Privacy Policy

We have prepared this Privacy Policy (Version 12.01.2021-311249808) to explain to you, in accordance with the requirements ofthe General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, what information we collect, how we use data, and what choices you have as a visitor to this website.

Unfortunately, it’s only natural that these explanations sound very technical, but we’ve made an effort to describe the most important points as simply and clearly as possible.

Automatic Data Storage

When you visit websites these days, certain information is automatically generated and stored—and that is also the case on this website.

When you visit our website, as you are doing right now, our web server (the computer on which this website is hosted) automatically stores data such as

  • the address (URL) of the webpage that was accessed

  • Browser and browser version

  • the operating system used

  • the address (URL) of the previously visited page (referrer URL)

  • the hostname and IP address of the device from which the request is being made

  • Date and Time

in files (web server log files).

Web server log files are generally stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not share this data with third parties; however, we cannot rule out the possibility that this data may be accessed in the event of unlawful conduct.

 

Cookies 

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

What exactly are cookies?

 

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

One thing cannot be denied: Cookies are truly useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More specifically, they are HTTP cookies, since there are also other types of cookies for different applications. HTTP cookies are small files that our website stores on your computer. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder—essentially the “brain” of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as your language or personal page settings. When you visit our site again, your browser sends this “user-specific” information back to our site. Thanks to cookies, our website knows who you are and provides you with your usual default settings. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file; in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our website; third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g., Google Analytics). Each cookie must be evaluated individually, as each cookie stores different data. The expiration time of a cookie also varies from a few minutes to a few years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans, or other “malware.” Cookies also cannot access information on your computer.

 

Here's an example of what cookie data might look like:

  • Name: _ga

  • Expiration date: 2 years

  • Use: Distinguishing between website visitors

  • Example value: GA1.2.1326744211.152311249808

 

A browser should support the following minimum sizes:

  • A cookie should be able to contain at least 4096 bytes

  • It must be possible to store at least 50 cookies per domain

  • In total, it should be possible to store at least 3,000 cookies

 

What types of cookies are there?

 

The specific cookies we use depend on the services we utilize and are explained in the following sections of this Privacy Policy. At this point, we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

 

There are four types of cookies:

 

Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure the website’s basic functionality. For example, these cookies are needed when a user adds a product to the shopping cart, then continues browsing other pages, and only proceeds to checkout later. These cookies ensure that the shopping cart is not cleared, even if the user closes their browser window.

 

Functional cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. These cookies are also used to measure the website's loading time and performance across different browsers.

 

Targeted Cookies
These cookies improve the user experience. For example, they store locations you’ve entered, font sizes, or form data.

 

Advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver personalized ads to the user. This can be very convenient, but it can also be very annoying.

 

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

 

How can I delete cookies?

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

 

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

Chrome: Delete, Enable, and Manage Cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing Cookies and Website Data with Safari

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

Internet Explorer: Deleting and Managing Cookies

Microsoft Edge: Deleting and Managing Cookies

 

If you do not want to accept cookies at all, you can configure your browser to notify you whenever a cookie is about to be set. This allows you to decide for each individual cookie whether to allow it or not. The procedure varies depending on your browser. The best approach is to search for instructions on Google using the search terms “delete cookies Chrome” or “disable cookies Chrome” if you’re using the Chrome browser, or replace the word “Chrome” with the name of your browser, such as Edge, Firefox, or Safari.

 

What about my privacy?

 

The so-called “Cookie Directive” has been in effect since 2009. It stipulates that storing cookies requires your consent. However, reactions to this directive still vary widely among EU countries. In Germany, the Cookie Directive has not been transposed into national law. Instead, this directive has been implemented largely through Section 15(3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG).

If you'd like to learn more about cookies and don't mind reading technical documentation, we recommendhttps://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6265, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments titled “HTTP State Management Mechanism.”

 

Storage of Personal Data

 

Personal data that you submit to us electronically via this website—such as your name, email address, mailing address, or other personal information provided when submitting a form or leaving a comment on the blog—will be used by us, along with the time and IP address, solely for the purpose specified in each instance; it will be securely stored and will not be disclosed to third parties.

