Privacy Policy

Table of contents

• Introduction and overview
• scope
• Legal basis
• Contact details of the person responsible
• Storage period
• Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation
• Data transfer to third countries
• Security of data processing
• communication
• Data processing agreement (DPA)
• Cookies
• Website modular systems introduction
• Web Analytics Introduction
• Social Media Introduction
• Online Marketing Introduction
• Cookie Consent Management Platform Introduction
• Security & Anti-Spam
• Audio & Video Introduction
• Web design introduction
• Online map services Introduction
• Content Search Provider Introduction
• Explanation of terms used
• Closing words

Introduction and overview

We have drawn up this privacy policy (version 21.11.2022-112338313) to provide you with the information you need in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws, to explain which personal data (hereinafter referred to as "data") we as the controller – and the processors we have commissioned (e.g., providers) – process, will process in the future, and what legal options you have. The terms used are to be understood as gender-neutral.
In short: We will provide you with comprehensive information about the data we process about you.

Privacy policies usually sound very technical and use legal jargon. This privacy policy, however, aims to describe the most important things to you as simply and transparently as possible. Where necessary, technical Terms explained in a reader-friendly manner, links to further information are provided and Graphics used. We are informing you in clear and simple language that we only process personal data in the course of our business activities when there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible if you provide the briefest, most unclear, and legally technical explanations possible, as is often the norm on the internet when it comes to data protection. I hope you find the following explanations interesting and informative, and perhaps you'll find some information there that you weren't previously aware of.
If you still have any questions, please contact the responsible office listed below or in the imprint, follow the links provided, and view further information on third-party websites. Our contact details can also be found in the imprint.

scope

This privacy policy applies to all personal data processed by us within the company and to all personal data processed by companies commissioned by us (contract processors). By personal data, we mean information within the meaning of Art. 4 No. 1 GDPR, such as a person's name, email address, and postal address. The processing of personal data ensures that we can offer and bill our services and products, whether online or offline. The scope of this privacy policy includes:

• all online presences (websites, online shops) that we operate
• Social media presence and email communication
• mobile apps for smartphones and other devices

In short: This privacy policy applies to all areas in which personal data is processed in a structured manner within the company via the aforementioned channels. Should we enter into legal relationships with you outside of these channels, we will inform you separately if necessary.

Legal basis

In the following privacy policy, we provide you with transparent information on the legal principles and regulations, i.e. the legal basis of the General Data Protection Regulation, that enable us to process personal data.
As far as EU law is concerned, we refer to REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 April 2016. This EU General Data Protection Regulation can of course be consulted online on EUR-Lex, the gateway to EU law, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679 read more.

We only process your data if at least one of the following conditions applies:

1. consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR): You have given us your consent to process data for a specific purpose. An example would be storing the data you entered in a contact form.
2. Contract (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR): We process your data in order to fulfill a contract or pre-contractual obligations with you. For example, if we conclude a purchase agreement with you, we require personal information in advance.
3. Legal obligation (Article 6 (1) (c) GDPR): We process your data if we are subject to a legal obligation. For example, we are legally obligated to retain invoices for accounting purposes. These usually contain personal data.
4. Legitimate interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR): In the case of legitimate interests that do not restrict your fundamental rights, we reserve the right to process personal data. For example, we need to process certain data in order to operate our website securely and economically efficiently. This processing therefore constitutes a legitimate interest.

We generally do not apply additional conditions, such as the processing of recordings in the public interest, the exercise of official authority, or the protection of vital interests. Should such a legal basis be applicable, it will be indicated at the appropriate point.

In addition to the EU regulation, national laws also apply:

• In Austria This is the Federal Act on the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data (Data Protection Act), short DSG.
• In Germany this applies Federal Data Protection Act, short BDSG.

If other regional or national laws apply, we will inform you about them in the following sections.

Contact details of the person responsible

If you have any questions about data protection or the processing of personal data, you will find the contact details of the responsible person or body below:

Gastechnik Himmel GmbH
Ing. Heinz Himmel
Industriestrasse 3
A-2100 Korneuburg

E-mail: office@gt-himmel.com
Phone: +43 22 62 613 69
Imprint: https://gt-himmel.com/impressum

Storage period

Our general policy is to only store personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. This means that we delete personal data as soon as the reason for processing it no longer exists. In some cases, we are legally obligated to retain certain data even after the original purpose no longer applies, for example, for accounting purposes.

If you wish to have your data deleted or withdraw your consent to data processing, the data will be deleted as quickly as possible and unless there is an obligation to store it.

We will inform you below about the specific duration of the respective data processing, provided we have further information on this.

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

In accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the GDPR, we inform you of the following rights to which you are entitled to ensure fair and transparent data processing:

• According to Article 15 of the GDPR, you have the right to information about whether we process your data. If so, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and the following information:
  
  • for what purpose we carry out the processing;
  • the categories, i.e. the types of data that are processed;
  • who receives this data and, if the data is transferred to third countries, how security can be guaranteed;
  • how long the data is stored;
  • the existence of the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing and the right to object to processing;
  • that you can complain to a supervisory authority (links to these authorities can be found below);
  • the origin of the data if we did not collect it from you;
  • whether profiling is carried out, i.e. whether data is automatically evaluated in order to create a personal profile of you.
• According to Article 16 GDPR, you have the right to rectification of data, which means that we must correct data if you find any errors.
• According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), which specifically means that you can request the deletion of your data.
• According to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to restriction of processing, which means that we may only store the data but not use it any further.
• According to Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that we will provide you with your data in a common format upon request.
• According to Article 21 GDPR, you have the right to object, which, if enforced, will result in a change in the processing.
  
  • If the processing of your data is based on Article 6 (1) (e) (public interest, exercise of official authority) or Article 6 (1) (f) (legitimate interest), you may object to the processing. We will then examine as quickly as possible whether we can legally comply with this objection.
  • If data is used for direct marketing purposes, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for direct marketing purposes after this time.
  • If data is used for profiling purposes, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for profiling purposes after this time.
• According to Article 22 GDPR, you may have the right not to be subjected to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g. profiling).
• According to Article 77 of the GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint. This means you can lodge a complaint with the data protection authority at any time if you believe that the processing of personal data violates the GDPR.

In short: You have rights – do not hesitate to contact the responsible body listed above!

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection rights have been violated in any other way, you can complain to the supervisory authority. For Austria, this is the Data Protection Authority, whose website you can find at https://www.dsb.gv.at/ In Germany, there is a data protection officer for each federal state. For further information, you can contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) The following local data protection authority is responsible for our company:

Austrian Data Protection Authority

Head: Mag. Dr. Andrea Jelinek
Address: Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna
Telephone number: +43 1 52 152-0
E-mail address: dsb@dsb.gv.at
Website: https://www.dsb.gv.at/

Data transfer to third countries

We only transfer or process data to countries outside the EU (third countries) if you consent to such processing, if it is required by law or contract, and in any case only to the extent generally permitted. Your consent is in most cases the most important reason for us to process data in third countries. Processing personal data in third countries such as the USA, where many software manufacturers provide services and have their servers located, may mean that personal data is processed and stored in unexpected ways.

We expressly point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. Data processing by US services (such as Google Analytics) may result in data not being processed and stored anonymously. Furthermore, US government authorities may gain access to individual data. Furthermore, collected data may be linked to data from other services of the same provider, provided you have a corresponding user account. Where possible, we try to use server locations within the EU, if offered.

We will provide you with more detailed information about data transfers to third countries, where applicable, at the appropriate points in this privacy policy.

Security of data processing

To protect personal data, we have implemented both technical and organizational measures. Where possible, we encrypt or pseudonymize personal data. This makes it as difficult as possible for third parties to derive personal information from our data.

Article 25 of the GDPR refers to "data protection through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings," meaning that security must always be considered and appropriate measures implemented, both in software (e.g., forms) and hardware (e.g., access to the server room). Below, we will discuss specific measures where necessary.

TLS encryption with https

TLS, encryption, and https sound very technical, and they are. We use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) to securely transmit data over the internet.
This means that the entire transmission of all data from your browser to our web server is secure – no one can “eavesdrop”.

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

communication

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

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

Affected persons

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

phone

When you call us, the call data is stored pseudonymously on the respective device and by the telecommunications provider used. Furthermore, data such as name and telephone number may subsequently be sent via email and stored for the purpose of responding to your inquiry. The data will be deleted as soon as the transaction is completed and as permitted by law.

e-mail

If you communicate with us via email, data may be stored on the respective device (computer, laptop, smartphone, etc.) and stored on the email server. The data will be deleted as soon as the transaction is completed and as permitted by law.

