Table of contents
- Introduction and overview
- Area of application
- Legal basis
- Contact details of the person responsible
- Contact details of the data protection officer
- Storage duration
- Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation
- Data transfer to third countries
- Security of data processing
- Communication
- Order processing contract (AVV)
- Cookies
- Customer data
- Webhosting introduction
- Website modular systems Introduction
- Web Analytics Introduction
- Web design introduction
- Explanation of terms used
- Closing words
Introduction and overview
We have prepared this privacy policy (version 13.04.2024-322762332) in order to explain to you, in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws, which personal data (data for short) we as the controller – and the processors commissioned by us (e.g. providers) – process, will process in the future and what lawful options you have. The terms used are to be understood as gender-neutral.
In short: We provide you with comprehensive information about the data we process about you.
Data protection declarations usually sound very technical and use legal jargon. This privacy policy, on the other hand, is intended to describe the most important things to you as simply and transparently as possible. As far as it is conducive to transparency, technical terms are explained in a reader-friendly way, links to further information are provided and graphics are used. We thus inform you in clear and simple language that we only process personal data as part of our business activities if there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible by providing explanations that are as concise, unclear and legal-technical as possible, as is often standard on the Internet when it comes to data protection. I hope you find the following explanations interesting and informative, and perhaps there is one or two pieces of information that you did not yet know.
If you still have questions, we would like to ask you to contact the responsible body named below or in the legal notice, to follow the links provided and to look at further information on third-party websites. Our contact details can of course also be found in the legal notice.
Area of application
This privacy policy applies to all personal data processed by our company and to all personal data processed by companies commissioned by us (processors). By personal data, we mean information within the meaning of Art. 4 No. 1 GDPR, such as a person’s name, email address and postal address. The processing of personal data ensures that we can offer and invoice our services and products, whether online or offline. The scope of this privacy policy includes
- all online presences (websites, online shops) that we operate
- Social media presence and e-mail communication
- Mobile apps for smartphones and other devices
In short, the privacy policy applies to all areas in which personal data is processed in the company in a structured manner via the channels mentioned. If we enter into legal relationships with you outside of these channels, we will inform you separately if necessary.
Legal basis
In the following privacy policy, we provide you with transparent information on the legal principles and regulations, i.e. the legal basis of the General Data Protection Regulation, which enable us to process personal data.
As far as EU law is concerned, we refer to REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 April 2016. You can of course read
this EU General Data Protection Regulation online at EUR-Lex, the gateway to EU law, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679.
We only process your data if at least one of the following conditions applies:
- Consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR): You have given us your consent to process data for a specific purpose. An example would be the storage of the data you have entered in a contact form.
- Contract (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR): In order to fulfil a contract or pre-contractual obligations with you, we process your data. For example, if we conclude a purchase contract with you, we need personal information in advance.
- Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR): If we are subject to a legal obligation, we process your data. For example, we are legally obliged to keep invoices for accounting purposes. These usually contain personal data.
- Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR): In the case of legitimate interests that do not restrict your fundamental rights, we reserve the right to process personal data. For example, we need to process certain data in order to operate our website securely and efficiently. This processing is therefore a legitimate interest.
Other conditions such as the fulfilment of recording in the public interest and the exercise of official authority as well as the protection of vital interests do not generally arise for us. If such a legal basis is relevant, it will be indicated at the appropriate point.
In addition to the EU regulation, national laws also apply:
- In Austria, this is the Federal Act on the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data (Data Protection Act), or DSG for short.
- In Germany, the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) applies.
If other regional or national laws apply, we will inform you of this in the following sections.
Contact details of the person responsible
If you have any questions about data protection or the processing of personal data, you will find the contact details of the person or body responsible below:
Doctor medic Aurelian Schüler
Kölner Str. 231
40227 Düsseldorf
Authorised to represent: Doctor medic Aurelian Schüler
E-Mail: info@quantumneuroprogramming.com
Phone: +49 211 542 265 12
Imprint: www.quantumneuroprogramming.com
Contact details of the data protection officer
Below you will find the contact details of the data protection officer:
Doctor medic Aurelian Schüler
Kölner Str. 231
40227 Düsseldorf
E-mail: info@quantumneuroprogramming.com
Phone: +49 211 542 265 12
Storage duration
It is a general criterion for us that we only store personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for the provision of our services and products. This means that we delete personal data as soon as the reason for the data processing no longer exists. In some cases, we are legally obliged to store certain data even after the original purpose has ceased to exist, for example for accounting purposes.
If you wish your data to be deleted or revoke your consent to data processing, the data will be deleted as quickly as possible and insofar as there is no obligation to store it.
We will inform you below about the specific duration of the respective data processing if we have further information on this.
Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation
In accordance with Articles 13, 14 GDPR, we inform you of the following rights to which you are entitled in order to ensure fair and transparent processing of data:
- According to Article 15 GDPR, you have a right to information about whether we process your data. If this is the case, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and the following information:
- the purpose for which we carry out the processing;
- the categories, i.e. the types of data that are processed;
- who receives this data and, if the data is transferred to third countries, how security can be guaranteed;
- how long the data will be stored;
- the existence of the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing and the right to object to processing;
- that you can lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (links to these authorities can be found below);
- the origin of the data if we have not collected it from you;
- whether profiling is carried out, i.e. whether data is automatically analysed in order to create a personal profile of you.
- According to Article 16 GDPR, you have a right to rectification of data, which means that we must correct data if you find errors.
- According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), which specifically means that you may request the erasure of your data.
- According to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to restriction of processing, which means that we may only store the data but not use it any further.
- According to Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that we will provide you with your data in a commonly used format upon request.
- According to Article 21 GDPR, you have the right to object, which will result in a change in the processing after enforcement.
- If the processing of your data is based on Article 6(1)(e) (public interest, exercise of official authority) or Article 6(1)(f) (legitimate interest), you can object to the processing. We will then check as quickly as possible whether we can legally honour this objection.
- If data is used for direct marketing purposes, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may then no longer use your data for direct marketing.
- If data is used for profiling purposes, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may then no longer use your data for profiling.
- Under Article 22 GDPR, you may have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g. profiling).
- According to Article 77 GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint. This means that you can lodge a complaint with the data protection authority at any time if you believe that the processing of personal data violates the GDPR.
In short: You have rights – do not hesitate to contact the responsible office listed above!
If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection rights have been violated in any other way, you can lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority. For Austria, this is the data protection authority, whose website can be found at https://www.dsb.gv.at/. In Germany, there is a data protection officer for each federal state. For more information, you can contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI). The following local data protection authority is responsible for our company:
North Rhine-Westphalia Data Protection Authority
State Commissioner for Data Protection: Bettina Gayk
Address: Kavalleriestraße 2-4, 40213 Düsseldorf
Telephone number: 02 11/384 24-0
E-mail address: poststelle@ldi.nrw.de
Website: https://www.ldi.nrw.de/
Data transfer to third countries
We only transfer or process data to countries outside the scope of the GDPR (third countries) if you consent to this processing or other legal authorisation exists. This applies in particular if the processing is required by law or necessary for the fulfilment of a contractual relationship and in any case only insofar as this is generally permitted. In most cases, your consent is the most important reason why we process data in third countries. The processing of personal data in third countries such as the USA, where many software manufacturers offer services and have their server locations, may mean that personal data is processed and stored in unexpected ways.
We expressly point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, an adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA currently only exists if a US company that processes personal data of EU citizens in the USA is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. You can find more information on this at: https://commission.europa.eu/ document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en
Data processing by US services that are not active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework may result in data not being processed and stored in anonymised form. Furthermore, US government authorities may be able to access individual data. In addition, data collected may be linked to data from other services of the same provider if you have a corresponding user account. Where possible, we endeavour to use server locations within the EU if this is offered.
We will inform you in more detail about data transfer to third countries, if applicable, in the appropriate sections of this privacy policy.
