Privacy policy

Created on: February 28, 2024

Introduction and overview

We have written this privacy policy (version 28.02.2024-112736414) in accordance with the requirements of General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and to explain to applicable national laws which personal data (data for short) we, as the controller — and the contract processors commissioned by us (e.g. providers) — process, will process in the future and what lawful 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 that we process about you.

Privacy statements usually sound very technical and use technical legal terms. This privacy policy, on the other hand, is intended to describe the most important things to you as simply and transparently as possible. As far as it is conducive to transparency, technical Terms explained in a reader-friendly way, provides links to further information, and graphics put to use. We hereby inform you in clear and simple language that we only process personal data as part of our business activities if there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible if you provide concise, unclear and legal-technical explanations, as they are often standard on the Internet when it comes to data protection. I hope you find the following explanations interesting and informative and perhaps there is some information that you did not know yet.
If you still have any questions, we would like to ask you to contact the responsible body mentioned below or in the legal notice, follow the existing links and look at further information on third-party sites. Our contact details can of course also be found in the legal notice.

Scope of application

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

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

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

legal bases

In the following privacy policy, we provide you with transparent information on the legal principles and regulations, i.e. the legal bases of the General Data Protection Regulation, which 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 found online at EUR-Lex, access to EU law, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679 Read up.

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

consent (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. a GDPR): You have given us your consent to process data for a specific purpose. One example would be saving the data you entered in a contact form.
treaty (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. b GDPR): In order to fulfill a contract or pre-contractual obligations with you, we process your data. For example, when we conclude a purchase contract with you, we need personal information in advance.
Legal obligation (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. c GDPR): If we are subject to a legal obligation, we process your data. For example, we are required by law to keep invoices for accounting purposes. These usually contain personal data.
Legitimate interests (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. 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 must process certain data in order to be able to operate our website securely and economically efficiently. This processing is therefore a legitimate interest.

As a rule, we do not have any other conditions, such as the use of recordings in the public interest and the exercise of public authority as well as the protection of vital interests. Insofar as such a legal basis should be relevant, it will be shown in the appropriate place.

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

In austria Is this the Federal Act on the Protection of Individuals with regard to the Processing of Personal Data (Data Protection Act), short DSG.
In germany Does that apply Federal Data Protection Act, briefly 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:
KI Company GmbH
Blumenstraße 1,
4484 - Kronstorf

email: office@ki-company.ai

Impressum: https://www.ki-company.ai/impressum/

Storage period

The fact that we only store personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products is a general criterion for us. This means that we delete personal data as soon as the reason for the data processing no longer exists. In some cases, we are required by law to store certain data even after the original purpose has ceased to exist, for example for accounting purposes.

Should you wish to delete your data 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 about the specific duration of the respective data processing below, provided that we have further information about this.

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

In accordance with Articles 13, 14 GDPR, we inform you of the following rights that you are entitled to so that data is processed fairly and transparently:

According to Article 15 GDPR, you have the right to information as to whether we process your data. If this is the case, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and to know 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 when the data is transferred to third countries, how security can be guaranteed;
how long the data is stored;
the existence of the right to correct, delete or restrict 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 obtain a personal profile about you.
According to Article 16 GDPR, you have the right to correct the data, which means that we must correct data if you find errors.
According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to delete (“right to be forgotten”), which in concrete terms means that you may request the deletion of your data.
According to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to restrict processing, which means that we can only store the data but no longer use it.
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 a right of objection, which, once enforced, entails a change in 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 can object to the processing. We will then check 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 then no longer use your data for direct marketing.
If data is used to carry out profiling, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We are then no longer allowed to use your data for profiling.
According to Article 22 GDPR, you may have the right not to be subject to a decision based exclusively on automated processing (for example profiling).
According to Article 77 GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint. This means that you can complain to the data protection authority at any time if you believe that the processing of personal data violates the GDPR.

In short: You have rights — don't hesitate to contact the responsible body listed above!

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

Austria Data Protection Authority

Director: Dr. Andrea Jelinek
address: Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna
telephone no. : +43 1 52 152-0
email address: dsb@dsb.gv.at
Site: https://www.dsb.gv.at/

Data processing security

We have implemented both technical and organizational measures to protect personal data. Where possible, we encrypt or pseudonymize personal data. As a result, we make it as difficult as possible for third parties to infer personal information from our data.

Article 25 GDPR here speaks of “data protection through technology design and through privacy-friendly default settings” and means that both software (e.g. forms) and hardware (e.g. access to the server room) are always concerned with security and take appropriate measures. If necessary, we will look at specific measures below.

TLS encryption with https

TLS, encryption, and https sound very technical and they are. We use HTTPS (the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure stands for “secure hypertext transfer protocol”) to transfer data securely over the Internet.
This means that the complete transfer of all data from your browser to our web server is secured — no one can “listen”.

We have thus introduced an additional security layer and comply with data protection through technology design (Article 25 paragraph 1 GDPR). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission 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

at the top left of the browser, left from 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.

communications

Communication summary👥 Data subjects: Anyone who communicates with us by telephone, e-mail or online form 📓 Processed data: e.g. telephone number, name, email address, entered form data. More details can be found in the contact type used in each case 🤝 Purpose: Processing communication with customers, business partners, etc. 📅 Storage period: Duration of the transaction and legal regulations ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

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

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

Affected persons

Everyone who seeks contact with us via the communication channels provided by us is affected by the processes mentioned above.

telephone

When you call us, the call data is stored pseudonymously on the respective device and by the telecommunications provider used. In addition, data such as name and telephone number can then be sent by e-mail and saved to answer the request. The data is deleted as soon as the transaction has ended and legal requirements allow it.

email

When you communicate with us by e-mail, data may be stored on the respective device (computer, laptop, smartphone,...) and data is stored on the email server. The data is deleted as soon as the transaction has ended and legal requirements allow it.

Online forms

When you communicate with us using an online form, data is stored on our web server and, if necessary, forwarded to an e-mail address from us. The data is deleted as soon as the transaction has ended and legal requirements allow it.

legal bases

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

Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent): You give us consent to store your data and continue to use it for purposes relevant to the business case;
Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract): There is a need to fulfill a contract with you or a processor such as the telephone provider or we must process the data for pre-contractual activities, such as preparing an offer;
Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (legitimate interests): We want to conduct customer inquiries and business communication in a professional setting. This requires certain technical equipment, such as e-mail programs, Exchange servers and mobile operators, in order to be able to operate communication efficiently.

Order processing contract (AVV)

In this section, we would like to explain to you what an order processing contract is and why it is needed. Because the word “order processing contract” is quite a tongue twister, we will often only use the acronym AVV in the text. Like most companies, we do not work alone, but also use the services of other companies or individuals ourselves. By involving various companies or service providers, we may share personal data for processing. These partners then act as contract processors with whom we conclude a contract, the so-called Order Processing Agreement (AVV). 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 AVV.

Who are contract processors?

As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data that we process from you. In addition to those responsible, there may also be so-called contract processors. This includes every company or person that processes personal data on our behalf. More specifically and according to the GDPR definition: any natural or legal person, authority, institution or other body that processes personal data on our behalf is considered a processor. Contract 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 make the terms easier to understand, 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) → Contract processor (service providers such as web hosts or cloud providers)

Content of an order processing contract

As already mentioned above, we have concluded an AVV with our partners, who act as contract processors. It states above all that the order processor processes the data to be processed exclusively in accordance with the GDPR. The contract must be concluded in writing, but in this context, the electronic conclusion of the contract is also considered “in writing”. Personal data is only processed on the basis of the contract. The contract must include:

Commitment to us as responsible
Duties and rights of the person responsible
Categories of affected persons
Type of personal data
Type and purpose of data processing
Subject and duration of data processing
Place where data processing is carried out

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

measures to ensure data security
to take possible technical and organizational measures to protect the rights of the data subject
to maintain a data processing directory
to cooperate with the data protection supervisory authority at the request of the data protection supervisory authority
carry out a risk analysis with regard to the personal data received
Sub-processors may only be commissioned with the written permission of the person responsible

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

cookies

Cookies summary👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: depends on the respective cookie. More details can be found below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📓 Processed data: Depends on the cookie used in each case. More details can be found below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📅 Storage period: depending on the cookie in question, can vary from hours to years ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are cookies?

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

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

One thing is undeniable: Cookies are really useful helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More specifically, they are HTTP cookies, as there are also other cookies for other areas of application. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, which is the “brain” of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal page settings. When you visit our site again, your browser 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 graphic below shows a possible interaction between a web browser, such as Chrome, and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives back a cookie from the server, which the browser uses again as soon as another page is requested.

HTTP cookie interaction between browser and web server

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g. Google Analytics). Each cookie must be assessed 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: GA1.2.1326744211.152112736414-9
Usage: Distinction of website visitors
Expiration date: after 2 years

A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:

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

What types of cookies are there?

