Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY

This privacy policy explains the nature, scope and purpose of the processing of personal data (hereinafter referred to as “data”) in connection with the provision of our services and within our online offering and the associated websites, functions and content, as well as external online presences, such as our social media profiles on (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “online offering”). With regard to the terms used, such as “processing” or “controller”, we refer to the definitions in Art. 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Controller

bieco GmbH

Heidenkampsweg 44
20097 Hamburg, Germany

Email address: support@bieco.de
Managing Director: D.I. Christopher Supa

Link to the legal notice: https://www.bieco.de/impressum
Data protection contact: Florian Supa / datenschutz@bieco.de

Types of data processed

- Master data (e.g., personal master data, names or addresses).
- Contact data (e.g., email, phone numbers).
- Content data (e.g., text entries, photographs, videos).
- Usage data (e.g., websites visited, interest in content, access times).
- Meta/communication data (e.g., device information, IP addresses).

Categories of data subjects

Visitors and users of the online offering (hereinafter we also refer to the data subjects collectively as “users”).

Purpose of processing

- Provision of the online offering, its functions and content.
- Responding to contact requests and communicating with users.
- Security measures.
- Reach measurement/marketing

Terms used

“Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “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, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g., a cookie) or to 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 which is performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means. The term is broad and covers virtually any handling of data.

“Pseudonymization” 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 organizational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person.

“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 analyze or predict aspects concerning that natural person's performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location or movements.

“Controller” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

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

Relevant legal bases

In accordance with Art. 13 GDPR, we inform you of the legal bases of our data processing. For users within the scope of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), i.e. the EU and the EEA, the following applies unless the legal basis is stated in the privacy policy:
The legal basis for obtaining consent is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a and Art. 7 GDPR;
The legal basis for processing in order to perform our services and carry out contractual measures as well as to respond to inquiries is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR;
The legal basis for processing in order to comply with our legal obligations is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR;
In the event that vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person make the processing of personal data necessary, Art. 6 para. 1 lit. d GDPR serves as the legal basis.
The legal basis for 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 is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. e GDPR.
The legal basis for processing in order to safeguard our legitimate interests is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.
The processing of data for purposes other than those for which it was collected is governed by the provisions of Art. 6 para. 4 GDPR.
The processing of special categories of data (pursuant to Art. 9 para. 1 GDPR) is governed by the provisions of Art. 9 para. 2 GDPR.

Security measures

In accordance with the statutory requirements, and taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing, as well as the varying likelihood and severity of the risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, we take appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

These measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical access to the data, as well as access to, input of, disclosure of, availability of and separation of the data. Furthermore, we have established procedures to ensure the exercise of data subject rights, the deletion of data and a response to threats to the data. We also take the protection of personal data into account already during the development or selection of hardware, software and procedures, in accordance with the principle of data protection by design and by default.

Cooperation with processors, joint controllers and third parties

If, in the course of our processing, we disclose data to other persons and companies (processors, joint controllers or third parties), transmit it to them or otherwise grant them access to the data, this takes place only on the basis of a legal permission (e.g., if a transfer of the data to third parties, such as payment service providers, is necessary to perform a contract), if users have consented, if a legal obligation provides for it, or on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g., when using agents, web hosts, etc.).

If we disclose data to other companies within our group of companies, transmit it to them or otherwise grant them access, this takes place in particular for administrative purposes as a legitimate interest and, beyond that, on a basis that complies with the statutory requirements.

Transfers to third countries

If we process data in a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or the Swiss Confederation), or if this occurs in the context of using third-party services or disclosing or transferring data to other persons or companies, this only takes place if it is necessary to fulfill our (pre-)contractual obligations, on the basis of your consent, due to a legal obligation or on the basis of our legitimate interests. Subject to statutory or contractual permissions, we only process the data in a third country, or have it processed there, if the statutory requirements are met. This means, for example, that the processing takes place on the basis of special guarantees, such as the officially recognized determination of a level of data protection equivalent to that of the EU (e.g., for the USA through the “Privacy Shield”) or compliance with officially recognized special contractual obligations.

