Data protection declaration

Table of contents

• Introduction and overview
• Scope of application
• Legal bases
• Contact details of the person responsible
• Storage duration
• Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation
• Data transfer to third countries
• Security of data processing
• Data processing agreement (DPA)
• Cookies
• Web hosting introduction
• Web analytics introduction
• Cookie Consent Management Platform introduction
• Web design introduction
• Explanation of terms used

Introduction and overview

We have written this data protection declaration (version 09/16/2022-122122519) in order to explain to you in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws, which personal data (data for short) we as the person responsible - and that of processors commissioned by us (e.g. providers) - process, will process in the future and what legal options you have. The terms used are to be understood as gender-neutral.
In short: We inform you comprehensively about data that we process about you.

Privacy statements usually sound very technical and use legal jargon. This data protection declaration, on the other hand, is intended to describe the most important things as simply and transparently as possible. As far as transparency is conducive, technical terms are explained in a reader-friendly way, links to further information are provided and graphics are used. We are thus informing you in clear and simple language that we only process personal data in the course of our business activities if there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible if you make the most concise, unclear and legal-technical statements possible, as they are often standard on the Internet when it comes to data protection. I hope that you find the following explanations interesting and informative and that you may find some information that you did not already know.
If you still have questions, we would like to ask you to contact the responsible person named below or in the imprint, to follow the links provided and to look at further information on third-party websites. Our contact details can of course also be found in the site notice.

Scope of application

This data protection declaration applies to all personal data processed by us in the company and to all personal data that companies commissioned by us (processors) process. By personal data we mean information within the meaning of Art. 4 No. 1 GDPR such as a person's name, e-mail address and postal address. The processing of personal data ensures that we can offer and bill our services and products, whether online or offline. The scope of this privacy policy includes:

• all online presences (websites, online shops) that we operate
• Social media appearances and email communication
• mobile apps for smartphones and other devices

In short: The data protection declaration applies to all areas in which personal data is processed in a structured manner in the company via the channels mentioned. If we enter into legal relationships with you outside of these channels, we will inform you separately if necessary.

Legal bases

In the following data protection declaration, we provide you with transparent information on the legal principles and regulations, i.e. the legal basis of the General Data Protection Regulation, which enable us to process personal data.
As far as EU law is concerned, we refer to REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of April 27, 2016. You can of course read this EU General Data Protection Regulation online on EUR-Lex, the gateway to the EU -Legal, see https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=celex32016R0679 .

We only process your data if at least one of the following conditions applies:

1. Consent (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. a GDPR): You have given us your consent to process data for a specific purpose. An example would be storing the data you entered on a contact form.
2. Contract (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. b GDPR): In order to fulfill a contract or pre-contractual obligations with you, we process your data. For example, if we conclude a sales contract with you, we need personal information in advance.
3. Legal Obligation (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. c GDPR): If we are subject to a legal obligation, we process your data. For example, we are required by law to keep invoices for accounting purposes. These usually contain personal data.
4. Legitimate Interests (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. f GDPR): In the case of legitimate interests that do not restrict your fundamental rights, we reserve the right to process personal data. For example, we need to process certain data in order to be able to operate our website securely and economically. This processing is therefore a legitimate interest.

Other conditions such as the perception of recordings in the public interest and the exercise of public authority as well as the protection of vital interests do not usually apply to us. If such a legal basis should be relevant, it will be shown in the appropriate place.

In addition to the EU regulation, national laws also apply:

• In Austria, this is the federal law for the protection of natural persons when processing personal data (data protection law), DSG for short.
• In Germany, the Federal Data Protection Act, BDSG for short, applies.

If other regional or national laws apply, we will inform you about them in the following sections.

Contact details of the person responsible

If you have any questions about data protection or the processing of personal data, you will find the contact details of the person or body responsible below:

E-mail: office@gmsd.at

Storage duration

The fact that we only store personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for the provision of our services and products is a general criterion for us. This means that we delete personal data as soon as the reason for the data processing no longer exists. In some cases, we are legally obliged to store certain data even after the original purpose has ceased to exist, for example for accounting purposes.

If you wish your data to be deleted or revoke your consent to data processing, the data will be deleted as quickly as possible and provided there is no obligation to store it.

We will inform you below about the specific duration of the respective data processing, provided that we have further information on this.

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

In accordance with Articles 13 and 14 GDPR, we inform you about the following rights to which you are entitled so that data is processed fairly and transparently:

• According to Article 15 GDPR, you have a right to information as to whether we are processing your data. If this is the case, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and to be informed of the following information:
  
  • for what purpose we carry out the processing;
  • the categories, i.e. the types of data that are processed;
  • who receives this data and if the data is transferred to third countries, how security can be guaranteed;
  • how long the data is stored;
  • the existence of the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing and the right to object to processing;
  • that you can complain to a supervisory authority (links to these authorities can be found below);
  • the origin of the data if we did not collect it from you;
  • whether profiling is carried out, i.e. whether data is automatically evaluated in order to create a personal profile for you.
• According to Article 16 GDPR, you have the right to have the data corrected, which means that we have to correct data if you find any errors.
• According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"), which specifically means that you can request the erasure of your data.
• According to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to restriction of processing, which means that we may only store the data but not use it further.
• According to Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that we can provide you with your data in a common format upon request.
• According to Article 21 GDPR, you have a right of objection, which, after enforcement, will result in a change in processing.
  
