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Data Policy

This Privacy Policy explains to you the type, scope and purpose of the processing of personal data (hereinafter referred to as “data”) on our website and the associated websites, functions and content, as well as external online presences, such as our social media profile (hereinafter jointly referred to as the “website”). We refer to the definitions in art. 4 of the General Data Protection Act (GDPR) regarding the terms used, such as “processing” or “controller”.

Data Controller

iGroove AG
Churerstrasse 135
CH-8808 Pfäffikon SZ
Switzerland
E-Mail Address: [email protected]
Managing Director/Owner: Dennis Hausammann
Link to the Imprint: https://www.igroovemusic.com/impressum

Types of data processed:

Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses).
Contact details (e.g., email address, phone numbers).
Content data (e.g. text input, photographs, videos).
Usage data (e.g., visited websites, interest in content, access times)
Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).

Categories of data subjects

Visitors and users of the website (hereinafter also referred to as “users”).

Purpose of processing

Provision of the website, its functions and contents.
Response to contact requests and communication with users.
Security measures.
Reach measurement/marketing

Terms used

“Personal data” refers to all information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subject”); a natural person is regarded as identifiable, if he/she can be directly or indirectly identified, especially by means of association with an identifier such as a name, with an identification number, with location data, with an online identifier (e.g. cookies) or with one or several special features reflecting the physical, physiological, genetic, psychological, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person.

“Processing” means any operation carried out with or without the aid of automated procedures or any such series of operations in connection with personal data. The term is broad and covers virtually every aspect of dealing with data.

“Pseudonymisation” means the processing of personal data in such a way that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without additional information, provided that this additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures ensuring that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or an identifiable natural person.

“Profiling” means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyse or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, location, or movements.

“Data controller” refers to the natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or any other body that alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

A “processor” is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body that processes personal data on behalf of the data controller.

Applicable legal bases

In accordance with Art. 13 GDPR, we inform you of the legal basis of our data processing. If the legal basis is not mentioned in the Data Protection Declaration, the following applies: the legal basis for obtaining consent is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (a) and Art. 7 GDPR, the legal basis for processing for the fulfilment of our services and the execution of contractual measures as well as for replying to enquiries is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. (b) GDPR, the legal basis for processing to fulfil our legal obligations is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (c) GDPR, and the legal basis for processing to protect our legitimate interests is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f), GDPR. If vital interests of the data subject or another natural person require the processing of personal data, Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (d) GDPR applies as the legal basis.

Security measures

In accordance with Art. 32 GDPR, we take appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk, taking into account current technology, implementation costs, the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing, and the varying likelihood and severity of the risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons.

The measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical access to the data, as well as the access, input, transmission, security of availability and its separation. Furthermore, we have established procedures that guarantee the exercise of data subjects’ rights, deletion of data, and reaction to data risks. In addition, we take the protection of personal data into account as early as the development or selection of hardware, software and procedures, in accordance with the principle of data protection through technology design and data protection-friendly defaults (Art. 25 GDPR).

Cooperation with data processors and third parties

If we disclose data to other persons and companies (data processors or third parties) within the scope of our processing, transmit the data to them or otherwise grant them access to the data, this shall only take place on the basis of a legal permission (e.g. if a transmission of the data to third parties, such as payment service providers, in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (b) GDPR is required for contract fulfilment), you have consented, a legal obligation provides for this or based on our legitimate interests (e.g. when using agents, web hosts, etc.).

If we commission third parties with the processing of data based on a so-called “order processing contract”, this is done based on Art. 28 GDPR.

Transfers to 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 this occurs in the context of the use of third-party services or disclosure or transfer of data to third parties, this only takes place if it occurs for the fulfilment of our (pre)contractual obligations, on the basis of your consent, on the basis of a legal obligation or on the basis of our legitimate interests. Subject to legal or contractual permissions, we process or leave the data in a third country only if the particular requirements of Art. 44 ff. GDPR are met. This means, for example, processing is carried out on the basis of special guarantees, such as the officially recognised determination of a data protection level corresponding to the EU (e.g. for the USA by the “Privacy Shield”) or compliance with officially recognised special contractual obligations (so-called “standard contractual clauses”).

Rights of the data subjects

You have the right to request confirmation as to whether the data concerned are being processed and to request information about these data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with Art. 15 GDPR.

According to Art. 16 GDPR, you have the right to request the completion of data concerning you or the correction of inaccurate data concerning you.

