Privacy policy

Introduction

With the following data protection declaration, we would like to inform you about the types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to as “data” for short) that we process, for what purposes and to what extent. The data protection declaration applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both as part of the provision of our services and, in particular, on our websites, in mobile applications and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Online Offer”).

The terms used are not gender-specific.

Status: August 10, 2022

Table of contents

·         Introduction

·         Person in charge

·         Contact Data Protection Officer

·         Overview of processing operations

·         Relevant legal basis

·         Security measures

·         Transfer of personal data

·         Data processing in third countries

·         Deletion of data

·         Use of cookies

·         Business services

·         Use of online platforms for offer and sales purposes

·         Providers and services used in the course of business

·         Payment procedures

·         Credit assessment

·         Provision of the online offer and web hosting

·         Registration, login and user account

·         Community functions

·         Blogs and publication media

·         Contact and inquiry management

·         Video conferencing, online meetings, webinars and screen sharing

·         application process

·         Newsletter and electronic notifications

·         Promotional communications via email, mail, fax or phone

·         Sweepstakes and contests

·         Web analysis, monitoring and optimization

·         online marketing

·         Customer reviews and rating procedures

·         Presence in social networks (social media)

·         Plugins and embedded functions as well as content

·         Management, organization and support tools

·         Modification and updating of the privacy policy

·         Rights of data subjects

·         Definitions of terms

Person in charge

medacom GmbH
R.-Samesreuther-Str. 25
35510 Butzbach
Germany

Authorized representatives:

Olaf Gerlach

E-Mail-Adress:

info@medacom.de

Phone:

+49 6033 74888-0

Imprint:

Contact data privacy officer

Carina Quast
Ingenieurbüro für Datenschutz und Qualitätsmanagement

Birkenweg 20
35447 Reiskirchen
Phone: 06408 968 6689

E-Mail: Post@Ingenieurbuero-Quast.de
Internet: www.Ingenieurbüro-Quast.de

Processing overview

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

Types of data processed

·         Inventory data.

·         Payment data.

·         Contact data.

·         Content data.

·         Contract data.

·         Usage data.

·         Meta/communication data.

·         Applicant data.

·         Event data (Facebook).

Categories of affected persons

·         Customers.

·         Employees.

·         Interested parties.

·         Communication partners.

·         Users.

·         Applicants.

·         Sweepstakes and contest participants.

·         Business and contractual partners.

Processing purposes

·         Provision of contractual services and customer service.

·         Contact requests and communication.

·         Security measures.

·         Direct marketing.

·         Reach measurement.

·         Tracking.

·         Office and organizational procedures.

·         Remarketing.

·         Conversion measurement.

·         Click tracking.

·         Audience building.

·         Managing and responding to inquiries.

·         Application process.

·         Conducting sweepstakes and contests.

·         Firewall.

·         Feedback.

·         Marketing.

·         Profiles with user-related information.

·         Target group creation.

·         Cross-device tracking.

·         Provision of our online services and user experience.

·         Assessment of creditworthiness and credit rating.

·         Information technology infrastructure.

Automated decisions in individual cases

• Credit Report.

Relevant legal bases

The following is an overview of the legal basis of the GDPR on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. If, in addition, more specific legal bases are relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.

• Consent (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. a) GDPR) – The data subject has given his/her consent to the processing of personal data relating to him/her for a specific purpose or purposes.
• Performance of a contract and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party or for the performance of pre-contractual measures carried out at the data subject’s request.
• Legal obligation (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. c) DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests of the controller or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require the protection of personal data.

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

Security measures

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

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

Shortening of IP address: If IP addresses are processed by us or by the service providers and technologies used and the processing of a complete IP address is not necessary, the IP address is shortened (also referred to as “IP masking”). In this process, the last two digits or the last part of the IP address after a period are removed or replaced by wildcards. The shortening of the IP address is intended to prevent or make it significantly more difficult to identify a person by their IP address.

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

Transmission of personal data

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

Data processing in third countries

If we process data in a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or the processing takes place in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, entities or companies, this is only done in accordance with the legal requirements.

Subject to express consent or contractually or legally required transfer, we only process or have the data processed in third countries with a recognized level of data protection, contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission, in the presence of certifications or binding internal data protection regulations (Art. 44 to 49 DSGVO, information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_de).

Data deletion

The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as their consents permitted for processing are revoked or other permissions cease to apply (e.g. if the purpose of processing this data has ceased to apply or it is not required for the purpose). If the data are not deleted because they are required for other and legally permissible purposes, their processing will be limited to these purposes. That is, the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person.

Within the scope of our data protection notices, we may provide users with further information on the deletion as well as on the retention of data that specifically applies to the respective processing operations.

Cookies use

Cookies are small text files or other memory tags that store information on end devices and read information from the end devices. For example, to store the login status in a user account, a shopping cart content in an e-shop, the content accessed or functions used of an online offer. Cookies can further be used for various purposes, e.g. for purposes of functionality, security and comfort of online offers as well as the creation of analyses of visitor flows.

Notes on consent: We use cookies in accordance with legal requirements. Therefore, we obtain prior consent from users except where it is not required by law. In particular, consent is not required if the storage and reading of information, including cookies, is absolutely necessary to provide the user with a telemedia service (i.e., our online offering) that they have expressly requested. The revocable consent is clearly communicated to the users and contains the information on the respective cookie use.

Notes on legal bases under data protection law: the legal basis under data protection law on which we process users’ personal data using cookies depends on whether we ask users for consent. If users consent, the legal basis for processing their data is their declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in a business operation of our online offer and improvement of its usability) or, if this is done in the context of the fulfillment of our contractual obligations, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations. We explain the purposes for which we process the cookies in the course of this privacy policy or as part of our consent and processing procedures.

• Storage duration: With regard to the storage duration, the following types of cookies are distinguished:
• Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed his end device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
• Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the end device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, user data collected with the help of cookies can be used for reach measurement. Unless we provide users with explicit information about the type and storage duration of cookies (e.g., as part of obtaining consent), users should assume that cookies are permanent and that the storage period can be up to two years.
• General information on revocation and objection (opt-out): Users can revoke the consents they have given at any time and also file an objection to processing in accordance with the legal requirements in Art. 21 DSGVO. Users can also declare their objection via their browser settings, e.g. by deactivating the use of cookies (although this may also limit the functionality of our online services). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared via the websites https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/.
• Further notes on processing processes, procedures and services:
• Processing of cookie data based on consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure, in the context of which the consent of users to the use of cookies, or the processing and providers mentioned in the cookie consent management procedure, can be obtained and managed and revoked by users. Here, the declaration of consent is stored in order not to have to repeat its query and to be able to prove the consent in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie, or with the help of comparable technologies), in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or their device. Subject to individual information on the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of consent can be up to two years. Here, a pseudonymous user identifier is formed and stored with the time of consent, information on the scope of consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as the browser, system and end device used.
• BorlabsCookie: Cookie Consent Management; Service Provider: Hosted locally on our server, no data transfer to third parties; Website: https://de.borlabs.io/borlabs-cookie/; Other information: An individual user ID, language, as well as types of consents and the time of their submission are stored on the server side and in the cookie on the users’ device.
• consentmanager: Cookie Consent Management; Service Provider: Jaohawi AB, Håltegelvägen 1b, 72348 Västerås, Sweden; Website: https://www.consentmanager.de/; Privacy policy: https://www.consentmanager.net/; Order processing agreement: https://www.consentmanager.net/tac.php; Other information: The following data is stored on the service provider’s servers in the EU: Identification number, (for the user, their browser, operating system and the terminal device used), IP address, date and time, country, language, type, scope as well as purpose of consent, cookie settings of the browser, website on which consent was given, technical information about the browser and operating system.
• ccm19: Cookie Consent Management; Service Provider: Papoo Software & Media GmbH, Auguststr. 4, 53229 Bonn, Germany; website: https://www.ccm19.de/; privacy policy: https://www.ccm19.de/datenschutzerklaerung.html; additional information: A pseudonymous user ID is stored with the consent status.

Business services

We process data of our contractual and business partners, e.g. customers and interested parties (collectively referred to as “contractual partners”) in the context of contractual and comparable legal relationships as well as related measures and in the context of communication with contractual partners (or pre-contractual), e.g. to answer inquiries.

We process this data in order to fulfill our contractual obligations. This includes, in particular, the obligations to provide the agreed services, any update obligations and remedies in the event of warranty and other service disruptions. In addition, we process the data to protect our rights and for the purpose of administrative tasks associated with these obligations and company organization. Furthermore, we process the data on the basis of our legitimate interests in proper and business management as well as security measures to protect our contractual partners and our business operations from misuse, endangerment of their data, secrets, information and rights (e.g. for the involvement of telecommunications, transport and other auxiliary services as well as subcontractors, banks, tax and legal advisors, payment service providers or tax authorities). Within the framework of applicable law, we only disclose the data of contractual partners to third parties to the extent that this is necessary for the aforementioned purposes or to fulfill legal obligations. Contractual partners will be informed about further forms of processing, e.g. for marketing purposes, within the scope of this data protection declaration.

