Privacy Policy

1. An overview of data protection

General information

The following information will provide you with an easy to navigate overview of what will happen with your personal data when you visit this website. The term “personal data” comprises all data that can be used to personally identify you. For detailed information about the subject matter of data protection, please consult our Data Protection Declaration, which we have included beneath this copy.

Data recording on this website

Who is the responsible party for the recording of data on this website (i.e., the “controller”)?

The data on this website is processed by the operator of the website, whose contact information is available under section “Information about the responsible party (referred to as the “controller” in the GDPR)” in this Privacy Policy.

How do we record your data?

We collect your data as a result of your sharing of your data with us. This may, for instance be information you enter into our contact form.

Other data shall be recorded by our IT systems automatically or after you consent to its recording during your website visit. This data comprises primarily technical information (e.g., web browser, operating system, or time the site was accessed). This information is recorded automatically when you access this website.

What are the purposes we use your data for?

A portion of the information is generated to guarantee the error free provision of the website. Other data may be used to analyze your user patterns.

What rights do you have as far as your information is concerned?

You have the right to receive information about the source, recipients, and purposes of your archived personal data at any time without having to pay a fee for such disclosures. You also have the right to demand that your data are rectified or eradicated. If you have consented to data processing, you have the option to revoke this consent at any time, which shall affect all future data processing. Moreover, you have the right to demand that the processing of your data be restricted under certain circumstances. Furthermore, you have the right to log a complaint with the competent supervising agency.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if you have questions about this or any other data protection related issues.

Analysis tools and tools provided by third parties

There is a possibility that your browsing patterns will be statistically analyzed when your visit this website. Such analyses are performed primarily with what we refer to as analysis programs.

For detailed information about these analysis programs please consult our Data Protection Declaration below.

2. Hosting

We are hosting the content of our website at the following provider:

IONOS

The provider is the IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany (hereinafter referred to as: IONOS). Whenever you visit our website, IONOS records various logfiles along with your IP addresses. For details, please consult the data privacy policy of IONOS: https://www.ionos.de/terms-gtc/terms-privacy.

We use IONOS on the basis of Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR. Our company has a legitimate interest in presenting a website that is as dependable as possible. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

Data processing

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) for the use of the above-mentioned service. This is a contract mandated by data privacy laws that guarantees that they process personal data of our website visitors only based on our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

3. General information and mandatory information

Data protection

The operators of this website and its pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. Hence, we handle your personal data as confidential information and in compliance with the statutory data protection regulations and this Data Protection Declaration.

Whenever you use this website, a variety of personal information will be collected. Personal data comprises data that can be used to personally identify you. This Data Protection Declaration explains which data we collect as well as the purposes we use this data for. It also explains how, and for which purpose the information is collected.

We herewith advise you that the transmission of data via the Internet (i.e., through e-mail communications) may be prone to security gaps. It is not possible to completely protect data against third-party access.

Information about the responsible party (referred to as the “controller” in the GDPR)

The data processing controller on this website is:

Aurica Kowalinski
Am Senteshof 4
41844 Wegberg

Phone: [Telefonnummer der verantwortlichen Stelle]
E-mail: info@craftingmonstersstudio.com

The controller is the natural person or legal entity that single-handedly or jointly with others makes decisions as to the purposes of and resources for the processing of personal data (e.g., names, e-mail addresses, etc.).

Storage duration

Unless a more specific storage period has been specified in this privacy policy, your personal data will remain with us until the purpose for which it was collected no longer applies. If you assert a justified request for deletion or revoke your consent to data processing, your data will be deleted, unless we have other legally permissible reasons for storing your personal data (e.g., tax or commercial law retention periods); in the latter case, the deletion will take place after these reasons cease to apply.

General information on the legal basis for the data processing on this website

If you have consented to data processing, we process your personal data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR or Art. 9 (2)(a) GDPR, if special categories of data are processed according to Art. 9 (1) DSGVO. In the case of explicit consent to the transfer of personal data to third countries, the data processing is also based on Art. 49 (1)(a) GDPR. If you have consented to the storage of cookies or to the access to information in your end device (e.g., via device fingerprinting), the data processing is additionally based on § 25 (1) TDDDG. The consent can be revoked at any time. If your data is required for the fulfillment of a contract or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Furthermore, if your data is required for the fulfillment of a legal obligation, we process it on the basis of Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. Furthermore, the data processing may be carried out on the basis of our legitimate interest according to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Information on the relevant legal basis in each individual case is provided in the following paragraphs of this privacy policy.

Information on the data transfer to third-party countries that are not secure under data protection law and the transfer to US companies that are not DPF-certified

We use, among other technologies, tools from companies located in third-party countries that are not safe under data protection law, as well as US tools whose providers are not certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). If these tools are enabled, your personal data may be transferred to and processed in these countries. We would like you to note that no level of data protection comparable to that in the EU can be guaranteed in third countries that are insecure in terms of data protection law.

We would like to point out that the US, as a secure third-party country, generally has a level of data protection comparable to that of the EU. Data transfer to the US is therefore permitted if the recipient is certified under the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF) or has appropriate additional assurances. Information on transfers to third-party countries, including the data recipients, can be found in this Privacy Policy.

Recipients of personal data

In the scope of our business activities, we cooperate with various external parties. In some cases, this also requires the transfer of personal data to these external parties. We only disclose personal data to external parties if this is required as part of the fulfillment of a contract, if we are legally obligated to do so (e.g., disclosure of data to tax authorities), if we have a legitimate interest in the disclosure pursuant to Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR, or if another legal basis permits the disclosure of this data. When using processors, we only disclose personal data of our customers on the basis of a valid contract on data processing. In the case of joint processing, a joint processing agreement is concluded.