In accordance with Art. 17 GDPR, you have the right to demand that relevant data be deleted immediately or, alternatively, to demand a restriction on the processing of the data in accordance with Art. 18 GDPR.

You have the right to request the data concerning you that you have provided to us in accordance with Art. 20 GDPR and to request their transmission to other controllers.

In accordance with Art. 77 GDPR you have the further right to lodge a complaint with the responsible supervisory authority.

Cancellation right

You have the right to revoke your consent according to Art 7. para. 3 GDPR with effect for the future.

Right of objection

You can object to the future processing of the data concerning you in accordance with Art. 21 GDPR at any time. The objection may be lodged in particular against processing for direct marketing purposes.

Cookies and right of objection to direct advertising

Cookies are small files that are stored on the user’s computer. Different data can be stored within the cookies. A cookie is primarily used to store information about a user (or the device on which the cookie is stored) during or after his/her visit to a website. Temporary cookies, “session cookies” or “transient cookies”, are cookies that are deleted after a user leaves a website and closes his/her browser. For example, the content of a shopping cart in an online shop or a login status can be stored in a cookie of this nature. Cookies are referred to as “permanent” or “persistent” if they remain saved even after the browser is closed. For example, the login status can be saved if users visit it after several days have passed. Likewise, the interests of users may be stored in a cookie of this nature and used for reach measurements or marketing purposes. “Third-party cookies” are cookies that are offered by providers other than the data controller who operates the website (otherwise, if the only cookies are run by the data controller, they are referred to as “first-party cookies”).

We may use temporary and permanent cookies and clarify this within the framework of our Privacy Policy.

If users do not want cookies to be stored on their computer, they are asked to deactivate the corresponding option in the system settings of their browser. Cookies that are already saved can be deleted in the system settings of the browser at any time. Deactivating the use of cookies can restrict some of this website’s functionality.

A general objection to the use of cookies used for online marketing purposes can be found in a variety of services, especially in the case of tracking, via the US website http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or the EU site http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ be explained. Furthermore, you can deactivate the storage of cookies in the browser settings. Please note that in this case not all functions of the website can be used in full.

Deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted or their processing restricted in accordance with Art. 17 and 18 GDPR. Unless expressly stated in this Privacy Policy, the data stored by us will be deleted as soon as they are no longer required for their intended purpose and the deletion does not conflict with any statutory storage obligations. If the data are not deleted because their necessary for other and legally permissible purposes, the processing of the data will be restricted. This means that the data will be blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for commercial or tax reasons.

In particular, pursuant to legal requirements in Germany, storage lasts for 10 years pursuant to §§ 147 para. 1 AO, 257 para. 1 no. 1 and 4, para. 4 HGB (German Commercial Code) (books, records, management reports, accounting records, trading books, documents relevant for taxation, etc.) and for 6 years in accordance with § 257 para. 1 no. 2 and 3, para. 4 HGB (commercial letters).

In particular, pursuant to legal requirements in Austria, storage lasts for 7 years in accordance with Section 132 para. 1 BAO (Austrian Federal Tax Code: accounting documents, receipts/invoices, accounts, receipts, business papers, statement of income and expenditure, etc.), for 22 years in connection with properties, and for 10 years for documents in connection with electronically provided services, telecommunications, radio and television services provided to non-entrepreneurs in EU Member States and for which the Mini-One-Stop-Shop (MOSS) is used.

Business-related processing

In addition, we process

Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category).
Payment data (e.g., bank details, payment history)

by our customers, prospects and business partners for the purpose of providing contractual services, service and customer care, marketing, advertising and market research.

Order processing in the online shop and customer account

We process the data of our customers in the context of the order processes in our online shop to enable them to select and order the selected products and services, as well as their payment and delivery, or execution.

The processed data includes inventory data, communication data, contract data, payment data, and the persons affected by the processing include our customers, interested parties and other business partners. The processing takes place for the purpose of providing contractual services in the context of operating an online shop, billing, delivery and customer services. We use session cookies for storing the contents of the shopping cart and permanent cookies for storing the login status.

The processing is carried out based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (b) (execution of order processes) and (c) (legally required archiving) GDPR. The information marked as necessary is required to establish and fulfil the agreement. We disclose the data to third parties only within the framework of delivery, payment or within the framework of legal permits and obligations to legal advisers and authorities. The data will only be processed in third countries if this is necessary for the fulfilment of the contract (e.g. at the customer’s request upon delivery or payment).