We inform the contractual partners which data is required for the aforementioned purposes before or in the course of data collection, e.g. in online forms, by means of special marking (e.g. colors) or symbols (e.g. asterisks or similar), or in person.

We delete the data after expiry of legal warranty and comparable obligations, i.e., in principle after 4 years, unless the data is stored in a customer account, e.g., as long as it must be kept for legal archiving reasons. The statutory retention period is ten years for documents relevant under tax law as well as for commercial books, inventories, opening balances, annual financial statements, the work instructions required to understand these documents and other organizational documents and accounting records, and six years for received commercial and business letters and reproductions of sent commercial and business letters. The period shall commence at the end of the calendar year in which the last entry was made in the book, the inventory, the opening balance sheet, the annual financial statements or the management report was prepared, the commercial or business letter was received or dispatched or the accounting document was created, furthermore the recording was made or the other documents were created.

Insofar as we use third-party providers or platforms to provide our services, the terms and conditions and data protection notices of the respective third-party providers or platforms shall apply in the relationship between the users and the providers.

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g., names, addresses); payment data (e.g., bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g., e-mail, phone numbers); contract data (e.g., subject matter of contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g., websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g., device information, IP addresses).
• Data subjects: Customers; prospective customers; business and contractual partners.
• Purposes of processing: providing contractual services and customer service; security measures; contact requests and communication; office and organizational procedures; managing and responding to requests; conversion measurement (measuring the effectiveness of marketing activities); profiles with user-related information (creating user profiles).
• Legal basis: Contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. c) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Customer account: Contractual partners can create an account within our online offer (e.g. customer or user account, in short “customer account”). If registration of a customer account is required, contractual partners will be informed of this as well as of the information required for registration. Customer accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. In the context of registration and subsequent logins and use of the customer account, we store the IP addresses of customers along with the access times, in order to prove the registration and to prevent any misuse of the customer account.If customers have terminated their customer account, the data relating to the customer account will be deleted, unless their retention is required for legal reasons. It is the responsibility of customers to secure their data when the customer account is terminated; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
• Wishlist/ wish list: Customers can create a product/wish list. In this case, the products are stored as part of the fulfillment of our contractual obligations until the account is deleted, unless the product list entries are removed by the customer or we expressly inform the customer of different storage periods; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
• Business analyses and market research: For business reasons and in order to be able to recognize market trends, wishes of contractual partners and users, we analyze the data we have on business transactions, contracts, inquiries, etc., whereby the group of data subjects may include contractual partners, interested parties, customers, visitors and users of our online offer.The analyses are carried out for the purpose of business evaluations, marketing and market research (e.g. to determine customer groups with different characteristics). In doing so, we may, if available, take into account the profiles of registered users together with their details, e.g. on services used. The analyses serve us alone and are not disclosed externally, unless they are anonymous analyses with summarized, i.e. anonymized values. Furthermore, we take into account the privacy of users and process the data for analysis purposes as pseudonymously as possible and, if feasible, anonymously (e.g., as summarized data); Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
• Store and e-commerce: We process the data of our customers to enable them to select, purchase or order the selected products, goods and associated services, as well as their payment and delivery or execution. If necessary for the execution of an order, we use service providers, in particular postal, forwarding and shipping companies, to carry out the delivery, or execution to our customers. For the processing of payment transactions, we use the services of banks and payment service providers. The required information is identified as such in the context of the order or comparable purchase process and includes the information needed for delivery, or provision and billing, as well as contact information in order to be able to consult; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

·         Events: We process the data of the participants of the events offered or organized by us, events and similar activities (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “participants” and “events”) in order to enable them to participate in the events and to take advantage of the services or promotions associated with participation. If we process health-related data, religious, political or other special categories of data in this context, then this takes place within the scope of the obviousness (e.g. in the case of thematically oriented events or serves health care, security or takes place with the consent of the data subjects).The required information is identified as such within the scope of the order, purchase order or comparable contract conclusion and includes the information required for the provision of services and billing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultations. Insofar as we receive access to information of the end customers, employees or other persons, we process this in accordance with the legal and contractual requirements; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

Use of online platforms for offering and sales purposes

We offer our services on online platforms operated by other service providers. In this context, the data protection notices of the respective platforms apply in addition to our data protection notices. This applies in particular with regard to the execution of the payment process and the procedures used on the platforms for reach measurement and interest-based marketing.

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g., names, addresses); payment data (e.g., bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g., e-mail, telephone numbers); contract data (e.g., subject matter of contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g., websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g., device information, IP addresses).
• Data Subjects: Customers.
• Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; marketing.
• Legal grounds: Contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Amazon: Online e-commerce marketplace; Service provider: Amazon EU S.à r.l. (Société à responsabilité limitée), 38 avenue John F. Kennedy, L-1855 Luxembourg; Legal Grounds: Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.amazon.de/; Privacy Policy: https://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201909010.
• eBay: Online marketplace for e-commerce; Service provider: eBay Marketplaces GmbH, Helvetiastrasse 15/17, 3005 Bern, Switzerland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.ebay.de/; Privacy policy: https://www.ebay.de/help/policies/member-behavior-policies/datenschutzerklrung?id=4260.

Providers and services used in the course of business

As part of our business operations, we use additional services, platforms, interfaces or plug-ins from third-party providers (in short, “services”) in compliance with legal requirements. Their use is based on our interests in the proper, lawful and economic management of our business operations and our internal organization.

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g., names, addresses); payment data (e.g., bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g., e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g., entries in online forms); contract data (e.g., subject matter of contract, term, customer category).
• Data subjects: Customers; prospective customers; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services); business and contractual partners; employees (e.g. employees, applicants, former employees).
• Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; office and organizational procedures.
• Legal grounds: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing processes, procedures and services:

• DATEV: Software for accounting, communication with tax advisors as well as authorities and with document storage; service provider: DATEV eG, Paumgartnerstr. 6 – 14, 90429 Nuremberg, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.datev.de/web/de/mydatev/online-anwendungen/; Privacy policy: https://www.datev.de/web/de/m/ueber-datev/datenschutz/; Order processing contract: Provided by the service provider.

Payment method

In the context of contractual and other legal relationships, due to legal obligations or otherwise on the basis of our legitimate interests, we offer data subjects efficient and secure payment options and use other service providers for this purpose in addition to banks and credit institutions (collectively, “payment service providers”).

The data processed by the payment service providers includes inventory data, such as the name and address, bank data, such as account numbers or credit card numbers, passwords, TANs and checksums, as well as the contract, total and recipient-related information. The information is required in order to carry out the transactions. However, the data entered is only processed by the payment service providers and stored with them. I.e., we do not receive any account or credit card related information, but only information with confirmation or negative information of the payment. Under certain circumstances, the payment service providers transmit the data to credit agencies. The purpose of this transmission is to check identity and creditworthiness. In this regard, we refer to the terms and conditions and data protection information of the payment service providers.

For payment transactions, the terms and conditions and data protection notices of the respective payment service providers apply, which can be accessed within the respective websites or transaction applications. We also refer to these for the purpose of further information and assertion of revocation, information and other data subject rights.

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g., names, addresses); payment data (e.g., bank details, invoices, payment history); contract data (e.g., subject matter of contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g., websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g., device information, IP addresses).
• Data subjects: Customers; prospective customers.
• Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service.
• Legal basis: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• ·Giropay: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); Service provider: giropay GmbH, An der Welle 4, 60322 Frankfurt, Germany; Legal basis: Contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Website: https://www.giropay.de; Privacy policy: https://www.giropay.de/rechtliches/datenschutzerklaerung/.
• Klarna / Sofortüberweisung: payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Klarna Bank AB (publ), Sveavägen 46, 111 34 Stockholm, Sweden; Legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Website: https://www.klarna.com/de; Privacy policy: https://www.klarna.com/de/datenschutz.
• Mastercard: payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Mastercard Europe SA, Chaussée de Tervuren 198A, B-1410 Waterloo, Belgium; Legal basis: Contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Website: https://www.mastercard.de/de-de.html; Privacy policy: https://www.mastercard.de/de-de/datenschutz.html.
• PayPal: payment services (technical connection of online payment methods) (e.g. PayPal, PayPal Plus, Braintree); service provider: PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); website: https://www.paypal.com/de; privacy policy: https://www.paypal.com/de/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full.
• Visa: payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); service provider: Visa Europe Services Inc, London Branch, 1 Sheldon Square, London W2 6TT, GB; Legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Website: https://www.visa.de; Privacy policy: https://www.visa.de/nutzungsbedingungen/visa-privacy-center.html.
• Saferpay: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); Service provider: Worldline Suisse SA, Hardturmstrasse 201, 8021 Zurich, Switzerland; Legal basis: Contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Website: https://www.six-payment-services.com/de/site/e-commerce/solutions/paymentsolution.html; Privacy policy: https://www.six-payment-services.com/de/services/legal/privacy-statement.html.

