privacy policy

Introduction and Overview

We have prepared this privacy policy (version 07.08.2026-112059781) to inform you in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws explain which personal data (hereinafter referred to as "data") we, as data controllers – and the data processors we have engaged (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 policies usually sound very technical and use legal jargon. This privacy policy, however, aims to describe the most important things to you as simply and transparently as possible. Where it promotes transparency, technical details will be avoided. terms explained in a reader-friendly manner, links to further information are provided and graphics We have implemented this policy. We are informing you in clear and simple language that we only process personal data in the course of our business activities when there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible if one provides the briefest, vague, and overly technical legal explanations that are often standard practice on the internet when it comes to data protection. I hope you find the following explanations interesting and informative, and perhaps you will find some information here that you were not previously aware of.
If you still have questions, please contact the responsible party listed below or in the legal notice, follow the provided links, and consult further information on third-party websites. Our contact details can also be found in the legal notice.

scope

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

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

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

legal basis

In the following privacy policy, we provide you with transparent information on the legal principles and regulations, i.e., the legal bases of the General Data Protection Regulation, that allow us to process personal data.
Regarding 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, access this EU General Data Protection Regulation online at EUR-Lex, your gateway to EU law. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679 read it.

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

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.
Contract (Article 6 paragraph 1 letter b GDPR): We process your data in order to fulfil a contract or pre-contractual obligations with you. For example, if we conclude a purchase contract with you, we require personal information in advance.
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.
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 recording of images in the public interest, the exercise of public authority, or the protection of vital interests, do not generally apply in our case. If such a legal basis should apply, it will be indicated at the relevant point.

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

In Austria This is the Federal Law on the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data (Data Protection Act), short DSG.
In Germany this applies 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

Should you have any questions regarding data protection or the processing of personal data, you will find the contact details of the controller pursuant to Article 4(7) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) below:
Wick-Machinery GmbH
Hauptstraße 26, A-2325 Himberg
Authorized representative: Andreas Wick
E-mail: office@wick-machinery.com
Phone: +43223587722
Imprint: https://wick-machinery.com/unternehmen/impressum/

storage period

We generally adhere to the principle that we only store personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for providing our services and products. This means that we delete personal data as soon as the reason for processing it no longer exists. In some cases, we are legally obligated to retain certain data even after the original purpose has ceased to exist, for example, for accounting purposes.

Should you wish to have your data deleted or revoke your consent to data processing, the data will be deleted as quickly as possible and provided there is no obligation to store it.

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

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

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

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

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

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection rights have been infringed in any other way, you can lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority. In Austria, this is the Data Protection Authority, whose website you can find at [website address]. 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:

Austrian Data Protection Authority

Director: Dr. Matthias Schmidl
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 basis for doing so. This applies in particular if the processing is required by law or necessary for the performance of a contract, and in any case only to the extent that this is generally permitted. In most cases, your consent is the primary reason why we process data in third countries. Processing personal data in third countries such as the USA, where many software companies offer services and have their servers, can mean that personal data is processed and stored in unexpected ways.

We would like to expressly point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, an adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA currently only exists if a US company processing personal data of EU citizens in the USA is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. More information can be found here: 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 potentially access individual data points. Additionally, collected data may be linked to data from other services offered by the same provider, provided you have a corresponding user account. Where possible, we strive to use server locations within the EU, if available.
We will inform you in more detail about data transfers to third countries at the relevant points in this privacy policy, if applicable.

security of data processing

To protect personal data, we have implemented both technical and organizational measures. Where possible, we encrypt or pseudonymize personal data. This makes it as difficult as possible, within our means, for third parties to infer personal information from our data.

Article 25 of the GDPR refers to "data protection by design and by default," meaning that security must always be considered and appropriate measures implemented for both software (e.g., forms) and hardware (e.g., access to the server room). We will discuss specific measures below, if necessary.

TLS encryption with https

TLS, encryption, and HTTPS sound very technical, and they are. We use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) to transmit data securely over the internet.
This means that the entire transmission of all data from your browser to our web server is secure – nobody can “listen in”.

This has introduced an additional layer of security and allows us to meet data protection requirements through technology design (Article 25 paragraph 1 GDPRBy using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission on the Internet, we can ensure the protection of confidential data.
You can recognize the use of this data transmission protection by the small lock symbol. top left in the browser, to the left of the internet address (e.g. examplepage.de) and the use of the scheme https (instead of http) as part of our internet address.
If you would like to learn more about encryption, we recommend searching Google for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure wiki” to find good links to further information.

communication

Communication Summary
👥 Affected: Everyone who communicates with us by phone, email or online form
📓 Data processed: e.g., telephone number, name, email address, form data entered. More details can be found under the respective contact method used.
🤝 Purpose: Handling communication with customers, business partners, etc.
📅 Storage period: Duration of the business transaction and 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)

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

The data will be processed for the handling and processing of your inquiry and the associated business transaction. The data will be stored for as long as required by law.

affected persons

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

phone

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

e-mail

When you communicate with us via email, data may be stored on your device (computer, laptop, smartphone, etc.) and on our email server. This data will be deleted once the business transaction is complete and legal requirements permit.

online forms

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

legal basis

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

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

order processing agreement (AVV)

In this section, we would like to explain what a data processing agreement (DPA) is and why it is necessary. Because the term "data processing agreement" is quite a mouthful, we will often use the acronym DPA in this text. Like most companies, we don't work alone, but also utilize the services of other companies or individuals. By involving various companies or service providers, we may transfer personal data for processing. These partners then act as data processors, with whom we conclude a contract, the so-called data processing agreement (DPA). Most importantly for you to know is that the processing of your personal data must be carried out exclusively according to our instructions and must be regulated by the DPA.

Who are data processors?

As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data we process from you. In addition to the data controller, there may also be so-called data processors. This includes any company or individual that processes personal data on our behalf. More precisely, and according to the GDPR definition: any natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body that processes personal data on our behalf is considered a data processor. Data 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 person (You as a customer or interested party) → responsible person (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 parties
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
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 with regard 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-auftragsverarbeitung.html A sample contract is presented here.

cookies

Cookies Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: depends on the specific cookie. More details can be found below or on the website of the software provider that sets the cookie.
📓 Data processed: Depends on the specific cookie used. More details can be found below or on the website of the software provider that sets the cookie.
📅 Storage duration: depends on the specific cookie and 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 browse 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 is undeniable: cookies are truly useful tools. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other types of cookies for different applications. HTTP cookies are small files that our website stores on your computer. These cookie files are automatically placed in the cookie folder, essentially 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, such as your language preferences or personal website settings. When you revisit our site, your browser sends this user-related information back to us. Thanks to cookies, our website recognizes you and provides your preferred settings. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file, while in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

The following graphic illustrates a possible interaction between a web browser, such as Chrome, and a web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie from the server, which the browser then reuses whenever another page is requested.

There are both first-party and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our website, while third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g., 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 several years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans, or other malware. Cookies cannot access information on your computer.

This is what cookie data might look like, for example:

Name: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152112059781-9
Purpose of use: differentiation of website visitors
Expiration date: after 2 years

These are the minimum sizes a browser should be able to support:

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 specific cookies we use depend on the services used and are explained in the following sections of the privacy policy. At this point, we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

There are four 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 saved.

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

Typically, when you first visit a website, you will be asked which types of cookies you wish to allow. And of course, this decision is also 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.

Which data is processed?

Cookies are small tools that help with many different tasks. Unfortunately, it's impossible to generalize about what data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the data processed and stored in the following privacy policy.

storage period of cookies

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

You also have control over the storage duration. You can manually delete all cookies at any time via your browser (see also “Right to object” below). Furthermore, cookies based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you withdraw your consent, whereby the lawfulness of the 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 the service or website the cookies originate from, you always have the option to delete, disable, or partially allow cookies. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all others.

If you want to see which cookies have been stored in your browser, or if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this information 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 generally don't want to allow cookies, you can configure your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be set. This allows you to decide whether to allow each individual cookie. The procedure varies depending on the browser. The best way to find instructions is to search on Google using the keywords "delete cookies Chrome" or "disable cookies Chrome" if you are using the Chrome browser.

legal basis

The so-called “Cookie Guidelines” have been in place since 2009. They state that storing cookies is a consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR) requires your consent. However, reactions to these guidelines vary considerably across EU countries. In Austria, this directive was implemented in Section 165(3) of the Telecommunications Act (2021). In Germany, the cookie guidelines were not transposed into national law. Instead, they were largely implemented in Section 15(3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG), which was replaced by the Digital Services Act (DDG) in May 2024.

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

Unless strictly necessary, cookies are only used with your consent. The legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.

The following sections will provide you with more detailed information about the use of cookies, if the software used employs cookies.

Webhosting Introduction

Webhosting Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: professional website hosting and operational security
📓 Data processed: IP address, time of website visit, browser used, and other data. More details can be found below or on the website of your web hosting provider.
📅 Storage duration: depends on the respective provider, but usually 2 weeks
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (Legitimate interests)

What is web hosting?

When you visit websites these days, certain information – including personal data – is automatically generated and stored, and this website is no exception. This data should be processed as sparingly as possible and only with justification. By "website," we mean all web pages on a domain, i.e., everything from the homepage to the very last subpage (like this one). By "domain," we mean, for example, example.de or sample.com.

If you want to view a website on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you use a program called a web browser. You're probably familiar with some web browsers by name: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari. We simply call them browsers or web browsers.

To display the website, the browser needs to connect to another computer where the website's code is stored: the web server. Operating a web server is a complex and resource-intensive task, which is why it's usually handled by professional providers. These providers offer web hosting and ensure the reliable and error-free storage of website data. A lot of technical terms, but please bear with us, it gets better!

When your browser connects to the web server (desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone) and during data transmission to and from the web server, personal data may be processed. On the one hand, your computer stores data; on the other hand, the web server also needs to store data for a certain period of time to ensure proper operation.

A picture is worth a thousand words, therefore the following graphic illustrates the interaction between browser, the internet and the hosting provider.

Why do we process personal data?

The purposes of data processing are:

Professional hosting of the website and security of the operation
to maintain operational and IT security
Anonymous evaluation of access behavior to improve our offer and, if necessary, for criminal prosecution or the pursuit of claims

Which data is processed?

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

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

How long is data stored?

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

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

legal basis

The lawfulness of processing personal data in the context of web hosting is based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (safeguarding legitimate interests), because the use of professional hosting from a provider is necessary to present the company securely and user-friendly on the internet and to be able to pursue attacks and claims arising therefrom.

We and the hosting provider usually have a data processing agreement in accordance with Art. 28 f. GDPR, which ensures compliance with data protection and guarantees data security.

Website Modular Systems Introduction

Website Modular Systems Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: Data such as technical usage information like browser activity, clickstream activity, session heatmaps, as well as contact details, IP address, or your geographic location. More details can be found below in this privacy policy and in the providers' privacy policies.
📅 Storage duration: depends on the provider
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (Legitimate interests), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (Consent)

What are website builder systems?

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

Why do we use website builders for our website?

The biggest advantage of a modular website system is its ease of use. We want to offer you a clear, simple, and user-friendly website that we can easily operate and maintain ourselves – without external support. Modular systems now offer many helpful features that we can use even without programming knowledge. This allows us to design our web presence according to our wishes and provide you with an informative and enjoyable experience on our website.

What data is stored by a modular system?

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

How long and where is the data stored?

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

right of objection

You always have the right to access, correct, and delete your personal data. If you have any questions, you can also contact the responsible party for the website builder system at any time. Contact details can be found either in our privacy policy or on the website of the respective provider.

You can delete, disable, or manage cookies used by providers for their functions in your browser. The process varies depending on the browser you use. Please note, however, that some functions may no longer work as expected.

legal basis

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

Insofar as the processing of data is not strictly necessary for the operation of the website, data will only be processed based on your consent. This applies in particular to tracking activities. The legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.

This privacy policy provides you with the most important general information about data processing. If you would like more detailed information, you can find further details – if available – in the following section or in the provider's privacy policy.

WordPress.com Privacy Policy

WordPress.com Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: Data such as technical usage information like browser activity, clickstream activity, session heatmaps, as well as contact details, IP address, or your geographic location. More details can be found below in this privacy policy.
📅 Storage duration: It depends primarily on the type of data being stored and the specific settings.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is WordPress?

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

Founded in 2003, the company quickly became one of the world's most renowned content management systems (CMS). A CMS is software that helps us design our website and present content attractively and in an organized manner. This content can include text, audio, and video.
Using WordPress may result in the collection, storage, and processing of your personal data. Typically, this primarily involves technical data such as operating system, browser, screen resolution, and hosting provider. However, personal data such as IP address, geographic location, and contact information may also be processed.