Online forms

If you communicate with us via an online form, data will be stored on our web server and, if applicable, forwarded to an email address provided by us. The data will be deleted as soon as the transaction is completed and as permitted by law.

Legal basis

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

• Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent): You give us your consent to store your data and to use it further for the purposes related to the business case;
• Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (contract): There is a need to fulfill a contract with you or a processor such as the telephone provider or we have to process the data for pre-contractual activities, such as preparing an offer;
• Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (Legitimate Interests): We want to handle customer inquiries and business communications in a professional manner. To do this, certain technical facilities, such as email programs, Exchange servers, and mobile operators, are necessary to enable efficient communication.

Data processing agreement (DPA)

In this section, we would like to explain what a data processing agreement is and why it is necessary. Because the term "data processing agreement" is quite a tongue twister, we will often use the acronym DPA in this text. Like most companies, we do not work alone; we also use the services of other companies or individuals. By involving various companies or service providers, we may pass on personal data for processing. These partners then act as data processors, with whom we conclude a contract, the so-called data processing agreement (DPA). The most important thing for you to know is that the processing of your personal data is carried out exclusively in accordance with our instructions and must be regulated by the DPA.

Who are data processors?

As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data we process from you. In addition to the controllers, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or individual that processes personal data on our behalf. More precisely, and according to the GDPR definition: any natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body that processes personal data on our behalf is considered a processor. Processors can therefore be service providers such as hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers, or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.

To better understand the terminology, here is an overview of the three roles in the GDPR:

Affected person (You as a customer or interested party) → Person responsible (we as a company and client) → Processor (Service providers such as web hosts or cloud providers)

Content of a data processing agreement

As mentioned above, we have concluded a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with our partners who act as data processors. This agreement stipulates, above all, that the data processor will process the data to be processed exclusively in accordance with the GDPR. The contract must be concluded in writing; however, in this context, electronic contract conclusion is also considered "written." Personal data is only processed on the basis of the contract. The contract must contain the following:

• Commitment to us as responsible parties
• Obligations and rights of the controller
• Categories of data subjects
• Type of personal data
• Type and purpose of data processing
• Subject and duration of data processing
• Place of data processing

Furthermore, the contract contains all obligations of the processor. The most important obligations are:

• To ensure data security measures
• to take possible technical and organizational measures to protect the rights of the data subject
• to maintain a data processing register
• to cooperate with the data protection supervisory authority upon request
• to carry out a risk analysis with regard to the personal data received
• Sub-processors may only be commissioned with the written consent of the controller

You can find out what such an AVV looks like in concrete terms at https://www.wko.at/service/wirtschaftsrecht-gewerberecht/eu-dsgvo-mustervertrag-auftragsverarbeitung.html A sample contract is presented here.

Cookies

What are cookies?

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

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

One thing is undeniable: cookies are truly useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other purposes as well. HTTP cookies are small files that our website stores on your computer. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, the "brain" of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more additional attributes must be specified.

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

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

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

For example, cookie data can look like this:

Name: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152112338313-9
Purpose of use: Differentiation of website visitors
Expiry date: after 2 years

A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:

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

What types of cookies are there?

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

There are four types of cookies:

Essential cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic website functions. For example, these cookies are needed when a user adds a product to their shopping cart, then continues browsing to other pages and only proceeds to checkout later. These cookies ensure that the shopping cart is not deleted even when the user closes their browser window.

Purposeful cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. These cookies also measure the loading time and behavior of the website in different browsers.

Targeted cookies
These cookies improve user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes, or form data are saved.

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

Typically, when you first visit a website, you'll be asked which of these cookie types you'd like to allow. And, of course, this decision will also be saved in a cookie.

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

Purpose of processing via cookies

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

What data is processed?

Cookies are small helpers for a variety of tasks. Unfortunately, it's not possible to generalize what data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the data processed and stored in the following privacy policy.

Storage period of cookies

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

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

Right of objection – how can I delete cookies?

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

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

Chrome: Delete, enable, and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari

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

Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you don't want cookies at all, you can set your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be set. This allows you to decide for each individual cookie whether or not to accept it. The process varies depending on your browser. The best way to find instructions is to search for "delete cookies in Chrome" or "disable cookies in Chrome" in the case of a Chrome browser.

Legal basis

The so-called “Cookie Guidelines” have been in existence since 2009. They state that the storage of cookies is a consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR). However, reactions to these guidelines vary considerably across EU countries. In Austria, however, this directive was implemented in Section 96 (3) of the Telecommunications Act (TKG). In Germany, the cookie guidelines were not implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG).

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

If non-essential cookies are used, this only happens with your consent. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR.

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

Web hosting introduction

What is web hosting?

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

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

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

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

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

Why do we process personal data?

The purposes of data processing are:

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

What data is processed?

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

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

How long is data stored?

As a rule, the above-mentioned data is stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not share this data, but we cannot rule out the possibility that it may be viewed by authorities in the event of illegal behavior.

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

Legal basis

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

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

Web hosting provider External Privacy Policy

Below you will find the contact details of our external hosting provider, where you can find out more about data processing in addition to the information above:

webgo GmbH
Heidenkampsweg 81 20097 Hamburg, Germany

You can find out more about data processing by this provider in the Privacy Policy.

Website modular systems introduction

What are website builders?

We use a website builder system for our website. Builder systems are special forms of content management systems (CMS). With a builder system, website operators can create a website very easily and without any programming knowledge. Many web hosts also offer builder systems. Using a builder system may also collect, store, and process your personal data. This privacy policy provides you with general information about data processing by builder systems. Further information can be found in the provider's privacy policy.

Why do we use website builders for our website?

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

What data is stored by a modular system?

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

How long and where is the data stored?

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

Right of objection

You always have the right to access, correct, and delete your personal data. If you have any questions, you can also contact the person responsible for the website building block system you use at any time. Contact details can be found either in our privacy policy or on the website of the respective provider.

You can delete, deactivate, or manage cookies that providers use for their functions in your browser. This works differently depending on the browser you use. Please note, however, that if you do this, not all functions may work as usual.

Legal basis

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

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

This privacy policy provides you with the most important general information regarding data processing. If you would like more detailed information, you can find further information – if available – in the following section or in the provider's privacy policy.

WordPress.com Privacy Policy

We use WordPress.com, a website builder, for our website. The service provider is the American company Automattic Inc., 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.

WordPress processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

The data processing conditions (Data Processing Agreements), which correspond to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://wordpress.com/support/data-processing-agreements/.

You can learn more about the data processed through the use of WordPress.com in the privacy policy on https://automattic.com/de/privacy/.

Data Processing Agreement (DPA) WordPress.com

We have entered into a data processing agreement (DPA) with WordPress.com in accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can read more about what a DPA is and, above all, what must be included in a DPA in our general section "DPA".

This agreement is required by law because WordPress.com processes personal data on our behalf. It clarifies that WordPress.com may only process data it receives from us according to our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. The link to the Data Processing Agreement (DPA) can be found at https://wordpress.com/support/data-processing-agreements/.

Web Analytics Introduction

What is web analytics?

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

Why do we use web analytics?

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

What data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored depends, of course, on the analysis tools used. However, as a general rule, we store information such as the content you view on our website, the buttons or links you click, the time you access a page, the browser you use, the device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use to visit the website, and the computer system you use. If you have consented to the collection of location data, this may also be processed by the web analysis tool provider.

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

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

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

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing, as soon as we have further information. Generally, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If required by law, such as in the case of accounting, this retention period may be exceeded.

Right of objection

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

Legal basis

The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. This consent is, according to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent) the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

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

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

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

Google Analytics Privacy Policy

What is Google Analytics?

We use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics (GA) from the American company Google Inc. on our website. In Europe, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. For example, if you click on a link, this action is saved in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. With the help of the reports we receive from Google Analytics, we can better tailor our website and our service to your needs. Below we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and inform you, above all, what data is saved and how you can prevent this.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool used to analyze our website traffic. For Google Analytics to work, a tracking code is embedded in our website code. When you visit our website, this code records various actions you perform on our website. Once you leave our website, this data is sent to and stored on Google Analytics servers.

