Data protection

Introduction and overview

We have drawn up this privacy policy (version 12.10.2023-112648020) to provide you with the information you need in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws, which personal data (data for short) we as the controller - and the processors commissioned by us (e.g. providers) - process, will process in the future and what legal options you have. The terms used are to be understood as gender-neutral.
In short: We will provide you with comprehensive information about the data we process about you.

Privacy statements usually sound very technical and use legal jargon. This privacy statement, on the other hand, is intended to describe the most important things to you as simply and transparently as possible. As far as it promotes transparency, technical Terms are explained in a reader-friendly manner , links to further information are provided and Graphics used. We are informing you in clear and simple language that we only process personal data in the context of our business activities if there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible if you provide explanations that are as brief, unclear and legal-technical as possible, as is often standard on the Internet when it comes to data protection. I hope you find the following explanations interesting and informative and perhaps there is some information there that you did not know before.
If you still have any questions, please contact the responsible body named below or in the imprint, follow the links provided and look at further information on third-party websites. You can of course also find our contact details in the imprint.

scope of application

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

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

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

Legal basis

In the following privacy policy we provide you with transparent information on the legal principles and regulations, i.e. the legal basis of the General Data Protection Regulation, that enable us to process personal data.
As regards EU law, we refer to REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 April 2016. You can of course consult this EU General Data Protection Regulation online on EUR-Lex, the gateway to EU law, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679 read more.

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

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

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

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

• In Austria This is the Federal Act on the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data ( Data Protection Act ), in short DSG .
• In Germany is that valid Federal Data Protection Act , short BDSG .

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

Contact details of the person responsible

If you have any questions about data protection or the processing of personal data, you will find the contact details of the responsible person or body below:
Bake Affair GmbH – Gewerbestraße 4, 3375 Krummnußbaum, Austria

Imprint: https://www.bakeaffair.at/impressum/

Storage period

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

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

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

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

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

• According to Article 15 GDPR, you have the right to know whether we process data about you. If this is the case, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and to be informed of the following information:
  • for what purposes we carry out the processing;
  • the categories, i.e. the types of data that are processed;
  • who receives this data and, if the data is transferred to third countries, how security can be guaranteed;
  • how long the data is stored;
  • the existence of the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing and the right to object to processing;
  • that you can complain to a supervisory authority (links to these authorities can be found below);
  • the origin of the data if we did not collect it from you;
  • whether profiling is carried out, i.e. whether data is automatically evaluated in order to create a personal profile of you.
• You have the right to rectification of data according to Article 16 GDPR, which means that we must correct data if you find any errors.
• According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), which specifically means that you can request that your data be deleted.
• According to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to restrict processing, which means that we may only store the data but not use it any further.
• According to Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that we will provide you with your data in a common format upon request.
• According to Article 21 GDPR, you have the right to object, which, once enforced, will result in a change in the processing.
  • If the processing of your data is based on Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter e (public interest, exercise of official authority) or Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f (legitimate interest), you can object to the processing. We will then check as quickly as possible whether we can legally comply with this objection.
  • If data is used to conduct direct advertising, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for direct marketing after this.
  • If data is used to carry out profiling, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for profiling after this.
• According to Article 22 GDPR, you may have the right not to be subjected to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g. profiling).
• According to Article 77 of the GDPR, you have the right to complain. This means that you can complain to the data protection authority at any time if you believe that the processing of personal data violates the GDPR.

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

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection rights have been violated in any other way, you can complain to the supervisory authority. For Austria, this is the Data Protection Authority, whose website you can find at https://www.dsb.gv.at/ In Germany, there is a data protection officer for each federal state. For further information, please contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) The following local data protection authority is responsible for our company:

Austria Data Protection Authority

Head: Dr. Andrea Jelinek
Address: Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna
Phone number.: +43 1 52 152-0
E-mail address: dsb@dsb.gv.at
Website: https://www.dsb.gv.at/

Data transfer to third countries

We only transfer or process data in countries outside the scope of the GDPR (third countries) if you consent to this processing or if there is another legal permission. This applies in particular if the processing is required by law or necessary to fulfill a contractual relationship and in any case only to the extent that this is generally permitted. In most cases, your consent is the most important reason why we have data processed in third countries. Processing personal data in third countries such as the USA, where many software manufacturers offer services and have their server locations, can mean that personal data is processed and stored in unexpected ways.

We expressly point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, an adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA currently only exists if a US company that processes personal data of EU citizens in the USA is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. You can find more information at: https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en

Data processing by US services that are not active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework may result in data not being processed and stored anonymously. Furthermore, US government authorities may have access to individual data. In addition, collected data may be linked to data from other services of the same provider, provided you have a corresponding user account. Where possible, we try to use server locations within the EU if this is offered.
We will provide you with more detailed information about data transfers to third countries, where applicable, at the appropriate points in this privacy policy.

Security of data processing

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

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

TLS encryption with https

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

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

communication

Communication Summary 👥 Affected persons: All those who communicate with us by phone, email or online form 📓 Data processed: e.g. telephone number, name, email address, entered form data. You can find more details in the contact type used 🤝 Purpose: Handling communication with customers, business partners, etc. 📅 Storage period: Duration of the business case and the legal regulations ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

If you contact us and communicate by telephone, email or online form, personal data may be processed.

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

Affected people

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

phone

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

e-mail

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

Online forms

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

Legal basis

The processing of the data is based on the following legal bases:

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

Data processing agreement (DPA)

In this section, we would like to explain to you what a data processing agreement is and why it is needed. Because the word “data processing agreement” is quite a tongue twister, we will often use the acronym AVV in the text. Like most companies, we do not work alone, but also use the services of other companies or individuals ourselves. By involving various companies or service providers, we may pass on personal data for processing. These partners then act as data processors with whom we conclude a contract, the so-called data processing agreement (AVV). The most important thing for you to know is that the processing of your personal data is carried out exclusively in accordance with our instructions and must be regulated by the AVV.

Who are data processors?

As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data that we process from you. In addition to those responsible, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or person that processes personal data on our behalf. To be more precise and according to the GDPR definition: any natural or legal person, public authority, institution or other body that processes personal data on our behalf is considered a processor. Processors can therefore be service providers such as hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.

To better understand the terminology, here is an overview of the three roles in the GDPR:

Affected party (you as a customer or interested party) → Responsible (we as a company and client) → Processor (Service providers such as web hosts or cloud providers)

Content of a data processing contract

As already mentioned above, we have concluded an AVV with our partners who act as data processors. This stipulates above all that the data processor processes the data to be processed exclusively in accordance with the GDPR. The contract must be concluded in writing, but in this context, electronic contract conclusion is also considered "written". The personal data is only processed on the basis of the contract. The contract must contain the following:

• Commitment to us as responsible
• Duties and rights of the controller
• Categories of data subjects
• Type of personal data
• Type and purpose of data processing
• Subject and duration of data processing
• Place of data processing

The contract also contains all the obligations of the processor. The most important obligations are:

• Measures to ensure data security
• to take possible technical and organizational measures to protect the rights of the data subject
• to maintain a data processing register
• to cooperate with the data protection supervisory authority upon request
• to carry out a risk analysis in relation to the personal data received
• Sub-processors may only be commissioned with the written permission of the controller

You can find out what such an AVV looks like at https://www.wko.at/service/wirtschaftsrecht-gewerberecht/eu-dsgvo-mustervertrag-vertragsprocessing.html A sample contract is presented here.

Cookies

Cookies Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: depends on the respective cookie. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📓 Data processed: Depends on the cookie used. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📅 Storage period: depends on the cookie, can vary from hours to years ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are cookies?

Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.
Below we explain what cookies are and why they are used so that you can better understand the following privacy policy.

Whenever you surf the Internet, you use a browser. Well-known browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing cannot be denied: cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. To be more precise, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other areas of application. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, the "brain" of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal page settings. When you visit our site again, your browser sends the "user-related" information back to our site. Thanks to cookies, our website knows who you are and offers you the settings you are used to. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file, in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

The following graphic shows a possible interaction between a web browser such as Chrome and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie back from the server, which the browser uses again when another page is requested.

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

For example, cookie data can look like this:

Surname: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152112648020-9
Purpose of use: Differentiation of website visitors
Expiry date: after 2 years

A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:

• At least 4096 bytes per cookie
• At least 50 cookies per domain
• At least 3000 cookies in total

What types of cookies are there?

