Privacy Policy

Security and Protection of Your Personal Data

We consider it our primary responsibility to protect the confidentiality of the personal data you provide to us and to safeguard it against unauthorised access. We therefore exercise the utmost care and apply state-of-the-art security standards to ensure the highest possible level of protection for your personal data.

As a private-sector company, we are subject to the provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). We have implemented technical and organisational measures to ensure that data protection regulations are observed both by us and by our external service providers.

Definitions

The law requires personal data to be processed lawfully, fairly and in a manner that is transparent to the data subject (“lawfulness, fairness and transparency”). To ensure this, we provide information below on the individual legal definitions also used in this Privacy Policy:

“Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as the “data subject”). An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, identification number, location data, online identifier or one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

“Processing” means any operation or set of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

“Restriction of processing” means the marking of stored personal data with the aim of limiting its future processing.

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

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

“Filing system” means any structured collection of personal data which is accessible according to specific criteria, whether centralised, decentralised or dispersed on a functional or geographical basis.

“Controller” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of processing personal data. Where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by European Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by European Union or Member State law.

“Processor” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller.

“Recipient” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body to which personal data is disclosed, whether or not it is a third party. However, public authorities which may receive personal data in the framework of a particular inquiry in accordance with European Union or Member State law shall not be regarded as recipients. The processing of such data by those public authorities shall comply with the applicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing.

“Third party” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body other than the data subject, controller, processor and persons who, under the direct authority of the controller or processor, are authorised to process personal data.

“Consent” of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by means of a statement or clear affirmative action by which the data subject signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to them.

Lawfulness of Processing

The processing of personal data is lawful only if there is a legal basis for the processing. In accordance with Article 6(1)(a)–(f) GDPR, legal bases for processing may in particular include:

the data subject has given consent to the processing of their personal data for one or more specific purposes;
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;
processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject;
processing is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person;
processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;
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 the protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child.

Information on the Collection of Personal Data

(1) Below, we provide information regarding the collection of personal data when you use our website. Personal data includes, for example, names, addresses, email addresses and user behaviour.
(2) If you contact us by email or via a contact form, the information you provide to us, such as your email address and, where applicable, your name and telephone number, will be stored by us in order to respond to your enquiry. We delete the data collected in this context once its storage is no longer necessary, or restrict its processing where statutory retention obligations apply.

Collection of Personal Data When Visiting Our Website

If you use the website solely for informational purposes, meaning that you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we collect only the personal data transmitted by your browser to our server. If you wish to view our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary in order to display our website to you and to ensure stability and security. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR:

IP address
Date and time of the request
Time zone difference from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Content of the request (specific page)
Amount of data transferred
Website from which the request originated
Operating system and its interface
Language and version of the browser software

Additional Functions and Services of Our Website

(1) In addition to the purely informational use of our website, we offer various services which you may use if you are interested. To make use of these services, you will generally need to provide additional personal data which we use to provide the respective service and to which the data processing principles described above apply.
(2) In some cases, we use external service providers to process your data. These service providers have been carefully selected and commissioned by us, are bound by our instructions and are regularly monitored.
(3) We may also disclose your personal data to third parties where participation in promotions, competitions, the conclusion of contracts or similar services are offered jointly with partners. Further information will be provided when you submit your personal data or in the relevant description of the respective service below.
(4) Where our service providers or partners are based in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we will inform you about the consequences of this in the description of the respective service.

Children

Our services are generally intended for adults. Persons under the age of 18 should not provide us with personal data without the consent of their parents or legal guardians.

Rights of the Data Subject

(1) Right to Withdraw Consent
Where the processing of personal data is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. The withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
You may contact us at any time to exercise your right to withdraw consent.
(2) Right to Confirmation
You have the right to obtain confirmation from the controller as to whether or not personal data concerning you is being processed. You may request such confirmation at any time using the contact details provided above.
(3) Right of Access
Where personal data is processed, you may at any time request access to such personal data and the following information:

the purposes of the processing;
the categories of personal data concerned;
the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data has been or will be disclosed, in particular recipients in third countries or international organisations;
where possible, the envisaged period for which the personal data will be stored or, if this is not possible, the criteria used to determine that period;
the existence of the right to request rectification or erasure of personal data concerning you, restriction of processing by the controller or the right to object to such processing;
the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority;
where the personal data has not been collected from the data subject, any available information as to its source;

the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, pursuant to Article 22(1) and (4) GDPR and, at least in such cases, meaningful information about the logic involved as well as the significance and envisaged consequences of such processing for the data subject.

