashed" beforehand. Hashing means that a data set is converted into a character string. This allows the contact details to be encrypted. The "event data" mentioned above is also transmitted. Facebook - and consequently Instagram - understands "event data" to mean data about your user behavior. It can also happen that contact details are combined with event data. The contact details collected are compared with the data that Instagram already has about you.

The collected data is transmitted to Facebook via small text files (cookies), which are usually placed in your browser. Depending on the Instagram functions used and whether you have an Instagram account yourself, different amounts of data are stored.

We assume that data processing on Instagram works in the same way as on Facebook. This means that if you have an Instagram account or have visited www.instagram.com, Instagram has at least set a cookie. If this is the case, your browser sends information to Instagram via the cookie as soon as you come into contact with an Instagram function. This data is deleted or anonymized after 90 days at the latest (after comparison). Although we have looked intensively into Instagram's data processing, we cannot say exactly which data Instagram collects and stores.

Below we show you cookies that are set in your browser at least when you click on an Instagram function (such as a button or an Insta image). In our test we assume that you do not have an Instagram account. If you are logged in to Instagram, significantly more cookies will of course be set in your browser.

These cookies were used in our test:

Name: csrftoken
Value: “”
Purpose: This cookie is most likely set for security reasons to prevent requests from being forged. However, we were unable to find out more details.
Expiry date: after one year

Name: mid
Value: “”
Purpose: Instagram uses this cookie to optimize its own services and offers on and off Instagram. The cookie sets a unique user ID.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Name: fbsr_122955661124024
Value: no information
Purpose: This cookie stores the log-in request for users of the Instagram app.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Name: rur
Value: ATN
Purpose: This is an Instagram cookie that ensures functionality on Instagram.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Name: urlgen
Value: “{”194.96.75.33”: 1901}:1iEtYv:Y833k2_UjKvXgYe122955661”
Purpose: This cookie is used for Instagram's marketing purposes.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Note: We cannot claim to be complete here. Which cookies are set in an individual case depends on the embedded functions and your use of Instagram.

How long and where is the data stored?

Instagram shares the information it receives between the Facebook companies, with external partners and with people you connect with around the world. The data processing is carried out in compliance with its own data policy. Your data is distributed across Facebook servers around the world, partly for security reasons. Most of these servers are located in the USA.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Thanks to the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to information, portability, correction and deletion of your data. You can manage your data in the Instagram settings. If you want to completely delete your data on Instagram, you must permanently delete your Instagram account.

This is how you delete your Instagram account:

First, open the Instagram app. On your profile page, scroll down and click on "Help Center". This will take you to the company's website. On the website, click on "Manage Account" and then "Delete Your Account".

If you delete your account completely, Instagram will delete posts such as your photos and status updates. Information that other people have shared about you is not part of your account and therefore will not be deleted.

As mentioned above, Instagram primarily stores your data via cookies. You can manage, deactivate or delete these cookies in your browser. Depending on your browser, the management always works a little differently. Under the "Cookies" section you will find the relevant links to the respective instructions for the most popular browsers.

You can also set up your browser so that you are always informed when a cookie is to be placed. You can then always decide individually whether you want to accept the cookie or not.

Legal basis

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored by integrated social media elements, this consent is the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the integrated social media elements if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our data protection text about cookies carefully and view the data protection declaration or the cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Instagram processes your data in the USA, among other places. Instagram and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Instagram also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Instagram undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

We have tried to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Instagram. You can find out more about Instagram's data policy at https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/.

Instagram Lookalike Audience Privacy Policy

We also use the advertising tool Instagram Lookalike Audience. The service provider is the American company Meta Platforms Inc. The company Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland) is responsible for the European region.

Instagram or Meta processes your data in the USA, among other places. Facebook or Meta Platforms is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Meta Platforms also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Meta Platforms undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Instagram or Meta data processing conditions, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Instagram Lookalike Audience in the privacy policy at https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/.

