Privacy policy

Data protection settings:

Introduction and overview

We have prepared this privacy policy (version 11.09.2024-112870389) in order to provide you with information in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws, which personal data (data for short) we as the controller - and the 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 provide you with comprehensive information about the data we process about you.

Data protection declarations usually sound very technical and use legal jargon. 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, links to further information and Graphics for use. We use it to 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 we provide explanations that are as concise, unclear and legal-technical as possible, as is 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 one or two pieces of information that you did not yet know.
If you still have any questions, please contact the responsible body named below or in the legal notice, follow the links provided and view further information on third-party websites. Our contact details can of course also be found in the legal notice.

Area of application

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

• all online presences (websites, online shops) that we operate
• Social media presence and e-mail communication
• Mobile apps for smartphones and other devices

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

Legal basis

In the following privacy policy, we provide you with transparent information on the legal principles and regulations, i.e. the legal basis of the General Data Protection Regulation, 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. You can of course access this EU General Data Protection Regulation online on EUR-Lex, the access point to EU law, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679 read more.

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

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

Other conditions such as the fulfilment of recording in the public interest and the exercise of official authority as well as the protection of vital interests do not generally arise for us. If such a legal basis is relevant, it will be indicated at the appropriate point.

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

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

If other regional or national laws apply, we will inform you of this 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 person or organisation responsible below:
Johann Strauss Pharmacy Mag. pharm. Manuel Wendl KG
Johann-Strauß-Gasse 32, 1040 Vienna

E-mail: office@johann-strauss-apotheke.at
Telephone: +43 1 505 21 64
Imprint: https://www.johann-strauss-apotheke.at/impressum/

Storage duration

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

If you wish your data to be deleted or revoke your consent to data processing, the data will be deleted as quickly as possible and insofar as there is no obligation to store it.

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

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

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

• According to Article 15 GDPR, you have a right to information about whether we process your data. If this is the case, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and the following information:
  • the purpose for which we carry out the processing;
  • the categories, i.e. the types of data that are processed;
  • who receives this data and, if the data is transferred to third countries, how security can be guaranteed;
  • how long the data will be stored;
  • the existence of the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing and the right to object to processing;
  • that you can lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (links to these authorities can be found below);
  • the origin of the data if we have not collected it from you;
  • whether profiling is carried out, i.e. whether data is automatically analysed in order to create a personal profile of you.
• According to Article 16 GDPR, you have a right to rectification of data, which means that we must correct data if you find errors.
• According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to erasure („right to be forgotten“), which specifically means that you may request the erasure of your data.
• According to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to restriction of processing, which means that we may only store the data but not use it any further.
• According to Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that we will provide you with your data in a commonly used format upon request.
• According to Article 21 GDPR, you have the right to object, which will result in a change in the processing after enforcement.
  • 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 honour 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 for profiling purposes, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may then no longer use your data for profiling.
• Under Article 22 GDPR, you may have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g. profiling).
• According to Article 77 GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint. This means that you can lodge a complaint with the data protection authority at any time if you believe that the processing of your personal data is in breach of the GDPR.

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

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

Austria Data Protection Authority

Manager: Dr Matthias Schmidl
Address: Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna
Telephone no: +43 1 52 152-0
E-mail address: dsb@dsb.gv.at
Website: https://www.dsb.gv.at/

Data transfer to third countries

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

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

Data processing by US services that are not active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework may result in data not being processed and stored in anonymised form. Furthermore, US government authorities may be able to access individual data. In addition, data collected may be linked to data from other services of the same provider if you have a corresponding user account. Where possible, we endeavour to use server locations within the EU if this is offered.
We will inform you in more detail about data transfer to third countries, if applicable, in the appropriate sections of this privacy policy.

Security of data processing

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

Art. 25 GDPR speaks here of “data protection by design and by default” and thus means that both software (e.g. forms) and hardware (e.g. access to the server room) should always be designed with security in mind and appropriate measures should be taken. If necessary, we will discuss 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 transmit data tap-proof on the Internet.
This means that the complete transmission of all data from your browser to our web server is secured - nobody can “listen in”.

We have thus introduced an additional layer of security and fulfil data protection through technology design (Article 25(1) GDPR). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission on the Internet, we can ensure the protection of confidential data.
You can recognise the use of this data transmission security by the small lock symbol at the top left of the browser, to the left of the Internet address (e.g. examplepage.com) 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 a Google search for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure wiki” to get good links to further information.

Communication

Communication Summary 👥 Data subjects: Anyone who communicates with us by phone, email or online form 📓 Processed data: e.g. telephone number, name, email address, form data entered. You can find more details on this in the respective contact type used 🤝 Purpose: Handling communication with customers, business partners, etc. 📅 Storage period: Duration of the business case and the statutory provisions ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

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

The data is processed for the handling and processing of your enquiry and the associated business transaction. The data will be stored for as long as required by law.

Persons concerned

All those who seek contact with us via the communication channels provided by us are affected by the aforementioned processes.

Telephone

When you call us, the call data is stored pseudonymised on the respective end device and with the telecommunications provider used. In addition, data such as your name and telephone number may subsequently be sent by e-mail and stored for the purpose of responding to your enquiry. The data is deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements permit.

e-mail

If you communicate with us by e-mail, data may be stored on the respective end device (computer, laptop, smartphone, etc.) and data may be stored on the e-mail server. The data will be deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements permit.

Online forms

If you communicate with us using an online form, data is stored on our web server and may be forwarded to one of our e-mail addresses. The data will be deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements permit.

Legal basis

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

• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent): You give us your consent to store your data and to use it for purposes relating to the business transaction;
• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract): It is necessary for the fulfilment of a contract with you or a processor, such as the telephone provider, or we need to process the data for pre-contractual activities, such as the preparation of an offer;
• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests): We want to handle customer enquiries and business communication in a professional manner. This requires certain technical facilities such as email programmes, exchange servers and mobile network operators in order to operate communication efficiently.