You can create a user account in order to view your orders. During the registration process, the required information will be communicated to the users. The user accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. If users have terminated their user account, their data regarding the user account will be deleted, subject to their retention, for commercial or tax reasons, according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (c) GDPR. Data in the customer account remain up to its deletion with subsequent archiving in the case of a legal obligation. It is up to the users to save their data before the end of the contract if they have given notice of termination.

When registering, re-registering and using our online services, we store the IP address and the time of the respective user action. The data is stored based on our legitimate interests as well as the user’s protection against misuse and other unauthorised use. A transfer of this data to third parties does not take place, unless it is necessary to pursue our claims or there is a legal obligation to do so in accordance with the law according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (c) GDPR.

Deletion takes place after the expiration of statutory warranty and comparable obligations, the necessity of the storage of the data is checked every three years; in the case of statutory archiving obligations deletion takes place after their expiration (end of commercial law (6 years) and tax law (10 years) storage obligation)

External payment service providers

We use external payment service providers through whose platforms users and we can make payment transactions (e.g., with a link to the Privacy Policy, Paypal (https://www.paypal.com/de/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full), Klarna (https://www.klarna.com/de/datenschutz/), Skrill (https://www.skrill.com/de/fusszeile/datenschutzrichtlinie/), Giropay (https://www.giropay.de/rechtliches/datenschutz-agb/), Visa (https://www.visa.de/datenschutz), Mastercard (https://www.mastercard.de/de-de/datenschutz.html), American Express (https://www.americanexpress.com/de/content/privacy-policy-statement.html)

Within the framework of the fulfilment of contracts, we appoint the payment service providers based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (b), GDPR. In addition, we employ external payment service providers based on our legitimate interests in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (b) GDPR to provide our users with effective and secure payment options.

The data processed by the payment service providers includes inventory data such as name and address, bank data such as account numbers or credit card numbers, passwords, TANs and checksums as well as contract, totals and recipient information. This information is required to execute the transactions. However, the data entered will only be processed and stored by the payment service providers. This means that we do not receive any account or credit card related information, but only information regarding payment confirmation or failure. The data may be transferred by the payment service providers to credit agencies. The purpose of this transmission is to verify identity and creditworthiness. For this, we refer to the terms and conditions and data protection information of the payment service providers.

For payment transactions, the terms and conditions and the data protection information of the respective payment service providers, which can be accessed within the respective websites or transaction applications, apply. We refer to these also for the purpose of further information and assertion of revocation rights, information and the rights of other interested parties.

Administration, financial accounting, office organisation, contact management

We process data within the framework of administrative tasks as well as the organisation of our company, financial accounting and compliance with legal obligations, e.g. archiving. In this regard, we process the same data that we process in the course of providing our contractual services. The bases of processing are Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (c) GDPR, Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR. Customers, prospective customers, business partners and website visitors are affected by the processing. The purpose of and our interest in the processing lies in administration, financial accounting, office organisation, archiving of data, namely, tasks which serve the maintenance of our business activities, performance of our tasks and provision of our services. The deletion of data regarding contractual services and contractual communication corresponds to the tasks specified in these processing activities.

In this regard, we disclose or transmit data to tax authorities, consultants, such as tax consultants or auditors, as well as other fee offices and payment service providers.

Furthermore, we store information regarding suppliers, event organisers and other business partners based on our business interests, e.g. for the purpose of making contact at a later date. In principle, we store this data, which is mainly company-related, permanently.

Participation in Affiliate Programs

Within our website, we rely on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our website) acc. Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR industry-standard tracking measures, as far as these are necessary for the operation of the affiliate system. Below we clarify the users about the technical background.

The services offered by our contractual partners can also be advertised and linked to other websites (so-called affiliate links or after-buy systems, if, for example, links or services of third parties are offered after conclusion of a contract). The operators of the respective websites receive a commission if users follow the affiliate links and then take advantage of the offers.

In conclusion, our website requires us to be able to keep track of whether users who are interested in affiliate links and/or the offers available to us, then take advantage of the offers on the affiliate links or our online platform. For this, the affiliate links and our offers are supplemented by certain values, which can be part of the link or otherwise, e.g. in a cookie. The values include in particular the source website (referrer), time, an online identifier of the operator of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online identifier of the respective offer, an online identifier of the user, as well as tracking specific values such as ad ID, affiliate ID and categorization.

