Privacy policy

Privacy policy

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

The terms used are not gender specific.

Status: June 4, 2025

Responsible

DEQSTER GmbH
Friesenweg 5H
22763 Hamburg
Germany

Persons authorized to represent the company: Cuma Saado, Tamara Lyons, Patrick Haupt

E-mail address: hallo@deqster.de

Phone: (040) 734 4861900

Imprint: https://www.deqster.de/impressum/

Contact data protection officer

QuaSi Consult GbR
Ms. Tina Walloschek
Gaußscher Bogen 11
29646 Bispingen

datenschutz@convergetp.com

Relevant legal bases

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

Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR) - The data subject has given their consent to the processing of their personal data for one or more specific purposes.
Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR) - Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.
Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c) GDPR) - Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR) - processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data.
Application procedure as a pre-contractual or contractual relationship (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR) - Insofar as special categories of personal data within the meaning of Art. 9 para. 1 GDPR are requested from applicants as part of the application procedure (e.g. health data, such as severely disabled status or ethnic origin) are requested from applicants so that the controller or the data subject can exercise their rights under labor law and social security and social protection law and fulfill their obligations in this regard, their processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 9 para. 2 lit. b. GDPR. GDPR, in the case of the protection of vital interests of applicants or other persons pursuant to Art. 9 para. 2 lit. c. GDPR or for the purposes of preventive health care or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the employee's ability to work, for medical diagnosis, care or treatment in the health or social sector or for the management of systems and services in the health or social sector pursuant to Art. 9 para. 2 lit. h. GDPR. In the case of communication of special categories of data based on voluntary consent, their processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 9 para. 2 lit. a. GDPR.

National data protection regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national data protection regulations apply in Germany. These include, in particular, the Act on the Protection against Misuse of Personal Data in Data Processing (Federal Data Protection Act - BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special regulations on the right to information, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes and transmission as well as automated decision-making in individual cases, including profiling. The data protection laws of the individual federal states may also apply.

Security measures

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

The measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as the access, input, transfer, safeguarding of availability and its separation. Furthermore, we have established procedures to ensure the exercise of data subjects' rights, the deletion of data, and responses to data compromise. Furthermore, we take the protection of personal data into account as early as the development or selection of hardware, software and processes in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

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

Transmission of personal data

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

Data transfer within the group of companies: We may transfer personal data to other companies within our group of companies or grant them access to it. This data transfer is based on our legitimate business and commercial interests. This includes, for example, improving business processes, ensuring efficient and effective internal communication, optimizing the use of our human and technological resources and enabling us to make informed business decisions. In certain cases, the transfer of data may also be necessary in order to fulfill our contractual obligations, or it may be based on the consent of the data subject or legal permission.

Data transfer within the organization: We may transfer personal data to other departments or units within our organization or grant them access to it. If the data transfer is for administrative purposes, it is based on our legitimate business and commercial interests or takes place if it is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations or if the consent of the data subjects or a legal permission exists.

International data transfers

Data processing in third countries: If we transfer data to 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 the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or companies (which can be recognized by the postal address of the respective provider or if the data protection declaration expressly refers to the transfer of data to third countries), this is always done in accordance with the legal requirements.

For data transfers to the USA, we rely primarily on the Data Privacy Framework (DPF), which was recognized as a secure legal framework by an adequacy decision of the EU Commission on 10.07.2023. In addition, we have concluded standard contractual clauses with the respective providers that comply with the requirements of the EU Commission and define contractual obligations to protect your data. This dual safeguard ensures comprehensive protection of your data: The DPF forms the primary level of protection, while the standard contractual clauses serve as additional security. Should there be any changes to the DPF, the standard contractual clauses act as a reliable fall-back option. In this way, we ensure that your data always remains adequately protected, even in the event of any political or legal changes.

For the individual service providers, we will inform you whether they are certified in accordance with the DPF and whether standard contractual clauses are in place. Further information on the DPF and a list of certified companies can be found on the website of the US Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/.

Appropriate security measures apply to data transfers to other third countries, in particular standard contractual clauses, explicit consent or legally required transfers. Information on third country transfers and applicable adequacy decisions can be found in the information provided by the EU Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en?prefLang=de.

General information on data storage and deletion

We delete personal data that we process in accordance with the statutory provisions as soon as the underlying consents are revoked or there is no further legal basis for the processing. This applies to cases in which the original purpose of processing no longer applies or the data is no longer required. There are exceptions to this rule if legal obligations or special interests require longer storage or archiving of the data. In particular, data that must be stored for commercial or tax law reasons or whose storage is necessary for legal prosecution or to protect the rights of other natural or legal persons must be archived accordingly.