We therefore use your personal information only to communicate with visitors who have expressly requested contact and to process the services and products offered on this website. We do not disclose your personal information without your consent; however, we cannot rule out the possibility that this information may be accessed in the event of unlawful conduct.

If you send us personal information via email—that is, outside of this website—we cannot guarantee the security of the transmission or the protection of your data. We recommend that you never send confidential information via email without encrypting it.

The legal basis, pursuant toArticle 6, paragraph 1(a) of the GDPR(Lawfulness of Processing), is that you give us your consent to process the data you have entered. You may revoke this consent at any time—a simple email is sufficient; you can find our contact information in the legal notice.

 

Rights Under the General Data Protection Regulation

 

Under the provisions of the GDPR, you generally have the following rights:

  • Right to Rectification (Article 16 of the GDPR)

  • Right to Erasure (“Right to Be Forgotten”) (Article 17 of the GDPR)

  • Right to Restriction of Processing (Article 18 of the GDPR)

  • Right to Be Notified – Obligation to Notify in Connection with the Rectification or Erasure of Personal Data or the Restriction of Processing (Article 19 of the GDPR)

  • Right to Data Portability (Article 20 of the GDPR)

  • Right to Object (Article 21 of the GDPR)

  • The right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing—including profiling—(Article 22 of the GDPR)

 

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection rights have otherwise been infringed, you may contact theFederal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI).

 

TLS Encryption with HTTPS

 

We use HTTPS to transmit data over the Internet in a way that prevents eavesdropping (data protection through technology design,Article 25(1) of the GDPR). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission over the Internet, we can ensure the protection of confidential data. You can recognize that this data transmission security measure is in use by the small padlock icon in the upper-left corner of the browser and by the use of the “https” protocol (instead of “http”) as part of our web address.

 

Newsletter Privacy Policy

 

When you subscribe to our newsletter, you provide the personal information listed above and grant us the right to contact you via email. We use the information collected during the newsletter sign-up process exclusively for our newsletter and do not share it with third parties.

If you unsubscribe from the newsletter—you'll find the link to do so at the very bottom of every newsletter—we will delete all data that was stored when you signed up for the newsletter.

 

Privacy Policy for Embedded Social Media Elements

 

We embed elements from social media services on our website to display images, videos, and text.
When you visit pages that display these elements, data is transmitted from your browser to the respective social media service and stored there. We do not have access to this data.
The following links will take you to the pages of the respective social media services, where you can find explanations of how they handle your data:

Facebook Privacy Policy

 

We use selected Facebook tools on our website. Facebook is a social media network operated by Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbor, Dublin 2, Ireland. These tools help us provide you and others interested in our products and services with the best possible experience. Below, we provide an overview of the various Facebook tools, what data is sent to Facebook, and how you can delete this data.

What are Facebook tools?

In addition to many other products, Facebook also offers what are known as “Facebook Business Tools.” That is Facebook’s official name for them. However, since the term is not widely known, we have decided to simply refer to them as Facebook Tools. These include, among others:

  • Facebook Pixel

  • social media plug-ins (such as the “Like” or “Share” button)

  • Facebook Login

  • Account Kit

  • APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)

  • SDKs (collection of programming tools)

  • Platform Integrations

  • Plugins

  • Codes

  • Specifications

  • Documentation

  • Technologies and Services

 

Through these tools, Facebook expands its services and is able to obtain information about user activity outside of Facebook.

Why do we use Facebook tools on our website?

We want to show our services and products only to people who are genuinely interested in them. With the help of ads (Facebook Ads), we can reach exactly these people. However, in order to show users relevant ads, Facebook needs information about people’s preferences and needs. As a result, information about user behavior (and contact information) on our website is made available to the company. This allows Facebook to collect more relevant user data and display targeted ads about our products and services to interested people. These tools thus enable tailored advertising campaigns on Facebook.

Facebook refers to data about your behavior on our website as “event data.” This data is also used for measurement and analytics services. This allows Facebook to generate “campaign reports” on our behalf regarding the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. Furthermore, analytics provide us with better insight into how you use our services, website, or products. We use some of these tools to optimize your user experience on our website. For example, you can use the social plugins to share content from our site directly on Facebook.