Security of data processing
We have implemented both technical and organisational measures to protect personal data. Where possible, we encrypt or pseudonymise personal data. In this way, we make it as difficult as possible for third parties to infer personal information from our data.
Art. 25 GDPR speaks here of “data protection by design and by default” and thus means that both software (e.g. forms) and hardware (e.g. access to the server room) should always be designed with security in mind and appropriate measures should be taken. If necessary, we will go into more detail on specific measures below.
TLS encryption with https
TLS, encryption and https sound very technical – and they are. We use HTTPS (the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure stands for “secure hypertext transfer protocol”) to transmit data tap-proof on the Internet.
This means that the complete transmission of all data from your browser to our web server is secured – nobody can “eavesdrop”.
We have thus introduced an additional layer of security and fulfil data protection by design (Article 25(1) GDPR). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission on the Internet, we can ensure the protection of confidential data.
You can recognise the use of this data transmission security by the small lock symbol at the top left of the browser, to the left of the Internet address (e.g. examplepage.com) and the use of the https scheme (instead of http) as part of our Internet address.
If you would like to know more about encryption, we recommend a Google search for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure wiki” to obtain good links to further information.
Communication
If you contact us and communicate with us by telephone, e-mail or online form, personal data may be processed.
The data is processed for the handling and processing of your enquiry and the associated business transaction. The data will be stored for as long as required by law.
Persons concerned
All those who seek contact with us via the communication channels provided by us are affected by the aforementioned processes.
Telephone
When you call us, the call data is stored pseudonymised on the respective end device and with the telecommunications provider used. In addition, data such as your name and telephone number may subsequently be sent by e-mail and stored for the purpose of responding to your enquiry. The data is deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements permit.
If you communicate with us by e-mail, data may be stored on the respective end device (computer, laptop, smartphone, etc.) and data may be stored on the e-mail server. The data will be deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements permit.
Online forms
If you communicate with us using an online form, data is stored on our web server and may be forwarded to one of our e-mail addresses. The data will be deleted as soon as the business transaction has been completed and legal requirements permit.
Legal bases
The processing of the data is based on the following legal bases:
- Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent): You give us your consent to store your data and to use it for purposes relating to the business transaction;
- Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract): It is necessary for the fulfilment of a contract with you or a processor, such as the telephone provider, or we need to process the data for pre-contractual activities, such as the preparation of an offer;
- Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests): We want to handle customer enquiries and business communication in a professional manner. This requires certain technical facilities such as email programmes, exchange servers and mobile network operators in order to operate communication efficiently.
Order processing contract (AVV)
In this section, we would like to explain what a data processing agreement is and why it is needed. Because the word “data processing agreement” is a bit of a mouthful, we will often only use the acronym DPA in this text. Like most companies, we do not work alone, but also utilise the services of other companies or individuals. By involving various companies or service providers, we may pass on personal data for processing. These partners then act as processors with whom we conclude a contract, the so-called data processing agreement (DPA). The most important thing for you to know is that the processing of your personal data takes place exclusively in accordance with our instructions and must be regulated by the DPA.
Who are processors?
As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data that we process from you. In addition to controllers, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or person who processes personal data on our behalf. More precisely and according to the GDPR definition: any natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on our behalf is considered a processor. Processors can therefore be service providers such as hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.
For a better understanding of the terminology, here is an overview of the three roles in the GDPR:
Data subject (you as a customer or interested party) → Controller (we as a company and client) → Processor (service provider such as web host or cloud provider)
Content of an order processing contract
As mentioned above, we have concluded a DPA with our partners who act as processors. This states above all that the processor processes the data to be processed exclusively in accordance with the GDPR. The contract must be concluded in writing, although the electronic conclusion of the contract is also considered “written” in this context. The processing of personal data only takes place on the basis of the contract. The contract must contain the following:
- Commitment to us as the responsible party
- Obligations and rights of the controller
- Categories of affected persons
- Type of personal data
- Nature and purpose of data processing
- Purpose and duration of data processing
- Place of data processing
The contract also contains all the obligations of the processor. The most important obligations are
- Ensure data security measures
- take possible technical and organisational measures to protect the rights of the data subject
- to maintain a data processing directory
- to cooperate with the data protection supervisory authority at its request
- carry out a risk analysis in relation to the personal data received
- Sub-processors may only be commissioned with the written authorisation of the controller
You can find out what such a DPA actually looks like at https://www.wko.at/service/ wirtschaftsrecht-gewerberecht/ eu-dsgvo-mustervertrag-auftragsverarbeitung.html. A sample contract is presented here.
Cookies
What are cookies?
Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.
Below we explain what cookies are and why they are used so that you can better understand the following privacy policy.
Whenever you surf the internet, you use a browser. Well-known browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.
One thing cannot be denied: Cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are also other cookies for other areas of application. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, the “brain” of your browser, so to speak. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.
Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal page settings. When you visit our site again, your browser transmits the “user-related” information back to our site. Thanks to cookies, our website knows who you are and offers you the settings you are used to. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file; in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.
The following graphic shows a possible interaction between a web browser such as Chrome and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie back from the server, which the browser uses again as soon as another page is requested.
There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our website, third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g. Google Analytics). Each cookie must be evaluated individually, as each cookie stores different data. The expiry time of a cookie also varies from a few minutes to a few years. Cookies are not software programmes and do not contain viruses, Trojans or other “malware”. Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.
Cookie data can look like this, for example:
Name: _ga
Wert: GA1.2.1326744211.152322762332-9
Purpose: Differentiation of website visitors
Expiry date: after 2 years
A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:
- At least 4096 bytes per cookie
- At least 50 cookies per domain
- At least 3000 cookies in total
What types of cookies are there?
The question of which cookies we use in particular depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the privacy policy. At this point, we would like to briefly explain the different types of HTTP cookies.
A distinction can be made between 4 types of cookies:
Essential cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic website functions. For example, these cookies are needed when a user places a product in the shopping basket, then continues surfing on other pages and only goes to the checkout later. These cookies ensure that the shopping basket is not deleted even if the user closes their browser window.
Purposeful cookies
These cookies collect information about user behaviour and whether the user receives any error messages. These cookies are also used to measure the loading time and the behaviour of the website with different browsers.
Targeted cookies
These cookies ensure better user-friendliness. For example, entered locations, font sizes or form data are saved.
Advertising cookies
These cookies are also known as targeting cookies. They are used to deliver customised advertising to the user. This can be very practical, but also very annoying.
When you visit a website for the first time, you are usually asked which of these cookie types you would like to allow. And of course this decision is also stored in a cookie.
If you would like to know more about cookies and are not afraid of technical documentation, we recommend https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265, the Request for Comments of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) called “HTTP State Management Mechanism”.
Purpose of processing via cookies
The purpose ultimately depends on the cookie in question. You can find more details on this below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.
What data is processed?
Cookies are little helpers for many different tasks. Unfortunately, it is not possible to generalise which data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the processed or stored data in the following privacy policy.
Storage duration of cookies
The storage period depends on the cookie in question and is specified below. Some cookies are deleted after less than an hour, others can remain stored on a computer for several years.
You can also influence the storage period yourself. You can delete all cookies manually at any time via your browser (see also “Right to object” below). Furthermore, cookies that are based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you withdraw your consent, whereby the legality of the storage until then remains unaffected.
Right to object – how can I delete cookies?
You decide how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of which service or website the cookies originate from, you always have the option of deleting, deactivating or only partially allowing cookies. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all other cookies.
If you want to find out which cookies have been stored in your browser, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this in your browser settings:
Chrome: Delete, activate and manage cookies in Chrome
Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari
Firefox: Delete cookies to remove data that websites have stored on your computer
Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies
Microsoft Edge: Deleting and managing cookies
If you generally do not want to have cookies, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be set. You can then decide for each individual cookie whether or not to allow it. The procedure differs depending on the browser. It is best to search for the instructions in Google using the search term “delete cookies Chrome” or “deactivate cookies Chrome” in the case of a Chrome browser.