  • If the processing of your data is based on Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter e (public interest, exercise of official authority) or Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f (legitimate interest), you can object to the processing. We will then check as quickly as possible whether we can legally comply with this objection.
  • If data is used to operate direct advertising, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for direct marketing after this.
  • If data is used to operate profiling, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for profiling after this.
• According to Article 22 GDPR, you may have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g. profiling).
• According to Article 77 GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint. This means that you can complain to the data protection authority at any time if you believe that the processing of personal data violates the GDPR.

In short: You have rights - do not hesitate to contact the responsible body listed above!

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or your data protection rights have been violated in any other way, you can complain to the supervisory authority. This is the data protection authority for Austria, whose website can be found at https://www.dsb.gv.at/ . In Germany there is a data protection officer for each federal state. For more information, you can contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) . The following local data protection authority is responsible for our company:

Austria Data Protection Authority

Director: Mag. Dr. Andrea Jelinek
Address: Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna
Telephone number: +43 1 52 152-0
E-mail address dsb@dsb.gv.at
Website: https://www.dsb.gv.at/

Data transfer to third countries

We only transfer or process data to countries outside the EU (third countries) if you agree to this processing, if this is required by law or is contractually necessary and in any case only to the extent that this is generally permitted. In most cases, your consent is the most important reason that we have data processed in third countries. The processing of personal data in third countries such as the USA, where many software manufacturers offer services and have their server locations, may mean that personal data is processed and stored in unexpected ways.

We expressly point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. Data processing by US services (such as Google Analytics) may result in data not being processed and stored anonymously. In addition, US government authorities may have access to individual data. In addition, it may happen that collected data is linked to data from other services from the same provider, provided you have a corresponding user account. If possible, we try to use server locations within the EU, if this is offered.

We will inform you in more detail about data transfer to third countries at the appropriate points in this data protection declaration, if this applies.

Security of data processing

In order to protect personal data, we have implemented both technical and organizational measures. Where possible, we encrypt or pseudonymise personal data. In this way, we make it as difficult as possible for third parties to infer personal information from our data.

Art. 25 GDPR speaks here of “data protection through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings” and means that one always thinks of security and corresponding security both with software (e.g. forms) and hardware (e.g. access to the server room). measures. If necessary, we will go into specific measures below.

TLS encryption with https

TLS, encryption and https all sound very technical and they are. We use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) to transmit data securely on the Internet.
This means that the complete transmission of all data from your browser to our web server is secured - nobody can "eavesdrop".

We have thus introduced an additional security layer and comply with data protection through technology design (Article 25 Paragraph 1 GDPR). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission on the Internet, we can ensure the protection of confidential data.
You can recognize the use of this protection for data transmission by the small lock symbol  in the top left of the browser, to the left of the Internet address (e.g. examplepage.de) and the use of the https scheme (instead of http) as part of our internet address.
If you want to know more about encryption, we recommend a Google search for "Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure wiki" to get good links to further information.

Data processing agreement (DPA)

In this section we would like to explain what a data processing agreement is and why it is needed. Because the phrase"data processing agreement" is quite a tongue twister, we will often only use the acronym DPA here in the text. Like most companies, we do not work alone, but also use the services of other companies or individuals ourselves. By involving different companies or service providers, we may pass on personal data for processing. These partners then act as processors with whom we conclude a contract, the so-called data processing agreement (DPA). The most important thing for you to know is that the processing of your personal data takes place exclusively according to our instructions and must be regulated by the DPA.

Who are processors?

As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data that we process from you. In addition to those responsible, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or person who processes personal data on our behalf. More precisely and according to the GDPR definition: any natural or legal person, authority, institution or other body that processes personal data on our behalf is considered a processor. Processors can therefore be service providers such as hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.

To make the terminology easier to understand, here is an overview of the three roles in the GDPR:

Affected party (you as a customer or interested party) → Person responsible (we as a company and client) → Processor (service providers such as web hosts or cloud providers)

Content of a data processing agreement

As already mentioned above, we have concluded a DPA with our partners who act as processors. First and foremost, it states that the processor processes the data to be processed exclusively in accordance with the GDPR. The contract must be concluded in writing, although in this context the electronic conclusion of the contract is also considered “in writing”. The processing of personal data only takes place on the basis of the contract. The contract must contain the following:

• Binding to us as responsible
• Obligations and rights of the controller
• Categories of data subjects
• Type of personal data
• Type and purpose of data processing
• Subject and duration of data processing
• Place of execution of the data processing

Furthermore, the contract contains all the obligations of the processor. The most important obligations are:

• Measures to ensure data security
• Take possible technical and organizational measures to protect the rights of the data subject
• To keep a data processing register
• To cooperate with the data protection supervisory authority upon request
• Carry out a risk analysis in relation to the personal data received
• Sub-processors may only be commissioned with the written consent of the person responsible

You can see what such a DPA looks like at https://www.wko.at/service/wirtschaftsrecht-gewerberecht/eu-dsgvo-mustervertrag-auftragsverarbeitung.html . A sample contract is presented here.

Cookies

What are Cookies?

Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.
In the following we explain what cookies are and why they are used so that you can better understand the following data protection declaration.