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

There are 4 types of cookies:

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

Purpose-for cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. These cookies are also used to measure the loading time and behavior of the website with different browsers.

Targeted cookies
These cookies make for a better user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes, or form data are saved.

advertising cookies
These cookies are also known as targeting cookies. They are used to deliver individually tailored advertising to the user. It can be very practical but also very annoying.

When you visit a website for the first time, you will usually be asked which of these types of cookies you would like to allow. And of course, this decision is also saved in a cookie.

If you want to know more about cookies and don't shy away from technical documentation, we recommend https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments called “HTTP State Management Mechanism.”

Purpose of processing via cookies

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

Which data is processed?

Cookies are small assistants for many different tasks. Unfortunately, it is not possible to generalize which data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the processed or stored data as part of the following privacy policy.

Storage period of cookies

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

You also have influence on the storage period yourself. You can manually delete all cookies at any time via your browser (see also “Right of objection” below). In addition, cookies based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you withdraw your consent, although the legality of storage remains unaffected until then.

Right to object — how can I delete cookies?

You decide for yourself how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come from, you always have the option to delete, deactivate or only partially allow 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: Delete cookies to remove data that websites have stored on your computer

Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you generally do not want cookies, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is about to be set. For each individual cookie, you can decide whether to allow the cookie or not. The procedure differs depending on the browser. It is best to search for the instructions in Google with the search term “delete cookies Chrome” or “deactivate cookies Chrome” in the case of a Chrome browser.

legal basis

The so-called “cookie guidelines” have been in place since 2009. It states that saving cookies is a consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR) requires you to do so. However, there are still very different responses to these directives within EU countries. In Austria, however, this directive was implemented in Section 165 (3) of the Telecommunications Act (2021). In Germany, the cookie guidelines have not been implemented as national law. Instead, this guideline was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG).

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

Insofar as cookies that are not absolutely necessary are used, this only happens with your consent. The legal basis in this respect is Article 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

Web hosting summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: professional hosting of the website and security of operations 📓 Processed data: IP address, time of website visit, browser used and other data. More details can be found below or with the respective web hosting provider. 📅 Storage period: depends on the respective provider, but usually 2 weeks ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is web hosting?

When you visit websites today, 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 websites on a domain, i.e. everything from the start page (homepage) to the very last subpage (like this one here). By domain, we mean example.de or musterexample.com, for example.

If you want to view a website on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, use a program called a web browser. You probably know a few web browsers by name: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari. Let's call it browser or web browser for short.

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

Personal data may be processed when the browser connects to your computer (desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone) and during data transmission to and from the web server. 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, which is why the following graphic shows the interaction between browser, the Internet and the hosting provider.

Why do we process personal data?

The purposes of data processing are:

Professional website hosting and operational security
to maintain operational and IT security
Anonymous evaluation of access behavior to improve our offering and, if necessary, to prosecute or prosecute claims

Which data is processed?

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

the complete Internet address (URL) of the accessed website
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 host name and IP address of the device from which access is being made (e.g. COMPUTERNAME and 194.23.43.121)
date and time
in files, the so-called web server log files

How long is data stored?

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

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

legal basis

The lawfulness of processing personal data in the context of web hosting results from Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (protection of legitimate interests), because the use of professional hosting with a provider is necessary to present the company securely and in a user-friendly manner on the Internet and to be able to prosecute attacks and claims arising from this if necessary.

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

Web hosting provider External privacy policy

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

Dynadot Inc.
210 S Ellsworth Ave #345 San Mateo, CA 94401 US

You can find out more about data processing with this provider in the Privacy statement.

Website modular systems introduction

Website modular systems Privacy Policy Summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Processed data: Data such as technical usage information such as browser activity, clickstream activity, session heat maps as well as contact details, IP address or your geographical location. More details can be found below in this privacy policy and in the providers' privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: depends on the provider ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (legitimate interests), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent)

What are website builder systems?

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

Why do we use website builder systems for our website?

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

Which data is stored by a modular system?

Exactly which data is stored depends, of course, on the website builder system used. Each provider processes and collects different data from website visitors. However, technical usage information such as operating system, browser, screen resolution, language and keyboard settings, hosting provider and the date of your website visit is usually collected. Tracking data (e.g. browser activity, click stream activity, session heat maps, etc.) can also be processed. In addition, personal data can 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. Exactly which data is stored can be found in the provider's privacy policy.

How long and where is the data stored?

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

Right to object

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

You can delete, deactivate, or manage cookies that providers use for their functions in your browser. Depending on which browser you use, this works in different ways. However, please note that then all functions may no longer work as usual.

legal basis

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

Insofar as the processing of data is not absolutely necessary for the operation of the website, the data will only be processed on the basis of your consent. This applies in particular to tracking activities. The legal basis in this respect is Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR.

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

Web analytics introduction

Web Analytics Privacy Policy Summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website 📓 Processed data: Access statistics, which include data such as access locations, device data, access time and time, navigation behavior, click behavior and IP addresses. More details can be found in the web analytics tool used in each case. 📅 Storage period: depends on the web analytics tool used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is web analytics?

On our website, we use software to evaluate the behavior of website visitors, known as web analytics or web analysis for short. This involves collecting data that the respective analytical tool provider (also known as tracking tool) stores, manages and processes. With the help of the data, analyses of user behavior on our website are created and made available to us as a website operator. In addition, most tools offer various testing options. For example, we can test which offers or content are best received by our visitors. In return, we will show you two different offers for a limited period of time. After the test (so-called A/B test), we know which product or content our website visitors find more interesting. For such test methods, as well as for other analytics methods, user profiles can also be created and the data stored in cookies.

Why do we do web analytics?

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

Which data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored depends, of course, on the analysis tools used. However, it is usually stored, for example, which content you view on our website, which buttons or links you click on, when you visit a page, which browser you use, with which device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) You visit the website or which computer system you use. If you agreed that location data may also be collected, this can also be processed by the web analysis tool provider.

Your IP address is also stored. According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), IP addresses are personal data. However, your IP address is usually stored pseudonymized (i.e. in an unrecognizable and abbreviated form). In principle, no direct data, such as your name, age, address or email address, is stored for the purpose of testing, web analysis and web optimization. All this data, if collected, is stored pseudonymized. This prevents you from being identified as a person.

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, other cookies can store data for several years.

Duration of data processing

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

Right to object

legal basis

The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. This consent states Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) represents the legal basis for processing 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 technically and economically improving our offering. With the help of web analytics, we can identify website errors, identify attacks and improve profitability. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (legitimate interests). However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent.

Since web analytics tools use cookies, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which data you store and process, you should read the privacy statements of the respective tools.

Information about specific web analytics tools — if available — is available in the following sections.

Facebook Conversions API privacy policy

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

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

Facebook also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Article 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are sample templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if they are transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the Standard Contractual Clauses, Facebook undertakes to comply with the European level of data protection 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 by the EU Commission. You can find the resolution and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

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

You can find out more about the data that is processed using the Facebook Conversions API in the privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.

Google Analytics privacy policy

Google Analytics privacy policy summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website 📓 Processed data: Access statistics, which include data such as access locations, device data, access time and time, navigation behavior and click behavior. You can find more details below in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: individually adjustable, by default Google Analytics 4 stores data for 14 months ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Analytics?

On our website, we use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics 4 (GA4) from the American company Google Inc. For Europe, 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. However, by combining different technologies such as cookies, device IDs and login information, you can be identified as a user across different devices. As a result, your actions can also be analyzed across platforms.

For example, when you click on a link, this event 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 service to your needs. In the following, we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and, in particular, inform you about which data is processed and how you can prevent this.

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

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

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

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

Target group reports: Through target group reports, we get to know our users better and know more precisely who is interested in our service.
Ad reports: Ad reports make it easier for us to 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 understand which path you are taking on our site and which links you click on.
Conversion reports: Conversion is a process in which you take a desired action based on a marketing message. For example, when you go from just a website visitor to a buyer or newsletter subscriber. With the help of these reports, we learn more about how you are receiving our marketing measures. This is how we want to increase our conversion rate.
Real-time reports: Here we always find out immediately what is happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.

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

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

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

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

The statistically evaluated data gives us a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of our website. On the one hand, we can optimize our site so that interested people can find it more easily on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us to better understand you as a visitor. We therefore know exactly what we need to improve on our website in order to offer you the best possible service. The data also helps us to carry out our advertising and marketing measures 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 is stored by Google Analytics?

Google Analytics uses a tracking code to create a random, unique ID that is associated with your browser cookie. This is how Google Analytics recognizes you as a new user and assigns you a user ID. The next time you visit our site, you will be recognized as a “returning” user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID. This is the first way to evaluate pseudonymous user profiles.