Credit check

If we make advance payments or enter into comparable economic risks (e.g. when ordering on account), we reserve the right to obtain information on identity and creditworthiness for the purpose of assessing the credit risk on the basis of mathematical-statistical procedures from service companies specializing in this area (credit agencies) in order to protect our legitimate interests.

We process the information received from the credit agencies on the statistical probability of a payment default within the framework of an appropriate discretionary decision on the establishment, implementation and termination of the contractual relationship. We reserve the right to refuse payment on account or other advance performance in the event of a negative result of the credit check.

In accordance with Art. 22 DSGVO, the decision as to whether we provide advance performance is made solely on the basis of an automated decision in the individual case, which is made by our software on the basis of the information from the credit agency.

If we obtain explicit consent from contractual partners, the legal basis for the credit rating information and the transmission of the customer’s data to the credit agencies is the consent. If no consent is obtained, the credit information is provided on the basis of our legitimate interests in the default security of our payment claims.

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g., names, addresses); payment data (e.g., bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g., e-mail, telephone numbers); contract data (e.g., subject matter of contract, term, customer category).
• Data subjects: Customers; prospective customers.
• Purposes of processing: assessment of creditworthiness and credit standing.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
• Automated decisions in individual cases: creditworthiness information (decision based on a credit check)

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Creditreform Boniversum GmbH and Verband der Vereine Creditreform e.V.: Credit reference agency; Service provider: Creditreform Boniversum GmbH, Hellersbergstraße 11, 41460 Neuss, Germany; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); website: https://www.boniversum.de/; privacy policy: https://www.boniversum.de/datenschutzerklaerung/.

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

We process the users’ data in order to provide them with our online services. For this purpose, we process the user’s IP address, which is necessary to transmit the content and functions of our online services to the user’s browser or terminal device.

• Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.).); security measures; provision of contractual services and customer service; firewall.
• Legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing processes, procedures and services:

• Email sending and hosting: the web hosting services we use also include the sending, receiving as well as storing of emails. For these purposes, the addresses of the recipients and senders as well as further information regarding the e-mail dispatch (e.g. the providers involved) and the contents of the respective e-mails are processed. The aforementioned data may also be processed for SPAM detection purposes. Please note that e-mails are generally not sent encrypted on the Internet. As a rule, e-mails are encrypted in transit, but (unless a so-called end-to-end encryption method is used) not on the servers from which they are sent and received. We can therefore not assume any responsibility for the transmission path of the e-mails between the sender and the reception on our server; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
• Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offer is logged in the form of so-called “server log files”. The server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, the date and time of access, data volumes transferred, notification of successful access, browser type along with version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider.The server log files may be used for security purposes, for example, to prevent server overload (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and, on the other hand, to ensure the utilization of the servers and their stability; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum period of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized. Data whose further storage is required for evidentiary purposes is excluded from deletion until final clarification of the respective incident.
• IONOS by 1&1: Services in the field of providing information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacity); Service provider: 1&1 IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.ionos.de; Privacy policy: https://www.ionos.de/terms-gtc/terms-privacy; Order processing agreement: https://www.ionos.de/hilfe/datenschutz/allgemeine-informationen-zur-datenschutz-grundverordnung-dsgvo/auftragsverarbeitung/?utm_source=search&utm_medium=global&utm_term=Auft&utm_campaign=HELP_CENTER&utm_content=/hilfe/.
• Wordfence: firewall and security and error detection functions; service provider: Defiant, Inc, 800 5th Ave Ste 4100, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.wordfence.com; Privacy policy: https://www.wordfence.com/privacy-policy/; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://www.wordfence.com/standard-contractual-clauses/.

Registration, login and user account

Users can create a user account. In the course of registration, users are provided with the required mandatory data and processed for the purpose of providing the user account on the basis of contractual obligation fulfillment. The processed data includes in particular the login information (username, password as well as an e-mail address).

In the context of the use of our registration and login functions as well as the use of the user account, we store the IP address and the time of the respective user action. The storage is based on our legitimate interests as well as those of the users in protection against misuse and other unauthorized use. As a matter of principle, this data is not passed on to third parties unless it is necessary for the prosecution of our claims or there is a legal obligation to do so.

Users may be informed by e-mail about processes relevant to their user account, such as technical changes.

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contract data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services); customers.
• Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; security measures; administration and response to inquiries; provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
• Legal Grounds: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Registration with pseudonyms: Users are allowed to use pseudonyms as usernames instead of plain names; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
• Setting the visibility of profiles: Users can use settings to determine the extent to which their profiles are visible, or accessible, to the public or only to certain groups of people; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
• Deletion of data after termination: If users have terminated their user account, their data with regard to the user account will be deleted, subject to any legal permission, obligation or consent of the users; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

·         No obligation to retain data: It is incumbent on users to save their data in the event of termination before the end of the contract. We are entitled to irretrievably delete all user data stored during the term of the contract; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

·         Customer account: Contractual partners can create an account within our online offer (e.g. customer or user account, “customer account” for short). If registration of a customer account is required, contractual partners will be informed of this as well as of the information required for registration. Customer accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. In the context of registration and subsequent logins and uses of the customer account, we store the IP addresses of the customers along with the access times, in order to prove the registration and to prevent any misuse of the customer account.If customers have terminated their customer account, the data relating to the customer account will be deleted, unless their retention is required for legal reasons. It is the responsibility of the customers to secure their data when the customer account is terminated; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

Community functions

The community functions provided by us allow users to enter into conversations or other exchanges with each other. In this regard, please note that the use of the community functions is only permitted in compliance with the applicable legal situation, our terms and guidelines, and the rights of other users and third parties.

• Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. web pages visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
•  Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; security measures.
• Legal grounds: contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
• Further notes on processing processes, procedures and services:
•  User contributions are public: user-created contributions and content are publicly visible and accessible; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
• Protection of own data: Users decide for themselves what data they disclose about themselves within our online offering. For example, when users provide information about themselves or participate in conversations. We ask users to protect their data and to disclose personal data only with caution and only to the extent necessary. In particular, we ask users to note that they must protect access data very particularly and use secure passwords (i.e., above all, character combinations that are as long and random as possible); Legal basis: Contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

Blogs and publication media

We use blogs or comparable means of online communication and publication (hereinafter “publication medium”). Readers’ data is processed for the purposes of the publication medium only to the extent necessary for its presentation and communication between authors and readers or for security reasons. For the rest, we refer to the information on the processing of visitors to our publication medium within the scope of this data protection notice.

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g., names, addresses); contact data (e.g., e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g., entries in online forms); usage data (e.g., websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g., device information, IP addresses); contract data (e.g., subject matter of contract, term, customer category).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; security measures; contact requests and communication; administration and response to requests.
• Legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Comments and contributions: When users leave comments or other contributions, their IP addresses may be stored based on our legitimate interests. This is done for our security in case someone leaves unlawful content in comments and posts (insults, prohibited political propaganda, etc.). In this case, we ourselves may be prosecuted for the comment or post and are therefore interested in the identity of the author.Furthermore, based on our legitimate interests, we reserve the right to process the information of users for the purpose of spam detection.On the same legal basis, we reserve the right, in the case of surveys, to store the IP addresses of users for their duration and to use cookies to avoid multiple votes. The personal information provided in the context of comments and contributions, any contact and website information as well as the content-related information will be stored permanently by us until the user objects; legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