Rights of data subjects

You have the right to request confirmation as to whether data concerning you is being processed, and to request information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the statutory requirements.

In accordance with the statutory requirements, you have the right to request the completion of data concerning you or the rectification of inaccurate data concerning you.

In accordance with the statutory requirements, you have the right to request that data concerning you be deleted without undue delay or, alternatively, in accordance with the statutory requirements, to request a restriction of the processing of the data.

You have the right to receive the data concerning you that you have provided to us in accordance with the statutory requirements and to request its transfer to other controllers.

You also have the right, in accordance with the statutory requirements, to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.

Right of withdrawal

You have the right to withdraw consent you have given with effect for the future.

Right to object

You can object to the future processing of data concerning you at any time in accordance with the statutory requirements. The objection can be made in particular against processing for direct marketing purposes.

Cookies and right to object to direct marketing

“Cookies” are small files that are stored on users' computers. Various information can be stored within cookies. A cookie primarily serves to store information about a user (or the device on which the cookie is stored) during or after their visit to an online offering. Temporary cookies, also known as “session cookies” or “transient cookies”, are cookies that are deleted after a user leaves an online offering and closes their browser. The contents of a shopping cart in an online store or a login status, for example, can be stored in such a cookie. Cookies are referred to as “permanent” or “persistent” if they remain stored even after the browser is closed. For example, the login status can be stored if users return after several days. Likewise, the interests of users can be stored in such a cookie, which are used for reach measurement or marketing purposes. “Third-party cookies” are cookies offered by providers other than the controller who operates the online offering (otherwise, if they are only the controller's own cookies, they are referred to as “first-party cookies”).

We may use temporary and permanent cookies and explain this within the scope of our privacy policy.

If users do not want cookies to be stored on their computer, they are asked to deactivate the corresponding option in their browser's system settings. Stored cookies can be deleted in the browser's system settings. Excluding cookies may lead to functional limitations of this online offering.

A general objection to the use of cookies employed for online marketing purposes can be declared for a large number of the services, especially in the case of tracking, via the US website http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or the EU website http://www.youronlinechoices.com/. Furthermore, the storage of cookies can be prevented by turning them off in the browser settings. Please note that in this case, not all functions of this online offering may be usable.

Deletion of data

The data processed by us is deleted or its processing is restricted in accordance with the statutory requirements. Unless expressly stated within this privacy policy, the data stored by us is deleted as soon as it is no longer required for its intended purpose and there are no statutory retention obligations preventing its deletion.

If the data is not deleted because it is required for other and legally permissible purposes, its processing is restricted. This means that the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for commercial or tax law reasons.

Changes and updates to the privacy policy

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

Business-related processing

In addition, we process
- Contract data (e.g., subject matter of the contract, term, customer category).
- Payment data (e.g., bank details, payment history)
of our customers, prospective customers and business partners for the purpose of providing contractual services, service and customer care, marketing, advertising and market research.

Order processing in the online store and customer account

We process the data of our customers in the course of the ordering process in our online store in order to enable them to select and order the chosen products and services, as well as to pay for and receive their delivery or performance.

The data processed includes master data, communication data, contract data and payment data, and the data subjects affected by the processing include our customers, prospective customers and other business partners. The processing takes place for the purpose of providing contractual services in the context of operating an online store, billing, delivery and customer service. In doing so, we use session cookies to store the contents of the shopping cart and permanent cookies to store the login status.

The processing takes place in order to perform our services and carry out contractual measures (e.g., carrying out ordering processes) and insofar as it is required by law (e.g., legally required archiving of business transactions for commercial and tax purposes). The information marked as required is necessary for the establishment and performance of the contract. We only disclose the data to third parties in the context of delivery, payment or within the scope of legal permissions and obligations, as well as when this takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests, about which we inform you within this privacy policy (e.g., to legal and tax advisors, financial institutions, freight companies and authorities).

