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Data protection

Introduction

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

The terms used are not gender specific.

As of July 20, 2022

Table of Contents

Responsible

fothermo System AG
In the strong field 45b
89231 Neu-Ulm
Germany

Authorized persons:

Manuel Masenko

E-mail address:

Info@fothermo.com

Imprint:

https://fothermo.myshopify.com/pages/imprint

Overview of processing

The following overview summarizes the types of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the data subjects.

Types of data processed

  • inventory data.
  • payment details.
  • Contact details.
  • content data.
  • contract data.
  • usage data.
  • Meta/Communication Data.
  • Event Data (Facebook).

Categories of data subjects

  • Customers.
  • Interested persons.
  • communication partner.
  • user.
  • Sweepstakes and Contest Entrants.
  • business and contractual partners.
  • Participant.

purposes of processing

  • Provision of contractual services and customer service.
  • Contact Requests and Communication.
  • Safety measures.
  • direct marketing.
  • range measurement.
  • tracking.
  • office and organizational procedures.
  • conversion measurement.
  • Affiliate Tracking.
  • Management and response to inquiries.
  • Conducting sweepstakes and competitions.
  • feedback.
  • Marketing.
  • Profiles with user-related information.
  • Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
  • information technology infrastructure.

Relevant legal bases

Below you will find an overview of the legal bases of the GDPR, on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that, in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. If more specific legal bases are relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of them in the data protection declaration.

  • Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR) - The person concerned has given their consent to the processing of their personal data for a specific purpose or several specific purposes.
  • Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b) GDPR) - The processing is necessary for the fulfillment of a contract to which the data subject is party, or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures which are required at the request of the data subject take place.
  • Legal obligation (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. c) GDPR) - The processing is necessary to fulfill a legal obligation to which the person responsible is subject.
  • Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR) - Processing is necessary to safeguard the legitimate interests of the person responsible or a third party, unless the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject, which protect personal Data require prevail.

In addition to the data protection regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation, national data protection regulations apply in Germany. This includes in particular the law on the protection against misuse of personal data in data processing (Federal Data Protection Act - BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special regulations on the right to information, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes and transmission as well as automated decision-making in individual cases including profiling. Furthermore, it regulates data processing for the purposes of the employment relationship (§ 26 BDSG), in particular with regard to the establishment, implementation or termination of employment relationships and the consent of employees. Furthermore, state data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

Safety measures

We take appropriate technical and organizational measures in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the implementation costs and the type, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the extent of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

The measures include, in particular, securing the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access, input, disclosure, securing availability and their separation. Furthermore, we have set up procedures that ensure the exercise of data subject rights, the deletion of data and reactions to data threats. Furthermore, we already take the protection of personal data into account during the development or selection of hardware, software and processes in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

SSL encryption (https): In order to protect your data transmitted via our online offer, we use SSL encryption. You can recognize such encrypted connections by the prefix https:// in the address line of your browser.

Transmission of personal data

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

Data processing in third countries

If we process data in a third country (i.e. outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or the processing within the framework of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transmission of data to other persons, bodies or companies takes place, this is only done in accordance with the legal requirements.

Subject to express consent or contractually or legally required transmission, we only process or have the data processed in third countries with a recognized level of data protection, contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission, if there are certifications or binding internal data protection regulations (Art. 44 to 49 DSGVO, Information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_de ).

deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as your consent to processing is revoked or other permissions are no longer applicable (e.g. if the purpose of processing this data no longer applies or it is not required for the purpose). If the data is not deleted because it is required for other, legally permissible purposes, its processing will be limited to these purposes. This means that the data will be blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be stored for commercial or tax reasons or whose storage is necessary to assert, exercise or defend legal claims or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person.

Our data protection information can also contain further information on the storage and deletion of data, which apply primarily to the respective processing.

Use of cookies

Cookies are small text files or other memory notes that store information on end devices and read information from the end devices. For example, to save the login status in a user account, the content of a shopping cart in an e-shop, the content accessed or the functions used in an online offer. Cookies can also be used for various purposes, e.g. for purposes of functionality, security and comfort of online offers as well as the creation of analyzes of visitor flows.

