Privacy policy
Stand: 7. November 2023
Table of contents
- Person responsible
- Overview of the processing operations
- Relevant legal bases
- Security measures
- Rights of the data subjects
- Use of cookies
- Business services
- Provision of the online offer and web hosting
- Contact and request management
- Communication via messenger
- Online marketing
- Presence in social networks (social media)
Person responsible
Zoya Höhn
IPS GmbH
Am Tiggemann 14
59505 Bad Sassendorf
Deutschland
E-Mail-Adresse:
Telefon:
+4917697770612
Impressum:
www.ips-germany.de
Overview of processing
The following overview summarizes the types of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the data subjects.
Types of data processed
- Inventory data.
- Payment data.
- Contact data.
- Content data.
- Contract data.
- Usage data.
- Meta, communication and process data.
- Event data (Facebook).
Categories of affected persons
- Customers.
- Interested parties.
- Communication partners.
- Users.
- Business and contractual partners.
Purposes of the processing
- Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
- Contact requests and communication.
- Security measures.
- Direct marketing.
- Reach measurement.
- Tracking.
- Office and organizational procedures.
- Conversion measurement.
- Target group formation.
- Managing and responding to inquiries.
- Feedback.
- Marketing.
- Profiles with user-related information.
- Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
- Information technology infrastructure.
Relevant legal bases
Relevant legal bases under the GDPR: Below you will find an overview of the legal bases of the GDPR on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. Should more specific legal bases also apply in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the privacy policy.
- Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR) – The data subject has given their consent to the processing of their personal data for a specific purpose or several specific purposes.
- Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR) – Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.
- Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c) GDPR) – Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
- Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR) – Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data.
National data protection regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national data protection regulations apply in Germany. These include, in particular, the Act on the Protection against Misuse of Personal Data in Data Processing (Federal Data Protection Act – BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special regulations on the right to information, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes and transmission as well as automated decision-making in individual cases, including profiling. Furthermore, state data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.
Reference to the applicability of the GDPR and Swiss FADP: This data protection notice serves to provide information in accordance with both the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For this reason, please note that the terms of the GDPR are used due to the broader geographical application and comprehensibility. In particular, instead of the terms “processing” of “personal data”, “overriding interest” and “sensitive personal data” used in the Swiss DPA, the terms “processing” of “personal data”, “legitimate interest” and “special categories of data” used in the GDPR are used. However, the legal meaning of the terms will continue to be determined in accordance with the Swiss DPA within the scope of application of the Swiss DPA.
Safety measures
We take appropriate technical and organizational measures in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the implementation costs and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the extent of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, in order to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.
The measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access, input, disclosure, safeguarding availability and separation of the data. Furthermore, we have established procedures that ensure the exercise of data subject rights, the deletion of data and responses to data threats. Furthermore, we already take the protection of personal data into account during the development or selection of hardware, software and procedures in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.
Shortening of the IP address: If IP addresses are processed by us or by the service providers and technologies used and the processing of a full IP address is not required, the IP address is truncated (also known as “IP masking”). The last two digits or the last part of the IP address after a dot are removed or replaced by placeholders. The purpose of shortening the IP address is to prevent or make it much more difficult to identify a person by their IP address.
TLS/SSL encryption (https): To protect user data transmitted via our online services, we use TLS/SSL encryption. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is the standard technology for securing internet connections by encrypting the data transmitted between a website or app and a browser (or between two servers). Transport Layer Security (TLS) is an updated and more secure version of SSL. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is displayed in the URL if a website is secured by an SSL/TLS certificate.
Rights of the data subjects
Rights of data subjects under the GDPR: As a data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Art. 15 to 21 GDPR:
- Right to object: You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to processing of personal data concerning you which is based on point (e) or (f) of Article 6(1) GDPR, including profiling based on those provisions. If the personal data concerning you are processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing, which includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.
- Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
- Right of access: You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning you is being processed and to access this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
- Right to rectification: You have the right to request the completion of data concerning you or the rectification of inaccurate data concerning you in accordance with the legal requirements.
- Right to erasure and restriction of processing: In accordance with the legal requirements, you have the right to demand that data concerning you be erased immediately or, alternatively, to demand that the processing of the data be restricted in accordance with the legal requirements.
- Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements or to request its transmission to another controller.
- Complaint to the supervisory authority: In accordance with the statutory provisions and without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular a supervisory authority in the Member State in which you are habitually resident, the supervisory authority of your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR.