We use the “Real Cookie Banner” consent tool to manage the cookies and similar technologies used (tracking pixels, web beacons, etc.) and related consents. Details on how “Real Cookie Banner” works can be found at https://devowl.io/de/rcb/.
The legal basis for the processing of personal data in this context is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR and Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is the management of the cookies and similar technologies used and the related consents.
The provision of personal data is neither contractually required nor necessary for the conclusion of a contract. You are not obliged to provide the personal data. If you do not provide the personal data, we will not be able to manage your consents.
Legal basis
The so-called “Cookie Guidelines” have been in place since 2009. These state that the storage of cookies requires your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). However, there are still very different reactions to these directives within the EU countries. In Austria, however, this directive was implemented in Section 165 (3) of the Telecommunications Act (2021). In Germany, the cookie directives have not been implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG).
For strictly necessary cookies, even if no consent has been given, there are legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR), which in most cases are of an economic nature. We want to provide visitors to the website with a pleasant user experience and certain cookies are often absolutely necessary for this.
If cookies that are not absolutely necessary are used, this will only be done with your consent. The legal basis in this respect is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR.
In the following sections, you will be informed in more detail about the use of cookies if the software used utilises cookies.
Customer data
What is customer data?
We also process data from our customers and business partners so that we can offer our services and contractual services. This data always includes personal data. Customer data refers to all information that is processed on the basis of a contractual or pre-contractual collaboration in order to be able to provide the services offered. Customer data is therefore all the information we collect and process about our customers.
Why do we process customer data?
There are many reasons why we collect and process customer data. The most important is that we simply need various data to provide our services. Sometimes your e-mail address is enough, but when you purchase a product or service, for example, we also need data such as your name, address, bank details or contract data. We also use the data for marketing and sales optimisation so that we can improve our overall service for our customers. Another important point is our customer service, which is always very important to us. We want you to be able to contact us at any time with questions about our offers, and for this we need at least your e-mail address.
What data is processed?
The exact data that is stored can only be described here on the basis of categories. This always depends on which services you receive from us. In some cases, you only give us your e-mail address so that we can contact you or answer your questions, for example. In other cases, you purchase a product or service from us and we require significantly more information, such as your contact details, payment details and contract details.
Here is a list of possible data that we receive and process from you:
- Name
- Contact address
- E-mail address
- Telephone number
- Date of birth
- Payment data (invoices, bank details, payment history, etc.)
- Contract data (term, content)
- Usage data (websites visited, access data, etc.)
- Metadata (IP address, device information)
How long will the data be stored?
As soon as we no longer need the customer data to fulfil our contractual obligations and our purposes and the data is also no longer required for possible warranty and liability obligations, we delete the corresponding customer data. This is the case, for example, when a business contract ends. After this, the limitation period is generally 3 years, although longer periods are possible in individual cases. Of course, we also comply with the statutory retention obligations. Your customer data will certainly not be passed on to third parties unless you have given your explicit consent.
Legal basis
The legal basis for the processing of your data is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract or pre-contractual measures), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests) and in special cases (e.g. medical services) Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a. GDPR (processing of special categories).
In the case of the protection of vital interests, data processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 9 para. 2 lit. c. GDPR. For the purposes of health care, occupational medicine, medical diagnosis, health or social care or treatment or for the management of health or social care systems and services, the processing of personal data is carried out in accordance with Art. 9 para. 2 lit. h. GDPR. GDPR. If you voluntarily provide data of special categories, the processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a. GDPR.
Web hosting
What is web hosting?
When you visit websites these days, certain information – including personal data – is automatically generated and stored, including on this website. This data should be processed as sparingly as possible and only with justification. By website, by the way, we mean the entirety of all web pages on a domain, i.e. everything from the start page (homepage) to the very last subpage (like this one). By domain we mean, for example, example.de or example.com.
If you want to view a website on a computer, tablet or smartphone, you use a programme called a web browser. You probably know a few web browsers by name: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. We call them browsers or web browsers for short.
In order to display the website, the browser must connect to another computer where the website code is stored: the web server. Operating a web server is a complicated and time-consuming task, which is why this is usually done by professional providers. These providers offer web hosting and thus ensure reliable and error-free storage of website data. A lot of technical terms, but please stay tuned, it will get even better!
When the browser on your computer (desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone) connects and during data transfer to and from the web server, personal data may be processed. On the one hand, your computer stores data; on the other hand, the web server must also store data for a certain period of time to ensure proper operation.
Why do we process personal data?
The purposes of data processing are:
- Professional website hosting and operational security
- to maintain operational and IT security
- Anonymous evaluation of access behaviour to improve our offer and, if necessary, for criminal prosecution or prosecution of claims
What data is processed?
Even while you are currently visiting our website, our web server, i.e. the computer on which this website is stored, usually automatically saves data such as
- the complete Internet address (URL) of the website accessed
- Browser and browser version (e.g. Chrome 87)
- the operating system used (e.g. Windows 10)
- the address (URL) of the previously visited page (referrer URL) (e.g. https://www.beispielquellsite.de)
- the host name and IP address of the device from which access is made (e.g. COMPUTERNAME and 194.23.43.121)
- Date and time
- in files, the so-called web server log files
How long is data stored?
As a rule, the above-mentioned data is stored for a fortnight and then automatically deleted. We do not pass this data on, but we cannot rule out the possibility of this data being viewed by the authorities in the event of unlawful behaviour.
In short: Your visit is logged by our provider (company that runs our website on special computers (servers)), but we do not pass on your data without your consent!
Legal basis
The lawfulness of the processing of personal data in the context of web hosting results from Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (protection of legitimate interests), because the use of professional hosting with a provider is necessary in order to present the company securely and user-friendly on the Internet and to be able to pursue attacks and claims from this if necessary.
As a rule, there is a contract between us and the hosting provider for order processing in accordance with Art. 28 f. GDPR, which ensures compliance with data protection and guarantees data security.
Website builder systems Introduction
What are website builder systems?
We use a modular website system for our website. Modular systems are special forms of a content management system (CMS). With a modular system, website operators can create a website very easily and without programming knowledge. In many cases, web hosters also offer modular systems. By using a modular system, your personal data can also be collected, stored and processed. In this data protection text, we provide you with general information about data processing by modular systems. You can find more detailed information in the provider’s data protection declarations.
Why do we use website builder systems for our website?
The biggest advantage of a modular system is its ease of use. We want to offer you a clear, simple and well-organised website that we can easily operate and maintain ourselves – without external support. A modular system now offers many helpful functions that we can use even without programming knowledge. This allows us to customise our web presence and offer you an informative and enjoyable time on our website.
What data is stored by a modular system?
Exactly which data is stored depends of course on the website builder system used. Each provider processes and collects different data from the website visitor. As a rule, however, technical usage information such as operating system, browser, screen resolution, language and keyboard settings, hosting provider and the date of your website visit are collected. Tracking data (e.g. browser activity, clickstream activity, session heatmaps, etc.) may also be processed. Personal data may also be collected and stored. This usually involves contact data such as email address, telephone number (if you have provided this), IP address and geographical location data. You can find out exactly which data is stored in the provider’s privacy policy.
How long and where is the data stored?
We will inform you about the duration of data processing below in connection with the website building block system used, if we have further information on this. You can find detailed information about this in the provider’s privacy policy. In general, we only process personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for the provision of our services and products. The provider may store your data according to its own specifications, over which we have no influence.
Right of objection
You always have the right to information, correction and deletion of your personal data. If you have any questions, you can also contact the person responsible for the website builder system used at any time. Contact details can be found either in our privacy policy or on the website of the relevant provider.
You can delete, deactivate or manage cookies that providers use for their functions in your browser. Depending on which browser you use, this works in different ways. Please note, however, that not all functions may then work as usual.