Our data protection information contains additional information on the retention and erasure of data that applies specifically to certain processing operations. If there is more than one indication of the retention period or deletion period for a date, the longest period always applies.

If a period does not expressly begin on a specific date and is at least one year, it shall automatically start at the end of the calendar year in which the event triggering the period occurred. In the case of ongoing contractual relationships in the context of which data is stored, the event triggering the time limit is the date on which the termination or other termination of the legal relationship takes effect. We only process data that is no longer stored for the originally intended purpose, but due to legal requirements or other reasons, for the reasons that justify its storage.

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Retention and deletion of data: The following general time limits apply to retention and archiving under German law:

10 years - Retention period for books and records, annual financial statements, inventories, management reports, opening balance sheet as well as the work instructions and other organizational documents required for their understanding (§ 147 para. 1 no. 1 in conjunction with para. 3 AO, § 14b para. Para. 3 AO, § 14b Para. 1 UStG, § 257 Para. 1 No. 1 i.V.m. para. 4 HGB).
8 years - Accounting documents, such as invoices and expense receipts (§ 147 para. 1 no. 4 and 4a in conjunction with para. para. 3 sentence 1 AO and § 257 para. 1 no. 4 in conjunction with para. para. 4 HGB).
6 years - Other business documents: commercial or business letters received, reproductions of commercial or business letters sent, other documents, insofar as they are relevant for taxation, e.g. time sheets, company accounting sheets, calculation documents, price labels, but also payroll accounting documents, insofar as they are not already accounting documents and cash register slips (Section 147 (1) nos. 2, 3, 5 in conjunction with Section 147 (1) no. 3 AO). Para. 3 AO, § 257 Para. 1 No. 2 and 3 in conjunction with Para. para. 4 HGB).
3 years - Data required to consider potential warranty and compensation claims or similar contractual claims and rights and to process related inquiries based on past business experience and standard industry practices will be stored for the duration of the regular statutory limitation period of three years (§§ 195, 199 BGB).

Rights of the data subjects

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

Right to object: You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to processing of personal data concerning you which is based on point (e) or (f) of Article 6(1) GDPR, including profiling based on those provisions. If the personal data concerning you are processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing, which includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
Right of access: You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning you is being processed and to obtain access to this data and further information and a copy of the data in accordance with legal requirements.
Right to rectification: In accordance with the statutory provisions, you have the right to request the completion of data concerning you or the rectification of inaccurate data concerning you.
Right to erasure and restriction of processing: In accordance with the statutory provisions, you have the right to demand that data concerning you be erased immediately or, alternatively, to demand that the processing of the data be restricted in accordance with the statutory provisions.
Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements or to request its transmission to another controller.
Complaint to a supervisory authority: In accordance with the statutory provisions and without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular a supervisory authority in the Member State in which you are habitually resident, the supervisory authority of your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR.

Business services

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

We use this data to fulfill our contractual obligations. These include, in particular, the obligations to provide the agreed services, any updating obligations and remedies in the event of warranty and other service disruptions. In addition, we use the data to safeguard our rights and for the purpose of the administrative tasks associated with these obligations and the company organization. We also process the data on the basis of our legitimate interests both in the proper and efficient management of our business and in security measures to protect our contractual partners and our business operations from misuse, threats to their data, secrets, information and rights (e.g. to involve telecommunications, transport and other auxiliary services as well as subcontractors, banks, tax and legal advisors, payment service providers or tax authorities). Within the framework of applicable law, we only pass on the data of contractual partners to third parties to the extent that this is necessary for the aforementioned purposes or to fulfill legal obligations. Contractual partners will be informed about other forms of processing, such as for marketing purposes, as part of this privacy policy.

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

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

Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); Payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); Contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, duration, customer category); Usage data (e.g. page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, persons involved).
Persons concerned: Service recipients and clients; interested parties. Business and contractual partners.
Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfilment of contractual obligations; security measures; communication; office and organizational procedures; organizational and administrative procedures. Business processes and business management procedures.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal basis: Fulfilment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR); Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Online store, order forms, e-commerce and delivery: We process the data of our customers to enable them to select, purchase or order the selected products, goods and associated services, as well as their payment and delivery or execution. If necessary for the execution of an order, we use service providers, in particular postal, forwarding and shipping companies, to carry out the delivery or execution for our customers. We use the services of banks and payment service providers to process payment transactions. The required information is marked as such in the context of the order or comparable purchase process and includes the information required for delivery or provision and billing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultation; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Business processes and procedures

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

The data collected is used to fulfill contractual obligations and efficiently design operational processes. This includes the processing of business transactions, the management of customer relationships, the optimization of sales strategies and the guarantee of internal accounting and financial processes. In addition, the data supports the protection of the rights of the controller and promotes administrative tasks and the organization of the company.