Use of cookies
Cookies are small text files or other storage notes that store information on end devices and read information from the end devices. For example, to store the login status in a user account, the contents of a shopping cart in an e-shop, the content accessed or the functions used in an online offering. Cookies can also be used for various purposes, e.g. to ensure the functionality, security and convenience of online services and to analyze visitor flows.
Notes on consent: We use cookies in accordance with the statutory provisions. We therefore obtain prior consent from users, unless this is not required by law. In particular, consent is not required if the storage and reading of information, including cookies, is absolutely necessary in order to provide the user with a telemedia service expressly requested by them (i.e. our online offering). Strictly necessary cookies generally include cookies with functions that serve the display and operability of the online service, load balancing, security, storage of user preferences and selection options or similar purposes related to the provision of the main and secondary functions of the online service requested by the user. The revocable consent is clearly communicated to users and contains information on the respective use of cookies.
Information on legal bases under data protection law: The legal basis under data protection law on which we process users’ personal data with the help of cookies depends on whether we ask users for their consent. If users give their consent, the legal basis for processing their data is the consent given. Otherwise, the data processed using cookies will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the commercial operation of our online offering and improving its usability) or, if this is done as part of the fulfillment of our contractual obligations, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations. We will explain the purposes for which we process cookies in the course of this privacy policy or as part of our consent and processing procedures.
Storage duration: With regard to the storage duration, a distinction is made between the following types of cookies
- Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online service and closed their end device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
- Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the end device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. The user data collected with the help of cookies can also be used to measure reach. If we do not provide users with explicit information on the type and storage duration of cookies (e.g. when obtaining consent), users should assume that cookies are permanent and that they can be stored for up to two years.
General information on revocation and objection (so-called “opt-out”): Users can revoke the consent they have given at any time and object to processing in accordance with the legal requirements. Among other things, users can restrict the use of cookies in their browser settings (although this may also restrict the functionality of our online offering). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared via the websites https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/.
- Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR). Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).
Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:
- Processing of cookie data on the basis of consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure in which the consent of users to the use of cookies or the processing and providers mentioned in the cookie consent management procedure can be obtained, managed and revoked by users. The declaration of consent is stored so that it does not have to be requested again and the consent can be proven in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie or with the help of comparable technologies) in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or their device. Subject to individual information on the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: Consent may be stored for up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created and stored with the time of consent, information on the scope of consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as the browser, system and end device used; legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).
Business services
We process data of our contractual and business partners, e.g. customers and interested parties (collectively referred to as “contractual partners”) in the context of contractual and comparable legal relationships and associated measures and in the context of communication with the contractual partners (or pre-contractual), e.g. to answer inquiries.
We process this data in order to fulfill our contractual obligations. These include, in particular, the obligations to provide the agreed services, any updating obligations and remedies in the event of warranty and other service disruptions. In addition, we process the data to safeguard our rights and for the purpose of the administrative tasks associated with these obligations and the company organization. In addition, we process the data on the basis of our legitimate interests in proper and efficient business management as well as in security measures to protect our contractual partners and our business operations from misuse, threats to their data, secrets, information and rights (e.g. for the involvement of telecommunications, transport and other auxiliary services as well as subcontractors, banks, tax and legal advisors, payment service providers or tax authorities). Within the framework of applicable law, we only pass on the data of contractual partners to third parties to the extent that this is necessary for the aforementioned purposes or to fulfill legal obligations. Contractual partners will be informed about other forms of processing, e.g. for marketing purposes, as part of this privacy policy.
We inform the contractual partners which data is required for the aforementioned purposes before or during data collection, e.g. in online forms, by means of special marking (e.g. colors) or symbols (e.g. asterisks or similar), or personally.
We delete the data after the expiry of statutory warranty and comparable obligations, i.e. generally after 4 years, unless the data is stored in a customer account, e.g. as long as it must be retained for legal archiving reasons. The statutory retention period is ten years for documents relevant under tax law and for commercial books, inventories, opening balance sheets, annual financial statements, the work instructions and other organizational documents and accounting records required to understand these documents, and six years for commercial and business letters received and reproductions of commercial and business letters sent. The period begins at the end of the calendar year in which the last entry was made in the book, the inventory, the opening balance sheet, the annual financial statements or the management report were prepared, the commercial or business letter was received or sent or the accounting document was created, the record was made or the other documents were created.
