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Data protection

Privacy policy

Preamble

With the following privacy policy, we would like to explain to you what types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to as "data") we process, for what purposes and to what extent. The privacy policy applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of the provision of our services and in particular on our websites, in mobile applications and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as "online offer").

The terms used are not gender-specific.

Status: September 9, 2023

Table of contents

  • Preamble
  • Person responsible
  • Overview of processing
  • Relevant legal bases
  • Security measures
  • Transmission of personal data
  • International data transfers
  • Deletion of data
  • Rights of the data subjects
  • Use of cookies
  • Business services
  • Payment procedure
  • Provision of the online offer and web hosting
  • Registration, login and user account
  • Blogs and publication media
  • Video conferences, online meetings, webinars and screen sharing
  • Newsletter and electronic notifications
  • Advertising communication via e-mail, post, fax or telephone
  • Web analysis, monitoring and optimization
  • Digital badges
  • Presence in social networks (social media)
  • Plugins and embedded functions and content
  • Amendment and updating of the privacy policy
  • Definitions of terms

Person responsible

Michael Forbes
*Iyengar®Yoga-Munich.iYoga,
Michael Forbes - Margareta Eckl GbR*
*iYoga GmbH* (Managing Director: Margareta Eckl)
Waltherstr. 23
80337 Munich
Germany

E-mail address: 

info@iyoga.de

Telephone: 

+49 89 537170

Imprint: 

http:www.iyoga/imprint/

Relevant legal bases

Relevant legal bases according to 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 one or more specific purposes.
  • Contract fulfillment 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) - The 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. The data protection laws of the individual federal states may also apply.

Relevant legal basis according to the Swiss Data Protection Act: If you are located in Switzerland, we process your data on the basis of the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection ("Swiss FADP" for short). This also applies if our processing of your data otherwise concerns you in Switzerland and you are affected by the processing. In principle, the Swiss FADP does not stipulate (unlike the GDPR, for example) that a legal basis for the processing of personal data must be specified. We only process personal data if the processing is lawful, is carried out in good faith and is proportionate (Art. 6 para. 1 and 2 of the Swiss FADP). Furthermore, we only obtain personal data for a specific purpose that is recognizable to the data subject and only process it in such a way that it is compatible with these purposes (Art. 6 para. 3 of the Swiss FADP).

Reference to validity of GDPR and Swiss DPA: 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.

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.
  • Location data.
  • Contact details.
  • Content data.
  • Contract data.
  • Usage data.
  • Meta, communication and process data.

Special categories of data

  • Health data.
  • Data on sexual life or sexual orientation.
  • Religious or ideological beliefs.
  • Data revealing racial and ethnic origin.

Categories of affected persons

  • Customers.
  • Interested parties.
  • Communication partner.
  • Users.
  • Business and contractual partners.
  • Pupils/ students/ participants.
  • Persons depicted.

Purposes of the processing

  • Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
  • Contact requests and communication.
  • Safety measures.
  • Direct marketing.
  • Reach measurement.
  • Office and organizational procedures.
  • Managing and responding to inquiries.
  • Feedback.
  • Marketing.
  • Profiles with user-related information.
  • Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
  • Information technology infrastructure.
  • Public relations and information purposes.

Security 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 the access, input, disclosure, safeguarding of availability and its separation. 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 and selection of hardware, software and processes in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

TLS encryption (https): We use TLS encryption to protect your data transmitted via our online offering. You can recognize such encrypted connections by the prefix https:// in the address bar of your browser.

Transmission of personal data

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

Data transfer within the organization: We may transfer personal data to other departments within our organization or grant them access to this data. If this transfer is for administrative purposes, the transfer of the data is based on our legitimate business and commercial interests or takes place if it is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations or if the consent of the data subjects or a legal permission exists.

International data transfers

Data processing in third countries: If we process data in a third country (i.e. outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or the processing takes place in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or companies, this only takes place in accordance with the legal requirements. If the level of data protection in the third country has been recognized by means of an adequacy decision (Art. 45 GDPR), this serves as the basis for the data transfer. Otherwise, data will only be transferred if the level of data protection is otherwise ensured, in particular through standard contractual clauses (Art. 46 para. 2 lit. c) GDPR), express consent or in the case of contractual or legally required transfer (Art. 49 para. 1 GDPR). In addition, we will inform you of the basis for third country transfers with the individual providers from the third country, whereby the adequacy decisions take precedence. Information on third country transfers and existing adequacy decisions can be found in the information provided by the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_de.

