Data protection

5. Analysis tools and advertising

Google Tag Manager
We use the Google Tag Manager. The provider is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Google Tag Manager is a tool that enables us to integrate tracking or statistical tools and other technologies on our website. The Google Tag Manager itself does not create any user profiles, does not store any cookies and does not carry out any independent analyses. It is only used to manage and display the tools integrated via it. However, the Google Tag Manager does record your IP address. We operate the Google Tag Manager on our own server in Germany. The IP address is completely overwritten by us; the IP address is not transferred to Google’s parent company in the United States.

The Google Tag Manager is used on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the fast and uncomplicated integration and management of various tools on its website. If a corresponding consent has been requested, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR and § 25 para. 1 TTDSG, insofar as the consent includes the storage of cookies or access to information in the user’s terminal device (e.g. device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TTDSG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Google Analytics

This website uses functions of the web analysis service Google Analytics. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (« Google »), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Google Analytics enables the website operator to analyze the behavior of website visitors. In doing so, the website operator receives various usage data, such as page views, length of visit, operating systems used and origin of the user. This data is assigned to the user’s end device. It is not assigned to a user ID.

Google Analytics uses technologies that enable the recognition of the user for the purpose of analyzing user behavior (e.g. cookies or device fingerprinting). The information collected by Google about the use of this website is generally transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

The use of this service is based on your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR and § 25 para. 1 TTDSG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. You can find details here: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/controllerterms/mccs/.

IP anonymization

We have activated the IP anonymization function on this website. This means that your IP address will be truncated by Google within member states of the European Union or in other signatory states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area before being transmitted to the USA. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. Google will use this information on behalf of the operator of this website for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage to the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.

Browser Plugin

You can prevent the collection and processing of your data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

You can find more information on how Google Analytics handles user data in Google’s privacy policy: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de.

Demographic characteristics in Google Analytics
This website uses the « demographic characteristics » function of Google Analytics in order to be able to display suitable advertisements to website visitors within the Google advertising network. This allows reports to be generated that contain statements about the age, gender and interests of site visitors. This data comes from interest-based advertising from Google and from visitor data from third-party providers. This data cannot be assigned to a specific person. You can deactivate this function at any time via the ad settings in your Google account or generally prohibit the collection of your data by Google Analytics as described in the section « Objection to data collection ».

Order processing
We have concluded an order processing contract with Google and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using Google Analytics.

Google Analytics e-commerce measurement
This website uses the « e-commerce measurement » function of Google Analytics. With the help of e-commerce measurement, the website operator can analyze the purchasing behavior of website visitors to improve its online marketing campaigns. Information such as orders placed, average order values, shipping costs and the time from viewing to purchasing a product is recorded. This data can be summarized by Google under a transaction ID that is assigned to the respective user or their device.

Google Ads

The website operator uses Google Ads. Google Ads is an online advertising program of Google Ireland Limited (« Google »), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Google Ads enables us to display advertisements in the Google search engine or on third-party websites when the user enters certain search terms into Google (keyword targeting). Furthermore, targeted advertisements can be displayed based on the user data available at Google (e.g. location data and interests) (target group targeting). As the website operator, we can evaluate this data quantitatively by analyzing, for example, which search terms led to the display of our advertisements and how many advertisements led to corresponding clicks.

The use of this service is based on your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR and § 25 para. 1 TTDSG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://policies.google.com/privacy/frameworks and https://privacy.google.com/businesses/controllerterms/mccs/.

Google Ads Remarketing

This website uses the functions of Google Ads Remarketing. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (« Google »), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

With Google Ads Remarketing, we can assign people who interact with our online offer to specific target groups in order to subsequently display interest-based advertising in the Google advertising network (remarketing or retargeting).

Furthermore, the advertising target groups created with Google Ads Remarketing can be linked to Google’s cross-device functions. In this way, interest-based, personalized advertising messages that have been adapted to you depending on your previous usage and surfing behavior on one device (e.g. cell phone) can also be displayed on another of your devices (e.g. tablet or PC).