The question of which cookies we use in particular depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the privacy policy. At this point we would like to briefly explain the different types of HTTP cookies.

There are 4 types of cookies:

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

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

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

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

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

If you would like to know more about cookies and are not afraid of technical documentation, we recommend https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265 , the Request for Comments from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) called “HTTP State Management Mechanism”.

Purpose of processing via cookies

The purpose ultimately depends on the cookie in question. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.

What data is processed?

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

Storage period of cookies

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

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

Right to object – how can I delete cookies?

You decide how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come from, you always have the option of deleting, deactivating or only partially allowing cookies. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all other cookies.

If you want to find out which cookies have been stored in your browser, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this in your browser settings:

Chrome: Delete, enable and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari

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

Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you do not want cookies at all, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is about to be placed. This way you can decide for each individual cookie whether you want to allow the cookie or not. The procedure varies depending on the browser. The best thing to do is to search for instructions on Google using the search term “delete cookies Chrome” or “deactivate cookies Chrome” in the case of a Chrome browser.

Legal basis

The so-called “Cookie Guidelines” have been in place since 2009. They state that the storage of cookies is a consent (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter a of GDPR) is required of you. However, there are still very different reactions to these guidelines within the EU countries. In Austria, however, this directive was implemented in Section 96 Paragraph 3 of the Telecommunications Act (TKG). In Germany, the cookie guidelines were not implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 Paragraph 3 of the Telemedia Act (TMG).

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

If cookies that are not absolutely necessary are used, this only happens with your consent. The legal basis in this respect is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

In the following sections you will be informed in more detail about the use of cookies, provided that the software used uses cookies.

Web Analytics Introduction

Web Analytics Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website. 📓 Processed data: Access statistics that contain data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior and IP addresses. You can find more details in the web analytics tool used. 📅 Storage period: depends on the web analytics tool used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Web Analytics?

We use software on our website to evaluate the behavior of website visitors, known as web analytics or web analysis for short. This involves collecting data that the respective analytics tool provider (also known as tracking tool) stores, manages and processes. The data is used to create analyses of user behavior on our website and makes them available to us as website operators. In addition, most tools offer various testing options. For example, we can test which offers or content are most popular with our visitors. To do this, we show you two different offers for a limited period of time. After the test (so-called A/B test), we know which product or content our website visitors find more interesting. For such testing procedures, as for other analytics procedures, user profiles can also be created and the data stored in cookies.

Why do we use web analytics?

We have a clear goal in mind with our website: we want to provide the best web offering on the market for our industry. To achieve this goal, we want to offer the best and most interesting offering on the one hand and, on the other hand, make sure that you feel completely comfortable on our website. With the help of web analysis tools, we can take a closer look at the behavior of our website visitors and then improve our web offering for you and us accordingly. For example, we can see how old our visitors on average are, where they come from, when our website is visited most often or which content or products are particularly popular. All of this information helps us to optimize the website and thus adapt it as best as possible to your needs, interests and wishes.

What data is processed?

Which data is stored depends, of course, on the analysis tools used. However, as a rule, for example, what content you view on our website, which buttons or links you click, when you visit a page, which browser you use, which device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use to visit the website or which computer system you use is stored. If you have agreed that location data may also be collected, this can also be processed by the web analysis tool provider.

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

The following example shows schematically how Google Analytics works as an example of client-based web tracking with JavaScript code.

How long the respective data is stored always depends on the provider. Some cookies only store data for a few minutes or until you leave the website again, other cookies can store data for several years.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing if we have further information. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If it is required by law, such as in the case of accounting, this storage period can also be exceeded.

Right to object

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

Legal basis

The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. This consent is according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as it may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

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

Since web analytics tools use cookies, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

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

Facebook Conversions API Privacy Policy

We use Facebook Conversions API, a server-side event tracking tool, on our website. The service provider is the American company Meta Platforms Inc. The company Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland) is responsible for the European region.

Facebook processes your data in the USA, among other places. Facebook and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Facebook uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Facebook undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

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

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Facebook Conversions API in the Privacy Policy on https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy .

Google Analytics Privacy Policy

Google Analytics Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website. 📓 Data processed: Access statistics that contain data such as locations of accesses, device data, duration and time of access, navigation behavior and click behavior. You can find more details about this further down in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: individually adjustable, by default Google Analytics 4 stores data for 14 months ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Analytics?

We use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics in version Google Analytics 4 (GA4) from the American company Google Inc. on our website. In Europe, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. By combining different technologies such as cookies, device IDs and login information, you as a user can be identified across different devices. This means that your actions can also be analyzed across platforms.

For example, if you click on a link, this event is stored in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. The reports we receive from Google Analytics help us to better tailor our website and service to your needs. Below we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and, above all, inform you about which data is processed and how you can prevent this.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool that is used to analyze the traffic on our website. These measurements and analyses are based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This number does not contain any personal data such as name or address, but is used to assign events to a device. GA4 uses an event-based model that records detailed information on user interactions such as page views, clicks, scrolling, and conversion events. In addition, various machine learning functions have been built into GA4 to better understand user behavior and certain trends. GA4 uses machine learning functions to model. This means that missing data can also be extrapolated based on the data collected in order to optimize the analysis and also to make forecasts.

In order for Google Analytics to work, a tracking code is built into the code of our website. When you visit our website, this code records various events that you perform on our website. With GA4's event-based data model, we as website operators can define and track specific events in order to obtain analyses of user interactions. This means that in addition to general information such as clicks or page views, special events that are important to our business can also be tracked. Such special events can be, for example, submitting a contact form or purchasing a product.

As soon as you leave our website, this data is sent to the Google Analytics servers and stored there.

Google processes the data and we receive reports about your user behavior. These may include the following reports:

• Target group reports: Through target group reports we get to know our users better and know more precisely who is interested in our service.
• Ad Reporting: Ad Reporting helps us analyze and improve our online advertising.
• Acquisition reports: Acquisition reports give us helpful information about how we can get more people excited about our service.
• Behavioral reports: This tells us how you interact with our website. We can see which path you take on our site and which links you click on.
• Conversion reports: A conversion is a process in which you perform a desired action based on a marketing message. For example, when you go from being a pure website visitor to becoming a buyer or newsletter subscriber. These reports help us learn more about how our marketing measures are received by you. This is how we want to increase our conversion rate.
• Real-time reports: Here we always know immediately what is happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.

In addition to the analysis reports mentioned above, Google Analytics 4 also offers the following functions:

• Event-based data model: This model records very specific events that can take place on our website. For example, playing a video, purchasing a product or signing up for our newsletter.
• Advanced analysis functions: These functions enable us to understand your behavior on our website or certain general trends even better. For example, we can segment user groups, carry out comparative analyses of target groups or track your route or path on our website.
• Predictive modeling: Using collected data, machine learning can extrapolate missing data that predicts future events and trends. This can help us develop better marketing strategies.
• Cross-platform analysis: Data can be collected and analyzed from both websites and apps. This gives us the opportunity to analyze user behavior across platforms, provided you have consented to data processing, of course.

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

Our goal with this website is clear: we want to offer you the best possible service. The statistics and data from Google Analytics help us achieve this goal.

The statistically evaluated data gives us a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of our website. On the one hand, we can optimize our site so that it is easier for interested people to find on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us to better understand you as a visitor. We therefore know exactly what we need to improve on our website in order to offer you the best possible service. The data also helps us to carry out our advertising and marketing measures in a more personalized and cost-effective way. After all, it only makes sense to show our products and services to people who are interested in them.

What data is stored by Google Analytics?

Google Analytics uses a tracking code to create a random, unique ID that is linked to your browser cookie. This allows Google Analytics to recognize you as a new user and assign you a user ID. The next time you visit our site, you will be recognized as a "returning" user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID. This makes it possible to evaluate pseudonymous user profiles.

In order to be able to analyze our website with Google Analytics, a property ID must be inserted into the tracking code. The data is then saved in the corresponding property. The Google Analytics 4 property is the default for every newly created property. Depending on the property used, data is saved for different lengths of time.

Using identifiers such as cookies, app instance IDs, user IDs or custom event parameters, your interactions are measured across platforms, provided you have consented. Interactions are all types of actions that you perform on our website. If you also use other Google systems (such as a Google account), data generated via Google Analytics can be linked to third-party cookies. Google does not share Google Analytics data unless we as the website operator approve this. Exceptions may apply if required by law.