EU-US Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework: As part of the so-called "Data Privacy Framework" (DPF), the EU Commission has also recognized the level of data protection for certain companies from the USA as secure as part of the adequacy decision of 10.07.2023. The list of certified companies and further information on the DPF can be found on the website of the US Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/. We will inform you which service providers we use are certified under the Data Privacy Framework as part of the data protection information.

Disclosure of personal data abroad: In accordance with the Swiss Data Protection Act (DSG), we only disclose personal data abroad if adequate protection of the data subjects is guaranteed (Art. 16 Swiss DSG). If the Federal Council has not determined adequate protection (list: https://www.bj.admin.ch/bj/de/home/staat/datenschutz/internationales/anerkennung-staaten.html), we take alternative security measures. These may include international contracts, specific guarantees, data protection clauses in contracts, standard data protection clauses approved by the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) or internal company data protection regulations recognized in advance by the FDPIC or a competent data protection authority in another country.

According to Art. 16 of the Swiss FADP, exceptions for the disclosure of data abroad may be permitted if certain conditions are met, including consent of the data subject, performance of a contract, public interest, protection of life or physical integrity, data made public or data from a register provided for by law. These disclosures are always made in accordance with legal requirements.

Deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as the consent given for processing is revoked or other permissions no longer apply (e.g. if the purpose for processing this data no longer applies or it is not required for the purpose). If the data is not deleted because it is required for other and legally permissible purposes, its processing is restricted to these purposes. This means that the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for commercial or tax law reasons or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person. As part of our data protection information, we can provide users with further information on the deletion and storage of data that applies specifically to the respective processing procedure.

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 to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether the data in question is being processed and to request information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
  • Right to rectification: In accordance with the legal requirements, you have the right to request the completion of data concerning you or the correction of incorrect data concerning you.
  • Right to erasure and restriction of processing: In accordance with the legal requirements, you have the right to demand that data concerning you be deleted 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 data concerning you that 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.

Rights of data subjects under the Swiss DPA: 

As a data subject, you have the following rights in accordance with the provisions of the Swiss Data Protection Act:

  • Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you is being processed and to receive the information necessary to enable you to exercise your rights under this law and to ensure transparent data processing.
  • Right to data output or transfer: You have the right to request that the personal data you have provided to us be made available to you in a commonly used electronic format.
  • Right to rectification: You have the right to request the correction of incorrect personal data concerning you.
  • Right to object, erasure and destruction: You have the right to object to the processing of your data and to request that the personal data concerning you be deleted or destroyed.

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 offer). 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 the users and contains the information on the respective use of cookies.

Information on the legal basis for data protection: 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 their declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the business operation of our online offering and improving its usability) or, if this is done in the context of fulfilling our contractual obligations, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations. We 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: A distinction is made between the following types of cookies with regard to the storage period:

  • 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 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 operations, procedures and services:

  • Processing of cookie data on the basis of consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure in which the user's consent to the use of cookies or the processing and providers named in the cookie consent management procedure can be obtained, managed and revoked by the user. 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. Consent can be stored on the server 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 bases: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).
  • Complianz: Cookie consent management; Service provider: Hosted locally on our server, no data transfer to third parties; Website: https://complianz.io/; Privacy policy: https://complianz.io/legal/. Further information: An individual user ID, language and types of consent and the time they were given are stored on the server and in the cookie on the user's device.

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 and 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 as part of the data collection, e.g. in online forms, by 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 as well as for trading books, inventories, opening balance sheets, annual financial statements, the work instructions required to understand these documents and other organizational documents and accounting records, 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 was 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 data, identification numbers, consent status).
  • Special categories of personal data: Health data; data relating to sex life or sexual orientation; religious or philosophical beliefs. Data revealing racial or ethnic origin.
  • Persons concerned: Customers; interested parties; business and contractual partners. Pupils/ students/ participants.
  • Purposes of the 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.
  • Legal bases: Performance of a 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 it is necessary to register a customer account, 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 customers together with the access times in order to be able to prove 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 bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) 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 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 consultations; Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
  • Education and training services: We process the data of participants in our education and training programs (uniformly referred to as "trainees") in order to be able to provide them with our training services. The data processed in this context, the type, scope, purpose and necessity of its processing are determined by the underlying contractual and training relationship. The forms of processing also include the performance assessment and evaluation of our services and those of our instructors. As part of our activities, we may also process special categories of data, in particular information on the health of trainees and students and data revealing ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs. Where necessary, we obtain the express consent of the trainees for this and otherwise only process the special categories of data if it is necessary for the provision of training services, for the purposes of health care, social protection or the protection of vital interests of the trainees; Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
  • Coaching: We process the data of our clients as well as interested parties and other clients or contractual partners (uniformly referred to as "clients") in order to be able to provide our services to them. The processed data, the type, scope, purpose and necessity of its processing are determined by the underlying contractual and client relationship.