What data is stored by Facebook tools?

When using certain Facebook tools, personal data (customer data) may be sent to Facebook. Depending on the tools used, customer data such as name, address, phone number, and IP address may be transmitted.

Facebook uses this information to match the data with the information it has about you (if you are a Facebook member). Before customer data is transmitted to Facebook, it undergoes a process known as “hashing.” This means that a data set of any size is converted into a string of characters. This also serves to encrypt the data.

In addition to contact information, “event data” is also transmitted. “Event data” refers to the information we collect about you on our website. For example, which subpages you visit or which products you purchase from us. Facebook does not share the information it collects with third parties (such as advertisers) unless the company has explicit permission or is legally required to do so. “Event data” can also be linked to contact information. This allows Facebook to offer more personalized advertising. After the aforementioned matching process, Facebook deletes the contact information.

 

To deliver optimized ads, Facebook uses event data only if it has been aggregated with other data (collected by Facebook through other means). Facebook also uses this event data for security, protection, development, and research purposes. Much of this data is transmitted to Facebook via cookies. Cookies are small text files used to store data or information in browsers. Depending on the tools used and whether you are a Facebook member, a varying number of cookies are stored in your browser. We discuss individual Facebook cookies in more detail in the descriptions of the various Facebook tools. You can also find general information about the use of Facebook cookies athttps://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies.

 

How long and where is the data stored?

 

In general, Facebook stores data until it is no longer needed for its own services and Facebook products. Facebook has servers located around the world where your data is stored. However, customer data is deleted within 48 hours after it has been matched with the user’s own data.

 

How can I delete my data or prevent it from being stored?

 

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to access, correct, transfer, and delete your data.

Your data will only be completely deleted if you permanently delete your Facebook account. Here's how to delete your Facebook account:

1) Click "Settings" on the right side of Facebook.

2) Next, click “Your Facebook Information” in the left column.

3) Now click “Deactivate and Delete.”

4) Now select "Delete Account" and then click "Continue and Delete Account"

5) Now enter your password, click “Next,” and then click “Delete Account”

 

The data that Facebook receives through our site is stored, among other things, via cookies (e.g., in social plugins). In your browser, you can disable, delete, or manage individual cookies or all cookies. Depending on which browser you use, this works in different ways. The following instructions show you how to manage cookies in your browser:

Chrome: Delete, Enable, and Manage Cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing Cookies and Website Data with Safari

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

Internet Explorer: Deleting and Managing Cookies

Microsoft Edge: Deleting and Managing Cookies

 

If you do not want to accept cookies at all, you can configure your browser to notify you whenever a cookie is about to be set. This allows you to decide for each individual cookie whether to allow it or not.

 

Facebook is an active participant in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, which governs the proper and secure transfer of personal data. For more information, please visithttps://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC. We hope we’ve provided you with the most important information about the use and processing of data by Facebook tools. If you’d like to learn more about how Facebook uses your data, we recommend reviewing the Privacy Policy athttps://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/update.

 

Facebook Social Plug-ins Privacy Policy

 

Our website incorporates so-called social plug-ins from Facebook Inc. You can recognize these buttons by the classic Facebook logo, such as the “Like” button (the hand with a thumbs-up), or by a clear “Facebook Plug-in” label. A social plug-in is a small component of Facebook that is integrated into our site. Each plug-in has its own function. The most commonly used functions are the well-known “Like” and “Share” buttons.

Facebook offers the following social plug-ins:

  • "Save" button

  • “Like” button, Share, Send, and Quote

  • Page Plugin

  • Comments

  • Messenger Plug-in

  • Embedded posts and video players

  • Group Plug-in

 

Visithttps://developers.facebook.com/docs/pluginsfor more information on how to use the individual plug-ins. We use social plug-ins both to provide you with a better user experience on our site and to allow Facebook to optimize our ads.

If you have a Facebook account or have ever visitedfacebook.com, Facebook has already placed at least one cookie in your browser. In this case, your browser sends information to Facebook via this cookie as soon as you visit our site or interact with social plugins (e.g., the “Like” button).