According to Google, no IP addresses are logged or stored in Google Analytics 4. However, Google uses the IP address data to derive location data and deletes it immediately afterwards. All IP addresses collected from users in the EU are therefore deleted before the data is stored in a data center or on a server.

Because Google Analytics 4 focuses on event-based data, the tool uses significantly fewer cookies than previous versions (such as Google Universal Analytics). However, there are some specific cookies that GA4 uses. These include, for example:

Surname: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152112648020-5
Purpose of use: By default, analytics.js uses the cookie _ga to store the user ID. Basically, it is used to distinguish between website visitors.
Expiry Date: after 2 years

Surname: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152112648020-1
Purpose: The cookie is also used to distinguish between website visitors
Expiry date: after 24 hours

Surname: _gat_gtag_UA_<property-id>
Value: 1
Purpose of use: Used to reduce the request rate. If Google Analytics is provided via Google Tag Manager, this cookie is named _dc_gtm_ <property-id>.
Expiry Date: after 1 minute

Note: This list cannot claim to be complete, as Google is constantly changing its choice of cookies. The aim of GA4 is also to improve data protection. Therefore, the tool offers several options for controlling data collection. For example, we can set the storage period ourselves and also control data collection.

Here we show you an overview of the most important types of data collected with Google Analytics:

Heat maps: Google creates so-called heat maps. Heat maps show exactly the areas you click on. This gives us information about where you are on our site.

Session duration: Google defines the session duration as the time you spend on our site without leaving the site. If you have been inactive for 20 minutes, the session ends automatically.

Bounce rate Bounce rate: A bounce occurs when you only view one page on our website and then leave our website again.

Account creation: When you create an account or place an order on our website, Google Analytics collects this data.

Location: IP addresses are not logged or stored in Google Analytics. However, derivations for location data are used shortly before the IP address is deleted.

Technical information: Technical information includes your browser type, your Internet service provider or your screen resolution.

Source of origin: Google Analytics and we are of course also interested in which website or advertisement you came to our site from.

Other data includes contact details, any ratings, the playback of media (e.g. when you play a video on our site), sharing content via social media or adding it to your favorites. This list is not exhaustive and only serves as a general guide to data storage by Google Analytics.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google has its servers distributed all over the world. Here you can find out exactly where the Google data centers are located: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de

Your data is distributed across different physical storage devices. This has the advantage that the data can be accessed more quickly and is better protected against manipulation. Every Google data center has emergency programs for your data. If, for example, Google's hardware fails or natural disasters paralyze servers, the risk of a service interruption at Google remains low.

The retention period of the data depends on the properties used. The storage period is always set separately for each individual property. Google Analytics offers us four options for controlling the storage period:

• 2 months: this is the shortest storage period.
• 14 months: by default, GA4 stores data for 14 months.
• 26 months: you can also store the data for 26 months.
• Data will only be deleted when we delete it manually

In addition, there is also the option that data will only be deleted if you no longer visit our website within the period we have chosen. In this case, the retention period will be reset each time you visit our website again within the specified period.

When the specified period has expired, the data is deleted once a month. This retention period applies to your data that is linked to cookies, user recognition and advertising IDs (e.g. cookies from the DoubleClick domain). Report results are based on aggregated data and are stored independently of user data. Aggregated data is a fusion of individual data into a larger unit.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Under European Union data protection law, you have the right to obtain information about your data, to update it, to delete it or to restrict it. You can use the browser add-on to deactivate Google Analytics JavaScript (analytics.js, gtag.js) to prevent Google Analytics 4 from using your data. You can download the browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de Download and install. Please note that this add-on only deactivates data collection by Google Analytics.

If you generally want to deactivate, delete or manage cookies, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers under the “Cookies” section.

Legal basis

The use of Google Analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. This consent is according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as it may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

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

Google processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Google uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/ .

We hope we have been able to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Google Analytics. If you would like to learn more about the tracking service, we recommend these two links: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/terms/de/ and https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de .

If you want to learn more about data processing, please use the Google privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de .

Data processing agreement (DPA) Google Analytics

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with Google in accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can read what a DPA is exactly and, above all, what must be included in a DPA in our general section “Data processing agreement (DPA)”.

This contract is required by law because Google processes personal data on our behalf. It clarifies that Google may only process data it receives from us in accordance with our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. The link to the order data processing conditions can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/

Google Analytics reports on demographics and interests

We have activated the advertising reporting functions in Google Analytics. The reports on demographic characteristics and interests contain information on age, gender and interests. This enables us to get a better picture of our users - without being able to assign this data to individual people. You can find out more about the advertising functions at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3450482?hl=de_AT&utm_id=ad .

You can control the use of your Google Account activities and information under “Advertising Settings” on https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated End via checkbox.

Google Analytics in consent mode

Depending on your consent, your personal data will be processed by Google Analytics in so-called consent mode. You can choose whether or not you agree to Google Analytics cookies. This also means that you choose which data Google Analytics may process from you. This data collected is mainly used to carry out measurements of user behavior on the website, display targeted advertising, and provide us with web analysis reports. As a rule, you consent to data processing by Google using a cookie consent tool. If you do not consent to data processing, only aggregated data will be collected and processed. This means that data cannot be assigned to individual users and no user profile is created of you. You can also only consent to statistical measurement. No personal data will be processed and therefore not used for advertisements or advertising measurement results.

Google Analytics IP anonymization

We have implemented Google Analytics IP address anonymization on this website. This function was developed by Google so that this website can comply with the applicable data protection regulations and recommendations of the local data protection authorities if they prohibit the storage of the full IP address. The anonymization or masking of the IP takes place as soon as the IP addresses arrive in the Google Analytics data collection network and before the data is stored or processed.

More information about IP anonymization can be found at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2763052?hl=de .

Google Site Kit Privacy Policy

Google Site Kit Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website. 📓 Data processed: Access statistics that contain data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior and IP addresses. More details can be found below and in the Google Analytics privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: depends on the properties used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Site Kit?

We have integrated the WordPress plugin Google Site Kit from the American company Google Inc. into our website. In Europe, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. With Google Site Kit, we can quickly and easily view statistics from various Google products such as Google Analytics directly in our WordPress dashboard. The tool or the tools integrated into Google Site Kit also collect personal data from you, among other things. In this privacy policy, we explain why we use Google Site Kit, how long and where data is stored, and which other data protection texts are relevant to you in this context.

Google Site Kit is a plugin for the WordPress content management system. With this plugin, we can view important website analysis statistics directly in our dashboard. These are statistics collected by other Google products, especially Google Analytics. In addition to Google Analytics, the services Google Search Console, Page Speed ​​Insight, Google AdSense, Google Optimize and Google Tag Manager can also be linked to Google Site Kit.

Why do we use Google Site Kit on our website?

As a service provider, it is our job to offer you the best possible experience on our website. You should feel comfortable on our website and quickly and easily find exactly what you are looking for. Statistical evaluations help us to get to know you better and to adapt our offer to your wishes and interests. We use various Google tools for these evaluations. Site Kit makes our work much easier in this regard because we can view and analyze the statistics of Google products directly in the dashboard. We no longer have to register separately for the respective tool. Site Kit therefore always offers a good overview of the most important analysis data.

What data does Google Site Kit store?

If you have actively consented to tracking tools in the cookie notice (also called script or banner), cookies will be set by Google products such as Google Analytics and data from you, such as your user behavior, will be sent to Google, stored there and processed. This includes personal data such as your IP address.

For more detailed information on the individual services, we have separate text sections in this privacy policy. For example, see our privacy policy for Google Analytics. Here we go into great detail about the data collected. You will find out how long Google Analytics stores, manages and processes data, which cookies can be used and how you can prevent data storage. We also have separate privacy policies with comprehensive information for other Google services such as Google Tag Manager or Google AdSense.

Below we show you examples of Google Analytics cookies that can be set in your browser, provided you have generally agreed to data processing by Google. Please note that these cookies are only a selection:

Surname: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152112648020-2
Purpose of use: By default, analytics.js uses the cookie _ga to store the user ID. Basically, it is used to distinguish between website visitors.
Expiry Date: after 2 years

Surname: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152112648020-7
Purpose of use: This cookie is also used to distinguish between website visitors.
Expiry date: after 24 hours

Surname: _gat_gtag_UA_<property-id>
Value: 1
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to reduce the request rate.
Expiry Date: after 1 minute

How long and where is the data stored?