Revocation of your consent to the processing of data

A wide range of data processing transactions are possible only subject to your express consent. You can also revoke at any time any consent you have already given us. This shall be without prejudice to the lawfulness of any data collection that occurred prior to your revocation.

Right to object to the collection of data in special cases; right to object to direct advertising (Art. 21 GDPR)

IN THE EVENT THAT DATA ARE PROCESSED ON THE BASIS OF ART. 6(1)(E) OR (F) GDPR, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO AT ANY TIME OBJECT TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA BASED ON GROUNDS ARISING FROM YOUR UNIQUE SITUATION. THIS ALSO APPLIES TO ANY PROFILING BASED ON THESE PROVISIONS. TO DETERMINE THE LEGAL BASIS, ON WHICH ANY PROCESSING OF DATA IS BASED, PLEASE CONSULT THIS DATA PROTECTION DECLARATION. IF YOU LOG AN OBJECTION, WE WILL NO LONGER PROCESS YOUR AFFECTED PERSONAL DATA, UNLESS WE ARE IN A POSITION TO PRESENT COMPELLING PROTECTION WORTHY GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING OF YOUR DATA, THAT OUTWEIGH YOUR INTERESTS, RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OR IF THE PURPOSE OF THE PROCESSING IS THE CLAIMING, EXERCISING OR DEFENCE OF LEGAL ENTITLEMENTS (OBJECTION PURSUANT TO ART. 21(1) GDPR).

IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS BEING PROCESSED IN ORDER TO ENGAGE IN DIRECT ADVERTISING, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR AFFECTED PERSONAL DATA FOR THE PURPOSES OF SUCH ADVERTISING AT ANY TIME. THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IS AFFILIATED WITH SUCH DIRECT ADVERTISING. IF YOU OBJECT, YOUR PERSONAL DATA WILL SUBSEQUENTLY NO LONGER BE USED FOR DIRECT ADVERTISING PURPOSES (OBJECTION PURSUANT TO ART. 21(2) GDPR).

Right to log a complaint with the competent supervisory agency

In the event of violations of the GDPR, data subjects are entitled to log a complaint with a supervisory agency, in particular in the member state where they usually maintain their domicile, place of work or at the place where the alleged violation occurred. The right to log a complaint is in effect regardless of any other administrative or court proceedings available as legal recourses.

Right to data portability

You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfillment of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a common, machine-readable format. If you should demand the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will be done only if it is technically feasible.

Information about, rectification and eradication of data

Within the scope of the applicable statutory provisions, you have the right to demand information about your archived personal data, their source and recipients as well as the purpose of the processing of your data at any time. You may also have a right to have your data rectified or eradicated. If you have questions about this subject matter or any other questions about personal data, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

Right to demand processing restrictions

You have the right to demand the imposition of restrictions as far as the processing of your personal data is concerned. To do so, you may contact us at any time. The right to demand restriction of processing applies in the following cases:

• In the event that you should dispute the correctness of your data archived by us, we will usually need some time to verify this claim. During the time that this investigation is ongoing, you have the right to demand that we restrict the processing of your personal data.
• If the processing of your personal data was/is conducted in an unlawful manner, you have the option to demand the restriction of the processing of your data instead of demanding the eradication of this data.
• If we do not need your personal data any longer and you need it to exercise, defend or claim legal entitlements, you have the right to demand the restriction of the processing of your personal data instead of its eradication.
• If you have raised an objection pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR, your rights and our rights will have to be weighed against each other. As long as it has not been determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to demand a restriction of the processing of your personal data.

If you have restricted the processing of your personal data, these data – with the exception of their archiving – may be processed only subject to your consent or to claim, exercise or defend legal entitlements or to protect the rights of other natural persons or legal entities or for important public interest reasons cited by the European Union or a member state of the EU.

SSL and/or TLS encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as purchase orders or inquiries you submit to us as the website operator, this website uses either an SSL or a TLS encryption program. You can recognize an encrypted connection by checking whether the address line of the browser switches from “http://” to “https://” and also by the appearance of the lock icon in the browser line.

If the SSL or TLS encryption is activated, data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Rejection of unsolicited e-mails

We herewith object to the use of contact information published in conjunction with the mandatory information to be provided in our Site Notice to send us promotional and information material that we have not expressly requested. The operators of this website and its pages reserve the express right to take legal action in the event of the unsolicited sending of promotional information, for instance via SPAM messages.

4. Recording of data on this website

Cookies

Our websites and pages use what the industry refers to as “cookies.” Cookies are small data packages that do not cause any damage to your device. They are either stored temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or they are permanently archived on your device (permanent cookies). Session cookies are automatically deleted once you terminate your visit. Permanent cookies remain archived on your device until you actively delete them, or they are automatically eradicated by your web browser.

Cookies can be issued by us (first-party cookies) or by third-party companies (so-called third-party cookies). Third-party cookies enable the integration of certain services of third-party companies into websites (e.g., cookies for handling payment services).

Cookies have a variety of functions. Many cookies are technically essential since certain website functions would not work in the absence of these cookies (e.g., the shopping cart function or the display of videos). Other cookies may be used to analyze user behavior or for promotional purposes.