Order processing contract (AVV)

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

Who are processors?

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

To make the terminology easier to understand, here is an overview of the three roles in the GDPR:

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

Content of an order processing contract

As mentioned above, we have concluded a DPA with our partners who act as processors. This states above all that the processor processes the data to be processed exclusively in accordance with the GDPR. The contract must be concluded in writing, although the electronic conclusion of the contract is also considered „written“ in this context. The processing of personal data only takes place on the basis of the contract. The contract must contain the following:

• Commitment to us as the responsible party
• Obligations and rights of the controller
• Categories of affected persons
• Type of personal data
• Nature and purpose of data processing
• Purpose and duration of data processing
• Place of data processing

The contract also contains all the obligations of the processor. The most important obligations are

• Ensure data security measures
• take possible technical and organisational measures to protect the rights of the data subject
• to maintain a data processing directory
• to cooperate with the data protection supervisory authority at its request
• carry out a risk analysis in relation to the personal data received
• Sub-processors may only be commissioned with the written authorisation of the controller

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

Cookies

Cookies summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: depending on the respective cookie. You can find more details on this below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📓 Processed data: Depending on the cookie used. You can find more details on this below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📅 Storage duration: depends on the respective cookie, 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.
Below we explain what cookies are and why they are used so that you can better understand the following privacy policy.

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

One thing cannot be denied: Cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, 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, the “brain” of your browser, so to speak. 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 following graphic shows a possible interaction between a web browser such as Chrome and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie back from the server, which the browser uses again as soon as another page is requested.

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

Cookie data can look like this, for example:

Name: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152112870389-9
Intended use: Differentiation of website visitors
Expiry date: after 2 years

A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:

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

What types of cookies are there?

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

A distinction can be made between 4 types of cookies:

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

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

Target-orientated cookies
These cookies ensure better user-friendliness. 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 customised advertising to the user. This can be very practical, but also very annoying.

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

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

Purpose of processing via cookies

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

What data is processed?

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

Storage duration of cookies

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

You can also influence the storage period yourself. You can delete all cookies manually at any time via your browser (see also “Right to object” below). Furthermore, cookies that are based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you withdraw your consent, whereby the legality of the storage until then remains unaffected.

Right to object - how can I delete cookies?

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

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

Chrome: Delete, activate 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: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Deleting and managing cookies

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

Legal basis

The so-called „cookie guidelines“ have been in place since 2009. This stipulates that the storage of cookies is a Consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR) from you. However, there are still very different reactions to these directives within the EU countries. In Austria, however, this directive was implemented in Section 165 (3) of the Telecommunications Act (2021). In Germany, the cookie directives have not been implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG), which has been replaced by the Digital Services Act (DDG) since May 2024.

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

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

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

Webhosting introduction

Webhosting summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: professional hosting of the website and securing its operation 📓 Processed data: IP address, time of website visit, browser used and other data. You can find more details on this below or from the web hosting provider used. 📅 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 these days, certain information - including personal data - is automatically generated and stored, including on this website. This data should be processed as sparingly as possible and only with justification. By website, by the way, we mean the entirety of all web pages on a domain, i.e. everything from the start page (homepage) to the very last subpage (like this one). By domain we mean, for example, example.de or example.com.

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

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

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

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

Why do we process personal data?

The purposes of data processing are:

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

What data is processed?

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

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

How long is data stored?

As a rule, the above-mentioned data is stored for a fortnight and then automatically deleted. We do not pass this data on, but we cannot rule out the possibility of this data being viewed by the authorities in the event of unlawful behaviour.

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

Legal basis

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

As a rule, there is 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 Analytics Introduction

Web Analytics privacy policy summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimise the website. 📓 Processed data: Access statistics containing data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behaviour, click behaviour and IP addresses. You can find more details on this in the web analytics tool used. 📅 Storage duration: depending 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?

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

Why do we use web analytics?

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

What data is processed?

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

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

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

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

Duration of data processing

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

Right of objection

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

Legal basis

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

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analysing the behaviour of website visitors in order to improve our website technically and economically. With the help of web analytics, we recognise errors on the website, can identify attacks and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Nevertheless, we only use the tools if you have given your consent.

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

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

Google Analytics privacy policy

Google Analytics privacy policy summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimise the website. 📓 Processed data: Access statistics containing data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behaviour and click behaviour. You can find more details on this below in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage duration: individually adjustable, by default Google Analytics stores 4 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 in the version Google Analytics 4 (GA4) of the American company Google Inc. For the European area, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. However, by combining various technologies such as cookies, device IDs and login information, you can be identified as a user across different devices. This means that your actions can also be analysed across platforms.

For example, when you click on a link, this event is stored in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. The reports we receive from Google Analytics enable us to better customise our website and our service to your wishes. In the following, we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and inform you in particular about which data is processed and how you can prevent this.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool used to analyse the traffic on our website. 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 an end device. GA4 uses an event-based model that records detailed information on user interactions such as page views, clicks, scrolling and conversion events. GA4 also incorporates various machine learning functions to better understand user behaviour and certain trends. GA4 relies on modelling with the help of machine learning functions. This means that missing data can also be extrapolated on the basis of the collected data in order to optimise the analysis and also to be able to make forecasts.

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

• Target group reports: We use target group reports to 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 analyse and improve our online advertising.
• Acquisition reports: Acquisition reports provide us with helpful information on how we can get more people interested in our service.
• Behavioural reports: Here we learn how you interact with our website. We can track which route you take on our site and which links you click on.
• Conversion reports: Conversion is a process in which you perform a desired action as a result of a marketing message. For example, when you go from being just a website visitor to a buyer or newsletter subscriber. With the help of these reports, we learn more about how our marketing measures are received by you. This is how we want to increase our conversion rate.
• Real-time reports: Here we always know immediately what is happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.