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

• Audience reports: Through audience reports, we get to know our users better and know more precisely who is interested in our service.
• Ad Reporting: Ad reporting helps us analyze and improve our online advertising.
• Acquisition reports: Acquisition reports give us helpful information about how we can get more people excited about our service.
• Behavioral reports: This tells us how you interact with our website. We can track your path on our site and the links you click.
• Conversion reports: A conversion is a process in which you perform a desired action based on a marketing message. For example, when you go from being a mere website visitor to a buyer or newsletter subscriber. These reports help us learn more about how our marketing efforts are resonating with you. This is how we want to increase our conversion rate.
• Real-time reports: This lets us know immediately what's happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

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

The statistically analyzed data provides us with a clear picture of our website's strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, we can optimize our site so that it's easier for interested people to find on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us better understand you as a visitor. This means we know exactly what we need to improve on our website to provide you with the best possible service. The data also helps us implement our advertising and marketing measures more individually and cost-effectively. After all, it only makes sense to show our products and services to people who are interested in them.

What data does Google Analytics store?

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

To analyze our website with Google Analytics, a property ID must be inserted into the tracking code. The data is then stored in the corresponding property. The Google Analytics 4 property is the default for every newly created property. Alternatively, you can also create the Universal Analytics property. Data is stored for different lengths of time depending on the property used.

Identifiers such as cookies and app instance IDs measure your interactions on our website. Interactions are all types of actions you perform on our website. If you also use other Google systems (such as a Google Account), data generated through Google Analytics may be linked to third-party cookies. Google does not share Google Analytics data unless we, as the website operator, authorize it. Exceptions may apply if required by law.

The following cookies are used by Google Analytics:

Name: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152112338313-5
Purpose of use: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the user ID. It is primarily used to distinguish website visitors.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152112338313-1
Purpose of use: The cookie is also used to distinguish website visitors
Expiry date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_
Value: 1
Purpose of use: Used to reduce the request rate. If Google Analytics is provided via Google Tag Manager, this cookie is named _dc_gtm_ .
Expiry date: after 1 minute

Name: AMP_TOKEN
Value: not specified
Purpose of use: The cookie contains a token that can be used to retrieve a user ID from the AMP Client ID service. Other possible values indicate a logout, a request, or an error.
Expiry date: after 30 seconds up to one year

Name: __utma
Value: 1564498958.1564498958.1564498958.1
Purpose of use: This cookie allows us to track your behavior on the website and measure performance. This cookie is updated each time information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: __utmt
Value: 1
Purpose of use: The cookie is like _gat_gtag_UA_ used to throttle the request rate.
Expiry date: after 10 minutes

Name: __utmb
Value: 3.10.1564498958
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to determine new sessions. It is updated each time new data or information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiry date: after 30 minutes

Name: __utmc
Value: 167421564
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to establish new sessions for returning visitors. This is a session cookie and is only stored until you close your browser.
Expiry date: After closing the browser

Name: __utmz
Value: m|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to identify the source of traffic to our website. This means that the cookie stores where you came to our website from. This could be another page or an advertisement.
Expiry date: after 6 months

Name: __utmv
Value: not specified
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to store custom user data. It is updated whenever information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Note: This list cannot claim to be complete, as Google continually changes the choice of its cookies.

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

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

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

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

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

IP address: The IP address is only displayed in abbreviated form so that no clear assignment is possible.

Location: The IP address can be used to determine your country and approximate location. This process is also known as IP geolocation.

Technical information: Technical information includes, among other things, your browser type, your internet provider or your screen resolution.

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

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

How long and where is the data stored?

Google has its servers distributed around the world. Most of its servers are located in the United States, and consequently, your data is mostly stored on American servers. Here you can find out exactly where Google's data centers are located: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de

Your data is distributed across multiple physical storage devices. This has the advantage of making it faster to access and better protected from tampering. Every Google data center has emergency backup programs for your data. If, for example, Google's hardware fails or natural disasters cripple servers, the risk of service interruption at Google remains low.

The retention period for the data depends on the properties used. When using the newer Google Analytics 4 properties, the retention period for your user data is set to 14 months. For other so-called event data, we have the option of choosing a retention period of 2 months or 14 months.

For Universal Analytics properties, Google Analytics defaults to a retention period of 26 months for your user data. After that, your user data is deleted. However, we have the option of choosing the retention period for user data ourselves. We have five options available for this:

• Deletion after 14 months
• Deletion after 26 months
• Deletion after 38 months
• Deletion after 50 months
• No automatic deletion

Additionally, you can choose to have data deleted only if you no longer visit our website within the period we select. In this case, the retention period will be reset each time you visit our website again within the specified period.

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

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

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

Legal basis

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

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

Google processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

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

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

Data processing agreement (DPA) Google Analytics

We have entered into a data processing agreement (DPA) with Google pursuant to Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can read more about what a DPA is and, above all, what must be included in a DPA in our general section "DPA".

This agreement is required by law because Google processes personal data on our behalf. It clarifies that Google may only process data it receives from us according to our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. The link to the order data processing conditions can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/

Google Analytics Demographics and Interests Reports

We have enabled advertising reporting features in Google Analytics. Demographics and interests reports contain information about age, gender, and interests. This allows us to gain a better understanding of our users—without being able to assign this data to specific individuals. Learn more about advertising features at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3450482?hl=de_AT&utm_id=ad.

You can control the use of your Google Account activities and information under “Advertising Settings” on https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated End via checkbox.

Google Analytics in consent mode

Depending on your consent, your personal data will be processed by Google Analytics in so-called consent mode. You can choose whether or not to accept Google Analytics cookies. This also means you choose which of your data Google Analytics may process. This collected data is primarily used to measure user behavior on the website, display targeted advertising, and provide us with web analysis reports. You usually consent to data processing by Google using a cookie consent tool. If you do not consent to data processing, only aggregated data will be collected and processed. This means that data cannot be assigned to individual users, and therefore no user profile is created. You can also only consent to statistical measurement. In this case, no personal data will be processed and therefore not used for advertisements or advertising measurement purposes.

Google Analytics IP anonymization

We have implemented Google Analytics IP address anonymization on this website. This feature was developed by Google to enable this website to comply with applicable data protection regulations and recommendations from local data protection authorities when these prohibit the storage of the full IP address. IP anonymization or masking occurs as soon as the IP addresses arrive in the Google Analytics data collection network and before the data is stored or processed.

More information about IP anonymization can be found at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2763052?hl=de.

Google Site Kit Privacy Policy

What is Google Site Kit?

We have integrated the Google Site Kit WordPress plugin from the American company Google Inc. into our website. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services in Europe. With Google Site Kit, we can quickly and easily view statistics from various Google products, such as Google Analytics, directly in our WordPress dashboard. The tool, or rather the tools integrated into Google Site Kit, collect, among other things, personal data from you. In this privacy policy, we explain why we use Google Site Kit, how long and where data is stored, and which other privacy policies are relevant to you in this context.

Google Site Kit is a plugin for the WordPress content management system. This plugin allows us to view important website analytics statistics directly in our dashboard. These are statistics collected by other Google products, primarily Google Analytics. In addition to Google Analytics, the services Google Search Console, Page Speed Insight, Google AdSense, Google Optimize, and Google Tag Manager can also be linked to Google Site Kit.

Why do we use Google Site Kit on our website?

As a service provider, it is our job to offer you the best possible experience on our website. You should feel comfortable on our website and be able to quickly and easily find exactly what you are looking for. Statistical analyses help us get to know you better and tailor our offerings to your wishes and interests. We use various Google tools for these analyses. Site Kit makes our work much easier in this regard because we can view and analyze the statistics of Google products directly in the dashboard. This means we no longer have to register separately for the respective tool. Site Kit thus always provides a good overview of the most important analysis data.

What data does Google Site Kit store?

If you have actively consented to tracking tools in the cookie notice (also called script or banner), Google products such as Google Analytics will set cookies and send your data, such as your user behavior, to Google, where it will be stored and processed. This includes storing personal data such as your IP address.

For more detailed information on the individual services, we have separate sections in this privacy policy. For example, see our privacy policy for Google Analytics. Here we go into great detail about the data collected. You will learn how long Google Analytics stores, manages, and processes data, which cookies may be used, and how you can prevent data storage. We also have separate privacy policies with comprehensive information for other Google services, such as Google Tag Manager and Google AdSense.

Below we show you examples of Google Analytics cookies that can be set in your browser, provided you have generally consented to data processing by Google. Please note that these cookies are only a selection:

Name: _ga
Value:2.1326744211.152112338313-2
Purpose of use: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the user ID. It is primarily used to distinguish website visitors.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Value:2.1687193234.152112338313-7
Purpose of use: This cookie is also used to distinguish website visitors.
Expiry date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_
Value: 1
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to reduce the request rate.
Expiry date: after 1 minute

How long and where is the data stored?

Google stores collected data on its own Google servers, which are located around the world. Most servers are located in the United States, so it's quite possible that your data will also be stored there. https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de see exactly where the company provides servers.