Legal basis
We have a legitimate interest in using a website building block system to optimise our online service and present it to you in an efficient and user-friendly manner. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Nevertheless, we only use the modular system if you have given your consent.
Insofar as the processing of data is not absolutely necessary for the operation of the website, the data will only be processed on the basis of your consent. This applies in particular to tracking activities. The legal basis in this respect is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR.
In this privacy policy, we have provided you with the most important general information about data processing. If you would like more detailed information in this regard, you will find further information – if available – in the following section or in the provider’s privacy policy.
WordPress.com privacy policy
What is WordPress?
We use the well-known content management system WordPress.com for our website. The service provider is the American company Automattic Inc, 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.
The company saw the light of day in 2003 and developed into one of the most well-known content management systems (CMS) in the world in a relatively short space of time. A CMS is software that helps us to design our website and present content in an attractive and organised way. The content can be text, audio and video.
By using WordPress, your personal data may also be collected, stored and processed. As a rule, mainly technical data such as operating system, browser, screen resolution or hosting provider are stored. However, personal data such as IP address, geographical data or contact details may also be processed.
Why do we use WordPress on our website?
We have many strengths, but real programming is not one of our core competences.
Nevertheless, we want to have a powerful and attractive website that we can also manage and maintain ourselves. With a modular website system or a content management system such as WordPress, we can do just that. With WordPress, we don’t have to be ace programmers to offer you a beautiful website. Thanks to WordPress, we can operate our website quickly and easily even without prior technical knowledge. If technical problems occur or we have special requests for our website, there are always our specialists who feel at home in HTML, PHP, CSS and co.
Thanks to the ease of use and comprehensive functions of WordPress, we can design our website according to our wishes and offer you a good user experience.
What data is processed by WordPress?
Non-personal data includes technical usage information such as browser activity, clickstream activity, session heatmaps and data about your computer, operating system, browser, screen resolution, language and keyboard settings, internet provider and date of the page visit.
Personal data is also collected. These are primarily contact data (e-mail address or telephone number, if you provide these), IP address or your geographical location.
WordPress can also use cookies to collect data. This often records data about your behaviour on our website. For example, it can record which subpages you particularly like to view, how long you spend on individual pages, when you leave a page (bounce rate) or which default settings (e.g. language selection) you have made. Based on this data, WordPress can also better adapt its own marketing measures to your interests and user behaviour. The next time you visit our website, you will therefore be shown our website as you have previously set it.
WordPress may also use technologies such as pixel tags (web beacons), for example to clearly identify you as a user and possibly offer interest-based advertising.
How long and where is the data stored?
How long the data is stored depends on various factors. So it mainly depends on the type of data stored and the specific settings of the website. In principle, WordPress deletes the data when it is no longer needed for its own purposes. There are of course exceptions, especially if legal obligations require the data to be stored for longer. Web server logs containing your IP address and technical data are deleted by WordPress or Automattic after 30 days. Automattic uses the data for this period to analyse the traffic on its own websites (e.g. all WordPress pages) and to rectify any problems. Deleted content on WordPress websites is also stored in the recycle bin for 30 days to enable recovery, after which it may remain in backups and caches until it is deleted. The data is stored on Automattic’s American servers.
How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?
You have the right and opportunity to access your personal data at any time and to object to its use and processing. You can also lodge a complaint with a state supervisory authority at any time.
In your browser, you also have the option of individually managing, deleting or deactivating cookies. However, please note that deactivating or deleting cookies may have a negative impact on the functions of our WordPress site. Depending on which browser you use, the management of cookies works slightly differently. In the “Cookies” section, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers.
Legal basis
If you have consented to the use of WordPress, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when WordPress collects data.
We also have a legitimate interest in using WordPress to optimise our online service and present it to you in an attractive manner. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Nevertheless, we only use WordPress if you have given your consent.
WordPress or Automattic processes your data in the USA, among other places. Automattic is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information about this at https://commission.europa.eu/document/ fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.
Automattic also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Automattic undertakes to comply with the European level of data protection when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/ dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=en
You can find more details about the privacy policy and which data is processed by WordPress and how at https://automattic.com/privacy/.
Order processing contract (AVV) WordPress.com
We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with WordPress.com in accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can find out exactly what a DPA is and, above all, what must be included in a DPA in our general section “Data processing agreement (DPA)”.
This contract is required by law because WordPress.com processes personal data on our behalf. It clarifies that WordPress.com may only process data that it receives from us in accordance with our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. You can find the link to the data processing agreement (DPA) at https://wordpress.com/ support/data-processing-agreements/.
Web analytics introduction
What is web analytics?
We use software on our website to evaluate the behaviour of website visitors, known as web analytics or web analysis for short. This involves collecting data that the respective analytics tool provider (also known as a tracking tool) stores, manages and processes. The data is used to create analyses of user behaviour on our website and made available to us as the website operator. In addition, most tools offer various test options. For example, we can test which offers or content are best received by our visitors. To do this, we show you two different offers for a limited period of time. After the test (known as an A/B test), we know which product or content our website visitors find more interesting. For such test procedures, as well as for other analytics procedures, user profiles can also be created and the data stored in cookies.
Why do we use web analytics?
With our website, we have a clear goal in mind: we want to deliver the best web offering on the market for our industry. In order to achieve this goal, we want to offer the best and most interesting services on the one hand and ensure that you feel completely at ease on our website on the other. With the help of web analysis tools, we can take a closer look at the behaviour of our website visitors and then improve our website accordingly for you and for us. For example, we can recognise the average age of our visitors, where they come from, when our website is visited the most or which content or products are particularly popular. All this information helps us to optimise the website and thus adapt it to your needs, interests and wishes.
What data is processed?
Exactly which data is stored depends, of course, on the analysis tools used. However, the content you view on our website, which buttons or links you click on, when you access a page, which browser you use, which device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use to visit the website or which computer system you use are generally stored, for example. If you have agreed that location data may also be collected, this may also be processed by the web analysis tool provider.
Your IP address is also stored. According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), IP addresses are personal data. However, your IP address is usually stored pseudonymised (i.e. in an unrecognisable and shortened form). For the purposes of testing, web analysis and web optimisation, no direct data such as your name, age, address or email address is stored. All this data, if collected, is stored in pseudonymised form. This means that you cannot be identified as a person.
How long the respective data is stored always depends on the provider. Some cookies only store data for a few minutes or until you leave the website, while other cookies can store data for several years.
Duration of data processing
We will inform you about the duration of data processing below if we have further information on this. In general, we only process personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for the provision of our services and products. If required by law, for example in the case of accounting, this storage period may also be exceeded.
Right of objection
You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection by cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser.
Legal basis
The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie pop-up. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when it is collected by web analytics tools.
In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analysing the behaviour of website visitors in order to improve our website technically and economically. With the help of web analytics, we recognise errors on the website, can identify attacks and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Nevertheless, we only use the tools if you have given your consent.
As web analytics tools use cookies, we recommend that you also read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.
Information on special web analytics tools, if available, can be found in the following sections.
Google Analytics privacy policy
What is Google Analytics?
On our website we use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics in the version Google Analytics 4 (GA4) of the American company Google Inc. For the European area, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. However, by combining various technologies such as cookies, device IDs and login information, you can be identified as a user across different devices. This means that your actions can also be analysed across platforms.
For example, when you click on a link, this event is stored in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. The reports we receive from Google Analytics enable us to better customise our website and our service to your wishes. In the following, we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and inform you in particular about which data is processed and how you can prevent this.
Google Analytics is a tracking tool used to analyse the traffic on our website. These measurements and analyses are based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This number does not contain any personal data such as name or address, but is used to assign events to an end device. GA4 uses an event-based model that records detailed information on user interactions such as page views, clicks, scrolling and conversion events. GA4 also incorporates various machine learning functions to better understand user behaviour and certain trends. GA4 relies on modelling with the help of machine learning functions. This means that missing data can also be extrapolated on the basis of the collected data in order to optimise the analysis and also to be able to make forecasts.
