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Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

preamble

With the following privacy policy, we would like to inform you about which types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to as "data") we process, for what purposes, and to what extent. This privacy policy applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of providing 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 the "online offering").

The terms used are not gender-specific.

As of November 12, 2024

Table of Contents

Person responsible

Christopher Cremer
Oppelner Straße 37
41199 Mönchengladbach

Email address: service@steelbuddy.de

Overview of processing

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

Types of data processed

  • Inventory data.
  • Payment details.
  • Contact details.
  • Content data.
  • Contract data.
  • Usage data.
  • Meta, communication and procedural data.
  • Log data.
  • Credit data.

Categories of data subjects

  • Service recipient and client.
  • Employees.
  • Interested parties.
  • Communication partner.
  • Users.
  • Business and contractual partners.
  • Third parties.
  • Customers.

Purposes of processing

  • Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
  • Communication.
  • Security measures.
  • Reach measurement.
  • Tracking.
  • Office and organizational procedures.
  • Click tracking.
  • A/B testing.
  • Organizational and administrative procedures.
  • Feedback.
  • Heatmaps.
  • Marketing.
  • Profiles with user-related information.
  • Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
  • Assessment of creditworthiness and credit rating.
  • Information technology infrastructure.
  • Financial and payment management.
  • Public relations.
  • Sales promotion.
  • Business processes and business procedures.

Relevant legal bases

Relevant legal bases under the GDPR: Below you will find an overview of the legal bases under the GDPR on which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. Should more specific legal bases apply in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the privacy policy.

  • Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR) - The data subject has given his or her consent to the processing of personal data concerning him or her for a specific purpose or several specific purposes.
  • Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR) - Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures taken at the request of the data subject.
  • Legal obligation (Article 6 (1) (c) GDPR) - Processing is necessary to fulfill a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
  • Legitimate interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR) - processing is necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the controller or a third party, provided that the interests, fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data do not prevail.

National data protection regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national data protection regulations apply in Germany. This includes, in particular, the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). The BDSG contains, in particular, special provisions on the right to information, the right to erasure, the right of objection, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes, and transmission, as well as automated decision-making in individual cases, including profiling. Furthermore, state data protection laws of individual federal states may apply.

Note on the applicability of the GDPR and the Swiss Data Protection Act: This privacy policy serves to provide information in accordance with both the Swiss Data Protection Act (DPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For this reason, we ask you to note that, due to their broader geographical application and clarity, the terms of the GDPR are used. In particular, instead of the terms "processing" of "personal data," "overriding interest," and "particularly sensitive personal data" used in the Swiss Data Protection Act, the terms "processing" of "personal data," "legitimate interest," and "special categories of data" used in the GDPR are used. However, the legal meaning of the terms will continue to be determined according to the Swiss Data Protection Act within the scope of the Swiss Data Protection Act.

Security measures

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

These measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data, as well as the access, input, and transfer of data, ensuring its availability, and segregation. Furthermore, we have established procedures that ensure the exercise of data subjects' rights, the deletion of data, and responses to data threats. Furthermore, we consider the protection of personal data right from the development and selection of hardware, software, and processes in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design, and through data protection-friendly default settings.

Securing online connections with TLS/SSL encryption technology (HTTPS): To protect user data transmitted via our online services from unauthorized access, we use TLS/SSL encryption technology. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are the cornerstones of secure data transmission on the internet. These technologies encrypt the information transmitted between the website or app and the user's browser (or between two servers), thereby protecting the data from unauthorized access. TLS, as the more advanced and secure version of SSL, ensures that all data transmissions meet the highest security standards. If a website is secured by an SSL/TLS certificate, this is signaled by the display of HTTPS in the URL. This serves as an indicator to users that their data is being transmitted securely and encrypted.

Transmission of personal data

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

International data transfers

Data processing in third countries: If we process data in a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)) or if the processing takes place as part of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transmission of data to other persons, bodies or companies, this will only take place in accordance with the legal requirements. If the level of data protection in the third country has been recognized by means of an adequacy decision (Art. 45 GDPR), this serves as the basis for the data transfer. Otherwise, data transfers only take place if the level of data protection is otherwise ensured, in particular through standard contractual clauses (Art. 46 (2) (c) GDPR), express consent or in the case of contractually or legally required transfer (Art. 49 (1) GDPR). We will also inform you of the basis for third-country transfers from the individual providers in the third country, with the adequacy decisions taking precedence. Information on third-country transfers and existing adequacy decisions can be found in the information provided by the EU Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en?prefLang=de. Within the framework of the so-called "Data Privacy Framework" (DPF), the EU Commission has also recognized the level of data protection for certain US companies as secure within the framework of the adequacy decision of July 10, 2023. The list of certified companies and further information on the DPF can be found on the website of the US Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ (in English). We inform you in the privacy policy which service providers we use are certified under the Data Privacy Framework.