Why do we use WordPress on our website?

We have many strengths, but actual programming is simply not one of our core competencies.

Nevertheless, we want a high-performing and attractive website that we can manage and maintain ourselves. A website builder or content management system like WordPress makes this possible. With WordPress, we don't need to be programming experts to offer you a beautiful website. Thanks to WordPress, we can operate our website quickly and easily, even without prior technical knowledge. If technical problems arise or we have specific requirements for our website, we always have our specialists who are proficient in HTML, PHP, CSS, and other related technologies.

Thanks to WordPress's ease of use and comprehensive functions, we can design our website according to our wishes and offer you a good user experience.

What data does WordPress process?

Non-personal data includes technical usage information such as browser activity, clickstream activity, session heatmaps and data about your computer, operating system, browser, screen resolution, language and keyboard settings, internet provider and date of page visit.

In addition, personal data is also collected. This primarily includes contact information (email address or telephone number, if you provide it), IP address, or your geographical location.

WordPress can also use cookies to collect data. This often includes information about your behavior on our website. For example, it can track which subpages you particularly like to visit, how long you stay on individual pages, when you leave a page (bounce rate), and your preferences (e.g., language selection). Based on this data, WordPress can better tailor its marketing efforts to your interests and user behavior. Consequently, the next time you visit our website, it will be displayed according to your previous settings.

WordPress can also use technologies such as pixel tags (web beacons) to, for example, clearly identify you as a user and potentially offer interest-based advertising.

How long and where is the data stored?

How long data is stored depends on various factors. It primarily depends on the type of data stored and the specific website settings. Generally, WordPress deletes data when it is no longer needed for its own purposes. There are, of course, exceptions, especially when legal obligations require longer data retention. Web server logs, which contain your IP address and technical data, are deleted by WordPress and Automattic after 30 days. Automattic uses this data to analyze traffic on its own websites (for example, all WordPress pages) and to troubleshoot potential problems. Deleted content on WordPress websites is also kept in the trash for 30 days to allow for restoration; after that, it may remain in backups and caches until they are deleted. The data is stored on Automattic's servers in the USA.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You have the right and the ability to access your personal data at any time and to object to its use and processing. You can also lodge a complaint with a government supervisory authority at any time.

Your browser also allows you to manage, delete, or disable cookies individually. However, please note that disabling or deleting cookies may negatively impact the functionality of our WordPress site. Managing cookies varies slightly depending on the browser you use. You'll find links to instructions for the most common browsers in the "Cookies" section.

legal basis

If you have consented to the use of WordPress, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, such as that which may occur during collection by WordPress.

We also have a legitimate interest in using WordPress to optimize our online service and present it attractively to you. The legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use WordPress if you have given your consent.

WordPress, or rather Automattic, processes your data in the USA, among other locations. Automattic is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information about this at [link to relevant information]. https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Furthermore, Automattic uses so-called Standard Contractual Clauses (Article 46, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are template agreements provided by the European Commission and are designed to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even when 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, Automattic commits to maintaining 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 European 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

More details about the privacy policy and what data is processed by WordPress and how can be found on [website address]. https://automattic.com/privacy/.

Data Processing Agreement (AVV) WordPress.com

In accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with WordPress.com. You can find out exactly what a DPA is and, above all, what it must contain in our general section "Data Processing Agreement (DPA).".

This agreement is legally required because WordPress.com processes personal data on our behalf. It stipulates that WordPress.com may only process data received from us according to our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. You can find the link to the data processing agreement (DPA) at [link to DPA]. https://wordpress.com/support/data-processing-agreements/.

Web Analytics Introduction

Web Analytics Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website.
📓 Data processed: Access statistics, including data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior, and IP addresses. More details can be found in the documentation for the respective web analytics tool used.
📅 Storage duration: 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 collects 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 it 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.

Which data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored depends, of course, on the analytics tools used. However, it typically includes information such as which content you view on our website, which buttons or links you click, when you access a page, which browser you use, which device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use to visit the website, and which computer system you are using. If you have consented to the collection of location data, this may also be processed by the web analytics tool provider.

Your IP address will also be stored. According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), IP addresses are considered personal data. However, your IP address is generally stored in pseudonymized form (i.e., in an unidentifiable and shortened form). For the purposes of testing, web analytics, and web optimization, no direct data such as your name, age, address, or email address is stored. All such data, if collected, is stored pseudonymously. This ensures that you cannot be identified as an individual.

The following example schematically illustrates how Google Analytics works as an example of client-based web tracking using 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 about the duration of data processing below, provided we have further information on this. 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 of objection

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) This represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, such as that which may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing website visitor behavior to improve our services both technically and economically. Web analytics helps us identify website errors, detect attacks, and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is... Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent.

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

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

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, including data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, and click behavior. More details can be found below in this privacy policy.
📅 Storage duration: individually adjustable; by default, Google Analytics stores 4 data points 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 Google Analytics tracking tool, version 4 (GA4), from the American company Google Inc. on our website. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your activity on our website. By combining various technologies such as cookies, device IDs, and login information, you as a user can be identified across different devices. This allows your activity to be analyzed across platforms.

For example, when you click 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 services to your needs. Below, we explain the tracking tool in more detail, focusing on what data is processed and how you can prevent this.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool used to analyze website traffic. 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 rather serves to assign events to a specific device. GA4 uses an event-based model that captures detailed information about user interactions such as page views, clicks, scrolling, and conversion events. Furthermore, GA4 incorporates various machine learning functions to better understand user behavior and certain trends. GA4 uses machine learning to generate models. This means that, based on the collected data, missing data can be extrapolated to optimize the analysis and enable forecasting.

For Google Analytics to function correctly, a tracking code is embedded in our website's code. When you visit our website, this code records various actions you perform on our site. Using GA4's event-driven data model, we, as website operators, can define and track specific events to analyze user interactions. This allows us to track not only general information like clicks and page views, but also specific events that are important to our business. These specific events might include submitting a contact form or purchasing a product.

As soon as you leave our website, this data will be sent to and stored on Google Analytics servers.

Google processes the data and we receive reports about your user behavior. These may include, among other things, 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 analyzed data gives us a clear picture of our website's strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, we can optimize our site so that it's easier for interested people to find it on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us understand you, our visitors, better. We therefore know exactly what we need to improve on our website to offer you the best possible service. The data also helps us to make our advertising and marketing efforts more targeted and cost-effective. 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 along with this user ID. This is the only way to analyze pseudonymous user profiles.

To analyze our website with Google Analytics, a property ID must be inserted into the tracking code. The data is then stored in the corresponding property. The Google Analytics 4 property is the default for every newly created property. Data is stored for varying lengths of time depending on the property used.

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

According to Google, Google Analytics 4 does not log or store IP addresses. However, Google uses IP address data to derive location data and deletes it immediately afterward. Therefore, all IP addresses collected from users in the EU are deleted before the data is stored in a data center or on a server.

Since Google Analytics 4 focuses on event-based data, the tool uses significantly fewer cookies compared to earlier versions (such as Google Universal Analytics). However, there are some specific cookies used by GA4. These include, for example:

Name: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152112059781-5
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.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152112059781-1
Purpose of use: The cookie is also used to distinguish website visitors
Expiration date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_
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_ .
Expiration date: after 1 minute

Note: This list is not exhaustive, as Google frequently changes its cookie selection. GA4 also aims to improve data privacy. Therefore, the tool offers several options for controlling data collection. For example, we can define the storage duration ourselves and also control the data collection process.

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

Heatmaps: 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 provider or your screen resolution.

Source: Google Analytics, or rather we, are of course also interested in which website or advertisement you came to our site via.

Other data collected includes contact information, any ratings, media playback (e.g., when you play a video on our site), sharing content via social media, or adding items to your favorites. This list is not exhaustive and serves only 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://datacenters.google/

Your data is distributed across various physical storage devices. This has the advantage of faster data retrieval and better protection against manipulation. Each Google data center has corresponding emergency backup programs for your data. Even if, for example, Google's hardware fails or natural disasters disable servers, the risk of a service interruption at Google remains low.

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

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

Additionally, there is the option to have data deleted only if you do not visit our website within the period we have selected. In this case, the retention period will be reset each time you visit our website again within the specified period.

Once 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 separately from user data. Aggregated data is a combination of individual data points 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 disables data collection by Google Analytics.

If you wish to disable, delete or manage cookies in general, you will find the corresponding links to the respective instructions for the most well-known browsers under the section "Cookies".

legal basis

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

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing website visitor behavior to improve our services both technically and economically. Google Analytics helps us identify website errors, detect attacks, and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is... Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). We only use Google Analytics if you have given your consent.

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

Furthermore, Google uses so-called Standard Contractual Clauses (Article 46, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are template agreements provided by the European Commission and are designed to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even when 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 commits to maintaining 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 European 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 provided you with the most important information regarding 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 would like to learn more about data processing, please refer to the Google Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Data Processing Agreement (AVV) Google Analytics

In accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with Google. You can find out exactly what a DPA is and, above all, what it must contain in our general section "Data Processing Agreement (DPA).".

This agreement is legally required because Google processes personal data on our behalf. It stipulates that Google may only process data received from us according to our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. You can find the link to the data processing agreement here. https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/

Google Analytics reports on demographics and interests

We have enabled advertising reporting features in Google Analytics. The demographic and interest reports provide information about age, gender, and interests. This allows us to gain a better understanding of our users without being able to attribute this data to individual persons. You can learn more about advertising features at [link to Google Analytics website]. https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3450482?hl=de_AT&utm_id=ad.

You can control the use of your Google account activity and information under “Ad settings”. 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 the 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 IP address anonymization for Google Analytics on this website. This feature was developed by Google to ensure that this website complies with applicable data protection regulations and the recommendations of local data protection authorities, particularly where the storage of complete IP addresses is prohibited. The anonymization or masking of the IP address takes place as soon as the IP addresses arrive in the Google Analytics data collection network and before any data is stored or processed.

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

Google Optimize Privacy Policy

We use Google Optimize, a website optimization tool, on our website. The service provider is the American company Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.

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

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

Data Processing Agreement (AVV) Google Optimize

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, including 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 duration: 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. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Site Kit allows us to quickly and easily view statistics from various Google products, such as Google Analytics, directly in our WordPress dashboard. This tool, or rather the tools integrated into Google Site Kit, also collect your personal data. In this privacy policy, we explain why we use Google Site Kit, how long and where data is stored, and what other data protection information is 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 analytics statistics directly in our dashboard. These statistics are collected by other Google products, primarily Google Analytics. In addition to Google Analytics, Google Site Kit can also be integrated with Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Google AdSense, Google Optimize, and Google Tag Manager.

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. This means 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), Google products such as Google Analytics will set cookies and send data about you, such as your user behavior, to Google, where it is stored and processed. This includes personal data such as your IP address.

For more detailed information about each service, we have dedicated sections within this privacy policy. For example, please see our privacy policy for Google Analytics. Here, we discuss the data collected in detail. You will learn how long Google Analytics stores, manages, and processes data, which cookies may 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 and Google AdSense.

Below, we show you examples of Google Analytics cookies that may be set in your browser, provided you have generally consented to data processing by Google. Please note that this is only a selection of cookies:

Name: _ga
Value:2.1326744211.152112059781-2
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.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Value:2.1687193234.152112059781-7
Purpose of use: This cookie is also used to distinguish website visitors.
Expiration date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_
Value: 1
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to reduce the request rate.
Expiration 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://datacenters.google/ See exactly where the company provides servers.

Data collected through Google Analytics is stored for a standard period of 26 months. After this time, your user data is deleted. This retention period applies to all data associated with cookies, user recognition, and advertising IDs.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You always have the right to access, delete, correct, or restrict your data. Furthermore, you can disable, delete, or manage cookies in your browser at any time.

If you wish to disable, delete or manage cookies in general, you will find the corresponding links to the respective instructions for the most well-known browsers under the section "Cookies".

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) This represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, such as that which may occur when collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing website visitor behavior to improve our services both technically and economically. Using Google Site Kit, we can identify website errors, detect attacks, and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is... Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). We only use Google Site Kit if you have given your consent.

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 [link to Google's privacy policy]. https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Chatbots Introduction

Chatbot Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: Contact requests and general communication between us and you
📓 Data processed: Data such as name, address, email address, telephone number, general content data, and, if applicable, IP address.
More details can be found in the descriptions of the respective tools used.
📅 Storage duration: depends on the chatbots and chat functions used.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests), Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b GDPR (contractual or pre-contractual obligations)

What are chatbots?