Personal data may be passed on to third parties if this is necessary to fulfill the stated purposes or legal obligations. The data will be deleted after expiry of statutory retention periods or if the purpose of the processing no longer applies. This also includes data that must be stored for a longer period of time due to tax and legal obligations to provide evidence.

Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); Payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); Contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text or image messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation); Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, duration, customer category); Log data (e.g. log files relating to logins or retrieval of data or access times); Usage data (e.g. page views, duration, customer category). (e.g. subject matter of the contract, duration, customer category); log data (e.g. log files relating to logins or the retrieval of data or access times); usage data (e.g. page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); employee data (information on employees and other persons in an employment relationship). Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Service recipients and clients; interested parties; communication partners; business and contractual partners; third parties; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services). Customers.
Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; office and organizational procedures; business processes and business management procedures; communication; marketing; sales promotion. Financial and payment management.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal bases: Contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR). Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Customer management and customer relationship management (CRM): Procedures required in the context of customer management and customer relationship management (CRM) (e.g. Customer acquisition in compliance with data protection regulations, measures to promote customer loyalty and retention, effective customer communication, complaint management and customer service with consideration of data protection, data management and analysis to support the customer relationship, administration of CRM systems, secure account management, customer segmentation and target group formation); Legal bases: Contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Contact management and maintenance: Procedures required to organize, maintain and secure contact information (e.g. setting up and maintaining a central contact database, regularly updating contact information, monitoring data integrity, implementing data protection measures, ensuring access controls, performing backups and restoring contact data, training employees in the effective use of contact management software, regularly reviewing communication history and adapting contact strategies); Legal bases: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
General payment transactions: Procedures required for the execution of payment transactions, the monitoring of bank accounts and the control of payment flows (e.g. creation and verification of transfers, processing of direct debit transactions, checking of account statements, monitoring of incoming and outgoing payments, return debit management, account reconciliation, cash management); legal basis: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Bookkeeping, accounts payable, accounts receivable: Procedures required for recording, processing and controlling business transactions in the area of accounts payable and accounts receivable (e.g. Creation and verification of incoming and outgoing invoices, monitoring and management of open items, execution of payment transactions, processing of dunning procedures, account reconciliation in the context of receivables and payables, accounts payable and accounts receivable); Legal basis: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR), Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c) GDPR), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Financial accounting and taxes: Procedures required for the recording, administration and control of financially relevant business transactions as well as the calculation, reporting and payment of taxes (e.g. Account assignment and posting of business transactions, preparation of quarterly and annual financial statements, execution of payment transactions, processing of dunning procedures, account reconciliation, tax advice, preparation and submission of tax returns, processing of tax matters); Legal basis: Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR), Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. c) GDPR), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Purchasing: Procedures required for the procurement of goods, raw materials or services (e.g. supplier selection and evaluation, price negotiations, order placement and monitoring, verification and control of deliveries, invoice verification, administration of orders, warehouse management, creation and maintenance of purchasing guidelines); Legal basis: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Sales: Procedures required for the planning, implementation and control of measures for the marketing and sale of products or services (e.g. customer acquisition, preparation and tracking of offers, order processing, customer advice and support, sales promotion, product training, sales controlling and analysis, management of sales channels); Legal basis: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Marketing, advertising and sales promotion: Procedures required in the context of marketing, advertising and sales promotion (e.g. market analysis and target group determination, development of marketing strategies, planning and implementation of advertising campaigns, design and production of advertising materials, online marketing including SEO and social media campaigns, event marketing and trade fair participation, customer loyalty programs, sales promotion measures, performance measurement and optimization of marketing activities, budget management and cost control); Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Providers and services used in the course of business activities

As part of our business activities, we use additional services, platforms, interfaces or plug-ins from third-party providers ("services" for short) in compliance with legal requirements. Their use is based on our interests in the proper, lawful and economic management of our business operations and our internal organization.

Processed data types: inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g. text or image messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation). Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category).
Persons concerned: Service recipients and clients; interested parties. Business and contractual partners.
Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfilment of contractual obligations; office and organizational procedures. Business processes and business management procedures.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Credit check

If we make advance payments or enter into comparable economic risks (e.g. when ordering on account), we reserve the right to obtain identity and creditworthiness information for the purpose of assessing the credit risk on the basis of mathematical-statistical procedures from specialized service companies (credit agencies) in order to safeguard our legitimate interests.