Notes on consent: We use cookies in accordance with legal regulations. Therefore, we obtain prior consent from users, except where not required by law. In particular, consent is not necessary if the storage and reading of the information, including cookies, is absolutely necessary in order to provide the users with a telemedia service (i.e. our online offer) that they have expressly requested. The revocable consent is clearly communicated to the users and contains the information on the respective cookie use.

Notes on the legal basis for data protection: The legal basis under data protection law on which we process the personal data of users with the help of cookies depends on whether we ask users for their consent. If the users consent, the legal basis for the processing of your data is the declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the commercial operation of our online offer and improving its usability) or, if this is done in the context of fulfilling our contractual obligations, if the use of cookies is necessary to enable our to fulfill contractual obligations. We will explain the purposes for which we process cookies in the course of this data protection declaration or as part of our consent and processing processes.

Storage period: With regard to the storage period, the following types of cookies are distinguished:

  • Temporary cookies (also: session or session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed his end device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
  • Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the end device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, the user data collected with the help of cookies can be used to measure reach. Unless we provide users with explicit information on the type and storage period of cookies (e.g. when obtaining consent), users should assume that cookies are permanent and the storage period can be up to two years.

General information on revocation and objection (opt-out): Users can revoke the consent they have given at any time and also object to the processing in accordance with the legal requirements in Art. 21 DSGVO. Users can also declare their objection via their browser settings, e.g. by deactivating the use of cookies (which can also limit the functionality of our online services). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared via the websites https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/ .

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Processing of cookie data on the basis of consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure, in the context of which the user consents to the use of cookies or the processing mentioned in the context of the cookie consent management procedure and providers can be obtained and managed and revoked by the users. The declaration of consent is stored here so that the query does not have to be repeated and to be able to prove the consent in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie, or with the help of comparable technologies) in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or his device. Subject to individual information about the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of the consent can be up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created and stored with the time of the consent, information on the scope of the consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) and the browser, system and end device used.

Business Achievements

We process the data of our contractual and business partners, e.g. customers and interested parties (collectively referred to as "contractual partners") within the framework of contractual and comparable legal relationships and related measures and within the framework of communication with the contractual partners (or pre-contractual), e.g respond.

We process this data to fulfill our contractual obligations. This includes in particular the obligations to provide the agreed services, any updating obligations and remedy in the case of warranty and other service disruptions. In addition, we process the data to protect our rights and for the purpose of the administrative tasks associated with these obligations and the corporate organization. In addition, we process the data on the basis of our legitimate interests in proper and economical business management and security measures to protect our contractual partners and our business operations from misuse, endangerment of their data, secrets, information and rights (e.g. to involve telecommunications, transport and other auxiliary services as well as subcontractors, banks, tax and legal advisors, payment service providers or tax authorities). Within the framework of the applicable law, we only pass on the data of contractual partners to third parties to the extent that this is necessary for the aforementioned purposes or to fulfill legal obligations. The contractual partners will be informed about other forms of processing, e.g. for marketing purposes, within the scope of this data protection declaration.

We inform the contractual partners which data is required for the aforementioned purposes before or during data collection, e.g. in online forms, by means of special markings (e.g. colours) or symbols (e.g. asterisks or similar), or personally.

We delete the data after statutory warranty and comparable obligations have expired, ie, in principle after 4 years, unless the data is stored in a customer account, e.g. for as long as it must be kept for legal archiving reasons. The statutory retention period is ten years for documents relevant to tax law and for trading books, inventories, opening balance sheets, annual financial statements, the work instructions and other organizational documents and accounting documents required to understand these documents, and six years for received commercial and business letters and reproductions of the commercial and business letters sent. The period begins at the end of the calendar year in which the last entry was made in the book, the inventory, the opening balance sheet, the annual financial statements or the management report were drawn up, the commercial or business letter was received or sent or the accounting document was created, and the recording was also made has been made or the other documents have been created.

Insofar as we use third-party providers or platforms to provide our services, the terms and conditions and data protection notices of the respective third-party providers or platforms apply in the relationship between the users and the providers.

  • Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); Contact information (e.g. email, phone numbers); Contract data (e.g. subject of the contract, term, customer category); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: customers; Interested persons; business and contractual partners.
  • Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; Safety measures; contact requests and communication; office and organizational procedures; Management and response to inquiries.
  • Legal basis: Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Legal obligation (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. c) GDPR); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Customer account: Contractual partners can create an account within our online offer (e.g. customer or user account, "customer account" for short). If it is necessary to register a customer account, contractual partners will be informed of this as well as of the information required for registration. Customer accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. As part of the registration and subsequent registrations and uses of the customer account, we store the IP addresses of the customers together with the access times in order to be able to prove the registration and to prevent any misuse of the customer account. If customers have terminated their customer account, the data relating to the customer account will be deleted, subject to their retention being required for legal reasons. Customers are responsible for backing up their data upon termination of the customer account; Legal basis: Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
  • Shop and e-commerce: We process the data of our customers in order to enable them to select, purchase or order the selected products, goods and associated services, as well as their payment and delivery or execution. If necessary for the execution of an order, we use service providers, in particular postal, forwarding and shipping companies, to carry out the delivery or execution for our customers. We use the services of banks and payment service providers to process payment transactions. The required information is marked as such in the context of the ordering or comparable acquisition process and includes the information required for delivery or provision and billing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultation; Legal basis: Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

In order to be able to provide our online offer securely and efficiently, we use the services of one or more web hosting providers from whose servers (or servers managed by them) the online offer can be accessed. For these purposes, we may use infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services, as well as security services and technical maintenance services.

The data processed as part of the provision of the hosting offer may include all information relating to the users of our online offer that arises in the context of use and communication. This regularly includes the IP address, which is necessary in order to be able to deliver the content of online offers to browsers, and all entries made within our online offer or on websites.

  • Types of data processed: content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; Information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.).).
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Collection of access data and log files: We ourselves (or our web hosting provider) collect data for every access to the server (so-called server log files). The address and name of the retrieved websites and files, date and time of retrieval, amounts of data transferred, notification of successful retrieval, browser type and version, the user's operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP Addresses and the requesting provider belong. The server log files can be used on the one hand for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the server (especially in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and on the other hand to ensure server utilization and stability; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or made anonymous. Data whose further storage is required for evidence purposes are excluded from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified.

Blogs and publication media

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

  • Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact information (e.g. email, phone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; Safety measures; Management and response to inquiries.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Comments and Posts: When users leave comments or other posts, their IP addresses may be stored based on our legitimate interests. This is for our security if someone leaves illegal content in comments and posts (insults, forbidden political propaganda, etc.). In this case, we can be prosecuted for the comment or contribution and are therefore interested in the identity of the author. Furthermore, we reserve the right to process user information for the purpose of spam detection on the basis of our legitimate interests. On the same legal basis, in the case of surveys, we reserve the right to store the IP addresses of users for the duration of the survey and to use cookies to avoid multiple votes. The personal information provided in the comments and posts, any contact and website information as well as the content will be stored by us permanently until the user objects; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Contact and request management

When contacting us (e.g. via contact form, e-mail, telephone or via social media) as well as in the context of existing user and business relationships, the details of the requesting person are processed to the extent necessary to answer the contact request and any requested measures.

The answering of contact inquiries as well as the administration of contact and inquiry data within the framework of contractual or pre-contractual relationships takes place to fulfill our contractual obligations or to answer (pre)contractual inquiries and otherwise on the basis of the legitimate interests in answering the inquiries and maintenance of User or Business Relationships.

  • Types of data processed: contact details (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: communication partners.
  • Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; contact requests and communication; managing and responding to inquiries; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
  • Legal basis: Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Contact form: If users contact us via our contact form, e-mail or other communication channels, we process the data communicated to us in this context to process the communicated request. For this purpose, we process personal data within the framework of pre-contractual and contractual business relationships, insofar as this is necessary for their fulfillment and otherwise on the basis of our legitimate interests and the interests of the communication partners in answering the concerns and our legal storage obligations; Legal basis: Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Newsletters and electronic notifications

We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter "newsletters") only with the consent of the recipient or legal permission. If the content of the newsletter is specifically described when registering for it, it is decisive for the consent of the user. Our newsletter also contains information about our services and us.

