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Privacy Policy

 

(EN) Privacy Policy

With the following data protection declaration, we would like to inform you about the types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to as “data” for short) that we process, for what purposes and to what extent. The data protection declaration applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both as part of the provision of our services and, in particular, on our websites, in mobile applications and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Online Offer”).

The terms used are not gender-specific.

Status: April 29, 2021

 

Table of contents

  • Introduction
  • Person responsible
  • Overview of processing operations
  • Applicable legal basis
  • Security measures
  • Transfer of personal data
  • Data processing in third countries
  • Use of cookies
  • Provision of the online offer and web hosting
  • Blogs and publication media
  • Newsletter and electronic notifications
  • Web analysis, monitoring and optimization
  • Online marketing
  • Affiliate programs and affiliate links
  • Presence in social networks (social media)
  • Plugins and embedded functions and content
  • Deletion of data
  • Modification and updating of the privacy policy
  • Rights of data subjects
  • Definitions

Responsible

Caroline Thor
Wilhelmstr. 47
68723 Plankstadt
Germany
E-mail address: info@caroline-thor.com.

Imprint: www.caroline-thor.com/impressum.

Overview of processing operations

The following overview summarizes the types of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the data subjects.

Types of data processed

  • Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses).
  • Content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
  • Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).
  • Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  • Contract data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category).

Categories of data subjects

  • Communication partners.
  • Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).

Purposes of processing

  • Affiliate tracking.
  • Provision of our online offer and user experience.
  • Conversion measurement (measuring the effectiveness of marketing activities).
  • Direct marketing (e.g., via email or postal mail).
  • Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form).
  • Marketing.
  • Contact requests and communication.
  • Profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
  • Reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors).
  • Security measures.
  • Provision of contractual services and customer service.

Relevant legal basis

The following is an overview of the legal bases of the GDPR on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. Furthermore, should more specific legal bases be relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.

  • Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO) – The data subject has given his/her consent to the processing of personal data relating to him/her for a specific purpose or purposes.
  • Performance of a contract and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. b. DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or for the performance of pre-contractual measures taken at the data subject’s request.
  • Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests of the controller or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require the protection of personal data.

National data protection regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation, national regulations on data protection apply in Germany. These include, in particular, the Act on Protection against Misuse of Personal Data in Data Processing (Federal Data Protection Act – BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special regulations on the right to information, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes and transmission, as well as automated decision-making in individual cases, including profiling. Furthermore, it regulates data processing for employment purposes (Section 26 BDSG), in particular with regard to the establishment, implementation or termination of employment relationships as well as the consent of employees. Furthermore, state data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

Security measures

We take appropriate technical and organizational measures in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the implementation costs and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing, as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the extent of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, in order to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

The measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access to, input of, disclosure of, assurance of availability of and segregation of the data. Furthermore, we have established procedures to ensure the exercise of data subjects’ rights, the deletion of data, and responses to data compromise. Furthermore, we already take the protection of personal data into account during the development or selection of hardware, software as well as procedures in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

Shortening of IP address: If IP addresses are processed by us or by the service providers and technologies used and the processing of a complete IP address is not necessary, the IP address is shortened (also referred to as “IP masking”). In this process, the last two digits or the last part of the IP address after a period are removed or replaced by wildcards. The shortening of the IP address is intended to prevent or make it significantly more difficult to identify a person by their IP address.

SSL encryption (https): To protect your data transmitted via our online offer, we use SSL encryption. You can recognize such encrypted connections by the prefix https:// in the address line of your browser.

Transmission of personal data

In the course of our processing of personal data, it may happen that the data is transferred to or disclosed to other bodies, companies, legally independent organizational units or persons. Recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we comply with the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude appropriate contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.

Data processing in third countries

If we process data in a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or the processing takes place in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, entities or companies, this will only be done in accordance with the legal requirements.