We process the information received from the credit agencies on the statistical probability of a payment default within the framework of an appropriate discretionary decision on the establishment, implementation and termination of the contractual relationship. We reserve the right to refuse payment on account or any other advance payment in the event of a negative result of the credit check.

The decision as to whether we make advance payments is made in accordance with the legal requirements solely on the basis of an automated decision in individual cases, which our software makes on the basis of the information provided by the credit agency.

If we obtain express consent from contractual partners, the legal basis for the credit report and the transmission of the customer's data to the credit agencies is the consent. If no consent is obtained, the credit information is provided on the basis of our legitimate interests in the default security of our payment claims.

Processed data types: inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); contract data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category). Creditworthiness data (e.g. credit score received, estimated probability of default, risk classification based on this, historical payment behavior).
Persons concerned: Service recipients and clients; interested parties. Business and contractual partners.
Purposes of processing: Assessment of creditworthiness and credit standing.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Automated decisions in individual cases: Credit information (decision based on a credit check).

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

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

Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); metadata, communication data and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, persons involved); log data (e.g. log files relating to logins or the retrieval of data or access times). Content data (e.g. text or image messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.)). Security measures.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Provision of online offer on rented storage space: For the provision of our online offer, we use storage space, computing capacity and software that we rent or otherwise obtain from a corresponding server provider (also called "web host"); legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offering is logged in the form of so-called "server log files". The server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, date and time of access, data volumes transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user's operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider. The server log files can be used for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the servers (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks), and to ensure the utilization of the servers and their stability; legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR). Deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized. Data whose further storage is required for evidentiary purposes is exempt from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified.
Hetzner: Services in the field of the provision of information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacities); Service provider: Hetzner Online GmbH, Industriestr. 25, 91710 Gunzenhausen, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.hetzner.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.hetzner.com/de/rechtliches/datenschutz. Data processing agreement: https://docs.hetzner.com/de/general/general-terms-and-conditions/data-privacy-faq/.
WordPress.com: Hosting and software for the creation, provision and operation of websites, blogs and other online offers; Service provider: Aut O'Mattic A8C Ireland Ltd, Grand Canal Dock, 25 Herbert Pl, Dublin, D02 AY86, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://wordpress.com; Privacy Policy: https://automattic.com/de/privacy/; Data processing agreement: https://wordpress.com/support/data-processing-agreements/. Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (provided by the service provider), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (provided by the service provider).

Cookies use

The term "cookies" refers to functions that store information on users' end devices and read it from them. Cookies can also be used for various purposes, for example to ensure the functionality, security and convenience of online services and to analyze visitor flows. We use cookies in accordance with the statutory provisions. If necessary, we obtain the user's consent in advance. If consent is not required, we rely on our legitimate interests. This applies if the storage and reading of information is essential in order to be able to provide expressly requested content and functions. This includes, for example, saving settings and ensuring the functionality and security of our online offering. Consent can be revoked at any time. We provide clear information about the scope and which cookies are used.

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

Storage period: With regard to the storage period, a distinction is made between the following types of cookies:

Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online service and closed their end device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the end device is closed. For example, the log-in status can be saved and preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. The user data collected with the help of cookies can also be used to measure reach. If we do not provide users with explicit information on the type and storage duration of cookies (e.g. when obtaining consent), they should assume that they are permanent and that they may be stored for up to two years.

General information on revocation and objection (opt-out): Users can revoke the consents they have given at any time and also declare an objection to the processing in accordance with the legal requirements, also by means of the privacy settings of their browser.

Processed data types: Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, persons involved). Usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR). Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Processing of cookie data on the basis of consent: We use a consent management solution in which user consent is obtained for the use of cookies or for the procedures and providers mentioned in the consent management solution. This procedure is used to obtain, log, manage and revoke consent, in particular with regard to the use of cookies and comparable technologies that are used to store, read and process information on users' end devices. As part of this procedure, user consent is obtained for the use of cookies and the associated processing of information, including the specific processing and providers mentioned in the consent management procedure. Users also have the option of managing and revoking their consent. The declarations of consent are stored in order to avoid repeated queries and to be able to provide proof of consent in accordance with legal requirements. The storage takes place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie) or by means of comparable technologies in order to be able to assign the consent to a specific user or their device. If no specific information on the providers of consent management services is available, the following general information applies: Consent is stored for up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created, which is stored together with the time of consent, information on the scope of consent (e.g. relevant categories of cookies and/or service providers) and information on the browser, the system and the end device used; legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).
Cookie opt-out: In the footer of our website you will find a link that you can use to change your cookie settings and revoke your consent.
Complianz: Consent management: Procedures for obtaining, logging, managing and revoking consent, in particular for the use of cookies and similar technologies for storing, reading and processing information on users' end devices and their processing; Service provider: Execution on servers and/or computers under its own responsibility under data protection law; Website: https://complianz.io/; Privacy Policy: https://complianz.io/legal/. Further information: An individual user ID, language and types of consent and the time they were given are stored on the server and in the cookie on the user's device.