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

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

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

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

The statistically analysed data gives us a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of our website. On the one hand, we can optimise our site so that it can be found more easily by interested people 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 linked to your browser cookie. This allows Google Analytics to recognise you as a new user and assign you a user ID. The next time you visit our site, you will be recognised as a „returning“ user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID. This makes it possible to analyse pseudonymous user profiles.

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

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

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

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

Name: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152112870389-5
Intended use: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the user ID. It is basically used to differentiate between website visitors.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152112870389-1
Intended use: The cookie is also used to differentiate between website visitors
Expiry date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_
Value: 1
Intended use: Used to lower the request rate. If Google Analytics is provided via the Google Tag Manager, this cookie is given the name _dc_gtm_ .
Expiry date: after 1 minute

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

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

Heatmaps: Google creates so-called heatmaps. Heatmaps allow you to see exactly those areas that you click on. This gives us information about where you are „travelling“ on our site.

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

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

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

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

Technical information: The technical information includes your browser type, your internet provider or your screen resolution.

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

Other data includes contact details, any ratings, the playing of media (e.g. when you play a video on our site), the sharing of content via social media or adding it to your favourites. The list is not exhaustive and is only intended to provide a general overview of data storage by Google Analytics.

How long and where is the data stored?

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

Your data is distributed on different physical data carriers. This has the advantage that the data can be retrieved more quickly and is better protected against manipulation. Every Google data centre has appropriate emergency programmes for your data. If, for example, the hardware at Google fails or natural disasters paralyse servers, the risk of a service interruption at Google remains low.

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

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

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

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

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

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

Legal basis

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

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analysing the behaviour of website visitors in order to improve our offer technically and economically. With the help of Google Analytics, we recognise errors on the website, can identify attacks and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Nevertheless, we only use Google Analytics if you have given your consent.

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

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

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

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

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

Data processing agreement (DPA) Google Analytics

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with Google in accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can find out exactly what a DPA is and, in particular, what must be included in a DPA in our general section „Data processing agreement (DPA)“.

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

Google Analytics IP anonymisation

We have implemented IP address anonymisation from Google Analytics on this website. This function was developed by Google so that this website can comply with the applicable data protection regulations and recommendations of the local data protection authorities if they prohibit the storage of the full IP address. The anonymisation or masking of the IP takes place as soon as the IP addresses arrive in the Google Analytics data collection network and before any storage or processing of the data takes place.

You can find more information on IP anonymisation at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2763052?hl=de.

Email marketing introduction

Email marketing summary 👥 Affected parties: Newsletter subscribers 🤝 Purpose: Direct advertising by e-mail, notification of system-relevant events 📓 Processed data: Data entered during registration, but at least the email address. You can find more details on this in the email marketing tool used. 📅 Storage period: Duration of the existence of the subscription ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is email marketing?

In order to keep you up to date, we also use the option of e-mail marketing. If you have consented to receiving our emails or newsletters, your data will also be processed and stored. Email marketing is a sub-area of online marketing. It involves sending news or general information about a company, products or services by e-mail to a specific group of people who are interested in them.

If you want to take part in our e-mail marketing (usually by newsletter), you normally just need to register with your e-mail address. To do this, you fill in an online form and send it off. However, we may also ask you to provide your title and name so that we can write to you personally.

Basically, the registration for newsletters works with the help of the so-called „double opt-in procedure“. After you have registered for our newsletter on our website, you will receive an e-mail confirming your newsletter registration. This ensures that the e-mail address belongs to you and that no-one has registered with a third-party e-mail address. We or a notification tool used by us logs each individual registration. This is necessary so that we can prove that the registration process is legally correct. As a rule, the time of registration, the time of registration confirmation and your IP address are saved. In addition, it is also logged when you make changes to your stored data.

Why do we use email marketing?

We naturally want to stay in contact with you and always provide you with the most important news about our company. To do this, we use email marketing - often simply referred to as “newsletters” - as an essential part of our online marketing. If you agree to this or if it is permitted by law, we will send you newsletters, system e-mails or other notifications by e-mail. When we use the term „newsletter“ in the following text, we mainly mean e-mails sent regularly. Of course, we do not want to bother you in any way with our newsletters. That is why we always endeavour to offer only relevant and interesting content. For example, you can find out more about our company, our services or products. As we are constantly improving our offers, you will always find out via our newsletter when there is news or when we are offering special, lucrative promotions. If we commission a service provider who offers a professional dispatch tool for our email marketing, we do so in order to be able to offer you fast and secure newsletters. The purpose of our email marketing is basically to inform you about new offers and also to achieve our corporate goals.

What data is processed?

If you become a subscriber to our newsletter via our website, you confirm your membership of an e-mail list by e-mail. In addition to your IP address and e-mail address, your title, name, address and telephone number may also be stored. However, only if you consent to this data storage. The data marked as such is necessary so that you can participate in the service offered. Providing this information is voluntary, but if you do not provide it, you will not be able to use the service. In addition, information about your device or your favourite content on our website may also be stored. You can find out more about the storage of data when you visit a website in the “Automatic data storage” section. We record your declaration of consent so that we can always prove that it complies with our laws.

Duration of data processing

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

However, if you confirm that you have given us your consent to subscribe to the newsletter, you can submit an individual cancellation request at any time. If you permanently revoke your consent, we reserve the right to store your e-mail address in a blacklist. As long as you have voluntarily subscribed to our newsletter, we will of course retain your e-mail address.

Right of objection

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

Legal basis

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

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

rapidmail privacy policy

rapidmail privacy policy summary 👥 Affected parties: Newsletter subscribers 🤝 Purpose: direct marketing by e-mail, notification of relevant events 📓 Processed data: Data entered during registration, but at least the e-mail address. 📅 Storage period: Duration of the existence of the subscription ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is rapidmail?

We use rapidmail on our website, a service for our email marketing. The service provider is the German company rapidmail GmbH, Augustinerplatz 2, 79098 Freiburg, Germany.