Users can optionally create a user account, in which they can, in particular, view their orders. During registration, the required mandatory information is communicated to the users. User accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. If users have terminated their user account, their data relating to the user account will be deleted, subject to retention being necessary for commercial or tax law reasons. Information in the customer account remains until its deletion, followed by archiving in the case of a legal obligation or our legitimate interests (e.g., in the event of legal disputes). It is the responsibility of users to back up their data upon termination before the end of the contract.

During registration and renewed logins as well as when using our online services, we store the IP address and the time of the respective user action. The storage takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests, as well as those of the users, in protection against misuse and other unauthorized use. This data is generally not passed on to third parties, unless it is necessary to pursue our legal claims as a legitimate interest or there is a legal obligation to do so.

Deletion takes place after the expiry of statutory warranty rights and other contractual rights or obligations (e.g., payment claims or performance obligations under contracts with customers), whereby the necessity of retaining the data is reviewed every three years; in the case of retention due to statutory archiving obligations, deletion takes place after these have expired.

External payment service providers

We use external payment service providers, through whose platforms users and we can carry out payment transactions:, Amazon Payments (, shopify pay: https://www.shopify.de/legal/terms-payments-de

In the context of performing contracts, we use the payment service providers on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR. Otherwise, we use external payment service providers on the basis of our legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR in order to offer our users effective and secure payment options.

The data processed by the payment service providers includes master data, such as name and address, bank data, such as account numbers or credit card numbers, passwords, TANs and checksums, as well as contract, total amount and recipient-related information. This information is required to carry out the transactions. However, the data entered is only processed and stored by the payment service providers. This means that we do not receive any account- or credit card-related information, but only information confirming or declining the payment. Under certain circumstances, the data may be transmitted by the payment service providers to credit reporting agencies. The purpose of this transmission is identity and credit checks. In this regard, we refer to the terms and conditions and data protection notices of the payment service providers.

The terms and conditions and data protection notices of the respective payment service providers apply to the payment transactions; these can be accessed within the respective websites or transaction applications. We also refer to these for further information and for asserting rights of withdrawal, access and other data subject rights.

Administration, financial accounting, office organization, contact management

We process data in the context of administrative tasks as well as the organization of our business, financial accounting and compliance with legal obligations, such as archiving. In doing so, we process the same data that we process in the course of providing our contractual services. The legal bases for processing are Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR and Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. The processing affects customers, prospective customers, business partners and website visitors. The purpose of and our interest in the processing lies in administration, financial accounting, office organization and the archiving of data, i.e., tasks that serve to maintain our business activities, perform our duties and provide our services. The deletion of data with regard to contractual services and contractual communication corresponds to the information given for these processing activities.

In this context, we disclose or transmit data to the tax authorities, advisors such as tax advisors or auditors, as well as other fee offices and payment service providers.

Furthermore, on the basis of our business interests, we store information about suppliers, event organizers and other business partners, e.g., for the purpose of contacting them at a later date. We generally store this mostly company-related data permanently.

Business analyses and market research

In order to run our business economically and to be able to identify market trends and the wishes of contractual partners and users, we analyze the data available to us on business transactions, contracts, inquiries, etc. In doing so, we process master data, communication data, contract data, payment data, usage data and metadata on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR, whereby the data subjects include contractual partners, prospective customers, customers, visitors and users of our online offering.

The analyses are carried out for the purpose of business evaluations, marketing and market research. In doing so, we may take into account the profiles of registered users with information, e.g., on the services they have used. The analyses serve us to increase user-friendliness, to optimize our offering and to improve profitability. The analyses serve only us and are not disclosed externally, unless they are anonymous analyses with aggregated values.

If these analyses or profiles are personal, they will be deleted or anonymized upon termination by the users, otherwise after two years from the conclusion of the contract. In all other respects, the overall business analyses and general trend assessments are, where possible, prepared anonymously.

Participation in affiliate partner programs

Within our online offering, on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our online offering) pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR, we use industry-standard tracking measures insofar as these are necessary for the operation of the affiliate system. Below, we explain the technical background to users.