Cookies, which are required for the performance of electronic communication transactions, for the provision of certain functions you want to use (e.g., for the shopping cart function) or those that are necessary for the optimization (required cookies) of the website (e.g., cookies that provide measurable insights into the web audience), shall be stored on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, unless a different legal basis is cited. The operator of the website has a legitimate interest in the storage of required cookies to ensure the technically error-free and optimized provision of the operator’s services. If your consent to the storage of the cookies and similar recognition technologies has been requested, the processing occurs exclusively on the basis of the consent obtained (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG); this consent may be revoked at any time.

You have the option to set up your browser in such a manner that you will be notified any time cookies are placed and to permit the acceptance of cookies only in specific cases. You may also exclude the acceptance of cookies in certain cases or in general or activate the delete-function for the automatic eradication of cookies when the browser closes. If cookies are deactivated, the functions of this website may be limited.

Which cookies and services are used on this website can be found in this privacy policy.

Contact form

If you submit inquiries to us via our contact form, the information provided in the contact form as well as any contact information provided therein will be stored by us in order to handle your inquiry and in the event that we have further questions. We will not share this information without your consent.

The processing of these data is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, if your request is related to the execution of a contract or if it is necessary to carry out pre-contractual measures. In all other cases the processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective processing of the requests addressed to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on your agreement (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) if this has been requested; the consent can be revoked at any time.

The information you have entered into the contact form shall remain with us until you ask us to eradicate the data, revoke your consent to the archiving of data or if the purpose for which the information is being archived no longer exists (e.g., after we have concluded our response to your inquiry). This shall be without prejudice to any mandatory legal provisions, in particular retention periods.

Request by e-mail, telephone, or fax

If you contact us by e-mail, telephone or fax, your request, including all resulting personal data (name, request) will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of processing your request. We do not pass these data on without your consent.

These data are processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR if your inquiry is related to the fulfillment of a contract or is required for the performance of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, the data are processed on the basis of our legitimate interest in the effective handling of inquiries submitted to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on the basis of your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) if it has been obtained; the consent can be revoked at any time.

The data sent by you to us via contact requests remain with us until you request us to delete, revoke your consent to the storage or the purpose for the data storage lapses (e.g. after completion of your request). Mandatory statutory provisions - in particular statutory retention periods - remain unaffected.

Communication via WhatsApp

For communication with our customers and other third parties, one of the services we use is the instant messaging service WhatsApp. The provider is WhatsApp Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland.

The communication is encrypted end-to-end (peer-to-peer), which prevents WhatsApp or other third parties from gaining access to the communication content. However, WhatsApp does gain access to metadata created during the communication process (for example, sender, recipient, and time). We would also like to point out that WhatsApp has stated that it shares personal data of its users with its U.S.-based parent company Meta. Further details on data processing can be found in the WhatsApp privacy policy at: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/#privacy-policy.

The use of WhatsApp is based on our legitimate interest in communicating as quickly and effectively as possible with customers, interested parties and other business and contractual partners (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). If a corresponding consent has been requested, data processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of the consent; this consent may be revoked at any time with effect for the future.

The communication content exchanged between you and us on WhatsApp remains with us until you request us to delete it, revoke your consent to storage or the purpose for which the data is stored ceases to apply (e.g. after your request has been processed). Mandatory legal provisions, in particular retention periods, remain unaffected.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/s/participant-search/participant-detail?contact=true&id=a2zt00000011sfnAAA&status=Active.

We use WhatsApp in the “WhatsApp Business” variant.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/business-data-transfer-addendum?lang=en.

Google Calendar

On our website, you have the option to set up appointments with our company. For planning purposes, we use Google Calendar. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (hereinafter referred to as “Google”).

To make reservations for an appointment, you will enter the requested data and your preferred meeting date into the dedicated screen. The data you enter will be used to plan, conduct, and possibly also follow up on the appointment. The appointment information will be stored on the servers of Google Calendar on our behalf. You may review the company’s data protection policy here: https://policies.google.com/privacy.

The data recorded in this manner will be stored until you ask us to delete them, revoke your consent to the archiving of your data or until the purpose of archiving the data no longer exists. This does not affect mandatory statutory provisions – in particular those governing retention periods.

The legal basis for the processing of the data is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The operator of the website has a legitimate interest in ensuring that appointments with customers and prospective customers can be scheduled as easily as possible. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

Data transfer to the US is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://workspace.google.com/terms/dpa_terms.html and https://cloud.google.com/terms/sccs.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

5. Social media

eRecht24 Safe Sharing Tool

Users may share the content of this website and its pages in a data protection law compliant manner on social networks, such as Facebook, X et al. For this purpose, this website uses the eRecht24 Safe Sharing Tool. This tool does not establish a direct connection between the network and the user until the user has actively clicked on one of the buttons. The click on this button constitutes content as defined in Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG. This consent may be revoked by the user at any time, which shall affect all future actions.

This tool does not automatically transfer user data to the operators of these platforms. If the user is registered with one of the social networks, an information window will pop up as soon as the social media elements of Facebook, X et al is used, which allows the user to confirm the text prior to sending it.

Our users have the option to share the content of this website and its page in a data protection law compliant manner on social networks, without entire browsing histories are being generated by the operators of these networks.

This service is used to obtain the consent to the use of certain technologies required by law. The legal basis for this is Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR.

Facebook

We have integrated elements of the social network Facebook on this website. The provider of this service is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland. According to Facebook’s statement the collected data will be transferred to the USA and other third-party countries too.