Cookie Consent Management Platform Introduction

What is a Cookie Consent Management Platform?

We use a Consent Management Platform (CMP) software on our website that makes it easier for us and you to handle the scripts and cookies used correctly and safely. The software automatically creates a cookie popup, scans and checks all scripts and cookies, provides you with cookie consent required by data protection law and helps us and you to keep track of all cookies. Most cookie consent management tools identify and categorize all existing cookies. You as a website visitor then decide for yourself whether and which scripts and cookies you allow or not. The following graphic shows the relationship between browser, web server and CMP.

Why do we use a cookie management tool?

Our goal is to offer you the best possible transparency in the area of data protection. We are also legally obliged to do so. We want to inform you as best as possible about all tools and all cookies that can store and process your data. It is also your right to decide for yourself which cookies you accept and which you do not. In order to grant you this right, we first need to know exactly which cookies have landed on our website. Thanks to a cookie management tool that regularly scans the website for all existing cookies, we know about all cookies and can provide you with information about them in accordance with the GDPR. You can then accept or reject cookies using the consent system.

What data is processed?

With our cookie management tool, you can manage each individual cookie yourself and have complete control over the storage and processing of your data. Your declaration of consent is saved so that we do not have to ask you every time you visit our website and we can also prove your consent if legally required. This is saved either in an opt-in cookie or on a server. The storage period of your cookie consent varies depending on the provider of the cookie management tool. This data (such as pseudonymous user ID, time of consent, details of the cookie categories or tools, browser, device information) is usually saved for up to two years.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, if we have further information about it. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. Data stored in cookies is stored for different lengths of time. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, others can be stored in your browser for several years. The exact duration of data processing depends on the tool used; in most cases you should expect a storage period of several years. In the respective data protection declarations of the individual providers you will usually find precise information about the duration of data processing.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser.

Information about specific cookie management tools, if available, can be found in the following sections.

Legal basis

If you consent to cookies, your personal data will be processed and stored via these cookies. If we are permitted to use cookies through your consent (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter a of GDPR), this consent is also the legal basis for the use of cookies and the processing of your data. Cookie Consent Management Platform software is used to manage consent to cookies and to enable you to give your consent. The use of this software enables us to operate the website efficiently and in compliance with the law, which represents a legitimate interest (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f of GDPR).

Security & Anti-Spam

What is security & anti-spam software?

With so-called security and anti-spam software, you and we can protect ourselves from various spam or phishing emails and possible other cyber attacks. Spam is understood to be advertising emails from a mass mailing that you did not request. Such emails are also called data garbage and can also cause costs. Phishing emails, on the other hand, are messages that aim to build trust via fake messages or websites in order to obtain personal data. Anti-spam software usually protects against unwanted spam messages or malicious emails that could, for example, introduce viruses into our system. We also use general firewall and security systems that protect our computers from unwanted network attacks.

Why do we use security & anti-spam software?

We attach particular importance to security on our website. After all, it's not just about our security, but above all about yours. Unfortunately, cyber threats are now part of everyday life in the world of IT and the Internet. Hackers often try to steal personal data from an IT system using a cyber attack. And that's why a good defense system is absolutely essential. A security system monitors all incoming and outgoing connections to our network or computer. To achieve even greater security against cyber attacks, we use other external security services in addition to the standardized security systems on our computer. This makes it easier to prevent unauthorized traffic of data and protects us against cybercrime.

What data is processed by security & anti-spam software?

What data is collected and stored depends, of course, on the respective service. However, we always endeavor to use only programs that collect data very sparingly or only store data that is necessary to fulfill the service offered. In principle, the service can store data such as name, address, IP address, email address and technical data such as browser type or browser version. Any performance and log data can also be collected in order to detect possible incoming threats in good time. This data is processed as part of the services and in compliance with applicable laws. For US providers, this also includes the GDPR (via the standard contractual clauses). In some cases, these security services also work with third parties who can store and/or process data under instruction and in accordance with the data protection guidelines and other security measures. Data is usually stored via cookies.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing, provided we have further information about it. For example, security programs store data until you or we revoke the data storage. In general, personal data is only stored for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide the services. In many cases, unfortunately, we do not have precise information from the providers about the length of storage.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies or third-party security software at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser.

