Data

Introduction and Overview

We have drawn up this privacy policy (version 13.05.2023-312504382) to explain to you, 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 responsible party - and the 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 provide you with comprehensive information about the data we process about you.

Data protection statements usually sound very technical and use legal terms. This data protection statement, on the other hand, is intended to describe the most important things to you as simply and transparently as possible. As far as it promotes transparency, technical terms are explained in a reader-friendly manner , 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 as part of our business activities if there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible if you give statements that are as brief, 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 in there that you did not know before.
If you still have any questions, please contact the responsible body named below or in the imprint, follow the links provided and view further information on third-party websites. You can of course also find our contact details in the imprint.

scope

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

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

In short: This privacy policy applies to all areas in which personal data is processed in a structured manner within the company via the 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 regards EU law, we refer to REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 April 2016. You can of course read this EU General Data Protection Regulation online on EUR-Lex, the gateway to EU law, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679 .

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

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

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

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

• In Austria this is the Federal Act on the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data ( Data Protection Act ), or 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.

contact details of the person responsible

If you have any questions about data protection or the processing of personal data, you will find the contact details of the responsible person or body below:
Formaxdesign
Carlos Meireles
Sevenicher Weg 19
52445 Titz

E-Mail: carlos@formalivre.de
Phone: +49 1732503609

storage period

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

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

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

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

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

• According to Article 15 GDPR, you have the right to know whether we process 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 purposes we carry out the processing;
  • the categories, i.e. the types of data that are processed;
  • who receives this data and, if the data is transferred to third countries, how security can be guaranteed;
  • how long the data is stored;
  • the existence of the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing and the right to object to processing;
  • that you can complain to a supervisory authority (links to these authorities can be found below);
  • the origin of the data if we did not collect it from you;
  • whether profiling is carried out, i.e. whether data is automatically evaluated in order to create a personal profile of you.
• You have the right to rectification of data according to Article 16 GDPR, which means that we must correct data if you find any errors.
• According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), which specifically means that you can request that your data be deleted.
• According to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to restrict processing, which means that we may only store the data but not use it further.
• According to Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that we will provide you with your data in a common format upon request.
• According to Article 21 GDPR, you have the right to object, which, once enforced, will result in a change in the 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 conduct 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 carry out 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 subjected to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g. profiling).
• According to Article 77 of the GDPR, you have the right to complain. This means that you can complain to the data protection authority at any time if you believe that the processing of personal data violates the GDPR.

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

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection rights have been violated in any other way, you can complain to the supervisory authority. For Austria, this is the Data Protection Authority, whose website you can find at https://www.dsb.gv.at/ . In Germany, there is a data protection officer for each federal state. For 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:

North Rhine-Westphalia Data Protection Authority

State Commissioner for Data Protection: Bettina Gayk
Address: Kavalleriestraße 2-4, 40213 Düsseldorf
Telephone number: 02 11/384 24-0
Email address: poststelle@ldi.nrw.de
Website: https://www.ldi.nrw.de/

security of data processing

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

Art. 25 GDPR speaks here of “data protection through technical design and through data protection-friendly default settings” and means that both software (e.g. forms) and hardware (e.g. access to the server room) are always considered and appropriate measures are taken. In the following, we will go into specific measures where necessary.

TLS encryption with https

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

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

communication

Communication Summary 👥 Affected persons: All those who communicate with us by telephone, email or online form 📓 Data processed: e.g. telephone number, name, email address, entered form data. You can find more details about this in the respective contact type used 🤝 Purpose: Handling communication with customers, business partners, etc. 📅 Storage period: Duration of the business case and the legal regulations ⚖️ Legal basis: 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 by telephone, email or online form, personal data may be processed.

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

affected persons

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

phone

When you call us, the call data is stored pseudonymously on the respective device and by the telecommunications provider used. In addition, data such as name and telephone number can be sent by email afterwards and stored to answer your query. The data is deleted as soon as the business transaction has ended and legal requirements permit it.

e-mail

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

online forms

If you communicate with us using an online form, data will be saved on our web server and, if necessary, forwarded to an email address of ours. The data will be deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements permit it.