Contact and request management

When contacting us (e.g. by post, contact form, email, telephone or via social media) and in the context of existing user and business relationships, the data of the inquiring persons are processed insofar as this is necessary to answer the contact inquiries and any requested measures.

Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); Contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text or image messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation); Usage data (e.g. page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, persons involved).
Affected persons: Communication partner.
Purposes of processing: Communication; organizational and administrative procedures; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form). Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR). Contract performance and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Contact form: When contacting us via our contact form, by e-mail or other communication channels, we process the personal data transmitted to us to answer and process the respective request. This generally includes details such as name, contact information and any other information that is provided to us and is required for appropriate processing. We use this data exclusively for the stated purpose of establishing contact and communication; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Video conferences, online meetings, webinars and screen sharing

We use platforms and applications of other providers (hereinafter referred to as "conference platforms") for the purpose of conducting video and audio conferences, webinars and other types of video and audio meetings (hereinafter collectively referred to as "conference"). When selecting the conference platforms and their services, we observe the legal requirements.

Data processed by conference platforms: In the context of participation in a conference, the conference platforms process the participants' personal data listed below. The scope of the processing depends on which data is required in the context of a specific conference (e.g. specification of access data or clear names) and which optional information is provided by the participants. In addition to processing for the purpose of holding the conference, the conference platforms may also process participants' data for security purposes or service optimization. The processed data includes personal data (first name, surname), contact information (e-mail address, telephone number), access data (access codes or passwords), profile pictures, information on professional position/function, the IP address of the Internet access, information on the participants' end devices, their operating system, the browser and its technical and language settings, information on the content of the communication processes, i.e. entries in chats and audio and video data, as well as the use of other available functions (e.g. surveys). The content of communications is encrypted to the extent technically provided by the conference providers. If the participants are registered as users with the conference platforms, further data may be processed in accordance with the agreement with the respective conference provider.

Logging and recordings: If text entries, participation results (e.g. from surveys) and video or audio recordings are logged, this will be communicated transparently to the participants in advance and they will be asked for their consent where necessary.

Data protection measures for participants: Please refer to the conference platforms' data protection notices for details on the processing of your data by the conference platforms and select the optimum security and data protection settings for you in the conference platform settings. Please also ensure data and privacy protection in the background of your recording for the duration of a video conference (e.g. by informing roommates, locking doors and, if technically possible, using the function to make the background unrecognizable). Links to the conference rooms and access data must not be passed on to unauthorized third parties.

Notes on legal bases: If, in addition to the conference platforms, we also process users' data and ask users for their consent to use the conference platforms or certain functions (e.g. consent to the recording of conferences), the legal basis for processing is this consent. Furthermore, our processing may be necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations (e.g. in participant lists, in the case of processing of conference results, etc.). Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests in efficient and secure communication with our communication partners.

Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); Contact data (e.g. postal and e-mail addresses or telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text or image messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation); usage data (e.g. page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); image and/or video recordings (e.g. photographs or video recordings of a person); sound recordings. Log data (e.g. log files relating to logins or the retrieval of data or access times).
Data subjects: Communication partners; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services). Depicted persons.
Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; communication. Office and organizational procedures.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Cisco WebEx: conferencing and communication software; service provider: Webex Communications Deutschland GmbH, Hansaallee 249, c/o Cisco Systems GmbH, 40549 Düsseldorf, parent company: Cisco Systems, Inc. 170 West Tasman Dr., San Jose, CA 95134, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.webex.com/de; Privacy Policy: https://www.cisco.com/c/de_de/about/legal/privacy-full.html. Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
Microsoft Teams: Audio and video conferencing, chat, file sharing, integration with Office 365 applications, real-time collaboration on documents, calendar functions, task management, screen sharing, optional recording; Service provider: Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, One Microsoft Place, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, D18 P521, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-teams/; Privacy Policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/de-de/privacystatement, Security information: https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/trustcenter. Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/docs/view/Microsoft-Products-and-Services-Data-Protection-Addendum-DPA), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/docs/view/Microsoft-Products-and-Services-Data-Protection-Addendum-DPA).

Newsletter and electronic notifications

We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter "newsletter") exclusively with the consent of the recipient or on the basis of a legal basis. If the contents of the newsletter are mentioned in the context of a registration for the newsletter, these contents are decisive for the consent of the users. To subscribe to our newsletter, it is normally sufficient to provide your e-mail address. However, in order to be able to offer you a personalized service, we may ask you to provide your name so that we can address you personally in the newsletter or to provide further information if this is necessary for the purpose of the newsletter.