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

Identifiers such as cookies, app instance IDs, user IDs or user-defined event parameters measure your interactions across platforms, provided you have given your consent. Interactions are all types of actions that you take on our website. If you also use other Google systems (such as a Google account), data generated via Google Analytics can be linked to third-party cookies. Google does not share Google Analytics data unless we, as the website operator, approve it, with exceptions when required by law.

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

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

Name: _ga
value: 2.1326744211.152112736414-5
Usage: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the user ID. Basically, it is used to differentiate website visitors.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
value: 2.1687193234.152112736414-1
Usage: The cookie is also used to distinguish website visitors
Expiration date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_ua_ <property-id>
value: 1
Usage: Used to lower the request rate. <property-id>When Google Analytics is provided via Google Tag Manager, this cookie is named _dc_gtm_.
Expiration date: after 1 minute

Note: This list cannot claim to be exhaustive, as Google also changes the choice of its cookies over and over again. GA4 also aims to improve data protection. As a result, the tool offers a few ways to control data collection. For example, we can set the storage period ourselves and also control data collection.

Here is an overview of the most important types of data that are collected with Google Analytics:

Heat maps: Google creates so-called heat maps. With heat maps, you can see exactly the areas that you click on. This gives us information about where you are “traveling” on our site.

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

Bounce rate (English bounce rate): We talk about a bounce when you only view one page on our website and then leave our website again.

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

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

Technical information: Technical information includes, but is not limited to, your browser type, your Internet service provider, or your screen resolution.

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

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

How long and where is the data stored?

Google has spread their servers all over the world. Here you can read exactly where Google's data centers are located: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de

Your data is distributed across various physical data carriers. This has the advantage that the data can be retrieved more quickly and is better protected against manipulation. Every Google data center has appropriate emergency programs for your data. For example, if Google hardware fails or natural disasters paralyze servers, the risk of a service interruption at Google remains low.

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

2 months: this is the shortest storage period.
14 months: By default, GA4 stores data for 14 months.
26 months: You can also store the data for 26 months.
Data is only deleted when we manually delete it

In addition, there is also the option that data will only be deleted if you no longer visit our website within the period selected by us. In this case, the storage period will be reset every time you visit our website again within the specified period of time.

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

According to European Union data protection law, you have the right to obtain information about, update, delete or restrict your data. Use the browser add-on to disable Google Analytics JavaScript (analytics.js, gtag.js) to prevent Google Analytics 4 from using your data. 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 deactivates data collection by Google Analytics.

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

legal basis

The use of Google Analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. This consent states Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) represents the legal basis for processing 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 technically and economically improving our offering. With the help of Google Analytics, we can identify website errors, identify attacks and improve profitability. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (legitimate interests). However, we only use Google Analytics if you have given your consent.

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

Google also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Article 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are sample templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if they are transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the Standard Contractual Clauses, Google undertakes to comply with the European level of data protection 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 by the EU Commission. You can find the resolution and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

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

We hope we were able to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Google Analytics. If you want 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.

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

Order Processing Agreement (AVV) Google Analytics

In accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we have concluded an order processing agreement (AVV) with Google. You can read exactly what an AVV is and, in particular, what must be included in an AVV in our general “Order Processing Agreement (AVV)” section.

This contract is required by law because Google processes personal data on our behalf. It clarifies that Google may only process data that they receive from us in accordance with 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 reports on demographics and interests

We have turned on the advertising reporting features in Google Analytics. The reports on demographics and interests include information on age, gender, and interests. This allows us — without being able to assign this data to individuals — to get a better picture of our users. Learn more about advertising features at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3450482?hl=de_AT&utm_id=ad.

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

Google Analytics IP anonymization

We have implemented Google Analytics' IP address anonymization on this website. This feature was developed by Google so that this website can comply with applicable data protection regulations and recommendations from local data protection authorities when they prohibit storage of the full IP address. The anonymization or masking of the IP takes place 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.

Chatbots introduction

Chatbots privacy policy summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Contact requests and general communication between us and you 📓 Processed data: Data such as name, address, email address, telephone number, general content data, if applicable IP addressMore details can be found in the respective tools used. 📅 Storage period: depending on the chatbots & chat functions used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f. GDPR (legitimate interests), Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (contractual or pre-contractual obligations)

What are chatbots?

You can also communicate with us via chatbots or similar chat functions. A chat offers the opportunity to write or talk to each other with only a very short time delay. A chatbot is software that tries to answer your question and, if necessary, informs you about news. By using these means of communication, your personal data can also be processed and stored.

Why do we use chatbots?

Communication options with you are important to us. After all, we want to talk to you and answer all possible questions about our service in the best possible way. Well-functioning communication is an important part of our service. Chatbots have the big advantage that we can answer frequently asked questions automatically with the help of this software. This saves us time while still providing you with detailed and helpful answers. If the chatbot is unable to help, you can of course contact us personally at any time.

Please note that when using our built-in elements, data from you outside the European Union may also be processed, as many providers are American companies. As a result, you may no longer be able to easily claim or enforce your rights with regard to your personal data.

Which data is processed?

It may happen that you also use the chat services on other websites/platforms. In this case, your user ID is also stored on the servers of this website. We can also be informed which user used the chat at what time. The content is also saved. Exactly which data is stored depends on the respective service. As a rule, however, this includes contact data such as e-mail address or telephone number, IP address and various usage data.

If you have agreed that the chat function can be used, this consent, including any registration, will also be stored or logged. We do this so that we can also prove registration or consent when required by law.

The provider of a chat platform can also find out when you are chatting and also receives technical information about the device you are using. The exact information that is stored and processed also depends on your PC settings. In many cases, data about your approximate location may be collected, for example. This is done on the one hand to optimize chat services and on the other hand to ensure greater security. Furthermore, the information can also be used to implement personalized advertising and marketing measures.

If you have agreed that a chatbot can send you a message, you can of course deactivate this activation again at any time. The chatbot also serves as an aid here and shows you how to unsubscribe from this function. All your related data will then be deleted from the recipient directory.

We use the above data, for example, to be able to address you personally via the chat, to be able to answer your questions and inquiries, or even to send you possible content. It also allows us to fundamentally improve our chat services.

How long is data stored?

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

Right to object

Since chat services may use cookies, we also recommend our general privacy policy about cookies. To find out exactly which data you store and process, you should read the privacy statements of the respective tools.

legal basis

We ask for your permission to process data from you as part of the chat services via a pop-up window. If you consent, this consent is also considered a legal basis (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR) for data processing. In addition, we process your inquiries and manage your data within the framework of contractual or pre-contractual relationships in order to fulfill our pre-contractual and contractual obligations and to answer inquiries. The basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. GDPR. In principle, your data is also processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) stored and processed in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent.

Social media introduction

Social media privacy policy summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Presentation and optimization of our service, contact with visitors, interested parties, etc., advertising 📓 Processed data: Data such as telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, contact data, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address.More details can be found in the respective social media tool used. 📅 Storage period: depending on the social media platforms used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (legitimate interests)

What is social media?

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

Why do we use social media?

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

The data that is stored and processed through your use of a social media channel is primarily intended to be able to carry out web analyses. The aim of these analyses is to be able to develop more accurate and personal 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 tailor-made advertisements. Cookies are usually set in your browser for this purpose, which store data about your usage behavior.

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

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

Which data is processed?

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

All data collected via a social media platform is also stored on the providers' servers. This means that only the providers have access to the data and can 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 company's respective privacy policy. Even if you have questions about data storage and data processing or would like to assert appropriate rights, we recommend that you contact the provider directly.

Duration of data processing

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

Right to object

You also have the right and option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third parties such as embedded social media elements at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out features. 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 about cookies. To find out exactly which data you store and process, you should read the privacy statements of the respective tools.

legal basis

If you have agreed that your data can be processed and stored through integrated social media elements, this consent is considered 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) stored and processed in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy on cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

Information on specific social media platforms — if available — can be found in the following sections.

Facebook privacy policy

Facebook privacy policy summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Processed data: Data such as customer data, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address. More details can be found below in the privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: until the data is no longer useful for Facebook purposes ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are Facebook tools?

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

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 were also set out in a publicly available agreement at https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum anchored. It states, for example, that we must clearly inform you about the use of Facebook tools on our site. We are also responsible for ensuring that the tools are securely integrated into our website under 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 data processing by Facebook, you can contact the company directly. If you ask us, we are required to forward it to Facebook.

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

In addition to many other products, Facebook also offers so-called “Facebook Business Tools.” That is the official name of Facebook. But since the term is barely known, we decided to just call them Facebook tools. These include:

Facebook pixels
social plug-ins (such as the “Like” or “Share” button)
Facebook login
Account kit
APIs (programming interface)
SDKs (collection of programming tools)
Platform integrations
plugins
codes
specs
documentations
technologies and services

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

Why do we use Facebook tools on our website?