General information on data storage and deletion

We delete personal data that we process in accordance with legal requirements as soon as the underlying consent is revoked or there are no further legal grounds for processing. This applies to cases where the original processing purpose no longer applies or the data is no longer needed. Exceptions to this rule exist if legal obligations or special interests require longer retention or archiving of the data.

In particular, data that must be retained for commercial or tax law reasons or whose storage is necessary for legal proceedings or to protect the rights of other natural or legal persons must be archived accordingly.

Our privacy policy contains additional information on the retention and deletion of data that applies specifically to certain processing operations.

If there are multiple details regarding the retention period or deletion period for a given date, the longest period always applies.

If a period does not explicitly begin on a specific date and is at least one year, it automatically begins at the end of the calendar year in which the event triggering the period occurred. In the case of ongoing contractual relationships in which data is stored, the event triggering the period is the effective date of the termination or other termination of the legal relationship.

We process data that is no longer stored for the originally intended purpose but due to legal requirements or other reasons only for the reasons that justify its storage.

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Retention and deletion of data: The following general periods apply to retention and archiving under German law:
    • 10 years - retention period for books and records, annual financial statements, inventories, management reports, opening balance sheets as well as the work instructions and other organizational documents, accounting documents and invoices required for their understanding (Section 147 (3) in conjunction with Section 1 Nos. 1, 4 and 4a AO, Section 14b (1) UStG, Section 257 (1) Nos. 1 and 4, Section 4 HGB).
    • 6 years - Other business documents: received commercial or business letters, reproductions of sent commercial or business letters, other documents insofar as they are relevant for taxation, e.g. hourly wage slips, operating statements, calculation documents, price labels, but also payroll documents insofar as they are not already accounting documents and cash register slips (Section 147 (3) in conjunction with Section 1 Nos. 2, 3, 5 AO, Section 257 (1) Nos. 2 and 3, Paragraph 4 HGB).
    • 3 years - Data required to consider potential warranty and compensation claims or similar contractual claims and rights, as well as to process related inquiries, based on previous business experience and common industry practices, will be stored for the duration of the regular statutory limitation period of three years (§§ 195, 199 BGB).

Rights of data subjects

Rights of data subjects under the GDPR: As a data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Articles 15 to 21 GDPR:

  • Right of objection: You have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you based on Art. 6 (1) (e) or (f) GDPR, for reasons related to your particular situation; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purposes of such advertising; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing.
  • Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw consent at any time.
  • Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether the data in question is being processed and to request information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
  • Right to rectification: You have the right, in accordance with the statutory provisions, to request that the data concerning you be completed or that inaccurate data concerning you be corrected.
  • Right to erasure and restriction of processing: You have the right, in accordance with the statutory provisions, to demand that data concerning you be erased immediately or, alternatively, to demand that the processing of the data be restricted in accordance with the statutory provisions.
  • Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, common and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements or to request that it be transmitted to another controller.
  • Complaint to a supervisory authority: In accordance with the statutory provisions and without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular a supervisory authority in the Member State in which you habitually reside, the supervisory authority of your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the GDPR.

Business services

We process 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 as well as related measures and with regard to communication with the contractual partners (or pre-contractually), for example to answer inquiries.

We use this data to fulfill our contractual obligations. This includes, in particular, the obligation to provide the agreed services, any update obligations, and remedy in the event of warranty and other service disruptions. Furthermore, we use the data to protect our rights and for the purposes of the administrative tasks associated with these obligations, as well as for corporate organization. Furthermore, we process the data based on our legitimate interests in proper and efficient business management and in security measures to protect our contractual partners and our business operations from misuse and the endangerment of their data, secrets, information, and rights (e.g., the involvement of telecommunications, transport, and other auxiliary services, as well as subcontractors, banks, tax and legal advisors, payment service providers, or tax authorities). Within the framework of applicable law, we only pass on contractual partners' data to third parties to the extent necessary for the aforementioned purposes or to fulfill legal obligations. Contractual partners will be informed of other forms of processing, such as for marketing purposes, in this privacy policy.

We will inform our contractual partners which data is required for the aforementioned purposes before or during data collection, e.g., in online forms, by special marking (e.g., colors) or symbols (e.g., asterisks, etc.), or in person.

We delete data after the expiration of statutory warranty and similar obligations, i.e., generally after four years, unless the data is stored in a customer account, e.g., for as long as it must be retained for legal archiving reasons (e.g., for tax purposes, usually ten years). We delete data disclosed to us by the contractual partner as part of an order in accordance with the specifications and generally after the end of the order.

  • Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g., full name, home address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g., bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); contract data (e.g., contract subject matter, term, customer category); usage data (e.g., page views and length of stay, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, persons involved).
  • Data subjects: Service recipients and clients; interested parties; business and contractual partners.
  • Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; security measures; communication; office and organizational procedures; organizational and administrative procedures. Business processes and operational procedures.
  • Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
  • Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR); Legal obligation (Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Online shop, order forms, e-commerce and delivery: We process our customers' data to enable them to select, purchase, or order the selected products, goods, and related services, as well as to pay for and deliver them or execute them. If necessary to execute 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 within the order or similar purchase process and includes the information required for delivery, provision, and billing, as well as contact information for any possible follow-up. Legal basis: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Business processes and procedures

Personal data of service recipients and clients – including customers, clients, or in special cases, clients, patients, business partners, and other third parties – is processed within the framework of contractual and comparable legal relationships and pre-contractual measures such as the initiation of business relationships. This data processing supports and facilitates business processes in areas such as customer management, sales, payment transactions, accounting, and project management.

The collected data serves to fulfill contractual obligations and streamline operational processes. This includes processing business transactions, managing customer relationships, optimizing sales strategies, and ensuring internal accounting and financial processes. In addition, the data supports the protection of the controller's rights and supports administrative tasks and the organization of the company.

Personal data may be shared with third parties if this is necessary to fulfill the stated purposes or legal obligations. After the expiration of statutory retention periods or if the purpose of processing no longer applies, the data will be deleted. This also includes data that must be stored for longer periods due to tax and legal documentation requirements.

  • Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g. full name, home address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g. textual or visual messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as details of authorship or time of creation); contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); log data (e.g. log files relating to logins or the retrieval of data or access times); usage data (e.g. page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); creditworthiness data (e.g. credit score obtained, estimated probability of default, risk classification based on this, historical payment behaviour). Meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, persons involved).
  • Data subjects: Service recipients and clients; interested parties; communication partners; business and contractual partners; third parties; users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services); employees (e.g., employees, applicants, temporary workers, and other staff); customers.
  • Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; office and organizational procedures; business processes and management procedures; communication; marketing; sales promotion; public relations; assessment of creditworthiness and credit rating; financial and payment management. Information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical equipment (computers, servers, etc.).)
  • Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
  • Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR); legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR); legal obligation (Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Contact management and contact maintenance: Procedures required to organize, maintain, and secure contact information (e.g., setting up and maintaining a central contact database, regularly updating contact information, monitoring data integrity, implementing data protection measures, ensuring access controls, backing up and restoring contact data, training employees in the effective use of contact management software, regularly reviewing communication history, and adapting contact strategies); Legal bases: Contractual fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Watchlist/Wishlist: Customers can create a product/wishlist. In this case, the products will be stored as part of the fulfillment of our contractual obligations until the account is deleted, unless the product list entries are removed by the customer or we expressly inform the customer of different retention periods. Legal basis: Contractual fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
  • General payment transactions: Procedures required for the execution of payment transactions, the monitoring of bank accounts, and the control of payment flows (e.g., preparation and verification of transfers, processing of direct debit transactions, checking account statements, monitoring incoming and outgoing payments, direct debit management, account reconciliation, cash management); Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable: Procedures required for recording, processing, and controlling business transactions in the area of ​​accounts payable and accounts receivable accounting (e.g., creation and review of incoming and outgoing invoices, monitoring and management of open items, execution of payment transactions, processing of dunning procedures, account reconciliation within the scope of receivables and liabilities, accounts payable and accounts receivable accounting); Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR), legal obligation (Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Financial accounting and taxes: Procedures required for the recording, administration, and control of financially relevant business transactions, as well as for the calculation, reporting, and payment of taxes (e.g., account assignment and posting of business transactions, preparation of quarterly and annual financial statements, execution of payment transactions, processing of dunning procedures, account reconciliation, tax advice, preparation and submission of tax returns, processing of tax matters) ; Legal bases: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR), legal obligation (Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Marketing, advertising, and sales promotion: Processes required within the scope of marketing, advertising, and sales promotion (e.g., market analysis and target group identification, development of marketing strategies, planning and implementation of advertising campaigns, design and production of advertising materials, online marketing including SEO and social media campaigns, event marketing and trade fair participation, customer loyalty programs, sales promotion measures, performance measurement and optimization of marketing activities, budget management and cost control); Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Public relations: Procedures required within the scope of public relations (e.g., development and implementation of communication strategies, planning and execution of PR campaigns, preparation and distribution of press releases, maintenance of media contacts, monitoring and analysis of media response, organization of press conferences and public events, crisis communication, creation of content for social media and company websites, maintenance of corporate branding); Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Payment methods

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

The data processed by the payment service providers includes inventory data such as name and address, bank details such as account numbers or credit card numbers, passwords, TANs and checksums, as well as contract, amount, and recipient-related information. This information is required to process the transactions. However, the data entered is only processed and stored by the payment service providers. This means that we do not receive any account- or credit card-related information, only information confirming or rejecting the payment. Under certain circumstances, the payment service providers may transmit the data to credit agencies. This transmission is for the purpose of identity and credit checks. For more information, please refer to the terms and conditions and the privacy policy of the payment service providers.