The services offered by our contractual partners may also be advertised and linked on other websites (so-called affiliate links or after-buy systems, e.g., when links or services of third parties are offered after a contract has been concluded). The operators of the respective websites receive a commission when users follow the affiliate links and subsequently take up the offers.

In summary, it is necessary for our online offering that we can track whether users who are interested in affiliate links and/or the offers available from us subsequently take up the offers as a result of the affiliate links or our online platform. For this purpose, the affiliate links and our offers are supplemented with certain values, which can be part of the link or set in another way, e.g., in a cookie. These values include, in particular, the originating website (referrer), time, an online identifier of the operator of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online identifier of the respective offer, an online identifier of the user, as well as tracking-specific values such as advertising material ID, partner ID and categorizations.

The online identifiers of users that we use are pseudonymous values. This means that the online identifiers themselves do not contain any personal data such as names or email addresses. They only help us to determine whether the same user who clicked on an affiliate link or showed interest in an offer via our online offering has taken up the offer, i.e., for example, has concluded a contract with the provider. However, the online identifier is personal insofar as the partner company, and also we, have the online identifier together with other user data. Only in this way can the partner company inform us whether the user in question has taken up the offer and we can, for example, pay out the bonus.

Registration function

Users can create a user account. During registration, the required mandatory information is communicated to the users and processed on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR for the purpose of providing the user account. The data processed includes, in particular, the login information (name, password and an email address). The data entered during registration is used for the purposes of using the user account and its purpose.

Users may be informed by email about information relevant to their user account, such as technical changes. If users have terminated their user account, their data relating to the user account will be deleted, subject to a statutory retention obligation. It is the responsibility of users to back up their data upon termination before the end of the contract. We are entitled to irretrievably delete all of the user's data stored during the term of the contract.

When using our registration and login functions as well as when using the user account, we store the IP address and the time of the respective user action. The storage takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests, as well as those of the users, in protection against misuse and other unauthorized use. This data is generally not passed on to third parties, unless it is necessary to pursue our claims or there is a legal obligation to do so pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR. IP addresses are anonymized or deleted after 7 days at the latest.

Comments and posts

If users leave comments or other posts, their IP addresses may be stored for 7 days on the basis of our legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. This is done for our own security in case someone leaves unlawful content in comments and posts (insults, prohibited political propaganda, etc.). In this case, we ourselves can be held liable for the comment or post and are therefore interested in the identity of the author.

Furthermore, we reserve the right, on the basis of our legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR, to process users' information for the purpose of spam detection.

On the same legal basis, we reserve the right, in the case of surveys, to store the IP addresses of users for the duration of the survey and to use cookies in order to avoid multiple votes.

The personal information provided in comments and posts, any contact and website information, as well as the content information, will be stored by us permanently until the users object.

Contacting us

When contacting us (e.g., via contact form, email, telephone or social media), the user's information is processed for the handling of the contact request and its processing pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b (in the context of contractual/pre-contractual relationships) and Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f (other inquiries) GDPR. The users' information may be stored in a customer relationship management system (“CRM system”) or a comparable inquiry organization system.

We delete the inquiries once they are no longer required. We review the necessity every two years; furthermore, the statutory archiving obligations apply.

Newsletter

With the following notices, we inform you about the content of our newsletter as well as the registration, sending and statistical evaluation procedures and your rights to object. By subscribing to our newsletter, you agree to receive it and to the procedures described.

Email advertising without newsletter registration and your right to object If we receive your email address in connection with the sale of a product or service and you have not objected, we reserve the right, on the basis of § 7 para. 3 UWG (German Act against Unfair Competition), to regularly send you offers for products similar to those already purchased from our range by email. This serves to safeguard our legitimate interests, which prevail in the balancing of interests, in advertising to our customers. You can object to this use of your email address at any time by sending a message to the contact option described below or via a link provided for this purpose in the advertising email, without incurring any costs other than the transmission costs according to basic rates.