Subject to express consent or contractually or legally required transfer, we only process or have data processed in third countries with a recognized level of data protection, contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission, in the presence of certifications or binding internal data protection regulations (Art. 44 to 49 DSGVO, information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection).

Use of cookies

Cookies are text files that contain data from visited websites or domains and are stored by a browser on the user’s computer. The primary purpose of a cookie is to store information about a user during or after his or her visit within an online offering. Stored information may include, for example, language settings on a website, login status, a shopping cart, or where a video was watched. We further include in the term cookies other technologies that perform the same functions as cookies (e.g., when user information is stored using pseudonymous online identifiers, also referred to as “user IDs”)

The following cookie types and functions are distinguished:

  • Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed his browser.
  • Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the browser is closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, the interests of users used for reach measurement or marketing purposes can be stored in such a cookie.
  • First-party cookies: First-party cookies are set by ourselves.
  • Third-party cookies (also: third-party cookies): Third-party cookies are mainly used by advertisers (so-called third parties) to process user information.
  • Necessary (also: essential or absolutely necessary) cookies: Cookies may be absolutely necessary for the operation of a website (e.g. to store logins or other user input or for security reasons).
  • Statistical, marketing and personalization cookies: Furthermore, cookies are generally also used in the context of range measurement and when a user’s interests or behavior (e.g. viewing certain content, using functions, etc.) on individual websites are stored in a user profile. Such profiles are used, for example, to show users content that matches their potential interests. This process is also referred to as “tracking”, i.e., tracking the potential interests of users. Insofar as we use cookies or “tracking” technologies, we will inform you separately in our data protection declaration or in the context of obtaining consent.

Notes on legal bases: the legal basis on which we process your personal data using cookies depends on whether we ask you for consent. If this is the case and you consent to the use of cookies, the legal basis for processing your data is your declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the business operation of our online offer and its improvement) or, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations.

Storage period: Unless we provide you with explicit information on the storage period of permanent cookies (e.g. in the context of a so-called cookie opt-in), please assume that the storage period can be up to two years.

General information on revocation and objection (opt-out): depending on whether the processing is based on consent or legal permission, you have the option at any time to revoke any consent you have given or to object to the processing of your data by cookie technologies (collectively referred to as “opt-out”). You can initially declare your objection by means of your browser settings, e.g. by deactivating the use of cookies (whereby this may also restrict the functionality of our online offer). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared by means of a variety of services, especially in the case of tracking, via the websites https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/. In addition, you can obtain further instructions on how to object in the context of the information on the service providers and cookies used.

Processing of cookie data based on consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure, in the context of which the consent of users to the use of cookies, or the processing and providers mentioned in the cookie consent management procedure can be obtained and managed and revoked by users. In this context, the declaration of consent is stored in order not to have to repeat its request and to be able to prove the consent in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie, or with the help of comparable technologies), in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or their device. Subject to individual information on the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of consent can be up to two years. Here, a pseudonymous user identifier is formed and stored with the time of consent, information on the scope of consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as the browser, system and end device used.

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
  • Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO), legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

In order to provide our online offer securely and efficiently, we use the services of one or more web hosting providers from whose servers (or servers managed by them) the online offer can be accessed. For these purposes, we may use infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services, as well as security services and technical maintenance services.

The data processed as part of the provision of the hosting offer may include all information relating to the users of our online offer, which is generated as part of the use and communication. This regularly includes the IP address, which is necessary to be able to deliver the contents of online offers to browsers, and all entries made within our online offer or from websites.

E-mail sending and hosting: The web hosting services we use also include the sending, receiving and storing of e-mails. For these purposes, the addresses of the recipients and senders as well as further information regarding the e-mail dispatch (e.g. the providers involved) and the contents of the respective e-mails are processed. The aforementioned data may also be processed for SPAM detection purposes. Please note that e-mails are generally not sent encrypted on the Internet. As a rule, e-mails are encrypted in transit, but (unless a so-called end-to-end encryption method is used) not on the servers from which they are sent and received. Therefore, we cannot assume any responsibility for the transmission path of the e-mails between the sender and the reception on our server.