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

Double opt-in procedure: Registration for our newsletter takes place in a so-called double opt-in procedure. This means that after registration you will receive an e-mail in which you will be asked to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that nobody can register with someone else's e-mail address. The registrations for the newsletter are logged in order to be able to prove the registration process in accordance with the legal requirements. This includes storing the time of registration and confirmation as well as the IP address. Changes to your data stored by the shipping service provider are also logged.

Deletion and restriction of processing: We can store the unsubscribed e-mail addresses for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests before we delete them in order to be able to prove a previously given consent. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. An individual request for deletion is possible at any time, provided that the previous existence of consent is confirmed at the same time. In the case of obligations to permanently observe contradictions, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address in a blacklist (so-called "blocklist") solely for this purpose.

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

Content:

Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.

  • Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact information (e.g. email, phone numbers); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  • Affected persons: communication partners.
  • Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).
  • Possibility of objection (opt-out): You can cancel the receipt of our newsletter at any time, ie revoke your consent or object to further receipt. You will find a link to cancel the newsletter either at the end of each newsletter or you can use one of the contact options given above, preferably e-mail.

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Measurement of opening and click rates: The newsletters contain a so-called "web beacon", ie a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from our server when the newsletter is opened or, if we use a shipping service provider, from their server of this retrieval, technical information, such as information about the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and the time of retrieval, is initially collected.This information is used to technically improve our newsletter on the basis of the technical data or the target groups and their reading behavior on the basis of their Retrieval locations (which can be determined using the IP address) or access times are used.This analysis also includes determining whether the newsletters are opened and when they are opened.
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR).
  • Mailchimp: email sending and email marketing platform; Service Provider: Rocket Science Group, LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE #5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://mailchimp.com ; Privacy Policy: https://mailchimp.com/legal/ ; Order processing agreement: https://mailchimp.com/legal/ ; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring the level of data protection when processing in third countries): inclusion in the order processing contract; More information: Special security measures: https://mailchimp.com/help/Mailchimp-european-data-transfers/ .

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

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

The recipients have the right to revoke their consent at any time or to object to advertising communication at any time.

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

  • Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact information (e.g. email, phone numbers).
  • Affected persons: communication partners.
  • Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Sweepstakes and Contests

We process the personal data of participants in sweepstakes and competitions only in compliance with the relevant data protection regulations, insofar as the processing is contractually required for the provision, implementation and processing of the sweepstakes, the participants have consented to the processing or the processing serves our legitimate interests (e.g. in the security of the competition or the protection of our interests from misuse by possible collection of IP addresses when submitting competition entries).

If entries by participants are published as part of the competition (e.g. as part of a voting or presentation of the competition entries or the winners or reporting on the competition), we would like to point out that the names of the participants may also be published in this context. The participants can object to this at any time.

If the competition takes place within an online platform or a social network (e.g. Facebook or Instagram, hereinafter referred to as "online platform"), the usage and data protection provisions of the respective platforms also apply. In these cases, we would like to point out that we are responsible for the information provided by the participants in the context of the competition and inquiries regarding the competition are to be addressed to us.

The participants' data will be deleted as soon as the sweepstakes or competition has ended and the data is no longer required to inform the winners or because queries about the sweepstakes are to be expected. In principle, the data of the participants will be deleted no later than 6 months after the end of the competition. Winners' data may be retained for a longer period of time, for example in order to be able to answer questions about the prizes or to be able to fulfill the prizes; in this case, the retention period depends on the type of prize and is, for example, up to three years for items or services in order to be able to process warranty cases, for example. Furthermore, the data of the participants can be stored longer, for example in the form of reporting on the competition in online and offline media.

If data was also collected for other purposes as part of the competition, its processing and storage period are based on the data protection notices for this use (e.g. in the case of registration for the newsletter as part of a competition).

  • Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: Sweepstakes and competition participants.
  • Purposes of processing: conducting sweepstakes and competitions.
  • Legal basis: Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

polls and surveys

We conduct surveys and surveys to collect information for the specific survey or survey purpose communicated. The polls and surveys we conduct (hereinafter "surveys") are evaluated anonymously. Personal data is only processed to the extent that this is necessary for the provision and technical implementation of the surveys (e.g. processing the IP address to display the survey in the user's browser or to enable the survey to be resumed using a cookie).