Double opt-in and logging: The registration for our newsletter takes place in a so-called double opt-in procedure. This means that after registering, you will receive an email asking you to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that nobody can register with someone else's email address. Newsletter registrations are logged in order to be able to prove the registration process in accordance with legal requirements. This includes storing the time of registration and confirmation, as well as the IP address. Changes to your data stored with the sending service provider are also logged.

Registration data: To register for the newsletter, it is sufficient to provide your email address. Optionally, we ask you to provide a name for the purpose of personal addressing in the newsletter.

The sending of the newsletter and the associated performance measurement take place on the basis of the recipients' consent pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a, Art. 7 GDPR in conjunction with § 7 para. 2 no. 3 UWG or, if consent is not required, on the basis of our legitimate interests in direct marketing pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR in conjunction with § 7 para. 3 UWG.
The logging of the registration process takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our interest lies in the use of a user-friendly and secure newsletter system that serves our business interests, meets the expectations of users and also allows us to prove consent.

Cancellation/withdrawal - You can cancel the receipt of our newsletter at any time, i.e., withdraw your consent. You will find a link to cancel the newsletter at the end of every newsletter. We may store the unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests before deleting them, in order to be able to prove consent previously given. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. An individual request for deletion is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time.

Klaviyo is used as an external tool: https://help.klaviyo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360003211651-Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-GDPR

Hosting and email sending

The hosting services we use serve to provide the following services: infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services, email sending, security services and technical maintenance services, which we use for the purpose of operating this online offering.

In doing so, we, or our hosting provider, process master data, contact data, content data, contract data, usage data, meta and communication data of customers, prospective customers and visitors of this online offering on the basis of our legitimate interests in the efficient and secure provision of this online offering pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR in conjunction with Art. 28 GDPR (conclusion of a data processing agreement).

Shipping service providers

If you have placed an order with us, your first and last name as well as your address will be transmitted to our shipping service providers for the purpose of shipping the ordered goods. The legal basis for the transmission is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR (processing is necessary for the performance of a contract).

Personalized package inserts

If you place an order in our online store, we include a personalized insert with product recommendations based on the product you purchased in some packages. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR (processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller). You can object to receiving personalized package inserts at any time (e.g., by sending a message to the contact details given in the legal notice).

Collection of access data and log files

We, or our hosting provider, collect data about every access to the server on which this service is located (so-called server log files) on the basis of our legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. The access data includes the name of the web page accessed, file, date and time of access, amount of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user's operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page), IP address and the requesting provider.

Log file information is stored for security reasons (e.g., to investigate misuse or fraud) for a maximum of 7 days and then deleted. Data whose further retention is necessary for evidentiary purposes is excluded from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified.

Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager is a solution that allows us to manage so-called website tags via a single interface (and thus, for example, integrate Google Analytics and other Google marketing services into our online offering). The Tag Manager itself (which implements the tags) does not process any personal data of users. With regard to the processing of users' personal data, please refer to the following information on the Google services. Terms of use: https://www.google.com/intl/de/tagmanager/use-policy.html.

Google Analytics

On the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our online offering within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR), we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”). Google uses cookies. The information generated by the cookie about the users' use of the online offering is generally transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thereby offers a guarantee to comply with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate the users' use of our online offering, to compile reports on activity within this online offering and to provide us with further services associated with the use of this online offering and internet usage. Pseudonymous user profiles of the users can be created from the processed data.

We only use Google Analytics with IP anonymization activated. This means that the users' IP address is shortened by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there.

The IP address transmitted by the user's browser is not merged with other data from Google. Users can prevent the storage of cookies by adjusting their browser software accordingly; users can also prevent the collection of the data generated by the cookie and related to their use of the online offering by Google, as well as the processing of this data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

For further information on data use by Google, settings and opt-out options, please see Google's privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/privacy) as well as the settings for the display of advertisements by Google (https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated).

The users' personal data will be deleted or anonymized after 14 months.

Google Universal Analytics

We use Google Analytics in the form of “Universal Analytics”. “Universal Analytics” refers to a Google Analytics procedure in which the user analysis is carried out on the basis of a pseudonymous user ID, thereby creating a pseudonymous profile of the user with information from the use of various devices (so-called “cross-device tracking”).