An overview of the Facebook social media elements is available under the following link: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/.

If the social media element has been activated, a direct connection between your device and the Facebook server will be established. As a result, Facebook will receive information confirming your visit to this website with your IP address. If you click on the Facebook Like button while you are logged into your Facebook account, you can link content of this website to your Facebook profile. Consequently, Facebook will be able to allocate your visit to this website to your user account. We have to emphasize that we as the provider of the website do not receive any information on the content of the transferred data and its use by Facebook. For more information, please consult the Data Privacy Policy of Facebook at: https://de-de.facebook.com/privacy/explanation.

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

Insofar as personal data is collected on our website with the help of the tool described here and forwarded to Facebook, we and Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland are jointly responsible for this data processing (Art. 26 DSGVO). The joint responsibility is limited exclusively to the collection of the data and its forwarding to Facebook. The processing by Facebook that takes place after the onward transfer is not part of the joint responsibility. The obligations incumbent on us jointly have been set out in a joint processing agreement. The wording of the agreement can be found under: https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum. According to this agreement, we are responsible for providing the privacy information when using the Facebook tool and for the privacy-secure implementation of the tool on our website. Facebook is responsible for the data security of Facebook products. You can assert data subject rights (e.g., requests for information) regarding data processed by Facebook directly with Facebook. If you assert the data subject rights with us, we are obliged to forward them to Facebook.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum, https://de-de.facebook.com/help/566994660333381 and https://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/s/participant-search/participant-detail?contact=true&id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC&status=Active.

X (formerly Twitter)

We have integrated functions of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) into this website. These functions are provided by the parent company X Corp., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. The branch Twitter International Unlimited Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland, is responsible for the data processing of individuals living outside the United States.

If the social media element has been activated, a direct connection between your device and X’s server will be established. As a result, X (formerly Twitter) will receive information on your visit to this website. While you use X (formerly Twitter) and the “Re-Tweet” or “Repost” function, websites you visit are linked to your X (formerly Twitter) account and disclosed to other users. We must point out, that we, the providers of the website and its pages do not know anything about the content of the data transferred and the use of this information by X (formerly Twitter). For more details, please consult the X (formerly Twitter) Data Privacy Declaration at: https://x.com/en/privacy.

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

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://gdpr.x.com/en/controller-to-controller-transfers.html.

You have the option to reset your data protection settings on X (formerly Twitter) under the account settings at https://x.com/settings/account.

Instagram

We have integrated functions of the public media platform Instagram into this website. These functions are being offered by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland.

If the social media element has been activated, a direct connection between your device and Instagram’s server will be established. As a result, Instagram will receive information on your visit to this website.

If you are logged into your Instagram account, you may click the Instagram button to link contents from this website to your Instagram profile. This enables Instagram to allocate your visit to this website to your user account. We have to point out that we as the provider of the website and its pages do not have any knowledge of the content of the data transferred and its use by Instagram.

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

Insofar as personal data is collected on our website with the help of the tool described here and forwarded to Facebook or Instagram, we and Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland are jointly responsible for this data processing (Art. 26 DSGVO). The joint responsibility is limited exclusively to the collection of the data and its forwarding to Facebook or Instagram. The processing by Facebook or Instagram that takes place after the onward transfer is not part of the joint responsibility. The obligations incumbent on us jointly have been set out in a joint processing agreement. The wording of the agreement can be found under: https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum. According to this agreement, we are responsible for providing the privacy information when using the Facebook or Instagram tool and for the privacy-secure implementation of the tool on our website. Facebook is responsible for the data security of Facebook or Instagram products. You can assert data subject rights (e.g., requests for information) regarding data processed by Facebook or Instagram directly with Facebook. If you assert the data subject rights with us, we are obliged to forward them to Facebook.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum, https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/ and https://de-de.facebook.com/help/566994660333381.

For more information on this subject, please consult Instagram’s Data Privacy Declaration at: https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/s/participant-search/participant-detail?contact=true&id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC&status=Active.

LinkedIn

This website uses elements of the LinkedIn network. The provider is LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Any time you access a page of this website that contains elements of LinkedIn, a connection to LinkedIn’s servers is established. LinkedIn is notified that you have visited this website with your IP address. If you click on LinkedIn’s “Recommend” button and are logged into your LinkedIn account at the time, LinkedIn will be in a position to allocate your visit to this website to your user account. We have to point out that we as the provider of the websites do not have any knowledge of the content of the transferred data and its use by LinkedIn.

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

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a1343190/datenubertragung-aus-der-eu-dem-ewr-und-der-schweiz?lang=de.

For further information on this subject, please consult LinkedIn’s Data Privacy Declaration at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5448.

XING

This website uses elements of the XING network. The provider is the New Work SE, Am Strandkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany.

Any time one of our sites/pages that contains elements of XING is accessed, a connection with XING’s servers is established. As far as we know, this does not result in the archiving of any personal data. In particular, the service does not store any IP addresses or analyze user patterns.

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

For more information on data protection and the XING share button please consult the Data Protection Declaration of Xing at: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.

Pinterest

We use elements of the social network Pinterest on this website. The network is operated by Pinterest Europe Ltd., Palmerston House, 2nd Floor, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.

If you access a site or page that contains such an element, your browser will establish a direct connection with Pinterest’s servers. During this process, the social media element transfers log data to Pinterest’s servers in the United States. The log data may possibly include your IP address, the address of the websites you visited, which also contain Pinterest functions. The information also includes the type and settings of your browser, the data and time of the inquiry, how you use Pinterest and cookies.