Payment transactions are subject to the terms and conditions and privacy policy of the respective payment service providers, which are available on the respective websites or transaction applications. We also refer to these for further information and to assert your rights of withdrawal, information, and other data subjects.

  • Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g., full name, home address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g., bank details, invoices, payment history); contract data (e.g., contract subject matter, term, customer category); usage data (e.g., page views and length of stay, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, persons involved).
  • Data subjects: Service recipients and clients; business and contractual partners; interested parties.
  • Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations. Business processes and operational procedures.
  • Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
  • Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Klarna: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); Service provider: Klarna Bank AB (publ), Sveavägen 46, 111 34 Stockholm, Sweden; Legal basis: Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR); Website: https://www.klarna.com/de . Privacy policy: https://www.klarna.com/de/datenschutz .
  • PayPal: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods) (e.g. PayPal, PayPal Plus, Braintree); Service provider: PayPal (Europe) S.à rl et Cie, SCA, 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg; Legal basis: Contractual fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR); Website: https://www.paypal.com/de . Privacy policy: https://www.paypal.com/de/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full .
  • Stripe: Payment services (technical connection of online payment methods); Service provider: Stripe, Inc., 510 Townsend Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA; Legal basis: Contractual fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR); Website: https://stripe.com ; Privacy Policy: https://stripe.com/de/privacy . Basis for third-country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

Provision of the online service and web hosting

We process user data to provide them with our online services. For this purpose, we process the user's IP address, which is necessary to transmit the content and functions of our online services to the user's browser or device.

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g., page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, persons involved); protocol data (e.g., log files regarding logins or the retrieval of data or access times).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: Provision of our online services and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.)). Security measures.
  • Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Provision of online services on rented storage space: To provide our online services, we use storage space, computing capacity, and software that we rent from a corresponding server provider (also called a "web host") or obtain from other sources; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offering is logged in the form of so-called "server log files." Server log files may include the address and name of the accessed web pages and files, the date and time of access, the amount of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user's operating system, the referrer URL (the previously visited page), and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider. Server log files may be used for security purposes, e.g., to prevent server overload (particularly in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks), and to ensure server utilization and stability. Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized. Data that needs to be retained for evidentiary purposes will not be deleted until the incident in question has been finally resolved.
  • Mittwald: Services in the field of providing information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g., storage space and/or computing capacity); Service provider: Mittwald CM Service GmbH & Co. KG, Königsberger Straße 4-6, 32339 Espelkamp, ​​Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.mittwald.de ; Privacy policy: https://www.mittwald.de/datenschutz . Data processing agreement: https://www.mittwald.de/faq/service-informationen/faq/datenschutz-alles-wichtige-zur-dsgvo .

Use of cookies

The term "cookies" refers to functions that store and retrieve information from users' end devices. Cookies can also be used for various purposes, such as ensuring the functionality, security, and convenience of online offerings, as well as creating analyses of visitor flows. We use cookies in accordance with legal regulations. Where necessary, we obtain user consent in advance. If consent is not required, we rely on our legitimate interests. This applies when storing and retrieving information is essential to provide expressly requested content and functions. This includes, for example, saving settings and ensuring the functionality and security of our online offering. Consent can be revoked at any time. We provide clear information about the scope of cookies and which cookies are used.

Notes on data protection law: Whether we process personal data using cookies depends on consent. If consent is given, it serves as the legal basis. Without consent, we rely on our legitimate interests, which are explained above in this section and in the context of the respective services and processes.

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

  • Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offering and closed their device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
  • Persistent cookies: Persistent cookies remain stored even after the device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved and preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, the user data collected using cookies can be used for reach measurement. Unless we explicitly provide users with information about the type and storage duration of cookies (e.g., when obtaining consent), they should assume that they are permanent and that 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 processing in accordance with the legal requirements, including by using the privacy settings of their browser.