Audience building with Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to display the ads placed within Google's advertising services and those of its partners only to those 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 Google (so-called “remarketing” or “Google Analytics Audiences”). With the help of remarketing audiences, we also want to ensure that our ads correspond to the potential interest of users.

Google AdSense with personalized ads

On the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our online offering within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR), we use the services of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”).

Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thereby offers a guarantee to comply with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

We use the AdSense service, with the help of which ads are displayed on our website and for whose display or other use we receive remuneration. For these purposes, usage data, such as the click on an ad and the users' IP address, are processed, whereby the last two digits of the IP address are shortened. The processing of the users' data is therefore pseudonymized.

We use AdSense with personalized ads. In doing so, Google draws conclusions about users' interests on the basis of the websites they have visited or apps they have used and the user profiles created in this way. Advertisers use this information to align their campaigns with these interests, which is equally beneficial for users and advertisers. For Google, ads are personalized when collected or known data determine or influence the selection of ads. This includes, among other things, previous search queries, activities, website visits, the use of apps, and demographic and location information. In detail, this includes: demographic targeting, targeting by interest categories, remarketing, and targeting based on customer match lists and audience lists uploaded in DoubleClick Bid Manager or Campaign Manager.

For further information on data use by Google, settings and opt-out options, please see Google's privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads) as well as the settings for the display of advertisements by Google (https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated).

Google AdSense with non-personalized ads

On the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our online offering within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR), we use the services of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”).

Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thereby offers a guarantee to comply with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

We use the AdSense service, with the help of which ads are displayed on our website and for whose display or other use we receive remuneration. For these purposes, usage data, such as the click on an ad and the users' IP address, are processed, whereby the last two digits of the IP address are shortened. The processing of the users' data is therefore pseudonymized.

We use AdSense with non-personalized ads. In this case, the ads are not displayed on the basis of user profiles. Non-personalized ads are not based on previous user behavior. Targeting uses contextual information, including rough (e.g., at the city level) geographic targeting based on the current location, the content on the current website or app, and current search terms. Google prevents any personalized targeting, including demographic targeting and targeting based on user lists.

For further information on data use by Google, settings and opt-out options, please see Google's privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads) as well as the settings for the display of advertisements by Google (https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated).

Google AdWords and conversion measurement

On the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our online offering within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR), we use the services of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”).

Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thereby offers a guarantee to comply with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

We use the online marketing procedure Google “AdWords” to place ads in the Google advertising network (e.g., in search results, in videos, on websites, etc.) so that they are displayed to users who have a presumed interest in the ads. This allows us to display ads for and within our online offering in a more targeted way, in order to present users only with ads that potentially correspond to their interests. If, for example, a user is shown ads for products in which they were interested on other online offerings, this is referred to as “remarketing”. For these purposes, when our websites and other websites on which the Google advertising network is active are accessed, a code from Google is executed directly by Google and so-called (re)marketing tags (invisible graphics or code, also referred to as “web beacons”) are integrated into the website. With their help, an individual cookie, i.e., a small file, is stored on the user's device (comparable technologies may be used instead of cookies). This file records which websites the user has visited, which content they are interested in and which offers the user has clicked on, as well as technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and further information on the use of the online offering.
We also receive an individual “conversion cookie”. The information obtained with the help of the cookie is used by Google to compile conversion statistics for us. However, we only learn the anonymous total number of users who clicked on our ad and were redirected to a page tagged with a conversion tracking tag. We do not receive any information that can be used to personally identify users.

The users' data is processed pseudonymously within the Google advertising network. This means that Google does not store and process, for example, the name or email address of the users, but processes the relevant data cookie-based within pseudonymous user profiles. This means that, from Google's perspective, the ads are not managed and displayed for a specifically identified person, but for the cookie holder, regardless of who that cookie holder is. This does not apply if a user has expressly permitted Google to process the data without this pseudonymization. The information collected about the users is transmitted to Google and stored on Google's servers in the USA.

