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Privacy Policy

Preamble

With the following privacy policy we would like to inform you which types of your personal data (hereinafter also abbreviated as "data") we process for which purposes and in which scope. The privacy statement applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of providing 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 services").

The terms used are not gender-specific.

Last Update: 26. September 2022

Legal text by Dr. Schwenke - please click for further information.

Table of contents

Controller

Benedikt Hain - Outback Recordings
Dr.-Schott-Straße 8
94227 Zwiesel
Germany

E-mail address:

benedikt@outback-recordings.com

Legal Notice:

https://benedikthain.com/imprint

Overview of processing operations

The following table summarises the types of data processed, the purposes for which they are processed and the concerned data subjects.

Categories of Processed Data

  • Inventory data.
  • Payment Data.
  • Contact data.
  • Content data.
  • Contract data.
  • Usage data.
  • Meta/communication data.
  • Job applicant details.
  • Images and/ or video recordings.
  • Event Data (Facebook).

Special Categories of Data

  • Health Data.
  • Data related to sexual preferences, sex life, and/or sexual orientation.
  • Rreligious or philosophical beliefs.
  • Data revealing racial or ethnic origin.

Categories of Data Subjects

  • Customers.
  • Employees.
  • Prospective customers.
  • Communication partner.
  • Users.
  • Job applicants.
  • Participants in sweepstakes and competitions.
  • Business and contractual partners.
  • Students/ Participants.
  • Participants.

Purposes of Processing

  • Provision of contractual services and customer support.
  • Contact requests and communication.
  • Security measures.
  • Direct marketing.
  • Web Analytics.
  • Targeting.
  • Office and organisational procedures.
  • Conversion tracking.
  • Affiliate Tracking.
  • Affiliate Tracking.
  • Managing and responding to inquiries.
  • Job Application Process.
  • Conducting sweepstakes and contests.
  • Firewall.
  • Feedback.
  • Marketing.
  • Profiles with user-related information.
  • Custom Audiences.
  • Provision of our online services and usability.
  • Information technology infrastructure.

Legal Bases for the Processing

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

  • Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR) - The data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes.
  • Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR) - Performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.
  • Compliance with a legal obligation (Article 6 (1) (c) GDPR) - Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
  • Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR) - Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data.

In addition to the data protection regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation, national regulations apply to data protection in Germany. This includes in particular the Law on Protection against Misuse of Personal Data in Data Processing (Federal Data Protection Act - BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special provisions on the right to access, the right to erase, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes and transmission as well as automated individual decision-making, including profiling. Furthermore, it regulates data processing for the purposes of the employment relationship (§ 26 BDSG), in particular with regard to the establishment, execution or termination of employment relationships as well as the consent of employees. Furthermore, data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

Security Precautions

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights and freedoms of natural persons, in order to ensure a level of security 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, transmission, securing and separation of the data. In addition, we have established procedures to ensure that data subjects' rights are respected, that data is erased, and that we are prepared to respond to data threats rapidly. Furthermore, we take the protection of personal data into account as early as the development or selection of hardware, software and service providers, in accordance with the principle of privacy by design and privacy by default.

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

Transmission of Personal Data

In the context of our processing of personal data, it may happen that the data is transferred to other places, companies or persons or that it is disclosed to them. Recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are embedded in a website. In such a case, the legal requirements will be respected and in particular corresponding contracts or agreements, which serve the protection of your data, will be concluded with the recipients of your data.

Data Transmission within the Group of Companies: We may transfer personal data to other companies within our group of companies or otherwise grant them access to this data. Insofar as this disclosure is for administrative purposes, the disclosure of the data is based on our legitimate business and economic interests or otherwise, if it is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations or if the consent of the data subjects or otherwise a legal permission is present.

Data Transfer within the Organization: We may transfer or otherwise provide access to personal information to other locations within our organization. Insofar as this disclosure is for administrative purposes, the disclosure of the data is based on our legitimate business and economic interests or otherwise, if it is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations or if the consent of those concerned or otherwise a legal permission is present.

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 disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or companies, this will only take place in accordance with the legal requirements.

Subject to express consent or transfer required by contract or law, we process or have processed the data only in third countries with a recognised level of data protection, on the basis of special guarantees, such as a contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission or if certifications or binding internal data protection regulations justify the processing (Article 44 to 49 GDPR, information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en).

Erasure of data

The data processed by us will be erased in accordance with the statutory provisions as soon as their processing is revoked or other permissions no longer apply (e.g. if the purpose of processing this data no longer applies or they are not required for the purpose). If the data is not deleted because they are required for other and legally permissible purposes, their processing is limited to these purposes. This means that the data will be restricted and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be stored for commercial or tax reasons or for which storage is necessary to assert, exercise or defend legal claims or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person. In the context of our information on data processing, we may provide users with further information on the deletion and retention of data that is specific to the respective processing operation.

Use of Cookies

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

Information on consent: We use cookies in accordance with the statutory provisions. Therefore, we obtain prior consent from users, except when it is not required by law. In particular, consent is not required if the storage and reading of information, including cookies, is strictly necessary in order to provide an information society service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user. The revocable consent will be clearly communicated to the user and will contain the information on the respective cookie use.

Information on legal bases under data protection law: The legal basis under data protection law on which we process users' personal data with the use of 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 services 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. For which purposes the cookies are processed by us, we do clarify in the course of this privacy policy or in the context of our consent and processing procedures.

Retention period: With regard to the retention period, a distinction is drawn between the following types of cookies:

 

  • Temporary cookies (also known as "session cookies"): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online service and closed his or her end device (i.e. browser or mobile application). 
  • Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the terminal 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 consent they have given at any time and also file an objection to processing in accordance with the legal requirements in Article 21 GDPR. Users can also declare their objection by means of the settings of their browser, e.g. by deactivating the use of cookies (whereby 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/.

  • Processed data types: Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of our online services and usability.
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Processing Cookie Data on the Basis of Consent: We use a cookie management solution in which users' consent to the use of cookies, or the procedures and providers mentioned in the cookie management solution, can be obtained, managed and revoked by the users. The declaration of consent is stored so that it does not have to be retrieved again and the consent can be proven in accordance with the legal obligation. Storage can take place server-sided and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-out cookie or with the aid of comparable technologies) in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or and/or his/her device. Subject to individual details of the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of the consent can be up to two years. In this case, a pseudonymous user identifier is formed and stored with the date/time of consent, information on the scope of the consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as the browser, system and used end device.
  • Real Cookie Banner: Cookie-Consent Manager; Service provider: devowl.io GmbH, Tannet 12, 94539 Grafling, Germany; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://devowl.io/de/wordpress-real-cookie-banner/; Privacy Policy: https://devowl.io/de/datenschutzerklaerung/.

Business services

We process data of our contractual and business partners, e.g. customers and interested parties (collectively referred to as "contractual partners") within the context of contractual and comparable legal relationships as well as associated actions and communication with the contractual partners or pre-contractually, e.g. to answer inquiries.

We process this data in order to fulfill our contractual obligations. These include, 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 economical 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 privacy policy.

Which data are necessary for the aforementioned purposes, we inform the contracting partners before or in the context of the data collection, e.g. in online forms by special marking (e.g. colors), and/or symbols (e.g. asterisks or the like), or personally.

We delete the data after expiry of statutory warranty and comparable obligations, i.e. in principle after expiry of 4 years, unless the data is stored in a customer account or must be kept for legal reasons of archiving. The statutory retention period for documents relevant under tax law as well as for commercial books, inventories, opening balance sheets, annual financial statements, the instructions required to understand these documents and other organizational documents and accounting records is ten years and for received commercial and business letters and reproductions of sent commercial and business letters six years. The period begins 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 sent, or the accounting document was created, furthermore the record was made or the other documents were created.

If we use third-party providers or platforms to provide our services, the terms and conditions and privacy policies of the respective third-party providers or platforms shall apply in the relationship between the users and the providers.