  • Types of data processed: Meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, persons involved).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Processing of cookie data based on consent: We use a consent management solution that obtains users' consent to the use of cookies or to the procedures and providers named within the consent management solution. This procedure is used to obtain, log, manage, and revoke consent, in particular with regard to the use of cookies and similar technologies used to store, read, and process information on users' end devices. As part of this procedure, users' consent is obtained for the use of cookies and the associated processing of information, including the specific processing operations and providers named in the consent management procedure. Users also have the option of managing and revoking their consent. Consent declarations are saved to avoid repeated queries and to be able to provide evidence of consent in accordance with legal requirements. The data is stored on the server and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie) or using similar technologies in order to be able to assign consent to a specific user or their device. Unless specific information is available about the providers of consent management services, the following general information applies: Consent is stored for up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created, which is stored together with the time of consent, information on the scope of consent (e.g., relevant categories of cookies and/or service providers), and information about the browser, system, and device used. Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
  • BorlabsCookie: Consent management: Procedures for obtaining, logging, managing, and revoking consent, in particular for the use of cookies and similar technologies for storing, reading, and processing information on users' end devices, as well as their processing; Service provider: Execution on servers and/or computers under their own data protection responsibility; Website: https://de.borlabs.io/borlabs-cookie/ . Further information: An individual user ID, language, types of consent, and the time of their submission are stored on the server and in the cookie on the user's device.

Contact and inquiry management

When you contact us (e.g. by post, contact form, email, telephone or via social media) as well as within the framework of existing user and business relationships, the information provided by the person making the inquiry will be processed to the extent necessary to answer the contact inquiries and any requested measures.

  • Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g., full name, home address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and contributions as well as related information, such as authorship or time of creation); usage data (e.g., page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, persons involved).
  • Data subjects: communication partners; service recipients and clients; users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: Communication; organizational and administrative procedures; feedback (e.g., collecting feedback via online form). Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
  • Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Contractual performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Contact form: When you contact us via our contact form, by email, or other communication channels, we process the personal data you provide to answer and process your request. This generally includes information such as your name, contact information, and, if applicable, other information that is provided to us and is necessary for appropriate processing. We use this data exclusively for the stated purpose of contacting and communicating. Legal bases: Contractual fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Elementor: Creation of online forms, collection and storage of the associated user input; Service provider: Elementor Ltd., Tuval St 40, Ramat Gan, Israel; Legal basis: Contractual fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://elementor.com/features/form-builder/ ; Privacy policy: https://elementor.com/about/privacy/ ; Data processing agreement: https://elementor.com/terms/cloud-toc/elementor-data-processing-agreement/ ; Basis for third country transfers: Adequacy decision (Israel). Further information: https://elementor.com/trust/ .

Web analysis, monitoring and optimization

Web analytics (also known as "reach measurement") is used to evaluate visitor traffic to our online offering and may include behavior, interests, or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. Using reach analysis, we can, for example, identify when our online offering or its features or content are most frequently used, or encourage reuse. It also enables us to understand which areas require optimization.

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

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

In addition, users' IP addresses are stored. However, we use an IP masking process (i.e., pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. Generally, no real user data (such as email addresses or names) is stored for web analysis, A/B testing, and optimization; instead, pseudonyms are used. This means that neither we nor the providers of the software used know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purpose of the respective processes.