• Comment subscriptions: Follow-up comments can be subscribed to by users with their consent. Users will receive a confirmation email to verify that they are the owner of the email address entered. Users may unsubscribe from ongoing comment subscriptions at any time. The confirmation email will include instructions on how to unsubscribe. For the purposes of proving users’ consent, we store the time of subscription along with users’ IP address and delete this information when users unsubscribe.You may unsubscribe from receiving our subscription at any time, i.e., revoke your consents. We may store unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before deleting them to prove consent formerly given. The processing of this data will be limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. An individual deletion request is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time; legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO).
• Retrieval of WordPress emojis and smilies: Retrieval of WordPress emojis and smilies – Within our WordPress blog, graphical emojis (or smilies), i.e., small graphic files expressing emotions, are used for purposes of efficient integration of content elements, obtained from external servers. The providers of the servers collect the IP addresses of the users. This is necessary so that the emoji files can be transmitted to the users’ browsers; service provider: Automattic Inc, 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://automattic.com; Privacy policy: https://automattic.com/privacy.
• Akismet Anti-Spam Check: Akismet Anti-Spam Check – We use the service “Akismet” on the basis of our legitimate interests. Akismet is used to distinguish comments from real people from spam comments. For this purpose, all comment details are sent to a server in the USA, where they are analyzed and stored for four days for comparison purposes. If a comment has been classified as spam, the data is stored beyond this time. This information includes the name entered, the email address, the IP address, the comment content, the referrer, information about the browser used as well as the computer system and the time of the entry.Users are welcome to use pseudonyms or to refrain from entering their name or email address. You can completely prevent the transfer of data by not using our commenting system. That would be a shame, but unfortunately we don’t see any alternatives that work as effectively; Service Provider: Automattic Inc, 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://automattic.com; Privacy policy: https://automattic.com/privacy.
• Profile pictures from Gravatar: Profile pictures – We use the service Gravatar within our online offer and especially in the blog.Gravatar is a service where users can register and store profile pictures and their email addresses. If users leave posts or comments on other online presences (especially blogs) with the respective e-mail address, their profile pictures can be displayed next to the posts or comments. For this purpose, the e-mail address provided by users is transmitted to Gravatar in encrypted form for the purpose of checking whether a profile is stored for it. This is the sole purpose of the transmission of the email address. It is not used for any other purpose, but is deleted afterwards.The use of Gravatar is based on our legitimate interests, as we use Gravatar to offer post and comment authors the opportunity to personalize their posts with a profile picture.By displaying the pictures, Gravatar obtains the IP address of users, as this is necessary for a communication between a browser and an online service. If users do not want a user image associated with their email address on Gravatar to appear in the comments, they should use an email address that is not on file with Gravatar to comment. We also point out that it is also possible to use an anonymous email address or no email address at all if users do not want their email address to be sent to Gravatar. Users can completely prevent the transmission of data by not using our commenting system; service provider: Automattic Inc, 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://automattic.com; Privacy policy: https://automattic.com/privacy.
• ManageWP: WordPress website management; Service provider: ManageWP, LLC, 14455 N. Hayden Rd, Ste. 219, Scottsdale, AZ 85260, USA ; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://managewp.com/; Privacy policy: https://managewp.com/privacy.

Contact and request management

When contacting us (e.g. via contact form, e-mail, telephone or via social media) as well as in the context of existing user and business relationships, the information of the inquiring persons is processed to the extent necessary to respond to the contact requests and any requested measures.

The response to the contact inquiries as well as the management of contact and inquiry data in the context of contractual or pre-contractual relationships is carried out to fulfill our contractual obligations or to respond to (pre)contractual inquiries and otherwise on the basis of legitimate interests in responding to the inquiries and maintaining user or business relationships.

• Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Data subjects: Communication partners.
• Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; contact requests and communication; managing and responding to requests; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); providing our online offer and user experience.
• Legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Contact form: If users contact us via our contact form, e-mail or other communication channels, we process the data communicated to us in this context for the purpose of processing the communicated request. For this purpose, we process personal data in the context of pre-contractual and contractual business relationships, insofar as this is necessary for their fulfillment and otherwise on the basis of our legitimate interests as well as the interests of the communication partners in responding to the requests and our legal retention obligations; Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Video conferencing, online meetings, webinars and screen sharing

We use platforms and applications of other providers (hereinafter referred to as “conference platforms”) for the purpose of conducting video and audio conferences, webinars and other types of video and audio meetings (hereinafter collectively referred to as “conference”). When selecting the Conference Platforms and their services, we comply with the legal requirements.

Data Processed by Conference Platforms: In the course of participating in a conference, the conference platforms process the personal data of the participants mentioned below. The scope of the processing depends, on the one hand, on which data is requested in the context of a specific conference (e.g., provision of access data or clear names) and which optional information is provided by the participants. In addition to processing for the purpose of conducting the conference, participants’ data may also be processed by the conference platforms for security purposes or service optimization. The processed data includes personal data (first name, last name), contact information (e-mail address, telephone number), access data (access codes or passwords), profile pictures, information on professional position/function, the IP address of the Internet access, information on the participants’ terminal devices, their operating system, the browser and its technical and language settings, information on the content of communications, i.e. entries in chats and audio and video data, as well as the use of other available functions (e.g. surveys). Content of communications is encrypted to the extent technically provided by the conference providers. If participants are registered as users with the conference platforms, then further data may be processed according to the agreement with the respective conference provider.

Logging and recordings: If text entries, participation results (e.g., from surveys), and video or audio recordings are logged, this will be transparently communicated to participants in advance and they will be asked for consent – if necessary.

Data protection measures of the participants: Please note the details of the processing of your data by the conference platforms in their data protection notices and select the security and data protection settings that are optimal for you within the framework of the settings of the conference platforms. Furthermore, please ensure data and privacy protection in the background of your recording for the duration of a videoconference (e.g., by notifying roommates, locking doors, and using the background obscuring function, if technically possible). Links to the conference rooms as well as access data, may not be passed on to unauthorized third parties.

Notes on legal bases: if, in addition to the conference platforms, we also process users’ data and ask users for their consent to use the conference platforms or certain functions (e.g. consent to a recording of conferences), the legal basis of the processing is this consent. Furthermore, our processing may be necessary for the fulfillment of our contractual obligations (e.g. in lists of participants, in the case of reprocessing of call results, etc.). Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests in efficient and secure communication with our communication partners.

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Data subjects: Communication partners; users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; contact requests and communication; office and organizational procedures.
• Legal bases: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing operations, procedures and services:

• TeamViewer: conferencing software; service provider: TeamViewer GmbH, Jahnstr. 30, 73037 Göppingen, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.teamviewer.com/de; Privacy policy: https://www.teamviewer.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung/.

Application procedure

The application process requires applicants to provide us with the data required for their assessment and selection. The information required can be found in the job description or, in the case of online forms, in the information provided there.

In principle, the required information includes personal information such as name, address, contact details and proof of the qualifications required for a position. Upon request, we will be happy to provide additional information as to what information is required.

If provided, applicants can submit their applications to us using an online form. The data is transmitted to us in encrypted form in accordance with the state of the art. Applicants can also send us their applications by e-mail. Please note, however, that e-mails sent via the Internet are generally not encrypted. As a rule, e-mails are encrypted in transit, but not on the servers from which they are sent and received. Therefore, we cannot assume any responsibility for the transmission path of the application between the sender and the reception on our server.

For purposes of applicant search, submission of applications, and selection of applicants, we may use third-party applicant management, or recruitment software and platforms and services, subject to legal requirements.

Applicants are welcome to contact us regarding the method of submission of the application or to send us the application by mail.

Processing of special categories of data: insofar as special categories of personal data within the meaning of Art. 9 (1) DSGVO (e.g. health data, such as severely disabled status or ethnic origin) are requested from applicants as part of the application process in order for the controller or the data subject to exercise the rights accruing to him or her under labor law and social security and social protection law and to comply with his or her obligations in this regard, their processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 9 (2) letter b. DSGVO, in case of protection of vital interests of the applicants or other persons according to Art. 9 para. 2 lit. c. DSGVO or for the purposes of preventive health care or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the employee’s ability to work, for medical diagnostics, for care or treatment in the health or social sector or for the management of systems and services in the health or social sector pursuant to Art. 9 para. 2 lit. h. DSGVO. In the case of notification of the special categories of data based on voluntary consent, their processing is based on Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a. DSGVO.

Deletion of data: The data provided by applicants may be further processed by us for the purposes of the employment relationship in the event of a successful application. Otherwise, if the application for a job offer is not successful, the applicants’ data will be deleted. Applicants’ data will also be deleted if an application is withdrawn, which applicants are entitled to do at any time. Subject to a justified withdrawal by the applicants, the deletion will take place at the latest after the expiry of a period of six months so that we can answer any follow-up questions about the application and meet our obligations to provide evidence under the regulations on equal treatment of applicants. Invoices for any reimbursement of travel expenses will be archived in accordance with tax law requirements.

Inclusion in an applicant pool: Inclusion in an applicant pool, if offered, is based on consent. Applicants are informed that their consent to inclusion in the talent pool is voluntary, has no influence on the current application process and that they can revoke their consent at any time for the future.