We only want to show our services and products to people who are really interested in them. With the help of advertisements (Facebook ads), we can reach exactly these people. However, in order to be able 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. As a result, Facebook collects better user data and can show interested people appropriate advertising about our products or services. The tools therefore enable tailor-made advertising campaigns on Facebook.

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

What data is stored by Facebook tools?

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

Facebook uses this information to compare the data with the data it has about you (if you are a Facebook member). Before customer data is transmitted to Facebook, so-called “hashing” takes place. This means that an arbitrarily large data set is transformed into a string of characters. This is also used to encrypt data.

In addition to contact details, “event data” is also transmitted. “Event data” means the information that we receive about you on our website. For example, which sub-pages you visit or which products you buy from us. Facebook does not share the information it receives with third parties (such as advertisers) unless the company has explicit permission or is legally required to do so. “Event data” can also be linked to contact details. This allows Facebook to offer better personalized advertising. After the already mentioned reconciliation process, Facebook deletes the contact data again.

In order to be able to deliver ads in an optimized way, Facebook only uses the event data if it has been combined with other data (collected by Facebook in another way). Facebook also uses this event data for security, protection, development and research purposes. Much of this data is transferred to Facebook via cookies. Cookies are small text files that are used to store data or information in browsers. Depending on the tools you use 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 at https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies.

How long and where is the data stored?

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to access, correct, transfer and delete your data.

The data will only be completely deleted if you completely delete your Facebook account. And this is how deleting your Facebook account works:

1) On Facebook, on the right, click Settings.

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

3) Now click “Deactivate and delete.”

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

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

The data that Facebook receives via our site is stored, among other things, via cookies (e.g. with social plugins). You can deactivate, delete or manage individual or all cookies in your browser. Depending on which browser you use, this works in different ways. Under the “Cookies” section, you will find the corresponding links to the respective instructions of the most popular browsers.

legal basis

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

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

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

Instagram privacy policy

Instagram privacy policy summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Processed data: Data such as data on user behavior, information about your device and your IP address.More details can be found below in the privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: until Instagram no longer needs the data for its purposes ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Instagram?

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

In the following, we want to give you a more detailed insight into why Instagram collects data, what data is involved and how you can largely control data processing. Since Instagram is part of Meta Platforms Inc., we obtain our information from the Instagram guidelines on the one hand, but also from the meta privacy policies themselves on the other hand.

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

Why do we use Instagram on our website?

Instagram is the social media platform that has really gone through the roof in recent years. And, of course, we too have reacted to this boom. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible on our website. That is why it goes without saying that we prepare our content in a varied way. Through the embedded Instagram functions, we can enrich our content with helpful, funny or exciting content from the Instagram world. Since Instagram is a subsidiary of Facebook, the data collected can also be useful for personalized advertising on Facebook. This means that only people who are really interested in our products or services receive our ads.

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

What data is stored by Instagram?

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

Facebook distinguishes between customer data and event data. We assume that this is exactly the case with Instagram. Customer data includes name, address, telephone number and IP address. This customer data will only be sent to Instagram if it has been “hashed” beforehand. Hashing means that a data set is converted into a string. This allows you to encrypt contact data. In addition, the “event data” mentioned above is also transmitted. Facebook — and therefore Instagram — means “event data” as data about your user behavior. It may also happen that contact data is combined with event data. The contact data collected is compared with the data that Instagram already has about you.

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

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

In the following, we will show you cookies that are set in your browser at least when you click on an Instagram feature (such as a button or an Insta image). In our test, we'll assume that you don't have an Instagram account. If you are logged in to Instagram, significantly more cookies are of course set in your browser.

These cookies were used in our test:

Name: csrftoken
value: “”
Usage: It is highly likely that this cookie is set for security reasons to prevent falsification of requests. However, we were unable to find out more precisely.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: mid
value: “”
Usage: Instagram uses this cookie to optimize its own services and offers within and outside Instagram. The cookie sets a unique user ID.
Expiration date: at the end of the session

Name: fbsr_112736414124024
value: no details
Usage: This cookie stores the login request for users of the Instagram app.
Expiration date: at the end of the session

Name: rur
value: ATN
Usage: This is an Instagram cookie that ensures functionality on Instagram.
Expiration date: at the end of the session

Name: URLgen
value: “{” 194.96.75.33”: 1901} :1ietyv:y833k2_ujkvxgye112736414”
Usage: This cookie is used for Instagram's marketing purposes.
Expiration date: at the end of the session

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

How long and where is the data stored?

Instagram shares the information received between Facebook companies with external partners and with people you connect with worldwide. Data processing is carried out in compliance with our own data policy. Your data is distributed on Facebook servers all over the world, including for security reasons. Most of these servers are located in the USA.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Thanks to the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to access, transfer, correct and delete your data. You can manage your data in Instagram settings. If you want to completely delete your data on Instagram, you must permanently delete your Instagram account.

And this is how deleting the Instagram account works:

First, open the Instagram app, go down to the bottom of your profile page and click on “Help Center.” You are now on the company's website. On the website, click “Manage Your Account” and then click “Delete Your Account.”

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

As mentioned above, Instagram primarily stores your data via cookies. You can manage, disable, or delete these cookies in your browser. Depending on your browser, the administration always works a bit differently. Under the “Cookies” section, you will find the corresponding links to the respective instructions of the most popular browsers.

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

legal basis

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

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

Instagram also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are sample templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if they are transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the Standard Contractual Clauses, Instagram undertakes to comply with the European level of data protection 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 by the EU Commission. You can find the resolution and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

We have tried to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Instagram. Auf https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/ Can you take a closer look at Instagram's data guidelines.

Blogs and publication media Introduction

Blogs and publication media Privacy Policy Summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Presentation and optimization of our service and communication between website visitors, security measures and administration 📓 Processed data: Data such as contact details, IP address and published content. More details can be found in the tools used. 📅 Storage period: depending on the tools used ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). 1 S. 1 lit. b. GDPR (contract)

What are blogs and publishing media?

We use blogs or other means of communication on our website, with which we can communicate with you on the one hand and you can also communicate with us on the other hand. Your data may also be stored and processed by us. This may be necessary so that we can display content accordingly, communication works and increase security. In our data protection text, we generally address which data can be processed by you. Exact information about data processing always depends on the tools and functions used. In the privacy policies of the individual providers, you will find detailed information about data processing.

Why do we use blogs and publishing media?

Our biggest concern with our website is to offer you interesting and exciting content and at the same time your opinions and content are important to us. That is why we want to create a good interactive exchange between us and you. With various blogs and publishing options, we can achieve just that. For example, you can comment on our content, comment on other comments, or in some cases make contributions yourself.

Which data is processed?

Exactly which data is processed always depends on the communication functions we use. IP address, user name and published content are very often stored. This is primarily done to ensure security protection, prevent spam and to be able to take action against illegal content. Cookies can also be used to store data. These are small text files that are stored in your browser with information. You can find out more about the data collected and stored in our individual sections and in the privacy policy of the respective provider.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, provided that we have further information about this. For example, post and comment functions save data until you opt out of saving data. In general, personal data is only stored for as long as is absolutely necessary to provide our services.

Right to object

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

Since publication media may also use cookies, we also recommend our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which data you store and process, you should read the privacy statements of the respective tools.

legal basis

We use the means of communication primarily on the basis of our legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO) in communicating quickly and effectively with you or other customers, business partners and visitors. Insofar as the use serves to process or initiate contractual relationships, the legal basis is also Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR.

Certain processing operations, in particular the use of cookies and the use of comment or message functions, require your consent. If and to the extent that you have agreed that your data can be processed and stored through integrated publication media, this consent is considered the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). Most communication features we use set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy on cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

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

Blog posts and comment functions Privacy Policy

There are various online means of communication that we can use on our website. For example, we use blog posts and comment functions. This also gives you the option to comment on content or write contributions. If you use this function, your IP address, for example, may be saved for security reasons. In this way, we protect ourselves against illegal content such as insults, unauthorised advertising or prohibited political propaganda. In order to identify whether comments are spam, we can also store and process user information based on our legitimate interest. If we start a survey, we also store your IP address for the duration of the survey so that we can be sure that all participants only really vote once. Cookies may also be used for storage purposes. All data that we store about you (such as content or information about you) will be stored until you object.

Online marketing introduction

Online marketing privacy policy summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website 📓 Processed data: Access statistics, which include data such as access locations, device data, access time and time, navigation behavior, click behavior and IP addresses. Personal data such as name or email address can also be processed. More details can be found in the online marketing tool used in each case. 📅 Storage period: depends on the online marketing tools used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is online marketing?