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

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g., page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, persons involved).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: reach measurement (e.g., access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles); provision of our online offering and user-friendliness; tracking (e.g., interest/behavior-based profiling, use of cookies); click tracking; A/B testing; heatmaps (mouse movements by users that are summarized to form an overall picture).
  • Retention and Deletion: Deletion as described in the "General Information on Data Retention and Deletion" section. Cookies are stored for up to two years (unless otherwise stated, cookies and similar storage methods may be stored on users' devices for a period of two years).
  • Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to measure and analyze the use of our online offering based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This identification number does not contain any unique data, such as names or email addresses. It is used to assign analysis information to a device in order to identify which content users have accessed within one or more usage processes, which search terms they have used, accessed these again, or interacted with our online offering. The time and duration of use are also stored, as are the sources of users who refer to our online offering and technical aspects of their devices and browsers.
    This involves creating pseudonymous profiles of users with information from the use of different devices, and cookies may be used. Google Analytics does not log or store individual IP addresses for EU users. However, Analytics does provide rough geographic location data by deriving the following metadata from IP addresses: city (and the derived latitude and longitude of the city), continent, country, region, subcontinent (and ID-based counterparts). For EU traffic, IP address data is used solely for this derivation of geolocation data before being immediately deleted. It is not logged, is not accessible, and is not used for any other purpose. When Google Analytics collects measurement data, all IP queries are performed on EU-based servers before the traffic is forwarded to Analytics servers for processing; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/ ; Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address); Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy ; Data processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/ ; Basis for third country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF); Opt-out option: Opt-out plug-in: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de , Settings for the display of advertisements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff . Further information: https://business.safety.google/adsservices/ (types of processing and data processed).
  • Google Tag Manager: We use Google Tag Manager, a software from Google that allows us to centrally manage so-called website tags via a user interface. Tags are small code elements on our website that are used to record and analyze visitor activity. This technology helps us improve our website and the content offered on it. Google Tag Manager itself does not create user profiles, does not store cookies with user profiles, and does not perform any independent analyses. Its function is limited to simplifying and making the integration and management of tools and services that we use on our website more efficient. Nevertheless, when Google Tag Manager is used, the user's IP address is transmitted to Google, which is necessary for technical reasons in order to implement the services we use. Cookies may also be set in the process. However, this data processing only occurs if services are integrated via Tag Manager. For more detailed information about these services and their data processing, please refer to the further sections of this privacy policy; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com ; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy ; Data processing agreement:
    https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms . Basis for third-country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
  • Hotjar Observe: Software for analyzing and optimizing online offerings based on pseudonymous measurements and analyses of user behavior, which may include, in particular, A/B tests (measurement of the popularity and user-friendliness of different content and functions), measurement of click paths, and interaction with content and functions of the online offering (so-called heatmaps and recordings); Service provider: Hotjar Ltd., 3 Lyons Range, 20 Bisazza Street, Sliema SLM 1640, Malta; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://www.hotjar.com ; Privacy policy: https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/privacy ; Deletion of data: The cookies used by Hotjar have different "lifespans"; some remain valid for up to 365 days, some only during the current visit. Cookie policy: https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/cookie-information . Opt-out option: https://www.hotjar.com/legal/compliance/opt-out .
  • Jetpack (WordPress Stats): Jetpack offers analysis functions for WordPress software; service provider: Aut O'Mattic A8C Ireland Ltd., Grand Canal Dock, 25 Herbert Pl, Dublin, D02 AY86, Ireland; legal basis: consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR); website: https://automattic.com ; privacy policy: https://automattic.com/privacy . Basis for third country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

Customer reviews and rating processes

We participate in review and rating processes to evaluate, optimize, and promote our services. If users rate us via the participating rating platforms or processes or otherwise provide feedback, the general terms and conditions or terms of use and the privacy policy of the providers also apply. Typically, the rating also requires registration with the respective providers.

To ensure that the reviewers have actually used our services, we transmit, with the customer's consent, the necessary data regarding the customer and the service used to the respective review platform (including name, email address, and order number or item number). This data is used solely to verify the user's authenticity.

  • Types of data processed: Contract data (e.g., subject matter of the contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g., page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, persons involved).
  • Data subjects: Service recipients and clients. 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 (1) (f) GDPR). Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Trusted Shops (Trustedbadge): Rating platform - Within the framework of the joint controllership existing between us and Trusted Shops, please contact Trusted Shops for data protection questions and to assert your rights using the contact options provided in the privacy policy. Regardless of this, you can always contact the controller of your choice. Your inquiry will then be forwarded to the other controller for response, if necessary.

    The Trustbadge is provided by a US CDN (content delivery network) provider. An appropriate level of data protection is ensured through standard data protection clauses and other contractual measures.
    When you access the Trustbadge, the web server automatically saves a so-called server log file, which also contains your IP address, the date and time of access, the amount of data transferred, and the requesting provider (access data), and documents the access. The IP address is anonymized immediately after collection so that the stored data cannot be assigned to you personally. The anonymized data is used primarily for statistical purposes and error analysis.

    If you have given your consent, the Trustbadge will access the order information stored on your device (order total, order number, and any purchased product) and email address after the order has been completed, and your email address will be hashed using a cryptographic one-way function. The hash value is then transmitted to Trusted Shops along with the order information in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR. This is used to check whether you are already registered for Trusted Shops services. If this is the case, further processing will take place in accordance with the contractual agreement concluded between you and Trusted Shops. If you are not yet registered for the services or do not consent to automatic recognition via the Trustbadge, you will then have the option of manually registering to use the services or of taking out security within the framework of your existing user agreement.

    For this purpose, after you have completed your order, the Trustbadge accesses the following information stored on the device you are using: order total, order number, and email address. This is necessary so that we can offer you buyer protection. The data will only be transmitted to Trusted Shops once you have actively opted in to buyer protection by clicking on the corresponding button on the so-called Trustcard. If you decide to use the services, further processing will be governed by the contractual agreement with Trusted Shops in accordance with Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR in order to complete your registration for buyer protection and secure the order, as well as to subsequently send you review invitations by email if necessary.

    Trusted Shops uses service providers in the areas of hosting, monitoring, and logging. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR for the purpose of ensuring uninterrupted operation. Processing may take place in third countries (the USA and Israel). An appropriate level of data protection is ensured in the case of the USA through standard data protection clauses and other contractual measures, and in the case of Israel through an adequacy decision.
    ; Service provider: Trusted Shops GmbH, Subbelrather Str. 15C, 50823 Cologne, Germany; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a) GDPR), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.trustedshops.de . Privacy policy: https://www.trustedshops.de/impressum-datenschutz/ .