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); applicant data (e.g. personal details, postal and contact addresses, the documents belonging to the application and the information contained therein, such as cover letter, curriculum vitae, certificates, as well as other information provided with regard to a specific position or voluntarily by applicants regarding their person or qualifications).
• Data subjects: Applicants.
• Purposes of processing: application procedure (establishment and possible subsequent implementation as well as possible subsequent termination of the employment relationship).
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing processes, procedures and services:

• Stepstone: services related to employee acquisition/recruitment (search for employees, communication, application procedures, contract negotiations); service provider: StepStone Deutschland GmbH, Völklinger Straße 1, 40219 Düsseldorf, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.stepstone.de; Privacy policy: https://www.stepstone.de/Ueber-StepStone/Rechtliche-Hinweise/datenschutzerklaerung/.
• Xing: Social network; Service provider: XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.xing.de; Privacy policy: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.

Newsletter and electronic notifications

We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter “newsletter”) only with the consent of the recipients or a legal permission. Insofar as the contents of the newsletter are specifically described in the context of a registration, they are decisive for the consent of the users. Otherwise, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.

In order to subscribe to our newsletters, it is generally sufficient to provide your e-mail address. However, we may ask you to provide a name, for the purpose of personal address in the newsletter, or further information, if this is necessary for the purposes of the newsletter.

Double opt-in procedure: The registration for our newsletter is always carried out in a so-called double opt-in process. This means that after registration you will receive an e-mail in which you are asked to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that no one can register with other e-mail addresses. The registrations for the newsletter are logged in order to be able to prove the registration process according to the legal requirements. This includes the storage of the registration and confirmation time as well as the IP address. Likewise, changes to your data stored with the dispatch service provider are logged.

Deletion and restriction of processing: We may store unsubscribed e-mail addresses for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests before deleting them in order to be able to prove consent previously given. The processing of this data will be limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. An individual request for deletion is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time. In the case of obligations to permanently observe objections, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address in a block list (so-called “block list”) for this purpose alone.

The logging of the registration process takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of proving its proper course. If we commission a service provider to send e-mails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure sending system.

• Content: Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.
• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
• Data subjects: Communication partners; users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g., via e-mail or postal mail); reach measurement (e.g., access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); provision of contractual services and customer service; conversion measurement (measurement of the effectiveness of marketing measures); profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
•  Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
• Option to object (Opt-Out): You can cancel the receipt of our newsletter at any time, i.e. revoke your consent, or object to further receipt. You will find a link to cancel the newsletter either at the end of each newsletter or you can otherwise use one of the contact options given above, preferably e-mail, for this purpose.

Further information on processing, procedures and services:

• Measurement of opening and click-through rates: The newsletters contain a so-called “web beacon”, i.e., a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from our server or, if we use a shipping service provider, from its server when the newsletter is opened. In the course of this retrieval, technical information, such as information about the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and the time of the retrieval, are initially collected. This information is used for the technical improvement of our newsletter based on the technical data or the target groups and their reading behavior based on their retrieval locations (which can be determined with the help of the IP address) or the access times. This analysis also includes determining whether the newsletters are opened, when they are opened and which links are clicked. This information is assigned to the individual newsletter recipients and stored in their profiles until they are deleted. The evaluations serve us to recognize the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content to them or to send different content according to the interests of our users.The measurement of opening rates and click-through rates as well as storage of the measurement results in the profiles of the users and their further processing are based on the consent of the users. A separate revocation of the performance measurement is unfortunately not possible, in this case the entire newsletter subscription must be cancelled, or it must be contradicted. In this case, the stored profile information will be deleted; legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO).
• Prerequisite for the use of free services: Consent to the sending of mailings may be made conditional as a prerequisite for the use of free services (e.g. access to certain content or participation in certain promotions). If users wish to take advantage of the free service without subscribing to the newsletter, please contact us.
• Order process reminders: If users do not complete an order process, we may remind users of the order process by email and send them a link to continue it. This function can be useful, for example, if the purchase process could not be continued due to a browser crash, oversight or forgetting. The sending is based on consent, which users can revoke at any time; legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO).
• SendinBlue: Email marketing platform; Service provider: SendinBlue SAS, 55, rue d’Amsterdam, 75008 Paris, France; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://de.sendinblue.com/; Privacy policy: https://www.sendinblue.com/legal/privacypolicy/; Order processing agreement: Provided by the service provider.
• Sendinblue: Email marketing platform; Service provider: Sendinblue GmbH, Köpenicker Str. 126, 10179 Berlin, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://sendinblue.com/; Privacy policy: https://de.sendinblue.com/legal/privacypolicy/; Order processing contract: https://de.sendinblue.com/datenschutz-uebersicht/.

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

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

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

After revocation or objection, we store the data required to prove the previous authorization to contact or send for up to three years after the end of the year of revocation or objection based on our legitimate interests. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. Based on the legitimate interest of permanently observing the user’s revocation or objection, we also store the data required to avoid contacting the user again (e.g., depending on the communication channel, the e-mail address, telephone number, name).

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).
• Data subjects: Communication partners.
• Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Sweepstakes and contests

We process personal data of participants of sweepstakes and contests only in compliance with the relevant data protection provisions, insofar as the processing is contractually necessary for the provision, implementation and execution of the sweepstakes, the participants have consented to the processing or the processing serves our legitimate interests (e.g., in the security of the sweepstakes or the protection of our interests against misuse through possible collection of IP addresses when submitting sweepstakes entries).

If contributions from participants are published as part of the sweepstakes (e.g. as part of a vote or presentation of the sweepstakes entries or the winners or reporting on the sweepstakes), we point out that the names of the participants may also be published in this context. Participants may object to this at any time.

If the sweepstakes takes place within an online platform or a social network (e.g. Facebook or Instagram, hereinafter referred to as “online platform”), the usage and data protection provisions of the respective platforms shall also apply. In these cases, we would like to point out that we are responsible for the information provided by the participants as part of the sweepstakes and that inquiries with regard to the sweepstakes should be directed to us.

The participants’ data will be deleted as soon as the sweepstakes or contest has ended and the data is no longer required to inform the winners or because queries regarding the sweepstakes are to be expected. In principle, the data of the participants will be deleted no later than 6 months after the end of the sweepstakes. Winners’ data may be retained for longer in order, for example, to be able to answer queries about the prizes or to fulfill the prize services; in this case, the retention period depends on the type of prize and is up to three years for items or services, for example, in order to be able to process warranty claims. Furthermore, the participants’ data may be stored for longer, e.g. in the form of reporting on the sweepstakes in online and offline media.

If data was also collected for other purposes as part of the sweepstakes, its processing and the retention period will be governed by the data protection information on this use (e.g. in the case of registration for the newsletter as part of a sweepstakes).

• Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Data subjects: Sweepstakes and contest participants.
• Purposes of processing: implementation of sweepstakes and contests.
• · Legal basis: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

Web analysis, monitoring and optimization

Web analytics (also referred to as “reach measurement”) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offering and may include behavior, interests or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of reach analysis, we can recognize, for example, at what time our online offer or its functions or content are most frequently used or invite re-use. Likewise, we can understand which areas need optimization.

In addition to web analytics, we may also use testing procedures, for example, to test and optimize different versions of our online offering or its components.

Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, i.e. data summarized for a usage process, may be created for these purposes and information may be stored in a browser, or in a terminal device, and read from it. The information collected includes, in particular, websites visited and elements used there, as well as technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used, and information on usage times. If users have agreed to the collection of their location data from us or from the providers of the services we use, location data may also be processed.

The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e., pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. Generally, in the context of web analysis, A/B testing and optimization, no clear data of the users (such as e-mail addresses or names) are stored, but pseudonyms. That is, we as well as the providers of the software used do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purposes of the respective procedures.

• Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: remarketing; targeting (determining target groups relevant for marketing purposes or otherwise outputting content); reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognizing returning visitors); profiling with user-related information (creating user profiles); tracking (e.g. interest/behavior-based profiling, use of cookies); providing our online offer and user experience.
• Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further information on processing, procedures and services:

• Google Analytics: web analytics, reach measurement, and measurement of user flows; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Order processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Opt-out: Opt-Out-Plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, Settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated; Further information: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices (types of processing as well as data processed).
• Google Universal Analytics: reach measurement and web analytics – We use Universal Analytics, a version of Google Analytics, to perform user analysis based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This identification number does not contain any clear data, such as names or email addresses. It is used to assign analysis information to a user, e.g., to identify which content users have accessed within a usage session or whether they visit our online offering again. This involves creating pseudonymous profiles of users with information from the use of various devices; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Terms and conditions: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Order processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Standard contractual clauses (guaranteeing the level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Opt-out: Opt-Out-Plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de; Settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated; Further information: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices (types of processing as well as data processed).
• Google Analytics 4: We use Google Analytics to perform user analysis based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This identification number does not contain any unique data, such as names or email addresses. It is used to assign analysis information to a terminal device in order to recognize which content users have accessed within one or various usage processes, which search terms they have used, have accessed again or have interacted with our online offering. Likewise, the time of use and its duration are stored, as well as the sources of the users referring to our online offer and technical aspects of their end devices and browsers. In the process, pseudonymous profiles of users are created with information from the use of various devices, and cookies may be used. In Analytics, higher level geographic location data is provided by collecting the following metadata based on IP search: “city” (and the derived latitude and longitude of the city), “continent”, “country”, “region”, “subcontinent” (and the ID-based equivalents). To ensure the protection of user data in the EU, Google receives and processes all user data via domains and servers within the EU. Users’ IP addresses are not logged and are truncated by the last two digits by default. The shortening of the IP address takes place on EU servers for EU users. In addition, all sensitive data collected from users in the EU is deleted before it is collected via EU domains and servers; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Order processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Opt-out: Opt-Out-Plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, Settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated; Further information: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices (types of processing as well as data processed).
• Targeting with Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to display the ads placed through within advertising services of Google and its partners, only to those users who have also shown an interest in our online offer or who have certain characteristics (e.g. interests in certain topics or products determined on the basis of the websites visited), which we transmit to Google (so-called “Remarketing Audiences”, or “Google Analytics Audiences”). With the help of Remarketing Audiences, we also want to ensure that our ads correspond to the potential interest of users; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Legal basis: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Order processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/; Further information: Types of processing as well as data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Data processing conditions for Google advertising products and standard contractual clauses for third country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms.
• Google Tag Manager: Google Tag Manager is a solution with which we can manage so-called website tags via an interface and thus integrate other services into our online offering (please refer to further information in this privacy policy). With the Tag Manager itself (which implements the tags), therefore, no profiles of users are created or cookies are stored, for example. Google only learns the IP address of the user, which is necessary to run the Google Tag Manager; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Order processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring level of data protection in case of processing in third countries): https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Further information: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices (types of processing as well as data processed).
• Matomo (without cookies): Matomo is a privacy-friendly web analytics software that is used without cookies and in which the recognition of returning users is carried out with the help of a so-called “digital fingerprint”, which is stored anonymously and changed every 24 hours; With the “digital fingerprint”, user movements within our online offering are recorded with the help of pseudonymized IP addresses in combination with user-side browser settings in such a way that conclusions about the identity of individual users are not possible. The user data collected in the context of the use of Matomo is only processed by us and is not shared with third parties; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://matomo.org/.
• Matomo: Matomo is software that is used for web analysis and reach measurement purposes. As part of the use of Matomo, cookies are generated and stored on the user’s terminal device. The user data collected as part of the use of Matomo is only processed by us and is not shared with third parties. The cookies are stored for a maximum period of 13 months: https://matomo.org/faq/general/faq_146/; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Deletion of data: The cookies have a maximum storage period of 13 months.

Onlinemarketing

We process personal data for online marketing purposes, which may include, in particular, the marketing of advertising space or display of promotional and other content (collectively, “content”) based on potential user interests and the measurement of its effectiveness.

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

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

The information in the profiles is usually stored in the cookies or by means of similar procedures. These cookies can later generally be read on other websites that use the same online marketing procedure and analyzed for the purpose of displaying content as well as supplemented with further data and stored on the server of the online marketing procedure provider.

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

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

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

• Types of data processed: Content data (e.g., entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g., websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g., device information, IP addresses); Event data (Facebook) (“Event data” is data that may be transmitted by us to Facebook, e.g., via Facebook Pixel (via apps or in other ways) and relates to individuals or their actions; The data includes e.g.. Information about visits to websites, interactions with content, functions, installations of apps, purchases of products, etc.; Event data is processed for the purpose of forming target groups for content and advertising information (Custom Audiences); Event data does not include the actual content (such as written comments), no login information and no contact information (i.e. no names, email addresses and phone numbers). Event data is deleted by Facebook after a maximum of two years, and the target groups formed from it are deleted when our Facebook account is deleted).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: reach measurement (e.g., access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); tracking (e.g. interest/behavioral profiling, use of cookies); conversion measurement (measuring the effectiveness of marketing measures); targeting; marketing; profiling with user-related information (creating user profiles); targeting (determining target groups relevant for marketing purposes or otherwise outputting content); providing our online offering and user experience; remarketing; click tracking; cross-device tracking (processing user data across devices for marketing purposes).
• Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
• Option to object (opt-out): We refer to the data protection notices of the respective providers and the objection options given to the providers (so-called “opt-out”). If no explicit opt-out option has been specified, you have the option of disabling cookies in your browser settings. However, this may restrict functions of our online offer. We therefore recommend the following additional opt-out options, which are offered in summary for the respective areas: a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu. b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices. c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices. d) Cross-territory: https://optout.aboutads.info.

Further notes on processing, procedures and services:

• Facebook pixel and targeting (Custom Audiences): With the help of the Facebook pixel (or comparable functions, for the transmission of event data or contact information by means of interfaces in apps), it is possible for Facebook, on the one hand, to determine the visitors to our online offer as a target group for the display of advertisements (so-called “Facebook ads”). Accordingly, we use the Facebook pixel to display the Facebook ads placed by us only to those users on Facebook and within the services of partners cooperating with Facebook (so-called “Audience Network” https://www.facebook.com/audiencenetwork/ ) who have also shown an interest in our online offer or who have certain characteristics (e.g. interest in certain topics or products that are evident from the websites visited) that we transmit to Facebook (so-called “Custom Audiences”). With the help of the Facebook pixel, we also want to ensure that our Facebook ads correspond to the potential interest of users and do not have a harassing effect. With the help of the Facebook pixel, we can further track the effectiveness of the Facebook ads for statistical and market research purposes by seeing whether users were redirected to our website after clicking on a Facebook ad (so-called “conversion measurement”); service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Further information: Event data of users, i.e. behavioral and interest data, is processed for the purposes of targeted advertising and audience building based on the Joint Responsibility Agreement (“Controller Addendum”, https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum). The joint responsibility is limited to the collection by and transfer of data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company based in the EU. Further processing of data is the sole responsibility of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which concerns in particular the transfer of data to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. in the USA (based on the standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.).
• Google Ad Manager: We use the “Google Marketing Platform” (and services such as “Google Ad Manager”) to place ads in the Google advertising network (e.g., in search results, in videos, on web pages, etc.). The Google Marketing Platform is characterized by the fact that ads are displayed in real time based on presumed user interests. This allows us to display ads for and within our online offering in a more targeted manner in order to present users only with ads that potentially match their interests. If, for example, a user is shown ads for products he or she has been interested in on other online offers, this is referred to as “remarketing”; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further information: Types of processing as well as data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Google Advertising Products Data Processing Terms: Information on services Data processing terms and conditions between data controllers and standard contractual clauses for third country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms; if Google acts as processor, data processing terms and conditions for Google advertising products and standard contractual clauses for third country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms.
• Google Ads and conversion measurement: We use the online marketing method “Google Ads” to place ads in the Google advertising network (e.g., in search results, in videos, on web pages, etc.) so that they are displayed to users who have a presumed interest in the ads (so-called “conversion”). Furthermore, we measure the conversion of the ads. However, we only learn the anonymous total number of users who clicked on our ad and were redirected to a page marked with a so-called “conversion tracking tag”. However, we ourselves do not receive any information with which users can be identified; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further information: Types of processing as well as data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Data processing conditions between data controllers and standard contractual clauses for third country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.
• Google Adsense with personalized ads: We use the Google Adsense service with personalized ads, with the help of which ads are displayed within our online offer and we receive remuneration for their display or other use; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further information: Types of processing as well as data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Google Advertising Products Data Processing Terms: Information on services Data processing terms and conditions between data controllers and standard contractual clauses for third country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.
• LinkedIn: insights tag / conversion measurement; service provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy, Cookie policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie_policy; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Opt-out: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
• Pinterest tag: Interest- and behavior-based measurement and analysis of user interaction with our online services (in particular, page visits, search entries, transactions, video and page views, and time and period) for the purpose of creating target groups for the display of content and advertising content within the Pinterest platform and partners participating in its ad network; Service provider: Pinterest Inc, 635 High Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://help.pinterest.com/en/business/article/track-conversions-with-pinterest-tag; Privacy policy: https://about.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy.
• TikTok Pixel: A TikTok pixel is a snippet of HTML code that is loaded when a user visits a website. When a user comes to our online site, the pixel is triggered and tracks the user’s behavior and conversions (possible uses: measuring campaign performance, optimizing ad delivery, building custom and lookalike audiences); Service provider: TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland; legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); website: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article?aid=6669727593823993861; privacy policy: https://www.tiktok.com/de/privacy-policy.
• Tiktok Ads: Placement of ads within the Tiktok platform and evaluation of the ad results; Service provider: TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://ads.tiktok.com/; Privacy policy: https://www.tiktok.com/de/privacy-policy.