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 continue to use it for the purposes related to the business case;
• Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (contract): There is a need to fulfil a contract with you or a processor such as the telephone provider or we have to process the data for pre-contractual activities, such as preparing an offer;
• Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests): We want to handle customer inquiries and business communication in a professional setting. For this, certain technical facilities such as email programs, exchange servers and mobile phone operators are necessary in order to be able to conduct communication efficiently.

cookies

Cookies Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: depends on the respective cookie. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📓 Data processed: Depends on the cookie used. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📅 Storage period: depends on the 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. To be more precise, they are HTTP cookies, as there are 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. 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 sends the "user-related" information back to our site. Thanks to the 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 when another page is requested.

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

For example, cookie data can look like this:

Name: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152312504382-9
Purpose: 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.

There are 4 types of cookies:

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

Purposeful cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. In addition, these cookies are also used to measure the loading time and behavior of the website in different browsers.

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

advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver individually tailored advertising to the user. This can be very practical, but also very annoying.

Typically, when you first visit a website, you will be asked which of these types of cookies you would like to allow. And of course, this decision will also be stored in a cookie.

If you want 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 below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.

Which data is processed?

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

storage period of cookies

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

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

Right of objection – how can I delete cookies?

You decide how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come 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, enable and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari

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

Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you do not want cookies at all, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is about to be placed. This way you can decide for each individual cookie whether you want to accept the cookie or not. The procedure varies depending on the browser. The best thing to do is to search for instructions on 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. They state that the storage of cookies requires your consent (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter a of GDPR). However, there are still very different reactions to these guidelines within the EU countries. In Austria, however, this guideline was implemented in Section 96 Paragraph 3 of the Telecommunications Act (TKG). In Germany, the cookie guidelines were not implemented as national law. Instead, this guideline was largely implemented in Section 15 Paragraph 3 of the Telemedia Act (TMG).

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

If cookies that are not absolutely necessary are used, this only happens 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, provided that the software used uses cookies.

customer data

customer data summary 👥 Affected parties: customers or business and contractual partners 🤝 Purpose: Provision of the contractually or pre-contractually agreed services including associated communication 📓 Data processed: Name, address, contact details, email address, telephone number, payment information (such as invoices and bank details), contract data (such as term and subject of the contract), IP address, order data 📅 Storage period: the data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required to fulfill our business purposes and there is no legal obligation to retain it. ⚖️ Legal basis: Legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR), contract (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR)

What is customer data?

In order to be able to offer our service or our contractual services, we also process data from our customers and business partners. This data always includes personal data. Customer data is all information that is processed on the basis of a contractual or pre-contractual collaboration in order to be able to provide the services offered. Customer data is therefore all information that we collect and process about our customers.

Why do we process customer data?

There are many reasons why we collect and process customer data. The most important is that we simply need various data to provide our services. Sometimes your email address is enough, but if you purchase a product or service, we also need data such as your name, address, bank details or contract details. We also use the data for marketing and sales optimization so that we can improve our service for our customers overall. Another important point is our customer service, which is always very important to us. We want you to be able to come to us at any time with questions about our offers and for that we need at least your email address.

Which data is processed?

At this point, the exact data that is stored can only be shown in categories. This always depends on the services you receive from us. In some cases, you only give us your email address so that we can, for example, contact you or answer your questions. In other cases, you purchase a product or service from us and for this we need significantly more information, such as your contact details, payment details and contract details.

Here is a list of possible data that we receive and process from you:

• name
• contact address
• E-mail address
• phone number
• birth date
• Payment data (invoices, bank details, payment history, etc.)
• contract data (duration, content)
• Usage data (websites visited, access data, etc.)
• metadata (IP address, device information)

How long is the data stored?

As soon as we no longer need the customer data to fulfill our contractual obligations and our purposes and the data is also not required for possible warranty and liability obligations, we delete the relevant customer data. This is the case, for example, when a business contract ends. After that, the limitation period is usually 3 years, although longer periods are possible in individual cases. Of course, we also adhere to the statutory retention periods. Your customer data will definitely not be passed on to third parties unless you have explicitly given your consent.

legal basis

The legal basis for the processing of your data is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract or pre-contractual measures), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests) and in special cases (e.g. medical services) Art. 9 Para. 2 lit. a. GDPR (processing of special categories).