Collection of access data and log files: We ourselves (or our web hosting provider) collect data on each access to the server (so-called server log files). The server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, the date and time of access, the volume of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider.

The server log files may be used, on the one hand, for security purposes, e.g., to prevent server overload (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and, on the other hand, to ensure the utilization of the servers and their stability.

  • Types of data processed: Content data (e.g. entries in online forms), usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
  • Legal grounds: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Services used and service providers:

  • webgo: services in the field of providing information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g., storage space and/or computing capacity); service provider: webgo GmbH, Wandsbeker Zollstr. 95, 22041 Hamburg, Germany; website: https://www.webgo.de/; privacy policy: https://www.webgo.de/datenschutz/.

Blogs and publication media

We use blogs or comparable means of online communication and publication (hereinafter “publication medium”). Readers’ data are processed for the purposes of the publication medium only to the extent necessary for its presentation and communication between authors and readers or for security reasons. For the rest, we refer to the information on the processing of visitors to our publication medium within the scope of this data protection notice.

  • Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g., names, addresses), contact data (e.g., e-mail, telephone numbers), content data (e.g., entries in online forms), usage data (e.g., websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g., device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service, feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form), security measures.
  • Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. DSGVO), Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Services used and service providers:

Newsletters and electronic notifications

We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter “newsletter”) only with the consent of the recipients or a legal permission. If the contents of a newsletter are specifically described in the context of a registration, they are decisive for the consent of the users. Otherwise, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.

In order to subscribe to our newsletters, it is generally sufficient to provide your e-mail address. However, we may ask you to provide a name, for the purpose of a personal address in the newsletter, or further information, if this is necessary for the purposes of the newsletter.

Double opt-in procedure: The registration for our newsletter is always carried out in a so-called double opt-in process. This means that after registration you will receive an e-mail in which you are asked to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that no one can register with other e-mail addresses. The registrations for the newsletter are logged in order to be able to prove the registration process according to the legal requirements. This includes the storage of the registration and confirmation time as well as the IP address. Likewise, changes to your data stored with the dispatch service provider are logged.

Deletion and restriction of processing: We may store unsubscribed e-mail addresses for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests before deleting them in order to be able to prove consent previously given. The processing of this data will be limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. An individual request for deletion is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time. In the case of obligations to permanently observe objections, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address in a block list (so-called “block list”) for this purpose alone.

The logging of the registration process takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of proving its proper course. If we commission a service provider to send e-mails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure sending system.

Notes on legal basis: The newsletter is sent on the basis of the recipients’ consent or, if consent is not required, on the basis of our legitimate interests in direct marketing, if and to the extent that this is permitted by law, e.g. in the case of advertising to existing customers. Insofar as we commission a service provider to send e-mails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests. The registration process is recorded on the basis of our legitimate interests to prove that it was carried out in accordance with the law.

Content: Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.

  • Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses), contact data (e.g. email, phone numbers), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Communication partners.
  • Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g., via e-mail or postal mail).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).
  • Opt-out: You can cancel the receipt of our newsletter at any time, i.e. revoke your consent or object to further receipt. You will find a link to cancel the newsletter either at the end of each newsletter or you can otherwise use one of the contact options given above, preferably e-mail, for this purpose.

Web analysis, monitoring and optimization

Web analysis (also referred to as “reach measurement”) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offering and may include behavior, interests or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of reach analysis, we can recognize, for example, at what time our online offer or its functions or content are most frequently used or invite re-use. Likewise, we can understand which areas need optimization.

In addition to web analysis, we may also use test procedures, for example, to test and optimize different versions of our online offering or its components.

For these purposes, so-called user profiles may be created and stored in a file (so-called “cookie”) or similar procedures may be used with the same purpose. This information may include, for example, content viewed, web pages visited and elements used there and technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, this may also be processed, depending on the provider.

