Introduction and overview

We have written this data protection declaration (version 08.09.2021-311826056) in order to explain to you in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws, which personal data (data for short) we as the person responsible – and that of processors commissioned by us (e.g. providers) – process, will process in the future and what legal options you have. The terms used are to be understood as gender-neutral.
In short: We inform you comprehensively about data that we process about you.

Privacy statements usually sound very technical and use legal jargon. This data protection declaration, on the other hand, is intended to describe the most important things as simply and transparently as possible. As far as transparency is conducive, technical terms are explained in a reader-friendly way, links to further information are provided and graphics are used. We are thus informing you in clear and simple language that we only process personal data in the course of our business activities if there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible if you make the most concise, unclear and legal-technical statements possible, as they are often standard on the Internet when it comes to data protection. I hope that you find the following explanations interesting and informative and that you may find some information that you did not already know.

If you still have questions, we would like to ask you to contact the responsible person named below or in the imprint, to follow the links provided and to look at further information on third-party websites. Our contact details can of course also be found in the imprint.

 

Scope of application

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

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

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

 

Legal bases

In the following data protection declaration, 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 April 27, 2016. You can of course read this EU General Data Protection Regulation online on EUR-Lex, the gateway to the EU -Legal, see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679.

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

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

Other conditions such as the perception of recordings in the public interest and the exercise of public authority as well as the protection of vital interests do not usually apply to us. If such a legal basis should be relevant, it will be shown in the appropriate place.

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

  • In Austria, this is the federal law for the protection of natural persons when processing personal data (data protection law), DSG for short.
  • In Germany, the Federal Data Protection Act, BDSG for short, applies.

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

 

Storage duration

The fact that we only store personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for the provision of our services and products is a general criterion for us. This means that we delete personal data as soon as the reason for the data processing no longer exists. In some cases, we are 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 provided there is no obligation to store it.

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

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

  • According to Article 13 GDPR, you have the following rights to ensure that data is processed fairly and transparently:
  • According to Article 15 GDPR, you have a right to information as to whether we are processing your data. If this is the case, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and to be informed of the following information:
    • for what purpose we carry out the processing;
    • the categories, i.e. the types of data that are processed;
    • who receives this data and if the data is transferred to third countries, how security can be guaranteed;
    • how long the data is stored;
    • the existence of the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing and the right to object to processing;
    • that you can complain to a supervisory authority (links to these authorities can be found below);
    • the origin of the data if we did not collect it from you;
    • whether profiling is carried out, i.e. whether data is automatically evaluated in order to create a personal profile for you.
  • According to Article 16 GDPR, you have the right to have the data corrected, which means that we have to correct data if you find any errors.
  • According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), which specifically means that you can request the 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 further.
  • According to Article 19 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that we can provide you with your data in a common format upon request.
  • According to Article 21 GDPR, you have a right of objection, which, after enforcement, will result in a change in processing.

    • If the processing of your data is based on Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter e (public interest, exercise of official authority) or Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f (legitimate interest), you can object to the processing. We will then check as quickly as possible whether we can legally comply with this objection.

    • If data is used to operate direct advertising, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for direct marketing after this.

    • If data is used to operate profiling, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for profiling after this.

  • According to Article 22 GDPR, you may have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g. profiling).

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

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or your data protection rights have been violated in any other way, you can complain to the supervisory authority. This is the data protection authority for Austria, whose website can be found at https://www.dsb.gv.at/. 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).

The following local data protection authority is responsible for our company:

Hesse data protection authority
State Commissioner for Data Protection: Prof. Dr. Alexander Rossnagel
Address: PO Box 31 63, 65021 Wiesbaden
Telephone number: 06 11/140 80
Email address: poststelle@datenschutz.hessen.de
Website: https://datenschutz.hessen.de/

Web analytics

Web Analytics Privacy Policy Summary

  • Affected: Visitors to the website
  • Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website.
  • Data processed: Access statistics, which includes data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior and IP addresses. More details can be found in the web analytics tool used in each case.
  • Duration of storage: depends on the web analytics tool used
  • Legal basis: Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

 

What is web analytics?

We use software on our website to evaluate the behavior of website visitors, referred to as web analytics or web analysis. In doing so, data is collected, which the respective analytical tool provider (also called tracking tool) stores, manages and processes.

With the help of the data, analyzes of user behavior on our website are made 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. For this we show you two different offers for a limited period of time. After the test (so-called A/B test), we know which product or content our website visitors find more interesting.

For such test procedures, as well as for other analytics procedures, user profiles can also be created and the data stored in cookies.

Why do we run web analytics?

With our website we have a clear goal in mind: we want to deliver the best web offer on the market for our industry. In order to achieve this goal, on the one hand we want to offer the best and most interesting offer and on the other hand we want to make sure that you feel completely comfortable on our website.

With the help of web analysis tools, we can take a closer look at the behavior of our website visitors and then improve our website for you and us accordingly. For example, we can see how old our visitors are on average, where they come from, when our website is visited the most or which content or products are particularly popular.

All this information helps us to optimize the website and thus adapt it to your needs, interests and wishes in the best possible way.

 

Which data are processed?

Which data is stored exactly depends of course on the analysis tools used. As a rule, however, what is stored is, for example, what content you view on our website, which buttons or links you click on, when you call up a page, which browser you use, which device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use Visit the website or what computer system you are using. If you agree that location data may also be collected, these can also be processed by the web analysis tool provider.

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

The following example schematically shows how Google Analytics works as an example for 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, other cookies can store data for several years.

 

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing 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 it is required by law, such as in the case of accounting, this storage period can also be exceeded.

Right to object

You also have the right and the option to revoke 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 the cookies in your browser.

Legal basis

The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. According to Article 6 Paragraph 1 lit.

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

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

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

Cookie Consent Management Platform

Cookie Consent Management Platform Summary:

  • Affected: Website visitors
  • Purpose: Obtaining and managing consent to certain cookies and thus the use of certain tools
  • Processed data: Data for managing the set cookie settings such as IP address, time of consent, type of consent, individual consents. You can find more details on this for the tool used in each case.
  • Duration of storage: Depends on the tool used, you have to be prepared for periods of several years
  • Legal bases: Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Article 6 paragraph 1 lit.f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is a Cookie Consent Management Platform?

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

Why do we use a cookie management tool?

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

Which data are 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 will be saved so that we do not have to ask you each time you visit our website and we can also prove your consent if required by law. This is stored either in an opt-in cookie or on a server. Depending on the provider of the cookie management tool, the storage period of your cookie consent varies. This data (e.g. pseudonymous user ID, time of consent, detailed information on the cookie categories or tools, browser, device information) is usually stored for up to two years.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing if we have further information 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 are stored for different lengths of time. Some cookies are already deleted after leaving the website, others can be stored in your browser for several years. The exact duration of the data processing depends on the tool used, in most cases you should be prepared for a storage period of several years. In the respective data protection declarations of the individual providers you will usually receive precise information about the duration of the data processing.

Right to object

You also have the right and the opportunity to revoke 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 the cookies in your browser.

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

What is a Cookie Consent Management Platform?

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

Legal basis

If you agree to cookies, your personal data will be processed and stored via these cookies. If we are allowed to use cookies with your consent (Article 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR), this consent is also the legal basis for the use of cookies or the processing of your data. In order to be able to manage the consent to cookies and to enable you to give your consent, a cookie consent management platform software is used. The use of this software enables us to operate the website in an efficient, legally compliant manner, which represents a legitimate interest (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

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