In the case of the protection of vital interests, data processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 9 Para. 2 lit. c. GDPR. For the purposes of healthcare, occupational medicine, medical diagnostics, care or treatment in the health or social sector or for the administration of systems and services in the health or social sector, personal data is processed in accordance with Art. 9 Para. 2 lit. h. GDPR. If you voluntarily provide special category data, processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 9 Para. 2 lit. a. GDPR.

Webhosting Introduction

Webhosting Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: professional hosting of the website and securing its operation 📓 Data processed: IP address, time of website visit, browser used and other data. You can find more details 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 created and saved, including on this website. This data should be processed as sparingly as possible and only with justification. By website we mean the entirety of all web pages on a domain, ie everything from the start page (homepage) to the very last subpage (like this one). By domain we mean example.de or musterbeispiel.com, for example.

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

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 it is usually handled by professional providers. They offer web hosting and ensure that website data is stored reliably and error-free. A lot of technical terms, but please stay tuned, it gets even better!

When the browser connects to your computer (desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone) and during data transfer to and from the web server, personal data may be processed. On the one hand, your computer stores data, and on the other hand, the web server must also store data for a while 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 hosting of the website and security of the operation
2. to maintain operational and IT security
3. Anonymous evaluation of access behavior to improve our offer and, if necessary, for criminal prosecution or the pursuit of claims

Which data is processed?

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

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

How long is data stored?

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

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

legal basis

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

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

Website Modular Systems Introduction

Website Modular Systems Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Processed data: Data such as technical usage information such as browser activity, clickstream activities, session heatmaps as well as contact details, IP address or your geographical location. You can find more details about this further down in this privacy policy and in the privacy policy of the providers. 📅 Storage period: depends on the provider ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent)

What are website builder systems?

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

Why do we use website builders for our website?

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

What data is stored by a modular system?

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

How long and where is the data stored?

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

right of objection

You always have the right to information, correction and deletion of your personal data. If you have any questions, you can contact the person responsible for the website modular system used at any time. You can find contact details either in our privacy policy or on the website of the relevant provider.

You can delete, deactivate or manage cookies that providers use for their functions in your browser. This works in different ways depending on which browser you use. Please note, however, that not all functions may then work as usual.

legal basis

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

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

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

Wordpress.com Privacy Policy

We use the well-known content management system WordPress.com for our website. The service provider is the American company Automattic Inc., 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.

What is WordPress?

The company was founded in 2003 and in a relatively short time it developed into one of the most well-known content management systems (CMS) in the world. A CMS is software that helps us design our website and present content in a beautiful and organized manner. The content can be text, audio and video.
By using WordPress, personal data can also be collected, stored and processed. As a rule, mainly technical data such as operating system, browser, screen resolution or hosting provider is stored. However, personal data such as IP address, geographical data or contact details can also be processed.

Why do we use WordPress?

Programming is not one of our core competencies. Nevertheless, we want to have a powerful and attractive website that we can manage and maintain ourselves. With a website construction kit system or a content management system such as WordPress, this is exactly what is possible. With WordPress, we don't have to be programming aces to be able to offer you a beautiful website. Thanks to WordPress, we can operate our website quickly and easily even without any prior technical knowledge. If technical problems arise or we have special requests for our website, we always have our specialists who are at home with HTML, PHP, CSS and the like.

How secure is data transfer with WordPress?

WordPress processes your data in the USA, among other places. We would like to point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. This can involve various risks for the legality and security of data processing.
WordPress uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR) as the basis for data processing for recipients based in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, i.e. in particular in the USA) or for data transfer there. Standard contractual clauses (SCC) 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 these clauses, WordPress undertakes to comply with the European data protection level when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de
The data processing agreements, which correspond to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://wordpress.com/support/data-processing-agreements/ .

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

Social Media Introduction

Social Media Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Presentation and optimization of our service, contact with visitors, interested parties, etc., advertising 📓 Data processed: Data such as telephone numbers, email addresses, contact details, data on user behavior, information about your device and your IP address. You can find more details in the social media tool you use. 📅 Storage period: depends on the social media platforms used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is social media?

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

Why do we use social media?

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

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

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

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

Which data is processed?

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

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

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

duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, provided we have further information. For example, the social media platform Facebook stores data until it is no longer required for its own purposes. However, customer data that is compared with our own user data is deleted within two days. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If it is required by law, as in the case of accounting, for example, this storage period can 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 services such as embedded social media elements 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 through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser.