Google stores collected data on its own Google servers, which are located worldwide. Most servers are located in the United States and therefore it is quite possible that your data will also be stored there. On https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de see exactly where the company provides servers.

Data collected by Google Analytics is retained for a standard 26 months. After this, your user data is deleted. The retention period applies to all data linked to cookies, user recognition and advertising IDs.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You always have the right to obtain information about your data and to have your data deleted, corrected or restricted. You can also deactivate, delete or manage cookies in your browser at any time.

If you generally want to deactivate, delete or manage cookies, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers under the “Cookies” section.

Legal basis

The use of Google Site Kit requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. This consent is according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as it may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

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

Google processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Google uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/ .

To learn more about data processing by Google, we recommend that you read Google’s comprehensive privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de .

Pinterest Web Analytics Privacy Policy

We use Pinterest Web Analytics, a web analysis program, on our website. The service provider is the American company Pinterest Inc. The company also has an Irish headquarters at Pinterest Europe Ltd., Palmerston House, 2nd Floor, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.

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

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

For more information about Pinterest’s standard contractual clauses, please visit https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy#section-residents-of-the-eea .

You can learn more about the data processed through the use of Pinterest Web Analytics in the entire Privacy Policy on https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy .

Email Marketing Introduction

Email Marketing Summary 👥 Affected: Newsletter subscribers 🤝 Purpose: Direct advertising by email, notification of system-relevant events 📓 Data processed: Data entered during registration, but at least the email address. You can find more details in the email marketing tool used. 📅 Storage period: Duration of the subscription ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is email marketing?

In order to keep you up to date, we also use email marketing. If you have agreed to receive our emails or newsletters, your data will also be processed and stored. Email marketing is a sub-area of ​​online marketing. News or general information about a company, products or services is sent by email to a specific group of people who are interested in them.

If you want to participate in our email marketing (usually via newsletter), you normally just have to register with your email address. To do this, you fill out an online form and send it off. However, we may also ask you for your title and name so that we can write to you personally.

Basically, registering for newsletters works using the so-called "double opt-in process". After you have registered for our newsletter on our website, you will receive an email confirming your newsletter registration. This ensures that the email address belongs to you and that no one has registered with someone else's email address. We or a notification tool we use logs every single registration. This is necessary so that we can prove that the registration process was legally correct. The time of registration, the time of registration confirmation and your IP address are usually saved. In addition, it is also logged if you make changes to your stored data.

Why do we use email marketing?

We naturally want to stay in touch with you and always present you with the most important news about our company. To do this, we use email marketing - often just called a "newsletter" - as an essential part of our online marketing. If you agree to this or it is legally permitted, we will send you newsletters, system emails or other notifications by email. When we use the term "newsletter" in the following text, we mainly mean emails that are sent regularly. Of course, we do not want to bother you in any way with our newsletter. That is why we really always try to only offer relevant and interesting content. For example, you can find out more about our company, our services or products. Since we are always improving our offers, you will always find out about any news or special, lucrative promotions via our newsletter. If we commission a service provider who offers a professional shipping tool for our email marketing, we do this so that we can offer you fast and secure newsletters. The purpose of our email marketing is basically to inform you about new offers and to get closer to our business goals.

What data is processed?

If you subscribe to our newsletter via our website, you will confirm your membership in an email list by email. In addition to your IP address and email address, your title, name, address and telephone number may also be saved. However, only if you agree to this data storage. The data marked as such is necessary so that you can participate in the service offered. Providing this information is voluntary, but failure to provide it will prevent you from using the service. In addition, information about your device or your preferred content may also be saved on our website. You can find out more about how data is saved when you visit a website in the “Automatic data storage” section. We record your declaration of consent so that we can always prove that it complies with our laws.

Duration of data processing

If you remove your email address from our email/newsletter mailing list, we may store your address for up to three years based on our legitimate interests so that we can still prove that you gave your consent at the time. We may only process this data if we need to defend ourselves against any claims.

However, if you confirm that you have given us your consent to subscribe to the newsletter, you can submit an individual deletion request at any time. If you permanently revoke your consent, we reserve the right to save your email address in a blocked list. As long as you have voluntarily subscribed to our newsletter, we will of course also keep your email address.

Right to object

You have the option to cancel your newsletter subscription at any time. All you have to do is revoke your consent to the newsletter subscription. This usually only takes a few seconds or one or two clicks. You will usually find a link at the end of every email to cancel your newsletter subscription. If you really cannot find the link in the newsletter, please contact us by email and we will cancel your newsletter subscription immediately.

Legal basis

Our newsletter is sent based on your consent (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter a of GDPR). This means that we may only send you a newsletter if you have previously actively registered for it. We may also send you advertising messages if you have become our customer and have not objected to the use of your email address for direct advertising.

Shipping service provider Brevo

The newsletter is sent by the shipping service provider Brevo, a shipping platform of SendinBlue GmbH, Köpenicker Straße 126, 10179 Berlin, Germany. Information about the shipping service provider's data protection regulations can be found at: https://www.brevo.com/de/legal/privacypolicy/

Revocation and cancellation: You can revoke your consent to receive the newsletter at any time and thus cancel your newsletter subscription. After your cancellation, your personal data will be deleted. Your consent to receive the newsletter expires at the same time. At the end of each newsletter you will find the link to cancel.

Social Media Introduction

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

What is social media?

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

Why do we use social media?

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

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

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

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

What data is processed?

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

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

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

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, provided we have further information. For example, the social media platform Facebook stores data until it is no longer needed for its own purposes. However, customer data that is compared with the company's own user data is deleted within two days. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If it is required by law, as in the case of accounting, for example, this storage period can also be exceeded.

Right to object

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

Since social media tools may use cookies, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Legal basis

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

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

Facebook Privacy Policy

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

What are Facebook tools?

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

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

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

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

• Facebook Pixel
• social plug-ins (such as the “Like” or “Share” button)
• Facebook Login
• AccountKit
• APIs (application programming interfaces)
• SDKs (collection of programming tools)
• Platform integrations
• Plug-ins
• Code
• Specifications
• Documentation
• Technologies and services

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

Why do we use Facebook tools on our website?

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

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

What data are stored by Facebook tools?

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

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

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

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

How long and where is the data stored?

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

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

The data will only be completely deleted if you completely delete your Facebook account. Here's how to delete your Facebook account:

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

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

3) Now click “Deactivation and deletion”.

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

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

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

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

Legal basis

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

Facebook processes your data in the USA, among other places. Facebook and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Facebook uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Facebook undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

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

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

Facebook Login Privacy Policy

We have integrated the practical Facebook login on our website. This means you can easily log in with your Facebook account without having to create another user account. If you decide to register using the Facebook login, you will be redirected to the social media network Facebook. There you can log in using your Facebook user data. This login process stores data about you and your user behavior and transmits it to Facebook.

Facebook uses various cookies to store the data. Below we show you the most important cookies that are set in your browser or already exist when you log in to our site using Facebook Login:

Surname: fr
Value: 0jieyh4c2GnlufEJ9..Bde09j…1.0.Bde09j
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to ensure that the social plugin on our website works as well as possible.
Expiry date: after 3 months

Surname: datr
Value: 4Jh7XUA2112648020SEmPsSfzCOO4JFFl
Purpose of use: Facebook sets the “datr” cookie when a web browser accesses facebook.com, and the cookie helps identify login activity and protect users.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Surname: _js_datr
Value: deleted
Purpose of use: Facebook sets this session cookie for tracking purposes, even if you do not have a Facebook account or are logged out.
Expiry Date: after the end of the session

Annotation: The cookies listed are only a small selection of the cookies available to Facebook. Other cookies include _ fbp, sb or wd. A complete list is not possible because Facebook has a large number of cookies and uses them variably.

The Facebook Login offers you a quick and easy registration process, and it also gives us the opportunity to share data with Facebook. This allows us to better tailor our offerings and promotions to your interests and needs. Data that we receive from Facebook in this way is public data such as

• Your Facebook name
• Your profile picture
• a stored email address
• Friends lists
• Button information (e.g. “Like” button)
• Birthday date
• Language
• Place of residence

In return, we provide Facebook with information about your activities on our website. This includes information about the device you use, which subpages you visit on our website or which products you have purchased from us.

