Google Analytics data processing addendum

We have concluded a direct customer contract with Google for the use of Google Analytics by accepting the “Data Processing Addendum” in Google Analytics.

You can find out more about the data processing addendum for Google Analytics here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3379636?hl=de&utm_id=ad

Newsletter privacy policy

When you register for our newsletter, you provide the above personal data and give us the right to contact you by e-mail. We use the data stored during the newsletter registration process exclusively for our newsletter and do not pass it on.

If you unsubscribe from the newsletter – you will find the link to do so at the bottom of every newsletter – we will delete all the data stored when you subscribed to the newsletter.

Google Site Kit Privacy Policy

Google Site Kit Privacy Policy Summary

 Affected parties: Visitors to the website

 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website.

 Processed data: Access statistics that contain data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior and IP addresses. More details can be found below and in the Google Analytics privacy policy.

 Storage duration: depending on the properties used

 Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Site Kit?

We have integrated the WordPress plugin Google Site Kit from the American company Google Inc. into our website. For the European region, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. With Google Site Kit, we can quickly and easily view statistics from various Google products such as Google Analytics directly in our WordPress dashboard. The tool or the tools integrated into Google Site Kit also collect personal data from you, among other things. In this privacy policy, we explain why we use Google Site Kit, how long and where data is stored and which other data protection texts are relevant for you in this context.

Google Site Kit is a plugin for the WordPress content management system. With this plugin, we can view important website analysis statistics directly in our dashboard. These are statistics that are collected by other Google products. First and foremost Google Analytics. In addition to Google Analytics, the Google Search Console, Page Speed Insight, Google AdSense, Google Optimize and Google Tag Manager services can also be linked to Google Site Kit.

Why do we use Google Site Kit on our website?

As a service provider, it is our job to offer you the best possible experience on our website at . We want you to feel comfortable on our website and find exactly what you are looking for quickly and easily. Statistical evaluations help us to get to know you better and to adapt our offer to your wishes and interests. We use various Google tools for these evaluations. Site Kit makes our work much easier in this respect because we can view and analyze the statistics of Google products directly in the dashboard. We no longer have to register for the respective tool separately. Site Kit therefore always provides a good overview of the most important analysis data.

What data is stored by Google Site Kit?

If you have actively consented to tracking tools in the cookie notice (also called script or banner), Google products such as Google Analytics will set cookies and send data from you, for example about your user behavior, to Google, where it will be stored and processed. This also includes storing personal data such as your IP address.

We have separate text sections in this privacy policy for more detailed information on the individual services. For example, see for our privacy policy on Google Analytics. Here we go into great detail about the data collected. You will find out how long Google Analytics stores, manages and processes data, which cookies may be used and how you can prevent data storage. We also have separate privacy policies with comprehensive information for other Google services such as Google Tag Manager and Google AdSense.

Below we show you examples of Google Analytics cookies that can be set in your browser if you have consented to data processing by Google. Please note that these cookies are only a selection:

Name: _ga

Wert:2.1326744211.152211148039-2

Intended use: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the user ID. It is basically used to differentiate between website visitors.

Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: _gid

Wert:2.1687193234.152211148039-7

Purpose: This cookie is also used to distinguish website visitors.

Expiration date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_

Value: 1

Purpose: This cookie is used to reduce the request rate.

Expiration date: after 1 minute

How long and where is the data stored?

Google stores collected data on its own Google servers, which are distributed worldwide. Most of the servers are located in the United States and it is therefore easily possible that your data is also stored there. At https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/?hl=de you can see exactly where the company provides servers.

Data collected by Google Analytics is stored for a standardized period of 26 months. Your user data will then be deleted. The retention period applies to all data linked to cookies, user recognition and advertising IDs.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You always have the right to receive information about your data and to have your data deleted, corrected or restricted. You can also deactivate, delete or manage cookies in your browser at any time. Here we show you the corresponding instructions for the most common browsers:

Chrome: Delete, activate and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari

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

Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Deleting and managing cookies

Please note that when using this tool, your data may also be stored and processed outside the EU. Most third countries (including the USA) are not considered secure under current European data protection law. Data may therefore not simply be transferred to insecure third countries, stored and processed there, unless there are suitable guarantees (such as EU standard contractual clauses) between us and the non-European service provider.