  • Types of data processed: contact details (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: communication partners; Participant.
  • Purposes of processing: Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form).
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

Web analysis, monitoring and optimization

The web analysis (also referred to as "reach measurement") serves to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offer and can include behavior, interests or demographic information about the visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of the range analysis, we can, for example, identify at what time our online offer or its functions or content are used most frequently or invite people to use them again. We can also understand which areas need optimization.

In addition to web analysis, we can also use test procedures, for example to test and optimize different versions of our online offering or its components.

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

The IP addresses of the users are also saved. However, we use an IP masking process (ie pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (e.g. e-mail addresses or names) are stored in the context of web analysis, A/B testing and optimization, but pseudonyms. This means that we and the providers of the software used do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purposes of the respective process.

  • Types of data processed: usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: range measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Profiles with user-related information (creating user profiles); Tracking (e.g. interest/behavioural profiling, use of cookies); Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
  • Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

Online marketing

We process personal data for online marketing purposes, which may include the marketing of advertising space or the presentation of advertising and other content (collectively referred to as "content") based on the potential interests of users and the measurement of their effectiveness.

For these purposes, so-called user profiles are created and stored in a file (so-called "cookie") or similar processes are used, by means of which the information about the user relevant to the presentation of the aforementioned content is stored. This information can include, for example, content viewed, websites visited, online networks used, but also communication partners and technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times and functions used. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, this can also be processed.

The IP addresses of the users are also saved. However, we use available IP masking procedures (ie pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) are stored as part of the online marketing process, but pseudonyms. This means that we and the providers of the online marketing process do not know the actual identity of the users, only the information stored in their profiles.

The information in the profiles is usually stored in the cookies or by means of similar processes. These cookies can later generally also be read on other websites that use the same online marketing process and analyzed for the purpose of displaying content, as well as supplemented with further data and stored on the server of the online marketing process provider.

As an exception, clear data can be assigned to the profiles. This is the case, for example, if the users are members of a social network whose online marketing process we use and the network connects the user's profile with the aforementioned information. We kindly ask you to note that users can make additional agreements with the providers, e.g. by giving their consent during registration.

In principle, we only receive access to summarized information about the success of our advertisements. However, we can use so-called conversion measurements to check which of our online marketing processes have led to a so-called conversion, ie, to a contract with us, for example. The conversion measurement is only used to analyze the success of our marketing measures.

Unless otherwise stated, please assume that cookies used will be stored for a period of two years.

  • Types of data processed: usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: range measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Tracking (e.g. interest/behavioural profiling, use of cookies); Marketing; Profiles with user-related information (creating user profiles); Conversion measurement (measurement of the effectiveness of marketing measures).
  • Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR).
  • Possibility of objection (opt-out): We refer to the data protection notices of the respective providers and the possibilities of objection specified for the providers (so-called "opt-out"). If no explicit opt-out option has been specified, you can turn off cookies in your browser settings. However, this can limit the functions of our online offer. We therefore also recommend the following opt-out options, which are offered in summary for the respective areas: a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu . b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices . c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices . d) Cross-Territory: https://optout.aboutads.info .

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Google Ads and conversion measurement: We use the online marketing process "Google Ads" to place ads on the Google advertising network (e.g., in search results, in videos, on websites, etc.) so that they are displayed to users who have a presumed interest in the ads (so-called "conversion"). We also measure the conversion of the ads. However, we only find out the anonymous total number of users who clicked on our ad and were forwarded to a page with a so-called "conversion tracking tag". However, we do not receive any information that could be used to identify users; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com ; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy ; Further information: Types of processing and the data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices ; Data processing terms between controllers and standard contractual clauses for third-country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms .

Affiliate Programs and Affiliate Links

We include so-called affiliate links or other references (which may include, for example, search masks, widgets or discount codes) to the offers and services of third parties in our online offer (collectively referred to as "affiliate links"). If users follow the affiliate links or subsequently take advantage of the offers, we may receive a commission or other benefits from these third parties (collectively referred to as "commission").