 

The information collected will be deleted or anonymized within 90 days. According to Facebook, this data includes your IP address, the website you visited, the date, the time, and other information related to your browser.

To prevent Facebook from collecting a large amount of data during your visit to our website and linking it to your Facebook data, you must log out of Facebook while visiting the website.

If you are not logged into Facebook or do not have a Facebook account, your browser sends less information to Facebook because you have fewer Facebook cookies. However, data such as your IP address or the websites you visit may still be transmitted to Facebook. We would like to expressly point out that we do not know the exact contents of this data. However, we strive to inform you as best as possible about data processing based on our current understanding. You can also read about how Facebook uses this data in the company’s Privacy Policy athttps://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/update.

 

At a minimum, the following cookies are set in your browser when you visit a website that uses Facebook social plugins:

Name: dpr
Value: Not specified
Purpose: This cookie is used to ensure that the social plugins on our website function properly.
Expiration date: At the end of the session

Name: fr
Value: 0jieyh4311249808c2GnlufEJ9..Bde09j…1.0.Bde09j
Purpose: This cookie is also necessary for the plug-ins to function properly.
Expiration date: after 3 months

 

Note: These cookies were set after a test, even if you are not a Facebook member.

If you are logged into Facebook, you can change your ad settings yourself athttps://www.facebook.com/ads/preferences/?entry_product=ad_settings_screen. If you are not a Facebook user, you can manage your usage-based online advertising athttp://www.youronlinechoices.com/de/praferenzmanagement/grundsätzlich. There, you have the option to disable or enable specific providers.

If you would like to learn more about Facebook's privacy practices, we recommend reviewing the company's privacy policy athttps://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

 

Instagram Privacy Policy

 

We have integrated Instagram features into our website. Instagram is a social media platform operated by Instagram LLC, 1601 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Instagram has been a subsidiary of Facebook Inc. since 2012 and is one of Facebook’s products. The integration of Instagram content on our website is known as embedding. This allows us to display content such as buttons, photos, or videos from Instagram directly on our website. When you visit pages on our website that include an Instagram feature, data is transmitted to Instagram, where it is stored and processed. Instagram uses the same systems and technologies as Facebook. Your data is therefore processed across all Facebook companies.

In the following, we’d like to give you a more detailed look at why Instagram collects data, what types of data it collects, and how you can largely control how that data is processed. Since Instagram is owned by Facebook Inc., we draw our information from both Instagram’s policies and Facebook’s own data policies.

 

What is Instagram?

 

Instagram is one of the most popular social media networks in the world. Instagram combines the benefits of a blog with those of audiovisual platforms like YouTube or Vimeo. On “Insta” (as many users colloquially call the platform), you can upload photos and short videos, edit them with various filters, and share them on other social networks. And if you don’t want to be active yourself, you can simply follow other interesting users.

Why do we use Instagram on our website?

 

Instagram is the social media platform that has really taken off in recent years. And, of course, we’ve responded to this boom as well. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible on our website. That’s why presenting our content in a variety of ways is a given for us. Thanks to the embedded Instagram features, we can enrich our content with helpful, funny, or exciting posts from the world of Instagram. Since Instagram is a subsidiary of Facebook, the data collected can also help us deliver personalized ads on Facebook. This ensures that our ads reach only people who are genuinely interested in our products or services.

Instagram also uses the collected data for measurement and analysis purposes. We receive aggregated statistics, which give us more insight into your preferences and interests. It’s important to note that these reports do not identify you personally.

What data does Instagram store?

 

When you visit one of our pages that incorporates Instagram features (such as Instagram images or plug-ins), your browser automatically connects to Instagram’s servers. In the process, data is sent to Instagram, where it is stored and processed—regardless of whether you have an Instagram account or not. This includes information about our website, your computer, purchases you’ve made, the ads you see, and how you use our services. Additionally, the date and time of your interaction with Instagram are stored. If you have an Instagram account or are logged in, Instagram stores significantly more data about you.