  • Processed data types: 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. contract object, duration, customer category); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Special categories of personal data: Health Data (Article 9 (1) GDPR); Data related to sexual preferences, sex life, and/or sexual orientation (Article 9 (1) GDPR); Rreligious or philosophical beliefs (Article 9 (1) GDPR); Data revealing racial or ethnic origin (Article 9 (1) GDPR).
  • Data subjects: Customers; Prospective customers; Business and contractual partners; Students/ Participants.
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of contractual services and customer support; Security measures; Contact requests and communication; Office and organisational procedures; Managing and responding to inquiries; Conversion tracking (Measurement of the effectiveness of marketing activities).
  • Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR); Compliance with a legal obligation (Article 6 (1) (c) GDPR); Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Customer Account: Contractual partners can create a customer or user account. If the registration of a customer account is required, contractual partnerswill be informed of this as well as of the details required for registration. The customer accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. In the course of registration and subsequent registration and use of the customer account, we store the IP addresses of the contractual partners along with the access times, in order to be able to prove the registration and prevent any misuse of the customer account. If customers have terminated their customer account, their data will be deleted with regard to the customer account, subject to their retention is required for legal reasons. It is the responsibility of the customer to secure their data upon termination of the customer account; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Online Shop and E-Commerce: We process the data of our customers in order to enable them to select, purchase or order the selected products, goods and related services, as well as their payment and delivery, or performance of other services. If necessary for the execution of an order, we use service providers, in particular postal, freight and shipping companies, in order 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 details are identified as such in the course of the ordering or comparable purchasing process and include the details required for delivery, or other way of making the product available and invoicing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultation; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Agency Services: We process the data of our customers within the scope of our contractual services, which may include e.g. conceptual and strategic consulting, campaign planning, software and design development / consulting or maintenance, implementation of campaigns and processes, handling, server administration, data analysis / consulting services and training services; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Education and Training Services: We process the data of the participants of our education and training programmes (uniformly referred to as " students") in order to provide them with our educational and training services. The data processed, the type, scope and purpose of the processing and the necessity of its processing are determined by the underlying contractual and educational relationship. The processing also includes the performance evaluation and evaluation of our services and the teachers and instructors. As part of our activities, we may also process special categories of data, in particular information on the health of persons undergoing training or further training and data revealing ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical convictions. To this end, we obtain, if necessary, the express consent of the students to be trained and further educated and process the special categories of data otherwise only if it is necessary for the provision of training services, for purposes of health care, social protection or protection of vital interests of the students to be trained and further educated; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Coaching: We process the data of our clients and interested parties and other clients or contractual partners (uniformly referred to as "clients") in order to provide them with our services. The data processed, the type, scope and purpose of their processing and the necessity of their processing are determined by the underlying contractual and client relationship. Within the scope of our services, we may also process special categories of data, here in particular information on the health of clients, possibly with reference to their sexual life or sexual orientation and data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs. To this end, we obtain the express consent of clients where necessary and process the special categories of data otherwise for the purposes of health care, if the data is public or wit an other legal persmission. Insofar as it is necessary for the fulfilment of our contractual obligations, the protection of vital interests or by law, or with theclients's consent, we disclose or transfer the clients's data to third parties or agents, such as public authorities, accounting offices and in the field of IT, office or comparable services, in compliance with professional regulations; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Consulting: We process the data of our clients, clients as well as interested parties and other clients or contractual partners (uniformly referred to as "clients") in order to provide them with our consulting services. The data processed, the type, scope and purpose of the processing and the necessity of its processing are determined by the underlying contractual and client relationship. Insofar as it is necessary for the fulfilment of our contract, for the protection of vital interests or by law, or with the consent of the client, we disclose or transfer the client's data to third parties or agents, such as authorities, courts, subcontractors or in the field of IT, office or comparable services, taking into account the professional requirements; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Agents and Brokerage Services: We process the data of our customers, clients and interested parties (uniformly referred to as "customers") in accordance with the underlying assignment of the customers. Furthermore, we may process information on the characteristics and circumstances of persons or items belonging to them if this is part of our assignment. These can be, for example, information on personal circumstances, mobile or immovable assets and financial situation. Insofar as this is necessary for the performance of our assignment or required by law, we disclose or transmit customer data within the scope of cover requests, the conclusion and execution of contracts to providers of the brokered services/properties, insurers, reinsurers, broker pools, technical service providers, other service providers, such as cooperating associations, as well as financial service providers, credit institutions and investment companies, social insurance institutions, tax authorities, tax consultants, legal advisors, auditors, insurance ombudsmen and a Financial Supervisory Authority. Furthermore, we may, subject to other agreements, commission subcontractors; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Artistic and Literary Services: We process the data of our clients in order to enable them to select, acquire or commission the selected services or works and related tasks, as well as their payment and delivery, or execution or provision. The required details are identified as such within the framework of the conclusion of the order, order or comparable contract and include the details required for delivery and invoicing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultations; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Online Courses and Online Training: We process the data of the participants of our online courses and online trainings (uniformly referred to as "participants") in order to be able to provide our course and training services to them. The data processed in this context, the type, scope, purpose and necessity of its processing are determined by the underlying contractual relationship. The data basically include details of the courses taken and services provided and, insofar as part of our range of services, personal specifications and results of the participants. The forms of processing also include the performance assessment and evaluation of our services and those of the course and training instructors; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Project and Development Services: We process the data of our customers and clients (hereinafter uniformly referred to as "customers") in order to enable them to select, acquire or commission the selected services or works as well as associated activities and to pay for and make available such services or works or to perform such services or works. The required information is indicated as such within the framework of the conclusion of the agreement, order or equivalent contract and includes the information required for the provision of services and invoicing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultations. Insofar as we gain access to the information of end customers, employees or other persons, we process it in accordance with the legal and contractual requirements; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Software and Platform Services: We process the data of our users, registered and any test users (hereinafter uniformly referred to as "users") in order to provide them with our contractual services and on the basis of legitimate interests to ensure the security of our offer and to develop it further. The required details are identified as such within the context of the conclusion of the agreement, order or comparable contract and include the details required for the provision of services and invoicing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any further consultations; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Technical and Engineering services: We process the data of our customers and clients (hereinafter uniformly referred to as "customers") in order to enable them to select, acquire or commission the selected services or works as well as associated activities and to pay for and make available such services or works or to perform such services or works. The required information is indicated as such within the framework of the conclusion of the agreement, order or equivalent contract and includes the information required for the provision of services and invoicing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultations. Insofar as we gain access to the information of end customers, employees or other persons, we process it in accordance with the legal and contractual requirements; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Consulting: Insofar as it is necessary for our contractual performance or required by law, or if the consent of the customer has been obtained, we disclose or transfer the customer's data to third parties or agents, such as authorities, courts or in the field of IT, office or comparable services, in compliance with the contractual and legal requirements; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Commission-based matching and agency services: We process the information provided by interested parties as part of the request for agency for the purposes of establishing, implementing and, if necessary, terminating a contract for the brokerage of offers from providers of the requested products or services . We use the contact data of the interested parties to specify their request by means of the agreed or otherwise permitted communication channel (e.g., telephone or e-mail) and to suggest suitable suppliers or offers based on the specified request. In addition, we can ask interested parties questions about the success of our agency services at a later point in time, in accordance with legal requirements. We process the data of the interested parties, as well as the suppliers, to fulfil our contractual obligations, in order to link the enquiry of the interested parties submitted to us with the offers of the suppliers matching it and to forward it to the corresponding suppliers, or to recommend the suppliers. We can record the entries in the online form sent by interested parties in order to be able to prove the existence of the contractual relationship and the consent of the interested parties in accordance with the statutory accountability obligations (Article 5 (2) GDPR). These details will be stored for a period of three to four years if we have to prove the original request (e.g. to be able to prove that we are entitled to contact the interested party); Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Providers and services used in the course of business

As part of our business activities, 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, legal and economic management of our business operations and internal organization.

  • Processed data types: 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. text input, photographs, videos); Contract data (e.g. contract object, duration, customer category).
  • Data subjects: Customers; Prospective customers; Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services); Business and contractual partners.
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of contractual services and customer support; Office and organisational procedures.
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Payment Procedure

Within the framework 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 referred to as "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 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 data may be transmitted by the payment service providers to credit agencies. The purpose of this transmission is to check identity and creditworthiness. Please refer to the terms and conditions and data protection information of the payment service providers.