The company was founded in Freiburg in 2008 by Sven Kummer to enable simple newsletter marketing for companies. A few years later, the company released the first rapidmail plugins to enable online shops to handle the email process and data transfer more efficiently. Especially after the GDPR came into force in 2018, the company placed particular emphasis on data protection in order to offer a 100% GDPR-compliant product. In 2019, rapidmail breaks the 100,000 customer mark, gets another office in Berlin and, with Steffen Müllers, another Managing Director. In 2021, rapidmail already has over 200,000 customers and is part of the Positive Group. Also in 2021, Keyed becomes a data protection partner to ensure that the rapidmail software remains GDPR-compliant even with every new legal change.

Why do we use rapidmail on our website?

Basically, we use a newsletter service to keep in touch with you. We want to tell you what's new with us or what attractive offers we currently have in our programme. We always look for the simplest and best solutions for our marketing measures. Rapidmail offers user-friendly and GDPR-compliant software that fits our requirements perfectly. That's why we opted for rapidmail's service. Although the software is very easy to use, it offers a large number of helpful features. For example, we can design our newsletters in our corporate design, manage our contacts easily and the system can also be integrated into shop systems via the newsletter plugins.

The email marketing service also offers us helpful analysis options. This means that when we send out a newsletter, we find out, for example, whether and when the newsletter was opened by you. The software also recognises and records whether and on which link you click in the newsletter. This information helps us enormously to adapt and optimise our service to your wishes and concerns. After all, we naturally want to offer you the best possible service.

What data is processed by rapidmail?

If you become a subscriber to our newsletter via our website, you confirm your membership of a rapidmail e-mail list by e-mail. So that rapidmail can also prove that you have registered with the „list provider“, the date and time of registration and your IP address are stored.

With the help of rapidmail, we can always keep you up to date with first-hand information about what is going on in our company. However, you should be aware that when you register for the newsletter, all the data you enter (such as your e-mail address or your first name and surname) will be stored and managed by rapidmail. This also involves personal data. During the registration process, you also consent to us sending you the newsletter and reference is also made to this privacy policy. Furthermore, data such as click behaviour in the newsletter may also be processed. This information is used to send you emails and to enable certain other rapidmail functions (such as analysing the newsletter). The data will not be passed on to third parties unless there is a legal obligation to do so.

How long and where is the data stored?

Your data will be deleted from our servers and those of rapidmail when you have cancelled your subscription to the newsletter or when you have unsubscribed from the newsletter. There are of course exceptions, especially if legal obligations require the data to be stored for longer.

rapidmail uses a German data centre with the highest security standards for data storage. This means that your data is in safe hands and is stored exclusively on servers in Germany and is not passed on to third parties.

Right of objection

You have the option of cancelling your newsletter subscription at any time. All you have to do is revoke your consent to the newsletter subscription. This usually only takes a few seconds or one or two clicks. You will usually find a link to cancel your newsletter subscription at the end of every email. If you really cannot find the link in the newsletter, please contact us by email and we will cancel your newsletter subscription immediately. After cancellation, the personal data will be deleted from our server and from the rapidmail servers. You have a right to free information about your stored data and, if necessary, a right to cancellation, blocking or correction.

Legal basis

If you have consented to rapidmail being used, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when rapidmail collects it. We also have a legitimate interest in using rapidmail to optimise our online service and to design attractive and informative newsletters for you. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). If consent is not required, the newsletter is sent on the basis of the legitimate interest in direct marketing (Article 6(1)(f)), if this is permitted by law. We record your registration process so that we can always prove that it complies with our laws.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of rapidmail in the privacy policy on https://www.rapidmail.at/datenschutz.

Order processing contract (AVV) Rapidmail

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with Rapidmail in accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can find out exactly what a DPA is and, in particular, what must be included in a DPA in our general section „Data processing agreement (DPA)“.

This contract is required by law because Rapidmail processes personal data on our behalf. It clarifies that Rapidmail may only process data that it receives from us in accordance with our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. You can find the link to the order processing contract (AVV) at https://www.rapidmail.de/hilfe/datenschutzvertrag-nach-eu-dsgvo-abschliessen.

Cookie Consent Management Platform Introduction

Cookie Consent Management Platform Summary 👥 Affected parties: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: Obtaining and managing consent for certain cookies and thus the use of certain tools 📓 Processed data: Data for managing the cookie settings such as IP address, time of consent, type of consent, individual consents. You can find more details on this in the respective tool used. 📅 Storage duration: Depends on the tool used, you have to 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 to make it easier for us and you to handle scripts and cookies correctly and securely. The software automatically creates a cookie pop-up, scans and checks 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 categorise all existing cookies. As a website visitor, you then decide for yourself whether and which scripts and cookies you allow or disallow. The following graphic illustrates the relationship between browser, web server and CMP.

Why do we use a cookie management tool?

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

What data is processed?

As part of our cookie management tool, you can manage each individual cookie yourself and have complete control over the storage and processing of your data. The declaration of your 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. The storage period of your cookie consent varies depending on the provider of the cookie management tool. In most cases, this data (e.g. pseudonymised user ID, time of consent, details of cookie categories or tools, browser, device information) is stored for up to two years.

Duration of data processing

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

Right of objection

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

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

Legal basis

If you consent to cookies, your personal data will be processed and stored via these cookies. If we are informed by your Consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR), this consent is also the legal basis for the use of cookies and the processing of your data. Cookie consent management platform software is used to manage consent to cookies and to enable you to give your consent. The use of this software enables us to efficiently operate the website in a legally compliant manner, which is a Legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

BorlabsCookie privacy policy

We use BorlabsCookie on our website, which is, among other things, a tool for storing your cookie consent. The service provider is the German company Borlabs - Benjamin A. Bornschein, Rübenkamp 32, 22305 Hamburg, Germany.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of BorlabsCookie in the Privacy Policy on https://de.borlabs.io/datenschutz/.

Security & Anti-Spam

Security & Anti-Spam Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: cyber security 📓 Processed data: Data such as your IP address, name or technical data such as browser version You can find more details on this below and in the individual data protection texts. 📅 Storage period: Most of the data is stored until it is no longer required for the fulfilment of the service ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is security & anti-spam software?