Since social media tools may use cookies, we also 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

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored by integrated social media elements, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR) . In principle, if you have given your consent, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our data protection text about cookies carefully and view the data protection declaration or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Information about specific social media platforms – if available – can be found in the following sections.

Facebook privacy policy

Facebook Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Data processed: Data such as customer data, data on user behavior, information about your device and your IP address. You can find more details in the privacy policy below. 📅 Storage period: until the data is no longer useful for Facebook's purposes ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are Facebook tools?

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

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

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

In addition to many other products, Facebook also offers the so-called “Facebook Business Tools”. This is the official name of Facebook. However, since the term is hardly known, we have decided to simply call them Facebook tools. These include:

• Facebook pixel
• social plug-ins (such as the "Like" or "Share" button)
• Facebook Login
• Account Kit
• APIs (application programming interfaces)
• SDKs (collection of programming tools)
• platform integrations
• plugins
• codes
• specifications
• documentation
• technologies and services

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

Why do we use Facebook tools on our website?

We only want to show our services and products to people who are really interested in them. With the help of advertisements (Facebook ads) we can reach exactly these people. In order to show users suitable advertising, however, Facebook needs information about people's wishes and needs. The company is provided with information about user behavior (and contact details) on our website. This allows Facebook to collect better user data and show interested people the right advertisements about our products or services. The tools thus enable customized advertising campaigns on Facebook.

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

What data is stored by Facebook tools?

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

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

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

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

How long and where is the data stored?

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

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

The data will only be completely deleted if you completely delete your Facebook account. This is how you delete your Facebook account:

1) On the right side of Facebook, click Settings.

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

3) Now click “Deactivation and deletion”.

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

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

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

If you do not want cookies at all, you can set your browser to always inform you when a cookie is about to be placed. This way you can decide for each individual cookie whether you want to allow it or not.

legal basis

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

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

Facebook uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR) as the basis for data processing for recipients based in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, i.e. in particular in the USA) or for data transfer there. Standard contractual clauses (SCC) 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 these clauses, Facebook undertakes to comply with the European data protection level when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

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

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

Instagram privacy policy

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

What is Instagram?

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

Below we want to give you a more detailed insight into why Instagram collects data, what data it is and how you can largely control the data processing. Since Instagram belongs to Meta Platforms Inc., we get our information from the Instagram guidelines on the one hand, but also from the Meta privacy guidelines themselves on the other.

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

Why do we use Instagram on our website?

Instagram is the social media platform that has really taken off in recent years. And of course we have also responded to this boom. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible on our website. That's why it's a matter of course for us to present our content in a varied way. The embedded Instagram functions allow us to enrich our content with helpful, funny or exciting content from the Instagram world. Since Instagram is a subsidiary of Facebook, the data collected can also be useful for personalized advertising on Facebook. This means that our advertisements are only shown to people who are really interested in our products or services.

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

What data does Instagram store?

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

Facebook differentiates between customer data and event data. We assume that this is also the case with Instagram. Customer data includes names, addresses, telephone numbers and IP addresses. These customer data will only be transmitted to Instagram if they have been "hashed" beforehand. Hashing means that a data set is converted into a character string. This allows the contact details to be encrypted. The "event data" mentioned above is also transmitted. Facebook - and consequently Instagram - understands "event data" to mean data about your user behavior. It can also happen that contact details are combined with event data. The contact details collected are compared with the data that Instagram already has about you.

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

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

Below we show you the cookies that are set in your browser at least when you click on an Instagram function (such as a button or an Insta image). In our test, we assume that you do not have an Instagram account. If you are logged in to Instagram, significantly more cookies will of course be set in your browser.

These cookies were used in our test:

Name: csrftoken
Value: ""
Purpose: This cookie is most likely set for security reasons to prevent requests from being forged. However, we were unable to find out more details.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: mid
Value: ""
Purpose: Instagram uses this cookie to optimize its own services and offers on and off Instagram. The cookie sets a unique user ID.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Name: fbsr_312504382124024
Value: not specified
Purpose: This cookie stores the log-in request for users of the Instagram app.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Name: rur
Value: ATN
Purpose: This is an Instagram cookie that ensures functionality on Instagram.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Name: urlgen
Value: “{”194.96.75.33”: 1901}:1iEtYv:Y833k2_UjKvXgYe312504382”
Purpose: This cookie is used for Instagram’s marketing purposes.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Note: We cannot claim to be complete here. Which cookies are set in individual cases depends on the embedded functions and your use of Instagram.