In order to be able to track whether the users have taken advantage of the offers of an affiliate link used by us, it is necessary for the respective third-party providers to know that the users have followed an affiliate link used within our online offer. The assignment of the affiliate links to the respective business transactions or to other actions (e.g. purchases) serves solely the purpose of the commission statement and is canceled as soon as it is no longer required for the purpose.

For the purposes of the aforementioned assignment of the affiliate links, the affiliate links can be supplemented with certain values ​​that are part of the link or can be stored in some other way, e.g. in a cookie. The values ​​can include, in particular, the source website (referrer), the time, an online ID of the operator of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online ID of the respective offer, the type of link used, the type of offer and an online identifier of the user.

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (ie interest in efficient, economical and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to draw your attention to the information on the use of cookies in this data protection declaration.

  • Types of data processed: contract data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: affiliate tracking.
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Customer reviews and rating methods

We participate in review and rating processes to evaluate, optimize, and promote our services. If users rate us via the rating platforms or methods involved or give us feedback in any other way, the general terms and conditions of business or terms of use and the data protection notices of the providers also apply. As a rule, the evaluation also requires registration with the respective providers.

In order to ensure that the reviewers have actually used our services, we transmit the data required for this with regard to the customer and the service used to the respective rating platform (including name, e-mail address and order number or article number). This data is only used to verify the authenticity of the user.

  • Types of data processed: contract data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: customers; Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); Marketing.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Evaluation widget: We integrate so-called "evaluation widgets" into our online offer. A widget is a function and content element integrated into our online offer that displays variable information. It can, for example, take the form of a seal or comparable element, sometimes also " Badge". The corresponding content of the widget is displayed within our online offer, but it is retrieved from the servers of the respective widget provider at that moment. This is the only way to always show the current content, especially the respective Current rating. To do this, a data connection must be established from the website called up within our online offer to the widget provider's server and the widget provider receives certain technical data (access data, including IP address) that are necessary for the content of the widget to be displayed can be delivered to the user's browser r Information that users have visited our online offer. This information can be stored in a cookie and used by the widget provider to identify which online offers that participate in the evaluation process have been visited by the user. The information may be stored in a user profile and used for advertising or market research purposes; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).
  • Trusted Shops (Trustedbadge): rating platform (Trustedbadge); Service provider: Trusted Shops GmbH, Subbelrather Str. 15C, 50823 Cologne, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.trustedshops.de ; Data protection declaration: https://www.trustedshops.de/impressum/#datenschutz .
  • Trustpilot: review platform; Service Provider: Trustpilot A/S, Pilestræde 58, 5, 1112 Copenhagen, Denmark; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://de.trustpilot.com ; Privacy Policy: https://de.legal.trustpilot.com/end-user-privacy-terms .

Presence in social networks (social media)

We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with the users active there or to offer information about us.

We would like to point out that user data can be processed outside of the European Union. This can result in risks for the user, because it could make it more difficult to enforce the user's rights, for example.

Furthermore, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles can be created on the basis of usage behavior and the resulting interests of users. The usage profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements inside and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the user. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the users' computers, in which the usage behavior and the interests of the users are stored. Furthermore, data can also be stored in the usage profiles independently of the devices used by the users (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).

For a detailed description of the respective forms of processing and the possibility of objection (opt-out), we refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

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

  • Types of data processed: contact details (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); Marketing.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