If you have a Google account, you can object to personalized advertising at the following link: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/.

The use of this service is based on your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR and § 25 para. 1 TTDSG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Further information and the data protection provisions can be found in Google’s privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads?hl=de.

Target group formation with customer matching

Among other things, we use Google Ads Remarketing customer matching to create target groups. Here we transfer certain customer data (e.g. email addresses) from our customer lists to Google. If the customers in question are Google users and logged into their Google account, they are shown suitable advertising messages within the Google network (e.g. on YouTube, Gmail or in the search engine).

Google Conversion-Tracking

This website uses Google Conversion Tracking. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (« Google »), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

With the help of Google conversion tracking, Google and we can recognize whether the user has performed certain actions. For example, we can evaluate which buttons on our website were clicked how often and which products were viewed or purchased particularly frequently. This information is used to create conversion statistics. We find out the total number of users who have clicked on our ads and what actions they have taken. We do not receive any information with which we can personally identify the user. Google itself uses cookies or comparable recognition technologies for identification purposes.

The use of this service is based on your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR and § 25 para. 1 TTDSG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

You can find more information about Google Conversion Tracking in Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Taboola Pixel

A visitor pixel and cookies from Taboola Europe, Aldgate House, 33 Aldgate High St, London EC3N 1DL, UK are used on this website to measure conversions. This allows the behavior of users to be tracked after they have been redirected to the provider’s website by clicking on a Taboola ad. This process is used to evaluate the effectiveness of Taboola advertisements for statistical and market research purposes and can help to optimize future advertising measures. The data collected is anonymous to us and does not allow us to draw any conclusions about the identity of the user.

The use of this service is based on your consent in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR and § 25 para. 1 TTDSG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

The purpose and scope of the data collection and further processing and use of the data by Taboola as well as your rights in this regard and setting options to protect your privacy can be found in Taboola’s privacy policy: https://www.taboola.com/de/policies/datenschutzerklaerung

6. Plugins und Tools

Google Fonts (local hosting)
This site uses so-called Google Fonts, which are provided by Google, for the uniform display of fonts. Google Fonts are installed locally. There is no connection to Google servers.

Further information on Google Fonts can be found at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and in Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Wordfence

We have integrated Wordfence on this website. The provider is Defiant Inc, Defiant, Inc, 800 5th Ave Ste 4100, Seattle, WA 98104, USA (hereinafter « Wordfence »).

Wordfence serves to protect our website from unwanted access or malicious cyberattacks. For this purpose, our website establishes a permanent connection to Wordfence’s servers so that Wordfence can compare its databases with the accesses made on our website and block them if necessary.

Wordfence is used on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in protecting its website as effectively as possible against cyberattacks. If a corresponding consent has been requested, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR and § 25 para. 1 TTDSG, insofar as the consent includes the storage of cookies or access to information in the user’s terminal device (e.g. device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TTDSG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. You can find details here: https://www.wordfence.com/help/general-data-protection-regulation/.

Order processing
We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with the above-mentioned provider. This is a contract prescribed by data protection law, which ensures that the provider only processes the personal data of our website visitors in accordance with our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

Contact form

If you send us inquiries via the contact form, your details from the inquiry form, including the contact data you provide there, will be stored by us for the purpose of processing the inquiry and in the event of follow-up questions. We will not pass on this data without your consent.

The data entered in the contact form is therefore processed exclusively on the basis of your consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). You can revoke this consent at any time. All you need to do is send us an informal email. The legality of the data processing operations carried out until the revocation remains unaffected by the revocation.

We will retain the data you provide on the contact form until you request its deletion, revoke your consent for its storage, or the purpose for its storage no longer pertains (e.g. after fulfilling your request). Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular retention periods – remain unaffected.

Request by e-mail, telephone or fax

If you contact us by e-mail, telephone or fax, we will store and process your inquiry, including all personal data (name, inquiry), for the purpose of processing your request. We will not pass on this data without your consent.