    As part of our activities, we may also process special categories of data, in particular information on the health of clients, possibly with reference to their sex life or sexual orientation, as well as data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or trade union membership. Where necessary, we obtain the express consent of the client and otherwise process the special categories of data if this serves the health of the client, the data is public or other legal permissions exist.

    If it is necessary for the performance of our contract, for the protection of vital interests or by law, or with the consent of the client, we disclose or transfer the client's data to third parties or agents, such as authorities, billing offices and in the area of IT, office or comparable services, in compliance with the requirements of professional law;
    Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
  • Online courses and online training: We process the data of the participants of our online courses and online training courses (uniformly referred to as "participants") in order to be able to provide them with our course and training services. The data processed in this context, the type, scope, purpose and necessity of its processing are determined by the underlying contractual relationship. The data generally includes information on the courses and services used and, if part of our range of services, personal specifications and results of the participants. The forms of processing also include the performance assessment and evaluation of our services and those of the course and training instructors; Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Payment procedure

As part of contractual and other legal relationships, due to legal obligations or otherwise on the basis of our legitimate interests, we offer the data subjects efficient and secure payment options and use other service providers in addition to banks and credit institutions (collectively referred to as "payment service providers").

The data processed by the payment service providers includes inventory data, such as the name and address, bank data, such as account numbers or credit card numbers, passwords, TANs and checksums, as well as contract, total and recipient-related information. The information is required to carry out the transactions. However, the data entered is only processed by the payment service providers and stored by them. This means that we do not receive any account or credit card-related information, but only information with confirmation or negative information about the payment. Under certain circumstances, the data may be transmitted by the payment service providers to credit agencies. The purpose of this transmission is to check identity and creditworthiness. Please refer to the general terms and conditions and the data protection information of the payment service providers.

Payment transactions are subject to the terms and conditions and data protection notices of the respective payment service providers, which can be accessed on the respective websites or transaction applications. We also refer to these for further information and the assertion of rights of revocation, information and other rights of data subjects.

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contract data (e.g. 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).
  • Persons concerned: Customers. Interested parties.
  • Purposes of the processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
  • Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Giropay: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); Service provider: giropay GmbH, An der Welle 4, 60322 Frankfurt, Germany; Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR); Website: https://www.giropay.de. Privacy policy: https://www.giropay.de/rechtliches/datenschutzerklaerung/.
  • PayPal: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods) (e.g. PayPal, PayPal Plus, Braintree); Service provider: PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg; Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR); Website: https://www.paypal.com/de. Privacy policy: https://www.paypal.com/de/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full.
  • Stripe: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); Service provider: Stripe, Inc, 510 Townsend Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA; Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR); Website: https://stripe.com; Privacy policy: https://stripe.com/de/privacy. Basis for third country transfer:  EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