Online marketing refers to all measures that are carried out online to achieve marketing goals, such as increasing brand awareness or closing a deal. Furthermore, our online marketing measures aim to draw people's attention to our website. In order to be able to show our offer to many interested people, we therefore conduct online marketing. This usually involves online advertising, content marketing or search engine optimization. Personal data is also stored and processed so that we can use online marketing efficiently and in a targeted manner. On the one hand, the data helps us to only really show our content to people who are also interested in it and, on the other hand, we can 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 are aware that this is not possible without deliberate measures. That's why we do online marketing. There are various tools that make it easier for us to work on our online marketing measures and, in addition, always provide suggestions for improvement via data. This allows us to target our campaigns more precisely to our target group. The purpose of these online marketing tools used is therefore ultimately to optimize our offering.

Which data is processed?

So that our online marketing works and the success of the measures can be measured, user profiles are created and data is stored, for example, in cookies (these are small text files). With the help of this data, we can not only advertise in the traditional way, but also display our content directly on our website in the way you like it best. There are various third-party tools that offer these functions and accordingly 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 have viewed these pages, which links or buttons you click, or from which website you came to us. In addition, technical information can also be stored. For example, your IP address, which browser you use, from which device you visit our website or the time when you accessed our website and when you left it again. If you have agreed that we may also determine your location, we can also store and process this.

Your IP address is stored in pseudonymized form (i.e. abbreviated). Unique data that directly identifies you as a person, such as name, address or email address, is also only stored in pseudonymized form as part of advertising and online marketing processes. We cannot therefore identify you as a person, but we have only saved the pseudonymized, stored information in the user profiles.

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

In exceptional cases, unique data (name, email address, etc.) can 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 measures and the network connects data received earlier with the user profile.

With all advertising tools we use that store data from you on their servers, we only ever receive summarized information and never data that makes you identifiable as an individual. The data only shows how well-implemented advertising measures worked. For example, we can see which measures have prompted you or other users to come to our website and purchase a service or product there. Based on the analyses, we will be able to improve our advertising offerings in the future and adapt them even more precisely to the needs and wishes of interested people.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, provided that we have further information about this. In general, we only process personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. Data stored in cookies is stored for different lengths of time. Some cookies are deleted after you leave the website, others may be stored in your browser for a few years. In the respective privacy policies of the individual providers, you will usually find detailed information about the individual cookies that the provider uses.

Right to object

Since online marketing tools can usually use cookies, we also recommend our general privacy policy about cookies. To find out exactly which data you store and process, you should read the privacy statements of the respective tools.

legal basis

If you have agreed that third-party providers may be used, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. This consent states Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) represents the legal basis for processing personal data, as may occur when collected by online marketing tools.

We also have a legitimate interest in measuring online marketing measures in anonymized form in order to optimize our offer and measures with the help of the data obtained. The corresponding legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (legitimate interests). However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent.

Information on specific online marketing tools — if available — is available in the following sections.

HubSpot privacy policy

We use HubSpot, a digital marketing tool, on our website. The service provider is the American company HubSpot, Inc., 25 First Street, 2nd Floor Cambridge, MA, USA. The company also has a registered office in Ireland with the address 1 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland.

HubSpot also processes data from you in the USA, among others. HubSpot is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information about this at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

HubSpot also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are sample templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if they are transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the Standard Contractual Clauses, HubSpot is committed to complying with the European level of data protection 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 by the EU Commission. You can find the resolution and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The data processing agreement, which complies with the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://legal.hubspot.com/dpa.

You can find out more about the data that is processed through the use of HubSpot in the privacy policy at https://legal.hubspot.com/de/privacy-policy.

Order Processing Agreement (AVV) HubSpot

In accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we have concluded an order processing agreement (AVV) with HubSpot. You can read exactly what an AVV is and, in particular, what must be included in an AVV in our general “Order Processing Agreement (AVV)” section.

This contract is required by law because HubSpot processes personal data on our behalf. It clarifies that HubSpot may only process data that they receive from us in accordance with our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. The link to the order processing agreement (AVV) can be found at https://legal.hubspot.com/dpa.

Cookie Consent Management Platform Introduction

Cookie Consent Management Platform Summary👥 Data subjects: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: Obtaining and managing consent to certain cookies and thus the use of certain tools 📓 Processed data: Data to manage the cookie settings set, such as IP address, time of consent, type of consent, individual consents. More details can be found in each tool used. 📅 Storage period: Depends on the tool used, you must be prepared for periods of several years ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is a cookie consent management platform?

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

Why do we use a cookie management tool?

Our goal is to offer you the best possible transparency in the area of data protection. We are also legally obliged to do so. We want to provide you with as much information as possible about all tools and 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 ended up on our website in the first place. Thanks to a cookie management tool, which regularly scans the website for all existing cookies, we know about all cookies and can provide you with information about them in accordance with GDPR. You can then accept or reject cookies via the consent system.

Which data is processed?

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

Duration of data processing

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

Right to object

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

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

legal basis

If you accept cookies, these cookies will process and store your personal data. If we are through your consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR), this consent is also the legal basis for using cookies or processing your data. Cookie consent management platform software is used to be able to manage your consent to cookies and to enable you to give your consent. The use of this software enables us to efficiently operate the website in a legally compliant manner, which is a legitimate interest (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Audio & video introduction

Audio & Video Privacy Policy Summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Processed data: Data such as contact data, data on user behavior, information about your device and your IP address can be stored. More details can be found below in the relevant data protection texts. 📅 Storage period: Data is generally stored as long as it is necessary for the purpose of the service ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (Legitimate Interests)

What are audio and video elements?

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

These are integrated functional elements of platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo or Spotify. The use of these portals is usually free of charge, but paid content can also be published. With the help of these integrated elements, you can listen to or view the respective content via our website.

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

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

Of course, we want to provide you with the best offer on our website. And we are aware that content is no longer simply conveyed in text and static images. Instead of simply giving you a link to a video, we offer you 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. In addition to our texts and images, we therefore also offer video and/or audio content.

What data is stored by audio & video elements?

When you visit a page on our website that has an embedded video, for example, your server connects to the service provider's server. In doing so, data from you 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. In addition, most providers also collect information about your web activity. This includes session duration, bounce rate, which button you clicked on or which website you use the service from. All this information is usually stored via cookies or pixel tags (also known as 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 below in the data protection text of the respective tool or in the provider's privacy policy. In principle, personal data is only ever processed for as long as is absolutely necessary to provide our services or products. This usually also applies to third-party providers. In most cases, you can assume that certain data will be stored on third-party providers' servers for several years. Data can be stored for different lengths of time, especially in cookies. Some cookies are deleted after you leave the website, others may be stored in your browser for a few years.

Right to object

Since the integrated audio and video functions on our site usually also use cookies, you should also read our general privacy policy about cookies. In the privacy policies of the respective third-party providers, you can find out more about the handling and storage of your data.

legal basis

If you have agreed that your data can be processed and stored through integrated audio and video elements, this consent is considered the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, your data is also processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) stored and processed in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the integrated audio and video elements if you have given your consent.

YouTube privacy policy

YouTube privacy policy summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Processed data: Data such as contact data, data on user behavior, information about your device and your IP address can be stored. More details can be found below in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: Data generally remains stored as long as it is necessary for the purpose of the service ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (authorized person) interests)

What is YouTube?

We have included YouTube videos on our website. This allows us to present interesting videos to you directly on our website. 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 embedded a YouTube video, your browser automatically connects to the YouTube or Google servers. This involves the transfer of various data (depending on settings). Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all data processing in Europe.

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

On YouTube, users can watch, rate, comment and upload videos themselves for free. Over the last few years, YouTube has become one of the most important social media channels worldwide. So that we can display videos on our website, YouTube provides a code snippet that we have included on our site.

Why do we use YouTube videos on our website?

YouTube is the video platform with the most visitors and the best content. We strive to provide you with the best possible user experience on our website. And of course, interesting videos should not be missing. With the help of our embedded videos, we provide you with other helpful content in addition to our texts and images. In addition, our website is easier to find on the Google search engine thanks to the embedded videos. Even though we place advertisements via Google Ads, Google — thanks to the data collected — can really only show these ads to people who are interested in our offers.

What data does YouTube store?

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

If you're not signed in to a Google account or YouTube account, Google stores data with a unique identifier that is linked to your device, browser, or app. For example, your preferred language setting is retained. But a lot of interaction data cannot be saved because fewer cookies are set.

In the following list, we show cookies that were set in a test in the browser. 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. The list cannot claim to be complete because user data always depends on interactions on YouTube.