Data collected through Google Analytics is retained for a standard 26 months. After that, your user data is deleted. This retention period applies to all data linked to cookies, user identification, and advertising IDs.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You always have the right to receive information about your data, to have it deleted, corrected, or restricted. You can also deactivate, delete, or manage cookies in your browser at any time.

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

Legal basis

The use of Google Site Kit requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. This consent is Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent) the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

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

Google processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

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

To learn more about data processing by Google, we recommend that you read Google’s comprehensive privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Social Media Introduction

What is social media?

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

Why do we use social media?

For years, social media platforms have been the place where people communicate and connect online. Our social media presence allows us to bring our products and services closer to prospective customers. The social media elements integrated into our website help you quickly and seamlessly access our social media content.

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

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

Please note that when using social media platforms or our integrated elements, your data may also be processed outside the European Union, as many social media channels, such as Facebook or Twitter, are American companies. This may make it more difficult for you to exercise or enforce your rights regarding your personal data.

What data is processed?

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

All data collected via a social media platform is also stored on the providers' servers. Therefore, only the providers have access to the data and can provide you with the appropriate information or make changes.

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

Duration of data processing

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

Right of objection

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

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

Legal basis

If you have consented to your data being processed and stored through integrated social media elements, this consent shall be deemed the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, if you have given your consent, your data will also be processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) to ensure fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also place cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy statement or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

Information on specific social media platforms can be found – where available – in the following sections.

Facebook Privacy Policy

What are Facebook tools?

We use selected tools from Facebook on our website. Facebook is a social media network operated by Meta Platforms Inc., or for the European region, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. These tools enable us to offer you and people interested in our products and services the best possible service.

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

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

Among many other products, Facebook also offers the so-called "Facebook Business Tools." This is Facebook's official name. However, since the term is hardly known, we've decided to simply call them Facebook Tools. These include:

• Facebook Pixel
• social plug-ins (such as the “Like” or “Share” button)
• Facebook Login
• Account Kit
• APIs (application programming interfaces)
• SDKs (collection of programming tools)
• Platform integrations
• Plugins
• Codes
• Specifications
• Documentation
• Technologies and services

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

Why do we use Facebook tools on our website?

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

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

What data are stored by Facebook tools?

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

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

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

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

How long and where is the data stored?

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

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

Complete deletion of your data will only occur if you completely delete your Facebook account. Here's how to delete your Facebook account:

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

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

3) Now click “Deactivation and deletion”.

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

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

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

If you prefer not to accept cookies, you can set your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be placed. This allows you to decide whether to accept or reject each individual cookie.

Legal basis

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

Facebook processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

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

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

Facebook Login Privacy Policy

We have integrated the practical Facebook login into our website. This allows you to easily log in with your Facebook account without having to create another user account. If you choose to register using Facebook login, you will be redirected to the social media network Facebook. There, you will log in using your Facebook user data. Through this login process, data about you and your user behavior will be stored and transmitted to Facebook.

Facebook uses various cookies to store data. Below, we list the most important cookies that are set or already exist in your browser when you log in to our site using Facebook:

Name: fr
Value: 0jieyh4c2GnlufEJ9..Bde09j…1.0.Bde09j
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to ensure that the social plugin on our website works as well as possible.
Expiry date: after 3 months

Name: datr
Value: 4Jh7XUA2112338313SEmPsSfzCOO4JFFl
Purpose of use: Facebook sets the “datr” cookie when a web browser accesses facebook.com, and the cookie helps identify login activity and protect users.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: _js_datr
Value: deleted
Purpose of use: Facebook sets this session cookie for tracking purposes, even if you do not have a Facebook account or are logged out.
Expiry date: after the end of the meeting

Note: The cookies listed are just a small selection of the cookies available to Facebook. Other cookies include, for example, fbp, sb, and wd. A complete list is not possible, as Facebook has a large number of cookies and uses them variably.

The Facebook Login offers you a quick and easy registration process, and it also allows us to share data with Facebook. This allows us to better tailor our offerings and promotions to your interests and needs. Data we receive from Facebook in this way is public data, such as

• Your Facebook name
• Your profile picture
• a stored email address
• Friends lists
• Button information (e.g. “Like” button)
• Birthday date
• Language
• Place of residence

In return, we provide Facebook with information about your activities on our website. This includes information about the device you use, which subpages you visit, and which products you have purchased from us.

By using Facebook Login, you consent to data processing. You can revoke this agreement at any time. If you would like to learn more about data processing by Facebook, we recommend that you read the Facebook privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/policy.php?tid=112338313.

If you are logged in to Facebook, you can change your ad settings at https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/advertisers/?entry_product=ad_settings_screen change yourself.

Facebook Social Plug-ins Privacy Policy

Our website contains so-called social plug-ins from Meta Platforms Inc. You can recognize these buttons by the classic Facebook logo, such as the "Like" button (a hand with a raised thumb) or by a clear "Facebook plug-in" label. A social plug-in is a small part of Facebook that is integrated into our site. Each plug-in has its own function. The most frequently used functions are the familiar "Like" and "Share" buttons.

The following social plug-ins are offered by Facebook:

• “Save” button
• Like, Share, Send and Quote
• Page plug-in
• Comments
• Messenger plug-in
• Embedded posts and video players
• Group plug-in

On https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins You will receive more detailed information about how the individual plug-ins are used. We use social plug-ins both to offer you a better user experience on our site and because they allow Facebook to optimize our advertising.

If you have a Facebook account or https://www.facebook.com/ If you have already visited our site, Facebook has already placed at least one cookie in your browser. In this case, your browser sends information to Facebook via this cookie as soon as you visit our site or interact with social plug-ins (e.g., the "Like" button).

The information collected will be deleted or anonymized within 90 days. According to Facebook, this data includes your IP address, the website you visited, the date and time, and other information related to your browser.

To prevent Facebook from collecting a lot of data during your visit to our website and linking it to Facebook data, you must log out of Facebook while visiting the website.

If you are not logged in to Facebook or do not have a Facebook account, your browser will send less information to Facebook because you have fewer Facebook cookies. However, data such as your IP address or which website you visit may be transferred to Facebook. We would like to expressly point out that we do not know the exact content of the data. However, we will try to inform you about data processing as best as possible based on our current knowledge. You can also find out how Facebook uses the data in the company's data policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/update read more.

The following cookies are set in your browser at least when you visit a website with social plug-ins from Facebook:

Name: dpr
Value: not specified
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to enable social plug-ins on our website.
Expiry date: after the end of the meeting

Name: fr
Value: 0jieyh4112338313c2GnlufEJ9..Bde09j…1.0.Bde09j
Purpose of use: The cookie is also necessary for the plug-ins to function properly.
Expiry date:: after 3 months

Note: These cookies were set after a test, even if you are not a Facebook member.

If you are logged in to Facebook, you can change your ad settings at https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/advertisers/ yourself. If you are not a Facebook user, you can https://www.youronlinechoices.com/de/praferenzmanagement/?tid=112338313 You can generally manage your usage-based online advertising. There you have the option to deactivate or activate providers.

If you want to learn more about Facebook’s privacy practices, we recommend you read the company’s own data policies on https://www.facebook.com/policy.php?tip=112338313.

Facebook Fanpage Privacy Policy

We also have a Facebook fan page for our website. The service provider is the American company Meta Platforms Inc. Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland) is responsible for the European region.

Facebook processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

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

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

Online Marketing Introduction

What is online marketing?

Online marketing refers to all measures conducted online to achieve marketing goals such as increasing brand awareness or closing a business deal. Furthermore, our online marketing measures aim to draw people's attention to our website. In order to present our offerings to as many interested people as possible, we engage in online marketing. This usually involves online advertising, content marketing, or search engine optimization. To ensure that we can use online marketing efficiently and effectively, personal data is also stored and processed. This data helps us, on the one hand, to show our content only to those who are actually interested in it, and on the other hand, it allows us to measure the advertising success of our online marketing measures.

Why do we use online marketing tools?

We want to show our website to everyone who is interested in what we offer. We realize that this isn't possible without consciously implemented measures. That's why we use online marketing. There are various tools that make our online marketing efforts easier and also provide us with continuous suggestions for improvement based on data. This allows us to target our campaigns more precisely to our target audience. The ultimate purpose of these online marketing tools is to optimize our offering.

What data is processed?

To ensure that our online marketing works and the success of our measures can be measured, user profiles are created and data is stored, for example, in cookies (small text files). With the help of this data, we can not only place advertisements in the traditional sense, but also present our content directly on our website in a way that you prefer. There are various third-party tools that offer these functions and therefore also collect and store data from you. The named cookies store, for example, which web pages you have visited on our website, how long you viewed these pages, which links or buttons you clicked or which website you came to us from. In addition, technical information can also be stored. For example, your IP address, which browser you use, which device you use to visit our website or the time when you accessed our website and when you left it again. If you have consented to us determining your location, we can also store and process this information.