Plug-ins and embedded functions and content

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

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

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

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g., page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, time information, identification numbers, persons involved).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
  • Retention and Deletion: Deletion as described in the "General Information on Data Retention and Deletion" section. Cookies are stored for up to two years (unless otherwise stated, cookies and similar storage methods may be stored on users' devices for a period of two years).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Further information on processing procedures, methods and services:

  • Integration of third-party software, scripts or frameworks (e.g. jQuery): We integrate software into our online offering that we retrieve from servers of other providers (e.g. function libraries that we use to display or user-friendliness our online offering). In doing so, the respective providers collect the IP address of the users and can process this for the purposes of transmitting the software to the user's browser as well as for security purposes and to evaluate and optimize their offering. - We integrate software into our online offering that we retrieve from servers of other providers (e.g. function libraries that we use to display or user-friendliness our online offering). In doing so, the respective providers collect the IP address of the users and can process this for the purposes of transmitting the software to the user's browser as well as for security purposes and to evaluate and optimize their offering; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Google Fonts (provision on our own server): Provision of font files for the purpose of a user-friendly presentation of our online offering; Service provider: The Google Fonts are hosted on our server; no data is transmitted to Google; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
  • Google Fonts (obtained from Google servers): Obtaining fonts (and symbols) for the purpose of technically secure, maintenance-free, and efficient use of fonts and symbols with regard to timeliness and loading times, their consistent presentation, and consideration of possible licensing restrictions. The font provider is informed of the user's IP address 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) is transmitted that is necessary for providing the fonts depending on the devices used and the technical environment. This data may be processed on a server of the font provider in the USA. When visiting our online offering, users' browsers send their browser HTTP requests to the Google Fonts Web API (i.e., a software interface for retrieving fonts). The Google Fonts Web API provides users with the Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) from Google Fonts and then the fonts specified in the CCS. These HTTP requests include (1) the IP address used by the user to access the internet, (2) the requested URL on the Google server, and (3) the HTTP headers, including the user agent, which describes the browser and operating system versions of website visitors, and the referring URL (i.e., the web page where the Google font should be displayed). IP addresses are neither logged nor stored on Google servers, and they are not analyzed. The Google Fonts Web API logs details of the HTTP requests (requested URL, user agent, and referring URL). Access to this data is limited and tightly controlled. The requested URL identifies the font families for which the user wants to load fonts. This data is logged so that Google can determine how often a particular font family is requested. The Google Fonts Web API requires the user agent to customize the font generated for each browser type. The user agent is logged primarily for debugging purposes and used to generate aggregated usage statistics that measure the popularity of font families. These aggregated usage statistics are published on the Google Fonts Analytics page. Finally, the referring URL is logged so that the data can be used for production maintenance and to generate an aggregated report on top integrations based on the number of font requests. According to Google, it does not use any of the information collected by Google Fonts to create profiles of end users or to serve targeted ads. Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://fonts.google.com/ ; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy ; Basis for third country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Further information: https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq/privacy?hl=de .
  • Font Awesome (provision on own server): Display of fonts and icons; Service provider: The Font Awesome icons are hosted on our server; no data is transmitted to the Font Awesome provider; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Change and update

We ask you to inform yourself regularly about the content of our privacy policy. We will adapt the privacy policy as soon as changes to the data processing 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 privacy policy, please note that the addresses may change over time and ask you to check the information before contacting us.

Definitions of terms

This section provides an overview of the terms used in this privacy policy. To the extent that the terms are defined by law, the legal definitions apply. The following explanations, however, are intended primarily to facilitate understanding.