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

For more information concerning the purpose, scope and continue processing and use of the data by Pinterest as well as your affiliated rights and options to protect your private information, please consult the data privacy information of Pinterest at: https://about.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy.

6. Analysis tools and advertising

IONOS Web Analytics

This website uses IONOS WebAnalytics analysis services. The provider of these services is 1&1 IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Straße 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany. In conjunction with the performance of analyses by IONOS, it is possible to e.g., analyze the number of visitors and their behavior patterns during visits (e.g., number of pages accessed, duration of their visits to the website, percentage of aborted visits), visitor origins (i.e., from which site does the visitor arrive at our site), visitor locations as well as technical data (browser and session of operating system used). For these purposes, IONOS archives in particular the following data:

• Referrer (previously visited website)
• Accessed page on the website or file
• Browser type and browser version
• Used operating system
• Type of device used
• Website access time
• Anonymized IP address (used only to determine the access location)

According to IONOS, the data recorded are completely anonymized so they cannot be tracked back to individuals. IONOS WebAnalytics does not archive cookies.

The data are stored and analyzed pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The operator of the website has a legitimate interest in the statistical analysis of user patterns to optimize both, the operator’s web presentation as well as the operator’s promotional activities. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

For more information affiliated with the recording and processing of data by IONOS WebAnalytics, please click on the following link of the data policy declaration: https://www.ionos.de/terms-gtc/datenschutzerklaerung/.

Data processing

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) for the use of the above-mentioned service. This is a contract mandated by data privacy laws that guarantees that they process personal data of our website visitors only based on our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

Google Ads

The website operator uses Google Ads. Google Ads is an online promotional program of Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Google Ads enables us to display ads in the Google search engine or on third-party websites, if the user enters certain search terms into Google (keyword targeting). It is also possible to place targeted ads based on the user data Google has in its possession (e.g., location data and interests; target group targeting). As the website operator, we can analyze these data quantitatively, for instance by analyzing which search terms resulted in the display of our ads and how many ads led to respective clicks.

The use of these services occurs on the basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG. You may revoke your consent at any time.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://policies.google.com/privacy/frameworks and https://business.safety.google/controllerterms/.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

Google AdSense

This website uses Google AdSense, a service for the integration of ads. The provider of this service is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

With the assistance of Google Adsense, we are in a position to place targeted ads by third parties on our site. The contents of the ads are based on your interests, which Google determines based on your past user patterns. Moreover, when choosing compatible ads, context information, such as your location, the content of the visited website or Google search terms you have entered, will be taken into account.

Google AdSense uses Cookies, Web Beacons (invisible graphics) and comparable recognition technologies. As a result, it is possible to analyze information, such as visitor traffic data, on these sites.

The usage information for this website (including your IP address) recorded by Google Adsense and delivery of advertising formats are transferred to a Google server in the United States, where the information is stored. Google may share this information with one of its contracting partners. However, Google will not link your IP address with any other of your stored information.

The use of these services occurs on the basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG. You may revoke your consent at any time.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/controllerterms/mccs/.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

Facebook Conversion API

We have integrated Facebook Conversion API into this website. The provider of this service is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland. However, based on the information provided by Facebook, the recorded data is also transmitted to the United States and other Non-EU and Non-EEZ countries.

Facebook Conversion API enables us to record the interactions of our website visitors with our website and to share this information with Facebook to improve the promotional performance with Facebook.

To do this, in particular the time you accessed the site, the website you accessed, your IP address and your user agent, as well as, if applicable, other specific data (e.g., purchased products, value of the shopping cart and currency) are tracked. For a complete overview of the tracked data, please visit: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/conversions-api/parameters.

The use of this service occurs on the basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6 Sect. 1 lit. a GDPR and § 25 Sect. 1 TDDDG. You may revoke your consent at any time.

If personal data is collected on our website with the assistance of the tool described herein and if it is shared with Facebook, we and Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland shall be jointly responsible for the processing of your data, i.e., we are the data controllers (Art. 26 GDPR). This shared responsibility is limited exclusively to the recording of your data and its sharing with Facebook. The processing that occurs after the data has been shared with Facebook is not part of this shared responsibility. The obligations we share responsibility for have been documented in an agreement on joint processing. The concrete wording of this agreement can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum. According to this agreement, we are responsible for the provision of the data protection information when using the Facebook tool and for the data protection law compliant secure implementation of the tool on our website. Facebook is liable for the data security of Facebook products. You may request information on your rights as a data subject (e.g., request for information) related to the data processed by Facebook directly from Facebook. If you claim any data subject rights with us, we are required to forward your request to Facebook.

The transfer of data to the United States is based on the standard contract clauses of the EU commission. For details please visit: https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum and https://de-de.facebook.com/help/566994660333381.

In Facebook’s data privacy policy, you will find additional information pertaining to the protection of your privacy: https://de-de.facebook.com/about/privacy/.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/s/participant-search/participant-detail?contact=true&id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC&status=Active.

Data processing

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) for the use of the above-mentioned service. This is a contract mandated by data privacy laws that guarantees that they process personal data of our website visitors only based on our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

Facebook Custom Audiences

We use Facebook Custom Audiences. The provider of this service is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Whenever you visit or use our website and apps, utilize our portfolio (e.g., participation in sweepstakes), transfer data to us or interact with the Facebook content of our company, we record related personal data. In the event that you have given us your consent to the use of Facebook Custom Audiences, we will share these data with Facebook to put Facebook in a position to send you compatible ads. These data may also be used to defined target audiences (Lookalike Audiences).