The online user IDs used by us are pseudonymous values. This means that the online identifiers themselves do not contain personal data such as names or e-mail addresses. They only help us to determine if the same user who clicked on an affiliate link or was interested in an offer via our website has accepted the offer, i.e. has signed a contract with the provider. However, the online identification is personal insofar as the partner company and also us, the online identification together with other user data are available. Only then can the partner company tell us whether the user has taken advantage of the offer and we can pay off the bonus, for example.

Amazon Affiliate Program

We are, based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the economic operation of our website within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR), participants in the Amazon EU Affiliate Program designed to provide a medium for websites that earn advertising fees by placing advertisements and links to Amazon.com (so-called affiliate system). Amazon uses cookies to trace the origin of the orders. Among other things, Amazon may recognize that you have clicked the affiliate link on this site and subsequently purchased a product from Amazon.

For more information about Amazon’s data usage and opt-out options, please visit the company’s Privacy Policy: http://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=footer_privacy?ie=UTF8&nodeId=3312401.

Registration function

Users can create a user account. Users will be informed of the mandatory information required during registration and this information will be processed based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (b) GDPR for the purpose of providing the user account. The processed data includes, in particular, the login information (name, password and an e-mail address). The data entered during registration will be used for the operation of the user account and its purpose.

Users may be notified by e-mail of information relevant to their user account, such as technical changes. If users have cancelled their user account, their data will be deleted regarding the user account, subject to a statutory retention obligation. It is the responsibility of the user to save their data before the end of the contract if they have given notice of termination. We are entitled to irretrievably delete all user data stored during the contract duration.

As part of the use of our registration and login functions as well as the use of the user account, we store the IP address and the time of the respective user activity. These data are stored based on our legitimate interests, and to protect the user against misuse and other unauthorised use. A passing on of this data to third parties does not take place in principle, unless it is necessary for the pursuit of our claims or there is a legal obligation in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (c) GDPR. IP addresses are anonymised or deleted after 7 days at the latest.

DISQUS comment function

Based on our legitimate interests in efficient, secure, and user-friendly comment management in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR, we use the comment service DISQUS, provided by DISQUS, Inc., 301 Howard St, Floor 3 San Francisco, California- 94105, USA. DISQUS is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, thus providing a guarantee to comply with European data protection laws: https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000TRkEAAW&status=Active.

To use the DISQUS comment function, users can log in via their own DISQUS user account or an existing social media account (e.g. OpenID, Facebook, Twitter or Google). DISQS thereby obtains the user’s login data from the platforms. It is also possible to use the DISQUS comment function as a guest, without creating or using user accounts at DISQUS or one of the specified social media providers.

We merely embed DISQUS and its functions into our website, whereby we can influence the comments of the users. However, the user enters a direct contractual relationship with DISQUS, within the framework of which DISQS processes the user’s comments and is a contact person for any deletion of the user’s data. Please refer to DISQUS Privacy Policy: https://help.disqus.com/terms-and-policies/disqus-privacy-policy and also inform users that they can assume that DISQUS has comment content as well stores their IP address and the time of the comment and stores cookies on users’ computers and uses them to display advertising. However, users may object to the processing of their data to display ads: https://disqus.com/data-sharing-settings.

Comments and posts

If users leave comments or other posts, their IP addresses can be stored for 7 days based on our legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR. This takes place for our security, in case someone leaves illegal contents in comments and posts (abuse, forbidden political propaganda, etc.). In this case, we ourselves could be prosecuted for the comment or post and are therefore interested in the identity of the author.

Furthermore, we reserve the right, based on our legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR, to process user information for the purpose of spam detection.

The data provided in the context of comments and posts will be permanently stored by us until the user objects.

Get profile pictures from Gravatar

We use the Gravatar service of Automattic Inc., 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA, within our website and specifically on the blog.

Gravatar is a service that allows users to log in and submit profile pictures and their email addresses. If users with the respective e-mail address on other online sites (especially in blogs) leave posts or comments, so their profile pictures can be displayed next to the posts or comments. For this purpose, the e-mail address communicated by the users to Gravatar is transmitted in encrypted form in order to check whether a profile has been stored for it. This is the sole purpose of the transmission of the email address and it will not be used for other purposes but will be deleted thereafter.

The use of Gravatar is based on our legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR, because we offer the possibility to the contribution and comment authors to personalise their contributions with a profile picture with the help of Gravatar.

