Data protection declaration

Unless stated otherwise below, the provision of your personal data is neither legally nor contractually obligatory, nor required for conclusion of a contract. You are not obliged to provide your data. Not providing it will have no consequences. This only applies as long as the processing procedures below do not state otherwise.

“Personal data” is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

Server log files

You can use our websites without submitting personal data.
Every time our website is accessed, user data is transferred to us or our web hosts/IT service providers by your internet browser and stored in server log files. This stored data includes for example the name of the site called up, date and time of the request, the IP address, amount of data transferred and the provider making the request. The processing is carried out on the basis of Article 6(1) f) GDPR due to our legitimate interests in ensuring the smooth operation of our website as well as improving our services.

Contact

Responsible person

Contact us at any time. The contact details of the person responsible for data processing can be found in our legal notice.

Proactive contact of the customer by e-mail

If you make contact with us proactively via email, we shall collect your personal data (name, email address, message text) only to the extent provided by you. The purpose of the data processing is to handle and respond to your contact request.
If the initial contact serves to implement pre-contractual measures (e.g. consultation in the case of purchase interest, order creation) or concerns an agreement already concluded between you and us, this data processing takes place on the basis of Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.
If the initial contact occurs for other reasons, this data processing takes place on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR for the purposes of our overriding, legitimate interest in handling and responding to your request. In this case, on grounds relating to your particular situation, you have the right to object at any time to this processing of personal data concerning you and carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
We will only use your email address to process your request. Your data will subsequently be deleted in compliance with statutory retention periods, unless you have agreed to further processing and use.

Collection and processing when using the contact form

When you use the contact form we will only collect your personal data (name, email address, message text) in the scope provided by you. The data processing is for the purpose of making contact.
If the initial contact serves to implement pre-contractual measures (e.g. consultation in the case of purchase interest, order creation) or concerns an agreement already concluded between you and us, this data processing takes place on the basis of Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.
If the initial contact occurs for other reasons, this data processing takes place on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR for the purposes of our overriding, legitimate interest in handling and responding to your request. In this case, on grounds relating to your particular situation, you have the right to object at any time to this processing of personal data concerning you and carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
We will only use your email address to process your request. Finally your data will be deleted, unless you have agreed to further processing and use.

Evaluations & Advertising

Data collection when you post a comment

When you comment on an article or a contribution, we collect your personal data (name, email address, comment text) only in the scope provided by you. The processing serves to allow you to comment and to display comments. By submitting the comment you agree to the processing of the transmitted data. The processing will be carried out on the basis of art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR with your consent. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us without affecting the legality of the processing carried out with your consent up to the withdrawal. You personal data will then be deleted.

Use of your email address for mailing of newsletters

We use your email address outside of contractual processing exclusively to send you a newsletter for our own marketing purposes, if you have explicitly agreed to this. The processing will be carried out on the basis of art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR with your consent. You can withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the legality of the processing carried out with your consent up to the withdrawal. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the relevant link in the newsletter or by contacting us. Your email address will then be removed from the distributor.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are small text files which are saved in a user’s internet browser or by the user’s internet browser on their computer system. When a user calls up a website, a cookie may be saved on the user’s operating system. This cookie contains a characteristic character string which allows the browser to be clearly identified when the website is called up again.

Cookies will be stored on your computer. You therefore have full control over the use of cookies. By choosing corresponding technical settings in your internet browser, you can be notified before the setting of cookies and you can decide whether to accept this setting in each individual case as well as prevent the storage of cookies and transmission of the data they contain. Cookies which have already been saved may be deleted at any time. We would, however, like to point out that this may prevent you from making full use of all the functions of this website.
Using the links below, you can find out how to manage cookies (or deactivate them, among other things) in major browsers:
Chrome Browser: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/61416?hl=en
Internet Explorer: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies
Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-and-disable-cookies-website-preferences
Safari: https://support.apple.com/de-de/guide/safari/manage-cookies-and-website-data-sfri11471/mac

Technically necessary cookies

Insofar as no other information is given in the data protection declaration below we use only these technically necessary cookies cookies to make our offering more user-friendly, effective and secure. Cookies also allow our systems to recognise your browser after a page change and to offer you services. Some functions of our website cannot be offered without the use of cookies. These services require the browser to be recognised again after a page change.

The use of cookies or comparable technologies is carried out on the basis of Art. 25 para. 2 TTDSG. Processing is carried out on the basis of art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR due to our largely justified interest in ensuring the optimal functionality of the website as well as a user-friendly and effective design of our range of services.
You have the right to veto this processing of your personal data according to art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR, for reasons relating to your personal situation.