Legal basis

The use of Google Site Kit requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie pop-up. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when it is collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors in order to improve our offer technically and economically. With the help of Google Site Kit, we can detect errors on the website, can identify attacks and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests).

To find out more about data processing by Google, we recommend that you read Google’s comprehensive privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Google Tag Manager privacy policy

Google Tag Manager privacy policy summary

 Affected parties: Visitors to the website

 Purpose: Organization of the individual tracking tools

 Processed data: The Google Tag Manager does not store any data itself. The data is collected by the tags of the web analytics tools used.

 Storage period: depending on the web analytics tool used

️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is the Google Tag Manager?

For our website, we use Google Tag Manager from Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. This Tag Manager is one of many helpful marketing products from Google. Google Tag Manager allows us to centrally integrate and manage code sections from various tracking tools that we use on our website.

In this privacy policy, we want to explain to you in more detail what Google Tag Manager does, why we use it and how data is processed.

Google Tag Manager is an organizational tool that allows us to integrate and manage website tags centrally and via a user interface. Tags are small sections of code that record (track) your activities on our website, for example. For this purpose, JavaScript code sections are inserted into the source code of our site. The tags often come from internal Google products such as Google Ads or Google Analytics, but tags from other companies can also be integrated and managed via the Manager. Such tags perform different tasks. They can collect browser data, feed marketing tools with data, integrate buttons, set cookies and also track users across multiple websites.

Why do we use Google Tag Manager for our website?

As the saying goes: organization is half the battle! And of course this also applies to the maintenance of our website. In order to make our website as good as possible for you and all people who are interested in our products and services, we need various tracking tools such as Google Analytics. The data collected by these tools shows us what you are most interested in, where we can improve our services and which people we should show our offers to. And for this tracking to work, we have to integrate the corresponding JavaScript codes into our website. In principle, we could integrate each code section of the individual tracking tools separately into our source code. However, this takes a relatively long time and it is easy to lose track. That’s why we use the Google Tag Manager. We can easily integrate the necessary scripts and manage them from one place. The Google Tag Manager also offers an easy-to-use user interface and no programming knowledge is required. This is how we manage to keep order in our tag jungle.

What data is stored by Google Tag Manager?

The Tag Manager itself is a domain that does not set any cookies or store any data. It acts as a mere “administrator” of the implemented tags. The data is recorded by the individual tags of the various web analysis tools. The data is passed through the Google Tag Manager to the individual tracking tools and is not saved.

However, the situation is completely different with the integrated tags of the various web analysis tools, such as Google Analytics. Depending on the analysis tool, various data about your web behavior is usually collected, stored and processed with the help of cookies. Please read our data protection texts for the individual analysis and tracking tools that we use on our website.

In the account settings of the Tag Manager, we have allowed Google to receive anonymized data from us. However, this only concerns the use and utilization of our Tag Manager and not your data that is stored via the code sections. We allow Google and others to receive selected data in anonymized form. We therefore consent to the anonymous sharing of our website data. Despite extensive research, we were unable to find out exactly which summarized and anonymous data is forwarded. In any case, Google deletes all information that could identify our website. Google combines the data with hundreds of other anonymous website data and creates user trends as part of benchmarking measures. Benchmarking involves comparing our own results with those of our competitors. Processes can be optimized on the basis of the information collected.

How long and where is the data stored?

When Google stores data, this data is stored on Google’s own servers . The servers are located all over the world. Most of them are located in America. You can find out exactly where the Google servers are located at https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/?hl=de.

You can find out how long the individual tracking tools store your data in our individual data protection texts for the individual tools.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

The Google Tag Manager itself does not set cookies, but manages tags from various tracking websites. In our data protection texts on the individual tracking tools, you will find detailed information on how you can delete or manage your data.