Your IP address is stored in pseudonymized form (i.e., shortened). Unique data that directly identifies you as a person, such as your name, address, or email address, is also stored only in pseudonymized form for advertising and online marketing purposes. This means we cannot identify you as a person; we only store the pseudonymized information in the user profiles.

The cookies may also be deployed, analyzed, and used for advertising purposes on other websites that use the same advertising tools. The data may then also be stored on the servers of the advertising tool providers.

In exceptional cases, unique data (name, email address, etc.) may also be stored in user profiles. This storage occurs, for example, if you are a member of a social media channel that we use for our online marketing activities and the network links previously received data to the user profile.

With all the advertising tools we use that store your data on their servers, we only receive aggregated information and never data that identifies you as an individual. The data merely shows how well our advertising measures worked. For example, we can see which actions prompted you or other users to visit our website and purchase a service or product there. Based on these analyses, we can improve our advertising offerings in the future and tailor them even more precisely to the needs and wishes of interested parties.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing, if we have further information. Generally, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. Data stored in cookies is stored for different lengths of time. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, while others can remain stored in your browser for several years. The respective privacy policies of the individual providers usually provide detailed information about the individual cookies used by the provider.

Right of objection

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

Since online marketing tools typically use cookies, we also recommend reading our general privacy policy on cookies. To learn exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. This consent constitutes Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent) the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected through online marketing tools.

We also have a legitimate interest in measuring online marketing measures in an anonymized form in order to optimize our offering and our measures using the data obtained. The corresponding legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (Legitimate Interests)However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent.

Information on specific online marketing tools – where available – can be found in the following sections.

Facebook Custom Audiences Privacy Policy

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

Facebook processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

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

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

LinkedIn Insight Tag Privacy Policy

We use the LinkedIn Insight Tag conversion tracking tool on our website. The service provider is the American company LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited (Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland) is responsible for data protection-related aspects within the European Economic Area (EEA), the EU, and Switzerland.

LinkedIn processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

For more information about LinkedIn’s standard contractual clauses, please visit https://de.linkedin.com/legal/l/dpa or https://www.linkedin.com/legal/l/eu-sccs

Learn more about LinkedIn Insight Tag at https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a427660. You can also learn more about the data processed through the use of LinkedIn Insight Tag in the privacy policy on https://de.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

Cookie Consent Management Platform Introduction

What is a Cookie Consent Management Platform?

We use Consent Management Platform (CMP) software on our website to make it easier for us and you to handle scripts and cookies correctly and securely. The software automatically creates a cookie popup, scans and controls all scripts and cookies, provides you with the cookie consent required by data protection law, and helps us and you keep track of all cookies. Most Cookie Consent Management tools identify and categorize all existing cookies. You, as the website visitor, then decide for yourself whether and which scripts and cookies you allow or deny. The following graphic illustrates the relationship between browser, web server, and CMP.

Why do we use a cookie management tool?

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

What data is processed?

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

Duration of data processing

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

Right of objection

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

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

Legal basis

If you agree to cookies, your personal data will be processed and stored via these cookies. If we consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR) may use cookies, this consent is also the legal basis for the use of cookies and the processing of your data. In order to manage the consent to cookies and to enable you to give your consent, a cookie consent management platform software is used. The use of this software enables us to operate the website efficiently and in compliance with the law, which legitimate interest (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

BorlabsCookie Privacy Policy

We use BorlabsCookie on our website, which, among other things, is a tool for storing your cookie consent. The service provider is the German company Borlabs – Benjamin A. Bornschein, Rübenkamp 32, 22305 Hamburg, Germany. You can learn more about the data processed through the use of BorlabsCookie in the Privacy Policy on https://de.borlabs.io/datenschutz/.

Security & Anti-Spam

What is security and anti-spam software?

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

Why do we use security and anti-spam software?

We place particular emphasis on security on our website. After all, it's not just about our security, but above all about yours. Unfortunately, cyber threats have become part of everyday life in the world of IT and the internet. Hackers often attempt to steal personal data from an IT system using cyberattacks. Therefore, a good defense system is absolutely essential. A security system monitors all incoming and outgoing connections to our network or computer. To achieve even greater security against cyberattacks, we use additional external security services in addition to the standardized security systems on our computers. This helps prevent unauthorized data traffic and protects us against cybercrime.

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

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

Duration of data processing

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

Right of objection

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

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

Legal basis

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

Certain processing operations, in particular the use of cookies and the use of security features, require your consent. If you have consented to the processing and storage of your data by integrated security services, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). Most of the services we use place cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Information on specific tools – where available – can be found in the following sections.

Audio & Video Introduction

What are audio and video elements?

We have integrated audio and video elements into our website so that you can watch videos or listen to music/podcasts directly through our website. The content is provided by service providers. All content is therefore also retrieved from the providers' respective servers.

These are integrated functional elements from platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, or Spotify. Using these portals is generally free, but paid content may also be published. Using these integrated elements, you can listen to or view the respective content on our website.

If you use audio or video elements on our website, your personal data may also be transmitted, processed and stored by the service providers.

Why do we use audio and video elements on our website?

Naturally, we want to provide you with the best possible service on our website. And we're aware that content is no longer conveyed solely through text and static images. Instead of simply providing you with a link to a video, we offer audio and video formats directly on our website that are entertaining or informative, and ideally even both. This expands our service and makes it easier for you to access interesting content. Therefore, in addition to our text and images, we also offer video and/or audio content.

What data is stored by audio and video elements?

When you visit a page on our website that, for example, has an embedded video, your server connects to the service provider's server. In the process, your data is also transferred to the third-party provider and stored there. Some data is collected and stored regardless of whether you have an account with the third-party provider or not. This usually includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, and other general information about your device. Furthermore, most providers also collect information about your web activity. This includes session duration, bounce rate, which button you clicked on, and which website you used to access the service. All of this information is usually stored via cookies or pixel tags (also called web beacons). Pseudonymized data is usually stored in cookies in your browser. You can always find out exactly which data is stored and processed in the privacy policy of the respective provider.

Duration of data processing

You can find out exactly how long the data is stored on the third-party providers' servers either further down in the data protection text of the respective tool or in the provider's privacy policy. As a general rule, personal data is only processed for as long as is absolutely necessary to provide our services or products. This generally also applies to third-party providers. You can usually assume that certain data will be stored on third-party servers for several years. Data can be stored for different lengths of time, especially in cookies. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, while others can remain in your browser for several years.

Right of objection

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

Since the integrated audio and video features on our site usually also use cookies, you should also read our general privacy policy regarding cookies. The privacy policies of the respective third-party providers provide detailed information about how your data is handled and stored.

Legal basis

If you have consented to your data being processed and stored through integrated audio and video elements, this consent shall be deemed the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, your data will also be processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) for fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the embedded audio and video elements if you have given your consent.

YouTube Privacy Policy

What is YouTube?

We have integrated YouTube videos into our website. This allows us to present interesting videos directly to you on our site. YouTube is a video portal that has been a subsidiary of Google since 2006. The video portal is operated by YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. When you visit a page on our website that has an embedded YouTube video, your browser automatically connects to the YouTube or Google servers. Depending on your settings, various data is transferred. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all data processing within Europe.

In the following, we would like to explain in more detail which data is processed, why we have embedded YouTube videos and how you can manage or delete your data.

On YouTube, users can watch, rate, comment on, and upload videos for free. Over the past few years, YouTube has become one of the most important social media channels worldwide. To enable us to display videos on our website, YouTube provides a code snippet that we have integrated into our site.

Why do we use YouTube videos on our website?

YouTube is the most visited video platform with the best content. We strive to offer you the best possible user experience on our website. And, of course, interesting videos are a must. With the help of our embedded videos, we provide you with additional helpful content alongside our text and images. Furthermore, the embedded videos make our website easier to find on the Google search engine. Even though we place advertisements via Google Ads, thanks to the data collected, Google can only show these ads to people who are interested in our offerings.

What data does YouTube store?

As soon as you visit one of our pages that contains a YouTube video, YouTube sets at least one cookie that stores your IP address and our URL. If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can usually associate your interactions on our website with your profile using cookies. This includes data such as session duration, bounce rate, approximate location, and technical information such as browser type, screen resolution, or your internet service provider. Other data may include contact details, any ratings, sharing content via social media, or adding it to your favorites on YouTube.