By using Facebook Login, you consent to data processing. You can revoke this agreement at any time. If you would like to find out more information about data processing by Facebook, we recommend that you read the Facebook privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/ .

If you are logged in to Facebook, you can change your ad settings at https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/advertisers/?entry_product=ad_settings_screen change yourself.

Facebook Social Plug-ins Privacy Policy

Our website contains so-called social plug-ins from the company Meta Platforms Inc. You can recognise these buttons by the classic Facebook logo, such as the "Like" button (the hand with the thumb raised) or by a clear "Facebook plug-in" label. A social plug-in is a small part of Facebook that is integrated into our site. Each plug-in has its own function. The most commonly used functions are the well-known "Like" and "Share" buttons.

The following social plug-ins are offered by Facebook:

• “Save” button
• Like, Share, Send and Quote
• Page plug-in
• Comments
• Messenger plug-in
• Embedded posts and video players
• Group plug-in

On https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins provides you with more detailed information on how the individual plug-ins are used. We use the social plug-ins on the one hand to offer you a better user experience on our site and on the other hand because they enable Facebook to optimize our advertisements.

If you have a Facebook account or If you have already visited https://www.facebook.com/ , Facebook has already set at least one cookie in your browser. In this case, your browser sends information to Facebook via this cookie as soon as you visit our page or interact with social plug-ins (e.g. the "Like" button).

The information received is deleted or anonymized within 90 days. According to Facebook, this data includes your IP address, which website you visited, the date, time and other information relating to your browser.

To prevent Facebook from collecting a lot of data during your visit to our website and linking it to the Facebook data, you must log out of Facebook during your website visit.

If you are not logged in to Facebook or do not have a Facebook account, your browser will send less information to Facebook because you have fewer Facebook cookies. However, data such as your IP address or which website you visit can still be transferred to Facebook. We would like to expressly point out that we do not know exactly what the data contains. However, we will try to inform you as best as possible about data processing based on our current knowledge. You can also find out how Facebook uses the data in the company's data policy at Read more at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/update .

At a minimum, the following cookies are set in your browser when you visit a website with social plug-ins from Facebook:

Surname: dpr
Value: not specified
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to enable social plug-ins on our website.
Expiry Date: after the end of the session

Surname: fr
Value: 0jieyh4112648020c2GnlufEJ9..Bde09j…1.0.Bde09j
Purpose: The cookie is also necessary for the plug-ins to function properly.
Expiry date: after 3 months

Annotation: These cookies were set after a test, even if you are not a Facebook member.

If you are logged in to Facebook, you can change your ad settings at https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/advertisers/ yourself. If you are not a Facebook user, you can click https://www.youronlinechoices.com/de/praferenzmanagement/?tid=112648020 basically manage your usage-based online advertising. There you have the option to deactivate or activate providers.

If you want to learn more about Facebook’s privacy policy, we recommend that you read the company’s own data policies on https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/ .

Facebook Fanpage Privacy Policy

We also have a Facebook fan page for our website. The service provider is the American company Meta Platforms Inc. The company Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland) is responsible for the European region.

Facebook processes your data in the USA, among other places. Facebook and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Facebook uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Facebook undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

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

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Facebook in the Privacy Policy on https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy .

Instagram Privacy Policy

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

What is Instagram?

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

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

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

Why do we use Instagram on our website?

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

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

What data does Instagram store?

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

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

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

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

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

These cookies were used in our test:

Surname: csrftoken
Value: “”
Purpose: This cookie is most likely set for security reasons to prevent requests from being forged. However, we were unable to find out more details.
Expiry Date: after a year

Surname: mid
Value: “”
Purpose of use: Instagram sets this cookie to optimize its own services and offers on and off Instagram. The cookie sets a unique user ID.
Expiry Date: after the end of the session

Surname: fbsr_112648020124024
Value: not specified
Purpose: This cookie stores the log-in request for users of the Instagram app.
Expiry Date: after the end of the session

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

Surname: urlgen
Value: “{”194.96.75.33”: 1901}:1iEtYv:Y833k2_UjKvXgYe112648020”
Purpose of use: This cookie is used for Instagram’s marketing purposes.
Expiry Date: after the end of the session

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

How long and where is the data stored?

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

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

And this is how to delete your Instagram account:

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

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

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

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

Legal basis

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

Instagram processes your data in the USA, among other places. Instagram and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Instagram uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Instagram undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

We have tried to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Instagram. You can find out more about Instagram’s data policies at https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/ .

Pinterest Privacy Policy

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

What is Pinterest?

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

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

Why do we use Pinterest?

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

What data does Pinterest process?

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

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

Surname: _auth
Value: 0
Purpose of use: The cookie is used for authentication. For example, a value such as your “user name” can be stored in it.
Expiry Date: after a year

Surname: _pinterest_referrer
Value: 1
Purpose of use: The cookie stores that you came to Pinterest via our website. The URL of our website is therefore stored.
Expiry Date: after the end of the session

Surname: _pinterest_sess
Value: …9HRHZvVE0rQlUxdG89
Purpose of use: The cookie is used to log in to Pinterest and contains user IDs, authentication tokens and timestamps.
Expiry Date: after a year

Surname: _routing_id
Value: “8d850ddd-4fb8-499c-961c-77efae9d4065112648020-8”
Purpose of use: The cookie contains an assigned value that is used to identify a specific routing destination.
Expiry Date: after one day

Surname: cm_sub
Value: denied
Purpose of use: This cookie stores a user ID and timestamp.
Expiry Date: after a year

Surname: csrftoken
Value: 9e49145c82a93d34fd933b0fd8446165112648020-1
Purpose of use: This cookie is most likely set for security reasons to prevent requests from being forged. However, we were unable to find out more details.
Expiry Date: after a year

Surname: sessionFunnelEventLogged
Value: 1
Purpose of use: We have not yet been able to find out any further information about this cookie.
Expiry Date: after one day

How long and where is the data stored?

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

Right to object

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

Since cookies may be used for embedded Pinterest elements, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Legal basis

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

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

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

For more information about Pinterest’s standard contractual clauses, please visit https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy#section-residents-of-the-eea .

We have tried to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Pinterest. https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy you can learn more about Pinterest’s data policies.

Cookie Consent Management Platform Introduction

Cookie Consent Management Platform Summary 👥 Affected: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: Obtaining and managing consent to certain cookies and thus the use of certain tools 📓 Data processed: Data for managing the cookie settings such as IP address, time of consent, type of consent, individual consents. You can find more details in the tool used. 📅 Storage period: Depends on the tool used, you have to be prepared for periods of several years ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is a Cookie Consent Management Platform?

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

Why do we use a cookie management tool?

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

What data is processed?

As part of our cookie management tool, you can manage each individual cookie yourself and have complete control over the storage and processing of your data. Your declaration of consent is saved so that we do not have to ask you every time you visit our website and we can also prove your consent if legally required. This is saved either in an opt-in cookie or on a server. The storage period for your cookie consent varies depending on the provider of the cookie management tool. This data (such as pseudonymous user ID, time of consent, details of the cookie categories or tools, browser, device information) is usually saved for up to two years.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, if we have further information. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. Data stored in cookies is stored for different lengths of time. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, others can be stored in your browser for several years. The exact duration of data processing depends on the tool used; in most cases, you should expect a storage period of several years. In the respective data protection declarations of the individual providers, you will usually receive precise information about the duration of data processing.

Right to object

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

Information about special cookie management tools – if available – can be found in the following sections.

Legal basis

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

Payment Provider Introduction

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

What is a payment provider?

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

Why do we use payment providers on our website?

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

What data is processed?

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

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

Duration of data processing

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

Right to object

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

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

Legal basis

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

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

eps-Transfer Privacy Policy

We use eps-Überweisung, a service for online payment methods, on our website. The service provider is the Austrian company Stuzza GmbH, Frankgasse 10/8, 1090 Vienna, Austria. You can find out more about the data that is processed through the use of eps-Überweisung in the privacy policy on https://eservice.psa.at/de/datenschutzerklaerung.html .

Google Pay Privacy Policy

We use the online payment provider Google Pay on our website. The service provider is the American company Google Inc. In Europe, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.

Google processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Google uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The data processing terms for Google advertising products (Google Ads Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms), which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms/ .

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Google Pay in the Privacy Policy on https://policies.google.com/privacy .