Where personal data is transferred to a third country or to an international organisation, you have the right to be informed of the appropriate safeguards pursuant to Article 46 GDPR relating to the transfer. We provide a copy of the personal data undergoing processing. For any additional copies requested, we may charge a reasonable fee based on administrative costs. Where the request is made electronically, the information will be provided in a commonly used electronic format unless otherwise requested. The right to obtain a copy must not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.
(4) Right to Rectification
You have the right to obtain from us without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you. Taking into account the purposes of the processing, you also have the right to have incomplete personal data completed, including by means of providing a supplementary statement.
(5) Right to Erasure (“Right to Be Forgotten”)
You have the right to request that the controller erase personal data concerning you without undue delay, and we are obliged to erase personal data without undue delay where one of the following grounds applies:

the personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed;
the data subject withdraws the consent on which the processing is based pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) or Article 9(2)(a) GDPR, and there is no other legal basis for the processing;
the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or the data subject objects pursuant to Article 21(2) GDPR;
the personal data has been unlawfully processed;
the personal data must be erased in order to comply with a legal obligation under European Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject;
the personal data has been collected in relation to the offer of information society services referred to in Article 8(1) GDPR.

Where the controller has made the personal data public and is obliged to erase it, the controller shall, taking account of available technology and the cost of implementation, take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform controllers processing the personal data that the data subject has requested the erasure of any links to, or copies or replications of, that personal data.

The right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) does not apply where processing is necessary:

for exercising the right of freedom of expression and information;
for compliance with a legal obligation which requires processing under European Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject, or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;
for reasons of public interest in the area of public health in accordance with Article 9(2)(h) and (i) and Article 9(3) GDPR;
for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89(1) GDPR, insofar as the right referred to above is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of the objectives of that processing; or
for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

(6) Right to Restriction of Processing

You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data where one of the following conditions applies:
the accuracy of the personal data is contested by the data subject, for a period enabling the controller to verify the accuracy of the personal data;
the processing is unlawful and the data subject opposes the erasure of the personal data and requests the restriction of its use instead;
the controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of processing, but the data subject requires it for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims; or
the data subject has objected to processing pursuant to Article 21(1) GDPR, pending verification of whether the legitimate grounds of the controller override those of the data subject.

Where processing has been restricted under the conditions set out above, such personal data shall, with the exception of storage, be processed only with the data subject’s consent or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest of the European Union or of a Member State.
To exercise the right to restriction of processing, the data subject may contact us at any time using the contact details provided above.
(7) Right to Data Portability
You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you which you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and you have the right to transmit that data to another controller without hindrance from the controller to which the personal data was provided, where:

the processing is based on consent pursuant to Article 6(1)(a), Article 9(2)(a), or on a contract pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) GDPR; and
the processing is carried out by automated means.

In exercising your right to data portability, you also have the right to have the personal data transmitted directly from one controller to another, where technically feasible. The exercise of the right to data portability does not affect the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”). This right does not apply to processing necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
(8) Right to Object
You have the right, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you which is based on Article 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR, including profiling based on those provisions. The controller shall no longer process the personal data unless it demonstrates compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject, or the processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
Where personal data is 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 purposes, including profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. If you object to processing for direct marketing purposes, the personal data will no longer be processed for such purposes.
In connection with the use of information society services, and notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, you may exercise your right to object by automated means using technical specifications.
You also have the right, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to object to the processing of personal data concerning you for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1) GDPR, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.
You may exercise your right to object at any time by contacting the respective controller.
(9) Automated Individual Decision-Making, Including Profiling
You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you. This does not apply where the decision:

is necessary for entering into or performing a contract between the data subject and the controller;
is authorised by European Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject and which also lays down suitable measures to safeguard the data subject’s rights, freedoms and legitimate interests; or
is based on the data subject’s explicit consent.

The controller shall implement suitable measures to safeguard the data subject’s rights, freedoms and legitimate interests, including at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of the controller, to express their point of view and to contest the decision.
The data subject may exercise this right at any time by contacting the respective controller.
(10) Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority
Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR.
(11) Right to an Effective Judicial Remedy
Without prejudice to any available administrative or non-judicial remedy, including the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority pursuant to Article 77 GDPR, you have the right to an effective judicial remedy where you consider that your rights under the GDPR have been infringed as a result of the processing of your personal data in non-compliance with the GDPR.