Deletion and restriction of processing: We may store the unsubscribed e-mail addresses for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests before deleting them in order to be able to prove that consent was previously given. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a potential defense against claims. An individual request for erasure is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time. In the event of obligations to permanently observe objections, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address in a block list solely for this purpose. The registration process is logged on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of proving that it has been carried out properly. If we commission a service provider to send e-mails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure sending system.

Contents:

Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.

Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, persons involved). Usage data (e.g. page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).
Special categories of personal data: Health data.
Affected persons: Communication partner.
Purposes of processing: Direct marketing (e.g. by email or post).
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
Possibility of objection (opt-out): You can cancel the receipt of our newsletter at any time, i.e. revoke your consent or object to further receipt. You will find a link to unsubscribe from the newsletter either at the end of each newsletter or you can use one of the contact options listed above, preferably e-mail.

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Measurement of opening and click rates: The newsletters contain a so-called "web beacon", i.e. a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from our server or its server, if we use a dispatch service provider, when the newsletter is opened. As part of this retrieval, technical information, such as details of the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and the time of retrieval are initially collected. This information is used for the technical improvement of our newsletter based on the technical data or the target groups and their reading behavior based on their retrieval locations (which can be determined using the IP address) or the access times. This analysis also includes determining whether and when the newsletters are opened and which links are clicked on. The information is assigned to the individual newsletter recipients and stored in their profiles until it is deleted. The evaluations are used to recognize the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content to them or to send different content according to the interests of our users. The measurement of opening and click rates as well as the storage of the measurement results in the user profiles and their further processing are carried out on the basis of user consent. Unfortunately, it is not possible to revoke the performance measurement separately; in this case, the entire newsletter subscription must be canceled or objected to. In this case, the stored profile information will be deleted; legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).
Rapidmail: E-mail dispatch and automation services; Service provider: rapidmail GmbH, Augustinerplatz 2, 79098 Freiburg i.Br., Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.rapidmail.de; Privacy Policy: https://www.rapidmail.de/datenschutz. Data processing agreement: https://www.rapidmail.de/hilfe/datenschutzvertrag-nach-eu-dsgvo-abschliessen.

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

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

Recipients have the right to withdraw their consent at any time or to object to advertising communication at any time.

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

Processed data types: inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g. postal and e-mail addresses or telephone numbers). Content data (e.g. text or image messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation).
Affected persons: Communication partner.
Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by email or post); marketing. Sales promotion.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Web analysis, monitoring and optimization

Web analysis (also referred to as "reach measurement") is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offering and may include behavior, interests or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of reach analysis, we can, for example, recognize at what time our online offer or its functions or content are most frequently used, or invite visitors to reuse them. It also enables us to understand which areas require optimization.

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

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

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

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

Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. page views and dwell time, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, persons involved).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles); provision of our online offer and user-friendliness. Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion". Storage of cookies for up to 2 years (Unless otherwise stated, cookies and similar storage methods may be stored on users' devices for a period of two years).
Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to measure and analyze the use of our online offering on the basis of a pseudonymous user identification number. This identification number does not contain any unique data, such as names or e-mail addresses. It is used to assign analysis information to an end device in order to recognize which content users have called up within one or more usage processes, which search terms they have used, which they have called up again or which they have interacted with our online offering. The time of use and its duration are also stored, as well as the sources of the users who refer to our online offer and technical aspects of their end devices and browsers.
Pseudonymous profiles of users are created with information from the use of various devices, whereby cookies can be used. Google Analytics does not log or store individual IP addresses for EU users. However, Analytics provides rough geographic location data by deriving the following metadata from IP addresses: City (and the city's inferred latitude and longitude), Continent, Country, Region, Subcontinent (and ID-based counterparts). For EU traffic, IP address data is used exclusively for this derivation of geolocation data before it is immediately deleted. It is not logged, is not accessible and is not used for other purposes. When Google Analytics collects measurement data, all IP queries are performed on EU-based servers before the traffic is forwarded to Analytics servers for processing; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address); Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Data processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/; Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses ( https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms); Opt-Out: Opt-Out-Plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, Settings for the display of advertisements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff. Further information: https://business.safety.google/adsservices/ (types of processing and processed data).
reCAPTCHA: We integrate the "reCAPTCHA" function in order to be able to recognize whether entries (e.g. in online forms) are made by humans and not by automatically acting machines (so-called "bots"). The processed data may include IP addresses, information on operating systems, devices or browsers used, language settings, location, mouse movements, keyboard strokes, time spent on websites, previously visited websites, interactions with ReCaptcha on other websites, possibly cookies and results of manual recognition processes (e.g. answering questions asked or selecting objects in images). Data processing is carried out on the basis of our legitimate interest in protecting our online offering from abusive automated crawling and spam; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Possibility of objection (opt-out): Opt-out plug-in: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de; Settings for the display of advertisements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff.