Whenever you surf the Internet, you use a browser. Well-known browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing cannot be denied: Cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other areas of application. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, which is basically the "brain" of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data from you, such as language or personal page settings. When you visit our site again, your browser transmits the "user-related" information back to our site. Thanks to the cookies, our website knows who you are and offers you the settings you are used to. In some browsers each cookie has its own file, in others such as Firefox all cookies are stored in a single file.

The graphic below shows a possible interaction between a web browser such as Chrome and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie from the server, which the browser uses again as soon as another page is requested.

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g. Google Analytics). Each cookie must be evaluated individually, since each cookie stores different data. The expiry time of a cookie also varies from a few minutes to a few years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, trojans or other "pests". Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data can look like this:

Name: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152122122519-9
Purpose of use: Differentiation of website visitors
Expiry date: after 2 years

A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:

• At least 4096 bytes per cookie
• At least 50 cookies per domain
• At least 3000 cookies in total

What types of cookies are there?

The question of which cookies we use in particular depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the data protection declaration. At this point we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

There are 4 types of cookies:

Essential cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic functions of the website. For example, these cookies are needed if a user puts a product in the shopping cart, then continues surfing on other pages and only goes to the checkout later. These cookies do not delete the shopping cart, even if the user closes their browser window.

Functional cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. In addition, these cookies are also used to measure the loading time and behavior of the website in different browsers.

Goal oriented cookies
These cookies ensure a better user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes or form data are saved.

Advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to provide the user with individually tailored advertising. This can be very useful, but also very annoying.

Usually, when you visit a website for the first time, you will be asked which of these types of cookies you would like to allow. And of course this decision is also stored in a cookie.

If you want to know more about cookies and are not afraid of technical documentation, we recommend https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments called “HTTP State Management Mechanism” .

Purpose of processing via cookies

The purpose ultimately depends on the respective cookie. More details can be found below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.

Which data are processed?

Cookies are little helpers for many different tasks. Unfortunately, it is not possible to generalize which data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the processed or stored data in the following data protection declaration.

Storage duration of cookies

The storage period depends on the respective cookie and is specified below. Some cookies are deleted after less than an hour, others can remain stored on a computer for several years.

You can also influence the storage period yourself. You can manually delete all cookies at any time via your browser (see also "Right of objection" below). Furthermore, cookies that are based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you withdraw your consent, whereby the legality of storage remains unaffected until then.

Right to object - how can I delete cookies?

You decide for yourself how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come from, you always have the option of deleting or deactivating cookies or only partially allowing them. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all other cookies.

If you want to find out which cookies have been stored in your browser, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this in your browser settings:

Chrome: Delete, enable and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari

Firefox: Clear cookies to remove data websites have placed on your computer

Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies

Microsoft Edge: Deleting and managing cookies

If you generally do not want any cookies, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be set. You can decide for each individual cookie whether you allow the cookie or not. The procedure differs depending on the browser. It is best to look for the instructions in Google with the search term “Delete cookies Chrome” or “Deactivate cookies Chrome” in the case of a Chrome browser.

Legal basis

The so-called “Cookie Guidelines” have been in place since 2009. It states that the storage of cookies requires a Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR) from you. Within the EU countries, however, there are still very different reactions to these directives. In Austria, however, this directive was implemented in Section 96 (3) of the Telecommunications Act (TKG). In Germany, the cookie guidelines have not been implemented as national law. Instead, this guideline was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG).

For cookies that are absolutely necessary, even if no consent has been given, there are legitimate interests (Article 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR), which in most cases are of an economic nature. We want to provide visitors to our website with a pleasant user experience and certain cookies are often strictly necessary for this.

If cookies that are not absolutely necessary are used, this will only happen with your consent. In this respect, the legal basis is Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR.

In the following sections you will be informed in more detail about the use of cookies if the software used uses cookies.

Web hosting introduction

What is web hosting?

When you visit websites today, certain information - including personal data - is automatically created and stored, including on this website. This data should be processed as sparingly as possible and only with justification. By the way, by website we mean the entirety of all web pages on a domain, i.e. everything from the start page (homepage) to the very last subpage (like this one). By domain we mean, for example, example.de or example.com.

When you want to view a website on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you use a program called a web browser to do so. You probably know a few web browsers by name: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari. We call it browser or web browser for short.

To view the website, the browser needs to connect to another computer where the website's code is stored: the web server. The operation of a web server is a complicated and time-consuming task, which is why this is usually taken on by professional providers, the providers. These offer web hosting and thus ensure reliable and error-free storage of website data. A whole lot of jargon, but please stay tuned, it gets even better!

Personal data may be processed when the browser on your computer (desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone) connects and during data transfer to and from the web server. On the one hand, your computer stores data, on the other hand, the web server also has to store data for a period of time in order to ensure proper operation.

A picture says more than a thousand words, so the following graphic shows the interaction between the browser, the internet and the hosting provider.

Why do we process personal data?

The purposes of data processing are:

1. Professional website hosting and operation security
2. To maintain operational and IT security
3. Anonymous evaluation of access behavior to improve our offer and, if necessary, for criminal prosecution or the pursuit of claims

Which data are processed?