You can also communicate with us via chatbots or similar chat functions. A chat offers the possibility of writing or speaking to each other with very little delay. A chatbot is software that attempts to answer your question and may inform you about news. By using these communication methods, your personal data may also be processed and stored.

Why do we use chatbots?

Communication with you is important to us. We want to talk to you and answer all your questions about our service as best we can. Effective communication is a key part of what we do. Chatbots offer the significant advantage of allowing us to automatically answer frequently asked questions. This saves us time, while still providing you with comprehensive and helpful answers. Of course, if the chatbot can't help, you can always contact us directly.

Please note that when using our built-in elements, your data may also be processed outside the European Union, as many providers are American companies. This may make it more difficult for you to assert or enforce your rights regarding your personal data.

Which data is processed?

It's possible that you might use the chat services on other websites/platforms as well. In this case, your user ID will also be stored on the servers of this website. We may also be informed which user used the chat and when. The content of the conversations will also be stored. The exact data stored depends on the specific service. However, it generally includes contact information such as email address or phone number, IP address, and various usage data.

If you have consented to the use of the chat function, this consent, along with any registration, will also be stored and logged. We do this so that we can provide proof of registration or consent if legally required.

The provider of a chat platform can also know when you are chatting and receives technical information about the device you are using. Exactly which information is stored and processed depends on your computer settings. In many cases, data about your approximate location may be collected. This is done, on the one hand, to optimize the chat services and, on the other hand, to ensure greater security. Furthermore, the information can also be used to implement personalized advertising and marketing measures.

If you have consented to receive messages from a chatbot, you can, of course, deactivate this feature at any time. The chatbot will guide you through the process and show you how to unsubscribe. All your related data will then be deleted from the recipient list.

We use the data mentioned above to, for example, address you personally via chat, answer your questions and inquiries, or send you relevant content. This also allows us to improve our chat services in general.

How long is data stored?

How long data is processed and stored depends primarily on the tools we use. You can find more information about the data processing practices of each tool below. The providers' privacy policies typically specify exactly which data is stored and processed, and for how long. Generally, personal data is only processed for as long as necessary to provide our services. When data is stored in cookies, the storage duration varies considerably. The data may be deleted immediately after leaving a website, or it may remain stored for several years. Therefore, you should examine each individual cookie in detail if you want to know more about data storage. You will usually find informative details about the individual cookies in the privacy policies of the respective providers.

right of objection

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

legal basis

We will ask for your permission via a pop-up window to process your data within the context of our chat services. If you consent, this consent also serves as the legal basis for processing your data. (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR) for data processing. Furthermore, we process your inquiries and manage your data within the framework of contractual or pre-contractual relationships in order to fulfill our pre-contractual and contractual obligations and/or to answer inquiries. The legal basis for this is... Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 letter b. GDPRIn principle, your data will also be processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) Your data is stored and processed to enable fast and effective communication with you, other customers, and business partners. However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent.

Live chat with Crisp

A notice: The following section „Live chat with Crisp“ is an addition by the website operator and is not part of the sample privacy policy provided by AdSimple.

Type and purpose of processing: We use the Crisp live chat service on our website. You can ask us questions via chat; our customer service team will answer your inquiries. The chat will only load after you have given your consent in the cookie banner.

Provider: Crisp IM SAS, 2 Boulevard de Launay, 44100 Nantes, France.

Data processed: When loading the chat, Crisp processes technical data such as your IP address. If you write to us in the chat, we also process your messages and the information you provide yourself (e.g., name, email address, or sent files).

Cookies and storage duration: Crisp stores cookies with the prefix "crisp-client" to maintain your chat session. These cookies expire after approximately six months.

Legal basis: We only load Crisp with your consent. The legal basis for this is therefore Article 6(1)(a) GDPR. You can withdraw your consent at any time via the "Privacy Preferences" link with effect for the future.

Storage location: Crisp stores message data on servers in the Netherlands and other data on servers in Germany. For establishing connections, Crisp also uses relay servers outside the EU (including in the USA, Great Britain, and Singapore). According to the provider, no content is stored there, only connection data.

Order processing: We have concluded a data processing agreement with Crisp in accordance with Article 28 GDPR.

Further information: Details can be found in Crisp's privacy policy: https://crisp.chat/en/privacy/

Social Media Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To present and optimize our services, to contact visitors, potential customers, etc., and to advertise.
📓 Data processed: Data such as telephone numbers, email addresses, contact details, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address.
More details can be found in the respective social media tool used.
📅 Storage duration: 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 connect online. Our social media presence allows us to introduce our products and services to potential customers. The social media elements integrated into our website help you quickly and easily access our social media content.

The data collected and processed through your use of a social media channel primarily serves the purpose of web analytics. The goal of these analyses is to develop more precise and personalized marketing and advertising strategies. Depending on your behavior on a social media platform, the analyzed data can be used to draw conclusions about your interests and create user profiles. This allows the platforms to present you with tailored advertisements. Cookies are usually placed in your browser for this purpose, storing data about your browsing behavior.

We generally assume that we remain responsible under data protection law even when using 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 Article 26 GDPR. Where this is the case, we will indicate this separately and operate on the basis of a corresponding agreement. The essential elements of the agreement are then reproduced below under the relevant platform.

Please note that when using social media platforms or our embedded 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 assert or enforce your rights regarding your personal data.

Which data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored and processed depends on the respective social media platform provider. However, it typically includes data such as phone numbers, email addresses, information you enter into a contact form, user data such as which buttons you click, whom 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. Specifically, if you have a profile on the social media channel you are visiting and are logged in, data can be linked to your profile.

All data collected via a social media platform is also stored on the provider's servers. Therefore, only the providers have access to the data and can provide you with the relevant information or make changes.

If you want to know exactly what data is stored and processed by social media providers and how you can object to this data processing, you should carefully read the respective company's privacy policy. If you have any questions about data storage and processing or wish to exercise your rights, we also recommend contacting the provider directly.

duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, provided we have further information. For example, the social media platform Facebook stores data until it is no longer required for its own purposes. However, customer data that is compared with 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 of objection

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

Since social media tools may use cookies, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy about cookies. To find out exactly what data is stored and processed about you, 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) Your data is stored and processed to enable fast and effective communication with you, other customers, and business partners. However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also use cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy statement or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

Information on 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: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: Data such as customer data, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address.
You can find more details below in the privacy policy.
📅 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, for the European region, by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. These tools allow us to offer you and people interested in our products and services the best possible experience.

If data about you is collected and forwarded via our embedded Facebook elements or 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 are also set out in a publicly available agreement at [link to agreement]. https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum This is enshrined in our data protection policy. It stipulates, for example, that we must clearly inform you about the use of Facebook tools on our website. Furthermore, we are responsible for ensuring that these tools are integrated into our website in a data protection-compliant manner. Facebook, on the other hand, is responsible for the data security of its products. If you have any questions regarding data collection and processing by Facebook, you can contact the company directly. If you direct your question to us, we are obligated to forward it to Facebook.

Below we provide an overview of the various Facebook tools, what 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 Facebook's official name. However, since the term is hardly known, we have decided to simply call them Facebook Tools. These include, among other things:

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

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

Why do we use Facebook tools on our website?

We only want to show our services and products to people who are genuinely interested. Facebook ads allow us to reach precisely these people. However, to show users relevant ads, Facebook needs information about their needs and desires. Therefore, we provide the company with information about user behavior (and contact details) on our website. This allows Facebook to gather better user data and show interested people relevant ads for our products and services. These tools thus enable tailored advertising campaigns on Facebook.

Facebook refers to data about your behavior on our website as "event data." This data is also used for measurement and analytics services. Facebook can then create "campaign reports" on our behalf about the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. Furthermore, these analyses give us a better understanding of how you use our services, website, or products. We use some of these tools to optimize your user experience on our website. For example, you can use social plugins to share content from our site directly on Facebook.

What data are stored by Facebook tools?

Using certain Facebook tools may result in personal data (customer data) being sent to Facebook. Depending on the tools used, customer data such as name, address, telephone number, and IP address may be transmitted.

Facebook uses this information to match the data it already holds about you (if you are a Facebook member). Before customer data is transmitted to Facebook, it undergoes a process called "hashing." This means that any data set of any size is transformed into a string of characters. This also serves to encrypt the data.

In addition to contact information, "event data" is also transmitted. "Event data" refers to information we receive about you on our website, such as which subpages you visit or which products you purchase. Facebook does not share this information with third parties (such as advertisers) unless it has explicit permission or is legally obligated to do so. "Event data" can also be linked to contact information. This allows Facebook to offer more personalized advertising. After the aforementioned matching process, Facebook deletes the contact data.

To optimize ad delivery, Facebook uses event data only when it has been combined with other data (collected by Facebook through other means). 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 used to store data and information in browsers. Depending on the tools used and whether you are a Facebook member, a varying number of cookies will be placed in your browser. We provide more detailed information about individual Facebook cookies in the descriptions of the various Facebook tools. You can also find general information about the use of Facebook cookies on [link to Facebook's cookie policy]. https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies.

How long and where is the data stored?

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

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to access, rectification, portability and erasure of your data.

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

1) Click on Settings on the right side of Facebook.

2) Next, click on „Your Facebook Information“ in the left column.

3) Now click “Deactivation and Deletion”.

4) Now select „Delete account“ and then click „Next and delete account“.“

5) Now enter your password, click "Next" and then "Delete account"„

The data that Facebook receives through our site is stored, among other things, via cookies (e.g., for social plugins). You can disable, delete, or manage individual or all cookies in your browser. Depending on which browser you use, this works differently. Under the "Cookies" section, you will find links to the instructions for the most common 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) The data is stored and processed to enable fast and effective communication with you, other customers, and business partners. However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also use cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review Facebook's privacy statement or cookie policy.

Facebook processes your data, among other places, in the USA. Facebook, or rather Meta Platforms, is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information about this at [link to relevant page]. https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Furthermore, Facebook uses so-called Standard Contractual Clauses (Article 46, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are model clauses provided by the European Commission and are designed to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even when 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 commits to maintaining 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 European 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 would like to learn more about how Facebook uses your data, we recommend that you read the data policy on [link to Facebook's data policy]. https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/.

We've integrated the convenient Facebook Login into our website. This allows you to easily log in with your Facebook account without having to create a separate user account. If you choose to register via Facebook Login, you will be redirected to the Facebook social media network. There, you will be logged in using your Facebook user credentials. This login process involves the storage and transmission of data about you and your user behavior to Facebook.

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

Name: 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.
Expiration date: after 3 months

Name: datr
Value: 4Jh7XUA2112059781SEmPsSfzCOO4JFFl
Purpose of use: Facebook sets the “datr” cookie when a web browser accesses facebook.com, and the cookie helps to identify login activity and protect users.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: _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.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Note: The cookies listed are just a small selection of those available to Facebook. Other cookies include, for example, _fbp, sb, and wd. A complete list is not possible, as Facebook uses a large number of cookies and employs them variably.

Facebook Login offers you a quick and easy registration process, while also allowing us to share data with Facebook. This enables us to better tailor our offers and promotions to your interests and needs. The data 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
Language
Place of residence

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

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

If you are logged into Facebook, you can adjust your ad settings at https://www.facebook.com/help/109378269482053 change yourself.

Facebook Social Plug-ins Privacy Policy

Our website uses social plugins from Meta Platforms Inc. You can recognize these buttons by the classic Facebook logo, such as the "Like" button (the hand with a raised thumb), or by a clear "Facebook Plugin" label. A social plugin is a small part of Facebook that is integrated into our site. Each plugin has its own function. The most frequently used functions are the familiar "Like" and "Share" buttons.

The following social plugins are offered by Facebook:

“Save” button
“Like” button, 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 You will find more detailed information on how the individual plugins are used. We use social plugins both to offer you a better user experience on our site and because Facebook can use them to optimize our advertising.

If you have a Facebook account or https://www.facebook.com/ If you have visited our site before, Facebook has already placed 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 site or interact with social plugins (e.g., the "Like" button).

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

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

If you are not logged into 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 may still be transmitted to Facebook. We would like to explicitly point out that we do not have precise knowledge of the exact content of this data. However, we are trying to inform you about data processing to the best of our current knowledge. You can also find information on how Facebook uses data in the company's data policy at [link to Facebook's data policy]. https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/update read it.