How long and where is the data stored?

Instagram shares the information it receives between the Facebook companies, with external partners, and with people you connect with around the world. Data processing is carried out in compliance with its own data policy. Your data is distributed across Facebook servers around the world, partly for security reasons. Most of these servers are located in the USA.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Thanks to the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to information, portability, correction and deletion of your data. You can manage your data in the Instagram settings. If you want to completely delete your data on Instagram, you must permanently delete your Instagram account.

And this is how to delete your Instagram account:

First, open the Instagram app. On your profile page, scroll down and click on "Help Center." This will take you to the company's website. On the website, click on "Manage Account" and then "Delete Your Account."

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

As mentioned above, Instagram primarily stores your data via cookies. You can manage, deactivate or delete these cookies in your browser. Depending on your browser, the management always works a little differently. Under the "Cookies" section you will find the relevant links to the respective instructions for the most popular browsers.

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

legal basis

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

Instagram and Facebook also process data in the USA, among other places. We would like to point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. This can involve various risks for the legality and security of data processing.

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

We have tried to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Instagram. At https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875
you can learn more about Instagram's data policies.

Pinterest privacy policy

Pinterest Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Data processed: Data such as data on user behavior, information about your device, your IP address and search terms. You can find more details in the privacy policy below. 📅 Storage period: until Pinterest no longer needs the data for its purposes ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Pinterest?

We use buttons and widgets from the social media network Pinterest, the company Pinterest Inc., 808 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA, on our website. In Europe, the Irish company Pinterest Europe Ltd. (Palmerston House, 2nd Floor, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, Ireland) is responsible for all data protection-related aspects.

Pinterest is a social network that specializes in graphic representations and photography. The name is made up of the two words "pin" and "interest". Users can use Pinterest to exchange information about different hobbies and interests and view the respective profiles with pictures openly or in defined groups.

Why do we use Pinterest?

Pinterest has been around for a few years now and this social media platform is still one of the most visited and valued platforms. Pinterest is particularly suitable for our industry because the platform is primarily known for beautiful and interesting images. That is why we are of course also represented on Pinterest and want to present our content appropriately outside of our website. The data collected can also be used for advertising purposes so that we can show advertising messages to precisely those people who are interested in our services or products.

What data does Pinterest process?

So-called log data may be stored. This includes information about your browser, IP address, the address of our website and the activities carried out on it (for example, when you click the save or pin button), search history, date and time of the request and cookie and device data. If you interact with an embedded Pinterest function, cookies that store various data may also be set in your browser. The above-mentioned log data, preset language settings and clickstream data are usually stored in cookies. Pinterest defines clickstream data as information about your website behavior.

If you have a Pinterest account yourself and are logged in, the data collected through our site can be added to your account and used for advertising purposes. If you interact with our integrated Pinterest functions, you will usually be redirected to the Pinterest page. Here you can see an example selection of cookies that are then set in your browser.

Name: _auth
Value: 0
Purpose: The cookie is used for authentication. For example, a value such as your “user name” can be stored in it.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: _pinterest_referrer
Value: 1
Purpose: The cookie stores that you came to Pinterest via our website. The URL of our website is therefore stored.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Name: _pinterest_sess
Value: …9HRHZvVE0rQlUxdG89
Purpose: The cookie is used to log in to Pinterest and contains user IDs, authentication tokens and timestamps.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: _routing_id
Value: “8d850ddd-4fb8-499c-961c-77efae9d4065312504382-8”
Purpose: The cookie contains an assigned value that is used to identify a specific routing destination.
Expiration date: after one day

Name: cm_sub
Value: denied
Purpose: This cookie stores a user ID and timestamp.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: csrftoken
Value: 9e49145c82a93d34fd933b0fd8446165312504382-1
Purpose: This cookie is most likely set for security reasons to prevent requests from being forged. However, we were unable to find out more details.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: sessionFunnelEventLogged
Value: 1
Purpose: We have not yet been able to find out any further information about this cookie.
Expiration date: after one day

How long and where is the data stored?