Facebook processes these data as our contract processor. For details, please consult the user agreement of Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/customaudience.

The use of these services occurs on the basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG. You may revoke your consent at any time.

The transfer of date to the USA is based on the standard contract clauses of the EU Commission. For details please see: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/customaudience and https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/s/participant-search/participant-detail?contact=true&id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC&status=Active.

TikTok Pixel

We have integrated TikTok pixel on this website. The provider is TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland (hereinafter TikTok).

With the help of TikTok Pixel, we can display interest-based advertisements on TikTok to website visitors who have viewed our offers (TikTok Ads). At the same time, TikTok Pixel allows us to determine how effective our advertising is on TikTok. This allows us to evaluate the effectiveness of the TikTok Ads for statistical and market research purposes and to optimize them for future advertising efforts. For this purpose, various usage data are processed, such as IP address, page views, time spent, operating system used and origin of the user, information about the ad on which a person clicked on TikTok or an event that was triggered (timestamp). This data is summarized in a user ID and assigned to the respective end device of the website visitor.

The use of this tool is based on Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

Data transfer to third-party countries is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/eea/privacy-policy/de-DEand https://ads.tiktok.com/i18n/official/policy/controller-to-controller.

7. Newsletter

Newsletter data

If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter offered on this website, we will need from you an e-mail address as well as information that allow us to verify that you are the owner of the e-mail address provided and consent to the receipt of the newsletter. No further data shall be collected or shall be collected only on a voluntary basis. We shall use such data only for the sending of the requested information and shall not share such data with any third parties.

The processing of the information entered into the newsletter subscription form shall occur exclusively on the basis of your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may revoke the consent you have given to the archiving of data, the e-mail address, and the use of this information for the sending of the newsletter at any time, for instance by clicking on the “Unsubscribe” link in the newsletter. This shall be without prejudice to the lawfulness of any data processing transactions that have taken place to date.

The data deposited with us for the purpose of subscribing to the newsletter will be stored by us until you unsubscribe from the newsletter or the newsletter service provider and deleted from the newsletter distribution list after you unsubscribe from the newsletter or after the purpose has ceased to apply. We reserve the right to delete or block e-mail addresses from our newsletter distribution list at our own discretion within the scope of our legitimate interest in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Data stored for other purposes with us remain unaffected.

After you unsubscribe from the newsletter distribution list, your e-mail address may be stored by us or the newsletter service provider in a blacklist, if such action is necessary to prevent future mailings. The data from the blacklist is used only for this purpose and not merged with other data. This serves both your interest and our interest in complying with the legal requirements when sending newsletters (legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). The storage in the blacklist is indefinite. You may object to the storage if your interests outweigh our legitimate interest.

8. Plug-ins and Tools

YouTube with expanded data protection integration

This website integrates videos from the YouTube website. The operator of the website is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

When you visit one of these websites on which YouTube is integrated, a connection to the YouTube servers is established. This tells the YouTube server which of our pages you have visited. If you are logged into your YouTube account, you enable YouTube to assign your surfing behavior directly to your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account.

We use YouTube in extended data protection mode. According to YouTube, videos that are played in extended data protection mode are not used to personalize browsing on YouTube. Ads that are played in extended data protection mode are also not personalized. No cookies are set in extended data protection mode. Instead, so-called local storage elements are stored in the user's browser, which contain personal data similar to cookies and can be used for recognition. Details on the extended data protection mode can be found here: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/171780.

After activating a YouTube video, further data processing operations may be triggered over which we have no influence.

The use of YouTube is based on our interest in presenting our online content in an appealing manner. Pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, this is a legitimate interest. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

For more information on how YouTube handles user data, please consult the YouTube Data Privacy Policy under: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

Google Fonts (local embedding)

This website uses so-called Google Fonts provided by Google to ensure the uniform use of fonts on this site. These Google fonts are locally installed so that a connection to Google’s servers will not be established in conjunction with this application.

For more information on Google Fonts, please follow this link: https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and consult Google’s Data Privacy Declaration under: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

Adobe Fonts

In order to ensure the uniform depiction of certain fonts, this website uses fonts called Adobe Fonts provided by Adobe Systems Incorporated, 345 Park Avenue, San Jose, CA 95110-2704, USA (Adobe).

When you access pages of this website, your browser will automatically load the required fonts directly from the Adobe site to be able to display them correctly on your device. As a result, your browser will establish a connection with Adobe’s servers in the United States. Hence, Adobe learns that your IP address was used to access this website. According to the information provided by Adobe, no cookies will be stored in conjunction with the provision of the fonts.

Data are stored and analyzed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in a uniform presentation of the font on the operator’s website. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://www.adobe.com/de/privacy/eudatatransfers.html.

For more information about Adobe Fonts, please read the policies under: https://www.adobe.com/privacy/policies/adobe-fonts.html.

Adobe’s Data Privacy Declaration may be reviewed under: https://www.adobe.com/privacy/policy.html.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/s/participant-search/participant-detail?contact=true&id=a2zt0000000TNo9AAG&status=Active.

Google Maps

This website uses the mapping service Google Maps. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. With the means of this service, we can integrate map material on our website.