Please note that when using this tool, your data may also be stored and processed outside the EU. Most third countries (including the USA) are not considered secure under current European data protection law. Data may therefore not simply be transferred to insecure third countries, stored and processed there unless there are suitable guarantees (such as EU standard contractual clauses) between us and the non-European service provider.

Legal basis

The use of Google Tag Manager requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie pop-up. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when it is collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors in order to improve our offer technically and economically. With the help of Google Tag Manager, we can improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests).

If you would like to find out more about Google Tag Manager, we recommend the FAQs at https://www.google.com/intl/de/tagmanager/faq.html.

 Send-in-blue privacy policy

Sendinblue privacy policy summary

 Affected parties: Newsletter subscribers

 Purpose: Direct advertising by e-mail, notification of system-relevant events

 Processed data: Data entered during registration, but at least the e-mail address.

 Storage period: Duration of the existence of the subscription

️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Sendinblue?

You can subscribe to our newsletter free of charge on our website. To ensure that this works, we use the email delivery service Sendinblue for our newsletter. This is a service provided by the German company Sendinblue GmbH, Köpenicker Str. 126, 10179 Berlin.

We would of course be delighted if you would subscribe to our newsletter. This enables us to keep you up to date and give you first-hand information about what’s going on in our company. However, you should be aware that when you register for the newsletter, all the data you enter (such as your e-mail address or your first and last name) will be stored and managed on our server and by Sendinblue. This also involves personal data. For example, in addition to the time and date of registration, your IP address is also stored. During the registration process, you also consent to us sending you the newsletter and reference is also made to this privacy policy.

The newsletter service also offers us helpful analysis options. This means that when we send out a newsletter, we find out, for example, whether and when the newsletter was opened by you. The software also recognizes and records whether and on which link you click in the newsletter. This information helps us enormously to adapt and optimize our service to your wishes and concerns. After all, we naturally want to offer you the best possible service. In addition to the data already mentioned above, data about your user behavior is also stored.

You can revoke your consent to this data processing at any time. For example, by clicking on the unsubscribe link directly in the newsletter. After unsubscribing, the personal data will be deleted from our server and from the Sendinblue servers, which are located in Germany. You have a right to free information about your stored data and, if applicable, a right to erasure, blocking or rectification.

Right of withdrawal

You can cancel your newsletter subscription at any time. All you have to do is withdraw your consent to the newsletter subscription. This usually only takes a few seconds or one or two clicks. You will usually find a link to cancel your newsletter subscription at the end of every email. If you really cannot find the link in the newsletter, please contact us by e-mail and we will cancel your newsletter subscription immediately.

Legal basis

The sending of our newsletter by Sendinblue is based on your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). This means that we may only send you a newsletter if you have actively subscribed to it beforehand. If consent is not required, the newsletter will be sent on the basis of our legitimate interest in direct marketing (Article 6(1)(f)), insofar as this is permitted by law. We record your registration process so that we can always prove that it complies with our laws.

If you would like more information about data processing, we recommend that you read the company’s privacy policy at https://de.sendinblue.com/legal/privacypolicy/ and also the following information page at https://de.sendinblue.com/informationen-newsletter-empfaenger/

Google Analytics Google Signals Privacy Policy

We have activated Google signals in Google Analytics. This will update the existing Google Analytics features (advertising reports, remarketing, cross-device reports and reports on interests and demographics) to receive aggregated and anonymized data from you if you have allowed personalized ads in your Google Account.

The special thing about it is that it is cross-device tracking. This means that your data can be analyzed across devices. By activating Google signals, data is collected and linked to your Google account. For example, Google can recognize when you view a product on our website via a smartphone and only buy the product later via a laptop. Thanks to the activation of Google signals, we can launch cross-device remarketing campaigns that would otherwise not be possible in this form. Remarketing means that we can also show you our offer on other websites.

Google Analytics also uses Google signals to collect additional visitor data such as location, search history, YouTube history and data about your actions on our website. This enables Google to provide us with better advertising reports and more useful information about your interests and demographic characteristics. This includes your age, what language you speak, where you live and what gender you are. Social criteria such as your profession, your marital status or your income are also included. All these characteristics help Google Analytics to define groups of people or target groups.