The IP addresses of users are also stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e., pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. Generally, in the context of web analysis, A/B testing and optimization, no clear data of the users (such as e-mail addresses or names) are stored, but pseudonyms. This means that we, as well as the providers of the software used, do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purposes of the respective procedures. 

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to use the third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Otherwise, users’ data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economical and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this Privacy Policy.

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors), profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
  • Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Services used and service providers:

Online marketing

We process personal data for online marketing purposes, which may include, in particular, marketing advertising space or displaying promotional and other content (collectively, “content”) based on users’ potential interests and measuring its effectiveness.

For these purposes, so-called user profiles are created and stored in a file (so-called “cookie”) or similar procedures are used, by means of which the information about the user relevant to the presentation of the aforementioned content is stored. This information may include, for example, content viewed, websites visited, online networks used, but also communication partners and technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, this may also be processed.

The IP addresses of users are also stored. However, we use available IP masking procedures (i.e., pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear data of the users (such as e-mail addresses or names) are stored in the context of the online marketing process, but pseudonyms. This means that we, as well as the providers of the online marketing procedures, do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles.

The information in the profiles is usually stored in the cookies or by means of similar procedures. These cookies can later generally be read on other websites that use the same online marketing procedure and analyzed for the purpose of displaying content as well as supplemented with further data and stored on the server of the online marketing procedure provider.

Exceptionally, clear data can be assigned to the profiles. This is the case if, for example, the users are members of a social network whose online marketing procedure we use and the network links the users’ profiles with the aforementioned data. We ask to note that users may make additional arrangements with the providers, e.g. by giving consent as part of the registration process.

In principle, we only receive access to summarized information about the success of our advertisements. However, in the context of so-called conversion measurements, we can check which of our online marketing processes have led to a so-called conversion, i.e., for example, to a conclusion of a contract with us. The conversion measurement is used solely to analyze the success of our marketing measures.

Unless otherwise stated, we ask you to assume that cookies used will be stored for a period of two years.

Notes on legal bases: if we ask users for their consent to use third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Otherwise, users’ data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economical and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this Privacy Policy.

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: marketing, profiling with user-related information (creating user profiles), conversion measurement (measuring the effectiveness of marketing activities).
  • Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).
  • Option to object (opt-out): We refer to the data protection notices of the respective providers and the options for objection given to the providers (so-called “opt-out”). If no explicit opt-out option has been specified, you have the option of switching off cookies in your browser settings. However, this may restrict functions of our online offer. We therefore recommend the following additional opt-out options, which are offered in summary for the respective areas:
    a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu.
    b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices.
    c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices.
    d) Cross-territory: https://optout.aboutads.info.

Services used and service providers:

  • Google Tag Manager: Google Tag Manager is a solution with which we can manage so-called website tags via an interface and thus integrate other services into our online offering (please refer to further details in this privacy policy). With the Tag Manager itself (which implements the tags), therefore, no profiles of users are created or cookies are stored, for example. Google only learns the IP address of the user, which is necessary to run the Google Tag Manager. Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Google Analytics: online marketing and web analytics; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; opt-out: opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en, ad display settings: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
  • Google Ads and conversion measurement: we use the online marketing method “Google Ads” to place ads in the Google advertising network (e.g., in search results, in videos, on web pages, etc.) so that they are displayed to users who have a presumed interest in the ads. Furthermore, we measure the conversion of the ads. However, we only learn the anonymous total number of users who clicked on our ad and were redirected to a page tagged with a so-called “conversion tracking tag”. However, we ourselves do not receive any information that can be used to identify users. Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Google Ad Manager: We use the “Google Marketing Platform” (and services such as “Google Ad Manager”) to place ads in the Google advertising network (e.g., in search results, in videos, on web pages, etc.). The Google Marketing Platform is characterized by the fact that ads are displayed in real time based on presumed user interests. This allows us to display ads for and within our online offering in a more targeted manner in order to present users only with ads that potentially match their interests. For example, if a user is shown ads for products they were interested in on other online offerings, this is referred to as “remarketing.” Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.