If you aren't signed in to a Google Account or YouTube Account, Google stores data with a unique identifier associated with your device, browser, or app. For example, your preferred language setting is retained. However, much interaction data cannot be saved because fewer cookies are set.

The following list shows cookies that were set in the browser during a test. On the one hand, we show cookies that are set without a logged-in YouTube account. On the other hand, we show cookies that are set with a logged-in account. This list cannot claim to be complete, because user data always depends on interactions on YouTube.

Name: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5Y112338313-1
Purpose of use: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the video watched.
Expiry date: after the end of the meeting

Name: PREF
Value: f1=50000000
Purpose of use: This cookie also records your unique ID. PREF provides Google with statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our website.
Expiry date: after 8 months

Name: GPS
Value: 1
Purpose of use: This cookie registers your unique ID on mobile devices to track GPS location.
Expiry date: after 30 minutes

Name: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
Value: 95Chz8bagyU
Purpose of use: This cookie attempts to estimate the user's bandwidth on our websites (with embedded YouTube video).
Expiry date: after 8 months

Other cookies that are set when you are logged in to your YouTube account:

Name: APISID
Value: zILLlvClZSkqGsSwI/AU1aZI6HY7112338313-
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to create a profile of your interests. The data is used for personalized advertising.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: CONSENT
Value: YES+AT.de+20150628-20-0
Purpose of use: This cookie stores the user's consent status for using various Google services. CONSENT also serves security purposes to verify users and protect user data from unauthorized attacks.
Expiry date: after 19 years

Name: HSID
Value: AcRwpgUik9Dveht0I
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to create a profile of your interests. This data helps to display personalized advertising.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: LOGIN_INFO
Value: AFmmF2swRQIhALl6aL…
Purpose of use: This cookie stores information about your login data.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: SAPISID
Value: 7oaPxoG-pZsJuuF5/AnUdDUIsJ9iJz2vdM
Purpose of use: This cookie works by uniquely identifying your browser and device. It is used to build a profile of your interests.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: SID
Value: oQfNKjAsI112338313-
Purpose of use: This cookie stores your Google Account ID and your last login time in a digitally signed and encrypted form.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: SIDCC
Value: AN0-TYuqub2JOcDTyL
Purpose of use: This cookie stores information about how you use the website and what advertisements you may have seen before visiting our site.
Expiry date: after 3 months

How long and where is the data stored?

The data that YouTube receives and processes from you is stored on Google servers. Most of these servers are located in the United States. https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de See exactly where Google's data centers are located. Your data is distributed across the servers. This makes it faster to access and better protected against manipulation.

Google stores the collected data for different lengths of time. Some data can be deleted at any time, some is automatically deleted after a limited period, and still others are stored by Google for a longer period. Some data (such as items from "My Activity," photos or documents, and products) stored in your Google Account remains stored until you delete it. Even if you aren't signed in to a Google Account, you can delete some data associated with your device, browser, or app.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

In principle, you can manually delete data from your Google Account. With the automatic deletion of location and activity data, introduced in 2019, information is stored for either three or 18 months, depending on your choice, and then deleted.

Regardless of whether you have a Google Account or not, you can configure your browser to delete or disable Google cookies. This works differently depending on the browser you use. You'll find links to the relevant instructions for the most popular browsers under the "Cookies" section.

If you prefer not to accept cookies, you can set your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be placed. This allows you to decide whether to accept or reject each individual cookie.

Legal basis

If you have consented to your data being processed and stored through embedded YouTube elements, this consent shall be deemed the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, your data will also be processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) to ensure fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the embedded YouTube elements if you have given your consent. YouTube also sets cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

YouTube also processes data in the USA, among other places. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

YouTube uses standard contractual clauses approved by the EU Commission (Article 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR) as the basis for data processing with recipients located in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and in particular the USA) or for data transfers there. These clauses oblige YouTube to comply with EU data protection standards when processing relevant data, even outside the EU. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the clauses here, among other places: https://germany.representation.ec.europa.eu/index_de.

Since YouTube is a subsidiary of Google, there is a joint privacy policy. If you would like to learn more about how your data is handled, we recommend you read the privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

YouTube Subscribe Button Privacy Policy

We have integrated the YouTube Subscribe button on our website. You can usually recognize the button by the classic YouTube logo. The logo features the words "Subscribe" or "YouTube" in white lettering against a red background, with the white "Play" symbol to the left. However, the button can also be displayed in a different design.

Our YouTube channel regularly offers you funny, interesting, or exciting videos. Using the built-in "Subscribe" button, you can subscribe to our channel directly from our website without having to visit the YouTube website. We want to make access to our comprehensive content as easy as possible for you. Please note that this allows YouTube to store and process your data.

If you see a built-in subscription button on our site, YouTube – according to Google – sets at least one cookie. This cookie stores your IP address and our URL. YouTube can also learn information about your browser, your approximate location, and your default language. In our test, the following four cookies were set without being logged in to YouTube:

Name: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5112338313Y
Purpose of use: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the video watched.
Expiry date: after the end of the meeting

Name: PREF
Value: f1=50000000
Purpose of use: This cookie also records your unique ID. PREF provides Google with statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our website.
Expiry date: after 8 months

Name: GPS
Value: 1
Purpose of use: This cookie registers your unique ID on mobile devices to track GPS location.
Expiry date: after 30 minutes

Name: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
Value: 11233831395Chz8bagyU
Purpose of use: This cookie attempts to estimate the user's bandwidth on our websites (with embedded YouTube video).
Expiry date: after 8 months

Note: These cookies were set after a test and cannot claim to be complete.

If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can save many of your actions/interactions on our website using cookies and associate them with your YouTube account. This allows YouTube to receive information such as how long you browse our site, what browser type you use, your preferred screen resolution, and what actions you perform.

YouTube uses this data to improve its own services and offers, and to provide analyses and statistics for advertisers (who use Google Ads).

Web design introduction

What is web design?

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

Why do we use web design tools?

How you absorb information on a website depends heavily on its structure, functionality, and visual perception. Therefore, good, professional web design has become increasingly important to us. We are constantly working on improving our website and see this as an extended service for you, the website visitor. Furthermore, a beautiful and functional website also has financial advantages for us. After all, you will only visit us and take advantage of our services if you feel completely comfortable.

What data are stored by web design tools?

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

Duration of data processing

How long data is processed varies greatly from person to person and depends on the web design elements used. If cookies are used, for example, the retention period can be as little as one minute or as long as several years. Please inform yourself about this. We recommend that you read our general section on cookies and the privacy policies of the tools used. There you will usually find out which cookies are used and what information is stored in them. Google Font files, for example, are stored for one year. This is intended to improve the loading time of a website. In principle, data is only stored for as long as it is necessary to provide the service. If legally required, data can be stored for longer.

Right of objection

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

Legal basis

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

Information on specific web design tools – where available – can be found in the following sections.

Adobe Fonts Privacy Policy

We use Adobe Fonts, a web font hosting service, on our website. The service provider is the American company Adobe Inc. The Irish company Adobe Systems Software Ireland Companies, 4-6 Riverwalk, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Ireland, is responsible for the European region. 

Adobe processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

For more information about the data processed and the standard contractual clauses at Adobe, please visit https://www.adobe.com/de/privacy/eudatatransfers.html.

Google Fonts Privacy Policy

What are Google Fonts?

We use Google Fonts on our website. These are the "Google Fonts" of Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.

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

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

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

Why do we use Google Fonts on our website?

With Google Fonts, we can use fonts on our own website without having to upload them to our own server. Google Fonts is an important component in maintaining the high quality of our website. All Google Fonts are automatically optimized for the web, which saves data volume and is a major advantage, especially for use on mobile devices. When you visit our site, the small file size ensures fast loading times. Furthermore, Google Fonts are secure web fonts. Different image synthesis systems (rendering) in different browsers, operating systems, and mobile devices can lead to errors. Such errors can visually distort text or entire web pages. Thanks to the fast Content Delivery Network (CDN), there are no cross-platform problems with Google Fonts. Google Fonts supports all common browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera) and works reliably on most modern mobile operating systems, including Android 2.2+ and iOS 4.2+ (iPhone, iPad, iPod). We use Google Fonts so that we can present our entire online service as beautifully and consistently as possible.

What data does Google store?

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

Google Fonts securely stores CSS and font requests with Google, thus protecting them. The collected usage data allows Google to determine how well individual fonts are received. Google publishes the results on internal analysis sites, such as Google Analytics. Google also uses data from its own web crawler to determine which websites use Google Fonts. This data is published in the Google Fonts BigQuery database. Businesses and developers use Google's BigQuery web service to examine and manipulate large amounts of data.