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

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Payment Data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); Contract data (e.g. contract object, duration, customer category); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).
  • Data subjects: Customers; Prospective customers.
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of contractual services and customer support.
  • Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Provision of online services and web hosting

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

  • Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of our online services and usability; Information technology infrastructure (Operation and provision of information systems and technical devices, such as computers, servers, etc.).); Security measures; Firewall.
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Provision of online offer on rented hosting space: For the provision of our online services, we use storage space, computing capacity and software that we rent or otherwise obtain from a corresponding server provider (also referred to as a "web hoster"); Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Collection of Access Data and Log Files: The access to our online services is logged in the form of so-called "server log files". 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 and version, the user's operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a general rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider. The server log files can be used for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the servers (especially in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and to ensure the stability and optimal load balancing of the servers; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Retention period: Log file information is stored for a maximum period of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized. Data, the further storage of which is necessary for evidence purposes, are excluded from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified.
  • E-mail Sending and Hosting: The web hosting services we use also include sending, receiving and storing e-mails. For these purposes, the addresses of the recipients and senders, as well as other information relating to the sending of e-mails (e.g. the providers involved) and the contents of the respective e-mails are processed. The above data may also be processed for SPAM detection purposes. Please note that e-mails on the Internet are generally not sent in encrypted form. As a rule, e-mails are encrypted during transport, but not on the servers from which they are sent and received (unless a so-called end-to-end encryption method is used). We can therefore accept no responsibility for the transmission path of e-mails between the sender and reception on our server; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Content-Delivery-Network: We use a so-called "Content Delivery Network" (CDN). A CDN is a service with whose help contents of our online services, in particular large media files, such as graphics or scripts, can be delivered faster and more securely with the help of regionally distributed servers connected via the Internet; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Alfahosting: Services in the field of the provision of information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacities); Service provider: Alfahosting GmbH, Ankerstraße 3b, 06108 Halle (Saale), Germany; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://alfahosting.de; Privacy Policy: https://alfahosting.de/datenschutz; Data Processing Agreement: Provided by the service provider.
  • Wordfence: Firewall and security as well as error detection functions ; Service provider: Defiant, Inc., 800 5th Ave Ste 4100, Seattle, WA 98104, USA; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.wordfence.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.wordfence.com/privacy-policy/; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://www.wordfence.com/standard-contractual-clauses/.
  • Optimole: Content-Delivery-Network (CDN) - service with whose help contents of our online services, in particular large media files, such as graphics or scripts, can be delivered faster and more securely with the help of regionally distributed servers connected via the Internet; Service provider: Vertigo Studio SRL., 20 Povernei Street, 4th Floor, Flat no. 9, 010641 Bucharest, Romania; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://optimole.com/; Privacy Policy: https://optimole.com/privacy-policy/.
  • UpdraftPlus: Backup Software and Backup Storage; Service provider: Simba Hosting Ltd., 11, Barringer Way, St. Neots, Cambs., PE19 1LW, UK; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://updraftplus.com/; Privacy Policy: https://updraftplus.com/data-protection-and-privacy-centre/.

Registration, Login and User Account

Users can create a user account. Within the scope of registration, the required mandatory information is communicated to the users and processed for the purposes of providing the user account on the basis of contractual fulfilment of obligations. The processed data includes in particular the login information (name, password and an e-mail address).

Within the scope of using 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 the user's protection against misuse and other unauthorized use. This data will not be passed on to third parties unless it is necessary to pursue our claims or there is a legal obligation to do so.

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

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); 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 support; Security measures; Managing and responding to inquiries; Provision of our online services and usability.
  • Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR); Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Registration with a real name: Due to the nature of our community, we ask users to use our services only with their real names. This means that the use of pseudonyms is not permitted; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Users' profiles are public: Users' profiles are publicly visible and accessible; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Two-factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security for your user account and ensures that only you can access your account, even if someone else knows your password. For this purpose, in addition to your password, you must perform another authentication measure (e.g. enter a code sent to a mobile device - we will inform you about the procedure we use); Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Deletion of data after termination: If users have terminated their user account, their data relating to the user account will be deleted, subject to any legal permission, obligation or consent of the users; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • No obligation to retain data: It is the responsibility of the users to secure their data before the end of the contract in the event of termination. We are entitled to irretrievably delete all user data stored during the term of the contract; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Community Functions

The community functions provided by us allow users to engage in conversations and other forms of interaction with each other. 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.

  • Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of contractual services and customer support; Security measures.
  • Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • User contributions are public: The posts and content created by users are publicly visible and accessible; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Right to delete content and information: The deletion of posts, content or information provided by users is permissible to the extent necessary after proper consideration if there are concrete indications that they could represent a violation of legal regulations, our provisions or the rights of third parties; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • Protection of own data: Users decide for themselves what data they disclose about themselves within our online services. For example, when users provide personal information or participate in conversations. We ask users to protect their data and to publish personal data only with caution and only to the extent necessary. In particular, we ask users to note that they must protect their login credentials in particular and use secure passwords (preferably long and random combinations of characters); Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Blogs and publication media

We use blogs or comparable means of online communication and publication (hereinafter "publication medium"). Readers' data will only be processed for the purposes of the publication medium 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 privacy policy.

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of contractual services and customer support; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); Provision of our online services and usability; Contact requests and communication; Managing and responding to inquiries; Security measures.
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Comment subscriptions: When users leave comments or other contributions, their IP addresses may be stored based on our legitimate interests. This is done for our safety, if someone leaves illegal contents (insults, forbidden political propaganda, etc.) in comments and contributions. In this case, we ourselves can be prosecuted for the comment or contribution and are therefore interested in the author's identity. Furthermore, we reserve the right to process user data for the purpose of spam detection on the basis of our legitimate interests. On the same legal basis, in the case of surveys, we reserve the right to store the IP addresses of users for the duration of the surveys and to use cookies in order to avoid multiple votes. The personal information provided in the course of comments and contributions, any contact and website information as well as the content information will be stored permanently by us until the user objects; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • 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 can unsubscribe from current comment subscriptions at any time. The confirmation email will contain information on the cancellation options. For the purposes of proving the users' consent, we store the time of registration along with the users' IP address and delete this information when users unsubscribe from the subscription. You can cancel the receipt of our subscription at any time, i.e. revoke your consent. We may store the unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before deleting them to provide evidence of prior consent. The processing of these data is 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 a consent is confirmed at the same time; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
  • WordPress emojis and smilies: WordPress emojis and smilies - Within our WordPress blog, graphic emojis (or smilies), i.e. small graphic files that express feelings, that are obtained from external servers, are used for the efficient integration of content elements. Here 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 browsers of the users; Service provider: Aut O’Mattic A8C Ireland Ltd., Grand Canal Dock, 25 Herbert Pl, Dublin, D02 AY86, Ireland; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://automattic.com; Privacy Policy: https://automattic.com/privacy.
  • DISQUS comment function: We use the DISQUS comment service on the basis of our legitimate interests in efficient, secure and user-friendly comment management. To use the DISQUS comment function, users can register via their own DISQUS user account or an existing social media account (e.g. OpenID, Facebook, Twitter or Google). DISQUS obtains the user registration data from the platforms. It is also possible to use the DISQUS comment function as a guest, without creating or using user accounts with DISQUS or any of the specified social media providers. We merely embed DISQUS and its functions into our website, whereby we can influence the comments of the users. However, the users enter into a direct contractual relationship with DISQUS, within the framework of which DISQUS processes the user's comments and is a contact person for any deletion of the user's data. We refer to DISQUS' privacy policy and point out that users can assume that DISQUS stores not only the comment content but also their IP address and the time of the comment as well as cookies on the user's computer and can use them to display advertisements; Service provider: DISQUS, Inc., 301 Howard St, Floor 3 San Francisco, California- 94105, USA; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://disqus.com/; Privacy Policy: https://help.disqus.com/terms-and-policies/disqus-privacy-policy; Opt-Out: https://disqus.com/data-sharing-settings.
  • Gravatar Profile Pictures: Profile Pictures - We use the service Gravatar within our on-line offer and in particular in the Blog. Gravatar is a service where users can register and store profile pictures and their e-mail addresses. If users leave contributions or comments with the respective e-mail address on other online presences (especially in blogs), their profile pictures can be displayed next to the contributions or comments. For this purpose, the e-mail address provided by the users is transmitted to Gravatar in encrypted form for the purpose of checking whether a profile is stored for it. This is the only purpose of transmitting the email address and it will not be used for other purposes, but deleted thereafter. The use of Gravatar is based on our legitimate interests, as we use Gravatar to offer authors of contributions and comments the opportunity to personalize their contributions with a profile picture. By displaying the images, Gravatar knows the IP address of the user, as this is necessary for communication between a browser and an online service. If users do not want a user image linked to their e-mail address to appear in the comments at Gravatar, they should use an e-mail address which is not stored at Gravatar for commenting. We would also like to point out that it is also possible to use an anonymous e-mail address or no e-mail address at all if users do not wish their own e-mail address to be sent to Gravatar. Users can completely prevent the transmission of data by not using our comment system; Service provider: Aut O’Mattic A8C Ireland Ltd., Grand Canal Dock, 25 Herbert Pl, Dublin, D02 AY86, Ireland; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://automattic.com; Privacy Policy: https://automattic.com/privacy.
  • UpdraftPlus: Backup Software and Backup Storage; Service provider: Simba Hosting Ltd., 11, Barringer Way, St. Neots, Cambs., PE19 1LW, UK; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://updraftplus.com/; Privacy Policy: https://updraftplus.com/data-protection-and-privacy-centre/.

Contact and Inquiry 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.

  • Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Communication partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.); Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Contact requests and communication; Managing and responding to inquiries; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); Provision of our online services and usability; Marketing; Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or postal).
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Contact form: When users contact us via our contact form, e-mail or other communication channels, we process the data provided to us in this context to process the communicated request; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR), Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • HubSpot: Customer management and process and sales support with personalized customer care with multi-channel communication, i.e. management of customer inquiries from different channels, and analysis and feedback functions; Service provider: HubSpot, Inc., 25 First St., 2nd floor, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141, USA; Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR), Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.hubspot.de; Privacy Policy: https://legal.hubspot.com/privacy-policy; Data Processing Agreement: https://legal.hubspot.com/dpa; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://legal.hubspot.com/dpa.
  • Gravity Forms: Creation and evaluation of online forms, surveys, feedback forms as well as acceptance of payments and implementation of automated workflows; Service provider: Hosted locally on our server, no data transfer to third parties; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.gravityforms.com/.
  • Zapier: Email marketing platform; Service provider: Zapier, Inc., 548 Market St #62411, San Francisco, California 94104, USA; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://zapier.com; Privacy Policy: https://zapier.com/privacy; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://zapier.com/tos (part of the terms of service).
  • Thrive Themes: Website Builder (Forms, Design, WordPress Theme, A/B Tests, Analytics); Service provider: Trading name Thrive Themes Company Name Whitesquare GmbH Company Address Beckengaesschen 1 8200 Schaffhausen Switzerland VAT Number CHE-361.830.268; Website: https://thrivethemes.com/; Privacy Policy: https://thrivethemes.com/privacy-policy/.
  • Better Proposals: Proposals & Agreements, Payment processing, sales automation; Service provider: Advantix Technologies Ltd ("Better Proposals", "us" or "we") provides a simple proposal creation tool. Our registered company number is 08961263, and our registered address is First Floor Winston House, 349 Regents Park Road, London, N3 1DH; Website: https://betterproposals.io; Privacy Policy: https://betterproposals.io/about/privacy.

Communication via Messenger

We use messenger services for communication purposes and therefore ask you to observe the following information regarding the functionality of the messenger services, encryption, use of the metadata of the communication and your objection options.

You can also contact us by alternative means, e.g. telephone or e-mail. Please use the contact options provided to you or use the contact options provided within our online services.

In the case of encryption of content (i.e. the content of your message and attachments), we point out that the communication content (i.e. the content of the message and attachments) is encrypted end-to-end. This means that the content of the messages is not visible, not even by the messenger service providers themselves. You should always use a current version of the messenger service with activated encryption, so that the encryption of the message contents is guaranteed.

However, we would like to point out to our communication partners that although messenger service providers do not see the content, they can find out that and when communication partners communicate with us and process technical information on the communication partner's device used and, depending on the settings of their device, also location information (so-called metadata).

Information on Legal basis: If we ask communication partners for permission before communicating with them via messenger services, the legal basis of our processing of their data is their consent. Otherwise, if we do not request consent and you contact us, for example, voluntarily, we use messenger services in our dealings with our contractual partners and as part of the contract initiation process as a contractual measure and in the case of other interested parties and communication partners on the basis of our legitimate interests in fast and efficient communication and meeting the needs of our communication partners for communication via messenger services. We would also like to point out that we do not transmit the contact data provided to us to the messenger service providers for the first time without your consent.

Withdrawal, objection and deletion: You can withdraw your consent or object to communication with us via messenger services at any time. In the case of communication via messenger services, we delete the messages in accordance with our general data retention policy (i.e. as described above after the end of contractual relationships, archiving requirements, etc.) and otherwise as soon as we can assume that we have answered any information provided by the communication partners, if no reference to a previous conversation is to be expected and there are no legal obligations to store the messages to prevent their deletion.

Reservation of reference to other means of communication: Finally, we would like to point out that we reserve the right, for reasons of your safety, not to answer inquiries about messenger services. This is the case if, for example, internal contractual matters require special secrecy or if an answer via the messenger services does not meet the formal requirements. In such cases we refer you to more appropriate communication channels.

  • Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos).
  • Data subjects: Communication partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.).
  • Purposes of Processing: Contact requests and communication; Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or postal).
  • Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Chatbots and chat functions

We provide online chats and chatbot functions as a means of communication (together referred to as "Chat Services"). A chat is an online conversation that is conducted with a certain degree of immediacy. A chatbot is software that answers users' questions or informs them about messages. If you use our chat functions, we may process your personal data.

If you use our Chat Services within an online platform, your identification number is also stored within the respective platform. We may also collect information about which users interact with our Chat Services and when. Furthermore, we store the content of your conversations via the Chat Services and log registration and consent processes in order to be able to prove these in accordance with legal requirements.

We would like to inform users that the respective platform provider can find out that and when users communicate with our Chat Services and can collect technical information about the user's device used and, depending on the settings of their device, also location information (so-called metadata) for the purpose of optimising the respective services and for security purposes. Likewise, the metadata of communication via Chat Services (i.e., information about who has communicated with whom) could be used by the respective platform providers for marketing purposes or to display advertising tailored to users in accordance with their regulations, to which we refer for further information.

If users agree to activate information with regular messages to a chatbot, they have the possibility to unsubscribe from the information for the future at any time. The chatbot points out to users how and with which terms they can unsubscribe the messages. By unsubscribing from the chatbot messages, Users' data is deleted from the directory of message recipients.

We use the aforementioned information to operate our Chat Services, e.g. to address users personally, to answer their inquiries, to transmit any requested content and also to improve our Chat Services (e.g. to "teach" chatbots answers to frequently asked questions or to identify unanswered inquiries).

Information on Legal basis: We use the Chat Services on the basis of a consent if we first obtain the permission of the users to process their data by the Chat Services (this applies in cases where users are asked for consent, e.g. so that a chatbot regularly sends them messages). If we use Chat Services to answer user queries about our services or our company, this is done for contractual and pre-contractual communication. In addition, we use Chat Services based on our legitimate interests in optimizing the Chat Services, its operating efficiency and enhancing the positive user experience.

Withdrawal, objection and deletion: You can revoke a given consent at any time or contradict the processing of your data in the context of our chatbot use.

  • Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Communication partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.); Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Contact requests and communication; Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or postal).
  • Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR); Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Push notifications

With the consent of the users, we can send the users so-called "push notifications". These are messages that are displayed on users' screens, devices or browsers, even if our online services are not being actively used.

In order to sign up for push messages, users must confirm that their browser or device has requested to receive push messages. This approval process is documented and stored. The storage is necessary to recognize whether users have consented to receive the push messages and to be able to prove their consent. For these purposes, a pseudonymous identifier of the browser (so-called "push token") or the device ID of a terminal device is stored.

The push messages may be necessary for the fulfilment of contractual obligations (e.g. technical and organisational information relevant for the use of our online offer) and will otherwise be sent, unless specifically mentioned below, on the basis of user consent. Users can change the receipt of push messages at any time using the notification settings of their respective browsers or end devices.

  • Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Communication partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.).
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of our online services and usability; Web Analytics (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or postal).
  • Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Push messages with commercial information: The push notifications we send may contain commercial information. The commercial push messages are processed on the basis of user consent. If the contents of the push messages are described in detail in the context of the consent to receive the commercial push messages, the descriptions are decisive for the consent of the users. In addition, our newsletters contain information about our services and us; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
  • Analysis and performance measurement: We statistically evaluate push messages and can thus identify if and when push messages were displayed and clicked on. This information is used for the technical improvement of our push messages based on technical data or target groups and their retrieval behavior or retrieval times. This analysis also includes determining whether the push messages are opened, when they are opened and whether users interact with their content or buttons. For technical reasons, this information can be assigned to individual push message recipients. However, it is neither our intention nor, if used, that of the push message service provider to monitor individual users. Rather, the evaluations serve to identify the usage habits of our users and to adapt our push messages to them or to send different push messages according to the interests of our users. The evaluation of the push messages and the measurement of performance are based on the consent of the users, which is given with their permission to receive the push messages. Users can object to the analysis and performance measurement by unsubscribing from the push messages. Unfortunately, it is not possible to cancel the analysis and performance measurement separately; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR).

Video Conferences, 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 using the Conference Platforms and their services, we comply with the legal requirements.

Data processed by Conference Platforms: In the course of participation in a Conference, the Data of the participants listed below are processed. 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 Date includes personal information (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' end devices, their operating system, the browser and its technical and linguistic settings, information on the content-related communication processes, i.e. entries in chats and audio and video data, as well as the use of other available functions (e.g. surveys). The 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 in accordance with the agreement with the respective Conference Provider.

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

Data protection measures of the participants: Please refer to the data privacy information of the Conference Platforms for details on the processing of your data and select the optimum security and data privacy settings 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 Conference (e.g., by notifying roommates, locking doors, and using the background masking function, if technically possible). Links to the conference rooms as well as access data, should not be passed on to unauthorized third parties.