  • Hubspot: Our website uses Hubspot, a marketing automation software from HubSpot, 2nd Floor 30 North Wall Quay, Dublin 1, Ireland. HubSpot is a software company from the USA with a European branch in Ireland. Hubspot helps us to analyze the use of our portal. Hubspot uses cookies for this purpose.

    Certain usage data is linked to your person (e.g. after entry in a registration form) and stored in our CRM. This enables us to send you information and offers tailored to your interests.

    In the process, your personal data may also be forwarded to Hubspot servers in the United States (USA). The appropriate level of protection is established by the fact that HubSpot, Inc. participates in the EU-US Privacy Shield Agreement and is certified for compliance with it.

    When using Hubspot, we store your personal data for as long as is necessary to provide you with information and offers tailored to your needs.

    The provision of personal data collected via Hubspot is not required by law or contract or necessary for the conclusion of a contract. If you do not provide us with this data, we will not be able to provide you with information and offers tailored to your needs.

    For more information about Hubspot’s use of data, please see Hubspot’s privacy policy at: https://legal.hubspot.com/de/privacy-policy You can object to the use of your data at any time, e.g. by sending an email to our email address in this privacy policy.

    HubSpot is certified under the terms of the “EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework” and is subject to TRUSTe’s Privacy Seal as well as the “U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor” Framework.

Affiliate programs and affiliate links

In our online offer, we include so-called affiliate links or other references (which may include, for example, search masks, widgets or discount codes) to the offers and services of third-party providers (collectively referred to as “affiliate links”). If users follow the Affiliate Links or subsequently take advantage of the offers, we may receive a commission or other benefits from those third parties (collectively, “Commission”).

In order to be able to track whether users have taken advantage of the offers of an affiliate link used by us, it is necessary that the respective third-party providers learn that the users have followed an affiliate link used within our online offer. The assignment of the affiliate links to the respective business transactions or to other actions (e.g. purchases) serves the sole purpose of commission accounting and will be cancelled as soon as it is no longer necessary for the purpose.

For the purposes of the aforementioned assignment of the affiliate links, the affiliate links may be supplemented by certain values that are a component of the link or may be stored elsewhere, e.g. in a cookie. The values may include, in particular, the source website (referrer), the time, an online identifier of the operator of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online identifier of the respective offer, the type of link used, the type of offer and an online identifier of the user.

Notes on legal bases: if we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the processing of data is consent. Furthermore, their use may be a component of our (pre)contractual services, provided that the use of the third-party providers has been agreed within this framework. Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economical and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

  • Types of data processed: contractual data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category), usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: affiliate tracking.
  • Legal grounds: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO), contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. DSGVO), legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Services used and service providers:

Amazon Affiliate Program: Amazon – Affiliate Program – Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or one of its affiliates. Service Provider: Amazon Europe Core S.à.r.l., Amazon EU S.à.r.l, Amazon Services Europe S.à.r.l. and Amazon Media EU S.à.r.l., all four located at 38, avenue John F. Kennedy, L-1855 Luxembourg, and Amazon Instant Video Germany GmbH, Domagkstr. 28, 80807 Munich, Germany (collectively “Amazon Europe”), parent company: Amazon.com, Inc, 2021 Seventh Ave, Seattle, Washington 98121, U.S.A.; website: https://www.amazon.de; privacy policy: https://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201909010.

Presence in social networks (social media)

We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with users active there or to offer information about us.

We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This may result in risks for the users because, for example, it could make it more difficult to enforce the rights of the users.

Furthermore, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles can be created based on the usage behavior and resulting interests of the users. The usage profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the users’ computers, in which the usage behavior and interests of the users are stored. Furthermore, data independent of the devices used by the users may also be stored in the usage profiles (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).