This data is processed on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR if your request is related to the fulfillment of a contract or is necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, the processing is based on your consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR) and/or on our legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR), as we have a legitimate interest in the effective processing of the inquiries addressed to us.

The data you send to us via contact requests will remain with us until you ask us to delete it, revoke your consent to storage or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g. after your request has been processed). Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular statutory retention periods – remain unaffected.

5.Social media, plugins and tools

Use of social media
We maintain online presences within social networks and platforms in order to communicate with the customers, interested parties and users active there and to inform them about our services. 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 users’ rights. With regard to US providers that are certified under the Privacy Shield, we would like to point out that they thereby undertake to comply with the data protection standards of the EU. Furthermore, user data is generally processed for market research and advertising purposes. For example, user profiles can be created from the usage behavior and the resulting interests of the users. The user profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements inside and outside the platforms that presumably correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the user’s computer, in which the user’s usage behavior and interests are stored. Furthermore, data can also be stored in the user profiles independently of the devices used by the users (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them). The processing of users’ personal data is based on our legitimate interests in effective user information and communication with users in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f. GDPR. GDPR. If the users are asked by the respective providers of the platforms for consent to the data processing described above, the legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a., Art. 7 GDPR. For a detailed description of the respective processing and the possibilities of objection (opt-out), we refer to the following linked information from the providers. In the case of requests for information and the assertion of user rights, we would also like to point out that these can be asserted most effectively with the providers. Only the providers have access to the user’s data and can take appropriate measures and provide information directly. If you still need help, you can contact us.

Integration of third-party services and content (plugins)
On the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimization and economic operation and in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online offer within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f. GDPR), we use content or service offers from third-party providers within our online offer. GDPR) content or service offers from third-party providers in order to integrate their content and services, such as videos or contributions. A corresponding integration always presupposes that the third-party providers of this content are aware of your IP address, as they cannot send the content to your browser without the IP address. The IP address is therefore required to display this content.

We endeavor to only use content whose respective providers only use your 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 your device and contain, among other things, technical information about your browser and operating system, referring websites, visit time and other information about your use of our online offer, as well as being linked to such information from other sources.

Facebook pages, groups, social plugins

We use Facebook pages, Facebook groups and Facebook social plugins (« plugins ») of the social network facebook.com, which is operated by Facebook Ireland Ltd, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland.

The pages, groups and plugins can display interaction elements or content (e.g. videos, graphics or text contributions) and are recognizable to you by one of the Facebook logos (white « f » on a blue tile, the terms « Like », « Gefällt mir » or a « thumbs up » sign) or are marked with the addition « Facebook Social Plugin ». You can view the list and appearance of the Facebook social plugins.

When you access a function of our online offering that contains such a plugin, your device establishes a direct connection with the Facebook servers. The content of the plugin is transmitted by Facebook directly to your device and integrated into the online offering. The processed data can be used to create user profiles for you. We therefore have no influence on the scope of the data that Facebook collects with the help of this plugin and therefore inform users according to our level of knowledge. By integrating the plugins, Facebook receives the information that you have accessed the corresponding page of our website. If you are logged in to Facebook, Facebook can assign the visit to your Facebook account. If you interact with the plugins, for example by clicking the Like button or posting a comment, the corresponding information is transmitted directly from your device to Facebook and stored there. If you are not a member of Facebook, there is still the possibility that Facebook will find out your IP address and store it. According to Facebook, only an anonymized IP address is stored in Europe.

• Facebook privacy policy
  The purpose and scope of the data collection and the further processing and use of the data by Facebook as well as the related rights and setting options to protect the privacy of users can be found in Facebook’s data protection information.
  EU-US Privacy Shield
  Facebook is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thus offers a guarantee of compliance with European data protection law.
  Basis
  The use of Facebook pages, groups and social plugins is in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online offers and easy findability of the places we have indicated on the website, as well as the use of data for marketing and targeting purposes. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
  Joint processing of personal data
  The joint processing of personal data takes place on the basis of an agreement on joint processing of personal data.
  Objection to data collection
• If you are a Facebook member and do not want Facebook to collect data about you via our online offering and link it to your membership data stored on Facebook, you must log out of Facebook and delete your cookies before using our online offering. Further settings and objections to the use of data for advertising purposes are possible within the Facebook profile settings or via the US site aboutads.info or the EU site youronlinechoices.com. The settings are platform-independent, i.e. they are adopted for all devices, such as desktop computers or mobile devices.