The following cookies will be set in your browser at a minimum when you visit a website with social plugins from Facebook:

Name: dpr
Value: not specified
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to enable social plugins on our website.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Name: fr
Value: 0jieyh4112059781c2GnlufEJ9..Bde09j…1.0.Bde09j
Purpose of use: The cookie is also necessary for the plug-ins to function properly.
Expiration date:: after 3 months

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

If you are logged into Facebook, you can adjust your ad settings at https://www.facebook.com/help/109378269482053 yourself. If you are not a Facebook user, you can https://www.youronlinechoices.com/de/praferenzmanagement/?tid=112059781 You can manage your usage-based online advertising here. You have the option to deactivate or activate providers.

If you would like to learn more about Facebook's data privacy practices, we recommend that you consult the company's own data policy at [link to Facebook's privacy policy]. https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/.

X (formerly: Twitter) Privacy Policy

X (formerly: Twitter) Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: Data such as user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address.
You can find more details below in the privacy policy.
📅 Storage period: X deletes data collected from other websites after a maximum of 30 days.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is X?

We have integrated features from X into our website. These include, for example, embedded tweets, timelines, buttons, and hashtags. X is a microblogging service and social media platform operated by the American company X Corp., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. For users in Europe, Twitter International Unlimited Company (One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland) is responsible for processing personal data.

To our knowledge, simply integrating X functions does not transfer any personal data or data about your web activity to X within the European Economic Area and Switzerland. Data is only sent to X, stored, and processed when you interact with the X functions, such as by clicking a button. We have no control over this data processing and bear no responsibility for it. This privacy policy aims to provide you with an overview of what data X stores, what X does with this data, and how you can protect yourself as much as possible from data transfer.

For some, X is a news service, for others a social media platform, and still others a microblogging service. All these terms are valid and mean more or less the same thing.

Both individuals and companies use X to communicate with interested parties via short messages. X allows only 280 characters per message. These messages are called "tweets." Unlike Facebook, for example, the service does not focus on building a network of "friends" but aims to be a global and open messaging platform. X also allows users to have an anonymous account, and tweets can be deleted by both the company and the users themselves.

Why do we use X on our website?

Like many other websites and companies, we try to offer our services and communicate with our customers via various channels. We have grown particularly fond of X (probably better known to many as Twitter) as a useful "little" news service. We tweet or retweet exciting, funny or interesting content time and time again. We know that you cannot follow each channel separately. After all, you have other things to do. That is why we have integrated X functions on our website. You can experience our X activity "on site" or go to our X page via a direct link. By integrating it, we want to strengthen our service and the user-friendliness of our website.

What data does X store?

On some of our subpages, you'll find built-in X features. When you interact with X content, such as clicking a button, X can collect and store data, even if you don't have an X account. X calls this data "log data." This includes demographic information, browser cookie IDs, your smartphone's ID, hashed email addresses, and information about which pages you visited on X and what actions you performed. Of course, X stores more data if you have an X account and are logged in. Previously, this storage was done via cookies. Cookies are small text files, usually placed in your browser, that transmit various pieces of information to X.

We will now show you which cookies are set when you are not logged in to X but visit a website with built-in X features. Please consider this list as an example. We cannot guarantee its completeness, as the choice of cookies is constantly changing and depends on your individual interactions with the X content.

These cookies were used in our test:

Name: personalization_id
Value: “v1_cSJIsogU51SeE112059781”
Purpose of use: This cookie stores information about how you use the website and which advertisements may have brought you to X.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: long
Value: de
Purpose of use: This cookie stores your default or preferred language.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Name: guest_id
Value: 112059781v1157132626
Purpose of use: This cookie is set to identify you as a guest.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: fm
Value: 0
Purpose of use: Unfortunately, we were unable to find out the purpose of this cookie.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Name: external_referer
Value: 1120597812beTA0sf5lkMrlGt
Purpose of use: This cookie collects anonymous data such as how often you visit X and how long you visit X.
Expiration date: After 6 days

Name: eu_cn
Value: 1
Purpose of use: This cookie stores user activity and serves various advertising purposes of X.
Expiration date: After one year

Name: ct0
Value: c1179f07163a365d2ed7aad84c99d966
Purpose of use: Unfortunately, we could not find any information about this cookie.
Expiration date: after 6 hours

Name: _twitter_sess
Value: 53D3D–dd0248112059781-
Purpose of use: This cookie allows you to use functions within the X website.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Note: X also works with third-party providers. That's why we also detected the three Google Analytics cookies _ga, _gat, _gid during our test.

X uses the collected data on the one hand to better understand user behavior and thus improve its own services and advertising offers, and on the other hand the data also serves internal security measures.

How long and where is the data stored?

When X collects data from other websites, this data is deleted, aggregated, or otherwise anonymized after a maximum of 30 days. X's servers are located in various data centers in the United States. Therefore, it can be assumed that the collected data is gathered and stored in America. Our research did not definitively determine whether X also has its own servers in Europe. In principle, X can store the collected data until it is no longer useful to the company, you delete the data, or a legal retention period applies.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

X repeatedly emphasizes in its privacy policy that it does not store any data from external website visits if you or your browser are located in the European Economic Area or Switzerland. However, if you interact directly with X, X will naturally also store your data.

If you have an X account, you can manage your data by clicking "More" under the "Profile" button. Then click "Settings and Privacy." Here you can manage data processing individually.

If you do not have an X account, you can access twitter.com Go to [link to relevant page] and then click on "Personalization". Under "Personalization and Data" you can manage your collected data.

As mentioned above, most data is stored via cookies, which you can manage, disable, or delete in your browser. Please note that you can only edit cookies in the browser you are currently using. This means that if you use a different browser in the future, you will need to manage your cookies again according to your preferences. In the "Cookies" section, you will find links to the instructions for the most popular browsers.

You can also configure your browser to notify you about each individual cookie. This allows you to decide whether to allow a cookie or not.

X also uses the data for personalized advertising both on and off X. You can disable personalized advertising in the settings under "Personalization and Data". If you are using X in a browser, you can disable personalized advertising under https://optout.aboutads.info/?c=2&lang=EN deactivate.

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) Your data is stored and processed to ensure fast and effective communication with you, 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 use cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy statement or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

X processes your data, among other things, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This can entail various risks to the lawfulness and security of data processing.

X uses so-called Standard Contractual Clauses (Article 46, paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR) as the basis for data processing by recipients located in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, i.e., in particular the USA) or for data transfers to such countries. Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are template agreements provided by the EU Commission and are designed to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even when it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through these clauses, X commits to maintaining the European level of data protection 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, among other places, here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

For more information on X’s standard contractual clauses, see https://gdpr.twitter.com/en/controller-to-controller-transfers.html.

We hope we have given you a basic overview of data processing by X. We do not receive any data from X and are not responsible for what X does with your data. If you have any further questions on this topic, we recommend that you consult the X privacy policy at [link to X privacy policy]. https://twitter.com/de/privacy.

XING privacy policy

Xing Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: This may include your IP address, browser data, date and time of your page visit.
You can find more details below in the privacy policy.
📅 Storage period: Data from Xing users is stored until a deletion request is made.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Xing?

We use social plugins from the social media network Xing, operated by Xing SE, Dammtorstraße 30, 20354 Hamburg, Germany, on our website. These plugins allow you, for example, to share content directly from our website on Xing, log in to Xing, or follow interesting content. You can recognize the plugins by the company name or the Xing logo. When you visit a website that uses a Xing plugin, data may be transmitted to, stored on, and analyzed by Xing's servers. This privacy policy explains what data is involved and how you can manage or prevent this data storage.

Xing is a social network headquartered in Hamburg. The company specializes in managing professional contacts. This means that, unlike other networks, Xing focuses primarily on professional networking. The platform is often used for job searches or to find employees for one's own company. In addition, Xing offers interesting content on various professional topics. Its global counterpart is the American company LinkedIn.

Why do we use Xing on our website?

There is now a flood of social media channels and we are well aware that your time is very valuable. Not every social media channel of a company can be examined closely. Therefore, we want to make your life as easy as possible so that you can share or follow interesting content directly on Xing via our website. With such "social plug-ins" we expand our service on our website. In addition, the data collected by Xing helps us to carry out targeted advertising measures on the platform. This means that our service is only shown to people who are really interested in it.

What data does Xing store?

Xing offers the share button, the follow button and the log-in button as a plug-in for websites. As soon as you open a page where a social plug-in from Xing is installed, your browser connects to servers in a data center used by Xing. In the case of the share button, according to Xing, no data should be stored that could be directly linked to a person. In particular, Xing does not store your IP address. Furthermore, no cookies are set in connection with the share button. This means that your user behavior is not evaluated. You can find more information on this at https://dev.xing.com/plugins/share_button/privacy_policy

With the other Xing plugins, cookies are only set in your browser when you interact with the plugin or click on it. In this case, personal data such as your IP address, browser data, and the date and time of your page visit to Xing may be stored. If you have a Xing account and are logged in, the collected data will be associated with your personal account and the data stored therein.

The following cookies will be set in your browser if you click the "Follow" or "Log in" button and are not yet logged in to Xing. Please note that this is an example list and we cannot claim it to be exhaustive:

Name: AMCVS_0894FF2554F733210A4C98C6AdobeOrg
Value: 1
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to create and store identifications of website visitors.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Name: c_
Value: 157c609dc9fe7d7ff56064c6de87b019112059781-8
Purpose of use: We could not find out any further information about this cookie.
Expiration date: after one day

Name: prevPage
Value: wbmWelcomelogin
Purpose of use: This cookie stores the URL of the previous website you visited.
Expiration date: after 30 minutes

Name: s_cc
Value: true
Purpose of use: This Adobe Site Catalyst cookie determines whether cookies are enabled in the browser.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Name: s_fid
Value: 6897CDCD1013221C-39DDACC982217CD1112059781-2
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to identify a unique visitor.
Expiration date: after 5 years

Name: visitor_id
Value: fe59fbe5-e9c6-4fca-8776-30d0c1a89c32
Purpose of use: The visitor cookie contains a unique visitor ID and the unique identifier for your account.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name:_session_id
Value: 533a0a6641df82b46383da06ea0e84e7112059781-2
Purpose of use: This cookie creates a temporary session ID that is used as an in-session user ID. The cookie is absolutely necessary to provide the functions of Xing.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

Once you are logged in to Xing or become a member, further personal data will definitely be collected, processed, and stored. Xing also shares personal data with third parties if this is necessary for fulfilling its own business purposes, if you have given your consent, or if there is a legal obligation to do so.

How long and where is the data stored?

Xing stores the data on various servers in various data centers. The company stores this data until you delete the data or until a user account is deleted. Of course, this only applies to users who are already Xing members.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You have the right to access and delete your personal data at any time. Even if you are not a Xing member, you can prevent potential data processing or manage it according to your preferences via your browser. Most data is stored using cookies. Depending on your browser, managing cookies varies slightly. In the "Cookies" section, you will find links to instructions for the most common browsers.

You can also configure your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be set. This allows you to decide individually whether or not to allow the cookie.

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) Your data is stored and processed to ensure fast and effective communication with you, 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 use cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy statement or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

We have tried to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Xing. https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung Find out more about the data processing of the social media network Xing.

Blogs and Publication Media Introduction

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

What are blogs and publication media?

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

Why do we use blogs and publication media?

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

Which data is processed?

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

duration of data processing

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

right of objection

You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third-party communication tools 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 by cookies by managing, disabling, or deleting cookies in your browser.

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

legal basis

We primarily use these communication tools based on our legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and effective communication with you or other customers, business partners, and visitors. Insofar as the use serves the purpose of processing or initiating contractual relationships, the legal basis is also Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b GDPR.

Certain data processing activities, in particular the use of cookies and the use of comment or messaging functions, require your consent. If and to the extent that you have consented to the processing and storage of your data by embedded publication media, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). Most of the communication functions we use place cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy statement or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

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

WordPress Emojis Privacy Policy

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

Automattic processes your data, among other things, in the USA. Automattic is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information about this at [link to relevant page]. https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

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

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of WordPress emojis in the Privacy Policy at [link to Privacy Policy]. https://automattic.com/privacy/.

Online Marketing Introduction

Online Marketing Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website.
📓 Data processed: Access statistics, including data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior, and IP addresses. Personal data such as name or email address may also be processed. Further details can be found in the documentation for the respective online marketing tool used.
📅 Storage duration: depends on the online marketing tools used.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is online marketing?

Online marketing refers to all measures that are carried out online to achieve marketing goals such as increasing brand awareness or closing a deal. Our online marketing measures also aim to draw people's attention to our website. We therefore carry out online marketing in order to be able to show our offer to many interested people. This usually involves online advertising, content marketing or search engine optimization. Personal data is also stored and processed so that we can use online marketing efficiently and in a targeted manner. On the one hand, the data helps us to only show our content to those people who are actually interested in it, and on the other hand, we can measure the advertising success of our online marketing measures.