Presence in social networks (social media)

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

We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This may result in risks for users because, for example, it could make it more difficult to enforce user rights. Furthermore, user data within social networks is generally processed for market research and advertising purposes. For example, user profiles can be created based on user behavior and the resulting interests of users. The latter may in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the users. Cookies are therefore generally stored on the user's computer, in which the user's usage behavior and interests are stored. In addition, data can also be stored in the user profiles independently of the devices used by the users (especially if they are members of the respective platforms and are logged in there).

For a detailed description of the respective forms of processing and the opt-out options, please refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

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

Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. text or image messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation). Usage data (e.g. page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Communication; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form). Public relations.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Instagram: Social network that allows you to share photos and videos, comment on and favorite posts, send messages, subscribe to profiles and pages; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.instagram.com; Privacy Policy: https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/. Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
Facebook pages: Profiles within the Facebook social network - We are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection (but not the further processing) of data from visitors to our Facebook page (known as a "fan page"). This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see under "Things you and others do and provide" in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/), as well as information about the devices used by users (e.g. IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under "Device information" in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under "How do we use this information?", Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, known as "Page Insights", for page operators to help them understand how people interact with their pages and the content associated with them. We have concluded a special agreement with Facebook ("Information on Page Insights", https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which regulates in particular which security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill the rights of data subjects (i.e. users can, for example, send information or deletion requests directly to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook. Further information can be found in the "Information on Page Insights" (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data). The joint responsibility is limited to the collection by and transfer of data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company based in the EU. The further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which in particular concerns the transfer of data to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. in the USA; service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/. Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum).
LinkedIn: Social network - We are jointly responsible with LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company for the collection (but not the further processing) of visitors' data used to create the "page insights" (statistics) of our LinkedIn profiles. This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with and the actions they take. Details are also collected about the devices used, such as IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings and cookie data, as well as information from the user profiles, such as job function, country, industry, hierarchy level, company size and employment status. Data protection information on the processing of user data by LinkedIn can be found in LinkedIn's data protection information: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.
We have concluded a special agreement with LinkedIn Ireland ("Page Insights Joint Controller Addendum", https://legal.linkedin.com/pages-joint-controller-addendum), which regulates in particular which security measures LinkedIn must observe and in which LinkedIn has agreed to fulfill the rights of the data subjects (i.e. users can, for example, send requests for information or deletion directly to LinkedIn). The rights of users (in particular the right to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with LinkedIn. Joint responsibility is limited to the collection and transfer of data to LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, a company based in the EU. The further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, in particular with regard to the transfer of data to the parent company LinkedIn Corporation in the USA; service provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa). Option to object (opt-out): https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
Vimeo: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Vimeo Inc, Attention: Legal Department, 555 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://vimeo.com. Privacy Policy: https://vimeo.com/privacy.
YouTube: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Option to object (opt-out): https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff.

Plug-ins and embedded functions and content

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

The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, as they would not be able to send the content to their browser without the IP address. The IP address is therefore required to display this content or function. We endeavor to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as "web beacons") for statistical or marketing purposes. Pixel tags can be used to analyze 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 contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and other information about the use of our online offer, but may also be linked to such information from other sources.

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

Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. page views and length of stay, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, persons involved); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers). Content data (e.g. textual or visual messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of Processing: Provision of our online services and usability; Web Analytics (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Targeting (e.g. profiling based on interests and behavior, use of cookies); Custom Audiences; Marketing; Provision of contractual services and performance of contractual obligations. Profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion". Storage of cookies for up to 2 years (Unless otherwise stated, cookies and similar storage methods may be stored on users' devices for a period of two years).
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