For further information on data use by Google, settings and opt-out options, please see Google's privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads) as well as the settings for the display of advertisements by Google (https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated).

Google DoubleClick

On the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our online offering within the meaning of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR), we use the services of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”).

Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement and thereby offers a guarantee to comply with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).

We use the online marketing procedure Google “DoubleClick” to place ads in the Google advertising network (e.g., in search results, in videos, on websites, etc.). DoubleClick is characterized by the fact that ads are displayed in real time based on the presumed interests of users. This allows us to display ads for and within our online offering in a more targeted way, in order to present users only with ads that potentially correspond to their interests. If, for example, a user is shown ads for products in which they were interested on other online offerings, this is referred to as “remarketing”. For these purposes, when our websites and other websites on which the Google advertising network is active are accessed, a code from Google is executed directly by Google and so-called (re)marketing tags (invisible graphics or code, also referred to as “web beacons”) are integrated into the website. With their help, an individual cookie, i.e., a small file, is stored on the user's device (comparable technologies may be used instead of cookies). This file records which websites the user has visited, which content they are interested in and which offers the user has clicked on, as well as technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and further information on the use of the online offering.

The users' IP address is also collected, whereby it is shortened within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area, and only in exceptional cases is transmitted in full to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. The aforementioned information may also be combined by Google with information from other sources. If the user subsequently visits other websites, ads tailored to them may be displayed according to their presumed interests on the basis of their user profile.

The users' data is processed pseudonymously within the Google advertising network. This means that Google does not store and process, for example, the name or email address of the users, but processes the relevant data cookie-based within pseudonymous user profiles. This means that, from Google's perspective, the ads are not managed and displayed for a specifically identified person, but for the cookie holder, regardless of who that cookie holder is. This does not apply if a user has expressly permitted Google to process the data without this pseudonymization. The information collected about the users by Google marketing services is transmitted to Google and stored on Google's servers in the USA.

For further information on data use by Google, settings and opt-out options, please see Google's privacy policy (https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads) as well as the settings for the display of advertisements by Google (https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated).

Online presences on social media

We maintain online presences within social networks and platforms in order to communicate with the customers, prospective customers and users active there and to inform them about our services.

We would like to point out that users' data may be processed outside the European Union. This may result in risks for users, because, for example, the enforcement of users' rights could be made more difficult. With regard to US providers certified under the Privacy Shield, we point out that they thereby commit to complying with EU data protection standards.

Furthermore, users' data is generally processed for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles can be created from users' usage behavior and the resulting interests. The usage profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place ads inside and outside the platforms that presumably correspond to the users' interests. For these purposes, cookies are generally stored on users' computers, in which users' usage behavior and interests are stored. Furthermore, data can also be stored in the usage profiles independently of the devices used by the users (in particular if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).

The processing of users' personal data takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests in effectively informing users and communicating with users pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. If users are asked by the respective platform providers 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 opt-out options, we refer to the providers' information linked below.

In the case of requests for information and the assertion of user rights, too, we point out that these can be asserted most effectively with the providers. Only the providers have access to the users' data and can take appropriate measures and provide information directly. Should you nevertheless need help, you can contact us.

- Facebook, pages, groups, (Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland) on the basis of an agreement on joint processing of personal data - Privacy policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/, specifically for pages: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data , Opt-out: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads and http://www.youronlinechoices.com, Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC&status=Active.

- Google/YouTube (Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA) – Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy, Opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated, Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active.

- Instagram (Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA) – Privacy policy/Opt-out: http://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy/.

- facebook conversion API maximum: https://www.facebook.com/policy.php

- Twitter (Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA) - Privacy policy:

- Pinterest (Pinterest Inc., 635 High Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA) – Privacy policy/Opt-out: https://about.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy.

- LinkedIn (LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland) - Privacy policy https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy , Opt-out: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out, Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000L0UZAA0&status=Active.

- Xing (XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany) - Privacy policy/Opt-out: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.