However, it's important to note that every Google Font request automatically transmits information such as language settings, IP address, browser version, browser screen resolution, and browser name to Google's servers. Whether this data is actually stored is unclear, and Google doesn't clearly communicate this.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google stores requests for CSS assets for one day on its servers, which are primarily located outside the EU. This allows us to use the fonts with the help of a Google stylesheet. A stylesheet is a formatting template that allows you to quickly and easily change the design or font of a website, for example.

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

The data that Google stores for one day or one year cannot simply be deleted. The data is automatically transmitted to Google when a page is accessed. To delete this data prematurely, you must contact Google Support at https://support.google.com/?hl=de&tid=112338313 In this case, you can only prevent data storage if you do not visit our site.

Unlike other web fonts, Google gives us unrestricted access to all fonts. This means we have unlimited access to a sea of fonts and can thus get the most out of our website. You can find more information about Google Fonts and other questions at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq?tid=112338313While Google addresses privacy-related issues there, it doesn't provide truly detailed information about data storage. It's relatively difficult to get truly precise information about stored data from Google.

Legal basis

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

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

Google processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which also correspond to the standard contractual clauses for Google Fonts, can be found at https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/.

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

Google Fonts Local Privacy Policy

We use Google Fonts from Google Inc. on our website. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for the European region. We have embedded the Google fonts locally, i.e., on our web server – not on Google's servers. This means there is no connection to Google servers and therefore no data is transferred or stored.

What are Google Fonts?

Formerly known as Google Web Fonts, Google Fonts is an interactive directory of over 800 fonts that Google provided free of charge. With Google Fonts, you could use fonts without uploading them to your own server. However, to prevent any information from being transferred to Google servers, we have downloaded the fonts to our server. This way, we comply with data protection regulations and do not send any data to Google Fonts.

Online map services Introduction

What are online map services?

We also use online map services as an extended service for our website. Google Maps is probably the service you are most familiar with, but there are also other providers who specialize in creating digital maps. Such services make it possible to display locations, route plans or other geographical information directly on our website. With an integrated map service, you no longer have to leave our website to view the route to a location, for example. To ensure that the online map on our website functions, map sections are integrated using HTML code. The services can then display street maps, the earth's surface or aerial or satellite images. If you use the integrated map service, data is also transferred to the tool used and stored there. This data may also include personal data.

Why do we use online mapping services on our website?

Generally speaking, it is our aim to offer you a pleasant time on our website. And your time is only pleasant if you can navigate our website easily and find all the information you need quickly and easily. Therefore, we thought an online map system could significantly optimize our service on the website. Without leaving our website, you can easily view route descriptions, locations, and even points of interest using the map system. It is also extremely practical, of course, that you can see at a glance where our company is located, so you can find us quickly and easily. As you can see, there are simply many advantages, and we clearly view online map services on our website as part of our customer service.

What data is stored by online map services?

If you open a page on our website that has an integrated online map function, personal data may be transmitted to the respective service and stored there. This is usually your IP address, which can also be used to determine your approximate location. In addition to the IP address, data such as search terms entered and longitude and latitude coordinates are also saved. If, for example, you enter an address to plan a route, this data is also saved. The data is not stored by us, but on the servers of the integrated tools. You can imagine it like this: You may be on our website, but when you interact with a map service, this interaction actually takes place on their website. To ensure that the service functions properly, at least one cookie is usually placed in your browser. Google Maps, for example, also uses cookies to record user behavior and thus optimize its own service and display personalized advertising. You can find out more about cookies in our "Cookies" section.

How long and where is the data stored?

Each online map service processes different user data. If we have further information, we will inform you about the duration of data processing further down in the relevant sections for the individual tools. As a general rule, personal data is only stored for as long as necessary to provide the service. Google Maps, for example, stores certain data for a set period of time, while you must delete other data yourself. Mapbox, for example, stores the IP address for 30 days and then deletes it. As you can see, each tool stores data for different lengths of time. We therefore recommend that you carefully review the privacy policies of the tools you use.

The providers also use cookies to store data about your user behavior with the map service. You can find more general information about cookies in our "Cookies" section, but you can also find out which cookies may be used in the privacy statements of the individual providers. However, this is usually only an example list and is not exhaustive.

Right of objection

You always have the option and the right to access your personal data and to object to its use and processing. You can also revoke your consent at any time. The easiest way to do this is usually via the Cookie Consent Tool. However, there are also other opt-out tools you can use. You can also manage, delete, or deactivate any cookies set by the providers you use with just a few clicks of the mouse. However, this may mean that some functions of the service no longer work as usual. How you manage cookies in your browser also depends on the browser you use. In the "Cookies" section you will also find links to instructions for the most important browsers.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of an online map service, this consent forms the legal basis for the corresponding data processing. According to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by an online map service.

We also have a legitimate interest in using an online map service to optimize our service on our website. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use an online map service if you have given your consent. We would like to reiterate this point.

Information on special online map services – where available – can be found in the following sections.

Google Maps Privacy Policy

What is Google Maps?

We use Google Maps from Google Inc. on our website. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services in Europe. Google Maps allows us to better show you locations and thus tailor our service to your needs. When you use Google Maps, data is transferred to Google and stored on Google's servers. Here, we'll explain in more detail what Google Maps is, why we use this Google service, what data is stored, and how you can prevent this.

Google Maps is an online mapping service provided by Google. With Google Maps, you can search for the exact locations of cities, attractions, accommodations, or businesses online using a PC, tablet, or app. If a company is listed on Google My Business, additional information about the company is displayed in addition to the location. To show directions, map sections of a location can be embedded into a website using HTML code. Google Maps displays the Earth's surface as a street map or as an aerial or satellite image. Thanks to Street View images and high-quality satellite images, very accurate representations are possible.

Why do we use Google Maps on our website?

All our efforts on this site are aimed at providing you with a useful and meaningful experience. By integrating Google Maps, we can provide you with the most important information about various locations. You can see our headquarters at a glance. The directions always show you the best and fastest way to reach us. You can access directions for routes by car, public transport, on foot, or by bike. We consider providing Google Maps part of our customer service.

What data does Google Maps store?

In order for Google Maps to fully offer its service, the company must collect and store data from you. This includes, among other things, the search terms entered, your IP address and also the latitude and longitude coordinates. If you use the route planner function, the entered starting address will also be saved. However, this data storage occurs on the Google Maps website. We can only inform you about this, but have no influence. Because we have integrated Google Maps into our website, Google sets at least one cookie (name: NID) in your browser. This cookie stores data about your user behavior. Google primarily uses this data to optimize its own services and to provide you with individual, personalized advertising.

The following cookie is set in your browser due to the integration of Google Maps:

Name: NID
Value: 188=h26c1Ktha7fCQTx8rXgLyATyITJ112338313-5
Purpose of use: NID is used by Google to tailor ads to your Google search. With the help of the cookie, Google "remembers" your most frequently entered search queries or your previous interactions with ads. This way, you always receive tailored ads. The cookie contains a unique ID that Google uses to collect your personal preferences for advertising purposes.
Expiry date: after 6 months

Note: We cannot guarantee the completeness of the stored data. Changes can never be ruled out, especially when using cookies. To identify the cookie NID, a separate test page was created that exclusively integrated Google Maps.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google servers are located in data centers around the world. However, most of the servers are located in the United States. For this reason, your data is increasingly stored in the US. You can find out exactly where Google's data centers are located here: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de

Google distributes the data across various storage devices. This makes it faster to access and better protected against any attempts at tampering. Each data center also has special emergency programs. If, for example, there are problems with Google's hardware or a natural disaster shuts down the servers, the data will almost certainly remain protected.

Google stores some data for a specified period of time. For other data, Google only offers the option to delete it manually. Furthermore, the company also anonymizes information (such as advertising data) in server logs by deleting part of the IP address and cookie information after 9 or 18 months, respectively.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

With the automatic deletion of location and activity data introduced in 2019, information about location determination and web/app activity is stored for either three or 18 months, depending on your choice, and then deleted. You can also manually delete this data from your history at any time via your Google Account. If you want to completely prevent your location tracking, you must pause the "Web and App Activity" section in your Google Account. Click "Data and Personalization" and then the "Activity Settings" option. There you can turn activities on or off.

You can also deactivate, delete, or manage individual cookies in your browser. This works slightly differently depending on the browser you use. Under the "Cookies" section, you'll find links to the relevant instructions for the most popular browsers.

If you prefer not to accept cookies, you can set your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be placed. This allows you to decide whether to accept or reject each individual cookie.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of Google Maps, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent) the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by Google Maps.