For Google Analytics to work in principle, a tracking code is built into the code of our website. When you visit our website, this code records various events that you perform on our website. With GA4’s event-based data model, we as website operators can define and track specific events in order to obtain analyses of user interactions. In addition to general information such as clicks or page views, specific events that are important for our business can also be tracked. Such specific events can be, for example, the sending of a contact form or the purchase of a product.
As soon as you leave our website, this data is sent to the Google Analytics servers and stored there.
Google processes the data and we receive reports on your user behaviour. These may include the following reports:
- Target group reports: We use target group reports to get to know our users better and know more precisely who is interested in our service.
- Ad reports: Ad reports make it easier for us to analyse and improve our online advertising.
- Acquisition reports: Acquisition reports provide us with helpful information on how we can get more people interested in our service.
- Behavioural reports: Here we learn how you interact with our website. We can track which route you take on our site and which links you click on.
- Conversion reports: Conversion is a process in which you perform a desired action as a result of a marketing message. For example, when you go from being just a website visitor to a buyer or newsletter subscriber. With the help of these reports, we learn more about how our marketing measures are received by you. This is how we want to increase our conversion rate.
- Real-time reports: Here we always know immediately what is happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.
In addition to the analysis reports mentioned above, Google Analytics 4 also offers the following functions, among others:
- Event-based data model: This model records very specific events that can take place on our website. For example, playing a video, purchasing a product or subscribing to our newsletter.
- Extended analysis functions: These functions enable us to better understand your behaviour on our website or certain general trends. For example, we can segment user groups, carry out comparative analyses of target groups or track your path on our website.
- Predictive modelling: Based on collected data, missing data can be extrapolated using machine learning to predict future events and trends. This can help us to develop better marketing strategies.
- Cross-platform analysis: Data can be collected and analysed from both websites and apps. This gives us the opportunity to analyse user behaviour across platforms, provided you have of course consented to data processing.
Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?
Our aim with this website is clear: we want to offer you the best possible service. The statistics and data from Google Analytics help us to achieve this goal.
The statistically analysed data gives us a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of our website. On the one hand, we can optimise our site so that it can be found more easily by interested people on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us to better understand you as a visitor. We therefore know exactly what we need to improve on our website in order to offer you the best possible service. The data also helps us to carry out our advertising and marketing measures more individually and cost-effectively. After all, it only makes sense to show our products and services to people who are interested in them.
What data is stored by Google Analytics?
Google Analytics uses a tracking code to create a random, unique ID that is linked to your browser cookie. This allows Google Analytics to recognise you as a new user and assign you a user ID. The next time you visit our site, you will be recognised as a “returning” user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID. This makes it possible to analyse pseudonymous user profiles.
In order to be able to analyse our website with Google Analytics, a property ID must be inserted into the tracking code. The data is then saved in the corresponding property. The Google Analytics 4 property is standard for every newly created property. Depending on the property used, data is stored for different lengths of time.
Through identifiers such as cookies, app instance IDs, user IDs or user-defined event parameters, your interactions are measured across platforms if you have given your consent. Interactions are all types of actions that you perform on our website. If you also use other Google systems (such as a Google account), data generated via Google Analytics may be linked to third-party cookies. Google does not pass on any Google Analytics data unless we as the website operator authorise this. Exceptions may be made if required by law.
According to Google, no IP addresses are logged or stored in Google Analytics 4. However, Google uses the IP address data to derive location data and deletes it immediately afterwards. All IP addresses collected from users in the EU are therefore deleted before the data is stored in a data centre or on a server.
As Google Analytics 4 focuses on event-based data, the tool uses significantly fewer cookies compared to previous versions (such as Google Universal Analytics). Nevertheless, there are some specific cookies that are used by GA4. These include, for example:
Name: _ga
Wert: 2.1326744211.152322762332-5
Purpose: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the user ID. It is generally used to differentiate between website visitors.
Expiry date: after 2 years
Name: _gid
Wert: 2.1687193234.152322762332-1
Purpose: The cookie is also used to distinguish website visitors
Expiry date: after 24 hours
Name: _gat_gtag_UA_<property-id>
Value: 1
Purpose: Used to reduce the request rate. If Google Analytics is provided via the Google Tag Manager, this cookie is given the name _dc_gtm_ <property-id>.
Expiry date: after 1 minute
Note: This list cannot claim to be exhaustive, as Google is constantly changing its choice of cookies. The aim of GA4 is also to improve data protection. The tool therefore offers a number of options for controlling data collection. For example, we can set the storage period ourselves and also control data collection.
Here we show you an overview of the most important types of data that are collected with Google Analytics:
Heatmaps: Google creates so-called heatmaps. Heatmaps allow you to see exactly those areas that you click on. This gives us information about where you are “travelling” on our site.
Session duration: Google defines session duration as the time you spend on our site without leaving the page. If you have been inactive for 20 minutes, the session ends automatically.
Bounce rate: A bounce is when you only view one page on our website and then leave our website again.
Account creation: When you create an account on our website or place an order, Google Analytics collects this data.
Location: IP addresses are not logged or stored in Google Analytics. However, shortly before the IP address is deleted, derivations are used for location data.
Technical information: Technical information includes your browser type, your internet provider or your screen resolution.
Source of origin: Google Analytics or we are of course also interested in which website or which advert you came to our site from.
Other data includes contact details, any ratings, the playing of media (e.g. when you play a video on our site), the sharing of content via social media or adding it to your favourites. The list is not exhaustive and is only intended to provide a general overview of data storage by Google Analytics.
How long and where is the data stored?
Google has distributed its servers all over the world. You can find out exactly where the Google data centres are located here: https://www.google.com/about/ datacenters/locations/?hl=en
Your data is distributed on different physical data carriers. This has the advantage that the data can be retrieved more quickly and is better protected against manipulation. Every Google data centre has appropriate emergency programmes for your data. If, for example, the hardware at Google fails or natural disasters paralyse servers, the risk of a service interruption at Google remains low.
The retention period of the data depends on the properties used. The storage period is always defined separately for each individual property. Google Analytics offers us four options for controlling the storage period:
- 2 months: this is the shortest storage period.
- 14 months: by default, the data is stored in GA4 for 14 months.
- 26 months: you can also save the data for 26 months.
- Data is only deleted when we delete it manually
In addition, there is also the option that data will only be deleted if you no longer visit our website within the period of time selected by us. In this case, the retention period is reset each time you visit our website again within the specified period.
Once the specified period has expired, the data is deleted once a month. This retention period applies to your data linked to cookies, user recognition and advertising IDs (e.g. DoubleClick domain cookies). Reporting results are based on aggregated data and are stored independently of user data. Aggregated data is an amalgamation of individual data into a larger unit.
How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?
Under European Union data protection law, you have the right to obtain information about your data and to update, delete or restrict it. You can use the browser add-on to deactivate Google Analytics JavaScript (analytics.js, gtag.js) to prevent Google Analytics 4 from using your data. You can download and install the browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de. Please note that this add-on only deactivates data collection by Google Analytics.
If you want to deactivate, delete or manage cookies, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers in the “Cookies” section.
Legal basis
The use of Google Analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie pop-up. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when it is collected by web analytics tools.
In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analysing the behaviour of website visitors in order to improve our website technically and economically. With the help of Google Analytics, we recognise errors on the website, can identify attacks and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Nevertheless, we only use Google Analytics if you have given your consent.
Google also processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on this at https://commission.europa.eu/document/ fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.
Google also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with the European level of data protection when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/ oj?locale=en
The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/ adsprocessorterms/.
We hope we have been able to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Google Analytics. If you would like to find out more about the tracking service, we recommend these two links: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/ analytics/terms/en/ and https://support.google.com/analytics/.