Insofar as we use third-party providers or platforms to provide our services, the terms and conditions and data protection notices of the respective third-party providers or platforms apply in the relationship between the users and the providers.
- Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, duration, customer category); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
- Data subjects: Customers; interested parties. Business and contractual partners.
- Purposes of Processing: Provision of contractual services and performance of contractual obligations; Security measures; Contact requests and communication; Office and organizational procedures; Managing and responding to inquiries; Conversion tracking (Measurement of the effectiveness of marketing activities). Profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
- Legal basis: Fulfilment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR); Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:
- Customer account: Customers can create an account within our online offering (e.g. customer or user account, “customer account” for short). If the registration of a customer account is required, customers will be informed of this and of the information required for registration. Customer accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. As part of the registration process and subsequent logins and use of the customer account, we store the IP addresses of the customers together with the access times in order to be able to prove the registration and prevent any misuse of the customer account. If the customer account has been terminated, the customer account data will be deleted after the termination date, unless it is stored for purposes other than provision in the customer account or must be stored for legal reasons (e.g. internal storage of customer data, order processes or invoices). It is the customer’s responsibility to back up their data when the customer account is terminated; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
- Watch list/wish list: Customers can create a product/wish list. In this case, the products will be stored as part of the fulfillment of our contractual obligations until the account is deleted, unless the product list entries are removed by the customer or we expressly inform the customer of different storage periods; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
- Customer loyalty program/customer card: We process customer data as part of our customer loyalty program for the purpose of fulfilling the services provided to participating customers as part of the customer loyalty program. For this purpose, the information collected from customers and, where necessary, marked as such, is stored in a customer profile. Information about the use of the customer loyalty program and the use of the associated services and benefits is also processed in the profile and, only if necessary for the aforementioned purposes, passed on to third parties (e.g. executing service providers). The customer profiles will be deleted after termination of participation and only archived with the respective data to the extent that this may be necessary for legal retention purposes or the fulfillment of legal (up to 11 years in the case of tax information from the end of the year of its creation) or contractual claims (up to three years from the end of the year of termination); legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
- Economic analyses and market research: For economic reasons and in order to be able to identify market trends and the wishes of contractual partners and users, we analyze the data we have on business transactions, contracts, inquiries, etc., whereby the group of data subjects may include contractual partners, interested parties, customers, visitors and users of our online offering. The analyses are carried out for the purpose of business evaluations, marketing and market research (e.g. to determine customer groups with different characteristics). If available, we may take into account the profiles of registered users, including their details, e.g. on services used. The analyses serve us alone and are not disclosed externally, unless they are anonymous analyses with summarized, i.e. anonymized values. Furthermore, we take into account the privacy of users and process the data for analysis purposes as pseudonymously as possible and, if feasible, anonymously (e.g. as summarized data); legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
- Store and e-commerce: We process the data of our customers to enable them to select, purchase or order the selected products, goods and associated services, as well as their payment and delivery or execution. If necessary for the execution of an order, we use service providers, in particular postal, forwarding and shipping companies, to carry out the delivery or execution for our customers. We use the services of banks and payment service providers to process payment transactions. The required information is marked as such in the context of the order or comparable purchase process and includes the information required for delivery or provision and billing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultation; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
Provision of the online offer and web hosting
We process users’ data in order to provide them with our online services. For this purpose, we process the user’s IP address, which is necessary to transmit the content and functions of our online services to the user’s browser or end device.
- Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
- Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
- Purposes of processing: Provision of our online services and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.)). Security measures.
- Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:
- Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offering is logged in the form of so-called “server log files”. The server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, date and time of access, data volumes transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider. The server log files may be used for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the servers (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and to ensure the utilization of the servers and their stability; legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR). Deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized. Data whose further storage is required for evidentiary purposes is excluded from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified.
Contact and enquiry management
When contacting us (e.g. by post, contact form, email, telephone or via social media) and in the context of existing user and business relationships, the information of the inquiring persons is processed insofar as this is necessary to answer the contact inquiries and any requested measures.
- Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
- Data subjects: Communication partners.
- Purposes of Processing: Contact requests and communication; Managing and responding to inquiries; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form). Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
- Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR). Contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:
- Contact form: If users contact us via our contact form, e-mail or other communication channels, we process the data provided to us in this context to process the communicated request; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Communication via Messenger
We use messengers for communication purposes and therefore ask you to observe the following information on the functionality of the messengers, on encryption, on the use of communication metadata and on your options to object.