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

Google processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

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

If you would like to learn more about Google’s data processing, we recommend that you read the company’s own privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Content Search Provider Introduction

What is a content search provider?

We've already published a lot of content on our website. And of course, we don't want it to simply be forgotten because it can't be found. That's why we use a content search provider on our website. You're probably familiar with major search engines like Google. A content search provider is essentially a search engine, but unlike Google, it doesn't scour the entire web for content, just the website you're currently on. You can enter terms that match the content you're looking for in a text field, and the search engine will find the posts you're looking for. If you use the integrated search function, your personal data may also be processed.

Why do we use a content search provider?

If you browse our website, you'll quickly notice how much useful content we've published over the years. There are some real gems among them, and we want you to find them quickly without having to click around for a long time. With a content search function built directly into our website, you can quickly and easily find the content you're looking for using keywords that match the topic you're looking for. This feature is truly practical, and we see it as our mission to make your experience on our website as pleasant and helpful as possible. That's why we've decided to integrate a content search program into our website.

What data is processed?

When you use the search function on our website, the integrated content search provider (such as Algolia Places or Giphy) can automatically receive and store data from you. This includes technical data about your browser as well as data such as your IP address, device ID and the search terms entered. Please be aware that IP addresses are personal data. The providers' privacy policies state that this information is collected and stored in order to increase security and improve their own services. The automatically collected usage data, which does not contain any personal data and is processed in an anonymized form, can also be used for analysis purposes. Some providers also pass this anonymized data on to third parties. To find out more about this, we recommend that you carefully read the specific privacy policies of the individual providers. To ensure that the services function properly, cookies are usually also placed in your browser. You can find out more about cookies in our general "Cookies" section. You can find out whether and which cookies the individual search tools use – if available – below or in the corresponding data protection declarations of the integrated tools.

How long and where is the data stored?

Basically, every content search provider processes different data. Therefore, this general section cannot go into specific detail about the data processing of individual tools. However, the services usually only store personal data for as long as necessary for the tools to function properly. Some services (such as Giphy) retain personal data for longer if required by law. Most providers also retain data in depersonalized form for longer. Content search providers may also use cookies to store various data. You can find out more about this in our general section on cookies. If you would like to know more about the specific cookies used by a search provider, we recommend that you read the privacy policies of the providers we use. You can usually find an example list of the cookies used there.

Right of objection

Always be aware: if you do not want your personal data to be processed, no personal data may be processed. You always have the right to access your personal data and to object to its use. You can also withdraw your consent at any time using the cookie consent tool or other opt-out options. You can also easily manage, delete, or deactivate cookies yourself via your browser. If you delete cookies, some of the tool's functions may no longer work. So please don't be surprised. How you manage cookies in your browser also depends on the browser you use. In the "Cookies" section, you will also find links to instructions for the most important browsers.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of a content search provider, this consent forms the legal basis for the corresponding data processing. According to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by a content search provider.

We also have a legitimate interest in using a content search provider to optimize our service on our website. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use a content search provider if you have given your consent. We would like to reiterate this point.

Information on specific content search providers can be found – where available – in the following sections.

Custom Google Search Privacy Policy

What is Google Custom Search?

We have integrated the Google Custom Search plug-in on our website. Google is the largest and best-known search engine in the world and is operated by the US company Google Inc. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for the European region. Google Custom Search may transfer your data to Google. This privacy policy explains why we use this plug-in, what data is processed, and how you can manage or prevent this data transfer.

The Google Custom Search plug-in is a Google search bar directly on our website. The search takes place as on www.google.com instead, only the search results focus on our content and products or on a limited search area.

Why do we use Google Custom Search on our website?

A website with a lot of interesting content often becomes so large that it's easy to lose track. Over time, we've also accumulated a lot of valuable material, and as part of our service, we want you to find our content as quickly and easily as possible. Custom Google Search makes finding interesting content a breeze. The built-in Google plug-in improves the overall quality of our website and makes searching easier for you.

What data is stored through Google Custom Search?

Through the custom Google search, data about you is only transferred to Google if you actively use the Google search built into our website. This means that only when you enter a search term in the search bar and then confirm this term (e.g. click "Enter") will your IP address and the search term be sent to Google, saved there and processed. Based on the cookies set (such as 1P_JAR), it can be assumed that Google also receives data about website usage. If you search for content using the built-in Google search function during your visit to our website and are logged in to your Google account at the same time, Google can also assign the collected data to your Google account. As website operators, we have no influence on what Google does with the collected data or how Google processes the data.

The following cookies are set in your browser when you use Google Custom Search and are not logged in with a Google Account:

Name: 1P_JAR
Value: 2020-01-27-13112338313-5
Purpose of use: This cookie collects statistics about website usage and measures conversions. A conversion occurs, for example, when a user becomes a purchase. The cookie is also used to display relevant ads to users.
Expiry date: after one month

Name: CONSENT
Value: WP.282f52112338313-9
Purpose of use: This cookie stores the user's consent status for using various Google services. CONSENT also serves security purposes to verify users and protect user data from unauthorized attacks.
Expiry date: after 18 years

Name: NID
Value: 196=pwIo3B5fHr-8
Purpose of use: NID is used by Google to tailor ads to your Google search. With the help of this cookie, Google "remembers" your entered search queries or your previous interactions with ads. This way, you always receive tailored ads.
Expiry date: after 6 months

Note: This list cannot claim to be complete, as Google continually changes the choice of its cookies.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google servers are located all over the world. Since Google is an American company, most data is stored on American servers. https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de see exactly where the Google servers are located.
Your data is distributed across multiple physical storage devices. This makes it faster to access and better protected against potential tampering. Google also has emergency backup programs for your data. If, for example, Google experiences internal technical issues and its servers stop working, the risk of service interruption and data loss remains low.
Depending on the type of data, Google stores it for different lengths of time. You can delete some data yourself; other data is automatically deleted or anonymized by Google. However, Google also stores certain data for longer if necessary for legal or business reasons.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Under European Union data protection law, you have the right to access, update, delete, or restrict the use of your data. There is some data you can delete at any time. If you have a Google Account, you can delete data about your web activity there or specify that it be deleted after a certain period of time.
You also have the option to deactivate, delete, or manage cookies according to your preferences in your browser. Under the "Cookies" section, you will find links to the relevant instructions for the most popular browsers.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of Google Custom Search, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. This consent constitutes Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent) the legal basis for the processing of personal data as may occur when collected through custom Google search.

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

Google processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

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

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

We hope we have been able to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Google. If you would like to learn more, we recommend reading Google's comprehensive privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Explanation of terms used

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

supervisory authority

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

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

“supervisory authority” an independent public authority established by a Member State pursuant to Article 51;

Explanation: “Supervisory authorities” are always independent state institutions that also have the authority to issue instructions in certain cases. They serve to carry out so-called state supervision and are located in ministries, special departments, or other authorities. There is an Austrian data protection authority in place for data protection in Austria. Data Protection AuthorityIn Germany, each federal state has its own data protection authority.

Processor

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

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

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

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

consent

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

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

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

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

Personal data

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

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

“personal data” any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter ‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person;

Explanation: Personal data is all data that can identify you as an individual. This is usually data such as:

• name
• address
• E-mail address
• Postal address
• Telephone number
• birth date
• Identification numbers such as social security number, tax identification number, identity card number or registration number
• Bank details such as account number, credit information, account balances and much more.

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

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

Profiling

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

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

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

Explanation: Profiling involves compiling various information about a person in order to learn more about them. Profiling is often used online for advertising purposes or for credit checks. Web or advertising analysis programs, for example, collect data about your behavior and interests on a website. This results in a specific user profile that can be used to target advertising to a specific audience.

Person responsible

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

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

“person responsible” 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; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law;

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

Closing words

Congratulations! If you're reading these lines, you've truly "fought" your way through our entire privacy policy, or at least scrolled this far. As you can see from the length of our privacy policy, we take the protection of your personal data anything but lightly.
It is important to us to inform you to the best of our knowledge and belief about the processing of personal data. In doing so, we not only want to tell you which data is processed, but also explain the reasons for using various software programs. Privacy policies usually sound very technical and legalistic. However, since most of you are not web developers or lawyers, we wanted to take a different approach and explain the matter in simple, clear language. Of course, this is not always possible due to the subject matter. Therefore, the most important terms are explained in more detail at the end of the privacy policy.
If you have any questions about data protection on our website, please do not hesitate to contact us or the responsible party. We wish you a pleasant stay and hope to welcome you back to our website soon.

All texts are protected by copyright.

Source: Created with the Data Protection Generator by AdSimple