By displaying the images, Gravatar obtains the IP address of the users, as this is necessary for communication between a browser and an online service. For more information on Gravatar’s collection and use of the data, please refer to Automattic’s Privacy Policy: https://automattic.com/privacy/.

If users do not want a user picture linked to their email address on Gravatar to appear in the comments, you should use an email address that is not registered with Gravatar to comment. We also point out that it is also possible to use an anonymous or even no e-mail address if the users do not want their own e-mail address to be sent to Gravatar. Users can completely prevent the transfer of data by not using our commenting system.

Contact details

When contacting us (e.g. by contact form, email, telephone or via social media), the user’s details are processed for the handling of the contact enquiry accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (b) GDPR. User information can be stored in a Customer Relationship Management System (“CRM System”) or comparable ticket system.

We delete the enquiries if they are no longer necessary. We review this necessity every two years; the statutory archiving obligations also apply.

The following notes are about our newsletter, its content and procedures regarding registration, distribution and statistical evaluation. They also explain your right to appeal. By subscribing to our newsletter, you agree to receive the newsletter and to the described procedures.

Content of the newsletter: We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic notifications containing advertising information (hereinafter “newsletters”) only with the express consent of the recipient or with legal permission. If registration for the newsletter involves a concrete description of its content, then this description is the basis on which the user agrees to receive the newsletter. In addition, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.

Double opt-in and logging records: subscription to our newsletter takes place using a process known as double opt-in. This means that upon registration, you will receive an email requesting confirmation of the subscription. The confirmation is required to ensure that no one else subscribes using your email address. A record of subscriptions to the newsletter is kept to fulfil the legal requirements for recording the subscription process. The record contains the time of subscription and confirmation as well as the relevant IP address. Any changes to the data registered with the newsletter distribution platform will also be recorded.

Subscription details: To subscribe to the newsletter, simply enter your e-mail address. Optionally, we ask you to enter a name for the newsletter, so that we can address you personally.

The newsletters are dispatched and their performance measured on the basis of the recipients’ consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit (a), Art. 7 GDPR in conjunction with Art. 7 para. 2 no. 3 UWG (Law against unfair competition) or based on legal permission in accordance with Art. 7 para. 3 UWG.

The registration procedure is recorded based on our legitimate interests in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR. We strive toward a user-friendly and secure newsletter system that serves both our business interests and the expectations of our users and also allows us to provide proof of consent.

Cancellation/Revocation – You can cancel your subscription to our newsletter at any time, i.e. revoke your consent. You will find an “unsubscribe” link at the end of each newsletter. We may store the e-mail addresses that have been unsubscribed for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before we delete them in order to be able to prove a previously given consent. The processing of these data is limited to the purpose of a possible defence against claims. An individual request for deletion can be expressed at any time, provided that, at the same time, the existence of prior consent is confirmed.

Newsletter – MailChimp

The newsletter is sent via “MailChimp”, a newsletter distribution platform of the US provider Rocket Science Group, LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE #5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA. The Privacy Policy of the shipping service provider can be viewed here: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/. The Rocket Science Group LLC is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, which provides a guarantee to comply with European data protection standards (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000TO6hAAG&status=Active). The mailing service provider is assigned based on our legitimate interests in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR and an Order Processing Agreement in accordance with Art. 28 para. 3 S. 1 GDPR.

The mailing service provider may use the data of the recipients in pseudonymous form, i.e. without assignment to a user, to optimize or improve their own services, e.g. for the technical optimization of shipping and the presentation of newsletters or for statistical purposes. However, the service does not use the recipient data of our newsletter to approach recipients directly nor do they pass the information on to third parties.

Hosting

The hosting services we use serve to provide the following services: Infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services, security services and technical maintenance services that we use for the purpose of operating this website.

Hereby, we or our hosting provider process inventory data, contact data, content data, contract data, usage data, meta data and communication data of customers, potential customers and visitors to this website on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure provision of this website according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR in conjunction with Art. 28 GDPR (Fulfilment of order processing agreement).

Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager is a solution that allows us to manage so-called website tags through a single interface (including integrating Google Analytics and other Google marketing services into our website). The Tag Manager itself (which implements the tags) does not process any personal user data. Regarding the processing of users’ personal data, reference is made to the following information on the Google services. Usage Policy: https://www.google.com/intl/de/tagmanager/use-policy.html.