Facebook Pixel, Facebook Custom Audiences und Facebook-Conversion

Within our online offer, 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.

With the help of the Facebook pixel, Facebook is able to determine you as a visitor to our online offer as a target group for the display of advertisements (so-called « Facebook ads »). Accordingly, we use the Facebook pixel to display the Facebook ads placed by us only to those Facebook users who have also shown an interest in our online offering or who have certain characteristics (e.g. interests in certain topics or products determined on the basis of the websites visited) that we transmit to Facebook (so-called « custom audiences »). With the help of the Facebook pixel, we also want to ensure that our Facebook ads correspond to the potential interest of users and are not annoying. With the help of the Facebook pixel, we can also track the effectiveness of Facebook ads for statistical and market research purposes by seeing whether users were redirected to our website after clicking on a Facebook ad (so-called « conversion »).

• Facebook privacy policy
  The processing of data by Facebook takes place within the framework of Facebook’s data usage policy. Accordingly, general information on the display of Facebook ads can be found in Facebook’s data usage policy. You can find specific information and details about the Facebook pixel and how it works in the Facebook help section.
• EU-US Privacy Shield
  Facebook is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thus offers a guarantee of compliance with European data protection law.
• Basis
  The use of Facebook Pixel and the storage of « conversion cookies » is based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior in order to optimize both our website and our advertising.
• Order data processing contract
  For the processing of data for which Facebook acts as a commissioned data processor, we have concluded a commissioned data processing agreement with Facebook, in which we oblige Facebook to protect our customers’ data and not to pass it on to third parties.
• Contradiction
  Although we declare legitimate interests in the use of the Facebook pixel and the storage of « conversion cookies », we offer you opt-out options. You can object to the collection by the Facebook pixel and use of your data to display Facebook ads. To set which types of ads are displayed to you within Facebook, you can go to the page set up by Facebook and follow the instructions on the settings for usage-based advertising. The settings are platform-independent, i.e. they are applied to all devices, such as desktop computers or mobile devices. You can also object to the use of cookies for reach measurement and advertising purposes via the deactivation page of the network advertising initiative and additionally via the US website aboutads.info or the European website youronlinechoices.com.

LinkedIn

Functions and content of the LinkedIn service, offered by LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland, may be used within our online offering.

This may include, for example, content such as images, videos or texts and buttons with which you can express your liking of content, subscribe to the authors of the content or our posts. If you are a member of the LinkedIn platform, LinkedIn can assign access to the above-mentioned content and functions to your profiles. We can also integrate scripts and measures that allow us to use marketing and statistical functions in LinkedIn.

LinkedIn privacy policy
You can find more information on how LinkedIn handles user data in LinkedIn’s privacy policy.
EU-US Privacy Shield
LinkedIn is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thus offers a guarantee of compliance with European data protection law.
Basis
The use of LinkedIn functions is in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online offers and easy findability of the places we have indicated on the website as well as the use of data for marketing and targeting purposes. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
Objection to data collection
LinkedIn data collection opt-out.

XING

Functions and content of the XING service, offered by XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany, may be used within our online offering.

This may include, for example, content such as images, videos or texts and buttons with which you can express your favor regarding content, subscribe to the authors of the content or our contributions. If you are a member of the XING platform, XING can assign access to the above-mentioned content and functions to your profile. We can also integrate scripts and measures that allow us to use marketing and statistical functions in XING.

Privacy policy of XING
You can find more information on how XING handles user data in XING’s privacy policy.
Basis
The use of the XING functions is in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online offers and easy findability of the places we have indicated on the website as well as the use of the data for marketing and targeting purposes. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
Objection to data collection
XING data collection opt-out.