If you want to find out more about data processing, use the Google data protection declaration at https://policies.google.com/ privacy?hl=en.
Data processing agreement (DPA) Google Analytics
We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with Google in accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can find out exactly what a DPA is and, in particular, what must be included in a DPA in our general section “Data processing agreement (DPA)”.
This contract is required by law because Google processes personal data on our behalf. It clarifies that Google may only process data that it receives from us in accordance with our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. You can find the link to the order data processing conditions at https://business.safety.google/intl.
Google Analytics reports on demographic characteristics and interests
We have activated the functions for advertising reports in Google Analytics. The reports on demographic characteristics and interests contain information on age, gender and interests. This allows us to get a better picture of our users without being able to assign this data to individual persons. You can find out more about the advertising functions at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/ 3450482?hl=en_AT&utm_id=ad.
You can stop the use of the activities and information of your Google account under “Settings for advertising” at https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated by ticking the checkbox.
Google Analytics e-commerce measurement
We also use the e-commerce measurement of the web analysis tool Google Analytics for our website. This allows us to analyse very precisely how you and all our other customers interact with our website. E-commerce measurement is primarily concerned with purchasing behaviour. We can use the data obtained to adapt and optimise our service to your wishes and expectations. We can also use our online advertising measures in a more targeted manner so that only people who are interested in our products or services see our adverts. The e-commerce measurement records, for example, which orders were placed, how long it took for you to purchase the product, the average order value or the shipping costs. All this data can be recorded and saved under a specific ID.
Google Analytics in consent mode
Depending on your consent, your personal data will be processed by Google Analytics in the so-called consent mode. You can choose whether or not to consent to Google Analytics cookies. This also allows you to choose which of your data Google Analytics may process. The data collected is mainly used to measure user behaviour on the website, to display targeted advertising and to provide us with web analytics reports. As a rule, you consent to data processing by Google via a cookie consent tool. If you do not consent to data processing, only aggregated data will be collected and processed. This means that data cannot be assigned to individual users and therefore no user profile is created for you. You can also only consent to statistical measurement. No personal data is processed and therefore not used for advertising or advertising success.
Google Analytics IP anonymisation
We have implemented IP address anonymisation from Google Analytics on this website. This function was developed by Google so that this website can comply with the applicable data protection regulations and recommendations of the local data protection authorities if they prohibit the storage of the full IP address. The anonymisation or masking of the IP takes place as soon as the IP addresses arrive in the Google Analytics data collection network and before any storage or processing of the data takes place.
You can find more information on IP anonymisation at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/ 2763052?hl=en.
Google Optimize privacy policy
We use Google Optimize, a website optimisation tool, on our website. The service provider is the American company Google Inc. For the European area, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.
Google also processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on this at https://commission.europa.eu/document/ fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.
Google also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with the European level of data protection when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de
The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google.
You can find out more about the data that is processed through the use of Google Optimise in the privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.
Web design introduction
What is web design?
We use various tools on our website that serve our web design. Web design is not, as is often assumed, just about making our website look pretty, but also about functionality and performance. But of course the right look of a website is also one of the major goals of professional web design. Web design is a branch of media design and deals with the visual as well as the structural and functional design of a website. The aim of web design is to improve your experience on our website. In web design jargon, this is referred to as user experience (UX) and usability. User experience refers to all the impressions and experiences that website visitors have on a website. Usability is a sub-item of user experience. This refers to the user-friendliness of a website. The main focus here is on ensuring that content, subpages or products are clearly structured and that you can find what you are looking for quickly and easily. In order to offer you the best possible experience on our website, we also use third-party web design tools. The “web design” category in this privacy policy therefore includes all services that improve the design of our website. These can be, for example, fonts, various plugins or other integrated web design functions.
Why do we use web design tools?
How you absorb information on a website depends very much on the structure, functionality and visual perception of the website. This is why good and professional web design has become increasingly important for us. We are constantly working on improving our website and also see this as an extended service for you as a website visitor. Furthermore, a beautiful and functioning website also has economic advantages for us. After all, you will only visit us and make use of our services if you feel completely at ease.
What data is stored by web design tools?
When you visit our website, web design elements may be integrated into our pages that can also process data. Exactly what data is involved naturally depends heavily on the tools used. Below you can see exactly which tools we use for our website. For more detailed information about data processing, we recommend that you also read the respective data privacy statements of the tools used. In most cases, this will tell you what data is processed, whether cookies are used and how long the data is stored. Fonts such as Google Fonts also automatically transmit information such as language settings, IP address, browser version, browser screen resolution and browser name to the Google servers.
Duration of data processing
How long data is processed is very individual and depends on the web design elements used. If cookies are used, for example, the storage period can be as short as one minute or as long as a few years. Please find out more about this. We recommend that you read our general text section on cookies as well as the data protection declarations of the tools used. There you can usually find out exactly which cookies are used and what information is stored in them. Google font files, for example, are stored for one year. This is to improve the loading time of a website. In principle, data is only stored for as long as is necessary for the provision of the service. Data can also be stored for longer if required by law.
Right of objection
You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. You can also prevent data collection by cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser. Under web design elements (mostly fonts), however, there is also data that cannot be deleted quite so easily. This is the case when data is automatically collected directly when a page is accessed and transmitted to a third-party provider (such as Google). In this case, please contact the support of the relevant provider. In the case of Google, you can contact support at https://support.google.com/?hl=de.
Legal basis
If you have consented to the use of web design tools, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when it is collected by web design tools. We also have a legitimate interest in improving the web design on our website. After all, only then can we provide you with an attractive and professional website. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Nevertheless, we only use web design tools if you have given your consent. We would like to emphasise this again here in any case.
Information on special web design tools – if available – can be found in the following sections.
Google Fonts privacy policy
What are Google Fonts?
We use Google Fonts on our website. These are the “Google fonts” of Google Inc. For the European area, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.
You do not need to log in or enter a password to use Google fonts. Furthermore, no cookies are stored in your browser. The files (CSS, fonts) are requested via the Google domains fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com. According to Google, requests for CSS and fonts are completely separate from all other Google services. If you have a Google account, you do not need to worry that your Google account data will be transmitted to Google while using Google Fonts. Google records the use of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and the fonts used and stores this data securely. We will take a closer look at exactly how the data is stored.
Google Fonts (formerly Google Web Fonts) is a directory of over 800 fonts that Google makes available to its users free of charge.
Many of these fonts are published under the SIL Open Font Licence, while others have been published under the Apache licence. Both are free software licences.
Why do we use Google Fonts on our website?
With Google Fonts, we can use fonts on our own website without having to upload them to our own server. Google Fonts is an important component in keeping the quality of our website high. All Google fonts are automatically optimised for the web and this saves data volume and is a great advantage, especially for use on mobile devices. When you visit our site, the low file size ensures a fast loading time. Furthermore, Google Fonts are secure web fonts. Different image synthesis systems (rendering) in different browsers, operating systems and mobile devices can lead to errors. Such errors can sometimes visually distort texts or entire websites. Thanks to the fast Content Delivery Network (CDN), there are no cross-platform problems with Google Fonts. Google Fonts supports all common browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera) and works reliably on most modern mobile operating systems, including Android 2.2+ and iOS 4.2+ (iPhone, iPad, iPod). We use Google Fonts so that we can present our entire online service as beautifully and uniformly as possible.
What data is stored by Google?
When you visit our website, the fonts are reloaded via a Google server. This external call transmits data to the Google server. In this way, Google also recognises that you or your IP address is visiting our website. The Google Fonts API was developed to reduce the use, storage and collection of end user data to what is necessary for the proper provision of fonts. Incidentally, API stands for “Application Programming Interface” and serves, among other things, as a data transmitter in the software sector.