Pinterest generally stores the data collected until it is no longer needed for the company's purposes. As soon as data retention is no longer necessary, for example to comply with legal requirements, the data is either deleted or anonymized so that you can no longer be identified as a person. The data can also be stored on American servers.

right of objection

You also have the right and option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers such as Pinterest 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 through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser.

Since cookies may be used for embedded Pinterest elements, we also 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

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

Pinterest processes your data in the USA, among other places. We would like to point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. This can involve various risks for the legality and security of data processing.

Pinterest uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR) as the basis for data processing for recipients based in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, i.e. in particular in the USA) or for data transfer there. Standard contractual clauses (SCC) 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 these clauses, Pinterest undertakes to comply with the European data protection level when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de.

You can find more information about Pinterest’s standard contractual clauses at https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy#section-residents-of-the-eea .

We have tried to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Pinterest. You can find out more about Pinterest's data policy at https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy .

TikTok privacy policy

We also use TikTok, a social media and video channel. The service provider is the Chinese company Beijing Bytedance Technology Ltd. The Irish company TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland, is responsible for Europe.

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

TikTok uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR) as the basis for data processing for recipients based in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, i.e. in particular in the USA) or for data transfer there. Standard contractual clauses (SCC) 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 these clauses, TikTok undertakes to comply with the European data protection level when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

You can find out more about the standard contractual clauses and the data processed through the use of TikTok Pixel in the Privacy Policy at https://www.tiktok.com/legal/privacy-policy-eea?lang=de or https://ads.tiktok.com/i18n/official/policy/controller-to-controller .

Blogs and Publication Media Introduction

Blogs and Publication Media Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Presentation and optimization of our service as well as communication between website visitors, security measures and administration 📓 Data processed: Data such as contact details, IP address and published content. You can find more details about the tools used. 📅 Storage period: depends on the tools used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests), Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b. GDPR (contract)

What are blogs and publication media?

We use blogs or other means of communication on our website with which we can communicate with you and you can communicate with us. We may also store and process your data. This may be necessary so that we can display content appropriately, communication works and security is increased. In our privacy policy we generally explain which of your data can be processed. Exact details on data processing always depend on the tools and functions used. You can find precise information about data processing in the privacy policy of the individual providers.

Why do we use blogs and publication media?

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

Which data is processed?

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

duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing if we have further information about it. For example, post and comment functions store data until you revoke the data storage. In general, personal data is only stored for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services.

right of objection

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

Since cookies can also be used in publication media, we also 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 means of communication primarily on the basis of our legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers, business partners and visitors. Insofar as the use serves the processing of contractual relationships or their initiation, the legal basis is also Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b. GDPR.

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

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

Blog posts and comment functions Privacy Policy

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

Blogger.com Privacy Policy

We also use the hosting and blogging platform Blogger.com on our website. The service provider is the American company Google Inc. In Europe, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.

Google also processes data in the USA, among other places. We would like to point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. This can involve various risks for the legality and security of data processing.

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

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Google in the Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de .

Comment Subscriptions Privacy Policy

You can also subscribe to comments that follow your post. In this case, you will always receive a message when a follow-up comment is published. First, you will receive a confirmation email to check whether the email address you provided belongs to you. By submitting the confirmation, you also consent to data processing. You can cancel this subscription at any time (as with a newsletter, for example) and revoke your consent. The legality of the processing up to this point remains unaffected. As long as you are subscribed to the comments, we save your registration time and your IP address so that we can prove your consent if necessary. After you cancel your subscription, we can keep your email address for up to three years on the legal basis of our legitimate interest in proof of consent. However, if you confirm your previous consent to the subscription and request that your data be deleted, the data will be deleted from our system immediately.

Wordpress Emojis Privacy Policy

We also use so-called emojis and smileys in our blog. We probably don't need to explain exactly what emojis are. You know these laughing, angry or sad faces. They are graphic elements or files that we provide and are loaded from another server. The service provider for retrieving WordPress emojis and smileys is Automattic Inc., 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA. This third-party provider stores your IP address in order to be able to transmit the emoji files to your browser.

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

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

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

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Automattic in the Privacy Policy at https://automattic.com/privacy/ .