You can also contact us by alternative means, e.g. by telephone or email. Please use the contact options provided to you or the contact options provided within our online offering.
In the case of end-to-end encryption of content (i.e. the content of your message and attachments), we would like to point out that the communication content (i.e. the content of the message and attached images) is encrypted from end to end. This means that the content of the messages cannot be viewed, not even by the messenger providers themselves. You should always use an up-to-date version of the messenger with encryption activated to ensure that the message content is encrypted.
However, we would also like to point out to our communication partners that although the providers of the messengers cannot view the content, they can find out that and when communication partners communicate with us and that technical information about the device used by the communication partners and, depending on the settings of their device, location information (so-called metadata) is also processed.
Notes on legal bases: If we ask communication partners for permission before communicating with them via Messenger, the legal basis for our processing of their data is their consent. Otherwise, if we do not ask for consent and you contact us, for example, on your own initiative, we use Messenger in relation to our contractual partners and in the context of contract initiation as a contractual measure and, in the case of other interested parties and communication partners, on the basis of our legitimate interests in fast and efficient communication and meeting the needs of our communication partners in communication via Messenger. We would also like to point out that we will not transmit the contact data provided to us to the messengers for the first time without your consent.
Revocation, objection and deletion: You can revoke your consent at any time and object to communication with us via Messenger at any time. In the case of communication via Messenger, we delete the messages in accordance with our general deletion guidelines (i.e., for example, as described above, after the end of contractual relationships, in the context of archiving requirements, etc.) and otherwise as soon as we can assume that we have answered any information from the communication partners, if no reference to a previous conversation is to be expected and the deletion does not conflict with any statutory retention obligations.
Reservation of reference to other communication channels: Finally, we would like to point out that, for reasons of your security, we reserve the right not to answer inquiries via Messenger. This is the case if, for example, internal contractual information requires special confidentiality or a reply via Messenger does not meet the formal requirements. In such cases, we will refer you to more appropriate communication channels.
- Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
- Data subjects: Communication partners.
- Purposes of processing: Contact requests and communication; direct marketing (e.g. by email or post).
- Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:
- Telegram: Messenger with end-to-end encryption; Service provider: Representative in the European Union: European Data Protection Office (EDPO), Avenue Huart Hamoir 71, 1030 Brussels, Belgium; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https: //telegram.org/ . Privacy policy: https: //telegram.org/privacy .
- WhatsApp: WhatsApp Messenger with end-to-end encryption; Service provider: WhatsApp Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 2, D02 KH28, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.whatsapp.com/; Privacy Policy: https: //www.whatsapp.com/legal . Basis for third country transfer: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
Online marketing
We process personal data for online marketing purposes, which may include in particular the marketing of advertising space or the presentation of advertising and other content (collectively referred to as “content”) based on the potential interests of users and the measurement of its effectiveness.
For these purposes, so-called user profiles are created and stored in a file (so-called “cookie”) or similar procedures are used, by means of which the user data relevant for the presentation of the aforementioned content is stored. This information may include, for example, content viewed, websites visited, online networks used, but also communication partners and technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times and functions used. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, this can also be processed.
The IP addresses of users are also stored. However, we use available IP masking procedures (i.e. pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) is stored as part of the online marketing process, but pseudonyms. This means that neither we nor the providers of the online marketing processes know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles.
The information in the profiles is usually stored in cookies or by means of similar procedures. These cookies can generally also be read later on other websites that use the same online marketing process and analyzed for the purpose of displaying content as well as supplemented with further data and stored on the server of the online marketing process provider.
In exceptional cases, clear data can be assigned to the profiles. This is the case, for example, if the users are members of a social network whose online marketing processes we use and the network links the user profiles with the aforementioned data. Please note that users can make additional agreements with the providers, e.g. by giving their consent during registration.
We only receive access to summarized information about the success of our advertisements. However, as part of so-called conversion measurements, we can check which of our online marketing procedures have led to a so-called conversion, i.e., for example, to the conclusion of a contract with us. The conversion measurement is used solely to analyze the success of our marketing measures.
Unless otherwise stated, we ask you to assume that the cookies used are stored for a period of two years.