Notes on legal bases: Insofar as, in addition to the Conference Platforms, we also process users' data and ask users for their consent to use contents from the Conferences 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 participant lists, in the case of reprocessing of Conference results, etc.). Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests in efficient and secure communication with our communication partners.

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Communication partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.); Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of contractual services and customer support; Contact requests and communication; Office and organisational procedures.
  • Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR); Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Audio Content

We use hosting and analysis services of service providers to offer our audio content for listening to or downloading and to obtain statistical information on the request of the audio content.

  • Processed data types: 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: Web Analytics (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Conversion tracking (Measurement of the effectiveness of marketing activities); Profiles with user-related information (Creating user profiles); Provision of our online services and usability.
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Job Application Process

The application process requires applicants to provide us with the data necessary 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 contained therein.

In principle, the required information includes personal information such as name, address, a contact option and proof of the qualifications required for a particular employment. Upon request, we will be happy to provide you with additional information.

If made available, applicants can submit their applications via an online form. The data will be transmitted to us encrypted according to the state of the art. Applicants can also send us their applications by e-mail. Please note, however, that e-mails on the Internet are generally not sent in encrypted form. As a rule, e-mails are encrypted during transport, but not on the servers from which they are sent and received. We can therefore accept no responsibility for the transmission path of the application between the sender and the reception on our server. For the purposes of searching for applicants, submitting applications and selecting applicants, we may make use of the applicant management and recruitment software, platforms and services of third-party providers in compliance with legal requirements. Applicants are welcome to contact us about how to submit their application or send it to us by regular mail.

Processing of special categories of data: If special categories of personal data within the meaning of Article 9 (1) GDPR (e.g. health data, such as severely handicapped status or ethnic origin) are requested from applicants within the framework of the application procedure, so that the responsible person or the person concerned can exercise his/her rights arising from labour law and social security and social protection law and fulfil his/her duties in this regard, their processing shall be carried out in accordance with Article 9 (1)(b) GDPR, in the case of the protection of vital interests of applicants or other persons pursuant to Article 9 (1)(c) GDPR or for the purposes of preventive health care or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the employee's ability to work, for medical diagnostics, care or treatment in the health or social sector or for the administration of systems and services in the health or social sector in accordance with Article 9 (1)(h) GDPR. In the case of a communication of special categories of data based on voluntary consent, their processing is carried out on the basis of Article 9 (1)(a) GDPR.

Ereasure of data: In the event of a successful application, the data provided by the applicants may be further processed by us for the purposes of the employment relationship. Otherwise, if the application for a job offer is not successful, the applicant's data will be deleted. Applicants' data will also be deleted if an application is withdrawn, to which applicants are entitled at any time. Subject to a justified revocation by the applicant, 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 regarding the application and comply with our duty of proof under the regulations on equal treatment of applicants. Invoices for any reimbursement of travel expenses are archived in accordance with tax regulations.

Admission to a talent pool - Admission to an talent pool, if offered, is based on consent. Applicants are informed that their consent to be included 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.

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Job applicant details (e.g. Personal data, postal and contact addresses and the documents pertaining to the application and the information contained therein, such as cover letter, curriculum vitae, certificates, etc., as well as other information on the person or qualifications of applicants provided with regard to a specific job or voluntarily by applicants).
  • Data subjects: Job applicants.
  • Purposes of Processing: Job Application Process (Establishment and possible later execution as well as possible later termination of the employment relationship).
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Cloud Services

We use Internet-accessible software services (so-called "cloud services", also referred to as "Software as a Service") provided on the servers of its providers for the following purposes: document storage and administration, calendar management, e-mail delivery, spreadsheets and presentations, exchange of documents, content and information with specific recipients or publication of websites, forms or other content and information, as well as chats and participation in audio and video conferences.

Within this framework, personal data may be processed and stored on the provider's servers insofar as this data is part of communication processes with us or is otherwise processed by us in accordance with this privacy policy. This data may include in particular master data and contact data of data subjects, data on processes, contracts, other proceedings and their contents. Cloud service providers also process usage data and metadata that they use for security and service optimization purposes.

If we use cloud services to provide documents and content to other users or publicly accessible websites, forms, etc., providers may store cookies on users' devices for web analysis or to remember user settings (e.g. in the case of media control).

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); Images and/ or video recordings (e.g. photographs or video recordings of a person).
  • Data subjects: Customers; Employees (e.g. Employees, job applicants); Prospective customers; Communication partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.); Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Office and organisational procedures; Information technology infrastructure (Operation and provision of information systems and technical devices, such as computers, servers, etc.).); Provision of contractual services and customer support.
  • Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR); Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Newsletter and Electronic Communications

We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic communications (hereinafter referred to as "newsletters") only with the consent of the recipient or a legal permission. Insofar as the contents of the newsletter are specifically described within the framework of registration, they are decisive for the consent of the user. Otherwise, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.

In order to subscribe to our newsletters, it is generally sufficient to enter your e-mail address. We may, however, ask you to provide a name for the purpose of contacting you personally in the newsletter or to provide further information if this is required for the purposes of the newsletter.

Double opt-in procedure: The registration to our newsletter takes place in general in a so-called Double-Opt-In procedure. This means that you will receive an e-mail after registration asking you to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that no one can register with external 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 storing the login and confirmation times as well as the IP address. Likewise the changes of your data stored with the dispatch service provider are logged.

Deletion and restriction of processing: We may store the unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before deleting them to provide evidence of prior consent. The processing of these data is 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 a consent is confirmed at the same time. In the case of an obligation to permanently observe an objection, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address solely for this purpose in a blocklist.

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.

Contents:

Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.

  • Processed data types: 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 partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.); Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or postal); Provision of contractual services and customer support.
  • Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • 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 listed above, preferably e-mail.

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Measurement of opening rates and click rates: The newsletters contain a so-called "web-beacon", i.e. a pixel-sized file, which is retrieved from our server when the newsletter is opened or, if we use a mailing service provider, from its server. Within the scope of this retrieval, technical information such as information about the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and time of retrieval are first collected. This information is used for the technical improvement of our newsletter on the basis of technical data or target groups and their reading behaviour on the basis of their retrieval points (which can be determined with the help of the IP address) or access times. This analysis also includes determining whether 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 the profiles are deleted. The evaluations serve us much more 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 rates as well as the 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 objection to the performance measurement is unfortunately not possible, in this case the entire newsletter subscription must be cancelled or objected to. In this case, the stored profile information will be deleted; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
  • Prerequisite for the use of free services: Consent to the sending of mailings can be made dependent on the use of free services (e.g. access to certain content or participation in certain campaigns) as a prerequisite. If the users would like to take advantage of the free service without registering for the newsletter, we offer them to contact us.
  • Order process reminder emails: When users cancel an order process, we can send them a notice of the cancellation and remind them to continue. This function can be useful, for example, if the purchase process could not be continued due to a browser crash, oversight or forgetting. The dispatch is based on consent, which users can object to at any time; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
  • HubSpot: Email marketing platform; Service provider: HubSpot, Inc., 25 First St., 2nd floor, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141, USA; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.hubspot.com; Privacy Policy: https://legal.hubspot.com/privacy-policy; Data Processing Agreement: https://legal.hubspot.com/dpa; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://legal.hubspot.com/dpa; Further Information: https://legal.hubspot.com/dpa.
  • Zapier: Email marketing platform; Service provider: Zapier, Inc., 548 Market St #62411, San Francisco, California 94104, USA; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://zapier.com; Privacy Policy: https://zapier.com/privacy; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://zapier.com/tos (part of the terms of service).
  • ConvertKit: E-mail and conversion optimization platform; Service provider: ConvertKit LLC, 505 W. Idaho Street #513, Boise, ID 83702, P.O. Box 761 Boise, Idaho 83701, USA; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://convertkit.com/; Privacy Policy: https://convertkit.com/privacy.
  • Loom: Video messaging, screen sharing and recording; Service provider: Loom, Inc., 1700 Van Ness, Suite 1015 San Francisco, California 94109, USA; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.loom.com/; Privacy Policy: https://www.loom.com/privacy-policy; Data Processing Agreement: https://www.loom.com/dpa; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://www.loom.com/dpa.
  • Bonjoro: Video-Messages, Onboarding, Testimonials; Service provider: Bonjoro - (A wholly owned brand of Vimily Pty Ltd) based at Level 14, 210 George St, Sydney, Australia 2000 - hereafter referred to as Bonjoro) value their customers and respect their privacy. The Data Controller under the UK Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR is Vimily Pty Ltd, Level 14, 210 George St, Sydney, Australia 2000 and the Data control officer is Mitchel Flindell; Website: https://www.bonjoro.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.bonjoro.com/privacy-policy.

Commercial communication by E-Mail, Postal Mail, Fax or Telephone

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

The recipients have the right to withdraw their consent at any time or to object to the advertising communication at any time.