reCAPTCHA: We integrate the "reCAPTCHA" function in order to be able to recognize whether entries (e.g. in online forms) are made by humans and not by automatically acting machines (so-called "bots"). The processed data may include IP addresses, information on operating systems, devices or browsers used, language settings, location, mouse movements, keyboard strokes, time spent on websites, previously visited websites, interactions with ReCaptcha on other websites, possibly cookies and results of manual recognition processes (e.g. answering questions asked or selecting objects in images). Data processing is carried out on the basis of our legitimate interest in protecting our online offering from abusive automated crawling and spam; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.google.com/recaptcha/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Possibility of objection (opt-out): Opt-out plug-in: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de; Settings for the display of advertisements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff.
YouTube videos: Video content; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR); Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Switzerland - Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Possibility of objection (opt-out): Opt-out plug-in: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de; Settings for the display of advertisements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff.
Vimeo video player: Integration of a video player; Service provider: Vimeo Inc., Attention: Legal Department, 555 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://vimeo.com; Privacy Policy: https://vimeo.com/privacy; Data processing agreement: https://vimeo.com/enterpriseterms/dpa. Basis for third country transfers: EU/EEA - Standard Contractual Clauses (https://vimeo.com/enterpriseterms/dpa), Switzerland - Standard Contractual Clauses (https://vimeo.com/enterpriseterms/dpa).

Application procedure

The application process requires applicants to provide us with the data necessary for their assessment and selection. The information required can be found in the job description or, in the case of online forms, in the details provided there. In principle, the required information includes personal details such as name, address, contact details and proof of the qualifications required for the position. On request, we will be happy to provide additional information on what details are required.

If available, applicants are welcome to submit their applications via our online form, which is encrypted using state-of-the-art technology. Alternatively, it is also possible to send us applications by e-mail. However, we would like to point out that e-mails sent via the Internet are generally not encrypted. Although e-mails are generally encrypted in transit, this is not done on the servers from which they are sent and received. Therefore, we cannot assume any responsibility for the security of the application during transmission between the sender and our server. For the purposes of searching for applicants, submitting applications and selecting applicants, we may use applicant management or recruitment software and platforms and services from third-party providers in compliance with legal requirements. Applicants are welcome to contact us about how to submit their application or send us their application by post.

Processing of special categories of data: Insofar as special categories of personal data (Art. 9 para. 1 GDPR, e.g. health data, such as severely disabled status or ethnic origin) are requested from applicants or communicated by them as part of the application procedure, their processing is carried out so that the controller or the data subject can exercise the rights arising from labor law and social security and social protection law and fulfill his or her obligations in this regard. In the case of the protection of vital interests of applicants or other persons or for the purposes of preventive health care or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the employee's fitness for work, for medical diagnosis, for the provision of health or social care or treatment or for the management of health or social care systems and services.

Deletion of data: The data provided by applicants may be further processed by us for the purposes of the employment relationship in the event of a successful application. Otherwise, if the application for a job offer is not successful, the applicant's data will be deleted. Applicants' data will also be deleted if an application is withdrawn, which applicants are entitled to do at any time. Subject to a justified withdrawal by the applicant, the deletion will take place after a period of six months at the latest, so that we can answer any follow-up questions about the application and meet our obligations to provide evidence under the regulations on equal treatment of applicants. Invoices for any reimbursement of travel expenses will be archived in accordance with tax regulations.

Inclusion in an applicant pool: Inclusion in an applicant pool, if offered, is based on consent. Applicants are informed that their consent to inclusion in the talent pool is voluntary, has no influence on the ongoing application process and that they can revoke their consent at any time for the future.

Duration of data retention in the applicant pool in months: 6

Processed data types: inventory data (e.g. full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); content data (e.g. textual or visual messages and contributions as well as the information relating to them, such as information on authorship or time of creation); applicant data (e.g. personal details, postal and contact addresses, the documents belonging to the application and the information contained therein, such as cover letter, curriculum vitae, certificates and other information relating to a specific position or voluntarily provided by applicants). Personal data, postal and contact addresses, the documents relating to the application and the information contained therein, such as cover letter, CV, certificates and other information on the person or qualifications provided by applicants with regard to a specific position or voluntarily); Employee data (information on employees and other persons in an employment relationship). Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category).
Persons concerned: Applicants. Employees (e.g. salaried employees, applicants, temporary staff and other employees).
Purposes of processing: Application procedure (justification and possible subsequent implementation as well as possible subsequent termination of the employment relationship); office and organizational procedures. Human resources.
Storage and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and deletion".
Legal basis: Application procedure as a pre-contractual or contractual relationship (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

HRworks: HR administration, travel expense accounting, time management, digital personnel file, applicant management and reporting; Service provider: Hrworks GmbH, Waldkircher Straße 28, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.hrworks.de/. Privacy Policy: https://www.hrworks.de/unternehmen/datenschutzerklaerung/.

Change and update

We ask you to inform yourself regularly about the content of our privacy policy. We will adapt the privacy policy as soon as changes to the data processing carried out by us make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require an act of cooperation on your part (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.

If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this privacy statement, please note that the addresses may change over time and please check the information before contacting us.