The reports also help us to better assess your behavior, wishes and interests. This enables us to optimize and adapt our services and products for you. This data expires by default after 26 months. Please note that this data is only collected if you have allowed personalized advertising in your Google account. This is always summarized and anonymous data and never data of individual persons. You can manage or delete this data in your Google account.

Google Analytics privacy policy

Google Analytics privacy policy summary

 Affected parties: Visitors to the website

 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website.

 Processed data: Access statistics containing data such as locations of access, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior and IP addresses. You can find more details on this below in this privacy policy.

 Storage duration: depending on the properties used

️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Analytics?

We use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics (GA) of the American company Google Inc. on our website. For the European area, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. For example, when you click on a link, this action is stored in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. The reports we receive from Google Analytics help us to better tailor our website and our service to your wishes. In the following, we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and inform you in particular about what data is stored and how you can prevent this.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool that is used to analyze the traffic on our website. For Google Analytics to work, a tracking code is built into the code of our website. When you visit our website, this code records various actions that you perform on our website. As soon as you leave our website, this data is sent to the Google Analytics servers and stored there.

Google processes the data and we receive reports about your user behavior. This may include the following reports :

– Target group reports: We use target group reports to get to know our users better and know more precisely who is interested in our service.

– Ad reports: Ad reports make it easier for us to analyze and improve our online advertising.

– Acquisition reports: Acquisition reports provide us with helpful information on how we can get more people interested in our service.

– Behavior reports: Here we learn how you interact with our website. We can track which route you take on our site and which links you click on.

– Conversion reports: Conversion is a process in which you perform a desired action as a result of a marketing message. For example, when you convert from a mere website visitor to a buyer or newsletter subscriber. With the help of these reports, we learn more about how our marketing measures are received by you. This is how we want to increase our conversion rate.

– Real-time reports: Here we always know immediately what is happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

Our goal with this website is clear: we want to offer you the best possible service. The statistics and data from Google Analytics help us to achieve this goal.

The statistically analyzed data gives us a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of our website. On the one hand, we can optimize our site so that it can be found more easily by interested people on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us to better understand you as a visitor. We therefore know exactly what we need to improve on our website in order to offer you the best possible service. The data also helps us to carry out our advertising and marketing measures more individually and cost-effectively. After all, it only makes sense to show our products and services to people who are interested in them.

What data is stored by Google Analytics?

Google Analytics uses a tracking code to create a random, unique ID that is linked to your browser cookie. This is how Google Analytics recognizes you as a new user. The next time you visit our site, you will be recognized as a “returning” user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID. This is what makes it possible to evaluate pseudonymous user profiles in the first place.

In order to be able to analyze our website with Google Analytics, a property ID must be inserted into the tracking code. The data is then saved in the corresponding property. The Google Analytics 4 property is standard for every newly created property. Alternatively, you can also create the Universal Analytics property. Depending on the property used, data is stored for different lengths of time.

Identifiers such as cookies and app instance IDs are used to measure your interactions on our website. Interactions are all types of actions that you perform on our website. If you also use other Google systems (such as a Google account), data generated via Google Analytics may be linked to third-party cookies. Google does not pass on any Google Analytics data unless we as the website operator authorize this. Exceptions may be made if required by law.

The following cookies are used by Google Analytics:

Name: _ga

Wert: 2.1326744211.152211148039-5

Intended use: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the user ID. It is basically used to differentiate between website visitors.

Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: _gid

Wert: 2.1687193234.152211148039-1

Purpose: The cookie is also used to distinguish website visitors

Expiration date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_

Value: 1

Purpose: Used to reduce the request rate. If Google Analytics is provided via Google Tag Manager, this cookie is given the name _dc_gtm_ .

Expiration date: after 1 minute

Name: AMP_TOKEN

Value: not specified

Purpose: The cookie has a token that can be used to retrieve a user ID from the AMP client ID service. Other possible values indicate a logout, a request or an error.