Klarna Checkout Privacy Policy

Klarna Checkout Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing the payment process on our website 📓 Data processed: Data such as name, address, bank details (account number, credit card number, passwords, TANs, etc.), IP address and contract data You can find more details about this further down in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: Data is stored as long as Klarna needs it for the processing purpose. ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. c GDPR (legal obligation), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Klarna Checkout?

We use the online payment system Klarna Checkout from the Swedish company Klarna Bank AB on our website. Klarna Bank has its headquarters at Sveavägen 46, 111 34 Stockholm, Sweden. If you choose to use this service, personal data will be sent to Klarna, stored and processed. In this privacy policy we would like to give you an overview of the data processing by Klarna.

Klarna Checkout is a payment system for orders in an online shop. The user selects the payment method and Klarna Checkout takes over the entire payment process. Once a user has made a payment via the checkout system and entered the relevant data, future online purchases can be made even faster and easier. The Klarna system then recognizes the existing customer as soon as the email address and postcode are entered.

Why do we use Klarna Checkout for our website?

Our goal with our website and our integrated online shop is to offer you the best possible service. In addition to the overall experience on the website and our offers, this also includes smooth, fast and secure payment processing for your orders. To ensure this, we use the Klarna Checkout payment system.

What data is stored by Klarna Checkout?

As soon as you choose the Klarna payment service and pay using the Klarna Checkout payment method, you also transmit personal data to the company. On the Klarna Checkout page, technical data such as browser type, operating system, our Internet address, date and time, language settings, time zone settings and IP address are collected from you and transmitted to Klarna's servers and stored there. This data is stored even if you have not yet completed an order.

If you order a product or service through our shop, you must enter your personal data in the fields provided. This data is processed by Klarna for payment processing. The following personal data (as well as general product information) may be stored and processed by Klarna for credit and identity checks:

• Contact information: name, date of birth, national ID number, title, billing and shipping address, email address, telephone number, nationality or salary.
• Payment information such as credit card details or your account number
• Product information such as tracking number, type of item and price of the product

There is also data that can be collected optionally, provided you consciously decide to do so. These include political, religious or ideological beliefs or various health data.

In addition to the data mentioned above, Klarna may also collect data on the goods or services you buy or order, either itself or through third parties (such as us or public databases). This may include, for example, the shipment number or the type of item ordered, but also information about your creditworthiness, your income or credit approvals. Klarna may also pass on your personal data to service providers such as software providers, data storage providers or us as a retailer.

When data is automatically entered into a form, cookies are always involved. If you do not want to use this function, you can deactivate these cookies at any time. Further down in the text you will find instructions on how to delete, deactivate or manage cookies in your browser. Our tests have shown that Klarna does not set any cookies directly. If you choose the payment method "Klarna Sofort" and click on "Order", you will be redirected to the Sofort website. After successful payment, you will be taken to our thank you page. There, sofort.com sets the following cookie:

Name : SOFUEB
Value: e8cipp378mdscn9e17kajlfhv7112648020-4
Purpose of use: This cookie stores your session ID.
Expiry Date: after ending the browser session

How long and where is the data stored?

Klarna endeavours to only store your data within the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA). However, it may also happen that data is transferred outside the EU/EEA. If this happens, Klarna ensures that data protection is in line with the GDPR and that the third country has an adequacy decision by the European Union. The data is always stored as long as Klarna needs it for the processing purpose.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You can withdraw your consent to Klarna processing personal data at any time. You also always have the right to information, correction and deletion of your personal data. To do so, you simply need to contact the company or the company's data protection team by email at datenschutz@klarna.de Contact us. Via the Klarna website You can also contact Klarna directly using “My data protection request” .

You can delete, deactivate or manage cookies that Klarna may use for its functions in your browser. This works in different ways depending on which browser you use. Under the "Cookies" section you will find the relevant links to the respective instructions for the most popular browsers.

Legal basis

We therefore offer services for the handling of contractual or legal relationships (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR) In addition to traditional banking/credit institutions, we also offer the payment service provider Klarna Checkout.

We hope we have given you a good overview of data processing by Klarna. If you would like to learn more about how your data is handled, we recommend that you read Klarna’s privacy policy at https://cdn.klarna.com/1.0/shared/content/legal/terms/0/de_at/privacy .

PayPal Privacy Policy

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

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

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

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

Visa Privacy Policy

We use Visa, a global payment provider, on our website. The service provider is the American company Visa Inc. The company responsible for Europe is Visa Europe Services Inc. (1 Sheldon Square, London W2 6TT, Great Britain).

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

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

For more information about Visa’s standard contractual clauses, please visit https://www.visa.de/USE Conditions/ visa-globale-datenschutzmitigung/mitigung-zu-staatigkeitsfragen-fur-den-ewr.html .

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Visa in the Privacy Policy on https://www.visa.de/USE Conditions/visa-privacy- center.html .

Audio & Video Introduction

Audio & Video Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Data processed: Data such as contact details, data on user behavior, information about your device and your IP address may be stored. You will find more details in the relevant data protection texts below. 📅 Storage period: Data is generally stored as long as it is necessary for the service purpose ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are audio and video elements?

We have integrated audio and video elements into our website so that you can watch videos or listen to music/podcasts directly via our website. The content is provided by service providers. All content is therefore obtained from the providers' corresponding servers.

These are integrated functional elements from platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo or Spotify. The use of these portals is usually free, but paid content can also be published. With the help of these integrated elements, you can listen to or watch the respective content on our website.

If you use audio or video elements on our website, your personal data may also be transmitted to, processed and stored by the service providers.

Why do we use audio & video elements on our website?

Of course, we want to offer you the best on our website. And we are aware that content is no longer just conveyed in text and static images. Instead of simply giving you a link to a video, we offer you audio and video formats directly on our website that are entertaining or informative and ideally even both. This expands our service and makes it easier for you to access interesting content. So in addition to our texts and images, we also offer video and/or audio content.

What data is stored by audio & video elements?

When you visit a page on our website that has an embedded video, for example, your server connects to the service provider's server. In the process, your data is also transferred to the third-party provider and stored there. Some data is collected and stored regardless of whether you have an account with the third-party provider or not. This usually includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, and other general information about your device. Furthermore, most providers also collect information about your web activity. This includes session duration, bounce rate, which button you clicked on, or which website you used to use the service. All of this information is usually stored via cookies or pixel tags (also called web beacons). Pseudonymized data is usually stored in cookies in your browser. You can always find out exactly which data is stored and processed in the privacy policy of the respective provider.

Duration of data processing

You can find out exactly how long the data is stored on the third-party providers' servers either further down in the data protection text of the respective tool or in the provider's data protection declaration. In principle, personal data is only processed for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services or products. This generally also applies to third-party providers. You can usually assume that certain data will be stored on the third-party providers' servers for several years. Data can be stored for different lengths of time, especially in cookies. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, others can be stored in your browser for several years.

Right to object

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

Since the integrated audio and video functions on our site usually also use cookies, you should also read our general privacy policy regarding cookies. In the privacy policies of the respective third-party providers, you can find out more about how your data is handled and stored.

Legal basis

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored through embedded audio and video elements, this consent is considered the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR) . In principle, your data will also be processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) to ensure fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the integrated audio and video elements if you have given your consent.

YouTube Privacy Policy

YouTube Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Data processed: Data such as contact details, data on user behavior, information about your device and your IP address may be stored. You can find more details about this further down in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: Data is generally stored as long as it is necessary for the service purpose ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is YouTube?

We have integrated YouTube videos into our website. This allows us to present interesting videos to you directly on our site. YouTube is a video portal that has been a subsidiary of Google since 2006. The video portal is operated by YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. When you visit a page on our website that has an embedded YouTube video, your browser automatically connects to the YouTube or Google servers. Various data is transferred (depending on the settings). Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all data processing in Europe.

Below we would like to explain in more detail which data is processed, why we have embedded YouTube videos and how you can manage or delete your data.

On YouTube, users can watch, rate, comment on and upload videos for free. Over the last few years, YouTube has become one of the most important social media channels in the world. To enable us to display videos on our website, YouTube provides a code snippet that we have integrated into our site.

Why do we use YouTube videos on our website?

YouTube is the video platform with the most visitors and the best content. We strive to offer you the best possible user experience on our website. And of course, interesting videos are a must. With the help of our embedded videos, we provide you with additional helpful content in addition to our texts and images. In addition, our website is easier to find on the Google search engine thanks to the embedded videos. Even if we place advertisements via Google Ads, Google can - thanks to the data collected - only show these advertisements to people who are interested in our offers.