To enable the use of the Google Maps features, your IP address must be stored. As a rule, this information is transferred to one of Google’s servers in the United States, where it is archived. The operator of this website has no control over the data transfer. In case Google Maps has been activated, Google has the option to use Google Fonts for the purpose of the uniform depiction of fonts. When you access Google Maps, your browser will load the required web fonts into your browser cache, to correctly display text and fonts.

We use Google Maps to present our online content in an appealing manner and to make the locations disclosed on our website easy to find. This constitutes a legitimate interest as defined in Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/gdprcontrollerterms/and https://privacy.google.com/businesses/gdprcontrollerterms/sccs/.

For more information on the handling of user data, please review Google’s Data Privacy Declaration under: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

Google reCAPTCHA

We use “Google reCAPTCHA” (hereinafter referred to as “reCAPTCHA”) on this website. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

The purpose of reCAPTCHA is to determine whether data entered on this website (e.g., information entered into a contact form) is being provided by a human user or by an automated program. To determine this, reCAPTCHA analyzes the behavior of the website visitors based on a variety of parameters. This analysis is triggered automatically as soon as the website visitor enters the site. For this analysis, reCAPTCHA evaluates a variety of data (e.g., IP address, time the website visitor spent on the site or cursor movements initiated by the user). The data tracked during such analyses are forwarded to Google.

reCAPTCHA analyses run entirely in the background. Website visitors are not alerted that an analysis is underway.

Data are stored and analyzed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the protection of the operator’s websites against abusive automated spying and against SPAM. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

For more information about Google reCAPTCHA please refer to the Google Data Privacy Declaration and Terms Of Use under the following links: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en and https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

hCaptcha

We use “hCaptcha” (hereinafter referred to as “hCaptcha”) on this website. The provider is Intuition Machines, Inc., 2211 Selig Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90026, USA (hereinafter referred to as “IMI”).

hCaptcha is being used to determine whether the entry of data into this website (e.g., into a contact form) is being processed by a person or an automated program. For this purpose, hCaptcha analyzes the behavior patterns of website visitors on the basis of several characteristics.

This analysis begins automatically as soon as the website visitor enters a website with the activated hCaptcha feature. For the analysis, hCaptcha uses a wide range of information (e.g., the IP address, time spent on the website or mouse actions taken by the user). The data recorded during this analysis is forwarded to IMI. If hCaptcha is used in the “invisible mode,” the analyses are completely conducted in the background. Website visitors are not alerted to the performance of an analysis.

The storage and analysis of the data occurs on the basis of Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in protecting the operator’s web presentations against abusive automatic spying and SPAM. In the event that respective consent has been obtained, the data will be processed exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 (1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, if the consent comprises the storage of cookies or access to information on the user’s device (e.g., device fingerprinting) as defined in the TDDDG (German Telecommunications Act). Such consent may be revoked at any time.

The processing of data is based on Standard Contract Clauses, included in the Data Processing Supplement to the General Terms and Conditions of IMI or in the data processing agreements.

For further information on hCaptcha, please consult the Data Protection Policy and Terms of Use under the following links: https://www.hcaptcha.com/privacy and https://hcaptcha.com/terms.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/list.

SoundCloud

We may have integrated plug-ins of the social network SoundCloud (SoundCloud Limited, Berners House, 47-48 Berners Street, London W1T 3NF, Great Britain) into this website. You will be able to recognize such SoundCloud plug-ins by checking for the SoundCloud logo on the respective pages.

Whenever you visit this website, a direct connection between your browser and the SoundCloud server will be established immediately after the plug-in has been activated. As a result, SoundCloud will be notified that you have used your IP address to visit this website. If you click the “Like” button or the “Share” button while you are logged into your Sound Cloud user account, you can link the content of this website to your SoundCloud profile and/or share the content. Consequently, SoundCloud will be able to allocate the visit to this website to your user account. We emphasize that we as the provider of the websites do not have any knowledge of the data transferred and the use of this data by SoundCloud.

Data are stored and analyzed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the highest possible visibility on social media. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

Great Britain is considered a secure non-EU country as far as data protection legislation is concerned. This means that the data protection level in Great Britain is equivalent to the data protection level of the European Union.

For more information about this, please consult SoundCloud’s Data Privacy Declaration at: https://soundcloud.com/pages/privacy.

If you prefer not to have your visit to this website allocated to your SoundCloud user account by SoundCloud, please log out of your SoundCloud user account before you activate content of the SoundCloud plug-in.

Spotify

We have integrated features of the Spotify music platform into this website. The provider is Spotify AB, Birger Jarlsgatan 61, 113 56 Stockholm, Sweden. You will be able to recognize Spotify plug-ins when you see the green logo on this website. An overview of Spotify’s plug-ins can be found at: https://developer.spotify.com.

The plug-in makes it possible to establish a direct connection between your browser and Spotify’s server when you visit this website. As a result, Spotify receives the information that you visited this website with your IP address. If you click the Spotify button while you are logged into your Spotify account, you have the option to link content from this website with your Spotify profile. Consequently, Spotify will be in a position to allocate your visit to this website to your user account.

We would like to point out that when using Spotify, cookies are used by Google Analytics so that your usage data can also be passed on to Google when using Spotify. Google Analytics is a tool of the Google Group for the analysis of user behavior with headquarters in the USA. Spotify alone is responsible for this integration. We as website operators have no influence on this processing.

Data are stored and analyzed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the attractive acoustic presentation of the website. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

For more information, please consult Spotify’s Data Protection Declaration under: https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/privacy-policy/.

If you do not want Spotify to be able to allocate the visit of this website to your Spotify user account, please log out of your Spotify user account while visiting our sites.