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

Why do we use security & anti-spam software?

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

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

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

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below if we have further information on this. For example, security programmes store data until you or we revoke the data storage. In general, personal data is only stored for as long as is absolutely necessary for the provision of the services. Unfortunately, in many cases we do not receive precise information from the providers about the length of storage.

Right of objection

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

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

Legal basis

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

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

Information on special tools - if available - can be found in the following sections.

Google reCAPTCHA privacy policy

Google reCAPTCHA privacy policy summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimisation of our service performance and protection against cyber attacks 📓 Processed data: Data such as IP address, browser information, your operating system, limited location and usage data You can find more details below in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage duration: depending on the stored data ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is reCAPTCHA?

Our primary goal is to secure and protect our website in the best possible way for you and for us. To ensure this, we use Google reCAPTCHA from Google Inc. For the European region, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. With reCAPTCHA we can determine whether you are really a flesh and blood person and not a robot or other spam software. By spam we mean any unsolicited information that is sent to us electronically. With the classic CAPTCHAS, you usually had to solve text or picture puzzles for verification. With reCAPTCHA from Google, we don't usually have to bother you with such puzzles. In most cases, it is enough to simply tick a box to confirm that you are not a bot. With the new Invisible reCAPTCHA version, you no longer even have to tick the box. You can find out exactly how this works and, above all, which data is used for this in the course of this privacy policy.

reCAPTCHA is a free captcha service from Google that protects websites from spam software and misuse by non-human visitors. This service is most commonly used when you fill out forms on the Internet. A Captcha service is a type of automatic Turing test that is designed to ensure that an action on the Internet is performed by a human and not by a bot. In the classic Turing test (named after the computer scientist Alan Turing), a human determines the difference between a bot and a human. With captchas, the computer or a software programme also does this. Classic captchas work with small tasks that are easy for humans to solve but present considerable difficulties for machines. With reCAPTCHA, you no longer have to actively solve puzzles. The tool uses modern risk techniques to distinguish humans from bots. All you have to do is tick the „I am not a robot“ text box or, with Invisible reCAPTCHA, even that is no longer necessary. With reCAPTCHA, a JavaScript element is integrated into the source code and then the tool runs in the background and analyses your user behaviour. The software calculates a so-called captcha score from these user actions. Google uses this score to calculate the probability that you are human even before you enter the captcha. reCAPTCHA or captchas in general are always used when bots could manipulate or abuse certain actions (e.g. registrations, surveys, etc.).

Why do we use reCAPTCHA on our website?

We only want to welcome people of flesh and blood on our site. Bots and spam software of all kinds can safely stay at home. That's why we do everything we can to protect ourselves and offer you the best possible user-friendliness. For this reason, we use Google reCAPTCHA from Google. This way we can be pretty sure that we remain a „bot-free“ website. By using reCAPTCHA, data is transmitted to Google in order to determine whether you are actually a human being. reCAPTCHA therefore serves to ensure the security of our website and, by extension, your security. For example, without reCAPTCHA it could happen that a bot registers as many e-mail addresses as possible during registration in order to subsequently „spam“ forums or blogs with unwanted advertising content. With reCAPTCHA we can prevent such bot attacks.

What data is stored by reCAPTCHA?

reCAPTCHA collects personal data from users in order to determine whether the actions on our website actually originate from people. The IP address and other data that Google requires for the reCAPTCHA service may therefore be sent to Google. IP addresses are almost always truncated within the member states of the EU or other signatory states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area before the data is sent to a server in the USA. The IP address is not combined with other Google data unless you are logged in with your Google account while using reCAPTCHA. First, the reCAPTCHA algorithm checks whether Google cookies from other Google services (YouTube, Gmail, etc.) have already been placed on your browser. Then reCAPTCHA sets an additional cookie in your browser and takes a snapshot of your browser window.

The following list of collected browser and user data does not claim to be exhaustive. Rather, they are examples of data that, to our knowledge, are processed by Google.

• Referrer URL (the address of the page from which the visitor comes)
• IP address (e.g. 256.123.123.1)
• Information about the operating system (the software that enables your computer to operate. Common operating systems are Windows, Mac OS X or Linux)
• Cookies (small text files that store data in your browser)
• Mouse and keyboard behaviour (every action you perform with the mouse or keyboard is saved)
• Date and language settings (which language or date you have preset on your PC is saved)
• All JavaScript objects (JavaScript is a programming language that enables websites to customise themselves to the user. JavaScript objects can collect all kinds of data under one name)
• Screen resolution (indicates how many pixels the image display consists of)

It is undisputed that Google uses and analyses this data even before you click on the „I am not a robot“ checkbox. With the Invisible reCAPTCHA version, you don't even have to tick the box and the entire recognition process runs in the background. Google does not tell you in detail exactly how much and what data it stores.

The following cookies are used by reCAPTCHA: Here we refer to the reCAPTCHA demo version from Google at https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/demo. All these cookies require a unique identifier for tracking purposes. Here is a list of cookies that Google reCAPTCHA has set on the demo version:

Name: IDE
Value: WqTUmlnmv_qXyi_DGNPLESKnRNrpgXoy1K-pAZtAkMbHI-112870389-8
Intended use: This cookie is set by the company DoubleClick (also owned by Google) to register and report the actions of a user on the website when interacting with adverts. This enables the effectiveness of advertising to be measured and appropriate optimisation measures to be taken. IDE is stored in browsers under the domain doubleclick.net.
Expiry date: after one year

Name: 1P_JAR
Value: 2019-5-14-12
Intended use: This cookie collects statistics on website usage and measures conversions. A conversion occurs, for example, when a user becomes a buyer. The cookie is also used to display relevant adverts to users. The cookie can also be used to prevent a user from seeing the same advert more than once.
Expiry date: after one month