Customer reviews and evaluation process

We participate in review and rating procedures in order to evaluate, optimize and promote our services. If users rate us or otherwise provide feedback via the participating rating platforms or procedures, the General Terms and Conditions of Business or Use and the privacy notices of the providers also apply. As a rule, the rating also requires registration with the respective providers.

In order to ensure that the persons rating have actually used our services, we transmit the data required for this with the consent of the customer to the respective rating platform with regard to the customer and the service used (including name, e-mail address and order number or item number). This data is used solely to verify the authenticity of the user.

·         Types of data processed: contractual data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).

·         Data subjects: Customers; users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).

·         Purposes of processing: feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); marketing.

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

Further notes on processing processes, procedures and services:

·         Rating widget: we integrate so-called “rating widgets” into our online offer. A widget is a functional and content element integrated into our online offer that displays changeable information. It can be displayed, for example, in the form of a seal or comparable element, sometimes also called a “badge”. In this case, the corresponding content of the widget is displayed within our online offer, but it is retrieved at that moment from the servers of the respective widget provider. This is the only way to always show the current content, especially the current rating. To do this, a data connection must be established from the website called up within our online offering to the widget provider’s server, and the widget provider receives certain technical data (access data, including IP address) that are necessary so that the widget’s content can be delivered to the user’s browser.Furthermore, the widget provider receives information about the fact that users have visited our online offering. This information may be stored in a cookie and used by the widget provider to identify which online offers participating in the evaluation process have been visited by the user. The information may be stored in a user profile and used for advertising or market research purposes; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

·         Google Customer Reviews: Service for obtaining and/or displaying customer satisfaction and customer opinions; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Terms and conditions: https://support.google.com/merchants/topic/7259129?hl=de&ref_topic=7257954; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further information: In the context of obtaining customer reviews, an identification number as well as time for the business transaction to be evaluated, in the case of review requests sent directly to customers, the customer’s email address as well as their country of residence information as well as the review information itself are processed; Further information on the types of processing as well as the data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Data processing conditions for Google advertising products: Information on services Data processing terms and conditions between data controllers and standard contractual clauses for third country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.

·         Trustpilot: rating platform; service provider: Trustpilot A/S, Pilestræde 58, 5, 1112 Copenhagen, Denmark; Legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://de.trustpilot.com; Privacy policy: https://de.legal.trustpilot.com/end-user-privacy-terms.

Presence in social networks (social media)

We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with users active there or to offer information about us.

We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This may result in risks for the users because, for example, it could make it more difficult to enforce the rights of the users.

Furthermore, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles can be created based on the usage behavior and resulting interests of the users. The usage profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the users’ computers, in which the usage behavior and interests of the users are stored. Furthermore, data independent of the devices used by the users may also be stored in the usage profiles (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).

For a detailed presentation of the respective forms of processing and the options to object (opt-out), we refer to the privacy statements and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

In the case of requests for information and the assertion of data subject rights, we would also like to point out that these can be asserted most effectively with the providers. Only the providers have access to the users’ data and can take appropriate measures and provide information directly. If you still need assistance, you can contact us.

• Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); marketing.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Instagram: social network; service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.instagram.com; Privacy policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy.
• Facebook pages: Profiles within the Facebook social network – We are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for collecting (but not further processing) data from visitors to our Facebook page (known as a “Fan Page”). This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see under “Things You and Others Do and Provide” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy), as well as information about the devices users use (e.g., IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under “Device Information” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under “How do we use this information?”, Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, called “Page Insights,” to Page operators to provide them with insights into how people interact with their Pages and with content associated with them. We have entered into a special agreement with Facebook (“Page Insights Information,” https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which regulates in particular which security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill the data subject rights (i.e., users can, for example, direct information or deletion requests to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority), are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook. Further information can be found in the “Information on Page Insights” (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data); service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum; Further information: Shared Responsibility Agreement: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data. Joint accountability is limited to the collection by and transfer of data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company based in the EU. Further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which concerns in particular the transfer of the data to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. in the USA (based on the standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.).
• Facebook-Gruppen: Interessensgruppen innerhalb des sozialen Netzwerks Facebook – Wir nutzen die Funktion “Gruppen” der Facebook-Plattform, um Interessensgruppen zu erstellen, innerhalb derer Facebook-Nutzer untereinander oder mit uns in Kontakt treten und Informationen austauschen können. Hierbei verarbeiten wir personenbezogene Daten der Nutzer unserer Gruppen soweit dies zum Zweck der Gruppennutzung sowie deren Moderation erforderlich sind. Unsere Richtlinien innerhalb der Gruppen können weitere Vorgaben und Informationen zu der Nutzung der jeweiligen Gruppe enthalten. Diese Daten umfassen Angaben zu Vor- und Nachnamen, sowie publizierte oder privat mitgeteilte Inhalte, als auch Werte zum Status der Gruppenmitgliedschaft oder Gruppenbezogene Aktivitäten, wie z.B. Ein- oder Austritt als auch die Zeitangaben zu den vorgenannten Daten. Ferner verweisen wir auf die Verarbeitung von Daten der Nutzer durch Facebook selbst. Zu diesen Daten gehören Informationen zu den Arten von Inhalten, die Nutzer sich ansehen oder mit denen sie interagieren, oder die von ihnen vorgenommenen Handlungen (siehe unter „Von dir und anderen getätigte und bereitgestellte Dinge“ in der Facebook-Datenrichtlinie: https://www.facebook.com/policy), sowie Informationen über die von den Nutzern genutzten Geräte (z. B. IP-Adressen, Betriebssystem, Browsertyp, Spracheinstellungen, Cookie-Daten; siehe unter „Geräteinformationen“ in der Facebook-Datenrichtlinie: https://www.facebook.com/policy). Wie in der Facebook-Datenrichtlinie unter „Wie verwenden wir diese Informationen?“ erläutert, erhebt und verwendet Facebook Informationen auch, um Analysedienste, so genannte “Insights”, für Gruppenbetreiber bereitzustellen, damit diese Erkenntnisse darüber erhalten, wie Personen mit ihren Gruppen und mit den mit ihnen verbundenen Inhalten interagieren; Dienstanbieter: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Irland; Rechtsgrundlagen: Berechtigte Interessen (Art. 6 Abs. 1 S. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Datenschutzerklärung: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.
• Facebook events: Event profiles within the social network Facebook – We use the “Events” function of the Facebook platform to refer to events and dates as well as to get in touch with users (participants and interested parties) and to exchange information. In doing so, we process personal data of the users of our event pages, as far as this is necessary for the purpose of the event page as well as its moderation. These data include information on first and last names, as well as published or privately communicated content, as well as values on the status of participation and the time information on the aforementioned data. Furthermore, we refer to the processing of data of users by Facebook itself. This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see under “Things You and Others Do and Provide” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy), as well as information about the devices users use (e.g., IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under “Device Information” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under “How do we use this information?”, Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, called “insights,” to event providers to provide them with insights about how people interact with their event pages and with content associated with them; service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Grounds: Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.
• Pinterest: social network; service provider: Pinterest Inc, 635 High Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.pinterest.com; Privacy policy: https://about.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy; Further information: Pinterest Data Sharing Annex (ANNEX A): https://business.pinterest.com/de/pinterest-advertising-services-agreement/.
• TikTok: Social network / video platform; Service provider: TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.tiktok.com; Privacy policy: https://www.tiktok.com/de/privacy-policy.
• Twitter: social network; service provider: Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2 D02 AX07, Ireland; parent company: Twitter Inc, 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Privacy policy: https://twitter.com/privacy, (Settings: https://twitter.com/personalization).
• Vimeo: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Vimeo Inc, Attention: Legal Department, 555 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011, USA; Legal Grounds: Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://vimeo.com; Privacy Policy: https://vimeo.com/privacy.
• YouTube: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
• Xing: Social network; service provider: XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.xing.de; Privacy policy: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.