What data does YouTube store?

As soon as you visit one of our pages that has a YouTube video embedded, YouTube sets at least one cookie that stores your IP address and our URL. If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can usually assign your interactions on our website to your profile using cookies. This includes data such as session duration, bounce rate, approximate location, technical information such as browser type, screen resolution or your internet provider. Other data may include contact details, any ratings, sharing content via social media or adding to your favorites on YouTube.

If you are not logged into a Google Account or a YouTube account, Google stores data with a unique identifier linked to your device, browser or app. For example, your preferred language setting is retained. But much interaction data cannot be stored because fewer cookies are set.

In the following list we show cookies that were set in the browser in a test. On the one hand we show cookies that are set without a logged in YouTube account. On the other hand we show cookies that are set with a logged in account. The list cannot claim to be complete because the user data always depends on the interactions on YouTube.

Surname: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5Y112648020-1
Purpose of use: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the video watched.
Expiry Date: after the end of the session

Surname: PREF
Value: f1=50000000
Purpose of use: This cookie also registers your unique ID. Google uses PREF to obtain statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our website.
Expiry Date: after 8 months

Surname: GPS
Value: 1
Purpose of use: This cookie registers your unique ID on mobile devices to track GPS location.
Expiry date: after 30 minutes

Surname: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
Value: 95Chz8bagyU
Purpose of use: This cookie tries to estimate the bandwidth of the user on our websites (with embedded YouTube video).
Expiry date: after 8 months

Additional cookies that are set when you are logged in with your YouTube account:

Surname: APISID
Value: zILLlvClZSkqGsSwI/AU1aZI6HY7112648020-
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to create a profile of your interests. The data is used for personalized advertisements.
Expiry Date: after 2 years

Surname: CONSENT
Value: YES+AT.de+20150628-20-0
Purpose of use: The cookie stores the status of a user's consent to use various Google services. CONSENT is also used for security purposes to verify users and protect user data from unauthorized attacks.
Expiry Date: after 19 years

Surname: HSID
Value: AcRwpgUik9Dveht0I
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to create a profile of your interests. This data helps to display personalized advertising.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Surname: LOGIN_INFO
Value: AFmmF2swRQIhALl6aL…
Purpose of use: This cookie stores information about your login data.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Surname: SAPISID
Value: 7oaPxoG-pZsJuuF5/AnUdDUIsJ9iJz2vdM
Purpose of use: This cookie works by uniquely identifying your browser and device. It is used to build a profile of your interests.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Surname: SID
Value: oQfNKjAsI112648020-
Purpose of use: This cookie stores your Google Account ID and your last login time in a digitally signed and encrypted form.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Surname: SIDCC
Value: AN0-TYuqub2JOcDTyL
Purpose of use: This cookie stores information about how you use the website and what advertisements you may have seen before visiting our site.
Expiry date: after 3 months

How long and where is the data stored?

The data that YouTube receives and processes from you is stored on Google servers. Most of these servers are located in America. https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de You can see exactly where the Google data centers are located. Your data is distributed across the servers. This means the data can be accessed more quickly and is better protected against manipulation.

Google stores the data collected for different lengths of time. Some data you can delete at any time, some is automatically deleted after a limited period of time, and some is stored by Google for a longer period of time. Some data (such as items from "My Activity", photos or documents, products) stored in your Google Account remains stored until you delete it. Even if you are not signed in to a Google Account, you can delete some data associated with your device, browser or app.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

In principle, you can delete data in your Google account manually. With the automatic deletion function for location and activity data introduced in 2019, information is stored for either 3 or 18 months and then deleted, depending on your decision.

Regardless of whether you have a Google account or not, you can configure your browser to delete or deactivate cookies from Google. This works in different ways depending on which browser you use. Under the "Cookies" section you will find the relevant links to the respective instructions for the most popular browsers.

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

Legal basis

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored through embedded YouTube elements, this consent is considered the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR) . In principle, your data will also be processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) on fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the integrated YouTube elements if you have given your consent. YouTube also sets cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy on cookies carefully and view the privacy statement or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Youtube processes your data in the USA, among other places. Youtube and Google are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Google uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/ .

Since YouTube is a subsidiary of Google, there is a common privacy policy. If you would like to learn more about how your data is handled, we recommend that you read the privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

YouTube Subscribe Button Privacy Policy

We have integrated the YouTube Subscribe button on our website. You can usually recognize the button by the classic YouTube logo. The logo shows the words "Subscribe" or "YouTube" in white font on a red background and the white "Play symbol" to the left of it. The button can also be displayed in a different design.

Our YouTube channel always offers you funny, interesting or exciting videos. With the built-in "Subscribe" button you can subscribe to our channel directly from our website and do not have to visit the YouTube website. We want to make access to our comprehensive content as easy as possible for you. Please note that this means that YouTube can store and process data about you.

If you see a built-in subscription button on our site, YouTube - according to Google - sets at least one cookie. This cookie stores your IP address and our URL. YouTube can also learn information about your browser, your approximate location and your default language. In our test, the following four cookies were set without being logged in to YouTube:

Surname: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5112648020Y
Purpose of use: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the video watched.
Expiry Date: after the end of the session

Surname: PREF
Value: f1=50000000
Purpose of use: This cookie also registers your unique ID. Google uses PREF to obtain statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our website.
Expiry date: after 8 months

Surname: GPS
Value: 1
Purpose of use: This cookie registers your unique ID on mobile devices to track GPS location.
Expiry date: after 30 minutes

Surname: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
Value: 11264802095Chz8bagyU
Purpose of use: This cookie tries to estimate the bandwidth of the user on our websites (with embedded YouTube video).
Expiry date: after 8 months

Annotation: These cookies were set after a test and cannot claim to be complete.

If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can save many of your actions/interactions on our website using cookies and associate them with your YouTube account. This gives YouTube information such as how long you surf our site, what browser type you use, what screen resolution you prefer or what actions you perform.

YouTube uses this data to improve its own services and offers and to provide analyses and statistics for advertisers (who use Google Ads).

Online map services Introduction

Online Map Services Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Improving the user experience 📓 Data processed: Which data is processed depends largely on the services used. This usually involves IP addresses, location data, search items and/or technical data. You can find more details about this in the respective tools used. 📅 Storage period: depends on the tools used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are online mapping services?

We also use online map services as an extended service for our website. Google Maps is probably the service you are most familiar with, but there are also other providers who specialize in creating digital maps. Such services make it possible to display locations, route plans or other geographical information directly on our website. With an integrated map service, you no longer have to leave our website to view the route to a location, for example. To ensure that the online map in our website works, map sections are integrated using HTML code. The services can then display street maps, the earth's surface or aerial or satellite images. If you use the built-in map service, data is also transferred to the tool used and stored there. This data may also include personal data.

Why do we use online mapping services on our website?

Generally speaking, it is our aim to offer you a pleasant time on our website. And of course, your time is only pleasant if you can find your way around our website easily and find all the information you need quickly and easily. That's why we thought that an online map system could be a significant improvement to our service on the website. Without leaving our website, you can use the map system to easily view route descriptions, locations or even sights. It is also super practical, of course, that you can see at a glance where our company is based so that you can find us quickly and easily. As you can see, there are simply many advantages and we clearly see online map services on our website as part of our customer service.

What data are stored by online map services?

If you open a page on our website that has an online map function built in, personal data can be transmitted to the respective service and stored there. This is usually your IP address, which can also be used to determine your approximate location. In addition to the IP address, data such as search terms entered and longitude and latitude coordinates are also stored. If you enter an address for route planning, for example, this data is also stored. The data is not stored by us, but on the servers of the integrated tools. You can imagine it like this: You are on our website, but when you interact with a map service, this interaction actually takes place on their website. In order for the service to function properly, at least one cookie is usually placed in your browser. Google Maps, for example, also uses cookies to record user behavior and thus optimize its own service and display personalized advertising. You can find out more about cookies in our "Cookies" section.

How long and where is the data stored?

Each online map service processes different user data. If we have further information, we will inform you about the duration of data processing further down in the relevant sections for the individual tools. In principle, personal data is only stored for as long as it is necessary to provide the service. Google Maps, for example, stores certain data for a set period of time, while you must delete other data yourself. Mapbox, for example, stores the IP address for 30 days and then deletes it. As you can see, each tool stores data for different lengths of time. We therefore recommend that you take a close look at the privacy policies of the tools you use.