Even while you are visiting our website, our web server, which is the computer on which this website is stored, usually automatically saves data such as

• the complete internet address (URL) of the accessed website
• browser and browser version (e.g. Chrome 87)
• the operating system used (e.g. Windows 10)
• the address (URL) of the previously visited page (referrer URL) (e.g. https://www.examplesourcepage.com/thisiswhereicamefrom/)
• the hostname and IP address of the device being accessed from (e.g. COMPUTERNAME and 194.23.43.121)
• date and time
• in files, the so-called web server log files

How long is data stored?

As a rule, the above data is stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not pass on this data, but we cannot rule out that this data will be viewed by authorities in the event of illegal behavior.

In short: Your visit will be logged by our provider (company that runs our website on special computers (servers)), but we will not pass on your data without your consent!

Legal basis

The legality of the processing of personal data in the context of web hosting results from Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (protection of legitimate interests), because the use of professional hosting with a provider is necessary to make the company safe and user-friendly on the Internet present and to be able to pursue attacks and claims from this if necessary.

There is usually a contract between us and the hosting provider for data processing in accordance with Art. 28 f. GDPR, which ensures compliance with data protection and guarantees data security.

Web hosting provider external data protection declaration

Below you will find the contact details of our external hosting provider, where you can find out more about data processing, in addition to the information above:

SiteGround Spain S.L.

You can find out more about data processing at this provider in the Data protection declaration.

Web analytics introduction

What is web analytics?

We use software on our website to evaluate the behavior of website visitors, referred to as web analytics or web analysis. In doing so, data is collected, which the respective analytical tool provider (also called tracking tool) stores, manages and processes. With the help of the data, analyzes of user behavior on our website are made and made available to us as the website operator. In addition, most tools offer various test options. For example, we can test which offers or content are best received by our visitors. For this we show you two different offers for a limited period of time. After the test (so-called A/B test), we know which product or content our website visitors find more interesting. For such test procedures, as well as for other analytics procedures, user profiles can also be created and the data stored in cookies.

Why do we run web analytics?

With our website we have a clear goal in mind: we want to deliver the best web offer on the market for our industry. In order to achieve this goal, on the one hand we want to offer the best and most interesting offer and on the other hand we want to make sure that you feel completely comfortable on our website. With the help of web analysis tools, we can take a closer look at the behavior of our website visitors and then improve our website for you and us accordingly. For example, we can see how old our visitors are on average, where they come from, when our website is visited the most or which content or products are particularly popular. All this information helps us to optimize the website and thus adapt it to your needs, interests and wishes in the best possible way.

Which data are processed?

Which data is stored exactly depends of course on the analysis tools used. As a rule, however, what is stored is, for example, what content you view on our website, which buttons or links you click on, when you call up a page, which browser you use, which device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use Visit the website or what computer system you are using. If you agree that location data may also be collected, these can also be processed by the web analysis tool provider.

Your IP address will also be saved. According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), IP addresses are personal data. However, your IP address is usually stored in pseudonymised form (i.e. in an unrecognizable and shortened form). For the purpose of testing, web analysis and web optimization, no direct data such as your name, age, address or e-mail address is stored. All of this data, if collected, is stored pseudonymised. This way you cannot be identified as a person.

The following example schematically shows how Google Analytics works as an example for client-based web tracking with Java Script code.

How long the respective data is stored always depends on the provider. Some cookies only store data for a few minutes or until you leave the website, other cookies can store data for several years.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing if we have further information on this. In general, we only process personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for the provision of our services and products. If it is required by law, such as in the case of accounting, this storage period can also be exceeded.

Right to object

You also have the right and the option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection by cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting the cookies in your browser.

Legal basis

The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. According to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) , this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as it may occur when it is collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our offer technically and economically. With the help of web analytics, we can identify errors on the website, identify attacks and improve profitability. The legal basis for this is Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent.

As web analytics tools use cookies, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly what data is stored and processed by you, you should read the data protection declarations of the respective tools.

Information on special web analytics tools, if available, can be found in the following sections.

Google Analytics Privacy Policy

What is Google Analytics?

We use the Google Analytics (GA) analysis tracking tool from the American company Google Inc. on our website. The company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services in Europe. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. For example, if you click on a link, this action is stored in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. The reports we receive from Google Analytics allow us to better tailor our website and service to your needs. In the following we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and, above all, inform you about which data is stored and how you can prevent this.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool used to analyze traffic on our website. In order for Google Analytics to work, a tracking code is built into the code of our website. When you visit our website, this code records various actions that you take on our website. As soon as you leave our website, this data is sent to the Google Analytics servers and stored there.

Google processes the data and we receive reports on your user behavior. These reports may include the following:

• Target group reports: With target group reports, we get to know our users better and know more precisely who is interested in our service.
• Ad reports: Ad reports make it easier for us to analyze and improve our online advertising.
• Acquisition reports: Acquisition reports provide us with helpful information on how to attract more people to our service.
• Behavior reports: Here we learn how you interact with our website. We can understand which path you take on our site and which links you click on.
• Conversion reports: Conversion is a process in which you perform a desired action based on a marketing message. For example, when you go from being a mere website visitor to a buyer or newsletter subscriber. These reports enable us to learn more about how our marketing measures are resonating with you. This is how we want to increase our conversion rate.
• Real-time reports: Here we always know immediately what is happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

Our goal with this website is clear: We want to offer you the best possible service. The statistics and data from Google Analytics help us to achieve this goal.

