Transmission of personal data

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

Data processing in other countries

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

Subject to express consent or contractually or legally required transmission, we only process or have the data processed in third countries with a recognized level of data protection, contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission, if there are 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_de).

Deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as your consent to processing is revoked or other permissions are no longer applicable (e.g. if the purpose of processing this data no longer applies or it is not required for the purpose).

If the data is not deleted because it is required for other, legally permissible purposes, its processing will be limited to these purposes. This means that the data will be blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for commercial or tax reasons or whose storage is necessary to assert, exercise or defend legal claims or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person.

Our data protection information can also contain further information on the storage and deletion of data, which apply primarily to the respective processing.

Use of cookies

Cookies are small text files or other memory notes that store information on end devices and read information from the end devices. For example, to save the login status in a user account, the content of a shopping cart in an e-shop, the content accessed or the functions used in an online offer. Cookies can also be used for various purposes, e.g. for the purpose of functionality, security and comfort of online offers as well as the creation of analyzes of visitor flows.

Notes on consent: We use cookies in accordance with legal regulations. Therefore, we obtain prior consent from users, except where not required by law. In particular, consent is not necessary if the storage and reading of the information, including cookies, is absolutely necessary in order to provide the users with a telemedia service (i.e. our online offer) that they have expressly requested. The revocable consent is clearly communicated to the users and contains the information on the respective cookie use.

Notes on legal bases under data protection law: The legal basis under data protection law on which we process the personal data of users with the help of cookies depends on whether we ask users for their consent. If the users consent, the legal basis for the processing of your data is the declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the commercial operation of our online offer and improving its usability) or, if this is done in the context of fulfilling our contractual obligations, if the use of cookies is necessary to enable our to fulfill contractual obligations. We will explain the purposes for which we process cookies in the course of this data protection declaration or as part of our consent and processing processes.

Storage period: With regard to the storage period, the following types of cookies are distinguished:

    Temporary cookies (also: session or session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed his end device (e.g. browser or mobile application).

    Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the end device 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 user data collected with the help of cookies can be used to measure reach. Unless we provide users with explicit information on the type and storage period of cookies (e.g. when obtaining consent), users should assume that cookies are permanent and the storage period can be up to two years.

General information on revocation and objection (opt-out): Users can revoke the consent they have given at any time and also object to the processing in accordance with the legal requirements in Art. 21 DSGVO (further information on the objection is provided in this data protection declaration). Users can also declare their objection using the settings in their browser.

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

In order to be able 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 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 that arises in the course of use and communication. This regularly includes the IP address, which is necessary in order to be able to deliver the content of online offers to browsers, and all entries made within our online offer or on websites.

    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).

    Affected persons: 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.

    Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

•     E-mail dispatch and hosting: The web hosting services we use also include the dispatch, receipt and storage of e-mails. For these purposes, the addresses of the recipients and senders as well as other information regarding the e-mail dispatch (e.g. the providers involved) and the content of the respective e-mails are processed. The aforementioned data can also be processed for SPAM detection purposes. We ask you to note that e-mails are generally not sent in encrypted form on the Internet. As a rule, e-mails are encrypted during transport, 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 accept any responsibility for the transmission path of the e-mails between the sender and receipt on our server.
•     Collection of access data and log files: We ourselves (or our web hosting provider) collect data for every access to the server (so-called server log files). The address and name of the retrieved websites and files, date and time of retrieval, amounts of data transferred, notification of successful retrieval, 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 belong. The server log files can be used on the one hand for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the server (especially in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and on the other hand to ensure server utilization and stability; Deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or made anonymous. Data whose further storage is required for evidence purposes are excluded from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified.
•     IONOS by 1&1: Services in the field of providing information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacity); Service provider: 1&1 IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany; Website: https://www.ionos.de; Privacy Policy: https://www.ionos.de/terms-gtc/terms-privacy; Order processing contract: https://www.ionos.de/hilfe/datenschutz/allgemeine-informationen-zur-datenschutz-grundverordnung-dsgvo/auftragsverarbeitung/?utm_source=search&utm_medium=global&utm_term=Auft&utm_campaign=HELP_CENTER&utm_content=/hilfe/.
  

Contact and request management

When contacting us (e.g. via contact form, e-mail, telephone or via social media) as well as in the context of existing user and business relationships, the details of the requesting person are processed to the extent necessary to answer the contact request and any requested measures.

The answering of contact inquiries as well as the administration of contact and inquiry data within the framework of contractual or pre-contractual relationships takes place to fulfill our contractual obligations or to answer (pre)contractual inquiries and otherwise on the basis of the legitimate interests in answering the inquiries and maintenance of User or Business Relationships.

    Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact information (e.g. email, phone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms).

    Affected persons: communication partners.

    Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; Provision of contractual services and customer service.