Name: ANID
Value: U7j1v3dZa1128703890xgZFmiqWppRWKOr
Intended use: We were unable to find out much information about this cookie. In Google's privacy policy, the cookie is mentioned in connection with „advertising cookies“ such as “DSID”, “FLC”, “AID”, “TAID”. ANID is stored under domain google.com.
Expiry date: after 9 months

Name: CONSENT
Value: YES+AT.de+20150628-20-0
Intended use: The cookie stores the status of a user's consent to the use of various Google services. CONSENT is also used for security purposes to verify users, prevent fraudulent login information and protect user data from unauthorised attacks.
Expiry date: after 19 years

Name: NID
Value: 0WmuWqy112870389zILzqV_nmt3sDXwPeM5Q
Intended use: NID is used by Google to customise adverts to your Google searches. With the help of the cookie, Google „remembers“ your most frequently entered search queries or your previous interaction with adverts. This means you always receive customised adverts. The cookie contains a unique ID to collect the user's personal settings for advertising purposes.
Expiry date: after 6 months

Name: DV
Value: gEAABBCjJMXcI0dSAAAANbqc112870389-4
Intended use: As soon as you have ticked the „I am not a robot“ box, this cookie will be set. The cookie is used by Google Analytics for personalised advertising. DV collects information in anonymised form and is also used to make user distinctions.
Expiry date: after 10 minutes

Remark: This list cannot claim to be exhaustive, as experience has shown that Google changes its choice of cookies from time to time.

How long and where is the data stored?

By inserting reCAPTCHA, data is transferred from you to the Google server. Where exactly this data is stored is not made clear by Google, even after repeated requests. Without having received confirmation from Google, it can be assumed that data such as mouse interaction, time spent on the website or language settings are stored on the European or American Google servers. The IP address that your browser transmits to Google is not merged with other Google data from other Google services. However, if you are logged in to your Google account while using the reCAPTCHA plug-in, the data will be merged. The deviating data protection provisions of Google apply.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

If you do not want any data about you and your behaviour to be transmitted to Google, you must log out of Google completely and delete all Google cookies before you visit our website or use the reCAPTCHA software. In principle, the data is automatically transmitted to Google as soon as you visit our website. To delete this data again, you must contact Google support at  https://support.google.com/?hl=de&tid=112870389 contact.

By using our website, you consent to the automatic collection, processing and use of data by Google LLC and its representatives.

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

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of Google reCAPTCHA, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when Google reCAPTCHA is used to collect data.

We also have a legitimate interest in using Google reCAPTCHA to optimise our online service and make it more secure. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Nevertheless, we only use Google reCAPTCHA if you have given your consent.

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

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

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

You can find out more about reCAPTCHA on Google's web developer page at https://developers.google.com/recaptcha/. Google does go into more detail about the technical development of reCAPTCHA here, but you will search in vain for precise information about data storage and data protection issues. A good overview of the basic use of data at Google can be found in the company's own privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Audio & Video Introduction

Audio & Video Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimisation of our service performance 📓 Processed data: Data such as contact details, user behaviour data, information about your device and your IP address may be stored. You can find more details on this below in the corresponding data protection texts. 📅 Storage period: Data is generally stored for as long as it is required for the purpose of the service ⚖️ Legal basis: 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 and video elements on 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 corresponding servers of the providers.

These are integrated functional elements from 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 watch the respective content via our website.

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

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 realise that content is no longer just 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. We therefore offer video and/or audio content in addition to our texts and images.

What data is stored by audio & video elements?

When you access a page on our website that has an embedded video, for example, your server connects to the server of the service provider. Your data is also transferred to the third-party provider and stored there. Some data is collected and stored regardless of whether you have an account with the third-party provider or not. This usually includes your IP address, browser type, operating system and other general information about your end device. In addition, most providers also collect information about your web activity. This includes, for example, session duration, bounce rate, which button you clicked on or which website you used to access the service. All this information is usually stored via cookies or pixel tags (also known as web beacons). Pseudonymised 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 servers of the third-party providers 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 for the provision of our services or products. This generally also applies to third-party providers. In most cases, you can assume that certain data will be stored on the servers of third-party providers for several years. Data can be stored for different lengths of time, especially in cookies. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, while others may be stored in your browser for several years.

Right of objection

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

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

Legal basis

If you have consented to your data being processed and stored by integrated audio and video elements, this consent is 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) We store and process your data for the purpose of fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. Nevertheless, we only use the integrated audio and video elements if you have given your consent.

YouTube privacy policy

YouTube privacy policy summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimisation of our service performance 📓 Processed data: Data such as contact details, user behaviour data, information about your device and your IP address may be stored. You can find more details below in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: Data is generally stored for as long as it is required for the purpose of the service ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is YouTube?

We have integrated YouTube videos on our website. This allows us to present interesting videos directly on our site. YouTube is a video portal that has been a subsidiary of Google since 2006. The video portal is operated by YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. When you access a page on our website that has an embedded YouTube video, your browser automatically connects to the YouTube or Google servers. Various data will be transmitted (depending on the 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 what data is processed, why we have integrated YouTube videos and how you can manage or delete your data.

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

Why do we use YouTube videos on our website?

YouTube is the video platform with the most visitors and the best content. We endeavour to offer you the best possible user experience on our website. And of course, interesting videos are a must. With the help of our embedded videos, we provide you with further helpful content in addition to our texts and images. The embedded videos also make our website easier to find on the Google search engine. Even if we place adverts via Google Ads, Google can - thanks to the data collected - only show these adverts to people who are interested in our offers.

What data is stored by YouTube?

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

If you are not logged into a Google account or a 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 the browser in a test. On the one hand, we show cookies that are set without a logged-in YouTube account. On the other hand, we show cookies that are set with a logged-in account. The list cannot claim to be exhaustive because the user data always depends on the interactions on YouTube.