Google Analytics

Based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation, and economical operation of our website in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR), we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”). Google uses cookies. The information generated by the cookie about the user’s use of the website is generally transmitted to and stored on a Google server in the USA.

Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, which provides a guarantee to comply with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

On our behalf, Google will use this information to analyse the use of our website by users, to compile reports on activities on this website, and to provide us with other services related to the use of this website and the internet. Pseudonymous usage profiles of users may be created from the processed data in this respect.

We only use Google Analytics with IP anonymisation activated. This means that the IP address of the user is truncated by Google within the member states of the European Union or in other countries that are party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address sent to a Google server in the US and truncated there.

The IP address sent by your browser will not be associated with other data held by Google. The user may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings in their browser; the user can also prevent Google from collecting the data generated by the cookie regarding your use of the contents data and the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plugin available via the following link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

Further information on data use by Google, setting and objection options, can be found in Google’s data protection policy (https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads) and in the settings for the display of advertisements by Google (https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated).

Users’ personal data will be deleted or made anonymous after 14 months.

Google AdWords and Conversion Measurement

Based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation, and economical operation of our website within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR), we use the services of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA, (“Google”).

Google is certified under the Privacy Shield agreement, thereby offering a guarantee of compliance with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

We use the online marketing process Google “AdWords” to place ads on the Google Advertising Network (e.g., in search results, videos, on websites, etc.) to show them to users who have a possible interest in the ads. This allows us to display ads for and within our website more specifically in order to only present ads that potentially correspond to the user’s interests. For example, if a user sees ads for products he has been interested in on other websites, this is referred to as “re-marketing”. For these purposes, when the user accesses our and other websites on which Google marketing services are active, Google directly executes a Google code and (re)marketing tags (invisible graphics or code, also known as “web beacons”) are integrated into the website. These store a unique cookie or comparable technology on the user’s device. This file keeps a record of which websites the user visited, which contents he is interested in and which offers he has clicked on, as well as technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, visiting time and further information about the use of the website.

We also receive an individual “conversion cookie”. The information collected with the help of cookies is used by Google to generate conversion statistics for us. However, we only see the total number of anonymous users who clicked on our ad and were redirected to a page with a conversion tracking tag. We do not obtain any information that can be used to identify users personally.

User data is processed pseudonymously within the Google advertising network. This means that Google does not store and process the names or email addresses of users, for example, but processes the relevant data cookie-related within pseudonymous user profiles. This means that, from Google’s point of view, the ads are not managed and displayed for a specifically identified person, but for the cookie holder, regardless of who this cookie holder is. This does not apply if a user has expressly permitted Google to process the data without this pseudonymisation. The information collected about users is transmitted to Google and stored on Google’s servers in the USA.

Facebook Pixel, Custom Audiences and Facebook Conversion

Due to our legitimate interests in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our website and for these purposes the so-called “Facebook Pixel” of the social network Facebook, which is operated by Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA, or, if you are based in the EU, Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland (“Facebook”), is used within our website.

Facebook is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, which provides a guarantee to comply with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC&status=Active).

With the help of Facebook Pixel, Facebook is able to determine the visitors of our website as a target group for the presentation of advertisements (so-called “Facebook Ads”). Accordingly, we use the Facebook Pixel to display our Facebook Ads only to Facebook users who have shown an interest in our website or who have certain traits (e.g. interests in certain topics or products that are determined by the websites visited) that we transmit to Facebook (so-called “Custom Audiences”). With the help of the Facebook Pixel, we want to make sure that our Facebook Ads correspond to the potential interest of the users and are not annoying. The Facebook Pixel also helps us understand the effectiveness of Facebook Ads for statistical and marketing research purposes by showing and evaluating whether users are directed to our site after they have clicked a Facebook Ad (so-called “Conversion”).

Facebook processes the data in accordance with Facebook’s Data Usage Policy. Accordingly, general notes on how to display Facebook Ads, in Facebook’s Data Usage Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy.php. For specific information and details about the Facebook Pixel and how it works, visit the help section of Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/651294705016616.

You can object to the collection and use of your data with the Facebook Pixel and Facebook Ads. To set which types of ads you see within Facebook, you can go to the page set up by Facebook and follow the instructions for the usage-based advertising settings: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads. The settings apply across platforms, i.e. they are applied to all devices, such as desktop computers or mobile devices.

You can object to the use of cookies for range measurement and advertising purposes via the deactivation page of the network advertising initiative (http://optout.networkadvertising.org/) and additionally the US website (http://www.aboutads.info/choices) or the European website (http://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices/).