After revocation or objection, we store the data required to prove the past authorization to contact or send up to three years from the end of the year of revocation or objection on the basis of our legitimate interests. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. Based on the legitimate interest to permanently observe the revocation, respectively objection of the users, we further store the data necessary to avoid a renewed contact (e.g. depending on the communication channel, the e-mail address, telephone number, name).

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).
  • Data subjects: Communication partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.).
  • Purposes of Processing: Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or postal).
  • Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Sweepstakes and Contests

We process the personal data of participants in We process personal data of participants in competitions, contents, raffles, prize-draws or sweepstakes (hereinafter referred to as "competitions") only in compliance with the relevant data protection regulations and if the processing is contractually necessary for the provision, execution and handling of the competition, the participants have consented to the processing or the processing serves our legitimate interests (e.g. in the security of the competition or the protection of our interests against misuse by possible recording of IP addresses when submitting entries to the competition.

In the event that entries are published as part of the competitions (e.g. as part of a vote or presentation of the competition entries, or the winner or reporting on the competition), we would like to point out that the names of participants may also be published in this context. The participants can object to this at any time.

If the competitions take 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 online platforms also apply. In such cases, we would like to point out that we are responsible for the information provided by the participants as part of the competition and that we must be contacted with regard to the competitions.

The data of the participants will be deleted as soon as the competition has ended and the data is no longer required to inform the winners or because questions about the competition can be expected. In general, the data of the participants will be deleted at the latest 6 months after the end of the competition. Winners' data can be retained for a longer period of time, e.g. in order to answer questions about the prizes or to fulfil the prizes; in this case, the retention period depends on the type of prize and is up to three years for items or services, e.g. in order to be able to process warranty claims. Furthermore, the participants' data may be stored for longer, e.g. in the form of coverage of the competition in online and offline media.

Insofar as data was collected for other purposes as part of the competition, its processing and storage period shall be governed by the privacy information for this use (e.g. in the case of registration for a newsletter as part of a competition).

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Participants in sweepstakes and competitions.
  • Purposes of Processing: Conducting sweepstakes and contests.
  • Legal Basis: Performance of a contract and prior requests (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Surveys and Questionnaires

We conduct surveys and interviews to gather information for the survey purpose communicated in each case. The surveys and questionnaires ("surveys") carried out by us are evaluated anonymously. Personal data is only processed insofar as this is necessary for the provision and technical execution of the survey (e.g. processing the IP address to display the survey in the user's browser or to enable a resumption of the survey with the aid of a cookie).

  • Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Communication partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.); Participants.
  • Purposes of Processing: Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form).
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Web Analysis, Monitoring and Optimization

Web analysis is used to evaluate the visitor traffic on our website and may include the behaviour, interests or demographic information of users, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of web analysis we can e.g. recognize, at which time our online services or their functions or contents are most frequently used or requested for repeatedly, as well as which areas require optimization.

In addition to web analysis, we can also use test procedures, e.g. to test and optimize different versions of our online services or their components.

Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, i.e. data aggregated for a usage process, can be created for these purposes and information can 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.

Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, that is data summarized for a usage process or user, may be created for these purposes and stored in a browser or terminal device (so-called "cookies") or similar processes may be used for the same purpose. 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 consented to the collection of their location data or profiles to us or to the providers of the services we use, these may also be processed, depending on the provider.

The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use any existing IP masking procedure (i.e. pseudonymisation by shortening the IP address) to protect the user. In general, within the framework of web analysis, A/B testing and optimisation, no user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) is stored, but pseudonyms. This means that 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 processes.

  • Processed data types: 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: Web Analytics (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Profiles with user-related information (Creating user profiles).
  • Security measures: IP Masking (Pseudonymization of the IP address).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Online Marketing

We process personal data for the purposes of online marketing, which may include in particular the marketing of advertising space or the display of advertising and other content (collectively referred to as "Content") based on the potential interests of users and the measurement of their effectiveness.

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

The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use provided IP masking procedures (i.e. pseudonymisation by shortening the IP address) to ensure the protection of the user's by using a pseudonym. In general, within the framework of the online marketing process, no clear user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) is secured, but pseudonyms. This means that we, as well as the providers of 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 similar memorizing procedures. These cookies can later, generally also on other websites that use the same online marketing technology, be read and analyzed for purposes of content display, as well as supplemented with other data and stored on the server of the online marketing technology provider.

Exceptionally, clear data can be assigned to the profiles. This is the case, for example, if the users are members of a social network whose online marketing technology we use and the network links the profiles of the users in the aforementioned data. Please note that users may enter into additional agreements with the social network providers or other service providers, e.g. by consenting as part of a registration process.

As a matter of principle, we only gain access to summarised information about the performance of our advertisements. However, within the framework of so-called conversion measurement, we can check which of our online marketing processes have led to a so-called conversion, i.e. to the conclusion of a contract with us. The conversion measurement is used alone for the performance analysis of our marketing activities.

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

  • Processed data types: 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 can be transmitted from us to Facebook, e.g. via Facebook pixels (via apps or other means) and relates to persons or their actions; the data includes, for example, information about visits to websites, interactions with content, functions, installations of apps, purchases of products, etc.; Event data is processed for the purpose of creating target groups for content and advertising information (Custom Audiences); Event Data does not include the actual content (such as written comments), login information, and Contact Information (such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers). Event Data is deleted by Facebook after a maximum of two years, the Custom Audiences created from them with the deletion of our Facebook account).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Web Analytics (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Targeting (e.g. profiling based on interests and behaviour, use of cookies); Marketing; Profiles with user-related information (Creating user profiles); Conversion tracking (Measurement of the effectiveness of marketing activities); Affiliate Tracking; Custom Audiences (Selection of relevant target groups for marketing purposes or other output of content); Provision of our online services and usability.
  • Security measures: IP Masking (Pseudonymization of the IP address).
  • Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
  • Opt-Out: We refer to the privacy policies of the respective service providers and the possibilities for objection (so-called "opt-out"). If no explicit opt-out option has been specified, it is possible to deactivate cookies in the settings of your browser. However, this may restrict the functions of our online offer. We therefore recommend the following additional opt-out options, which are offered collectively for each area: a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu. b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices. c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices. d) Cross-regional: https://optout.aboutads.info.

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Facebook Ads: Placement of ads within the Facebook platform and analysis of ad results; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Opt-Out: Wir verweisen auf die Datenschutz- und Werbeeinstellungen im Profil des Nutzers auf der Facebook-Plattform sowie auf das Einwilligungsverfahren von Facebook und die Kontaktmöglichkeiten von Facebook zur Ausübung von Informations- und sonstigen Betroffenenrechten in der Datenschutzerklärung von Facebook; Further Information: User event data, i.e. behavioral and interest data, is processed for the purposes of targeted advertising and audience building on the basis of the joint controllership agreement ("Controller Addendum", https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum). The joint controllership is limited to the collection and transfer of the data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company located 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 (on the basis of standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.).
  • Google Ads and Conversion Tracking: We use the Google "Ads" online marketing method to place ads on the Google advertising network (e.g., in search results, videos, websites, etc.) so that they are displayed to users who have an alleged interest in the ads. We also measure the conversion of the ads (so called "Konversion"). However, we only know the anonymous total number of users who clicked on our ad and were redirected to a page tagged with a conversion tracking tag. However, we ourselves do not receive any information that can be used to identify users; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further Information: Types of processing and data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Google Ads Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms and standard contractual clauses for data transfers to third countries: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.
  • Instagram Ads: Placement of ads within the Instagram platform and analysis of ad results; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://www.instagram.com; Privacy Policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy; Opt-Out: We refer to the data protection and advertising settings in the user's profile on the Instagram platform as well as Instagram's consent procedure and Instagram's contact options for exercising information and other data subject rights in Instagram's privacy policy; Further Information: User event data, i.e. behavioral and interest data, is processed for the purposes of targeted advertising and audience building on the basis of the joint controllership agreement ("Controller Addendum", https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum). The joint controllership is limited to the collection and transfer of the data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company located 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 (on the basis of standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.).
  • Twitter Ads: Placement of ads within the Twitter platform and analysis of ad results; Service provider: Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2 D02 AX07, Irland, Mutterunternehmen: Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://ads.twitter.com/; Privacy Policy: https://twitter.com/privacy, (Settings: https://twitter.com/personalization).
  • Tiktok Ads: Placement of ads within the Tiktok platform and analysis of ad results; Service provider: TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://ads.tiktok.com/; Privacy Policy: https://www.tiktok.com/de/privacy-policy.

Affiliate-Programms und Affiliate-Links

Within our online services, we include so-called affiliate links or other references (which for example may include search forms, widgets or discount codes) to the offers and services of third parties (collectively referred to as "affiliate links"). When users follow affiliate links or subsequently take advantage of offers, we may receive commission or other benefits (collectively referred to as "commission") from these third parties.