Expiration date: after 30 seconds up to one year

Name: __utma

Wert: 1564498958.1564498958.1564498958.1

Purpose: This cookie is used to track your behavior on the website and measure performance. The cookie is updated every time sends information to Google Analytics.

Expiration date: after 2 years

Name: __utmt

Value: 1

Purpose: The cookie is used like _gat_gtag_UA_ to throttle the request rate.

Expiration date: after 10 minutes

Name: __utmb

Value: 3.10.1564498958

Purpose: This cookie is used to determine new sessions. It is updated every time new data or information is sent to Google Analytics.

Expiration date: after 30 minutes

Name: __utmc

Value: 167421564

Purpose: This cookie is used to set new sessions for returning visitors. This is a session cookie and is only stored until you close the browser again.

Expiration date: After closing the browser

Name: __utmz

Value: m|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/

Purpose: The cookie is used to identify the source of traffic to our website. This means that the cookie stores where you came to our website from. This may have been another page or an advertisement.

Expiration date: after 6 months

Name: __utmv

Value: not specified

Purpose: The cookie is used to store user-defined user data. It is always updated when information is sent to Google Analytics.

Expiration date: after 2 years

Note: This list cannot claim to be exhaustive, as Google changes its choice of cookies from time to time.

Here we show you an overview of the most important data that is collected with Google Analytics:

Heatmaps: Google creates so-called heatmaps. Heatmaps allow you to see exactly those areas that you click on. This gives us information about where you are “traveling” on our site.

Session duration: Google defines session duration as the time you spend on our site without leaving the page. If you have been inactive for 20 minutes, the session ends automatically.

Bounce rate: A bounce is when you only view one page on our website and then leave our website again.

Account creation: When you create an account on our website or place an order, Google Analytics collects this data.

IP address: The IP address is only displayed in abbreviated form so that no clear assignment is possible.

Location: The IP address can be used to determine the country and your approximate location. This process is also known as IP location determination.

Technical information: Technical information includes your browser type, your internet provider or your screen resolution.

Source of origin: Google Analytics or we are of course also interested in which website or which advertisement you came to our site from.

Other data includes contact details, any ratings, playing media (e.g. when you play a video on our site), sharing content via social media or adding it to your favorites. The list is not exhaustive and is only intended to provide a general overview of data storage by Google Analytics.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google has distributed its servers all over the world. Most of the servers are located in America and therefore your data is usually stored on American servers. Here you can read exactly where the Google data centers are located: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/?hl=de

Your data is distributed on different physical data carriers. This has the advantage that the data can be accessed more quickly and is better protected against manipulation. There are appropriate emergency programs for your data in every Google data center. If, for example, the hardware at Google fails or natural disasters paralyze servers, the risk of a service interruption at Google remains low.

The retention period of the data depends on the properties used. When using the newer Google Analytics 4 properties, the retention period for your user data is fixed at 14 months. For other so-called event data, we have the option of selecting a retention period of 2 months or 14 months.

For Universal Analytics properties, Google Analytics has a standard retention period of 26 months for your user data. Your user data will then be deleted. However, we have the option of choosing the retention period for user data ourselves. There are five options available to us for this:

– Deletion after 14 months

– Deletion after 26 months

– Deletion after 38 months

– Deletion after 50 months

– No automatic deletion

In addition, there is also the option that data will only be deleted if you no longer visit our website within the period selected by us. In this case, the retention period is reset each time you visit our website again within the specified period.

Once the specified period has expired, the data will be deleted once a month. This retention period applies to your data that is linked to cookies, user recognition and advertising IDs (e.g. cookies from the DoubleClick domain). Reporting results are based on aggregated data and are stored independently of user data. Aggregated data is an amalgamation of individual data into a larger unit.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Under European Union data protection law, you have the right to obtain information about your data and to update, delete or restrict it. You can use the browser add-on to deactivate Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, dc.js) to prevent Google Analytics from using your data. You can download and install the browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de. Please note that this add-on only deactivates data collection by Google Analytics.