- Processed data types: Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status); event data (Facebook) (“event data” is data that can be transmitted by us to Facebook, e.g. via Facebook pixels (via apps or other means), and relates to individuals or their actions; the data includes, for example, information about visits to websites, visits to websites and the use of Facebook services.The data includes, for example, information about visits to websites, interactions with content, functions, app installations, product purchases, etc.; the event data is processed for the purpose of creating target groups for content and advertising information (custom audiences); event data does not include the actual content (such as comments written), no login information and no contact information (i.e. no names, email addresses and telephone numbers). Event data is deleted by Facebook after a maximum of two years, the target groups formed from them are deleted when our Facebook account is deleted).
- Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
- Purposes of Processing: Web Analytics (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Targeting (e.g. profiling based on interests and behavior, use of cookies); Conversion tracking (Measurement of the effectiveness of marketing activities); Custom Audiences; Marketing; Profiles with user-related information (Creating user profiles). Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
- Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
- Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).
- Possibility of objection (opt-out): We refer to the data protection notices of the respective providers and the opt-out options specified for the providers. If no explicit opt-out option has been specified, you have the option of deactivating cookies in your browser settings. However, this may restrict the functions of our online offer. We therefore recommend the following additional opt-out options, which are offered in summary form for the respective territories:a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu.
b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices.
c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices.
d) Cross-territory: https://optout.aboutads.info.
Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:
- Meta pixel and target group formation (custom audiences): With the help of the meta pixel (or comparable functions, for the transmission of event data or contact information by means of interfaces in apps), it is possible for Meta to determine the visitors of our online offer as a target group for the display of advertisements (so-called “meta ads”). Accordingly, we use the meta pixel to display the meta ads placed by us only to those users on Meta platforms and within the services of the partners cooperating with Meta (so-called “audience network” https://www.facebook.com/audiencenetwork/ ) who have also shown an interest in our online offer or who have certain characteristics (e.g. interest in certain topics or products that can be seen from the websites visited) that we transmit to Meta (so-called “custom audiences”). With the help of the meta pixel, we also want to ensure that our meta ads correspond to the potential interest of users and are not annoying. With the help of the meta pixel, we can also track the effectiveness of the meta ads for statistical and market research purposes by seeing whether users have been redirected to our website after clicking on a meta ad (so-called “conversion measurement”); Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Data processing agreement: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing; Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses(https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum); Further information: User event data, i.e. .i.e. behavioral and interest data, is processed for the purposes of targeted advertising and target group formation on the basis of the joint controllership agreement (“Controller Addendum”, https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum). Joint controllership is limited to the collection by and transfer of data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company based in the EU. The further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which in particular concerns the transfer of data to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. in the USA (on the basis of the standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.)
Presence in social networks (social media)
We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with the users active there or to offer information about us.
We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This may result in risks for users because, for example, it could make it more difficult to enforce users’ rights.
Furthermore, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, user profiles can be created based on user behaviour and the resulting interests of users. The user profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place adverts within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the user’s computer, in which the user’s usage behaviour and interests are stored. Furthermore, data can also be stored in the user profiles independently of the devices used by the users (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).
- Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
- Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
- Purposes of Processing: Contact requests and communication; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form). Marketing.
- Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:
- Instagram: Social network; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https: //www.instagram.com . Privacy Policy: https: //instagram.com/about/legal/privacy .
- Facebook pages: Profiles within the social network Facebook – We are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection (but not the further processing) of data from visitors to our Facebook page (so-called “fan page”). This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see under “Things you and others do and provide” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy), as well as information about the devices used by users (e.g. IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under “Device information” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under “How do we use this information?”, Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, known as “Page Insights”, for page operators to help them understand how people interact with their pages and the content associated with them. We have concluded a special agreement with Facebook (“Information on Page Insights”, https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which regulates in particular which security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill the rights of data subjects (i.e. users can, for example, send information or deletion requests directly to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook. Further information can be found in the “Information on Page Insights”(https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data); Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses(https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum). Further information: Agreement on joint controllership: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data. The joint controllership is limited to the collection by and transfer of data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company based in the EU. The further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which in particular concerns the transfer of data to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. in the USA (on the basis of the standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.)
- LinkedIn: Social network; Service provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Data processing agreement: https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Basis for third country transfer: Standard Contractual Clauses(https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa). Option to object (opt-out): https: //www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out .
- YouTube: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Privacy Policy: https: //policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third country transfer: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Option to object (opt-out): https: //adssettings.google.com/authenticated .