Payment Provider Introduction

Payment Provider Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Enabling and optimizing the payment process on our website 📓 Data processed: Data such as name, address, bank details (account number, credit card number, passwords, TANs, etc.), IP address and contract data You can find more details in the payment provider tool you use. 📅 Storage period: depends on the payment provider used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR (performance of a contract)

What is a payment provider?

We use online payment systems on our website that enable us and you to make payments safely and smoothly. Personal data may also be sent to the respective payment provider, stored there and processed there. Payment providers are online payment systems that allow you to place an order via online banking. The payment is processed by the payment provider you have chosen. We then receive information about the payment made. This method can be used by any user who has an active online banking account with PIN and TAN. There are hardly any banks that do not offer or accept such payment methods.

Why do we use payment providers on our website?

We naturally want to offer the best possible service with our website and our integrated online shop so that you feel comfortable on our site and use our offers. We know that your time is valuable and that payment transactions in particular must work quickly and smoothly. For these reasons, we offer you various payment providers. You can choose your preferred payment provider and pay in the usual way.

Which data is processed?

Which data is processed depends, of course, on the respective payment provider. However, data such as name, address, bank details (account number, credit card number, passwords, TANs, etc.) are generally stored. This is necessary data in order to be able to carry out a transaction at all. In addition, any contract data and user data, such as when you visit our website, what content you are interested in or which subpages you click on, can also be stored. Your IP address and information about the computer you are using are also stored by most payment providers.

The data is usually stored and processed on the payment providers' servers. We as website operators do not receive this data. We are only informed whether the payment was successful or not. Payment providers may forward data to the relevant department for identity and credit checks. The business and data protection principles of the respective provider always apply to all payment transactions. Therefore, please always read the general terms and conditions and the data protection declaration of the payment provider. You also have the right to have data deleted or corrected at any time, for example. Please contact the respective service provider regarding your rights (right of withdrawal, right to information and right to be affected).

duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below if we have further information. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If it is required by law, such as in the case of accounting, this storage period can also be exceeded. For example, we keep accounting documents relating to a contract (invoices, contract documents, bank statements, etc.) for 10 years (Section 147 AO) and other relevant business documents for 6 years (Section 247 HGB) after they arise.

right of objection

You always have the right to information, correction and deletion of your personal data. If you have any questions, you can also contact the person responsible for the payment provider used at any time. You can find contact details either in our specific data protection declaration or on the website of the relevant payment provider.

You can delete, deactivate or manage cookies that payment providers use for their functions in your browser. This works in different ways depending on which browser you use. Please note, however, that the payment process may then no longer work.

legal basis

We therefore offer the processing of contractual or legal relationships (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR) In addition to traditional banking/credit institutions, other payment service providers are also available. The privacy policies of the individual payment providers (such as Amazon Payments , Apple Pay or Discover ) provide you with a detailed overview of data processing and data storage. In addition, you can always address any questions you may have about data protection-related topics to the responsible persons.

Information about the specific payment providers – if available – can be found in the following sections.

PayPal privacy policy

We use the online payment service PayPal on our website. The service provider is the American company PayPal Inc. The company PayPal Europe (S.à rl et Cie, SCA, 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg) is responsible for the European region.

PayPal processes your data in the USA, among other places. We would like to point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. This can involve various risks for the legality and security of data processing.

PayPal uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR) as the basis for data processing for recipients based in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, i.e. in particular in the USA) or for data transfer there. Standard contractual clauses (SCC) 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 these clauses, PayPal undertakes to comply with the European data protection level when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

For more information about the standard contractual clauses and the data processed through the use of PayPal, please see the privacy policy at https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full .

closing remarks

Congratulations! If you are reading these lines, you have really "fought" your way through our entire privacy policy or at least scrolled down to here. As you can see from the scope of our privacy policy, we do not take the protection of your personal data lightly.
It is important to us to inform you to the best of our knowledge and belief about the processing of personal data. We do not only want to tell you which data is processed, but also explain the reasons for using various software programs. Data protection declarations usually sound very technical and legal. However, since most of you are not web developers or lawyers, we wanted to take a different approach linguistically 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 data protection declaration.
If you have any questions about data protection on our website, please do not hesitate to contact us or the responsible party. We wish you a pleasant time and hope to welcome you back to our website soon.

All texts are protected by copyright.

Source: Created with the Data Protection Generator from AdSimple