For a detailed presentation of the respective forms of processing and the options to object (opt-out), we refer to the privacy statements and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

In the case of requests for information and the assertion of data subject rights, we would also like to point out that these can be asserted most effectively with the providers. Only the providers have access to the users’ data and can take appropriate measures and provide information directly. If you still need help, then you can contact us.

Facebook: We are jointly responsible with Facebook Ireland Ltd. for the collection (but not the further processing) of data of visitors to our Facebook page (so-called “fan page”). This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see under “Things You and Others Do and Provide” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy), as well as information about the devices users use (e.g., IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under “Device Information” in the Facebook Data Policy-statement: https://www.facebook.com/policy). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under “How do we use this information?”, Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, called “Page Insights,” to Page operators to provide them with insights into how people interact with their Pages and with content associated with them. We have entered into a special agreement with Facebook (“Page Insights Information,” https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which regulates in particular which security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill the data subject rights (i.e., users can, for example, direct information or deletion requests to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority), are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook. Further information can be found in the “Information on Page Insights” (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data).

  • Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers), content data (e.g. entries in online forms), usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication, feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form), marketing.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Services used and service providers:

Plugins and embedded functions and content

We integrate functional and content elements into our online offer that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”). These can be, for example, graphics, videos or city maps (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “content”).

The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, since without the IP address they could not send the content to their browser. The IP address is thus required for the presentation of these contents or functions. We strive to use only such content whose respective providers use the IP address only for the delivery of the content. Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as “web beacons”) for statistical or marketing purposes. The “pixel tags” can be used to analyze information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and may contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and other information about the use of our online offer as well as be linked to such information from other sources.

Notes on legal basis: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the processing of data is consent. Otherwise, users’ data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economic and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this Privacy Policy.

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses), contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers), content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: provision of our online offer and user-friendliness, provision of contractual services and customer service, feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form).
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO), consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO), contract performance and pre-contractual requests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. DSGVO).

Services used and service providers:

  • Google Fonts: We integrate the fonts (“Google Fonts”) of the provider Google, whereby the user’s data is used solely for the purpose of displaying the fonts in the user’s browser. The integration is based on our legitimate interests in a technically secure, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts, their uniform presentation, as well as taking into account possible licensing restrictions for their integration. Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://fonts.google.com/; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Google Maps: We integrate the maps of the service “Google Maps” of the provider Google. The data processed may include, in particular, IP addresses and location data of the users, which, however, are not collected without their consent (usually executed as part of the settings of their mobile devices); service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; opt-out: opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en, settings for displaying ads: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
  • Shariff: We use the privacy-safe “Shariff” buttons. “Shariff” was developed to allow more privacy on the web and to replace the usual “share” buttons of social networks. In this case, it is not the user’s browser that establishes a connection with the server of the respective social media platforms, but the server on which this online offer is located, and queries the number of likes, for example. The user remains anonymous. More information about the Shariff project can be found at the developers of the magazine c’t: https://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Shariff-Social-Media-Buttons-mit-Datenschutz-2467514.html; Service provider: Heise Medien GmbH & Co. KG, Karl-Wiechert-Allee 10, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Website: https://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Shariff-Social-Media-Buttons-mit-Datenschutz-2467514.html; Privacy policy: https://www.heise.de/Datenschutzerklaerung-der-Heise-Medien-GmbH-Co-KG-4860.html.
  • YouTube videos: Video content; YouTube is integrated via the domain https://www.youtube-nocookie.com in the so-called “Enhanced Privacy Mode”, whereby no cookies on user activities are collected in order to personalize video playback. Nevertheless, information on user interaction with the video (e.g. remembering the last playback point), may be stored; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://www.youtube.com; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as their consents permitted for processing are revoked or other permissions cease to apply (e.g. if the purpose of processing this data has ceased to apply or it is not necessary for the purpose).