Why do we use online marketing tools?

We want to show our website to everyone who is interested in what we have to offer. We are aware that this is not possible without taking conscious measures. That is why we do online marketing. There are various tools that make our work on our online marketing measures easier and also provide suggestions for improvement based on data. This allows us to target our campaigns more precisely at our target group. The purpose of these online marketing tools is ultimately to optimize our offer.

Which data is processed?

To ensure our online marketing works effectively and the success of our campaigns can be measured, user profiles are created and data is stored, for example, in cookies (small text files). This data allows us not only to display traditional advertising but also to personalize the content on our website to your liking. Various third-party tools offer these functions and, accordingly, collect and store your data. These cookies store information such as which pages you visited on our website, how long you viewed them, which links or buttons you clicked, and which website referred you to us. Technical information may also be stored, such as your IP address, the browser you are using, the device you are using to access our website, and the time you entered and left our site. If you have consented to us determining your location, we can also store and process this information.

Your IP address is stored in pseudonymized (i.e., shortened) form. Unique data that directly identifies you as an individual, such as your name, address, or email address, is also stored only in pseudonymized form for advertising and online marketing purposes. Therefore, we cannot identify you as an individual; we only store the pseudonymized information in the user profiles.

The cookies may also be used, analyzed, and used for advertising purposes on other websites that use the same advertising tools. The data may then also be stored on the servers of the advertising tool providers.

In exceptional cases, unique identifiers (names, email addresses, etc.) may also be stored in user profiles. This occurs, for example, if you are a member of a social media channel that we use for our online marketing activities and the network links previously received data to the user profile.

With all the advertising tools we use that store your data on their servers, we only ever receive aggregated information and never data that identifies you as an individual. The data simply shows how well our advertising campaigns performed. For example, we can see which measures motivated you or other users to visit our website and purchase a service or product. Based on these analyses, we can improve our advertising in the future and tailor it even more precisely to the needs and desires of interested individuals.

duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, provided we have further information. Generally, we only process personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for providing our services and products. Data stored in cookies is stored for varying lengths of time. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, while others can remain stored in your browser for several years. You can usually find detailed information about the specific cookies used by each provider in their respective privacy policies.

right of objection

You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers 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 by cookies by managing, disabling, or deleting cookies in your browser. The lawfulness of the processing up to the point of withdrawal remains unaffected.

Since online marketing tools typically use cookies, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy about cookies. To find out exactly what data is stored and processed about you, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

legal basis

If you have consented to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. This consent represents Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) This represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when data is collected through online marketing tools.

We also have a legitimate interest in measuring online marketing activities in anonymized form in order to optimize our offerings and measures using the data obtained. The corresponding legal basis for this is... Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent.

Information on specific online marketing tools can be found – if available – in the following sections.

Facebook Custom Audiences Privacy Policy

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

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 Custom Audiences in the Privacy Policy on [link to Privacy Policy]. https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy .

Google Marketing Platform (formerly: DoubleClick) Privacy Policy

We use Google Marketing Platform products on our website. These include various marketing tools such as Data Studio, Surveys, Campaign Manager 360, Display & Video 360, and Search Ads 360. The service provider is the American company Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.

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

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

Microsoft Advertising Privacy Policy

Microsoft Advertising Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: economic success and the optimization of our service performance.
📓 Data processed: Access statistics, which include data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior, and IP addresses. Personal data such as name or email address may also be processed.
📅 Storage period: Microsoft stores the data until it is no longer needed to fulfill its purposes.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Microsoft Advertising?

For our online marketing efforts, we also use the Microsoft Advertising program from Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399, USA. With the help of Microsoft Advertising, we aim to raise awareness among many people about the high quality of our products and/or services. For this purpose, we use a Microsoft technology (conversion tracking tool) on our website, which also stores your data. This privacy policy explains this service in more detail, showing you what data is stored, managed, and processed, and how you can prevent this data storage.

You might know Microsoft Advertising by its former name, "Bing Ads." It's a Microsoft advertising program based on a pay-per-click system. This means advertisers can place ads on the Bing and Yahoo! search engines and only pay when a user clicks on the ad.

Why do we use Microsoft Advertising?

We are confident in what we offer and naturally want to present it to a wide audience. With Microsoft Advertising, we can bring our products or services closer to precisely those people who are really interested in them. We want to present our products not only on the famous search engine Google, but also on Bing and Yahoo! With Microsoft Advertising, we also have the option of placing ads in the so-called “Microsoft Audience Network.” This means we can also place ads on LinkedIn, for example. Conversion tracking tells us, for example, which ad you used to find us, which subpages you particularly like, and which actions you perform on our website. This data enables us to tailor our website, our advertisements, and our offers much better to your needs.

What data does Microsoft Advertising store?

We have integrated a conversion tracking tag (i.e. a small code snippet) from Microsoft Advertising into our website. This is the so-called Universal Event Tracking (UET) tag. If you come to our website via a Microsoft advertisement, we can use this tracking tool to learn more about your user behavior on our website. For example, we learn which keyword or ad you used to come to us, what you click on on our website, how many people visit our website via Microsoft Ads and how long you stay on our website. All of this data relates to user behavior and not to personal data. We therefore only receive data or evaluations of your web behavior, but no personal information. Microsoft uses the data to optimize its own advertising offer and other services. If you have a Microsoft account yourself, the data collected can be linked to your account. This means that Microsoft may also recognize and save your IP address. In order to save all of this data about your user behavior, the following cookie is set in your browser after you come to our website via a Microsoft ad:

Name: MUIDB
Value: 08A53CA3313F6255044C307E353F61CD
Purpose of use: This cookie is set by our embedded Microsoft tag (UET tag) and is used for synchronization across different Microsoft websites. This allows users to be recognized across different domains.
Expiration date: after one year

If you access our website via a Bing ad, for example, other cookies may be set in your browser. Here is a selection of other cookies:

Name: ABDEF
Value: V=0&ABDV=0&MRNB=1594294373452&MRB=0112059781-7
Purpose of use: We could not find out any more detailed information about this cookie.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: SRCHD
Value: AF=NOFORM
Purpose of use: This cookie is responsible for the functionality of the tracking or website.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: SRCHHPGUSR
Value: WTS=63729889193&HV=1594294374&CW=1920&CH=937&DPR=1&UTC=120&DM=0
Purpose of use: This cookie tracks and stores your user behavior on our website and the interaction of the Bing Map interface.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: SRCHUID
Value: V=2&GUID=157B20CCF36A43F3A4AE9790346EB7A7&dmnchg=1
Purpose of use: This cookie tracks and stores your user behavior on our website and the interaction of the Bing Map API.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: _EDGE_S
Value: mkt=de-at&SID=2EE7002D956A61511D280F2F9474607112059781-2
Purpose of use: This cookie collects and stores your user behavior across multiple websites. The goal of targeting is to better adapt advertising measures to the interests of our target group.
Expiration date: after the end of the browser session

Name: _SS
Value: SID=2EE7002D956A61511D280F2F94746077112059781-9
Purpose of use: This cookie is used, among other things, to recognize how you as a user accessed our website. That is, which advertisement led you to our website.
Expiration date: after one year

How long and where is the data stored?

We have no control over how Microsoft uses the collected user data. Microsoft operates its own servers worldwide. Most are located in the United States, and therefore your data may also be stored, managed, and processed on American servers. Microsoft stores data (especially personal data) for as long as necessary to provide its own services or products, or for legal purposes. Microsoft also states that the actual retention period varies considerably and depends on the specific product.

When you search using Bing, Microsoft deletes your saved search queries after 6 months by deleting your IP address. Cookie IDs, such as those generated via the MUID cookie, are anonymized after 18 months.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You have the option to not participate in Microsoft Ads conversion tracking at any time. If you do not want to see interest-based advertisements from Microsoft Advertising, you can https://account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings/signedout switch off this function. You can also deactivate, manage or delete all cookies in your browser. This works a little differently for each browser. Under the "Cookies" section you will find the relevant links to the respective instructions for the most popular browsers.

legal basis

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

We also have a legitimate interest in using Microsoft Advertising to optimize our online service and marketing activities. The corresponding legal basis for this is... Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use Microsoft Advertising if you have given your consent.

Microsoft processes your data in the USA, among other locations. Microsoft is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information about this at [link to relevant page]. https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Furthermore, Microsoft uses so-called Standard Contractual Clauses (Article 46, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are template agreements provided by the European Commission and are designed to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even when 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, Microsoft commits to maintaining 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 European 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 Microsoft’s standard contractual clauses, see https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/compliance/regulatory/offering-eu-model-clauses

We hope to have given you an overview of the data processing through Microsoft Ads conversion tracking. It is of course always possible that Microsoft's data protection guidelines may change. For more information and to stay up to date, we recommend that you also read Microsoft's data protection policy at https://privacy.microsoft.com/de-de/privacystatement.

Microsoft Advertising Similar Audiences Privacy Policy

We also use the advertising tool Microsoft Advertising Similar Audiences. The service provider is the American company Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399, USA. For the European region, the responsible company is Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, South County Business Park, Dublin D18 P521, Ireland.

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

Furthermore, Microsoft uses so-called Standard Contractual Clauses (Article 46, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the GDPR). These templates, provided by the European Commission, ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even when 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, Microsoft commits to maintaining the European level of data protection when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. The corresponding implementing decision and the Standard Contractual Clauses can be found, among other places, at: eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

Learn more about the data processed through the use of Microsoft Advertising at: privacy.microsoft.com/de-de/privacystatement.

Content Delivery Networks Introduction

Content Delivery Networks Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To optimize our service performance (to make the website load faster)
📓 Data processed: Data such as your IP address
You can find more details below and in the individual privacy policies.
📅 Storage period: In most cases, the data is stored until it is no longer needed to fulfill the service.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is a Content Delivery Network?

We use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) on our website. A CDN helps us load our website quickly and smoothly, regardless of your location. In this process, your personal data is stored, managed, and processed on the servers of the CDN provider. Below, we provide more general information about the service and its data processing. Detailed information about how your data is handled can be found in the provider's privacy policy.

Every Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of regionally distributed servers, all connected via the internet. This network allows website content (especially very large files) to be delivered quickly and smoothly, even during peak loads. The CDN creates a copy of our website on its servers. Because these servers are distributed globally, the website can be delivered quickly. Consequently, the data transfer to your browser is significantly reduced by the CDN.

Why do we use a content delivery network for our website?

A fast-loading website is part of our service. We know how annoying it is when a website loads at a snail's pace. Most of the time, you even lose patience and leave before the website has fully loaded. We want to avoid that, of course. That's why a fast-loading website is a natural part of our website offering. With a content delivery network, our website loads much faster in your browser. Using the CDN is particularly helpful if you are abroad because the website is delivered from a server near you.

Which data is processed?

When you request a website or the content of a website and it is cached in a CDN, the CDN routes the request to the server closest to you and that server delivers the content. Content Delivery Networks are designed so that JavaScript libraries can be downloaded and hosted on npm and Github servers. Alternatively, most CDNs can also load WordPress plugins if they are available on WordPress.org hosted. Your browser can send personal data to the content delivery network we use. This includes data such as IP address, browser type, browser version, which website is loaded or the time and date of the page visit. This data is collected and stored by the CDN. Whether cookies are used to store data depends on the network used. Please read the data protection texts of the respective service.

right of objection

If you want to completely prevent this data transfer, you can use a JavaScript blocker (see for example https://noscript.net/) on your PC. Of course, our website will then no longer be able to offer the usual service (such as fast loading speed).

legal basis

If you have consented to the use of a content delivery network, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) This represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected by a Content Delivery Network.

We also have a legitimate interest in using a Content Delivery Network to optimize and secure our online service. The corresponding legal basis for this is... Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we will only use the tool if you have given your consent.

Information on specific Content Delivery Networks can be found – if available – in the following sections.

Cookie Consent Management Platform Summary
👥 Affected: Website visitors
🤝 Purpose: Obtaining and managing consent for certain cookies and thus the use of certain tools
📓 Data processed: Data for managing cookie settings, such as IP address, time of consent, type of consent, and individual consents. More details can be found in the documentation for each tool used.
📅 Storage duration: Depends on the tool used; expect 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 popup, 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 tools and all 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 in the first place. Thanks to a cookie management tool that regularly scans the website for all existing cookies, we know about all 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.

Which 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 of 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 find precise information about the duration of data processing.

right of objection

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 by cookies by managing, disabling, or deleting cookies in your browser.