Name: YSC
value: B9-cv6oji5y112736414-1
Usage: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the video watched.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Name: PREF
value: f1=50000000
Usage: This cookie also registers your unique ID. Through PREF, Google receives statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our website.
Expiration date: after 8 months

Name: GPS
value: 1
Usage: This cookie registers your unique ID on mobile devices to track GPS location.
Expiration date: after 30 minutes

Name: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
value: 95chz8BagYu
Usage: This cookie tries to estimate the user's bandwidth on our websites (with built-in YouTube video).
Expiration date: after 8 months

Other cookies that are set when you are signed in with your YouTube account:

Name: APISID
value: zillvclzskqgsswi/AU1AZI6HY7112736414-
Usage: This cookie is used to create a profile about your interests. The data is used for personalized advertisements.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: CONSENT
value: Yes+AT.de+20150628-20-0
Usage: The cookie stores the status of a user's consent to use various Google services. CONSENT is also used for security purposes to verify users and protect user data from unauthorized attacks.
Expiration date: after 19 years

Name: HSID
value: Acrwpguik9dveht0i
Usage: This cookie is used to create a profile about your interests. This data helps to display personalized advertising.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: LOGIN_INFO
value: Afmmf2swrqihall6al...
Usage: Information about your login details is stored in this cookie.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: SAPISID
value: 7oapxog-pzsjuuf5/anudduisj9ijz2vdm
Usage: This cookie works by uniquely identifying your browser and device. It is used to create a profile about your interests.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: SID
value: oqfnkjasi112736414-
Usage: This cookie stores your Google account ID and last login time in a digitally signed and encrypted form.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: SIDCC
value: An0-tyuqub2jocdtyl
Usage: This cookie stores information about how you use the website and what advertising you may have seen before visiting our site.
Expiration 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 America. Under https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de See exactly where Google's data centers are located. Your data is spread across the servers. As a result, the data can be retrieved more quickly and is better protected against manipulation.

Google stores the collected data for different lengths of time. You can delete some data at any time, others are automatically deleted after a limited period of time and still others are stored by Google over a longer period of time. Some data (such as items from My Activity, photos or documents, products) stored in your Google Account is saved until you delete it. Even if you're not 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 function of location and activity data introduced in 2019, information is stored depending on your decision — either for 3 or 18 months and then deleted.

Regardless of whether you have a Google account or not, you can configure your browser to delete or disable cookies from Google. Depending on which browser you use, this works in different ways. Under the “Cookies” section, you will find the corresponding links to the respective instructions of the most popular browsers.

legal basis

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

Youtube also processes data from you in the USA, among others. Youtube or Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information about this at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

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

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

Web design introduction

Web Design Privacy Policy Summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Improving user experience 📓 Processed data: Which data is processed depends heavily on the services used. This usually includes IP address, technical data, language settings, browser version, screen resolution and name of the browser. More details can be found in the web design tools used in each case. 📅 Storage period: depends on the tools used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is web design?

We use various tools on our website that serve our web design. Web design isn't just about making our website look pretty, as is often assumed, but also about functionality and performance. But of course, the right look of a website is also one of the big goals of professional web design. Web design is a sub-area of media design and deals with both the visual as well as the structural and functional design of a website. The aim is to improve your experience on our website with the help of web design. In web design jargon, this is referred to as user experience (UX) and usability. User experience means all impressions and experiences that a website visitor experiences on a website. Usability is a sub-item of user experience. This is about the user-friendliness of a website. It is particularly important that content, sub-pages or products are clearly structured and that you can easily and quickly find what you are looking for. In order to give you the best possible experience on our website, we also use so-called web design tools from third parties. In this privacy policy, the “web design” category includes all services that improve the design of our website. These can be fonts, various plugins or other integrated web design features, for example.

Why do we use web design tools?

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

What data is stored by web design tools?

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

Duration of data processing

How long data is processed is very individual and depends on the web design elements used. When cookies are used, for example, the storage period can only last a minute, but also a few years. Please make yourself aware of this. On the one hand, we recommend our general section on cookies and the privacy statements of the tools used. There you can usually find out exactly 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 ever stored for as long as is necessary to provide the service. If required by law, data can also be stored for a longer period of time.

Right to object

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

legal basis

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

Information about specific web design tools — if available — is available in the following sections.

Font Awesome privacy policy

Font Awesome Privacy Policy Summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Processed data: such as IP address and which icon files are loaded More details can be found below in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: Identifiable files are stored for a few weeks ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Font Awesome?

On our website, we use Font Awesome from the American company Fonticons (307 S. Main St., Suite 202, Bentonville, AR 72712, USA). When you visit one of our websites, the Font Awesome web font (especially icons) is loaded via the Font Awesome Content Delivery Network (CDN). In this way, the texts, fonts and icons are displayed appropriately on every device. In this privacy policy, we go into more detail about data storage and data processing by this service.

Icons are playing an increasingly important role for websites. Font Awesome is a web font designed specifically for web designers and web developers. With Font Awesome, for example, icons can be scaled and colored as desired using the CSS style sheet language. This is how they replace old image icons. Font Awesome CDN is the easiest way to load icons or fonts onto your website. All we had to do was integrate a small line of code into our website.

Why do we use Font Awesome on our website?

With Font Awesome, content on our website can be better presented. This allows you to better orient yourself on our website and to understand the content more easily. With the icons, you can sometimes even replace entire words and save space. This is particularly useful when we optimize content specifically for smartphones. These icons are inserted as HMTL code instead of as an image. This allows us to edit the icons just the way we want with CSS. At the same time, Font Awesome also improves our loading speed because they are just HTML elements and not icon images. All these benefits help us make the website even clearer, fresher and faster for you.

What data does Font Awesome store?

The Font Awesome Content Delivery Network (CDN) is used to load icons and icons. CDNs are networks of servers that are distributed around the world and make it possible to quickly load files from nearby. As a result, as soon as you visit one of our pages, the corresponding icons are provided by Font Awesome.

In order for the web fonts to load, your browser must connect to Fonticons, Inc.'s servers. This will recognize your IP address. Font Awesome also collects data about which icon files are downloaded and when. Technical data such as your browser version, screen resolution or the time of the page accessed are also transmitted.

This data is collected and stored for the following reasons:

to optimize content delivery networks
to identify and fix technical errors
to protect CDNs from misuse and attacks
to be able to calculate fees from Font Awesome Pro customers
to find out the popularity of icons
to know which computer and software you are using

If your browser does not allow web fonts, a standard font on your PC is automatically used. As far as we know, no cookies are set. We are in touch with Font Awesome's privacy department and will let you know as soon as we find out more.

How long and where is the data stored?

Font Awesome stores data about the use of the content delivery network on servers also in the United States of America. However, the CDN servers are located worldwide and store user data where you are. In identifiable form, the data is usually only stored for a few weeks. Aggregated statistics on the use of CDNs can also be stored longer. Personal data is not included here.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

As far as we know, Font Awesome does not store any personal data via the content delivery networks. If you do not want data about the icons used to be saved, you will unfortunately not be able to visit our website. If your browser does not allow web fonts, no data is transferred or saved. In this case, your computer's default font is simply used.

legal basis

If you have agreed that Font Awesome may be used, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. This consent states that Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) represents the legal basis for processing personal data, as may occur when collected by Font Awesome.

We also have a legitimate interest in using Font Awesome to optimize our online service. The corresponding legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (legitimate interests). However, we only use Font Awesome if you have given your consent.

We would like to point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. Data processing is mainly carried out by Font Awesome. This may result in data not being processed and stored anonymously. In addition, US government authorities may have access to individual data. It may also happen that this data is linked to data from possible other Font Awesome services with which you have a user account.

If you want to learn more about Font Awesome and how it handles data, we recommend the privacy policy at https://fontawesome.com/privacy and the help page at https://fontawesome.com/support.

Google Fonts Local Privacy Policy

On our website, we use Google Fonts from Google Inc. The company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for Europe. We have integrated Google fonts locally, i.e. on our web server — not on Google's servers. As a result, there is no connection to Google servers and therefore no data transfer or storage.

What are Google Fonts?

In the past, Google Fonts were also called Google Web Fonts. This is an interactive directory with over 800 fonts that google provided free of charge. With Google Fonts, you could use fonts without uploading them to your own server. But in order to prevent any transfer of information to Google servers in this regard, we downloaded the fonts to our server. In this way, we act in accordance with data protection regulations and do not send any data to Google Fonts.

Content search provider introduction

Content search provider privacy policy summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Improving user experience 📓 Processed data: Which data is processed depends heavily on the services used. This is usually an IP address, search interests and/or technical data. More details can be found in the tools used in each case. 📅 Storage period: depends on the tools used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is a content search provider?

By now, we have already published a lot of content on our website. And of course we don't want them to be forgotten just because they can't be found. That is why we use a content search provider on our website. I'm sure you know big search engines like Google. A content search provider is basically also a search engine, which, unlike Google, does not crawl the entire web for content, but only the website you are on. Using a text field, you can enter terms that match the content you are looking for and the search program will find the desired posts for you. If you use the integrated search function, your personal data may also be processed.