The statistically evaluated data give us a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of our website. On the one hand, we can optimize our site so that interested people can find it more easily on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us to better understand you as a visitor. We therefore know exactly what we need to improve on our website in order to offer you the best possible service. The data also helps us to carry out our advertising and marketing measures more individually and cost-effectively. After all, it only makes sense to show our products and services to people who care.

What data is stored by Google Analytics?

Google Analytics uses a tracking code to create a random, unique ID that is linked to your browser cookie. This is how Google Analytics recognizes you as a new user. The next time you visit our site, you will be recognized as a "returning" user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID. This makes it possible to evaluate pseudonymous user profiles in the first place.

In order to be able to analyze our website with Google Analytics, a property ID must be included in the tracking code. The data is then stored in the corresponding property. For each newly created property, the Google Analytics 4 property is the default. Alternatively, you can also create the Universal Analytics property. Depending on the property used, data is stored for different lengths of time.

Identifiers such as cookies and app instance IDs are used to measure your interactions on our website. Interactions are any type of action you take on our website. If you also use other Google systems (such as a Google account), data generated via Google Analytics can be linked to third-party cookies. Google does not pass on Google Analytics data unless we as the website operator authorize this. Exceptions may arise if required by law.

The following cookies are used by Google Analytics:

Name: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152122122519-5
Purpose of use: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the user ID. Basically, it serves to differentiate between website visitors.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152122122519-1
Purpose of use: This cookie is also used to distinguish between website visitors
Expiry date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_<property-id>
Value: 1
Purpose of use: Used to lower the request rate. If Google Analytics is provided via Google Tag Manager, this cookie is given the name _dc_gtm_ .
Expiry date: after 1 minute

Name: AMP_TOKEN
Value: not specified
Purpose of use: This cookie has a token that can be used to retrieve a User ID from the AMP Client ID service. Other possible values indicate an opt-out, a request, or an error.
Expiry date: after 30 seconds up to a year

Name: __utma
Value: 1564498958.1564498958.1564498958.1
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to track your behavior on the website and measure performance. The cookie is updated each time information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: __utmt
Value: 1
Purpose of use: The cookie, like _gat_gtag_UA_, is used to throttle the request rate.
Expiry date: after 10 minutes

Name: __utmb
Value: 3.10.1564498958
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to determine new sessions. It is updated every time new data or information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiry date: after 30 minutes

Name: __utmc
Value: 167421564
Purpose of use: This cookie is used to set new sessions for returning visitors. This is a session cookie and is only stored until you close the browser.
Expiry date: after closing the browser

Name: __utmz
Value: m|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/
Purpose of use: The cookie is used to identify the source of traffic to our website. This means that the cookie stores where you came from on our website. That could have been another page or an advertisement.
Expiry date: after 6 months

Name: __utmv
Value: not specified
Purpose of use: The cookie is used to store custom user data. It is always updated when information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Note: This list cannot claim to be complete, since Google is constantly changing the choice of its cookies.

Here we show you an overview of the most important data that is collected with Google Analytics:

Heatmaps: Google creates so-called heatmaps. Heatmaps show exactly those areas that you click on. This is how we get information about where you are on our site.

Session duration: Google describes the session duration as the time you spend on our site without leaving the site. If you have been inactive for 20 minutes, the session ends automatically.

Bounce rate: A bounce is when you only view one page on our website and then leave our website again.

Account creation: If you create an account or place an order on our website, Google Analytics collects this data.

IP address: The IP address is only shown in abbreviated form so that no clear assignment is possible.

Location: The country and your approximate location can be determined via the IP address. This process is also referred to as IP location determination.

Technical information: The technical information includes, among other things, your browser type, your internet provider or your screen resolution.

Source of origin: Of course, Google Analytics or us are also interested in which website or which advertisement you came to our site from.

Other data are contact details, any ratings, playing media (e.g. if you play a video on our site), sharing content via social media or adding it to your favorites. The list does not claim to be complete and only serves as a general guide to data storage by Google Analytics.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google has distributed their servers all over the world. Most of the servers are located in America and consequently your data is mostly stored on American servers. Here you can read exactly where the Google data centers are located: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/

Your data is distributed across different physical media. This has the advantage that the data can be called up more quickly and is better protected against manipulation. Every Google data center has emergency programs for your data. For example, if Google's hardware fails or natural disasters paralyze servers, the risk of a service interruption at Google remains low.

The retention period of the data depends on the properties used. When using the newer Google Analytics 4 properties, the retention period for your user data is fixed at 14 months. For other so-called event data, we have the option of choosing a retention period of 2 months or 14 months.

With Universal Analytics properties, Google Analytics has a standardized retention period of 26 months for your user data. Then your user data will be deleted. However, we have the option of choosing the retention period for user data ourselves. We have five options available for this:

• Deletion after 14 months
• Deletion after 26 months
• Deletion after 38 months
• Deletion after 50 months
• No automatic deletion

In addition, there is also the option that data will only be deleted if you no longer visit our website within the period of time chosen by us. In this case, the retention period will be reset each time you visit our website again within the specified period.