In order to be able to track whether the users have followed the offers of an affiliate link used by us, it is necessary for the respective third party to know that the users have followed an affiliate link used within our online services. The assignment of affiliate links to the respective business transactions or other actions (e.g., purchases) serves the sole purpose of commission settlement and is removed as soon as it is no longer required for this purpose.

For the purposes of the aforementioned affiliate link assignment, the affiliate links may be supplemented by certain values that may be a component of the link or otherwise stored, for example, in a cookie. The values may include in particular the source website (referrer), time, an online identifier of the operator of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online identifier of the respective offer, the type of link used, the type of offer and an online identifier of the user.

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

  • Processed data types: Contract data (e.g. contract object, duration, customer category); 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: Affiliate Tracking.
  • Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Customer Reviews and Ratings

We participate in review and rating procedures to evaluate, optimise and advertise our performance. If users rate us via the participating rating platforms or methods or otherwise provide feedback, the General Terms and Conditions of Business or Use and the data protection information of the providers also apply. As a rule, the rating also requires registration with the respective provider.

In order to ensure that the evaluators have actually made use of our services, we transmit, with the consent of the customer, the necessary data relating to the customer and the service or products used to the respective rating platform (this includes the name, e-mail address, order number or article number). This data is used solely to verify the authenticity of the user.

  • Processed data types: Contract data (e.g. contract object, duration, 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 Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Rating Widget: We include so-called " rating widgets " in our online services. A widget is a functional and content element integrated within our online services that displays variable information (e.g. a widget can be displayed in the form of a seal or a badge). Although the corresponding content of the widget is displayed within our online services, it is retrieved from the servers of the respective widget provider at this moment. This is the only way to always show the current content, especially the current rating. For this purpose, a data connection must be established from the website accessed within our online service to the widget provider's server and the widget provider receives certain technical data (access data, including the IP address) that is necessary for the content of the widget to be delivered to the user's browser. In addition, the widget provider receives information that users have visited our online services. This information may be stored in a cookie and used by the widget provider to identify which online offerings participating in the rating process have been visited by the user. The information can be stored in a user profile and used for advertising or market research purposes; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • 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; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Terms & 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 and time for the business transaction to be evaluated, in the case of review requests sent directly to customers, the customer's e-mail address and its country of residence information as well as the review information itself are processed; Further information on types of processing and data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Google Ads Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms and standard contractual clauses for data transfers to third countries: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.
  • Trustpilot: Review and rating platform; Service provider: Trustpilot A/S, Pilestræde 58, 5, 1112 Kopenhagen, Denmark; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.trustedshops.de; Privacy Policy: https://legal.trustpilot.com/end-user-privacy-terms.
  • Facebook-Seiten: Profiles within the social network Facebook - We are jointly responsible (so called "joint controller") with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection (but not the further processing) of data of visitors to our Facebook page. This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see "Things that you and others do and provide" in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy), and information about the devices used by users (e.g., IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie information; see "Device Information" in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under "How we use this information?" Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, known as "page insights," to site operators to help them understand how people interact with their pages and with content associated with them. We have concluded a special agreement with Facebook ("Information about Page-Insights", https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which regulates in particular the security measures that Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill the rights of the persons concerned (i.e. users can send information access or deletion requests directly to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to access to information, erasure, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook. Further information can be found in the "Information about 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 (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum; Further Information: Joint Controllership Agreement: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data. The joint controllership is limited to the collection and transfer of the data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company located 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 (on the basis of standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.).

Profiles in Social Networks (Social Media)

We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with the 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 entail risks for users, e.g. by making it more difficult to enforce users' rights.

In addition, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, user profiles can be created on the basis of user behaviour and the associated interests of users. The user profiles can then be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks which are presumed to correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the user's computer, in which the user's usage behaviour and interests are stored. Furthermore, data can be stored in the user profiles independently of the devices used by the users (especially if the users are members of the respective networks or will become members later on).

For a detailed description of the respective processing operations and the opt-out options, please refer to the respective data protection declarations and information provided by the providers of the respective networks.

Also in the case of requests for information and the exercise of rights of data subjects, we point out that these can be most effectively pursued with the providers. Only the providers have access to the data of the users and can directly take appropriate measures and provide information. If you still need help, please do not hesitate to contact us.

  • Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); 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 (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Instagram: Social network; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.instagram.com; Privacy Policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy.
  • Facebook-Seiten: Profiles within the social network Facebook - We are jointly responsible (so called "joint controller") with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection (but not the further processing) of data of visitors to our Facebook page. This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see "Things that you and others do and provide" in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy), and information about the devices used by users (e.g., IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie information; see "Device Information" in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under "How we use this information?" Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, known as "page insights," to site operators to help them understand how people interact with their pages and with content associated with them. We have concluded a special agreement with Facebook ("Information about Page-Insights", https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which regulates in particular the security measures that Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill the rights of the persons concerned (i.e. users can send information access or deletion requests directly to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to access to information, erasure, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook. Further information can be found in the "Information about 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 (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum; Further Information: Joint Controllership Agreement: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data. The joint controllership is limited to the collection and transfer of the data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company located 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 (on the basis of standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.).
  • Facebook-Groups: Interest groups within the social network Facebook - We use the "Groups" function of the Facebook platform to create interest groups within which Facebook users can contact each other or us and exchange information. In doing so, we process personal data of the users of our groups as far as this is necessary for the purpose of the group use as well as its moderation. These data include information on first and last names, as well as published or privately shared content, as well as values on the status of group membership or group-related activities, such as entry or exit, as well as the time information on the aforementioned data. Our guidelines within the groups may contain further specifications and information on the use of the respective group. Furthermore, we would like to point out the processing of data of the 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 group operators to provide them with insights about how people interact with their groups and with content associated with them; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: 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, known as "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 Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.
  • LinkedIn: Social network; Service provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Data Processing Agreement: https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Opt-Out: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
  • TikTok: Social network / video plattform; Service provider: TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); 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 (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); 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 Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); 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; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); 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 (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.xing.com; Privacy Policy: https://privacy.xing.com/en.

Plugins and embedded functions and content

Within our online services, we integrate functional and content elements that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as "third-party providers"). These may, for example, be graphics, videos or city maps (hereinafter uniformly referred to as "Content").

The integration always presupposes that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, since they could not send the content to their browser without the IP address. The IP address is therefore required for the presentation of these contents or functions. We strive to use only those contents, whose respective offerers use the IP address only for the distribution of the contents. Third parties 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 evaluate information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user's device and may include technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, visit times and other information about the use of our website, as well as may be linked to such information from other sources.

  • Processed data types: 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. text input, photographs, videos); Event Data (Facebook) ("Event Data" is data that can be transmitted from us to Facebook, e.g. via Facebook pixels (via apps or other means) and relates to persons or their actions; the data includes, for example, information about visits to websites, interactions with content, functions, installations of apps, purchases of products, etc.; Event data is processed for the purpose of creating target groups for content and advertising information (Custom Audiences); Event Data does not include the actual content (such as written comments), login information, and Contact Information (such as names, email addresses, and phone numbers). Event Data is deleted by Facebook after a maximum of two years, the Custom Audiences created from them with the deletion of our Facebook account).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Provision of our online services and usability; Provision of contractual services and customer support; Profiles with user-related information (Creating user profiles); Marketing.
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