Google Fonts stores CSS and font requests securely at Google and is therefore protected. Google can use the collected usage figures to determine how well the individual fonts are received. Google publishes the results on internal analysis pages, such as Google Analytics. Google also uses data from its own web crawler to determine which websites use Google fonts. This data is published in the Google Fonts BigQuery database. Entrepreneurs and developers use the Google web service BigQuery to analyse and move large amounts of data.
However, it should be noted that every Google Font request also automatically transmits information such as language settings, IP address, browser version, browser screen resolution and browser name to the Google servers. It is not clear whether this data is also stored or whether it is clearly communicated by Google.
How long and where is the data stored?
Google stores requests for CSS assets for one day on its servers, which are mainly located outside the EU. This allows us to use the fonts with the help of a Google stylesheet. A stylesheet is a format template that can be used to quickly and easily change the design or font of a website, for example.
The font files are stored by Google for one year. Google’s aim is to fundamentally improve the loading time of websites. If millions of websites refer to the same fonts, they are cached after the first visit and immediately reappear on all other websites visited later. Google sometimes updates font files to reduce the file size, increase language coverage and improve the design.
How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?
The data that Google stores for one day or one year cannot simply be deleted. The data is automatically transmitted to Google when the page is accessed. To delete this data prematurely, you must contact Google support at https://support.google.com/?hl=de&tid=322762332. In this case, you can only prevent data storage if you do not visit our site.
Unlike other web fonts, Google allows us unrestricted access to all fonts. This means we have unlimited access to a sea of fonts and can therefore get the best out of our website. You can find out more about Google Fonts and other issues at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq?tid=322762332. Although Google addresses data protection issues there, it does not provide any really detailed information about data storage. It is relatively difficult to get really precise information from Google about stored data.
Legal basis
If you have consented to the use of Google Fonts, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when Google Fonts is used.
We also have a legitimate interest in using Google Font to optimise our online service. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Nevertheless, we only use Google Font if you have given your consent.
Google also processes your data in the USA, among other places. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on this at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.
Google also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with the European level of data protection when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de
The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/.
You can also find out which data is generally collected by Google and what this data is used for at https://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/.
Google Fonts Local Privacy Policy
We use Google Fonts from Google Inc. on our website. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for the European region. We have integrated the Google fonts locally, i.e. on our web server – not on Google’s servers. This means that there is no connection to Google servers and therefore no data transfer or storage.
What are Google Fonts?
Google Fonts used to also be called Google Web Fonts. This is an interactive directory with over 800 fonts that Google provides free of charge. With Google Fonts, you could use fonts without uploading them to your own server. However, in order to prevent any transfer of information to Google servers in this respect, we have downloaded the fonts to our server. In this way, we act in accordance with data protection regulations and do not send any data to Google Fonts.
Explanation of terms used
We always endeavour to write our privacy policy as clearly and comprehensibly as possible. However, this is not always easy, especially when it comes to technical and legal topics. It often makes sense to use legal terms (such as personal data) or certain technical terms (such as cookies, IP address). However, we do not want to use these without explanation. Below you will find an alphabetical list of important terms used, which we may not have sufficiently addressed in the previous privacy policy. If these terms have been taken from the GDPR and are definitions, we will also quote the GDPR texts here and add our own explanations if necessary.
Supervisory authority
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
‘supervisory authority’ means an independent public authority established by a Member State in accordance with Article 51;
Explanation: “Supervisory authorities” are always independent state institutions that are also authorised to issue instructions in certain cases. They serve to carry out so-called state supervision and are located in ministries, special departments or other authorities. For data protection in Austria, there is an Austrian data protection authority; for Germany, there is a separate data protection authority for each federal state.
Processor
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“Processor” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller;
Explanation: As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data that we process from you. In addition to controllers, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or person that processes personal data on our behalf. In addition to service providers such as tax consultants, processors can therefore also be hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.
Supervisory authority concerned
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“supervisory authority concerned” means a supervisory authority that is concerned by the processing of personal data because
a)
the controller or processor is established in the territory of the Member State of that supervisory authority,
b)
this processing has or may have a significant impact on data subjects residing in the Member State of that supervisory authority, or
c)
a complaint has been submitted to this supervisory authority;
Explanation: In Germany, each federal state has its own supervisory authority for data protection. So if your company headquarters (main branch) is in Germany, the respective supervisory authority of the federal state is generally your point of contact. In Austria, there is only one supervisory authority for data protection for the entire country.
Biometric data
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
‘biometric data’ means personal data relating to the physical, physiological or behavioural characteristics of a natural person, obtained using specific technical procedures, which allow or confirm the unique identification of that natural person, such as facial images or dactyloscopic data;
Explanation: These are biological characteristics that are described by biometric data and from which personal data can be obtained with the help of technical processes. These include DNA, fingerprints, the geometry of various body parts, body size, but also handwriting or the sound of a voice.
File system
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“file system” means any structured collection of personal data that is accessible according to specific criteria, regardless of whether this collection is managed centrally, decentrally or according to functional or geographical aspects;
Explanation: Any organised storage of data on a data carrier of a computer is referred to as a “file system”. For example, if we store your name and email address on a server for our newsletter, then this data is stored in a so-called “file system”. The most important tasks of a “file system” include quickly searching for and finding specific data and, of course, securely storing the data.
Service of the information society
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
‘information society service’ means a service as defined in point (1)(b) of Article 1 of Directive (EU) 2015/1535 of the European Parliament and of the Council (19);
Explanation: Basically, the term “information society” refers to a society that is based on information and communication technologies. As a website visitor in particular, you are familiar with various types of online services and most online services are categorised as “information society services”. A classic example of this is an online transaction, such as the purchase of goods over the Internet.
Third
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“third party” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body other than the data subject, controller, processor and persons who, under the direct authority of the controller or processor, are authorised to process personal data;
Explanation: The GDPR basically only explains what a “third party” is not. In practice, a “third party” is anyone who also has an interest in the personal data but is not one of the above-mentioned persons, authorities or organisations. For example, a parent company can act as a “third party”. In this case, the subsidiary group is the controller and the parent group is the “third party”. However, this does not mean that the parent company is automatically authorised to view, collect or store the personal data of the subsidiary company.
Restriction of processing
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“Restriction of processing” means the marking of stored personal data with the aim of restricting its future processing;
Explanation: One of your rights is that you can request processors to restrict your personal data for further processing operations at any time. For this purpose, specific personal data such as your name, your date of birth or your address will be marked in such a way that further processing is no longer possible. For example, you could restrict processing to the effect that your data may no longer be used for personalised advertising.
Consent
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“Consent” of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her;
Explanation: As a rule, such consent is given via a cookie consent tool on websites. You are probably familiar with this. Whenever you visit a website for the first time, you are usually asked via a banner whether you agree or consent to data processing. In most cases, you can also make individual settings and thus decide for yourself which data processing you allow and which you do not. If you do not give your consent, your personal data may not be processed. In principle, consent can of course also be given in writing, i.e. not via a tool.
Receiver
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“recipient” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or another body, to which the personal data are disclosed, whether a third party or not. However, public authorities which may receive personal data in the framework of a particular enquiry in accordance with Union or Member State law shall not be regarded as recipients; the processing of those data by those public authorities shall be in compliance with the applicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing;
Explanation: Every person and every company that receives personal data is considered a recipient. This means that we and our processors are also so-called recipients. Only authorities that have an investigation mandate are not considered recipients.
Genetic data
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
‘genetic data’ means personal data relating to the inherited or acquired genetic characteristics of a natural person, which provide unique information about the physiology or health of that natural person and which have been obtained in particular from the analysis of a biological sample from the natural person concerned;
Explanation: With a certain amount of effort, people can be identified using genetic data. This is why genetic data is also categorised as personal data. Genetic data is obtained from blood or saliva samples, for example.
Health data
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“health data” means personal data relating to the physical or mental health of a natural person, including the provision of healthcare services, and from which information about their health status is derived;
Explanation: Health data therefore includes all stored information relating to your own health. This is often data that is also recorded in a patient file. This includes, for example, which medication you use, X-ray images, your entire medical history or, as a rule, your immunisation status.