  • A/B testing: A/B testing is used to improve the usability and performance of online offerings. Users are presented with different versions of a website or its elements, such as input forms, where the placement of content or the labels of navigation elements may differ. User behavior, such as staying longer on the website or interacting more frequently with the elements, can then be used to determine which of these websites or elements best meet user needs.
  • Employees: Employees are individuals who are employed, whether as employees, staff, or in similar positions. An employment relationship is a legal relationship between an employer and an employee, defined by an employment contract or agreement. It entails the employer's obligation to pay the employee remuneration while the employee performs their work. The employment relationship comprises various stages, including the inception of the employment contract, the implementation of the contract, during which the employee performs their work, and the termination when the employment relationship ends, whether by notice, termination agreement, or otherwise. Employee data is all information relating to these individuals in the context of their employment. This includes aspects such as personal identification data, identification numbers, salary and banking details, working hours, vacation entitlements, health data, and performance appraisals.
  • Inventory data: Inventory data includes essential information necessary for the identification and management of contractual partners, user accounts, profiles, and similar assignments. This data may include, among other things, personal and demographic information such as names, contact information (addresses, phone numbers, email addresses), dates of birth, and unique identifiers (user IDs). Inventory data forms the basis for any formal interaction between individuals and services, institutions, or systems by enabling unambiguous assignment and communication.
  • Heatmaps: "Heatmaps" are mouse movements of users that are summarized into an overall picture, which can be used to identify, for example, which website elements are preferred and which website elements users prefer less.
  • Content data: Content data encompasses information generated during the creation, editing, and publication of all types of content. This category of data can include text, images, videos, audio files, and other multimedia content published on various platforms and media. Content data is not limited to the actual content itself but also includes metadata that provides information about the content itself, such as tags, descriptions, author information, and publication dates.
  • Click tracking: Click tracking allows us to monitor user movements within an entire online offering. Since the results of these tests are more accurate when user interactions can be tracked over a certain period of time (e.g., so we can determine whether a user tends to return), cookies are typically stored on users' computers for these testing purposes.
  • Contact details: Contact details are essential information that enables communication with individuals or organizations. They include, among other things, telephone numbers, postal addresses, and email addresses, as well as communication tools such as social media handles and instant messaging identifiers.
  • Metadata, communication data, and procedural data: Metadata, communication data, and procedural data are categories that contain information about how data is processed, transmitted, and managed. Metadata, also known as data about data, includes information that describes the context, origin, and structure of other data. It can include details about file size, creation date, document author, and change histories. Communication data captures the exchange of information between users across different channels, such as email traffic, call logs, social media messages, and chat histories, including the people involved, timestamps, and transmission paths. Procedural data describes the processes and procedures within systems or organizations, including workflow documentation, logs of transactions and activities, and audit logs used to track and review events.
  • Usage data: Usage data refers to information that captures how users interact with digital products, services, or platforms. This data encompasses a broad range of information, including how users use applications, which features they prefer, how long they stay on certain pages, and the paths they take through an application. Usage data may also include frequency of use, timestamps of activities, IP addresses, device information, and location data. It is particularly valuable for analyzing user behavior, optimizing user experiences, personalizing content, and improving products or services. Furthermore, usage data plays a crucial role in identifying trends, preferences, and potential problem areas within digital offerings.
  • Personal data: "Personal data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter "data subject"); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. a cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
  • Profiles with user-related information: The processing of "profiles with user-related information," or "profiles" for short, includes any type of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of this personal data to analyze, evaluate, or predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this may include different information relating to demographics, behavior, and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
  • Log data: Log data is information about events or activities logged on a system or network. This data typically includes information such as timestamps, IP addresses, user actions, error messages, and other details about a system's usage or operation. Log data is often used to analyze system problems, for security monitoring, or for generating performance reports.
  • Reach measurement: Reach measurement (also known as web analytics) is used to evaluate visitor traffic to an online offering and can include visitor behavior or interests in certain information, such as website content. With the help of reach analysis, operators of online offerings can, for example, identify when users visit their websites and what content they are interested in. This allows them to, for example, better adapt the content of the websites to the needs of their visitors. For the purposes of reach analysis, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used to recognize returning visitors and thus obtain more precise analyses of the use of an online offering.
  • Tracking: "Tracking" refers to the tracking of user behavior across multiple online offerings. Typically, behavioral and interest information related to the online offerings used is stored in cookies or on the servers of the tracking technology providers (so-called profiling). This information can then be used, for example, to display advertisements to users that are likely to correspond to their interests.
  • Controller: The "controller" is the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which alone or jointly with others decides on the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
  • Processing: "Processing" is any operation or set of operations performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means. The term is broad and encompasses virtually any handling of data, including collection, analysis, storage, transmission, or deletion.
  • Contract data: Contract data is specific information related to the formalization of an agreement between two or more parties. It documents the terms and conditions under which services or products are provided, exchanged, or sold. This data category is essential for managing and fulfilling contractual obligations and includes both the identification of the contracting parties and the specific terms and conditions of the agreement. Contract data can include contract start and end dates, the type of agreed services or products, pricing agreements, payment terms, termination rights, renewal options, and special conditions or clauses. It serves as the legal basis for the relationship between the parties and is crucial for clarifying rights and obligations, enforcing claims, and resolving disputes.
  • Payment data: Payment data includes all information required to process payment transactions between buyers and sellers. This data is critical for e-commerce, online banking, and any other form of financial transaction. It includes details such as credit card numbers, bank details, payment amounts, transaction data, verification numbers, and billing information. Payment data may also include information about payment status, chargebacks, authorizations, and fees.