Name: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5Y112870389-1
Intended use: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the video viewed.
Expiry date: after the end of the meeting

Name: PREF
Value: f1=50000000
Intended use: This cookie also registers your unique ID. Google receives statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our website via PREF.
Expiry date: after 8 months

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

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

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

Name: APISID
Value: zILlvClZSkqGsSwI/AU1aZI6HY7112870389-
Intended use: This cookie is used to create a profile of your interests. The data is used for personalised advertisements.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: CONSENT
Value: YES+AT.de+20150628-20-0
Intended use: The cookie stores the status of a user's consent to the use of various Google services. CONSENT is also used for security purposes to check users and protect user data from unauthorised attacks.
Expiry date: after 19 years

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

Name: LOGIN_INFO
Value: AFmmF2swRQIhALl6aL...
Intended use: Information about your login data is stored in this cookie.
Expiry date: after 2 years

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

Name: SID
Value: oQfNKjAsI112870389-
Intended use: This cookie stores your Google Account ID and your last login time in digitally signed and encrypted form.
Expiry date: after 2 years

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

How long and where is the data stored?

The data that YouTube receives from you and processes is stored on Google servers. Most of these servers are located in America. At https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de you can see exactly where the Google data centres are located. Your data is distributed across the servers. This means that the data can be accessed more quickly and is better protected against manipulation.

Google stores the data collected for different lengths of time. You can delete some data at any time, others are automatically deleted after a limited time and others are stored by Google for a longer period of time. Some data (such as elements from „My activity“, photos or documents, products) that are stored in your Google account remain stored until you delete them. Even if you are not signed in to a Google Account, you can delete some data that is linked to your device, browser or app.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

In principle, you can delete data in your Google account manually. With the automatic deletion function for location and activity data introduced in 2019, information is stored for either 3 or 18 months, depending on your decision, and then deleted.

Regardless of whether you have a Google account or not, you can configure your browser so that cookies are deleted or deactivated by Google. Depending on which browser you use, this works in different ways. In the „Cookies“ section, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers.

If you generally do not want to have cookies, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be set. This allows you to decide for each individual cookie whether you want to allow it or not.

Legal basis

If you have consented to your data being processed and stored by integrated YouTube elements, this consent is 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) We store and process your data for the purpose of fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. Nevertheless, 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 data protection text on cookies carefully and consult the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

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

Google also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, 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 of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here: 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/.

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

YouTube Subscribe Button Privacy Policy

We have integrated the YouTube subscribe button on our website. You can usually recognise the button by the classic YouTube logo. The logo shows the words „Subscribe“ or „YouTube“ in white lettering against a red background and the white „Play“ symbol to the left. However, the button can also be displayed in a different design.

Our YouTube channel always offers you funny, interesting or exciting videos. With the built-in „Subscribe“ button, you can subscribe to our channel directly from our website without having to go to the YouTube website. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to access our extensive content. Please note that YouTube may store and process your data as a result.

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

Name: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5112870389Y
Intended use: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the video viewed.
Expiry date: after the end of the meeting

Name: PREF
Value: f1=50000000
Intended use: This cookie also registers your unique ID. Google receives statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our website via PREF.
Expiry date: after 8 months

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

Name: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
Value: 11287038995Chz8bagyU
Intended use: This cookie attempts to estimate the user's bandwidth on our websites (with integrated YouTube video).
Expiry date: after 8 months

Remark: These cookies were set after a test and cannot claim to be exhaustive.

If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can save many of your actions/interactions on our website with the help of cookies and assign them to your YouTube account. For example, YouTube receives information about how long you surf on our site, which browser type you use, which screen resolution you prefer or which actions you perform.

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

Online map services Introduction

Online map services Privacy policy summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Improvement of the user experience 📓 Processed data: Which data is processed depends heavily on the services used. It is usually IP address, location data, search items and/or technical data. You can find more details on this in the respective tools used. 📅 Storage duration: depending on the tools used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are online map services?

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

Why do we use online map services on our website?

Generally speaking, our aim is to offer you a pleasant time on our website. And of course, your time is only enjoyable if you can easily find your way around our website and find all the information you need quickly and easily. That's why we thought that an online map system could significantly optimise our service on the website. Without leaving our website, you can use the map system to easily view route descriptions, locations or even places of interest. Of course, it is also very practical that you can see at a glance where we are based so that you can find us quickly and safely. As you can see, there are simply many advantages and we clearly regard online map services on our website as part of our customer service.

What data is stored by online map services?

When you open a page on our website that has a built-in online map function, personal data may be transmitted to the respective service and stored there. In most cases, this is your IP address, which can also be used to determine your approximate location. In addition to the IP address, data such as search terms entered and longitude and latitude coordinates are also stored. If you enter an address for route planning, for example, this data is also stored. The data is not stored by us, but on the servers of the integrated tools. You can imagine it like this: You are on our website, but when you interact with a map service, this interaction actually happens on their website. In order for the service to function properly, at least one cookie is usually set in your browser. Google Maps, for example, also uses cookies to record user behaviour in order to optimise its own service and display personalised advertising. You can find out more about cookies in our „Cookies“ section.

How long and where is the data stored?

Each online map service processes different user data. If we have further information, we will inform you about the duration of data processing below in the relevant sections on the individual tools. In principle, personal data is only stored for as long as is necessary for the provision of the service. Google Maps, for example, stores certain data for a specified period of time, while you must delete other data yourself. With Mapbox, for example, the IP address is stored for 30 days and then deleted. As you can see, each tool stores data for different lengths of time. We therefore recommend that you take a close look at the privacy policies of the tools you use.

The providers also use cookies to store data on your user behaviour with the map service. You can find more general information on cookies in our „Cookies“ section, but you can also find out which cookies may be used in the data protection texts of the individual providers. In most cases, however, this is only an exemplary list and is not complete.

Right of objection

You always have the possibility and also the right to access your personal data and also to object to its use and processing. You can also withdraw the consent you have given us at any time. As a rule, the easiest way to do this is via the cookie consent tool. However, there are also other opt-out tools that you can use. You can also manage, delete or deactivate any cookies set by the providers you use yourself with just a few clicks of the mouse. However, some functions of the service may then no longer work as usual. How you manage cookies in your browser also depends on the browser you are using. In the „Cookies“ section, you will also find links to the instructions for the most important browsers.