Information on specific cookie management tools can be found – if available – 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 Letter a of GDPR) cookies, this consent is also the legal basis for the use of cookies or the processing of your data. In order 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).

BorlabsCookie Privacy Policy

We use BorlabsCookie on our website, which, among other things, is a tool for storing your cookie consent. The service provider is the German company Borlabs – Benjamin A. Bornschein, Rübenkamp 32, 22305 Hamburg, Germany.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of BorlabsCookie in the Privacy Policy at [link to Privacy Policy]. https://de.borlabs.io/datenschutz/.

Security & Anti-Spam

Security & Anti-Spam Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: Cybersecurity
📓 Data processed: Data such as your IP address, name, or technical data such as browser version
You can find more details below and in the individual privacy policies.
📅 Storage period: In most cases, the data is stored until it is no longer needed to fulfill the service.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is security & anti-spam software?

With so-called security and anti-spam software, you and we can protect ourselves from various spam or phishing emails and possible other cyber attacks. Spam is understood to be advertising emails from a mass mailing that you did not request. Such emails are also called data garbage and can also incur costs. Phishing emails, on the other hand, are messages that aim to build trust via fake messages or websites in order to obtain personal data. Anti-spam software usually protects against unwanted spam messages or malicious emails that could, for example, introduce viruses into our system. We also use general firewall and security systems that protect our computers from unwanted network attacks.

Why do we use security & anti-spam software?

We place particular emphasis on security on our website. After all, it's not just about our security, but above all about yours. Unfortunately, cyber threats are now part of everyday life in the world of IT and the Internet. Hackers often try to steal personal data from an IT system using a cyber attack. And that's why a good defense system is absolutely essential. A security system monitors all incoming and outgoing connections to our network or computer. To achieve even greater security against cyber attacks, we use other external security services in addition to the standardized security systems on our computer. This makes it easier to prevent unauthorized traffic of data and protects us against cybercrime.

What data is processed by security and anti-spam software?

Exactly which data is collected and stored depends on the respective service. However, we always endeavor to only use programs that collect data very sparingly or only store data that is necessary to fulfill the service offered. In principle, the service can store data such as name, address, IP address, email address and technical data such as browser type or browser version. Any performance and log data can also be collected in order to detect possible incoming threats in good time. This data is processed as part of the services and in compliance with applicable laws. For US providers, this also includes the GDPR (via the standard contractual clauses). In some cases, these security services also work with third parties who can store and/or process data under instruction and in accordance with data protection guidelines and other security measures. Data is usually stored via cookies.

duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing if we have further information. For example, security programs store data until you or we revoke the data storage. In general, personal data is only stored for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide the services. In many cases, unfortunately, we do not have precise information from the providers about the length of storage.

right of objection

You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third-party security software 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 by cookies by managing, disabling, or deleting cookies in your browser.

Since such security services may also use cookies, we recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly what data is stored and processed about you, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

legal basis

We primarily use security services based on our legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in a good security system against various cyberattacks.

Certain data processing activities, in particular the use of cookies and security features, require your consent. If you have consented to the processing and storage of your data by integrated security services, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). Most of the services we use place cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy statement or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

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

cloud services

Cloud Services Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected parties: We as website operators and you as website visitors
🤝 Purpose: Security and data storage
📓 Data processed: Data such as your IP address, name, or technical data such as browser version
You can find more details below and in the individual data protection texts or in the privacy policies of the providers.
📅 Storage period: In most cases, the data is stored until it is no longer needed to fulfill the service.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are cloud services?

Cloud services provide us as website operators with storage space and computing power over the Internet. Data can be transferred to an external system, processed and stored over the Internet. The relevant cloud provider manages this data. Depending on requirements, an individual or a company can choose the storage space size or computing power. Cloud storage is accessed via an API or storage protocols. API stands for Application Programming Interface and is a programming interface that connects software and hardware components.

Why do we use cloud services?

We use cloud services for several reasons. A cloud service allows us to store our data securely. Furthermore, we can access the data from various locations and devices, giving us greater flexibility and streamlining our workflows. Cloud storage also saves us money because we don't need to build and manage our own data storage and security infrastructure. Storing our data centrally in the cloud also allows us to expand our applications and manage our information much more effectively.

As website operators and companies, we primarily use cloud services for our own purposes. For example, we use these services to manage our calendar and to store documents and other important information in the cloud. However, your personal data may also be stored in this process. This is the case, for instance, if you provide us with your contact information (such as your name and email address) and we store our customer data with a cloud provider. Consequently, data that we process from you may also be stored and processed on external servers. When we offer certain forms or content from cloud services on our website, cookies may also be set for web analytics and advertising purposes. Furthermore, these cookies remember your settings (such as your preferred language) so that you find your familiar web environment the next time you visit our website.

What data is processed by cloud services?

Much of the data we store in the cloud is not personally identifiable, but some data is considered personal data according to the definition of the GDPR. This is often customer data such as name, address, IP address or telephone number, or technical device information. Videos, images and audio files can also be stored in the cloud. How exactly the data is collected and stored depends on the respective service. We try to only use services that handle the data in a very trustworthy and professional manner. In principle, the services, such as Amazon Drive, have access to the stored files in order to be able to offer their own service accordingly. However, the services require permissions such as the right to copy files for security reasons. This data is processed and managed as part of the services and in compliance with applicable laws. For US providers, this also includes the GDPR (via the standard contractual clauses). In some cases, these cloud services also work with third parties who can process data under instruction and in accordance with the data protection guidelines and other security measures. We would like to emphasize again at this point that all well-known cloud services (such as Amazon Drive, Google Drive or Microsoft Onedrive) obtain the right to have access to stored content in order to be able to offer and optimize their own service accordingly.

duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing if we have further information. In general, cloud services store data until you or we revoke the data storage consent or delete the data again. In general, personal data is only stored for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide the services. However, permanently deleting data from the cloud can take several months. This is the case because the data is usually not stored on just one server, but is divided up across different servers.

right of objection

You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to data storage in a cloud at any time. If cookies are used, you also have the right to withdraw your consent. This can be done either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection by cookies by managing, disabling, or deleting cookies in your browser. We also recommend that you read our general privacy policy about cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective cloud providers.

legal basis

We primarily use cloud services based on our legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in a good security and storage system.

Certain processing activities, in particular the use of cookies and storage functions, require your consent. If you have consented to your data being processed and stored by cloud services, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). Most of the services we use place cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy statement or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

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

Google Cloud Privacy Policy

We use Google Cloud, an online storage service for files, photos, and videos, for our website. The service provider is the American company Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.

Google has a contract for order processing in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR, which serves as the data protection basis for our customer relationship with Google. The content of this refers to the EU standard contractual clauses. You can find the order processing conditions here: https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/

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

Audio & Video Introduction

Audio & Video Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: Data such as contact details, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address may be stored.
You can find more details below in the corresponding privacy policy texts.
📅 Storage period: Data is generally stored as long as it is needed 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 through our site. The content is provided by service providers. Therefore, all content is retrieved from the respective servers of these providers.

These are embedded features from platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, or Spotify. Using these platforms is generally free, but they may also offer paid content. These embedded features allow you to listen to or watch the respective content directly on our website.

When 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. This means that 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 of objection

Since the integrated audio and video functions on our site usually also use cookies, you should also read our general privacy policy about cookies. The privacy policies of the respective third-party providers provide more detailed information about how they handle and store your data.

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: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: Data such as contact details, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address may be stored.
You can find more details below in this privacy policy.
📅 Storage period: Data is generally stored as long as it is needed 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 embedded YouTube videos on our website. This allows us to present interesting videos 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 servers of YouTube or Google. Depending on your settings, various data is transmitted during this process. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all data processing within the European Economic Area.

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 past few years, YouTube has become one of the most important social media channels worldwide. To enable us to display videos on our website, YouTube provides a code snippet that we have embedded on 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 an embedded YouTube video, 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 associate your interactions on our website with your profile using cookies. This includes data such as session duration, bounce rate, approximate location, and technical information like browser type, screen resolution, and your internet service provider. Other data may include contact information, any ratings, sharing content via social media, or adding videos to your favorites on YouTube.

If you're not signed in to a Google or YouTube account, Google stores data with a unique identifier linked to your device, browser, or app. This allows, for example, your preferred language setting to be retained. However, much interaction data cannot be stored because fewer cookies are set.

The following list shows cookies that were set in a browser test. We show cookies that were set both when no user was logged into a YouTube account and when a user was logged in. This list is not exhaustive, as user data always depends on interactions on YouTube.

Name: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5Y112059781-1
Purpose of use: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the video watched.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

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

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

Name: 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).
Expiration date: after 8 months

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

Name: APISID
Value: zILLlvClZSkqGsSwI/AU1aZI6HY7112059781-
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to create a profile of your interests. The data is used for personalized advertisements.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: 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.
Expiration date: after 19 years

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

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

Name: 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.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: SID
Value: oQfNKjAsI112059781-
Purpose of use: This cookie stores your Google Account ID and your last login time in a digitally signed and encrypted form.
Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: 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.
Expiration 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://datacenters.google/ See exactly where Google's data centers are located. Your data is distributed across the servers. This makes the data faster to access and better protected against manipulation.

Google stores the collected data for varying lengths of time. Some data can be deleted at any time, some is automatically deleted after a limited period, and still other data is stored by Google for longer periods. Some data (such as items from "My Activity," photos or documents, and 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?

You can manually delete data from your Google account. However, with the automatic deletion feature for location and activity data introduced in 2019, information is stored for either 3 or 18 months, depending on your choice, and then deleted.

Whether or not you have a Google account, you can configure your browser to delete or disable cookies from Google. The process varies depending on the browser you use. Under the "Cookies" section, you will find links to instructions for the most popular browsers.

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) Your data is stored and processed to ensure fast and effective communication with you, other customers, and business partners. However, we only use the embedded YouTube elements if you have given your consent. YouTube also uses cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and review the privacy statement or cookie policy of the respective service provider.

YouTube processes your data, among other places, in the USA. YouTube, or rather Google, is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information about this at [link to relevant page]. https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

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, they share a privacy policy. If you would like to learn more about how your data is handled, we recommend reading the privacy policy at [link to privacy policy]. https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

YouTube Subscribe Button Privacy Policy

We have integrated the YouTube subscribe button into our website. You can usually recognize the button by the classic YouTube logo. The logo shows the words "Subscribe" or "YouTube" in white lettering against a red background, with the white play symbol to the left. However, the button may also be displayed in a different design.

Our YouTube channel regularly offers you funny, interesting, or exciting videos. With the built-in "Subscribe" button, you can subscribe to our channel directly from our website without having to visit the YouTube website separately. We want to make accessing our extensive content as easy as possible for you. Please note that YouTube may store and process your data as a result.

If you see a built-in subscribe 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 preferred language. In our test, the following four cookies were set without us being logged into YouTube:

Name: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5112059781Y
Purpose of use: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the video watched.
Expiration date: after the end of the session

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

Name: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
Value: 11205978195Chz8bagyU
Purpose of use: This cookie tries to estimate the bandwidth of the user on our websites (with embedded YouTube video).
Expiration date: after 8 months

Note: These cookies were set after a test and cannot claim to be exhaustive.

If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can use cookies to store many of your actions/interactions on our website and associate them with your YouTube account. This allows YouTube to obtain information such as how long you browse our site, which browser type you use, your preferred screen resolution, and other actions you perform.

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

Rating Platforms Introduction

Rating Platforms Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website or a review platform
🤝 Purpose: Feedback on our products and/or services
📓 Data processed: Including IP address, email address, name. More details can be found below or on the respective rating platforms used.
📅 Storage duration: depends on the respective platform
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests),

What are review platforms?

You can rate our products or services on various review platforms. We participate in some of these platforms so that we can receive your feedback and thus improve our offerings. When you rate us via a review platform, the privacy policy and terms and conditions of the respective review service apply. Very often, you will also need to register to submit a review. Review technologies (widgets) may also be integrated into our website. By using such an integrated tool, data is also transferred to, processed by, and stored by the respective provider.

Many of these integrated programs work on a similar principle. After you have ordered a product or used a service from us, you will be asked to submit a review, either via email or on the website. You will usually be redirected to a review page via a link, where you can easily and quickly create a review. Some review systems also offer an interface to various social media channels to make the feedback accessible to more people.

Why do we use review platforms?

Rating platforms collect feedback and ratings about our offers. Your ratings give us quick feedback and enable us to improve our products and/or services much more efficiently. The ratings therefore help us to optimize our offers on the one hand, and on the other hand they give you and all our future customers a good overview of the quality of our products and services.

Which data is processed?