  • Integration of third-party software, scripts or frameworks: We incorporate into our online services software which we retrieve from servers of other providers (e.g. function libraries which we use for the purpose of displaying or user-friendliness of our online services). The respective providers collect the user's IP address and can process it for the purposes of transferring the software to the user's browser as well as for security purposes and for the evaluation and optimisation of their services; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Facebook plugins and contents: Facebook Social Plugins and contents - This can include content such as images, videos or text and buttons with which users can share content from this online service within Facebook. The list and appearance of the Facebook Social Plugins can be viewed here: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/ - We are jointly responsible (so-called "joint-controllership") with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection or transmission (but not further processing) of "Event Data" that Facebook collects or receives as part of a transmission using the Facebook Social Plugins that run on our website for the following purposes: a) displaying content advertising information that matches users' presumed interests; b) delivering commercial and transactional messages (e.g. b) delivering commercial and transactional messages (e.g., addressing users via Facebook Messenger); c) improving ad delivery and personalizing features and content (e.g., improving recognition of which content or advertising information is believed to be of interest to users). We have entered into a special agreement with Facebook ("Controller Addendum", https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum), which specifically addresses the security measures that Facebook must take (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/data_security_terms) and in which Facebook has agreed to comply with the rights of data subjects (i.e., users can, for example, submit information access or deletion requests directly to Facebook). Note: If Facebook provides us with measurements, analyses and reports (which are aggregated, i.e. do not contain information on individual users and are anonymous to us), then this processing is not carried out within the scope of joint responsibility, but on the basis of a DPA ("Data Processing Terms", https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing/update), the "Data Security Conditions" (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/data_security_terms) and, with regard to processing in the USA, on the basis of Standard Contractual Clauses ("Facebook EU Data Transfer Addendum, https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum). The rights of users (in particular to access to information, erasure, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Irland; Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.
  • Google Fonts (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 which 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; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://fonts.google.com/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Google Fonts (Provision on own server): Obtaining fonts ("Google Fonts") for the purpose of a user-friendly appearance of our online services; Service provider: The Google Fonts are hosted on our server, no data is transmitted to Google; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Instagram plugins and contents: Instagram plugins and contents - This can include content such as images, videos or text and buttons with which users can share content from this online service within Instagram . - We are jointly responsible (so-called "joint-controllership") with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection or transmission (but not further processing) of "Event Data" that Facebook collects or receives as part of a transmission using Instagram functions that run on our website for the following purposes: a) displaying content advertising information that matches users' presumed interests; b) delivering commercial and transactional messages (e.g. b) delivering commercial and transactional messages (e.g., addressing users via Facebook Messenger); c) improving ad delivery and personalizing features and content (e.g., improving recognition of which content or advertising information is believed to be of interest to users). We have entered into a special agreement with Facebook ("Controller Addendum", https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum), which specifically addresses the security measures that Facebook must take (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/data_security_terms) and in which Facebook has agreed to comply with the rights of data subjects (i.e., users can, for example, submit information access or deletion requests directly to Facebook). Note: If Facebook provides us with measurements, analyses and reports (which are aggregated, i.e. do not contain information on individual users and are anonymous to us), then this processing is not carried out within the scope of joint responsibility, but on the basis of a DPA ("Data Processing Terms", https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing/update), the "Data Security Conditions" (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/data_security_terms) and, with regard to processing in the USA, on the basis of Standard Contractual Clauses ("Facebook EU Data Transfer Addendum, https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum). The rights of users (in particular to access to information, erasure, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.instagram.com; Privacy Policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy.
  • LinkedIn plugins and contents: LinkedIn plugins and contents - This can include content such as images, videos or text and buttons with which users can share content from this online service within LinkedIn; Service provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Data Processing Agreement: https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Standard Contractual Clauses (Safeguarding the level of data protection when processing data in third countries): https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Opt-Out: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
  • reCAPTCHA: We integrate the "reCAPTCHA" function to be able to recognise whether entries (e.g. in online forms) are made by humans and not by automatically operating machines (so-called "bots"). The data processed may include IP addresses, information on operating systems, devices or browsers used, language settings, location, mouse movements, keystrokes, time spent on websites, previously visited websites, interactions with ReCaptcha on other websites, possibly cookies and results of manual recognition processes (e.g. answering questions asked or selecting objects in images). The data processing is based on our legitimate interest to protect our online services 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 (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); 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=en, Settings for the Display of Advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
  • Twitter plugins and contents: Twitter plugins and buttons - This can include content such as images, videos or text and buttons with which users can share content from this online service within Twitter; 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 (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://twitter.com; Privacy Policy: https://twitter.com/privacy, (Settings: https://twitter.com/personalization).
  • YouTube videos: Video contents; 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 (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Opt-Out: Opt-Out-Plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en, Settings for the Display of Advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
  • Vimeo: video contents; Service provider: Vimeo Inc., Attention: Legal Department, 555 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011, USA; Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR); 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 opt-out options for Google Analytics (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en) or the settings of Google for data use for marketing purposes (https://adssettings.google.com/).

Management, Organization and Utilities

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

Within this context, personal data may be processed and stored on the servers of third-party providers. This may include 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 processes, contracts, other processes and their contents.

If users are referred to the third-party providers or their software or platforms in the context of communication, business or other relationships with us, the third-party provider processing may process usage data and metadata that can be processed by them for security purposes, service optimisation or marketing purposes. We therefore ask you to read the data protection notices of the respective third party providers.

  • Processed data types: Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).
  • Data subjects: Communication partner (Recipients of e-mails, letters, etc.); Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of Processing: Contact requests and communication; Provision of contractual services and customer support; Office and organisational procedures; Web Analytics (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Profiles with user-related information (Creating user profiles).
  • Legal Basis: Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing methods, procedures and services used:

Changes and Updates to the Privacy Policy

We kindly ask you to inform yourself regularly about the contents of our data protection declaration. We will adjust the privacy policy as changes in our data processing practices make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require your cooperation (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.

If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this privacy policy, we ask you to note that addresses may change over time and to verify the information before contacting us.

Rights of Data Subjects

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

  • Right to Object: You have the right, on grounds arising from your particular situation, to object at any time to the processing of your personal data which is based on letter (e) or (f) of Article 6(1) GDPR, including profiling based on those provisions. Where personal data are processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of the personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing, which includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.
  • Right of withdrawal for consents: You have the right to revoke consents at any time.
  • Right of access: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether the data in question will be processed and to be informed of this data and to receive further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the provisions of the law.
  • Right to rectification: You have the right, in accordance with the law, to request the completion of the data concerning you or the rectification of the incorrect data concerning you.
  • Right to Erasure and Right to Restriction of Processing: In accordance with the statutory provisions, you have the right to demand that the relevant data be erased immediately or, alternatively, to demand that the processing of the data be restricted in accordance with the statutory provisions.
  • Right to data portability: You have the right to receive data concerning you which you have provided to us in a structured, common and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements, or to request its transmission to another controller.
  • Complaint to the 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 habitually 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.

Terminology and Definitions

This section provides an overview of the terms used in this privacy policy. Many of the terms are drawn from the law and defined mainly in Article 4 GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are intended above all for the purpose of comprehension. The terms are sorted alphabetically.

  • Affiliate Tracking: Affiliate tracking logs links that the linking websites use to refer users to websites with products or other offers. The owners of the respective linked websites can receive a commission if users follow these so-called "affiliate links" and subsequently take advantage of the offers (e.g. buy goods or use services). To this end, it is necessary for providers to be able to track whether users who are interested in certain offers subsequently follow the affiliate links. It is therefore necessary for the functionality of affiliate links that they are supplemented by certain values that become part of the link or are otherwise stored, e.g. in a cookie. The values include in particular the source website (referrer), time, an online identification of the owner of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online identification of the respective offer, an online identifier of the user, as well as tracking specific values such as advertising media ID, partner ID and categorizations
  • Controller: "Controller" means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
  • Conversion tracking: Conversion tracking is a method used to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing measures. For this purpose, a cookie is usually stored on the devices of the users within the websites on which the marketing measures take place and then called up again on the target website (e.g. we can thus trace whether the advertisements placed by us on other websites were successful).
  • Custom Audiences: Target group formation (or "custom audiences") is the term used when target groups are determined for advertising purposes, e.g. display of advertisements. For example, a user's interest in certain products or topics on the Internet may be used to infer that that user is interested in advertisements for similar products or the online store in which they viewed the products. Lookalike Audiences" (or similar target groups) is the term used to describe content that is viewed as suitable by users whose profiles or interests presumably correspond to the users for whom the profiles were created. Cookies are generally used for the purposes of creating custom audiences and lookalike audiences. Target groups can be created by processing visitors of an online service or can be uploaded to the provider of an online marketing technology by means of uploading (which is usually done pseudonymised).
  • Firewall: A firewall is a security system that protects a computer network or a single computer from unwanted network access.
  • Personal Data: "personal data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person ("data subject"); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
  • Processing: The term "processing" covers a wide range and practically every handling of data, be it collection, evaluation, storage, transmission or erasure.
  • Profiles with user-related information: The processing of "profiles with user-related information", or "profiles" for short, includes any kind of automated processing of personal data that consists of using these personal data to analyse, evaluate or predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this may include different information concerning demographics, behaviour and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.) (e.g. interests in certain content or products, click behaviour on a website or location). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
  • Targeting: "Tracking" is the term used when the behaviour of users can be traced across several websites. As a rule, behavior and interest information with regard to the websites used is stored in cookies or on the servers of the tracking technology providers (so-called profiling). This information can then be used, for example, to display advertisements to users presumably corresponding to their interests.
  • Web Analytics: Web Analytics serves the evaluation of visitor traffic of online services and can determine their behavior or interests in certain information, such as content of websites. With the help of web analytics, website owners, for example, can recognize at what time visitors visit their website and what content they are interested in. This allows them, for example, to optimize the content of the website to better meet the needs of their visitors. For purposes of web analytics, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are frequently used in order to recognise returning visitors and thus obtain more precise analyses of the use of an online service.
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