ChatGPT

We use ChatGPT for our customer communication. The provider is OpenAI, 3180 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA, https://openai.com.

When you start a conversation with us via our website and ChatGPT is activated, your input (including metadata) is transferred to ChatGPT's servers and processed there to generate a suitable response.

We have configured ChatGPT, so that the personal data entered will not be used to train ChatGPT’s algorithm.

The use of ChatGPT is based on Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the most efficient customer communication possible using modern technical solutions. If a corresponding consent has been requested, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 (1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG. The consent can be revoked at any time.

You can obtain further information here: https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy.

9. Online marketing and partner programs

Affiliate Programs on this website

We participate in affiliate partner programs. In conjunction with affiliate partner programs, ads of businesses (advertisers) are placed on websites of other enterprises within the affiliate partner network (publisher). If you click on one of these affiliate ads, you will be transferred to the promoted offer. If you should subsequently engage in a certain transaction (conversion), the publisher will receive a respective commission in exchange for the service. To be able to compute the commission amount, the affiliate network operator must be in a position to track the ad that has resulted in you seeing the offer and in you completing the predefined transaction. To make this possible, cookies or comparable recognition technologies are deployed (e.g., device fingerprinting).

Data is stored and analyzed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the correct computation of its affiliate compensation. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

We participate in the following affiliate programs:

Amazon partner program

The provider is Amazon Europe Core S.à.r.l. For details, please consult Amazon’s Data Privacy Declaration at: https://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201909010.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/s/participant-search/participant-detail?contact=true&id=a2zt0000000TOWQAA4&status=Active.

10. eCommerce and payment service providers

Processing of Customer and Contract Data

We collect, process, and use personal customer and contract data for the establishment, content arrangement and modification of our contractual relationships. Data with personal references to the use of this website (usage data) will be collected, processed, and used only if this is necessary to enable the user to use our services or required for billing purposes. The legal basis for these processes is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

The collected customer data shall be deleted upon completion of the order or termination of the business relationship and upon expiration of any existing statutory archiving periods. This shall be without prejudice to any statutory archiving periods.

Data transfer upon closing of contracts for services and digital content

We share personal data with third parties only if this is necessary in conjunction with the handling of the contract; for instance, with the financial institution tasked with the processing of payments.

Any further transfer of data shall not occur or shall only occur if you have expressly consented to the transfer. Any sharing of your data with third parties in the absence of your express consent, for instance for advertising purposes, shall not occur.

The basis for the processing of data is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, which permits the processing of data for the fulfilment of a contract or for pre-contractual actions.

11. Online-based Audio and Video Conferences (Conference tools)

Data processing

We use online conference tools, among other things, for communication with our customers. The tools we use are listed in detail below. If you communicate with us by video or audio conference using the Internet, your personal data will be collected and processed by the provider of the respective conference tool and by us. The conferencing tools collect all information that you provide/access to use the tools (email address and/or your phone number). Furthermore, the conference tools process the duration of the conference, start and end (time) of participation in the conference, number of participants and other “context information” related to the communication process (metadata).

Furthermore, the provider of the tool processes all the technical data required for the processing of the online communication. This includes, in particular, IP addresses, MAC addresses, device IDs, device type, operating system type and version, client version, camera type, microphone or loudspeaker and the type of connection.

Should content be exchanged, uploaded, or otherwise made available within the tool, it is also stored on the servers of the tool provider. Such content includes, but is not limited to, cloud recordings, chat/ instant messages, voicemail uploaded photos and videos, files, whiteboards, and other information shared while using the service.

Please note that we do not have complete influence on the data processing procedures of the tools used. Our possibilities are largely determined by the corporate policy of the respective provider. Further information on data processing by the conference tools can be found in the data protection declarations of the tools used, and which we have listed below this text.

Purpose and legal bases

The conference tools are used to communicate with prospective or existing contractual partners or to offer certain services to our customers (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR). Furthermore, the use of the tools serves to generally simplify and accelerate communication with us or our company (legitimate interest in the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Insofar as consent has been requested, the tools in question will be used on the basis of this consent; the consent may be revoked at any time with effect from that date.

Duration of storage

Data collected directly by us via the video and conference tools will be deleted from our systems immediately after you request us to delete it, revoke your consent to storage, or the reason for storing the data no longer applies. Stored cookies remain on your end device until you delete them. Mandatory legal retention periods remain unaffected.

We have no influence on the duration of storage of your data that is stored by the operators of the conference tools for their own purposes. For details, please directly contact the operators of the conference tools.

Conference tools used

We employ the following conference tools:

Zoom

We use Zoom. The provider of this service is Zoom Communications Inc, San Jose, 55 Almaden Boulevard, 6th Floor, San Jose, CA 95113, USA. For details on data processing, please refer to Zoom’s privacy policy: https://explore.zoom.us/en/privacy/.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission. Details can be found here: https://explore.zoom.us/en/privacy/.

12. Custom Services

Google Drive

We have integrated Google Drive on this website. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Google Drive allows us to include an upload area on our website where you can upload content. When you upload content, it is stored on Google Drive’s servers. When you visit our website, a connection to Google Drive is additionally established so that Google Drive can determine that you have visited our website.

The use of Google Drive is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in having a reliable upload area on its website. If a corresponding consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR; the consent can be revoked at any time.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

Data processing

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) for the use of the above-mentioned service. This is a contract mandated by data privacy laws that guarantees that they process personal data of our website visitors only based on our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.