    Legal basis: Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b. GDPR); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR); Legal obligation (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. c. GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

    Contact form: If users contact us via our contact form, e-mail or other communication channels, we process the data communicated to us in this context to process the communicated request. For this purpose, we process personal data within the framework of pre-contractual and contractual business relationships, insofar as this is necessary for their fulfillment and otherwise on the basis of our legitimate interests and the interests of the communication partners in answering the concerns and our legal storage obligations.

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 the users active there or to offer information about us.

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

Furthermore, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, user profiles can be created on the basis of usage behavior and the resulting interests of users. The usage profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements inside 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 the interests of the users are stored. Furthermore, data can also be stored in the usage profiles independently of the devices used by the users (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).

For a detailed description of the respective forms of processing and the possibility of objection (opt-out), we refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

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

    Types of data processed: contact details (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).

    Affected persons: 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 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

    Instagram: social network; Service Provider: Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA; Website: https://www.instagram.com; Privacy Policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy.

    Facebook pages: Profiles within the Facebook social network - we are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection (but not further processing) of data from 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 “Things Done and Provided by You and Others” in the Facebook Data Policy: https:// www.facebook.com/policy), as well as information about the devices used by the users (e.g. IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under "Device information" in the Facebook data policy: 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 site operators, so that they can gain insights into how people are using their Pages and interact with the content associated with them. We have concluded a special agreement with Facebook ("Information on Page Insights", https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which regulates in particular which security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook itself has declared its willingness to fulfill the rights of the data subject (i.e. users can, for example, send information or requests for deletion directly to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaints 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); Service Provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring the level of data protection when processing in third countries): https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum; More information: Joint Controllership Agreement: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data.

Twitter: social network; Service Provider: Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2 D02 AX07, Ireland, Parent Company: Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA; Privacy Policy: https://twitter.com/privacy, (Settings: https://twitter.com/personalization).

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 referred to as "content" ).

The integration always presupposes 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 therefore required for the display of this content or functions. We endeavor to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. Third-party providers can 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 evaluate information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information can also be stored in cookies on the user's device and contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and the operating system, websites to be referred to, the time of the visit and other information on the use of our online offer and can also be linked to such information from other sources.

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. 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 draw your attention to the information on the use of cookies in this data protection declaration.

• Types of data processed: usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact information (e.g. email, phone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
•     Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
•     Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
•     Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a. GDPR); Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b. GDPR); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR).
  
• Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:
  
•     Google Fonts: Obtaining fonts ("Google Fonts") from the provider Google for the purpose of technically safe, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts with regard to topicality and loading times, their uniform display and consideration of possible license restrictions. Google is informed of the user's IP address so that Google can provide the fonts in the user's browser. In addition, technical data (language settings, screen resolution, operating system, hardware used) required for the provision of the fonts depending on the devices used and the technical environment are transmitted. ; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Website: https://fonts.google.com/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
•  YouTube videos: video content; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Objection option (opt-out): opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
  

Change and update of the privacy policy

We ask you to inform yourself regularly about the content of our data protection declaration. We will adapt the data protection declaration as soon as the changes in the data processing we carry out make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require your participation (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.



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

Rights of data subjects

As a data subject, you have various rights under the GDPR, which result in particular from Art. 15 to 21 GDPR:

•     Right of objection: You have the right, for reasons arising from your particular situation, to object at any time to the processing of your personal data, which is based on Article 6 Paragraph 1 lit. e or f GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed in order to operate direct advertising, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of such advertising; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is associated with such direct advertising.
•     Right of withdrawal for consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
•     Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether the data in question is being processed and to request information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with legal requirements.
•     Right to rectification: In accordance with legal requirements, you have the right to request the completion of the data concerning you or the correction of incorrect data concerning you.
•     Right to deletion and restriction of processing: You have the right, in accordance with the legal requirements, to request that data concerning you be deleted immediately, or alternatively to request a restriction of the processing of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
•     Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the data that you have provided to us in accordance with the legal requirements in a structured, common and machine-readable format or to request that it be transmitted to another person responsible.
•     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, your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you believe that the processing of data concerning you personal data violates the provisions of the GDPR.

Regulatory authority responsible for us:

Responsible authority within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information

Definitions of terms

This section provides you with an overview of the terms used in this data protection declaration. Many of the terms are taken from the law and defined above all in Art. 4 GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are intended primarily for understanding. The terms are sorted alphabetically.

    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 means of assignment to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. cookie) or one or more special features, are an expression of the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

    Responsible: The "responsible person" is the natural or legal person, authority, institution or other body that alone or jointly with others decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data.

    Processing: "Processing" is any process or series of processes carried out with or without the aid of automated processes in connection with personal data. The term goes far and covers practically every handling of data, be it collection, evaluation, storage, transmission or deletion.