Legal basis

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

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

Information on special online map services - if available - can be found in the following sections.

Google Maps privacy policy

Google Maps privacy policy summary 👥 Data subject: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimisation of our service performance 📓 Processed data: Data such as search terms entered, your IP address and also the latitude and longitude coordinates. You can find more details below in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage duration: depending on the stored data ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Maps?

We use Google Maps from Google Inc. on our website. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services in Europe. Google Maps enables us to show you locations better and thus customise our service to your needs. By using Google Maps, data is transferred to Google and stored on Google servers. We would now like to explain in more detail what Google Maps is, why we use this Google service, what data is stored and how you can prevent this.

Google Maps is an internet map service from Google. With Google Maps, you can search for the exact location of cities, places of interest, accommodation or businesses online using a PC, tablet or app. If companies are represented on Google My Business, further information about the company is displayed in addition to the location. In order to display directions, map sections of a location can be integrated into a website using HTML code. Google Maps shows the earth's surface as a street map or as an aerial or satellite image. Thanks to the Street View images and the high-quality satellite images, very accurate representations are possible.

Why do we use Google Maps on our website?

All our endeavours on this site are aimed at providing you with a useful and meaningful time on our website. By integrating Google Maps, we can provide you with the most important information on various locations. You can see at a glance where we are based. The directions always show you the best or quickest way to reach us. You can call up the directions for routes by car, public transport, on foot or by bike. For us, providing Google Maps is part of our customer service.

What data is stored by Google Maps?

In order for Google Maps to be able to offer its full service, the company must collect and store data from you. This includes the search terms entered, your IP address and also the latitude and longitude coordinates. If you use the route planner function, the start address you enter is also saved. However, this data storage takes place on the Google Maps websites. We can only inform you about this, but cannot influence it. As we have integrated Google Maps into our website, Google sets at least one cookie (name: NID) in your browser. This cookie stores data about your user behaviour. Google uses this data primarily to optimise its own services and to provide you with individual, personalised advertising.

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

Name: NID
Value: 188=h26c1Ktha7fCQTx8rXgLyATyITJ112870389-5
Intended use: NID is used by Google to customise adverts to your Google searches. With the help of the cookie, Google „remembers“ your most frequently entered search queries or your previous interaction with adverts. This means you always receive customised adverts. The cookie contains a unique ID that Google uses to collect your personal settings for advertising purposes.
Expiry date: after 6 months

Remark: We cannot guarantee the completeness of the stored data. Changes can never be ruled out, especially when cookies are used. In order to identify the NID cookie, a separate test page was created where only Google Maps was integrated.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google servers are located in data centres all over the world. However, most of the servers are located in America. For this reason, your data is increasingly stored in the USA. You can find out exactly where the Google data centres are located here: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de

Google distributes the data on different data carriers. This means that the data can be accessed more quickly and is better protected against any attempts at manipulation. Each data centre also has special emergency programmes. If, for example, there are problems with the Google hardware or a natural disaster paralyses the servers, the data is almost certainly still protected.

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

With the automatic deletion function for location and activity data introduced in 2019, location and web/app activity information is stored for either 3 or 18 months - depending on your decision - and then deleted. You can also manually delete this data from your history at any time via your Google account. If you want to completely prevent your location from being recorded, you must pause the „Web and app activity“ section in your Google account. Click on „Data and personalisation“ and then on the „Activity settings“ option. Here you can switch the activities on or off.

You can also deactivate, delete or manage individual cookies in your browser. Depending on which browser you use, this always works slightly differently. In the „Cookies“ section, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers.

If you generally do not want to have cookies, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be set. This allows you to decide for each individual cookie whether you want to allow it or not.

Legal basis

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

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

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

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

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

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

Explanation of terms used

We always endeavour to write our privacy policy as clearly and comprehensibly 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 these without explanation. Below you will find an alphabetical list of important terms used, which we may not have sufficiently addressed in the previous privacy policy. If these terms have been taken from the GDPR and are definitions, we will also quote the GDPR texts here and add our own explanations if necessary.

Processor

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:

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

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

Consent

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:

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

Explanation: As a rule, websites obtain this consent via a cookie consent tool. You are probably familiar with this. Whenever you visit a website for the first time, you are usually asked via a banner whether you agree or consent to data processing. 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 give your consent, your personal data may not be processed. In principle, consent can of course also be given in writing, i.e. not via a tool.

Personal data

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:

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

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

• Name
• Address
• E-mail address
• Postal address
• Telephone number
• Date of birth
• Identification numbers such as national insurance number, tax identification number, identity card number or matriculation number
• Bank data such as account number, credit information, account balances and much more.

According to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), your IP address for the personal data. IT experts can use your IP address to determine at least the approximate location of your device and subsequently you as the owner of the connection. Therefore, the storage of an IP address also requires a legal basis within the meaning of the GDPR. There are also so-called „special categories“ of personal data that 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 (i.e. information on psychological, physical or behavioural characteristics that can identify a person).
  Health data
• Data on sexual orientation or sexual life

Profiling

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:

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

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

 

Person responsible

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:

„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 the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law;

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

 

Processing

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:

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

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

Closing words

Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have really „fought“ your way through our entire privacy policy, or at least scrolled this far. 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 to the best of our knowledge and belief about the processing of personal data. However, we not only want to tell you which data is processed, but also explain the reasons for using various software programmes. As a rule, privacy policies sound very technical and legal. However, as most of you are not web developers or lawyers, we wanted to take a different approach in terms of language and explain the facts in simple and clear language. Of course, this is not always possible due to the subject matter. Therefore, the most important terms are explained in more detail at the end of the privacy policy.
If you have any questions about data protection on our website, please do not hesitate to contact us or the responsible organisation. We wish you a pleasant time and hope to welcome you back to our website soon.

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Source: Created with the Data protection generator from AdSimple