Plugins and embedded functions and content

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

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

  • Types of data processed: usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact information (e.g. email, phone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Event data (Facebook) ("Event data" is data that can be transmitted by us to Facebook, e.g. via Facebook pixels (via apps or other means) and relates to people or their actions; Data includes, for example, information about visits to websites, interactions with content, functions, installation of apps, purchases of products, etc. The event data is processed in order to form target groups for content and advertising information (custom audiences); event data do not contain the actual content (such as comments written), no login information and no contact information (i.e. no names, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers).Event data will be deleted by Facebook after a maximum of two years formed target groups with the deletion of our Facebook account).
  • Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; Provision of contractual services and customer service.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Integration of third-party software, scripts or frameworks (e.g. jQuery): We integrate software into our online offer that we call up from the servers of other providers (e.g. function libraries that we use for the purpose of displaying or user-friendliness of our online offer). The respective providers collect the IP address of the user and can process this for the purpose of transmitting the software to the user's browser and for security purposes, as well as for the evaluation and optimization of their offer. - We integrate software into our online offer that we call up from servers of other providers (e.g. function libraries that we use for the purpose of displaying or user-friendliness of our online offer). The respective providers collect the IP address of the user and can process this for the purpose of transmitting the software to the user's browser and for security purposes, as well as for the evaluation and optimization of their offer; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR).
  • Facebook plugins and content: Facebook social plugins and content - This can include content such as images, videos or text and buttons with which users can share content from this online offer within Facebook. The list and appearance of the Facebook Social Plugins can be viewed here: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/ - We are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for collection or receipt as part of a transmission (but not the further processing) of "event data" that Facebook collects using the Facebook social plugins (and embedding functions for content) that are executed on our online offer or receives as part of a transmission for the following purposes: a) Display of content and advertising information that match the presumed interests of users; b) Delivery of commercial and transaction-related messages (e.g. addressing users via Facebook Messenger); c) Improving the delivery of ads and personalizing functions and content (e.g. improving the recognition of which content or advertising information presumably corresponds to the interests of users). We have concluded a special agreement with Facebook ("Addendum for those responsible", https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum ), which regulates in particular which security measures Facebook must observe ( https://www.facebook. com/legal/terms/data_security_terms ) and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill the rights of the data subject (ie users can, for example, send information or requests for deletion directly to Facebook). Note: If Facebook provides us with measurements, analyzes and reports (which are aggregated, i.e. do not contain any information on individual users and are anonymous to us), then this processing does not take place within the framework of joint responsibility, but on the basis of an order processing contract ("Data Processing Terms"). , https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing ), the "Data Security Terms" ( https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/data_security_terms ) and with regard to processing in the USA of standard contractual clauses ("Facebook-EU data transfer addendum, https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum ). The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaints to the competent supervisory authority) are guaranteed by the agreements with Facebook unrestricted; Service Provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis gene: consent (Art. 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com ; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy .
  • Google Fonts (obtained from the Google server): Obtaining fonts (and symbols) for the purpose of technically safe, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts and symbols with regard to topicality and loading times, their uniform display and consideration of possible license restrictions. The provider of the fonts is informed of the IP address of the user so that the fonts can be made available in the user's browser. In addition, technical data (language settings, screen resolution, operating system, hardware used) are transmitted that are necessary for the provision of the fonts depending on the devices used and the technical environment; Service Provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, Parent Company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://fonts.google.com/ ; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy .
  • Google Maps: We integrate the maps of the service “Google Maps” from the provider Google. The processed data may include, in particular, IP addresses and location data of the users, which, however, are not collected without their consent (usually as part of the settings on their mobile devices); Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform ; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy ; Objection option (opt-out): opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de , settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated .
  • OpenStreetMap: We integrate the maps of the "OpenStreetMap" service, which are offered by the OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF) on the basis of the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL). OpenStreetMap uses user data exclusively to display the map functions and to temporarily store the selected settings. This data may include, in particular, IP addresses and location data of the users, which, however, are not collected without their consent (usually as part of the settings on their mobile devices); Service provider: OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF); Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.openstreetmap.de ; Privacy Policy: https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy .
  • YouTube videos: video content; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.youtube.com ; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy ; Objection option (opt-out): opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de , settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated .
  • YouTube videos: video content; YouTube videos are integrated via a special domain (recognizable by the "youtube-nocookie" component) in the so-called "extended data protection mode", which means that no cookies are collected on user activities in order to personalize video playback. Nevertheless, information on the user's interaction with the video (e.g. remembering the last playback point) can be saved; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.youtube.com ; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy .

Management, organization and support tools

We use services, platforms and software from other providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”) for the purposes of organisation, management, planning and the provision of our services. When selecting third-party providers and their services, we observe the legal requirements.

In this context, personal data can be processed and stored on the servers of third-party providers. Various data may be affected by this, which we process in accordance with this data protection declaration. This data can include, in particular, master data and contact details of users, data on transactions, contracts, other processes and their content.

If users are referred to the third-party providers or their software or platforms as part of communication, business or other relationships with us, the third-party providers can process usage data and metadata for security purposes, for service optimization or for marketing purposes. We therefore ask you to observe the data protection notices of the respective third-party providers.