Cross-border processing
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“cross-border processing” either
a)
processing of personal data carried out in the context of the activities of establishments of a controller or processor in the Union in more than one Member State, where the controller or processor is established in more than one Member State, or
b)
processing of personal data carried out in the context of the activities of a single establishment of a controller or processor in the Union, but which produces or is likely to produce significant effects on data subjects in more than one Member State;
Explanation: If, for example, a company or other organisation has branches in Spain and Croatia and personal data is processed in connection with the activities of the branches, this constitutes “cross-border processing” of personal data. Even if the data is only processed in one country (as in this example in Spain), but the effects for the data subject are also recognisable in another country, this is also referred to as “cross-border processing”.
Head office
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“Head office”
a)
in the case of a controller with establishments in more than one Member State, the place of its head office in the Union, unless the decisions as to the purposes and means of the processing of personal data are taken in another establishment of the controller in the Union and that establishment is authorised to have those decisions implemented, in which case the establishment taking such decisions shall be considered to be the main establishment;
b)
in the case of a processor with establishments in more than one Member State, the place of its head office in the Union or, where the processor has no head office in the Union, the place of establishment of the processor in the Union where the processing activities in the context of the activities of an establishment of a processor are principally carried out, insofar as the processor is subject to specific obligations under this Regulation;
Explanation: Although Google, for example, is an American company that also processes data in the USA, its European headquarters are located in Ireland (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland). Google Ireland Limited is therefore legally an independent company and is responsible for all Google products offered in the European Economic Area. In contrast to a main office, there are also branch offices, but these do not function as legally independent branches and are therefore to be distinguished from subsidiaries. A principal place of business is therefore always the place where a company (trading company) has its centre of operations.
International organisation
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
‘international organisation‘ means an international organisation and its subordinate bodies or any other body established by, or on the basis of, an agreement concluded between two or more countries.
Explanation: The best-known examples of international organisations are probably the European Union or the United Nations. The GDPR distinguishes between third countries and international organisations in connection with data transfer. Within the EU, the transfer of personal data is not a problem because all EU countries are bound by the provisions of the GDPR. On the other hand, data transfers with third countries or international organisations are subject to certain conditions.
Relevant and well-founded objection
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
‘relevant and reasoned objection’ means an objection to a draft decision as to whether there is an infringement of this Regulation or whether intended action against the controller or processor complies with this Regulation, which clearly demonstrates the significance of the risks posed by the draft decision as regards the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects and, where applicable, the free flow of personal data in the Union;
Explanation: If certain measures that we take as controllers or our processors do not comply with the GDPR, you can raise a so-called “relevant and reasoned objection”. In doing so, you must explain the scope of the risks in relation to your fundamental rights and freedoms and possibly the free movement of your personal data in the EU.
Personal data
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“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 or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person;
Explanation: Personal data is therefore all data that can identify you as a person. This is usually data such as
- Name
- Address
- E-mail address
- Postal address
- Telephone number
- Date of birth
- Identification numbers such as national insurance number, tax identification number, identity card number or matriculation number
- Bank data such as account number, credit information, account balances and much more.
According to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), your IP address is also considered personal data. IT experts can use your IP address to determine at least the approximate location of your device and subsequently identify you as the owner of the connection. Therefore, the storage of an IP address also requires a legal basis within the meaning of the GDPR. There are also so-called “special categories” of personal data, which are also particularly worthy of protection. These include
- racial and ethnic origin
- political opinions
- Religious or ideological convictions
- trade union membership
- genetic data such as data taken from blood or saliva samples
- biometric data (i.e. information on mental, physical or behavioural characteristics that can identify a person).
Health data - Data on sexual orientation or sexual life
Profiling
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“Profiling” means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyse or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, location or movements;
Explanation: Profiling involves collecting various pieces of information about a person in order to find out more about them. In the web sector, profiling is often used for advertising purposes or for credit checks. Web and advertising analysis programs collect data about your behaviour and interests on a website, for example. This results in a special user profile that can be used to target advertising to a specific target group.
Pseudonymisation
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“Pseudonymisation” means the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person;
Explanation: Our privacy policy often refers to pseudonymised data. Pseudonymised data means that you can no longer be identified as a person, unless other information is added. However, you should not confuse pseudonymisation with anonymisation. Anonymisation removes any personal reference, meaning that this can only be reconstructed with a disproportionate amount of technical effort.
The company
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“company” means a natural and legal person that carries out an economic activity, regardless of its legal form, including partnerships or associations that regularly carry out an economic activity;
Explanation: For example, we are a company and also carry out an economic activity via our website by offering and selling services and/or products. The formal characteristic of every company is its legal entity, such as a GmbH or AG.
Group of companies
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“group of companies” means a group consisting of a controlling company and the companies dependent on it;
Explanation: We speak of a “group of companies” when several companies combine and are legally and financially linked to each other, but there is still a central, overarching company. For example, Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus VR or Facebook are largely independent companies, but are all subject to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc.
Person responsible
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“controller” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law;
Explanation: In our case, we are responsible for the processing of your personal data and are therefore the “controller”. If we pass on collected data to other service providers for processing, they are “processors”. An “order processing contract (AVV)” must be signed for this.
Processing
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction;
Note: When we refer to processing in our privacy policy, we mean any kind of data processing. As mentioned above in the original GDPR declaration, this includes not only the collection but also the storage and processing of data.
Binding internal data protection regulations
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
‘binding corporate rules’ means measures for the protection of personal data which a controller or processor established in the territory of a Member State undertakes to implement with regard to transfers or a set of transfers of personal data to a controller or processor within the same group of undertakings or the same group of undertakings engaged in a joint economic activity in one or more third countries;
Explanation: You may have heard or read the term “Binding Corporate Rules” before. After all, this is the term that usually appears when it comes to binding internal data protection regulations. Especially for companies (such as Google) that process data in third countries, it is advisable to have such an internal regulation, through which a company commits itself, so to speak, to comply with data protection regulations. This regulation governs the handling of personal data that is transferred to and processed in third countries.
Violation of the protection of personal data
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
“personal data breach” means a breach of security leading to the destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed, whether accidental or unlawful;
Explanation: For example, a “personal data breach” can occur in the event of a data leak, i.e. a technical problem or a cyberattack. If the breach results in a risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, the controller must immediately report the incident to the competent supervisory authority. In addition, the data subjects must also be informed if the breach poses a high risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons.
Representative
Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR
For the purposes of this Regulation, the term:
‘representative’ means a natural or legal person established in the Union who has been appointed in writing by the controller or processor in accordance with Article 27 and who represents the controller or processor in relation to their respective obligations under this Regulation;
Explanation: A “representative” can therefore be any person who has been appointed in writing by us (controller) or one of our service providers (processor). Companies outside the EU that process data of EU citizens must specify a representative within the EU. For example, if a web analytics provider has its main office in the USA, it must appoint a “representative” within the European Union to fulfil its obligations in relation to data processing.
Closing words
Congratulations! If you are reading this, you have really “fought” your way through our entire privacy policy, or at least scrolled this far. As you can see from the scope of our privacy policy, we do not take the protection of your personal data lightly.
It is important to us to inform you about the processing of personal data to the best of our knowledge and belief. However, we don’t just want to tell you which data is processed, but also explain the reasons for using various software programmes. As a rule, privacy policies sound very technical and legal. However, as most of you are not web developers or lawyers, we wanted to take a different approach and explain the facts in simple and clear language. Of course, this is not always possible due to the subject matter. The most important terms are therefore explained in more detail at the end of the privacy policy.
If you have any questions about data protection on our website, please do not hesitate to contact us or the responsible organisation. We wish you a pleasant time and hope to welcome you back to our website soon.
All texts are protected by copyright.
Source: Created with the Data Protection Generator from AdSimple