The providers also use cookies to store data on your user behavior with the map service. You can find more general information about cookies in our "Cookies" section, but you can also find out which cookies can be used in the privacy statements of the individual providers. However, this is usually only an example list and is not complete.

Right to object

You always have the option and the right to access your personal data and to object to its use and processing. You can also revoke your consent that you have given us at any time. The easiest way to do this is usually via the cookie consent tool. However, there are also other opt-out tools that you can use. You can also manage, delete or deactivate any cookies set by the providers used with just a few clicks of the mouse. However, it may then happen that some functions of the service no longer work as usual. How you manage cookies in your browser also depends on the browser you use. In the "Cookies" section you will also find links to the instructions for the most important browsers.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of an online map service, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by an online map service.

We also have a legitimate interest in using an online map service to optimize our service on our website. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use an online map service if you have given your consent. We would like to make this clear again at this point.

Information on special online map services – if available – can be found in the following sections.

Google Maps Privacy Policy

Google Maps Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Data processed: Data such as search terms entered, your IP address and also the latitude and longitude coordinates. You can find more details about this further down in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: depends on the data stored ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Maps?

We use Google Maps from Google Inc. on our website. In Europe, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. With Google Maps, we can show you locations better and thus adapt our service to your needs. By using Google Maps, data is transferred to Google and stored on Google servers. Here we want to go into more detail about what Google Maps is, why we use this Google service, what data is stored and how you can prevent this.

Google Maps is an Internet map service from Google. With Google Maps, you can search online for the exact locations of cities, attractions, accommodations or companies using a PC, tablet or app. If companies are represented on Google My Business, additional information about the company is displayed in addition to the location. To show how to get there, map sections of a location can be integrated into a website using HTML code. Google Maps shows the earth's surface as a street map or as an aerial or satellite image. Thanks to the Street View images and the high-quality satellite images, very precise representations are possible.

Why do we use Google Maps on our website?

All our efforts on this site are aimed at providing you with a useful and meaningful time on our website. By integrating Google Maps, we can provide you with the most important information about various locations. You can see at a glance where our company is based. The directions always show you the best or fastest way to get to us. You can access the route for routes by car, public transport, on foot or by bike. For us, providing Google Maps is part of our customer service.

What data does Google Maps store?

In order for Google Maps to be able to fully offer its service, the company must record and save data from you. This includes the search terms entered, your IP address and also the latitude and longitude coordinates. If you use the route planner function, the starting address entered is also saved. However, this data storage takes place on the Google Maps websites. We can only inform you about this, but have no influence. Since we have integrated Google Maps into our website, Google places at least one cookie (name: NID) in your browser. This cookie stores data about your user behavior. Google uses this data primarily to optimize its own services and to provide you with individual, personalized advertising.

The following cookie is set in your browser due to the integration of Google Maps:

Surname: NID
Value: 188=h26c1Ktha7fCQTx8rXgLyATyITJ112648020-5
Purpose of use: NID is used by Google to tailor advertisements to your Google search. With the help of the cookie, Google "remembers" your most frequently entered search queries or your previous interaction with ads. This way, you always get tailored advertisements. The cookie contains a unique ID that Google uses to collect your personal settings for advertising purposes.
Expiry Date: after 6 months

Annotation: We cannot guarantee the completeness of the information stored. Changes can never be ruled out, especially when using cookies. In order to identify the cookie NID, a separate test page was created where only Google Maps was integrated.

How long and where is the data stored?

The Google servers are located in data centers all over the world. However, most of the servers are located in America. For this reason, your data is increasingly stored in the USA. Here you can find out exactly where the Google data centers are located: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de

Google distributes the data across different storage devices. This means that the data can be accessed more quickly and is better protected against any attempts at manipulation. Each data center also has special emergency programs. If, for example, there are problems with Google hardware or a natural disaster shuts down the servers, the data will almost certainly still remain protected.

Google stores some data for a set period of time. For other data, Google only offers the option of deleting it manually. The company also anonymizes information (such as advertising data) in server logs by deleting part of the IP address and cookie information after 9 or 18 months.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

With the automatic deletion function for location and activity data introduced in 2019, information on location determination and web/app activity is stored for either 3 or 18 months - depending on your decision - and then deleted. You can also manually delete this data from your history at any time via your Google account. If you want to completely prevent your location tracking, you must pause the "Web and app activity" section in your Google account. Click "Data and personalization" and then on the "Activity settings" option. Here you can switch activities on or off.

You can also deactivate, delete or manage individual cookies in your browser. This works a little differently depending on which browser you use. Under the "Cookies" section you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers.

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

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of Google Maps, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by Google Maps.

We also have a legitimate interest in using Google Maps to optimise our online service. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests) . However, we only use Google Maps if you have given your consent.

Google processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Google uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46. Para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/ .

If you would like to learn more about Google’s data processing, we recommend that you read the company’s own privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de .

Explanation of terms used

We always try to make our privacy policy as clear and understandable as possible. However, this is not always easy, especially when it comes to technical and legal topics. It often makes sense to use legal terms (such as personal data) or certain technical expressions (such as cookies, IP address). However, we do not want to use these without explanation. Below you will find an alphabetical list of important terms used that we may not have covered sufficiently in the previous privacy policy. If these terms have been taken from the GDPR and are definitions, we will also list the GDPR texts here and add our own explanations if necessary.

Processor

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation:

“Processor” a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller;

Explanation: As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data that we process from you. In addition to those responsible, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or person who processes personal data on our behalf. Processors can therefore be, in addition to service providers such as tax consultants, hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.

consent

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation:

"Consent" any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject's wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data concerning him or her;

Explanation: As a rule, such consent is given on websites via a cookie consent tool. You are probably familiar with this. Whenever you visit a website for the first time, you are usually asked via a banner whether you agree or consent to data processing. You can usually also make individual settings and decide for yourself which data processing you allow and which you do not. If you do not consent, no personal data may be processed about you. In principle, consent can of course also be given in writing, i.e. not via a tool.

Personal data

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation:

“personal data” all 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 or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person;

Explanation: Personal data is all data that can identify you as a person. This is usually data such as:

• Surname
• address
• E-mail address
• Postal address
• Telephone number
• birth date
• Identification numbers such as social security number, tax identification number, identity card number or registration number
• Bank details such as account number, credit information, account balances and much more.

According to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), your IP address is part of the personal data . IT experts can use your IP address to determine at least the approximate location of your device and subsequently you as the connection owner. Therefore, storing an IP address also requires a legal basis in the sense of the GDPR. There are also so-called “special categories” of personal data that are also particularly worthy of protection. These include:

• racial and ethnic origin
• political opinions
• religious or ideological beliefs
• union membership
• genetic data such as data obtained from blood or saliva samples
• biometric data (this is information about mental, physical or behavioural characteristics that can identify a person).
  Health data
• Data on sexual orientation or sex life

Profiling

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation:

“Profiling” any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyse or predict aspects concerning that natural person's performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, location or movements;

Explanation: Profiling involves gathering various information about a person in order to learn more about that person. In the web sector, profiling is often used for advertising purposes or for credit checks. Web or advertising analysis programs collect data about your behavior and interests on a website, for example. This results in a special user profile that can be used to target advertising to a specific target group.

Pseudonymization

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation:

“Pseudonymization” the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person;

Explanation: Our privacy policy often refers to pseudonymized data. Pseudonymized data means that you can no longer be identified as a person unless other information is added. However, you should not confuse pseudonymization with anonymization. With anonymization, any personal reference is lost, so that it can only really be reconstructed with a disproportionate amount of technical effort.

Responsible

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation:

“Responsible person” 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; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law;

Explanation: In our case, we are responsible for the processing of your personal data and are therefore the “controller”. If we pass on collected data to other service providers for processing, these are “processors”. For this, a “processing agreement (AVV)” must be signed.

processing

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation:

"Processing" any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or linking, restriction, erasure or destruction;

Annotation: When we talk about processing in our privacy policy, we mean any kind of data processing. As mentioned above in the original GDPR declaration, this includes not only the collection but also the storage and processing of data.

Closing words

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

All texts are copyrighted.

Source: Created with the Data Protection Generator by AdSimple