Since such security services can also use cookies, we recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Legal basis

We use the security services primarily on the basis of our legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in a good security system against various cyber attacks.

Certain processing, in particular the use of cookies and the use of security functions, requires your consent. If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored by integrated security services, this consent is considered the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). Most of the services we use set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy on cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Information about specific tools can be found - if available - in the following sections.

Cloud services

What are cloud services?

Cloud services provide us as website operators with storage space and computing power over the Internet. Data can be transferred to an external system, processed and stored over the Internet. The relevant cloud provider manages this data. Depending on requirements, an individual or a company can choose the storage space size or computing power. Cloud storage is accessed via an API or storage protocols. API stands for Application Programming Interface and is a programming interface that connects software and hardware components.

Why do we use cloud services?

We use cloud services for several reasons. A cloud service offers us the opportunity to store our data securely. We can also access the data from different locations and devices, which gives us more flexibility and makes our work processes easier. Cloud storage also saves us money because we don't have to set up and manage our own infrastructure for data storage and data security. By storing our data centrally in the cloud, we can also expand our fields of application and manage our information much better.

We as website operators or as a company therefore primarily use cloud services for our own purposes. For example, we use the services to manage our calendar and to save documents or other important information in the cloud. However, personal data about you may also be saved in the process. This is the case, for example, if you provide us with your contact details (such as name and email address) and we save our customer data with a cloud provider. Consequently, data that we process from you may also be saved and processed on external servers. If we offer certain forms or content from cloud services on our website, cookies may also be set for web analysis and advertising purposes. Furthermore, such cookies remember your settings (such as the language used) so that you find your usual web environment the next time you visit our website.

What data is processed by cloud services?

Much of the data we store in the cloud is not personally identifiable, but some data is considered personal data according to the definition of the GDPR. This is often customer data such as name, address, IP address or telephone number, or technical device information. Videos, images and audio files can also be stored in the cloud. How exactly the data is collected and stored depends on the respective service. We try to only use services that handle the data in a very trustworthy and professional manner. In principle, the services, such as Amazon Drive, have access to the stored files in order to be able to offer their own service accordingly. However, the services require permissions such as the right to copy files for security reasons. This data is processed and managed as part of the services and in compliance with applicable laws. For US providers, this also includes the GDPR (via the standard contractual clauses). In some cases, these cloud services also work with third parties who can process data under instruction and in accordance with the data protection guidelines and other security measures. We would like to emphasize again at this point that all well-known cloud services (such as Amazon Drive, Google Drive or Microsoft Onedrive) obtain the right to have access to stored content in order to be able to offer and optimize their own service accordingly.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, if we have further information about it. In general, cloud services store data until you or we revoke the data storage consent or delete the data again. In general, personal data is only stored for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide the services. However, permanently deleting data from the cloud can take several months. This is the case because the data is usually not only stored on one server, but is divided between different servers.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to revoke your consent to data storage in a cloud at any time. If cookies are used, you also have a right of revocation here. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser. We also recommend our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective cloud providers.

Legal basis

We use cloud services primarily on the basis of our legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in a good security and storage system.

Certain processing, in particular the use of cookies and the use of storage functions, requires your consent. If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored in cloud services, this consent is the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). Most of the services we use set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy on cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

Information about specific tools can be found - if available - in the following sections.

Web Design Introduction

What is web design?