Plugins and embedded functions and content

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

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

• Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; provision of contractual services and customer service; profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles); marketing.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Integration of third-party software, scripts or frameworks (e.g. jQuery): We integrate software into our online offering that we retrieve from servers of other providers (e.g., function libraries that we use for the purpose of displaying or making our online offering user-friendly). In doing so, the respective providers collect the IP address of the user and may process this for the purpose of transmitting the software to the user’s browser and for security purposes, as well as for the evaluation and optimization of their offer. – We integrate software into our online offer that we retrieve from servers of other providers (e.g. function libraries that we use for the purpose of display or user-friendliness of our online offer). In doing so, the respective providers collect the IP address of the users and may process this for purposes of transmitting the software to the users’ browser as well as for security purposes, as well as for evaluating and optimizing their offer; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
• Font Awesome (provided on own server): Display of fonts and icons; Service Provider: Font Awesome icons are hosted on our server, no data is transmitted to the Font Awesome provider; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
• Google Fonts (sourcing from Google server): Obtaining fonts (and symbols) for the purpose of a technically secure, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts and symbols with regard to timeliness and loading times, their uniform presentation and consideration of possible restrictions under licensing law. The provider of the fonts is informed of the user’s IP address so that the fonts can be made available in the user’s browser. In addition, technical data (language settings, screen resolution, operating system, hardware used) are transmitted that are necessary for the provision of the fonts depending on the devices used and the technical environment; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); website: https://fonts.google.com/; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
• Google Fonts (provided on own server): Fonts (“Google Fonts”) for the purpose of a user-friendly presentation of our online offer; Service provider: Google Fonts are hosted on our server, no data is transmitted to Google; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
• Google Maps: We integrate the maps of the service “Google Maps” of the provider Google. The data processed may include, in particular, IP addresses and location data of users, which, however, are not collected without their consent (usually executed in the context of the settings of their mobile devices); service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Opt-out: Opt-Out-Plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, Settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.Google Maps APIs und SDKs: Schnittstellen zu den Karten- und Standortdiensten von Google, die z. B. eine Ergänzung von Adresseneingaben, Standortbestimmungen, Entfernungsberechnungen oder Bereitstellung von ergänzenden Informationen zu Stand- und sonstigen Orten erlauben; Dienstanbieter: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Irland, Mutterunternehmen: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Rechtsgrundlagen: Berechtigte Interessen (Art. 6 Abs. 1 S. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform; Datenschutzerklärung: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
• Pinterest Plugins and Content: Pinterest plugins and content – This may include, for example, content such as images, videos or texts and buttons with which users can share content of this online offering within Pinterest; Service provider: Pinterest Inc, 635 High Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.pinterest.com; Privacy policy: https://about.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy.
• reCAPTCHA: We integrate the “reCAPTCHA” function in order to be able to recognize whether entries (e.g. in online forms) are made by humans and not by automatically acting machines (so-called “bots”). The processed data may include IP addresses, information on operating systems, devices or browsers used, language settings, location, mouse movements, keyboard strokes, time spent on websites, previously visited websites, interactions with ReCaptcha on other websites, possibly cookies as well as results of manual recognition processes (e.g. answering questions asked or selecting objects in images). The data processing is carried out on the basis of our legitimate interest in protecting our online offering from abusive automated crawling and spam; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Opt-out: Opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de; Ad display settings: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
• YouTube videos: Video content; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Opt-out: Opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de; Ad display settings: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
• YouTube videos: Video content; YouTube videos are integrated via a special domain (recognizable by the component “youtube-nocookie”) in the so-called “extended data protection mode”, whereby no cookies on user activities are collected in order to personalize video playback. Nevertheless, information on user interaction with the video (e.g. remembering the last playback point), may be stored; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); website: https://www.youtube.com; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
• Vimeo: video content; service provider: Vimeo Inc, Attention: Legal Department, 555 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://vimeo.com; Privacy policy: https://vimeo.com/privacy; Opt-out: We point out that Vimeo may use Google Analytics and refer to the privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy) as well as the opt-out options for Google Analytics (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de) or Google’s settings for data use for marketing purposes (https://adssettings.google.com/).
• TikTok plugins and content: TikTok Plugins and Content – This may include, for example, content such as images, videos or text and buttons; Service Provider: TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.tiktok.com; Privacy policy: https://www.tiktok.com/de/privacy-policy.

Management, organization and auxiliary tools

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

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

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

• Types of data processed: Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Data subjects: Communication partners; users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; provision of contractual services and customer service; office and organizational procedures; reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Bitly: URL shortening service and link management platform; Service provider: Bitly, Inc, 139 Fifth Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10010, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://bitly.com; Privacy policy: https://bitly.com/pages/privacy.
• WeTransfer: transfer of files via the Internet; service provider: WeTransfer BV, Oostelijke Handelskade 751, Amsterdam, 1019 BW, Netherlands; Legal Grounds: Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sent. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://wetransfer.com; Privacy Policy: https://wetransfer.com/legal/privacy.

Modification and update of the privacy policy

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

If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this privacy statement, please note that the addresses may change over time and please check the information before contacting us.

Rights of the data subjects

As a data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Art. 15 to 21 GDPR:

• Right to object: You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you which is carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) or (f) DSGVO; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to revoke any consent given at any time.
• Right to information: you have the right to request confirmation as to whether data in question is being processed and to information about this data, as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
• Right to rectification: you have the right, in accordance with the law, to request that data concerning you be completed or that inaccurate data concerning you be rectified.
• Right to erasure and restriction of processing: In accordance with the legal requirements, you have the right to demand that data concerning you be erased without delay or, alternatively, to demand restriction of the processing of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
• Right to data portability: you have the right to receive data relating to you that you have provided to us in a structured, common and machine-readable format, or to request that it be transferred to another controller, in accordance with the law.
• Complaint to supervisory authority: In accordance with the law and without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular a supervisory authority in the Member State where you usually reside, the supervisory authority of your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the GDPR.

Definitions

This section provides you with an overview of the terms used in this privacy policy. Many of the terms are taken from the law and defined primarily in Art. 4 of the GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are primarily intended to aid understanding. The terms are sorted alphabetically.

• Creditworthiness information: Automated decisions are based on automatic data processing without human intervention (e.g. in the case of an automatic rejection of a purchase on account, an online credit application or an online application process without any human intervention). Such automated decisions are only permitted under Art. 22 GDPR if data subjects consent, if they are necessary for the performance of a contract, or if national laws permit such decisions.
• Cross-device tracking: Cross-device tracking is a form of tracking in which users’ behavioral and interest information is collected across devices in so-called profiles by assigning users an online identifier. This allows user information to be analyzed for marketing purposes, irrespective of the browsers or devices used (e.g. cell phones or desktop computers). For most providers, the online identifier is not linked to clear data such as names, postal addresses or e-mail addresses.
• Firewall: A firewall is a security system that protects a computer network or an individual computer from unwanted network access.
• Click tracking: Click tracking allows us to keep track of users’ movements within an entire online site. Since the results of these tests are more accurate if user interaction can be tracked over a period of time (e.g., so that we can find out whether a user likes to return), cookies are usually stored on users’ computers for these testing purposes.
• Conversion measurement: Conversion measurement (also referred to as “visit action evaluation”) is a procedure that can be used to determine the effectiveness of marketing measures. For this purpose, a cookie is usually stored on the users’ devices within the websites on which the marketing measures take place and then retrieved again on the target website. For example, this enables us to track whether the ads we have placed on other websites have been successful.
• Personal data: “Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subject”); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
• Profiles with user-related information: The processing of “profiles with user-related information”, or “profiles” for short, includes any type of automated processing of personal data that consists of using such personal data to analyze, evaluate or to predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this may include different information concerning demographics, behavior and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.) (e.g., interests in certain content or products, click behavior on a website or location). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
• Reach measurement: Reach measurement (also known as web analytics) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to an online offering and can include visitors’ behavior or interests in certain information, such as website content. With the help of reach analysis, website owners can see, for example, at what time visitors visit their website and what content they are interested in. This enables them, for example, to better adapt the content of the website to the needs of their visitors. For reach analysis purposes, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used to recognize returning visitors and thus obtain more precise analyses of the use of an online offering.
• Remarketing: “Remarketing” or “retargeting” is when, for example, for advertising purposes, it is noted which products a user was interested in on a website in order to remind the user of these products on other websites, e.g. in advertisements.
• Tracking: The term “tracking” is used when the behavior of users can be traced across several online offerings. As a rule, behavioral and interest information is stored in cookies or on servers of the providers of the tracking technologies with regard to the online offers used (so-called profiling). This information can subsequently be used, for example, to display advertisements to users that are likely to correspond to their interests.
• Controller: a “controller” is the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
• Processing: “Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed upon personal data, whether or not by automatic means. The term is broad and includes virtually any handling of data, be it collection, evaluation, storage, transmission or deletion.
• Target group formation: Target group formation (or “custom audiences”) is when target groups are determined for advertising purposes, e.g., display of advertisements. For example, based on a user’s interest in certain products or topics on the Internet, it can be concluded that this user is interested in advertisements for similar products or the online store in which the user viewed the products. In turn, we speak of “lookalike audiences” (or similar target groups) when the content deemed suitable is displayed to users whose profiles or interests presumably correspond to the users for whom the profiles were formed. Cookies and web beacons are generally used for the purpose of creating Custom Audiences and Lookalike Audiences.