Use of Consentmanager

Our website uses the consent management tool Consentmanager from Consentmanager AB (Håltegelvägen 1b, 72348 Västerås, Sweden; "Consentmanager").
The tool enables you to grant consents to data processing via the website, in particular the placing of cookies, and to make use of your right of revocation for consents already granted.
The processing of data serves the purpose of obtaining necessary consents for data processing and to document these, thereby complying with statutory obligations.
Cookies may be deployed for this purpose. In this process the following information, inter alia, can be collected and transmitted to Consentmanager: Date and time of the page retrieval, information on the browser and device you are using, anonymised IP address, opt-in and opt-out data. This data will not be forwarded to other third parties.
The data processing is carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(c) GDPR to comply with a legal obligation.
More information on data protection at Consentmanager can be found at: https://www.consentmanager.net/privacy.php

Analysis & Communication

Use of the Google Analytics

Our website uses the web analysis service Google Analytics from Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; “Google”).
The processing of data serves to analyse this website and its visitors and for marketing and advertising purposes.
Google will use this information on behalf of the operator of this website to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide other services to the website operator relating to website and internet use. In this process the following information, inter alia, can be collected: IP address, date and time of the website access, click path, information on the browser and the device you are using, the pages visited, referrer URL (website via which you accessed our website), location data, purchasing activities. The IP address transmitted from your browser within the scope of Google Analytics is not associated with any other data held by Google.
Google Analytics uses technology such as cookies, web storage in the browser and tracking pixels which enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by these regarding your use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. Google relies on standard contractual clauses as suitable guarantees for the protection of personal data, available at: https://policies.google.com/privacy/frameworks. Both Google and the US government authorities have access to your data. Google may combine your data with other data, such as your search history, personal accounts, usage data from other devices and any other information Google has about you.
IP anonymisation is activated on this website. Google uses this to shorten your IP address beforehand within Member States of the European Union or in other signatories to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transferred to a Google server in the USA and shortened there.
The use of cookies or comparable technologies is carried out with your consent on the basis of Art. 25 para. 1 p. 1 TTDSG in conjunction with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. The processing of your personal data is carried out with your consent on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. You can withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the legality of the processing carried out with your consent up to the withdrawal.
You can find more detailed information on the terms and conditions of use and data protection at https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/de.html and/or at https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/ and at https://policies.google.com/technologies/cookies?hl=de.

Use of the live chat system Userlike

We use the live chat system from Userlike UG (haftungsbeschränkt) (Probsteigasse 44-46, D-50670 Cologne, Germany; "Userlike") on our website in the context of order processing.
The data processing serves the purpose of direct and efficient communication between you and us as a provider.
By accessing our website, the chat widget is loaded in the form of a JavaScript file from AWS Cloudfront, which makes the chat technically possible.
In order to operate the live chat system, cookies are also used to enable browser recognition.
Among other things, the following information may be collected and processed: Date and time of access, browser type/version, IP address, information about the operating system and device used, URL of the previously visited website, number of page views, amount of data sent and other information provided by you in the chat history.
The data processing, particularly the placing of cookies, is carried out on the basis of Article 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR due to our overriding legitimate interest in direct customer communication. On grounds relating to your particular situation, you have the right to object at any time to this processing of personal data concerning you and carried out in accordance with Article 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
You may refuse the saving of cookies by selecting the appropriate technical settings on your browser software, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website.
For more information about Userlike's collection and use of your information, please visit https://www.userlike.com/de/terms#privacy-policy and https://www.userlike.com/de/data-privacy.

Plug-ins

Use of the Google Tag Manager

Our website uses the Google Tag Manager from Google LLC. (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; "Google"). If you are ordinarily resident in the European Economic Area or Switzerland, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is the controller responsible for your data. Google Ireland Limited is therefore the company affiliated with Google responsible for processing your data and for compliance with the applicable data protection legislation. This application manages JavaScript tags and HTML tags which are used in particular to implement tracking and analysis tools. The data processing serves to facilitate the needs-based design and optimisation of our website. The Google Tag Manager itself neither stores cookies nor processes personal data. It does, however, enable the triggering of further tags which may collect and process personal data. You can find more detailed information on the terms and conditions of use and data protection at https://www.google.com/intl/de/tagmanager/use-policy.html

Use of YouTube

Our website uses the function for embedding YouTube videos by Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; "YouTube"). YouTube is a company affiliated with Google LLC (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; "Google").
This feature shows YouTube videos in an iFrame on the website. The option "advanced privacy mode" is enabled here. This prevents YouTube from storing information on visitors to the website. It is only if you watch a video that information is transmitted to and stored by YouTube. Your data may be transmitted to the USA.
The data processing is carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(f ) GDPR due to our legitimate interest in the needs-based and targeted design of the website. On grounds relating to your particular situation, you have the right to object at any time to this processing of personal data concerning you and carried out in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
Further information on the data collected and used by YouTube and Google and your associated rights and options for protecting your privacy can be found in YouTube’s privacy policy (https://www.youtube.com/t/privacy).

Rights of persons affected and storage duration

Duration of Storage

The data will be stored under consideration of legal retention periods and then deleted after expiration of the period, unless you have not agreed to further processing and use.

Rights of the affected person

If the legal requirements are fulfilled, you have the following rights according to art. 15 to 20 GDPR: Right to information, correction, deletion, restriction of processing, data portability. You also have a right of objection against processing based on art. 6 (1) GDPR, and to processing for the purposes of direct marketing, according to art. 21 (1) GDPR.

Right to complain to the regulatory authority

You have the right to complain to the regulatory authority according to art. 77 GDPR if you believe that your data is not being processed legally.

Right to object

If the data processing outlined here is based on our legitimate interests in accordance with Article 6(1)f) GDPR, you have the right for reasons arising from your particular situation to object at any time to the processing of your data with future effect.
If the objection is successful, we will no longer process the personal data, unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that outweigh your interests or rights and freedoms, or the processing is intended for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims.

last update: 01.12.2021