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). Content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
  • Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of the processing: Provision of our online services and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical equipment (computers, servers, etc.). Security measures.
  • Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Provision of online services on rented storage space: To provide our online services, we use storage space, computing capacity and software that we rent or otherwise obtain from a corresponding server provider (also known as a "web host"); Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
  • 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, the 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 can 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 bases: 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.
  • E-mail dispatch and hosting: The web hosting services we use also include sending, receiving and storing e-mails. For these purposes, the addresses of the recipients and senders as well as other information relating to the sending of e-mails (e.g. the providers involved) and the content of the respective e-mails are processed. The aforementioned data may also be processed for the purpose of detecting SPAM. Please note that e-mails on the Internet are generally not sent in encrypted form. As a rule, emails are encrypted in transit, but not on the servers from which they are sent and received (unless an end-to-end encryption method is used). We can therefore accept no responsibility for the transmission path of e-mails between the sender and receipt on our server; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
  • Mittwald: Services in the area of the provision of information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacities); Service provider: Mittwald CM Service GmbH & Co. KG, Königsberger Straße 4-6, 32339 Espelkamp, Germany; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.mittwald.de; Privacy policy: https://www.mittwald.de/datenschutz. Order processing contract: https://www.mittwald.de/faq/service-informationen/faq/datenschutz-alles-wichtige-zur-dsgvo.
  • WordPress.com: Hosting and software for the creation, provision and operation of websites, blogs and other online offerings; Service provider: Aut O'Mattic A8C Ireland Ltd, Grand Canal Dock, 25 Herbert Pl, Dublin, D02 AY86, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://wordpress.com; Privacy policy: https://automattic.com/de/privacy/; Order processing contract: https://wordpress.com/support/data-processing-agreements/. Basis for third country transfer:  EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

Registration, login and user account

Users can create a user account. As part of the registration process, users are provided with the required mandatory information and processed for the purpose of providing the user account on the basis of contractual obligations. The processed data includes in particular the login information (user name, password and an e-mail address).

As part of the use of our registration and login functions and the use of the user account, we store the IP address and the time of the respective user action. The storage is based on our legitimate interests as well as those of the users in protection against misuse and other unauthorized use. This data is not passed on to third parties unless it is necessary to pursue our claims or there is a legal obligation to do so.

Users can be informed by e-mail about processes that are relevant to their user account, such as technical changes.

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms). Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
  • Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of the processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; security measures; managing and responding to inquiries. Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
  • Legal bases: Contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Register with your real name: Due to the nature of our community, we ask users to use our services only by using their real names. This means that the use of pseudonyms is not permitted; Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
  • User profiles are not public: User profiles are not publicly visible or accessible.
  • Deletion of data after termination: If users have terminated their user account, their data will be deleted with regard to the user account, subject to legal permission, obligation or consent of the users; Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
  • No obligation to retain data: Users are responsible for backing up their data before the end of the contract in the event of termination. We are entitled to irretrievably delete all user data stored during the term of the contract; Legal bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Blogs and publication media

We use blogs or comparable means of online communication and publication (hereinafter "publication medium"). Readers' data is only processed for the purposes of the publication medium to the extent necessary for its presentation and communication between authors and readers or for security reasons. In addition, we refer to the information on the processing of visitors to our publication medium in the context of this data protection notice.

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); 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).
  • Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of the processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); Provision of our online services and user-friendliness. Security measures.
  • Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Akismet anti-spam check: Akismet anti-spam check - We use the "Akismet" service on the basis of our legitimate interests. With the help of Akismet, comments from real people are distinguished from spam comments. For this purpose, all comments are sent to a server in the USA, where they are analyzed and stored for four days for comparison purposes. If a comment has been classified as spam, the data is stored beyond this period. This data includes the name entered, the e-mail address, the IP address, the comment content, the referrer, details of the browser used and the computer system and the time of the entry.

    Users are welcome to use pseudonyms or refrain from entering their name or email address. You can completely prevent the transfer of data by not using our comment system. That would be a shame, but unfortunately we do not see any alternatives that work just as effectively;
    Service provider: Aut O'Mattic A8C Ireland Ltd, Grand Canal Dock, 25 Herbert Pl, Dublin, D02 AY86, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://automattic.com; Privacy policy: https://automattic.com/privacy. Basis for third country transfer:  EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
  • UpdraftPlus: Backup software and backup storage; Service provider: Simba Hosting Ltd, 11, Barringer Way, St Neots, Cambs, PE19 1LW, UK; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://updraftplus.com/. Privacy policy: https://updraftplus.com/data-protection-and-privacy-centre/.

Video conferences, online meetings, webinars and screen sharing

We use platforms and applications of other providers (hereinafter referred to as "conference platforms") for the purpose of conducting video and audio conferences, webinars and other types of video and audio meetings (hereinafter collectively referred to as "conference"). When selecting the conference platforms and their services, we observe the legal requirements. 