If you want to deactivate, delete or manage cookies (independently of Google Analytics), there are separate instructions for each browser:

Chrome: Delete, activate and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari

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

Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Deleting and managing cookies

Please note that when using this tool, your data may also be stored and processed outside the EU. Most third countries (including the USA) are not considered secure under current European data protection law. Data may therefore not simply be transferred to insecure third countries, stored and processed there, unless there are suitable guarantees (such as EU standard contractual clauses) between us and the non-European service provider.

Legal basis

The use of Google Analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie pop-up. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when it is collected by web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors in order to improve our offer technically and economically. With the help of Google Analytics, we recognize errors on the website, can identify attacks and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests).

We would like to point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. Data processing is essentially carried out by Google. This may result in data not being processed and stored anonymously. Furthermore, US government authorities may be able to access individual data. It is also possible that this data may be linked to data from other Google services with which you have a user account.

We hope we have been able to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Google Analytics. If you would like to find out more about the tracking service, we recommend these two links: http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/de.html and https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de.

Social Media

Social media privacy policy summary

 Affected parties: Visitors to the website

 Purpose: Presentation and optimization of our services, contact with visitors, interested parties, etc., advertising

 Processed data: Data such as telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, contact details, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address.

You can find more details on this in the respective social media tool used.

 Storage duration: depending on the social media platforms used

️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is social media?

In addition to our website, we are also active on various social media platforms. User data may be processed so that we can target users who are interested in us via the social networks. In addition, elements of a social media platform may also be embedded directly in our website. This is the case, for example, if you click on a social button on our website and are forwarded directly to our social media presence. Social media or social media refers to websites and apps through which registered members can produce content, share content openly or in certain groups and network with other members.

Why do we use social media?

For years, social media platforms have been the place where people communicate and get in touch online. Our social media presence allows us to bring our products and services closer to interested parties. The social media elements integrated on our website help you to switch to our social media content quickly and without complications.

The data that is stored and processed through your use of a social media channel is primarily for the purpose of carrying out web analyses. The aim of these analyses is to be able to develop more precise and personalized marketing and advertising strategies. Depending on your behavior on a social media platform, the evaluated data can be used to draw conclusions about your interests and create user profiles. This also enables the platforms to present you with customized advertisements. In most cases, cookies are set in your browser for this purpose, which store data on your usage behavior.

As a rule, we and the provider of the social media platform are so-called joint processors within the meaning of Art. 26 GDPR and work on the basis of an agreement to this effect. The essence of the agreement is set out below for the platform concerned.

Please note that when using the social media platforms or our built-in elements, your data may also be processed outside the European Union, as many social media channels, such as Facebook or Twitter, are American companies. As a result, you may not be able to claim or enforce your rights in relation to your personal data as easily.

What data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored and processed depends on the respective provider of the social media platform. However, it usually involves data such as telephone numbers, email addresses, data that you enter in a contact form, user data such as which buttons you click, who you like or follow, when you visited which pages, information about your device and your IP address. Most of this data is stored in cookies. Data can be linked to your profile, especially if you have a profile on the social media channel you are visiting and are logged in.

All data that is collected via a social media platform is also stored on the provider’s servers. This means that only the providers have access to the data and can provide you with the appropriate information or make changes.

If you want to know exactly what data is stored and processed by social media providers and how you can object to data processing, you should carefully read the company’s privacy policy. We also recommend that you contact the provider directly if you have any questions about data storage and data processing or wish to assert corresponding rights.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below if we have further information on this. For example, the social media platform Facebook stores data until it is no longer required for its own purposes. However, customer data that is compared with our own user data is deleted within two days. In general, we only process personal data for as long as is absolutely necessary for the provision of our services and products. If required by law, for example in the case of accounting, this storage period may be exceeded.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to withdraw your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers such as embedded social media elements at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection by cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser .

As social media tools may use cookies, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Legal basis

If you have consented to your data being processed and stored by integrated social media elements, this consent is the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our data protection text on cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or the cookie policy of the respective service provider.

Information on specific social media platforms – if available – can be found in the following sections.

All texts are protected by copyright.

Source: Created with the data protection generator from AdSimple