  • Types of data processed: content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Affected persons: communication partners; Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; office and organizational procedures.

Change and update of the privacy policy

We ask you to inform yourself regularly about the content of our data protection declaration. We will adapt the data protection declaration as soon as the changes in the data processing we carry out make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require your cooperation (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.

If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this data protection declaration, please note that the addresses can change over time and ask you to check the information before contacting us.

Rights of data subjects

As a data subject, you have various rights under the GDPR, which result in particular from Art. 15 to 21 GDPR:

  • Right of objection: You have the right, for reasons arising from your particular situation, to object at any time to the processing of your personal data, which is based on Article 6 Paragraph 1 lit. e or f GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed in order to operate direct advertising, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of such advertising; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is associated with such direct advertising.
  • Right of withdrawal for consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
  • Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether the data in question is being processed and to request information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with legal requirements.
  • Right to rectification: In accordance with legal requirements, you have the right to request the completion of the data concerning you or the correction of incorrect data concerning you.
  • Right to deletion and restriction of processing: You have the right, in accordance with the legal requirements, to request that data concerning you be deleted immediately, or alternatively to request a restriction of the processing of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
  • Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the data that you have provided to us in accordance with the legal requirements in a structured, common and machine-readable format or to request that it be transmitted to another person responsible.
  • Complaint to supervisory authority: Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you believe that the processing of data concerning you personal data violates the provisions of the GDPR.

definitions of terms

This section provides you with an overview of the terms used in this data protection declaration. Many of the terms are taken from the law and defined above all in Art. 4 GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are intended primarily for understanding. The terms are sorted alphabetically.

  • Affiliate tracking: Affiliate tracking logs links that the linking websites use to direct users to websites that offer products or other services. The operators of the linked websites can receive a commission if users follow these so-called affiliate links and then take advantage of the offers (e.g. buy goods or use services). To do this, it is necessary for the providers to be able to track whether users who are interested in certain offers subsequently perceive them at the instigation of the affiliate links. It is therefore necessary for affiliate links to work that they are supplemented with certain values ​​that become part of the link or are stored in some other way, e.g. in a cookie. The values ​​include in particular the source website (referrer), the time, an online ID of the operator of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online ID of the respective offer, an online ID of the user as well as tracking-specific values , such as advertising media ID, partner ID and categorizations
  • Conversion measurement: The conversion measurement (also known as "visit action evaluation") is a method with which the effectiveness of marketing measures can be determined. For this purpose, a cookie is usually stored on the user's device within the website on which the marketing measures take place and then called up again on the target website. For example, this allows us to understand whether the ads we placed on other websites were successful.
  • Personal data: "Personal data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter "data subject"); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified directly or indirectly, in particular by means of assignment to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. cookie) or one or more special features, are an expression of the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
  • Profiles with user-related information: The processing of "profiles with user-related information", or "profiles" for short, includes any type of automated processing of personal data, which consists of using this personal data to determine certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, different information regarding demographics, behavior and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.) can be analyzed, evaluated or predicted (e.g. interests in certain content or products, click behavior on a website or location). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
  • Range measurement: The range measurement (also known as web analytics) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to an online offer and can include the behavior or interests of visitors in certain information, such as website content. With the help of the range analysis, website owners can, for example, see at what time visitors visit their website and what content they are interested in. This enables them, for example, to better adapt the content of the website to the needs of their visitors. Pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used for range analysis purposes in order to recognize returning visitors and thus obtain more precise analyzes of the use of an online offer.
  • Tracking: One speaks of "tracking" when the behavior of users can be traced across several online offers. As a rule, behavior and interest information with regard to the online offers used is stored in cookies or on servers of the providers of the tracking technologies (so-called profiling). This information can then be used, for example, to show users advertisements that are likely to match their interests.
  • Responsible: The "responsible person" is the natural or legal person, authority, institution or other body that alone or jointly with others decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data.
  • Processing: "Processing" is any process or series of processes carried out with or without the aid of automated processes in connection with personal data. The term goes far and covers practically every handling of data, be it collection, evaluation, storage, transmission or deletion.

Legal text by Dr. Schwenke - please click for further information.