Data processed by conference platforms: As part of participation in a conference, the conference platforms process the participants' personal data listed below. The scope of the processing depends on which data is required in the context of a specific conference (e.g. specification of access data or clear names) and which optional information is provided by the participants. In addition to processing for the purpose of holding the conference, the conference platforms may also process participants' data for security purposes or service optimization. The processed data includes personal data (first name, surname), contact information (e-mail address, telephone number), access data (access codes or passwords), profile pictures, information on professional position/function, the IP address of the Internet access, information on the participants' end devices, their operating system, the browser and its technical and language settings, information on the content of the communication processes, i.e. entries in chats and audio and video data, as well as the use of other available functions (e.g. surveys). The content of communications is encrypted to the extent technically provided by the conference providers. If the participants are registered as users with the conference platforms, further data may be processed in accordance with the agreement with the respective conference provider.

Logging and recordings: If text entries, participation results (e.g. from surveys) and video or audio recordings are logged, this will be communicated transparently to the participants in advance and - if necessary - they will be asked for their consent.

Data protection measures of the participants: For details on the processing of your data by the conference platforms, please refer to their data protection notices and select the security and data protection settings that are best for you in the conference platform settings. Please also ensure data and privacy protection in the background of your recording for the duration of a video conference (e.g. by informing roommates, locking doors and, if technically possible, using the function to make the background unrecognizable). Links to the conference rooms and access data must not be passed on to unauthorized third parties.

Notes on legal bases: If, in addition to the conference platforms, we also process users' data and ask users for their consent to use the conference platforms or certain functions (e.g. consent to the recording of conferences), the legal basis for processing is this consent. Furthermore, our processing may be necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations (e.g. in participant lists, in the case of processing the results of discussions, etc.). Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests in efficient and secure communication with our communication partners.

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); 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).
  • Persons concerned: Communication partners; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services). Persons depicted.
  • Purposes of the processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; contact requests and communication. Office and organizational procedures.
  • Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Zoom: Conference and communication software; Service provider: Zoom Video Communications, Inc, 55 Almaden Blvd, Suite 600, San Jose, CA 95113, USA; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://zoom.us; Privacy policy: https://zoom.us/docs/de-de/privacy-and-legal.html; Order processing contract: https://zoom.us/docs/de-de/privacy-and-legal.html (referred to as Global DPA). Basis for third country transfer:  EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://zoom.us/docs/de-de/privacy-and-legal.html (referred to as Global DPA)).

Newsletter and electronic notifications

We only send newsletters, emails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter "newsletter") with the consent of the recipient or with legal permission. If the contents of the newsletter are specifically described when registering for the newsletter, they are decisive for the user's consent. Otherwise, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.

To subscribe to our newsletters, it is generally sufficient to provide your e-mail address. However, we may ask you to provide a name so that we can address you personally in the newsletter, or other information if this is necessary for the purposes of the newsletter.

Double opt-in procedure: Registration for our newsletter is always carried out in a so-called double opt-in procedure. This means that after registering you will receive an e-mail asking you to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that no one can register with other people's e-mail addresses. Subscriptions to the newsletter are logged in order to be able to prove the registration process in accordance with legal requirements. This includes storing the time of registration and confirmation as well as the IP address. Changes to your data stored by the mailing service provider are also logged.

Erasure and restriction of processing:  We may store the unsubscribed e-mail addresses for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests before deleting them in order to be able to prove that consent was previously given. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. An individual request for erasure is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time. In the event of obligations to permanently observe objections, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address in a block list solely for this purpose.

The registration process is logged on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of verifying that it is carried out properly. If we commission a service provider to send e-mails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure sending system.

Contents:

Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status). Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  • Persons concerned: Communication partner.
  • Purposes of the processing: Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail 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).
  • Possibility of objection (opt-out): You can cancel the receipt of our newsletter at any time, i.e. revoke your consent or object to further receipt. You will find a link to unsubscribe from the newsletter either at the end of each newsletter or you can use one of the contact options listed above, preferably e-mail.

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Measurement of opening and click rates: The newsletters contain a so-called "web-beacon", i.e. a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from our server when the newsletter is opened or, if we use a mailing service provider, from their server. As part of this retrieval, technical information, such as information about the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and the time of retrieval, is initially collected.

    This information is used for the technical improvement of our newsletter based on the technical data or the target groups and their reading behavior based on their retrieval locations (which can be determined using the IP address) or access times. This analysis also includes determining whether the newsletters are opened, when they are opened and which links are clicked. This information is assigned to the individual newsletter recipients and stored in their profiles until they are deleted. The evaluations help us to recognize the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content to them or to send different content according to the interests of our users.