Why do we use a content search provider?

If you look around on our website, you'll quickly notice how much useful content we've published over the years. There are real treasures and we want you to find them quickly without having to click around. With a content search function directly on our website, you can quickly and easily find the content you are looking for using keywords that match the topic you are looking for. This feature is really handy and we also see it as our job to make your life on our website as pleasant and helpful as possible. That is why we have decided to integrate a content search program into our website.

Which 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 save 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 make sure that IP addresses are personal data. The providers' privacy policies state that this information is collected and stored to increase security and improve their own services. The automatically collected usage data, which does not include personal data and is processed in anonymized form, can also be used for analysis purposes. Some providers also share this anonymized data with third parties. To find out more about this, we recommend that you read the specific data protection statements of the individual providers carefully. Cookies are usually also set in your browser so that the services work properly. 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 privacy policies 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 specifically address the data processing of the individual tools. However, the services usually only store personal data as long as this is necessary for the tools to function properly. Some services (such as Giphy) also retain personal data longer if required by legal obligations. Most providers also keep data for longer in depersonalized form. Content search providers may also use cookies to store various data. You can read more about this in our general section on cookies. If you want to know something about the specific cookies that a search provider uses, we recommend the privacy policy of the providers we use. You can usually find an example list of the cookies used there.

Right to object

Always be aware that if you do not want to, no personal data about you 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 used cookies yourself via your browser. If you delete cookies, some features of the tool may no longer work. So please don't be surprised about that. How you manage cookies in your browser also depends on the browser you use. In the “Cookies” section, you will also find links to the instructions for the most important browsers.

legal basis

If you have agreed that a content search provider may be used, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), this consent is 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 corresponding legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (legitimate interests). However, we only ever use a content search provider if you have given your consent. We absolutely want to have this stated again at this stage.

Information about specific content search providers is available in the following sections.

Online booking systems Introduction

Online booking systems Privacy policy summary👥 Data subjects: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Improving user experience and organization 📓 Processed data: Which data is processed depends heavily on the services used. This usually involves IP address, contact and payment data and/or technical data. More details can be found in the tools used in each case. 📅 Storage period: depends on the tools used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is an online booking system?

To enable you to make bookings via our website, we use one or more booking systems. Appointments, for example, can easily be created online. A booking system is a software application integrated into our website, which displays available resources (such as free appointments) and which you can use to book directly online and usually also pay. You are probably already familiar with such booking systems from the catering or hotel industry. However, such systems are now being used in a wide variety of industries. Depending on the tool and settings, booking systems can be used both internally for us and for customers like you. As a rule, personal data from you is also collected and stored.

Booking usually works as follows: On our website, you will find the booking system, in which you can book an appointment for a service directly with the click of a mouse and enter your details and usually also pay immediately. You may be able to enter various details about yourself using a form. Please be aware that any data you enter can be stored and managed in a database.

Why do we use an online booking system?

In a sense, we also see our website as a free service for you. You should receive helpful information and feel completely at ease on our site. This also includes an online service that makes it as easy as possible for you to book appointments and services. Gone are the days when you had to wait cumbersome for a booking confirmation via telephone or e-mail for days. With an online booking system, you have everything done in just a few clicks and can take care of other things again. The system also makes it easier for us to manage all bookings and appointments. We therefore consider such a booking system to be absolutely useful both for you and for us.

Which data is processed?

Of course, we cannot tell you exactly which data is processed in this general information about the booking system. This always depends on the tool used and the functions and options it contains. In addition to the traditional booking function, many booking systems also offer a range of other features. For example, many systems have also integrated an external online payment system (e.g. from Stripe, Klarna or PayPal) and a calendar synchronization function. Accordingly, depending on the functions, different and different amounts of data can be processed. Data such as IP address, name and contact details, technical information about your device and the time of a booking are usually processed. If you also make a payment in the system, bank details such as account number, credit card number, passwords, TANs, etc. are also stored and passed on to the respective payment provider. We recommend that you read the respective privacy policy of the tool you use carefully so that you know which data you are actually processing.

Duration of data processing

Each booking system stores data for different lengths of time. For this reason, we are not yet able to provide any specific information about the duration of data processing here. In principle, however, personal data is only ever stored for as long as is absolutely necessary to provide the services. Booking systems usually also use cookies, which store information for different lengths of time. Some cookies are deleted immediately after leaving the site, others can be stored for a few years. You can find out more about this in our “Cookies” section. Please also take a look at the respective privacy policies of the providers. It should explain how long your data will be stored in a specific case.

Right to object

If you have agreed to data processing by a booking system, you always have the option and right to withdraw this consent, of course. Please therefore always be aware that you have rights with regard to your personal data and can also make these rights effective at any time. If you do not want personal data to be processed, then no personal data may be processed. It's as simple as that: The easiest way to revoke data processing is via a cookie consent tool or other opt-out functions offered. For example, you can also manage data storage through cookies directly in your browser. Until you withdraw your consent, the lawfulness of data management remains unaffected.

legal basis

If you have agreed that booking systems may be used, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), it represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur through booking systems.

Furthermore, we also have a legitimate interest in using booking systems, because they enable us to expand our customer service on the one hand and optimize our internal booking organization on the other. The corresponding legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO (legitimate interests). However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent. We absolutely want to have this stated again at this stage.

Information on special booking systems — if available — is available in the following sections.

Calendly privacy policy

We also use the Calendly online booking system. The service provider is the American company Calendly Inc., 115 E. Main St., Ste A1B, Buford, GA 30518, USA.

Calendly also processes data from you in the USA. Calendly is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information about this at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Calendly also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are sample templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if they are transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the Standard Contractual Clauses, Calendly is committed to complying with the European level of data protection 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 by the EU Commission. You can find the resolution and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de.

More information about Calendly's standard contractual clauses can be found in the data processing conditions at https://calendly.com/dpa.

We hope we were able to provide you with the most important information about Calendly's data processing. You can find out more about the data that is processed through the use of Calendly in the privacy policy at https://calendly.com/privacy.

Order Processing Agreement (AVV) Calendly

In accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we have concluded an order processing agreement (AVV) with Calendly. You can read exactly what an AVV is and, in particular, what must be included in an AVV in our general “Order Processing Agreement (AVV)” section.

This contract is required by law because Calendly processes personal data on our behalf. It clarifies that Calendly may only process data that they receive from us in accordance with our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. The link to the order processing agreement (AVV) can be found at https://calendly.com/dpa.

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 terms (such as cookies, IP address). However, we do not want to use them without explanation. Below is an alphabetical list of important terms used, which we may not have addressed sufficiently in the previous privacy policy. If these terms have been taken from the GDPR and they are definitions, we will also quote the GDPR texts here and, if necessary, add our own explanations.

supervisory authority

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Supervisory Authority” an independent public authority established by a Member State in accordance with Article 51;

Explanatory note: “Supervisory authorities” are always state, independent institutions that are also authorized to issue instructions in certain cases. They are used to carry out so-called state supervision and are located in ministries, special departments or other authorities. For data protection in Austria, there is an Austrian Data protection authority, for Germany, there is a separate data protection authority for each federal state.

Contract processor

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

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

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

Supervisory authority concerned

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“supervisory authority concerned” a supervisory authority that is affected by the processing of personal data because

the controller or processor is established in the territory of the Member State of that supervisory authority,

this processing has or may have significant effects on data subjects residing in the Member State of that supervisory authority, or

a complaint has been lodged with that supervisory authority;

Explanatory note: In Germany, every federal state has its own supervisory authority for data protection. If your company headquarters (head office) is therefore in Germany, the respective supervisory authority of the federal state is generally your point of contact. In Austria, there is only one for the entire country Data Protection Supervisory Authority.

Biometric data

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“biometric data” personal data obtained using specific technical processes relating to the physical, physiological or behavioural characteristics of a natural person that enable or confirm the unique identification of that natural person, such as facial images or dactyloscopic data;

Explanatory note: These are biological properties that are described by biometric data and from which personal data can be obtained using technical processes. These include DNA, fingerprints, the geometry of various body parts, body size, but also handwriting or the sound of a voice.

filesystem

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“File system” any structured collection of personal data that is accessible in accordance with specific criteria, regardless of whether that collection is managed centrally, decentrally or functionally or geographically;

Explanatory note: Any organized storage of data on a computer's disk is referred to as a “file system.” For example, if we store your name and email address on a server for our newsletter, this data is in a so-called “file system.” The most important tasks of a “file system” include quickly searching and finding specific data and, of course, securely storing the data.