With your consent, we transmit information about you and the services you have used to the relevant rating platform. We do this to ensure that you have actually used one of our services. Because only then can you give real feedback. The data transmitted is only used to identify the user. Which data is stored and processed depends, of course, on the providers used. In most cases, personal data such as IP address, email address or your name are also made available to the rating platforms. After you have submitted your rating, order information such as the order number of an item purchased is also forwarded to the relevant platform. If your email address is transmitted, this is done so that the rating platform can send you an email after you have purchased a product. So that we can also integrate your rating into our website, we also give the providers the information that you have accessed our site. The rating platform used is responsible for the personal data collected.

How long and where is the data stored?

You can find out more about the duration of data processing below in the relevant data protection declaration of the provider, if we have further information about it. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. Personal data mentioned in a review is usually anonymized by employees of the platform used and is therefore only visible to administrators of the company. The data collected is stored on the providers' servers and, for most providers, deleted after the end of the order.

right of objection

legal basis

If you have consented to the use of a review platform, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, such as that which may occur when collected by a review portal.

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

We hope we have provided you with the most important general information regarding data processing by review platforms. Further details can be found below in the data protection texts or in the linked privacy policies of the companies.

Google Customer Reviews Privacy Policy

We also use the Google Customer Reviews rating platform for 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.

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/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/

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

web design introduction

Webdesign Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To improve the user experience
📓 Data processed: The specific data processed depends heavily on the services used. This typically includes IP address, technical data, language settings, browser version, screen resolution, and browser name. More details can be found in the documentation for each web design tool used.
📅 Storage duration: 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 is web design?

We use various tools on our website that serve our web design. Web design is not, as is often assumed, just about making our website look pretty, but also about functionality and performance. But of course the right look of a website is also one of the major goals of professional web design. Web design is a sub-area of media design and deals with both the visual and the structural and functional design of a website. The aim is to use web design to improve your experience on our website. In web design jargon, this is referred to as user experience (UX) and usability. User experience refers to all the impressions and experiences that website visitors have on a website. A sub-point of user experience is usability. This is about the user-friendliness of a website. The main emphasis here is on ensuring that content, subpages or products are clearly structured and that you can find what you are looking for quickly and easily. In order to offer you the best possible experience on our website, we also use so-called web design tools from third parties. In this privacy policy, the category “web design” includes all services that improve the design of our website. These can be, for example, fonts, various plugins or other integrated web design functions.

Why do we use web design tools?

How you absorb information on a website depends very much on the structure, functionality and visual perception of the website. This is why good and professional web design has become increasingly important for us. We are constantly working on improving our website and see this as an extended service for you as a website visitor. Furthermore, a beautiful and functioning website also has economic advantages for us. After all, you will only visit us and use our services if you feel completely comfortable.

What data is stored by web design tools?

When you visit our website, web design elements may be integrated into our pages that can also process data. Of course, the exact data involved depends largely on the tools used. Below you can see exactly which tools we use for our website. For more information about data processing, we recommend that you read the respective privacy policy of the tools used. This is usually where you can find out which data is processed, whether cookies are used and how long the data is stored. Fonts such as Google Fonts, for example, also automatically transmit information such as language settings, IP address, browser version, browser screen resolution and browser name to Google servers.

duration of data processing

How long data is processed is very individual and depends on the web design elements used. If cookies are used, for example, the storage period can be as short as a minute, but also as long as a few years. Please do your research on this. We recommend that you read our general text section on cookies and the privacy statements of the tools used. There you will usually find out which cookies are used exactly and what information is stored in them. Google font files, for example, are stored for a year. This is to improve the loading time of a website. In principle, data is only ever stored for as long as it is necessary to provide the service. If required by law, data can also be stored for longer.

right of objection

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. You can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser. However, there is also data under web design elements (mostly fonts) that cannot be deleted quite so easily. This is the case when data is automatically collected directly when a page is accessed and transmitted to a third-party provider (such as Google). In this case, please contact the support of the relevant provider. In the case of Google, you can reach support at https://support.google.com/?hl=de.

legal basis

If you have consented to the use of web design tools, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, such as that which may occur when collected by web design tools. We also have a legitimate interest in improving the web design on our website. After all, this is the only way we can provide you with an attractive and professional website. The corresponding legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use web design tools if you have given your consent. We want to emphasize this point again.

Information on specific web design tools can be found – if available – in the following sections.

Google Fonts Privacy Policy

Google Fonts Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: Data such as IP address and CSS and font requests
You can find more details below in this privacy policy.
📅 Storage duration: Font files are stored at Google for one year.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are Google Fonts?

We use Google Fonts on our website. These are the “Google fonts” from Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.

You don't need to register or provide a password to use Google Fonts. Furthermore, no cookies are stored in your browser. The files (CSS, fonts) are requested via the Google domains fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com. According to Google, requests for CSS and fonts are completely separate from all other Google services. If you have a Google account, you don't need to worry about your Google account data being transmitted to Google while using Google Fonts. Google collects data on the usage of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and the fonts used, and stores this data securely. We will examine the specifics of this data storage in more detail later.

Google Fonts (formerly Google Web Fonts) is a directory with over 800 fonts that Google Make it available to your users free of charge.

Many of these fonts are released under the SIL Open Font License, while others are released under the Apache License. Both are free software licenses.

Why do we use Google Fonts on our website?

With Google Fonts, we can use fonts on our own website without having to upload them to our own server. Google Fonts is an important component for maintaining the high quality of our website. All Google fonts are automatically optimized for the web, which saves data volume and is a significant advantage, especially for use on mobile devices. When you visit our site, the small file size ensures fast loading times. Furthermore, Google Fonts are secure web fonts. Different rendering systems in various browsers, operating systems, and mobile devices can lead to errors. Such errors can sometimes distort text or even entire web pages. Thanks to the fast Content Delivery Network (CDN), there are no cross-platform problems with Google Fonts. Google Fonts supports all common browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera) and works reliably on most modern mobile operating systems, including Android 2.2+ and iOS 4.2+ (iPhone, iPad, iPod). We use Google Fonts so that we can present our entire online service as beautifully and consistently as possible.

What data does Google store?

When you visit our website, the fonts are loaded from a Google server. This external request transmits data to Google's servers. This allows Google to recognize that you, or rather your IP address, have visited our website. The Google Fonts API was developed to minimize the use, storage, and collection of end-user data to only what is necessary for the proper delivery of fonts. API stands for "Application Programming Interface" and serves, among other things, as a data transmitter in the software field.

Google Fonts securely stores CSS and font requests with Google, thus protecting them. The collected usage statistics allow Google to determine the popularity of individual fonts. Google publishes these results on internal analytics pages, such as Google Analytics. Additionally, Google uses data from its own web crawler to identify which websites use Google Fonts. This data is published in the Google Fonts BigQuery database. Businesses and developers utilize the Google web service BigQuery to analyze and manipulate large datasets.

It should be noted, however, that every Google Font request also automatically transmits information such as language settings, IP address, browser version, browser screen resolution, and browser name to Google servers. Whether this data is also stored is unclear and not explicitly communicated by Google.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google stores requests for CSS assets on its servers, which are primarily located outside the EU, for one day. This allows us to use the fonts with a Google stylesheet. A stylesheet is a formatting template that allows you to easily and quickly change, for example, the design or font of a website.

The font files are stored at Google for one year. Google's goal is to improve website loading times in general. When millions of websites reference the same fonts, they are cached after the first visit and appear instantly on all subsequent visits. Google sometimes updates font files to reduce file size, increase language coverage, and improve design.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

The data that Google stores for a day or a year cannot simply be deleted. The data is automatically transmitted to Google when the page is accessed. To be able to delete this data early, you must contact Google Support on https://support.google.com/?hl=de&tid=112059781 Contact us. In this case, you can only prevent data storage by not visiting our site.

Unlike other web fonts, Google Fonts grants us unrestricted access to all its fonts. This means we can access a vast array of fonts and choose the perfect one for our website. Learn more about Google Fonts and find answers to other questions at [link to Google Fonts page]. https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq?tid=112059781Although Google addresses data protection issues there, it does not contain any really detailed information about data storage. It is relatively difficult to get really precise information about stored data from Google.

legal basis

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

We also have a legitimate interest in using Google Fonts to optimize our online service. The corresponding legal basis for this is... Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). We only use Google Fonts if you have given your consent.

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

You can also find information on what data Google collects and what it is used for on [website address]. https://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/ read it.

Google Fonts Local Privacy Policy

Our website uses Google Fonts from Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible. We have integrated the Google fonts locally, i.e., on our web server – not on Google's servers. Therefore, there is no connection to Google servers and consequently no data transfer or storage.

What are Google Fonts?

Google Fonts was formerly known as Google Web Fonts. It is an interactive directory with over 800 fonts that Google free of charge. With Google Fonts you can use fonts without uploading them to your own server. However, in order to prevent any information being transferred to Google servers, we have downloaded the fonts to our server. In this way we act in accordance with data protection regulations and do not send any data to Google Fonts.

Online Map Services Introduction

Online Map Services Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To improve the user experience
📓 Data processed: The specific data processed depends heavily on the services used. This typically includes IP address, location data, search terms, and/or technical data. Further details can be found in the descriptions of the respective tools used.
📅 Storage duration: 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 map 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. In order for the online map to work on our website, 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 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 is 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 in the relevant sections for each tool below. Generally, personal data is only stored for as long as necessary to provide the service. Google Maps, for example, stores certain data for a specific period, while you must delete other data yourself. Mapbox, for instance, stores the IP address for 30 days and then deletes it. As you can see, each tool stores data for a different length of time. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully review the privacy policies of the tools used.

The providers also use cookies to store data about your user behavior with the map service. You can find more general information about cookies in our "Cookies" section, and you can also find out which cookies may be used in the privacy policies of the individual providers. However, these are usually only exemplary lists and are not exhaustive.

right of objection

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 to use 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 you use 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 Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, such as that which may occur when collected by an online map service.

We also have a legitimate interest in using an online map service to optimize our website. The legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use an online map service if you have given your consent. We want to emphasize this point again here.

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

Google Maps Privacy Policy

Google Maps Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: Data such as entered search terms, your IP address and also the latitude and longitude coordinates.
You can find more details below in this privacy policy.
📅 Storage duration: 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. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Maps allows us to show you locations more effectively and thus better tailor our service to your needs. By using Google Maps, data is transferred to Google and stored on Google's servers. Here we would like to explain in more detail what Google Maps is, why we use this Google service, what data is stored, and how you can prevent this.

Google Maps is an online mapping service from Google. With Google Maps, you can search for the exact locations of cities, landmarks, accommodations, or businesses online using a PC, tablet, or app. If businesses are listed on Google My Business, additional information about the company is displayed alongside the location. To show directions, map snippets of a location can be embedded into a website using HTML code. Google Maps displays the Earth's surface as a road map or as aerial/satellite imagery. Thanks to Street View and high-quality satellite imagery, very detailed 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 fully offer its service, the company needs to collect and store your data. This includes, among other things, the search terms you enter, your IP address, and your latitude and longitude coordinates. If you use the route planner function, the starting address you enter will also be saved. This data storage, however, takes place on Google Maps' websites. We can only inform you about this, but we have no control over it. Because 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 primarily uses this data to optimize its own services and to provide you with personalized advertising.

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

Name: NID
Value: 188=h26c1Ktha7fCQTx8rXgLyATyITJ112059781-5
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.
Expiration date: after 6 months

Note: 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://datacenters.google/

Google distributes the data across various storage devices. This makes the data faster to access and better protected against potential manipulation attempts. Each data center also has specific emergency programs. For example, if there are problems with Google hardware or a natural disaster cripples the servers, the data remains quite secure.

Google stores some data for a set period. For other data, Google only offers the option to delete it manually. Furthermore, 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 feature for location and activity data introduced in 2019, information about your location and web/app activity is stored for either 3 or 18 months, depending on your choice, 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 location tracking, you need to pause the "Web & App Activity" section in your Google account. Click on "Data & Personalization" and then on the "Activity controls" option. Here you can turn activity tracking on or off.

In your browser, you can also disable, delete, or manage individual cookies. The process varies slightly depending on the browser you use. Under the "Cookies" section, you will find links to instructions for the most common browsers.

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) This represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, such as that which may occur when collected by Google Maps.

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

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 consult the company's own privacy policy at [link to privacy policy]. https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Content Search Provider Introduction

Content Search Provider Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To improve the user experience
📓 Data processed: The specific data processed depends heavily on the services used. This usually includes IP address, search interests, and/or technical data. More details can be found in the descriptions of the respective tools used.
📅 Storage duration: 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 is a content search provider?