When the specified period has expired, the data will be deleted once a month. This retention period applies to your data associated with cookies, user recognition and advertising IDs (e.g. cookies from the DoubleClick domain). Report results are based on aggregated data and are stored independently of user data. Aggregated data is a merging of individual data into a larger unit.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Under European Union data protection law, you have the right to access, update, delete or restrict your data. You can prevent Google Analytics from using your data by using the browser add-on to disable Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, dc.js). You can download and install the browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en . Please note that this add-on only disables data collection by Google Analytics.

If you generally want to deactivate, delete or manage cookies, you will find the corresponding links to the instructions for the most popular browsers under the “Cookies” section.

Legal basis

The use of Google Analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie popup. According to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) , this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as it may occur when it is collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, there is a legitimate interest on our part in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our offer technically and economically. With the help of Google Analytics, we can identify errors on the website, identify attacks and improve profitability. The legal basis for this is Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use Google Analytics if you have given your consent.

Google also processes your data in the USA, among other places. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. This can be associated with various risks for the legality and security of data processing.

As the basis for data processing by recipients based in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, i.e. in particular in the USA) or data transfer there, Google uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 Para. 2 and 3 DSGVO). Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data also comply with European data protection standards if they are transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through these clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementation decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among others: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=en

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the Standard Contractual Clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/en/adsprocessorterms/.

We hope we were able to give you an understanding of the most important information about data processing by Google Analytics. If you want to learn more about the tracking service, we recommend these two links: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/terms/us/ and https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en&sjid=1876918088080771129-EU.

Data processing agreement (DPA) Google Analytics

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with Google in accordance with Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can read about exactly what a DPA is and, above all, what must be contained in an DPA in our general section "Data Processing Agreement (DPA)".

This contract is required by law because Google processes personal data on our behalf. This clarifies that Google may only process data that you receive from us according to our instructions and must comply with the GDPR. The link to the data processing conditions can be found under https://business.safety.google/intl/en/adsprocessorterms/

Google Analytics in consent mode

Depending on your consent, your personal data will be processed by Google Analytics in the so-called consent mode. You can choose whether or not to accept Google Analytics cookies. This also allows you to choose which data Google Analytics may process from you. This collected data is mainly used to measure user behavior on the website, to serve targeted advertising and to provide us with web analysis reports. As a rule, you consent to data processing by Google via a cookie consent tool. If you do not consent to data processing, only aggregated data will be collected and processed. This means that data cannot be assigned to individual users and therefore no user profile is created for you. You can also only agree to the statistical measurement. No personal data is processed and therefore not used for advertising or advertising measurement sequences.

Google Analytics IP anonymization

We have implemented Google Analytics IP address anonymization on this website. This function was developed by Google so that this website can comply with applicable data protection regulations and recommendations from local data protection authorities if they prohibit the storage of the full IP address. The IP is anonymized or masked as soon as the IP addresses arrive in the Google Analytics data collection network and before the data is stored or processed.

More information on IP anonymization can be found at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/2763052?hl=en&sjid=1876918088080771129-EU.

Cookie Consent Management Platform introduction

What is a Cookie Consent Management Platform?

We use Consent Management Platform (CMP) software on our website, which makes it easier for us and you to handle the scripts and cookies used correctly and securely. The software automatically creates a cookie pop-up, scans and controls all scripts and cookies, offers you cookie consent required by data protection law and helps us and you to keep track of all cookies. Most cookie consent management tools identify and categorize all existing cookies. As a website visitor, you then decide for yourself whether and which scripts and cookies you want to allow or not. The following graphic shows the relationship between browser, web server and CMP.

Why do we use a cookie management tool?

Our goal is to offer you the best possible transparency in the area of data protection. We are also legally obliged to do so. We want to inform you as well as possible about all tools and all cookies that can store and process data from you. It is also your right to decide which cookies you accept and which you do not. In order to grant you this right, we first need to know exactly which cookies landed on our website in the first place. Thanks to a cookie management tool, which regularly scans the website for all existing cookies, we know about all cookies and can provide you with GDPR-compliant information about them. You can then accept or reject cookies via the consent system.

Which data are processed?

As part of our cookie management tool, you can manage each individual cookie yourself and have complete control over the storage and processing of your data. The declaration of your consent will be saved so that we do not have to ask you each time you visit our website and we can also prove your consent if required by law. This is stored either in an opt-in cookie or on a server. Depending on the provider of the cookie management tool, the storage period of your cookie consent varies. This data (e.g. pseudonymous user ID, time of consent, detailed information on the cookie categories or tools, browser, device information) is usually stored for up to two years.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing if we have further information on this. In general, we only process personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for the provision of our services and products. Data stored in cookies are stored for different lengths of time. Some cookies are already deleted after leaving the website, others can be stored in your browser for several years. The exact duration of the data processing depends on the tool used, in most cases you should be prepared for a storage period of several years. In the respective data protection declarations of the individual providers you will usually receive precise information about the duration of the data processing.

Right to object

You also have the right and the opportunity to revoke your consent to the use of cookies at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection by cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting the cookies in your browser.

Information on special cookie management tools, if available, can be found in the following sections.

Legal basis

If you agree to cookies, your personal data will be processed and stored via these cookies. If we are allowed to use cookies through your Consent (Article 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR), this consent is also the legal basis for the use of cookies or the processing of your data. In order to be able to manage the consent to cookies and to enable you to give your consent, a cookie consent management platform software is used. The use of this software enables us to operate the website in an efficient, legally compliant manner, which represents a legitimate interest (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).