Online social media presence

We maintain online presences on social networks and platforms in order to communicate with active customers, interested parties, and users and to inform them about our services. When accessing the respective networks and platforms, the terms and conditions and the data processing guidelines of their respective operators apply.

Unless otherwise stated in our Privacy Policy, we process the data of users who communicate with us on social networks and platforms, e.g. write posts on our pages or send us messages.

Integration of third-party services and content

Based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation, and economic operation of our website within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR), we include content or service offerings from third parties so that we can incorporate their content and services, such as videos or fonts (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “content”).

This always presupposes that the third-party providers of this content can see the IP address of users, since without the IP address they would not be able to send the content to the users’ browsers. The IP address is therefore necessary in order to display this content. We strive only to use content from providers who use the IP address to deliver content, and for nothing else. Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as web beacons) for statistical or marketing purposes. “Pixel tags” can be used to analyse 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 include technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, visiting time, and other information about the use of our website. It may also be linked to such information from other sources.

YouTube

We integrate videos from the platform “YouTube” provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Privacy Policy: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/, Opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

Google Fonts

We integrate fonts (“Google Fonts”) provided by the third-party provider Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Privacy Policy :https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/, Opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

Typekit fonts from Adobe

Based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation, and economical operation of our website in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR) external type kit fonts from Adobe Systems Software Ireland Limited, 4-6 Riverwalk, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Republic of Ireland. Adobe is certified under the Privacy Shield agreement, thereby offering a guarantee of compliance with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000TNo9AAG&status=Active).

The use of Facebook social plugins

Based on our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation, and economical operation of our Website within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. (f) GDPR), we use social plugins (“Plugins”) from the social network facebook.com, which is operated by Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland (“Facebook”). Plugins can display interaction elements or content (e.g. videos, graphics or text contributions) and are identified by a Facebook logo (white “f” on a blue tile, the term “Like”, or a “Thumbs Up” sign) or by the phrase “Facebook social plugin”. The list and the appearance of Facebook social plugins can be viewed here: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/.

When users access a feature of this website that contain such a plugin, their device establishes a direct connection to Facebook’s servers. The content of the plug-in is transmitted by Facebook directly to the user’s device to be integrated into the website. Pseudonymous usage profiles of users may be created from the processed data; therefore, we have no influence on the scope of the data which Facebook collects using this plugin and inform you based on our knowledge.

By including the plugin, Facebook receives the information that a user has accessed the corresponding page of the website. If you are logged in to Facebook, Facebook can assign the visit to your Facebook account. If you interact with the plug-ins, for example by clicking the Like button or writing a comment, the corresponding information is directly transmitted from your browser to Facebook to be stored there. If you are not a member of Facebook, there is still the possibility that Facebook will gain knowledge of your IP address and store it. According to Facebook, only anonymised IP addresses are stored in Germany.

For the purpose and scope of data collection and further processing and use of data by Facebook, as well as the related rights and settings options to protect the privacy of users, please see Facebook’s Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/.

If a user is a Facebook member and does not want Facebook to collect data about him or her via this website and link it to his or her membership data stored on Facebook, he or she must log out of Facebook before using our website and delete his or her cookies. More settings and ways to revoke permission to use your data for advertising purposes are available in your Facebook profile settings: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads or the US web page http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or the EU web page http://www.youronlinechoices.com/. The settings apply across platforms, i.e. they are applied to all devices, such as desktop computers or mobile devices.

Twitter

Functions and contents of the Twitter service, offered by Twitter Inc, 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA, can be integrated into our website. This may include, for example, content such as images, videos or texts and buttons which users can use to express their appreciation of content or subscribe to the authors of the content or our posts. If users are members of the Twitter platform, Twitter can assign the retrieval of the above content and functions to the users’ profiles there. Twitter is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, which provides a guarantee to comply with European privacy legislation (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000TORzAAO&status=Active). Privacy Policy: https://twitter.com/de/privacy, Opt-out: https://twitter.com/personalization.

Instagram

Within our website, functions and contents of the Instagram service, offered by Instagram Inc, 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, US, can be integrated. This may include, for example, content such as images, videos or texts and buttons with which users can express their appreciation of the content, subscribe to the authors of the content or our contributions. If the users are members of the Instagram platform, Instagram can assign the calling up of the above content and functions to the users’ profiles there. Instagram Privacy Policy: https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875.