Information Society Service

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Information Society Service” a service as defined in point 1 (b) of Article 1 of Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council (19);

Explanatory note: Basically, the term “information society” refers to a society that is based on information and communication technologies. As a website visitor in particular, you are familiar with a wide variety of online services and most online services belong to “information society services.” A classic example of this is online transactions, such as buying goods over the Internet.

third

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Third party” a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body other than the data subject, the controller, the processor and the persons who, under the direct responsibility of the controller or processor, are authorized to process the personal data;

Explanatory note: The GDPR basically only explains what a “third party” is not. In practice, anyone who is also interested in personal data but does not belong to the above-mentioned persons, authorities or institutions is a “third party”. For example, a parent company may act as a “third party.” In this case, the subsidiary is responsible and the parent company is a “third party”. However, this does not mean that the parent company may automatically view, collect or store the subsidiary's personal data.

Restriction of processing

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Restriction of processing” marking stored personal data with the aim of restricting their processing in the future;

Explanatory note: It is one of your rights that you can ask processors to restrict your personal data for further processing operations at any time. For this purpose, special personal data such as your name, date of birth or address is marked in such a way that complete further processing is no longer possible. For example, you could restrict processing so that your data can no longer be used for personalized advertising.

consent

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Consent” to the data subject, any voluntary, informed and unequivocal statement of intent in the specific case, in the form of a statement or other unequivocal affirmative act by which the data subject indicates that he or she agrees to the processing of personal data concerning him or her;

Explanatory note: Websites generally provide such consent via a cookie consent tool. I'm sure you know that. Whenever you visit a website for the first time, you will usually be asked via a banner whether you agree or consent to data processing. In most cases, you can also make individual settings and thus decide for yourself which data processing you allow and which you do not. If you do not consent, no personal data about you may be processed. In principle, consent can of course also be given in writing, i.e. not via a tool.

transceivers

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Recipient” a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body to which personal data is disclosed, regardless of whether it is a third party or not. However, public authorities that may receive personal data as part of a specific investigation mandate under Union or Member State law are not considered recipients; the processing of such data by those authorities is carried out in accordance with applicable data protection rules in accordance with the purposes of the processing;

Explanatory note: Every person and every company that receives personal data is considered a recipient. As a result, we and our contract processors are also so-called recipients. Only authorities that have an investigation mandate are not considered recipients.

Genetic data

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“genetic data” personal data on the inherited or acquired genetic characteristics of a natural person, which provide unique information about the physiology or health of that natural person and were obtained in particular from the analysis of a biological sample from the natural person concerned;

Explanatory note: With a certain amount of effort, you can identify people using genetic data. That is why genetic data is also included in the category of personal data. Genetic data is obtained, for example, from blood or saliva samples.

health data

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Health data” personal data relating to the physical or mental health of a natural person, including the provision of health services, and which provide information about their health status;

Explanatory note: Health data therefore includes all stored information relating to your own health. It is often data that is also recorded in a patient record. This includes, for example, which medications you use, x-rays, your entire medical history and, as a rule, your vaccination status.

Cross-border processing

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“cross-border processing” either

processing of personal data carried out as part of the activities of branches of a controller or a processor in the Union in more than one Member State, if the controller or processor is established in more than one Member State, or

processing of personal data carried out as part of the activities of an individual establishment of a controller or processor in the Union, but which has or may have significant effects on data subjects in more than one Member State;

Explanatory note: For example, if a company or other organization has branches in Spain and Croatia and personal data is processed in connection with the activities of the branches, this is “cross-border processing” of personal data. Even if the data is only processed in one country (as in this example in Spain), but the effects for the data subject are also apparent in another country, this is also referred to as “cross-border processing.”

Relevant and reasoned appeal

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“significant and reasoned objection” an objection to a draft decision as to whether there has been an infringement of this Regulation or whether intended action against the controller or processor is in accordance with this Regulation, which clearly shows the extent of the risks posed by the draft decision with regard to the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects and, where appropriate, the free movement of personal data within the Union;

Explanatory note: If certain measures that we take as controllers or our processors are not in accordance with the GDPR, you can raise a so-called “significant and justified objection.” In doing so, you must explain the scope of the risks with regard to your fundamental and civil rights and possibly the free movement of your personal data within the EU.

personal data

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“personal data” any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subject”); identifiable is a natural person who, 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 specific characteristics, expresses the physical, physiological, genetic, psychological, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person, can be identified;

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

name
address
email address
postal address
phone number
birthdate
Identification numbers such as social security number, tax identification number, identity card number or student ID number
Bank details such as account number, credit information, account balances, etc.

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

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

profiling

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Profiling” any type of automated processing of personal data, which consists of using this personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyse or predict aspects relating to that natural person's performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, whereabouts or changes of location;

Explanatory note: Profiling involves collecting various pieces of information about a person in order to find out more about that person. In the web sector, profiling is often used for advertising purposes or even for credit checks. For example, web or advertising analysis programs collect data about your behavior and interests on a website. This results in a special user profile, which can be used to display advertising specifically to a target group.

pseudonymization

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Pseudonymization” the processing of personal data in such a way that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that this additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures to ensure that the personal data is not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person;

Explanatory note: Our privacy policy often mentions pseudonymized data. Pseudonymized data can no longer identify you as a person unless other information is added. However, you should not confuse pseudonymization with anonymization. Anonymization eliminates any personal reference, so that it can really only be reconstructed through a disproportionate amount of technical effort.

undertakings

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Company” a natural and legal person who carries out an economic activity, regardless of its legal form, including partnerships or associations that regularly engage in economic activity;

Explanatory note: For example, we are a company and also carry out an economic activity through our website by offering and selling services and/or products. For every company, there is a legal entity, such as the GmbH or the AG, as a formal characteristic.

group of companies

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Group of Companies” a group consisting of a controlling company and the companies dependent on it;

Explanatory note: In other words, we speak of a “group of companies” when several companies unite, are legally and financially linked to each other, but there is still a central, overarching company. For example, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus VR or Facebook are largely independent companies, but are all subject to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc.

person responsible

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

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

Explanatory note: In our case, we are responsible for processing your personal data and are therefore the “responsible person”. When we share collected data with other service providers for processing, these are “contract processors.” For this, an “Order Processing Agreement (AVV)” must be signed.

workmanship

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Processing” any process or series of operations carried out with or without the aid of automated processes relating to personal data, such as collecting, collecting, organizing, storing, adapting or modifying, reading, querying, using, disclosing through transmission, dissemination or any other form of provision, reconciliation or linking, restriction, deletion or destruction;

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

Binding internal data protection regulations

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“binding internal data protection rules” measures to protect personal data that a controller or processor established in the territory of a Member State undertakes to comply with with regard to data transfers or a category of data transfers of personal data to a controller or processor of the same group of undertakings carrying out a joint economic activity in one or more third countries;

Explanatory note: Perhaps you have heard or read the term “Binding Corporate Rules” before. Because that is the term that usually appears when it comes to binding internal data protection regulations. Especially for companies (such as Google) that process data in third countries, such an internal regulation is recommended, which, as it were, obliges a company itself to comply with data protection regulations. This provision regulates the handling of personal data that is transferred to third countries and also processed there.

Personal data protection violation

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Personal data protection breach” a breach of security that, whether unintentional or unlawful, results in the destruction, loss, alteration, or unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, personal data that has been transmitted, stored, or otherwise processed;

Explanatory note: For example, a “personal data breach” can occur in the event of a data leak, i.e. a technical problem or a cyber attack. If the infringement results in a risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, the person responsible must immediately report the incident to the competent supervisory authority. In addition, data subjects must also be informed if the infringement poses a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons.

representatives

Definition under Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term means:

“Representative” a natural or legal person established in the Union who has been appointed in writing by the controller or processor in accordance with Article 27 and represents the controller or processor with regard to their respective obligations under this Regulation;

Explanatory note: A “representative” can therefore be anyone appointed in writing by us (responsible person) or one of our service providers (contract processor). Companies outside the EU that process data from EU citizens must provide a representative within the EU. For example, if a web analytics provider has a head office in the USA, it must appoint a “representative” within the European Union to represent the duties relating to data processing.

Conclusion

Congratulations! If you're reading these lines, you've really “fought” your way through our entire privacy policy, or at least scrolled all the way to here. As you can see from the scope of our privacy policy, we take the protection of your personal data anything but lightly.
It is important to us to inform you in good faith about the processing of personal data. However, we not only want to tell you which data is being processed, but also to explain the reasons for using various software programs. Privacy policies usually sound very technical and legal. However, since most of you are not web developers or lawyers, we also wanted to take a different linguistic approach and explain the facts in simple and clear language. Of course, this is not always possible due to the subject matter. The most important terms are therefore 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 body. We wish you a great time and hope to see you again on our website soon.

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Source: 2024 Created with the Privacy generator Austria by AdSimple.