We use various tools on our website that serve our web design. Web design is not, as is often assumed, just about making our website look pretty, but also about functionality and performance. But of course the right look of a website is also one of the major goals of professional web design. Web design is a sub-area of media design and deals with both the visual and the structural and functional design of a website. The aim is to use web design to improve your experience on our website. In web design jargon, this is referred to as user experience (UX) and usability. User experience refers to all the impressions and experiences that website visitors have on a website. A sub-point of user experience is usability. This is about the user-friendliness of a website. The main emphasis here is on ensuring that content, subpages or products are clearly structured and that you can find what you are looking for quickly and easily. In order to offer you the best possible experience on our website, we also use so-called web design tools from third parties. In this privacy policy, the category "web design" includes all services that improve the design of our website. These can be, for example, fonts, various plugins or other integrated web design functions.

Why do we use web design tools?

How you absorb information on a website depends very much on the structure, functionality and visual perception of the website. That is why good and professional web design has become increasingly important for us. We are constantly working on improving our website and see this as an extended service for you as a website visitor. Furthermore, a beautiful and functioning website also has economic advantages for us. After all, you will only visit us and use our services if you feel completely comfortable.

What data is stored by web design tools?

When you visit our website, web design elements may be integrated into our pages that can also process data. The exact data involved depends, of course, largely on the tools used. Below you can see exactly which tools we use for our website. For more information about data processing, we recommend that you read the respective privacy policy of the tools used. This is usually where you can find out which data is processed, whether cookies are used and how long the data is stored. Fonts such as Google Fonts, for example, also automatically transmit information such as language settings, IP address, browser version, browser screen resolution and browser name to Google servers.

Duration of data processing

How long data is processed is very individual and depends on the web design elements used. If cookies are used, for example, the storage period can be as short as a minute or as long as a few years. Please do your research on this. We recommend that you read our general text section on cookies and the privacy statements of the tools used. There you will usually find out which cookies are used exactly and what information is stored in them. Google font files, for example, are stored for a year. This is to improve the loading time of a website. In principle, data is only ever stored for as long as it is necessary to provide the service. If required by law, data can also be stored for longer.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. You can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser. However, there is also data under web design elements (mostly fonts) that cannot be deleted quite so easily. This is the case when data is automatically collected directly when a page is accessed and transmitted to a third-party provider (such as Google). In this case, please contact the support of the relevant provider. In the case of Google, you can reach support at https://support.google.com/?hl=de.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of web design tools, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by web design tools. We also have a legitimate interest in improving the web design on our website. After all, only then can we provide you with a beautiful and professional web offering. The corresponding legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use web design tools if you have given your consent. We would like to emphasize this again here.

Information on specific web design tools can be found - if available - in the following sections.

Google Fonts Privacy Policy

What are Google Fonts?

We use Google Fonts on our website. These are the "Google Fonts" from Google Inc. In Europe, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.

You do not need to log in or enter a password to use Google fonts. Furthermore, no cookies are stored in your browser. The files (CSS, fonts) are requested via the Google domains fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com. According to Google, requests for CSS and fonts are completely separate from all other Google services. If you have a Google account, you do not need to worry about your Google account data being sent to Google while you use Google Fonts. Google records the use of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and the fonts used and stores this data securely. We will look at exactly how the data is stored in more detail.

Google Fonts (formerly Google Web Fonts) is a directory of over 800 fonts that Google makes available to its users free of charge.

Many of these fonts are released under the SIL Open Font License, while others are released under the Apache License. Both are free software licenses.

Why do we use Google Fonts on our website?

With Google Fonts we can use fonts on our own website and do not have to upload them to our own server. Google Fonts is an important building block for maintaining the high quality of our website. All Google fonts are automatically optimized for the web and this saves data volume and is a great advantage especially for use on mobile devices. When you visit our site, the small file size ensures a fast loading time. Furthermore, Google Fonts are secure web fonts. Different image synthesis systems (rendering) in different browsers, operating systems and mobile devices can lead to errors. Such errors can partially distort text or entire web pages. Thanks to the fast Content Delivery Network (CDN), there are no cross-platform problems with Google Fonts. Google Fonts supports all common browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera) and works reliably on most modern mobile operating systems, including Android 2.2+ and iOS 4.2+ (iPhone, iPad, iPod). We use Google Fonts so that we can display our entire online service as beautifully and consistently as possible.