    The measurement of opening rates and click rates and the storage of the measurement results in the user profiles and their further processing are carried out on the basis of the user's consent.

    A separate revocation of the performance measurement is unfortunately not possible; in this case, the entire newsletter subscription must be canceled or objected to. In this case, the stored profile information will be deleted;
    Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).
  • Mailchimp: E-mail dispatch and e-mail dispatch and automation services; Service provider: Rocket Science Group, LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE #5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://mailchimp.com; Privacy policy: https://mailchimp.com/legal/; Order processing contract: https://mailchimp.com/legal/; Basis for third country transfer:  EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (Provided by the service provider). Further information: Special safety measures: https://mailchimp.com/help/Mailchimp-european-data-transfers/.

Advertising communication via e-mail, post, fax or telephone

We process personal data for the purposes of advertising communication, which may take place via various channels, such as e-mail, telephone, post or fax, in accordance with legal requirements.

Recipients have the right to withdraw their consent at any time or to object to advertising communication at any time.

After revocation or objection, we store the data required to prove the previous authorization for contacting or sending up to three years after the end of the year of revocation or objection on the basis of our legitimate interests. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. On the basis of the legitimate interest in permanently observing the revocation or objection of the user, we also store the data required to avoid renewed contact (e.g. depending on the communication channel, the e-mail address, telephone number, name).

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses). Contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).
  • Persons concerned: Communication partner.
  • Purposes of the processing: Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail 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).

Web analysis, monitoring and optimization

Web analysis (also referred to as "reach measurement") is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offering and may include behavior, interests or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of reach analysis, we can, for example, recognize at what time our online offer or its functions or content are most frequently used or invite reuse. We can also understand which areas require optimization. 

In addition to web analysis, we may also use test procedures, e.g. to test and optimize different versions of our online offering or its components.

Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, i.e. data summarized for a usage process, can be created for these purposes and information can be stored in a browser or in an end device and read out from it. The information collected includes, in particular, websites visited and the elements used there as well as technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times. If users have consented to the collection of their location data from us or from the providers of the services we use, location data may also be processed.

The IP addresses of users are also stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (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 in the context of web analysis, A/B testing and optimization, but pseudonyms. This means that neither we nor the providers of the software used know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purposes of the respective processes.

  • 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).
  • Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of the processing: Reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles). Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
  • Safety measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
  • Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Google Analytics 4: We use Google Analytics to measure and analyze the use of our online offering on the basis of a pseudonymous user identification number. This identification number does not contain any unique data, such as names or e-mail addresses. It is used to assign analysis information to an end device in order to recognize which content users have called up within one or more usage processes, which search terms they have used, which they have called up again or which they have interacted with our online offering. The time of use and its duration are also stored, as well as the sources of the users who refer to our online offering and technical aspects of their end devices and browsers. Pseudonymous profiles of users are created with information from the use of various devices, whereby cookies may be used. Google Analytics does not log or store individual IP addresses for EU users. However, Analytics provides rough geographic location data by deriving the following metadata from IP addresses: City (and the city's inferred latitude and longitude), Continent, Country, Region, Subcontinent (and ID-based counterparts). For EU traffic, IP address data is used exclusively for this derivation of geolocation data before it is immediately deleted. They are not logged, are not accessible and are not used for other purposes. When Google Analytics collects measurement data, all IP queries are performed on EU-based servers before the traffic is forwarded to Analytics servers for processing; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Order processing contract: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/; Basis for third country transfer:  EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms); Possibility of objection (opt-out): Opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated. Further information: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices (types of processing and data processed).

Digital badges

Digital badges, also known as open badges (hereinafter referred to as "badges"), are digital certificates that confirm the skills, achievements and interests of individuals or organizations. They are issued by credible organizations. The badges are provided with metadata and information about the acquired skills and achievements. Typically, badges are represented by an image or a digital certificate that contains details of the recipient, issuer, metadata and other relevant information.

If badges are issued individually for specific persons, the metadata stored in the badges and used for assignment purposes regarding the skills, achievements and interests of the persons concerned are processed.

If cookies and comparable technologies are used in the context of the badges that are not required and therefore or otherwise require the consent of the users, we obtain the corresponding consent of the users and inform them accordingly.

  • Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); 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).
  • Persons concerned: Business and contractual partners. Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of the processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; public relations and information purposes. Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
  • Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Embedding of digital badges: As part of our online offering, we integrate badges from other sources (so-called "embedding"). This means that both the representation of the badge and the associated metadata are displayed within our website. They are loaded in real time from the servers of the respective badge provider in order to always present the most up-to-date content of the badge. A data connection is established between our online offering and the badge provider's server for this purpose. The technical data that the badge provider receives includes the IP address, details and metadata of the badge, information about the website visited, the time of access and technical details about the browser and system as they are transmitted from the end device to the server. This data transmission also informs the badge provider that a user has accessed our online offering; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

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 within social networks is generally processed for market research and advertising purposes. For example, user profiles can be created based on user behavior and the resulting interests of users. The user profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are generally stored on the user's computer, in which the user's usage behavior 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).

For a detailed description of the respective forms of processing and the opt-out options, please refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

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

  • 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).
  • Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of the processing: Contact requests and communication; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form). Marketing.
  • Legal bases: 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 bases: 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 bases: 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 third country transfer:  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 the 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.)
  • YouTube: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: 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). Possibility of objection (opt-out): https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

Plugins and embedded functions and content

We incorporate functional and content elements into our online offering that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as "third-party providers"). These may be, for example, graphics, videos or city maps (hereinafter uniformly referred to as "content").

The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, as they would not be able to send the content to their browser without the IP address. The IP address is therefore required to display this content or function. We endeavor to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as "web beacons") for statistical or marketing purposes. Pixel tags can be used to analyze information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user's device and may contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and other information about the use of our online offer, as well as being linked to such information from other sources.

  • 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); inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms). Location data (information on the geographical position of a device or person).
  • Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of the processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
  • Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Google Fonts (provision on own server): Provision of font files for the purpose of a user-friendly presentation of our online offer; Service provider: The Google Fonts are hosted on our server, no data is transmitted to Google; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
  • Font Awesome (provision on own server): Display of fonts and symbols; Service provider: The Font Awesome icons are hosted on our server, no data is transmitted to the provider of Font Awesome; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
  • Google Maps: We integrate the maps of the "Google Maps" service provided by Google. The processed data may include, in particular, IP addresses and user location data; Service provider: Google Cloud EMEA Limited, 70 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website:  https://mapsplatform.google.com/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy. Basis for third country transfer:  EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
  • YouTube videos: Video content; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third country transfer:  EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Possibility of objection (opt-out): Opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

Amendment and updating of the privacy policy

We ask you to inform yourself regularly about the content of our privacy policy. We will adapt the privacy policy as soon as changes to the data processing carried out by us make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require an act of cooperation on your part (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.

If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this privacy policy, please note that the addresses may change over time and please check the information before contacting us.

Definitions of terms

This section provides you with an overview of the terms used in this privacy policy. Insofar as the terms are defined by law, their legal definitions apply. The following explanations, on the other hand, are primarily intended to aid understanding.

  • Personal data: "Personal data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter "data subject"); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. a cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person. 
  • Profiles with user-related information: The processing of "profiles with user-related information", or "profiles" for short, includes any type of automated processing of personal data that consists of using this personal data to analyze, evaluate or predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this may include various information relating to demographics, behavior and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.) (e.g. interests in certain content or products, click behavior on a website or location). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes. 
  • Reach measurement: Reach measurement (also known as web analytics) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to an online offering and can include the behavior or interests of visitors in certain information, such as website content. With the help of reach analysis, website owners can, for example, recognize at what time visitors visit their website and what content they are interested in. This enables them to better adapt the content of the website to the needs of their visitors, for example. For the purposes of reach analysis, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used to recognize returning visitors and thus obtain more precise analyses of the use of an online offer. 
  • Location data: Location data is generated when a mobile device (or another device with the technical requirements for location determination) connects to a radio cell, a WLAN or similar technical means and functions of location determination. Location data is used to indicate the geographically determinable position on earth at which the respective device is located. Location data can be used, for example, to display map functions or other location-dependent information. 
  • Responsible person: The "controller" is 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. 
  • Processing: "Processing" means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means. The term is broad and covers practically every handling of data, be it collection, analysis, storage, transmission or deletion.