If the data are not deleted because they are required for other and legally permissible purposes, their processing will be limited to these purposes. That is, the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person.

Our privacy notices may also contain further information on the retention and deletion of data, which will take precedence for the respective processing operations.

Modification and updating of the privacy policy

We ask you to regularly inform yourself about the content of our data protection notice. We adapt the data protection statement as soon as the changes in the data processing carried out by us make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require an act of cooperation on your part (e.g. consent) or other individual notification. 

Insofar as we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this data protection declaration, we ask you to note that the addresses may change over time and ask you to check the information before contacting us.

Rights of the data subjects

As a data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Articles 15 to 21 of the GDPR:

  • Right to object: you have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data relating to you which is carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1)(e) or (f) DSGVO; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing.
  • Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to revoke any consent given at any time.
  • Right to information: you have the right to request confirmation as to whether data in question is being processed and to information about this data, as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
  • Right to rectification: you have the right, in accordance with the law, to request that data concerning you be completed or that inaccurate data concerning you be rectified.
  • Right to erasure and restriction of processing: In accordance with the legal requirements, you have the right to demand that data concerning you be deleted without delay, or alternatively, in accordance with the legal requirements, to demand restriction of the processing of the data.
  • Right to data portability: You have the right to receive data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, common and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements, or to demand its transfer to another responsible party.
  • Complaint to supervisory authority: without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the requirements of the GDPR.

Definitions

This section provides you with an overview of the terms used in this Privacy Policy. Many of the terms are taken from the law and defined primarily in Article 4 of the GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are primarily intended to aid understanding. The terms are sorted alphabetically.

  • Affiliate tracking: In the context of affiliate tracking, links with the help of which the linking websites refer users to websites with product or other offers are logged. The operators of the respective linking websites may receive a commission if users follow these so-called affiliate links and subsequently take advantage of the offers (e.g. buy goods or use services). For this purpose, it is necessary for the providers to be able to track whether users who are interested in certain offers subsequently take advantage of them at the instigation of the affiliate links. It is therefore necessary for the functionality of affiliate links that they are supplemented with certain values that become part of the link or are stored elsewhere, e.g. in a cookie. The values include, in particular, the source website (referrer), the time, an online identifier of the operator of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online identifier of the respective offer, an online identifier of the user as well as tracking-specific values, such as, for example, advertising media ID, affiliate ID and categorizations.
  • IP masking: “IP masking” refers to a method in which the last octet, i.e., the last two numbers of an IP address, is deleted so that the IP address can no longer be used to uniquely identify a person. Therefore, IP masking is a means of pseudonymizing processing methods, especially in online marketing
  • Conversion measurement: conversion measurement (also referred to as “visit action evaluation”) is a method used to determine the effectiveness of marketing measures. For this purpose, a cookie is usually stored on the users’ devices within the websites on which the marketing measures take place and then retrieved again on the target website. For example, this allows us to track whether the ads we have placed on other websites have been successful.
  • Personal data: “Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subject”); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
  • Profiles with user-related information: The processing of “profiles with user-related information”, or “profiles” for short, includes any type of automated processing of personal data that consists of using such personal data to analyze, evaluate or to predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this may include different information concerning demographics, behavior and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.) (e.g., interests in certain content or products, click behavior on a website or location). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
  • Reach measurement: Reach measurement (also known as web analytics) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to an online offering and can include visitors’ behavior or interests in certain information, such as website content. With the help of reach analysis, website owners can see, for example, at what time visitors visit their website and what content they are interested in. This enables them, for example, to better adapt the content of the website to the needs of their visitors. For reach analysis purposes, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used to recognize returning visitors and thus obtain more precise analyses of the use of an online offer.
  • Controller: “Controller” is the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
  • Processing: “Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed upon personal data, whether or not by automatic means. The term is broad and includes virtually any handling of data, whether collecting, evaluating, storing, transmitting or deleting.

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