What data does Google store?

When you visit our website, the fonts are reloaded via a Google server. This external call transmits data to the Google servers. This is how Google recognizes that you or your IP address are visiting our website. The Google Fonts API was developed to reduce the use, storage and collection of end user data to what is necessary for the proper provision of fonts. API stands for "Application Programming Interface" and serves, among other things, as a data transmitter in the software sector.

Google Fonts stores CSS and font requests securely with Google and is therefore protected. The collected usage figures enable Google to determine how well the individual fonts are received. Google publishes the results on internal analysis pages, such as Google Analytics. Google also uses data from its own web crawler to determine which websites use Google fonts. This data is published in the Google Fonts BigQuery database. Entrepreneurs and developers use the Google web service BigQuery to examine and move large amounts of data.

It should be noted, however, that every Google Font request automatically transfers information such as language settings, IP address, browser version, browser screen resolution and browser name to the Google servers. It is not clear whether this data is stored or is not clearly communicated by Google.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google stores requests for CSS assets for one day on its servers, which are mainly located outside the EU. This enables us to use the fonts with the help of a Google style sheet. A style sheet is a format template that can be used to quickly and easily change the design or font of a website, for example.

Google stores font files for one year. Google's goal is to fundamentally improve the loading time of websites. If millions of websites refer to the same fonts, they are cached after the first visit and immediately appear on all other websites visited later. Sometimes Google updates font files to reduce file size, increase language coverage and improve design.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

The data that Google stores for a day or a year cannot simply be deleted. The data is automatically transmitted to Google when the page is accessed. To be able to delete this data prematurely, you must contact Google Support at https://support.google.com/?hl=de&tid=122955661. In this case, you can only prevent data storage if you do not visit our site.

Unlike other web fonts, Google allows us unrestricted access to all fonts. This means we have unlimited access to a sea of fonts and can get the most out of our website. You can find out more about Google Fonts and other questions at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq?tid=122955661. Google does address data protection issues there, but it does not contain any really detailed information about data storage. It is relatively difficult to get really precise information about stored data from Google.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of Google Fonts, this consent is the legal basis for the corresponding data processing. According toArt. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when Google Fonts collects it.

We also have a legitimate interest in using Google Font to optimize our online service. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (Legitimate Interests). However, we only use Google Font if you have given your consent.

Google processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Google also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/.

You can also read about which data is generally collected by Google and what this data is used for at https://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/.

Other Introduction

What falls under "Other"?

The "Other" category includes those services that do not fit into one of the above categories. These are usually various plugins and embedded elements that improve our website. These functions are usually obtained from third parties and integrated into our website. For example, these are web search services such as Algolia Place, Giphy, Programmable Search Engine or online services for weather data such as OpenWeather.

Why do we use other third-party providers?

We want to offer you the best web offering in our industry with our website. A website has long been more than just a business card for a company. Rather, it is a place that should help you find what you are looking for. In order to make our website even more interesting and helpful for you, we use various third-party services.

What data is processed?

Whenever elements are integrated into our website, your IP address will be transmitted to the respective provider, saved and processed there. This is necessary because otherwise the content will not be sent to your browser and therefore will not be displayed accordingly. It may also happen that service providers also use pixel tags or web beacons. These are small graphics on websites that record a log file and can also create analyses of this file. The providers can use the information obtained to improve their own marketing measures. In addition to pixel tags, such information (such as which button you click or when you access which page) can also be saved in cookies. In addition to analysis data on your web behavior, technical information such as your browser type or operating system can also be saved in cookies. Some providers can also link the data obtained with other internal services or with third-party providers. Each provider handles your data differently. We therefore recommend that you carefully read the privacy statements of the respective services. We generally endeavor to only use services that handle data protection very carefully.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing if we have further information. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products.