Web design introduction

What is web design?

We use various tools on our website that serve our web design. Web design is not just about making our website look pretty, as is often assumed, but also about functionality and performance. But of course the right look of a website is also one of the major goals of professional web design. Web design is a part of media design and deals with the visual as well as the structural and functional design of a website. The aim is to improve your experience on our website with the help of web design. In web design jargon, one speaks of user experience (UX) and usability in this context. User experience is understood to mean all impressions and experiences that the website visitor experiences on a website. A sub-point of the user experience is usability. This is about the user-friendliness of a website. Above all, value is placed on the fact that content, subpages or products are clearly structured and that you can find what you are looking for quickly and easily. In order to offer you the best possible experience on our website, we also use so-called third-party web design tools. In this data protection declaration, all services that improve the design of our website fall under the category “web design”. This can be, for example, fonts, various plugins or other integrated web design functions.

Why do we use web design tools?

How you absorb information on a website depends very much on the structure, functionality and visual perception of the website. Therefore, a good and professional web design became more and more important for us. We are constantly working on improving our website and see this as an extended service for you as a website visitor. Furthermore, a beautiful and functioning website also has economic advantages for us. After all, you will only visit us and take advantage of our offers if you feel completely at ease.

What data is stored by web design tools?

When you visit our website, web design elements can be integrated into our pages, which can also process data. Which data is exactly depends on the tools used, of course. Below you can see exactly which tools we use for our website. For more information about data processing, we recommend that you also read the respective data protection declaration of the tools used. You can usually find out there which data is processed, whether cookies are used and how long the data is stored. Fonts such as Google Fonts also automatically transmit information such as language settings, IP address, browser version, browser screen resolution and browser name to the Google servers.

Duration of data processing

How long data is processed is very individual and depends on the web design elements used. For example, if cookies are used, the retention period can be as little as a minute, but it can also be a few years. Please be smart about this. On the one hand, we recommend our general text section on cookies and the data protection declarations of the tools used. There you can usually find out exactly which cookies are used and what information is stored in them. For example, Google Font files are stored for one year. This is to improve the loading time of a website. In principle, data is only kept for as long as is necessary to provide the service. In the case of legal requirements, data can also be stored for longer.

Right to object

You also have the right and the option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. You can also prevent data collection by cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting the cookies in your browser. However, among web design elements (typically fonts) there is some data that cannot be easily deleted. This is the case when data is automatically collected directly when a page is accessed and transmitted to a third party (e.g. Google). Then please contact the support of the respective provider. In the case of Google, you can reach support at https://support.google.com/?hl=en&sjid=1876918088080771129-EU.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of web design tools, the legal basis for the relevant data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as it can occur when it is collected by web design tools. We also have a legitimate interest in web design to improve on our website. After all, only then can we provide you with a beautiful and professional web offer. The corresponding legal basis for this is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use web design tools if you have given your consent. We definitely want to emphasize that again.

Information on special web design tools - if available - can be found in the following sections.

Font Awesome privacy policy

What is Font Awesome?

We use Font Awesome from the American company Fonticons (307 S. Main St., Suite 202, Bentonville, AR 72712, USA) on our website. When you visit one of our websites, the Font Awesome web font (specifically icons) is loaded via the Font Awesome Content Delivery Network (CDN). The texts or fonts and icons are displayed appropriately on every device. In this data protection declaration we go into more detail about the data storage and data processing by this service.

Icons are playing an increasingly important role on websites. Font Awesome is a web font specially designed for web designers and web developers. With Font Awesome, for example, icons can be scaled and colored as desired using the style sheet language CSS. They replace old picture icons. Font Awesome CDN is the easiest way to upload icons or fonts to your website. All we had to do was embed a small line of code into our website.

Why do we use Font Awesome on our website?

Font Awesome allows content on our website to be better prepared. In this way, you can find your way around our website better and understand the content more easily. With the icons you can sometimes even replace whole words and save space. This is particularly useful when we optimize content specifically for smartphones. These icons are inserted as HTML code instead of as an image. This allows us to edit the icons with CSS exactly how we want. At the same time, with Font Awesome we also improve our loading speed because it's just HTML elements and not icon images. All these advantages help us to make the website even clearer, fresher and faster for you.

What data does Font Awesome store?

Font Awesome Content Delivery Network (CDN) is used to load icons and symbols. CDNs are networks of servers distributed around the world, making it possible to quickly load files locally. As soon as you call up one of our pages, the corresponding icons are provided by Font Awesome.

In order for the web fonts to be loaded, your browser must establish a connection to the Fonticons, Inc. servers. Your IP address will be recognized. Font Awesome also collects data about which icon files are downloaded and when. Technical data such as your browser version, screen resolution or the time the page was called up is also transmitted.

Aus folgenden Gründen werden diese Daten gesammelt und gespeichert:

• to optimize content delivery networks
• to identify and fix technical errors
• to protect CDNs from abuse and attacks
• to calculate fees from Font Awesome Pro customers
• to know the popularity of icons
• to know what computer and software you are using

If your browser does not allow web fonts, a standard font on your PC will be used automatically. According to the current state of our knowledge, no cookies are set. We're in contact with Font Awesome's privacy department and will let you know as soon as we find out more.