 

Facebook distinguishes between customer data and event data. We assume that this is also the case with Instagram. Examples of customer data include name, address, phone number, and IP address. It’s important to note that this customer data is only transmitted to Instagram after it has been “hashed.” Hashing refers to the process of converting a data record into a string of characters. This allows the contact information to be encrypted. In addition, the “event data” mentioned above is also transmitted. By “event data,” Facebook—and consequently Instagram as well—means data about your user behavior. Contact information may also be combined with event data. The collected contact information is matched with the data Instagram already has about you.

The collected data is transmitted to Facebook via small text files (cookies), which are usually stored in your browser. The amount of data stored varies depending on the Instagram features you use and whether you have an Instagram account yourself.

We assume that data processing on Instagram works the same way as it does on Facebook. This means that if you have an Instagram account or have visitedwww.instagram.com, Instagram has set at least one cookie. If that is the case, your browser sends information to Instagram via the cookie as soon as you interact with an Instagram feature. This data is deleted or anonymized no later than 90 days after it has been processed. Although we have thoroughly examined Instagram’s data processing practices, we cannot say with complete certainty exactly what data Instagram collects and stores.

 

Below, we’ll show you the cookies that are set in your browser at a minimum when you click on an Instagram feature (such as a button or an Instagram image). For the purposes of this test, we’re assuming you don’t have an Instagram account. If you’re logged into Instagram, significantly more cookies will, of course, be set in your browser.

These cookies were used in our test:

Name: csrftoken
Value: “”
Purpose: This cookie is most likely set for security reasons to prevent forged requests. However, we were unable to determine the exact purpose.
Expiration date: after one year

Name: mid
Value: “”
Purpose: Instagram sets this cookie to optimize its services and offerings both on and off Instagram. The cookie assigns a unique user ID.
Expiration date: at the end of the session

Name: fbsr_311249808124024
Value: Not specified
Purpose: This cookie stores the login request for users of the Instagram app.
Expiration date: At the end of the session

Name: rur
Value: ATN
Purpose: This is an Instagram cookie that ensures functionality on Instagram.
Expiration date: at the end of the session

Name: urlgen
Wert: “{\”194.96.75.33\”: 1901}:1iEtYv:Y833k2_UjKvXgYe311249808”
 

Purpose: This cookie is used for Instagram's marketing purposes.
Expiration date: at the end of the session

Note: We cannot claim that this list is exhaustive. Which cookies are set in each individual case depends on the embedded features and your use of Instagram.

 

How long and where is the data stored?

 

Instagram shares the information it receives with other Facebook companies, external partners, and people you connect with around the world. Data processing is conducted in accordance with Instagram’s Privacy Policy. For security and other reasons, your data is stored on Facebook servers located around the world. Most of these servers are located in the United States.

How can I delete my data or prevent it from being stored?

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to access, transfer, correct, and delete your data. You can manage your data in your Instagram settings. If you want to completely delete your data from Instagram, you must permanently delete your Instagram account.

 

Here's how to delete your Instagram account:

 

First, open the Instagram app. On your profile page, scroll down and tap "Help Center." This will take you to the company's website. On the website, click "Manage Your Account" and then "Delete Your Account."

If you permanently delete your account, Instagram will delete posts such as your photos and status updates. Information that other people have shared about you is not part of your account and will therefore not be deleted.

As mentioned above, Instagram primarily stores your data using cookies. You can manage, disable, or delete these cookies in your browser. The process for managing them varies slightly depending on your browser. Here, we’ll show you the instructions for the most common browsers.

Chrome: Delete, Enable, and Manage Cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing Cookies and Website Data with Safari

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

Internet Explorer: Deleting and Managing Cookies

Microsoft Edge: Deleting and Managing Cookies

 

You can also generally configure your browser so that you are always notified when a cookie is about to be set. This allows you to decide on a case-by-case basis whether you want to accept the cookie or not.

Instagram is a subsidiary of Facebook Inc., and Facebook is an active participant in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework. This framework ensures the proper transfer of data between the United States and the European Union. Youcan learnmore about it athttps://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC. We have tried to provide you with the most important information about Instagram’s data processing practices. You can learn more about Instagram’s privacy policy athttps://help.instagram.com/519522125107875
.

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Source: Created with the Privacy Policy Generator by AdSimple