Legal basis

If we ask for your consent and you also agree that we may use the service, this is the legal basis for processing your data (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In addition to the consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our offering technically and economically. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent.

Information about the special tools, if available, can be found in the following sections.

Zapier Privacy Policy

We use the automation software Zapier for our website. The service provider is the American company Zapier Inc., 548 Market Street 6241, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA.

Zapier processes your data in the USA, among other places. Zapier is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Zapier also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Zapier undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de.

The data processing agreements, which correspond to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://zapier.com/help/account/data-management/standard-contractual-clauses-at-zapier.

For more information about the data processed through the use of Zapier, please see the Privacy Policy at https://zapier.com/privacy.

Explanation of terms used

We always strive to make our privacy policy as clear and understandable as possible. However, this is not always easy, especially when it comes to technical and legal issues. It often makes sense to use legal terms (such as personal data) or certain technical expressions (such as cookies, IP address). However, we do not want to use these without explanation. Below you will find an alphabetical list of important terms used that we may not have covered sufficiently in the previous privacy policy. If these terms are taken from the GDPR and are definitions, we will also list the GDPR texts here and add our own explanations if necessary.

order processor

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

‘Processor’ means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller;

Explanation: As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data that we process from you. In addition to those responsible, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or person who processes personal data on our behalf. Processors can therefore be, in addition to service providers such as tax consultants, hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.

Consent

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

'Consent' of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject's wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data concerning him or her;

Explanation: As a rule, such consent is given on websites via a cookie consent tool. You are probably familiar with this. Whenever you visit a website for the first time, you are usually asked via a banner whether you agree or consent to data processing. You can usually also make individual settings and decide for yourself which data processing you allow and which you do not. If you do not consent, no personal data may be processed about you. In principle, consent can of course also be given in writing, i.e. not via a tool.

Health data

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

‘Data concerning health’ means personal data relating to the physical or mental health of a natural person, including the provision of healthcare services, and which reveal information about his or her health status;

Explanation: Health data includes all stored information that concerns your own health. This is often data that is also recorded in a patient file. This includes, for example, which medications you use, X-rays, your entire medical history or, as a rule, your vaccination status.

Personal data

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"personal data" all 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 or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person;

Explanation: Personal data is all data that can identify you as a person. This is usually data such as:

• Name
• Address
• Email address
• Postal address
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• Identification numbers such as social security number, tax identification number, identity card number or registration number
• Bank details such as account number, credit information, account balances and much more.

According to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), your IP address is also considered personal data. IT experts can use your IP address to determine at least the approximate location of your device and subsequently you as the connection owner. Therefore, storing an IP address also requires a legal basis in accordance with the GDPR. There are also so-called "special categories" of personal data that are also particularly worthy of protection. These include:

• racial and ethnic origin
• political opinions
• religious or ideological beliefs
• union membership
• genetic data such as data obtained from blood or saliva samples
• biometric data (this is information about psychological, physical or behavioral characteristics that can identify a person).
  health data
• Data on sexual orientation or sex life

Profiling

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

'Profiling' means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyse or predict aspects concerning that natural person's performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, location or movements;

Explanation: Profiling involves gathering various information about a person in order to learn more about that person. In the web sector, profiling is often used for advertising purposes or for credit checks. Web or advertising analysis programs collect data about your behavior and interests on a website, for example. This results in a special user profile that can be used to target advertising to a specific target group.

Responsible

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"Controller" means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of processing personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law;

Explanation: In our case, we are responsible for the processing of your personal data and are therefore the "controller". If we pass on collected data to other service providers for processing, they are "processors". For this, a "processing agreement (AVV)" must be signed.

Processing

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"processing" any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or linking, restriction, erasure or destruction;

Note: When we talk about processing in our privacy policy, we mean any kind of data processing. As mentioned above in the original GDPR declaration, this includes not only the collection but also the storage and processing of data.

All texts are protected by copyright.