We have now published a lot of content on our website. And of course we don't want it to be forgotten just because it can't be found. That's why we use a content search provider on our website. You're probably familiar with large search engines like Google. Content search providers are basically also search engines, but unlike Google, they don't search the entire web for content, just the website you're on. You can enter terms that match the content you're looking for in a text field, and the search program will find the posts you're looking for. If you use the integrated search function, your personal data may also be processed.

Why do we use a content search provider?

If you look around our website, you will quickly notice how much useful content we have published over the years. There are real treasures there and we want you to find them quickly without having to click around for a long time. With a content search function directly on our website, you can quickly and easily find the content you are looking for using keywords that match the topic you are looking for. This feature is really practical and we also see it as our job to make your life on our website as pleasant and helpful as possible. That is why we have decided to integrate a content search program into our website.

Which data is processed?

If you use the search function on our website, the integrated content search provider (such as Algolia Places or Giphy) can automatically receive and save data from you. This includes technical data about your browser as well as data such as your IP address, device ID and the search terms entered. Please note that IP addresses are personal data. The providers' privacy policies state that this information is collected and stored in order to increase security and improve their own services. The automatically collected usage data, which does not contain any personal data and is processed in an anonymized form, can also be used for analysis purposes. Some providers also pass this anonymized data on to third parties. To find out more about this, we recommend that you read the specific privacy policies of the individual providers carefully. In order for the services to function properly, cookies are usually also set in your browser. You can find out more about cookies in our general "Cookies" section. You can find out whether and which cookies the individual search tools use – if available – below or in the corresponding data protection declarations of the integrated tools.

How long and where is the data stored?

Basically, every content search provider processes different data. Therefore, this general section cannot go into detail about the data processing of the individual tools. Usually, however, the services only store personal data for as long as this is necessary for the tools to function properly. Some services (such as Giphy) also keep personal data for longer if this is required due to legal obligations. Most providers also keep data in depersonalized form for longer. Content search providers can also use cookies to store various data. You can find out more about this in our general section on cookies. If you want to know something about the specific cookies that a search provider uses, we recommend that you read the privacy policy of the providers we use. You can usually find an example list of the cookies used there.

right of objection

Always be aware: if you do not want your personal data to be processed, no personal data may be processed. You always have the right to access your personal data and to object to its use. You can also withdraw your consent at any time using the cookie consent tool or other opt-out options. You can also easily manage, delete or deactivate cookies used yourself via your browser. If you delete cookies, some of the tool's functions may no longer work. So please do not be surprised. 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 a content search provider, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, such as that which may occur when collected by a content search provider.

We also have a legitimate interest in using a content search provider to optimize our service on our website. The corresponding legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only ever use a content search provider if you have given your consent. We want to emphasize this point again here.

Information on specific content search providers can be found – if available – in the following sections.

Google Custom Search Privacy Policy

Google Custom Search Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To optimize our service performance
📓 Data processed: Data such as IP address and entered search terms are stored by Google.
You can find more details below in this privacy policy.
📅 Storage duration: The storage duration varies depending on the data being stored.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Custom Search?

We have integrated the Google Custom Search plugin into our website. Google is the world's largest and best-known search engine and is operated by the US company Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible. By using Google Custom Search, your data may be transferred to Google. In this privacy policy, we inform you why we use this plugin, what data is processed, and how you can manage or prevent this data transfer.

The custom Google search plugin is a Google search bar directly on our website. The search works just like on... [www.google.com](https://www.google.com) instead, only the search results focus on our content and products or on a limited search area.

Why do we use Google Custom Search on our website?

A website with lots of interesting content often becomes so large that you can lose track of it. Over time, we have also accumulated a lot of valuable material and, as part of our service, we want you to find our content as quickly and easily as possible. The custom Google search makes finding interesting content child's play. The built-in Google plug-in improves the overall quality of our website and makes searching easier for you.

What data is stored through custom Google search?

The custom Google search only transmits your data to Google if you actively use the Google search function integrated into our website. This means that only when you enter a search term in the search bar and then confirm it (e.g., by clicking "Enter") will your IP address be sent to Google, stored, and processed. Based on the cookies used (such as 1P_JAR), it can be assumed that Google also receives data about website usage. If you search for content using the integrated Google search function while visiting our website and are simultaneously logged into your Google account, Google can associate the collected data with your Google account. As website operators, we have no control over what Google does with the collected data or how Google processes it.

The following cookies will be set in your browser if you use Google's custom search and are not signed in with a Google account:

Name: 1P_JAR
Value: 2020-01-27-13112059781-5
Purpose of use: This cookie collects statistics on website usage and measures conversions. A conversion occurs, for example, when a user becomes a buyer. The cookie is also used to show users relevant advertisements.
Expiration date: after one month

Name: CONSENT
Value: WP.282f52112059781-9
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.
Expiration date: after 18 years

Name: NID
Value: 196=pwIo3B5fHr-8
Purpose of use: NID is used by Google to tailor advertisements to your Google search. With the help of the cookie, Google "remembers" the search queries you entered or your previous interaction with ads. This way, you always get tailored advertisements.
Expiration date: after 6 months

Note: This list cannot claim to be complete, as Google continually changes its choice of cookies.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google servers are located all over the world. Since Google is an American company, most of the data is stored on American servers. https://datacenters.google/locations/ See exactly where the Google servers are located.
Your data is distributed across various physical storage devices. This makes the data faster to access and better protected against potential manipulation. Google also has corresponding emergency programs for your data. Even if Google experiences internal technical problems and servers become unavailable, the risk of service interruption and data loss remains low.
Depending on the type of data, Google stores it for varying lengths of time. You can delete some data yourself, while other data is automatically deleted or anonymized by Google. However, Google also stores some data for longer periods if required for legal or business reasons.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Under European Union data protection law, you have the right to access, update, delete, or restrict the processing of your data. Some data can be deleted at any time. If you have a Google account, you can delete data about your web activity there or set it to be deleted after a certain period of time.
Your browser also allows you to disable, delete, or manage cookies according to your preferences. Under the "Cookies" section, you will find links to instructions for the most popular browsers.

legal basis

If you have consented to the use of custom Google search, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. This consent represents Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) This represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, such as that which may occur when collected through Google's custom search.

We also have a legitimate interest in using Google's custom search to optimize our online service. The corresponding legal basis for this is... Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). We only use the custom Google search if you have given your consent.

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. If you would like to find out more, we recommend reading Google’s comprehensive privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Other Introduction

Miscellaneous Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: To improve the user experience
📓 Data processed: The specific data processed depends heavily on the services used. It usually involves IP address and/or technical data. More details can be found in the descriptions of the respective tools.
📅 Storage duration: 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 falls under “other”?

The "Other" category includes those services that do not fit into one of the above categories. These are usually various plugins and embedded elements that improve our website. These functions are usually obtained from third parties and integrated into our website. For example, these are web search services such as Algolia Place, Giphy, Programmable Search Engine or online services for weather data such as OpenWeather.

Why do we use other third parties?

We want to offer you the best web offering in our industry with our website. A website has long been more than just a business card for a company. Rather, it is a place that should help you find what you are looking for. In order to make our website even more interesting and helpful for you, we use various third-party services.

Which data is processed?

Whenever elements are integrated into our website, your IP address will be transmitted to the respective provider, saved and processed there. This is necessary because otherwise the content will not be sent to your browser and therefore will not be displayed accordingly. It may also happen that service providers also use pixel tags or web beacons. These are small graphics on websites that record a log file and can also create analyses of this file. The providers can use the information obtained to improve their own marketing measures. In addition to pixel tags, such information (such as which button you click or when you access which page) can also be saved in cookies. In addition to analysis data on your web behavior, technical information such as your browser type or operating system can also be saved in cookies. Some providers can also link the data obtained with other internal services or with third-party providers. Each provider handles your data differently. We therefore recommend that you carefully read the data protection declarations of the respective services. We generally endeavor to only use services that handle data protection very carefully.

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.

legal basis

If we request your consent and you agree that we may use the service, this serves as the legal basis for processing your data (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In addition to your consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our services technically and economically. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent.

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

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.

supervisory authority

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"supervisory authority" an independent public authority established by a Member State pursuant to Article 51;

Explanation: “Supervisory authorities” are always independent state institutions that also have the power to issue directives in certain cases. They serve to carry out so-called state supervision and are located within ministries, special departments, or other authorities. In Austria, there is an Austrian [regulatory authority] for data protection. data protection authorityIn Germany, each federal state has its own data protection authority.

processor

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"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.

Information Society Service

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"Information Society Service" a service within the meaning of Article 1(1)(b) of Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council (19);

Explanation: The term "information society" generally refers to a society that relies on information and communication technologies. As a website visitor, you are familiar with a wide variety of online services, and most of these fall under the category of "information society services." A classic example is online transactions, such as purchasing goods via the internet.

consent

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"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 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.

Cross-border processing

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"cross-border processing" either

a)

processing of personal data carried out in the context of the activities of establishments in more than one Member State of a controller or processor within the Union, where the controller or processor is established in more than one Member State, or

b)

processing of personal data which is carried out in the context of the activities of a single establishment of a controller or processor in the Union but which significantly affects, or is likely to significantly affect, data subjects in more than one Member State;

Explanation: For example, if a company or other organisation has branches in Spain and Croatia and personal data is processed in connection with the activities of the branches, this is "cross-border processing" of personal data. Even if the data is processed in only one country (as in this example in Spain), but the effects for the data subject are also apparent in another country, this is also referred to as "cross-border processing".

head office

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"head office"

a)

in the case of a controller with establishments in more than one Member State, the place of its central administration in the Union, unless the decisions regarding the purposes and means of the processing of personal data are taken in another establishment of the controller in the Union and that establishment has the power to have those decisions implemented; in that case, the establishment which takes such decisions shall be considered as the main establishment;

b)

in the case of a processor with establishments in more than one Member State, the place of its central administration in the Union or, where the processor has no central administration in the Union, the establishment of the processor in the Union where the main processing activities within the activities of an establishment of a processor take place, to the extent that the processor is subject to specific obligations under this Regulation;

Explanation: Google, for example, is an American company that also processes data in the USA, but its European headquarters are in Ireland (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland). Google Ireland Limited is therefore legally an independent company and is responsible for all Google products offered in the European Economic Area. In contrast to a head office, there are also branches, but these do not function as legally independent branches and are therefore to be distinguished from subsidiaries. A head office is therefore always the place where a company (commercial company) has its center of operations.

Relevant and justified objection

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"relevant and reasoned objection" an objection to a draft decision as to whether there is an infringement of this Regulation or whether the measures envisaged against the controller or processor are in accordance with this Regulation, where that objection clearly indicates the significance of the risks posed by the draft decision for the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects and, where applicable, for the free flow of personal data within the Union;

Explanation: If certain measures taken by us as controllers or our processors are not in line with the GDPR, you can raise a so-called "relevant and reasoned objection". In doing so, you must explain the significance of the risks in relation to your fundamental rights and freedoms and possibly the free movement of your personal data within the EU.

Personal data

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"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:

name
address
E-mail address
postal address
phone 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 for 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 (that is, information about psychological, physical, or behavioral 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, the following definitions apply:

"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, the following definitions apply:

"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.

Company

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"Company" a natural or legal person carrying out an economic activity, regardless of its legal form, including partnerships or associations regularly carrying out an economic activity;

Explanation: For example, we are a company and we also carry out economic activities via our website by offering and selling services and/or products. Every company has a formal characteristic: its legal entity, such as a GmbH or an AG.

responsible person

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"person responsible" 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 processing your personal data and are therefore the “controller”. If we transfer collected data to other service providers for processing, these are “processors”. A “data processing agreement (DPA)” must be signed for this.

processing

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

"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;

Note: When we refer to processing in our privacy policy, we mean any type of data processing. As mentioned above in the original GDPR statement, this includes not only the collection but also the storage and processing of data.

Closing remarks

Congratulations! If you're reading this, you've really made it through our entire privacy policy, or at least scrolled this far. As you can see from the length of our privacy policy, we take the protection of your personal data very seriously.
It is important to us to inform you about the processing of your personal data to the best of our knowledge and belief. We want to tell you not only which data is processed, but also explain the reasons for using various software programs. Privacy policies usually sound very technical and legal. Since most of you are not web developers or lawyers, we wanted to take a different approach and explain the matter in simple and clear language. Of course, this isn't always possible due to the complexity of the subject matter. Therefore, the most important terms are explained in more detail at the end of this privacy policy.
If you have any questions regarding 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.

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Source: privacy policy Created with the privacy policy generator for Austria by AdSimple