How long and where is the data stored?

Font Awesome also stores data about the use of the Content Delivery Network on servers in the United States of America. However, the CDN servers are located worldwide and store user data where you are located. In an identifiable form, the data is usually only stored for a few weeks. Aggregated statistics about usage of the CDNs may also be stored longer. Personal data are not included here.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

To the best of our knowledge, Font Awesome does not store any personal data via the content delivery networks. If you do not want data about the icons used to be saved, you will unfortunately not be able to visit our website. If your browser does not allow web fonts, no data will be transmitted or stored. In this case, the standard font of your computer is simply used.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the use of Font Awesome, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent) is the legal basis for the processing of personal data as it may occur when it is collected by Font Awesome.

We also have a legitimate interest in using Font Awesome to optimize our online service. The corresponding legal basis for this is Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use Font Awesome if you have given your consent.

We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. The data processing is essentially done by Font Awesome. This can mean that data may not be processed and stored anonymously. In addition, US government authorities may have access to individual data. It may also happen that this data is linked to data from other Font Awesome services where you have a user account.

If you want to learn more about Font Awesome and how they handle data, we recommend the privacy policy at https://fontawesome.com/privacy and the help page at https://fontawesome.com/support.

Google Fonts Local privacy policy

On our website we use Google Fonts from Google Inc. The company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for the European area. We have integrated the Google fonts locally, i.e. on our web server - not on the Google servers. As a result, there is no connection to Google servers and therefore no data transmission or storage.

What are Google Fonts?

Google Fonts used to be called Google Web Fonts. This is an interactive directory of over 800 fonts Google provides free of charge. With Google Fonts, you could use fonts without uploading them to your own server. However, in order to prevent any transfer of information to Google servers in this regard, we have downloaded the fonts to our server. In this way, we act in compliance with data protection and do not send any data to Google Fonts.

Explanation of terms used

We always try to make our privacy policy as clear and understandable as possible. However, this is not always easy, especially when it comes to technical and legal issues. It often makes sense to use legal terms (such as personal data) or certain technical terms (such as cookies, IP address). But we don't want to use them without explanation. Below you will find an alphabetical list of important terms used, which we may not have sufficiently addressed in the previous data protection declaration. If these terms were taken from the GDPR and they are definitions, we will also list the GDPR texts here and add our own explanations if necessary.

Processor

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the term means:

"Processor" a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body that processes personal data on behalf of the person responsible;

Explanation: As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data that we process from you. In addition to those responsible, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or person who processes personal data on our behalf. In addition to service providers such as tax consultants, processors can also be hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.

Consent

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the term means:

"Consent" the data subject any voluntary, informed and unequivocal expression of will in the specific case in the form of a declaration or other clear affirmative action with which the data subject indicates that they agree to the processing of their personal data;

Explanation: As a rule, such consent is given on websites via a cookie consent tool. I'm sure you know that. Whenever you visit a website for the first time, you will usually be asked via a banner whether you agree or consent to the data processing. You can usually also make individual settings and thus decide for yourself which data processing you allow and which not. If you do not give your consent, no personal data may be processed. In principle, consent can of course also be given in writing, i.e. not via a tool.

Personal data

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the term means:

"Personal data" any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter "data subject"); an identifiable natural person is one who, directly or indirectly, in particular by association with an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or one or more special features, expresses the physical, physiological, genetic, psychological, economic, cultural or social identity of this natural person can be identified;

Explanation: Personal data is therefore all data that can identify you as a person. This is usually data such as:

• Name
• Address
• E-mail address
• Postal address
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• Identification numbers such as social security number, tax identification number, ID card number or matriculation number
• Bank data such as account number, credit information, account balances and much more.

According to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), your IP address is also considered personal data. IT experts can use your IP address to determine at least the approximate location of your device and subsequently you as the connection owner. Therefore, storing an IP address also requires a legal basis within the meaning of the GDPR. There are also so-called "special categories" of personal data, which are also particularly worthy of protection. These include:

• racial and ethnic origin
• political opinions
• religious or ideological beliefs
• union membership
• genetic data such as data obtained from blood or saliva samples
• biometric data (this is information about psychological, physical or behavioral characteristics that can identify a person)
• health data
• data related to sexual orientation or sex life

Profiling

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the term means:

"Profiling" any type of automated processing of personal data that consists in using this personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular aspects related to work performance, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests analyze or predict the reliability, conduct, whereabouts or relocation of that individual;

Explanation: Profiling gathers various pieces of information about a person in order to learn more about that person. On the web, profiling is often used for advertising purposes or for credit checks. For example, web and advertising analysis programs collect data about your behavior and your interests on a website. This results in a special user profile that can be used to target advertising to a specific target group.

Person responsible

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the term means:

"Person responsible" the natural or legal person, public authority, institution or other body that alone or jointly with others decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data; if the purposes and means of this processing are specified by Union law or the law of the Member States, the person responsible or the specific criteria for his naming can be provided for by Union law or the law of the Member States;

Explanation: In our case, we are responsible for the processing of your personal data and consequently the “person responsible”. If we pass on collected data to other service providers for processing, these are "processors". For this, a "data processing agreement (DPA)" must be signed.

All texts are copyrighted.

Source: Created with AdSimple's Data Protection Generator