Privacy Policy

Introduction

With the following data protection declaration, we would like to inform you about the types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to as “data”) that we process, for what purposes and to what extent. The data protection declaration applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of the provision of our services and, in particular, on our websites, in mobile applications and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Online Offer”).

The terms used are not gender-specific.

Status: 21 August 2022

Content Overview

Person responsible

Alicia Sophia Hinon c/o UpVisit GmbH
Rotenbergstr. 39
70190 Stuttgart

E-mail-address:

datenschutz@upvisit.io

Imprint:

https://upvisit.io/impressum

Contact data protection officer

datenschutz@upvisit.io

Overview of processing operations

The following overview summarises the types of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the data subjects.

Types of data processed

Inventory data.
Payment data.
Contact data.
Content data.
Contract data.
Usage data.
Meta/communication data.

Categories of data subjects

Customers.
Interested parties.
Communication partners.
Users.
Business and contractual partners.

Purposes of processing

Provision of contractual services and customer service.
Contact requests and communication.
Security measures.
Direct marketing.
Reach measurement.
Tracking.
Office and organisational procedures.
Conversion Measurement.
Affiliate tracking.
Managing and responding to enquiries.
Feedback.
Marketing.
Profiles with user-related information.
Provision of our online service and user experience.
Information technology infrastructure.

Relevant legal basis

Below you will find an overview of the legal basis of the GDPR on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. Should more specific legal bases be relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.

Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) DSGVO) – The data subject has given his/her consent to the processing of personal data relating to him/her for a specific purpose or purposes.
Performance of a contract and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6(1)(b) DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or for the performance of pre-contractual measures carried out at the data subject’s request.
Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests of the controller or a third party, unless such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require the protection of personal data.

In addition to the data protection regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation, national regulations on data protection apply in Germany. These include, in particular, the Act on Protection against Misuse of Personal Data in Data Processing (Federal Data Protection Act – BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special regulations on the right to information, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, the processing for other purposes and the transmission and automated decision-making in individual cases, including profiling. Furthermore, it regulates data processing for purposes of the employment relationship (Section 26 BDSG), in particular with regard to the establishment, implementation or termination of employment relationships as well as the consent of employees. Furthermore, data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

Security measures

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures in accordance with the law, taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing, as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the level of threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, in order to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

The measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access to, input of, disclosure of, assurance of availability of and segregation of the data. We also have procedures in place to ensure the exercise of data subjects’ rights, the deletion of data and responses to data compromise. Furthermore, we already take the protection of personal data into account in the development or selection of hardware, software and procedures in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

SSL encryption (https): In order to protect your data transmitted via our online offer, we use SSL encryption. You can recognise such encrypted connections by the prefix https:// in the address line of your browser.

Transmission of personal data

In the course of our processing of personal data, it may happen that the data is transmitted to other bodies, companies, legally independent organisational units or persons or that it is disclosed to them. The recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we comply with the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude appropriate contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.

Data transfer within the organisation: We may transfer personal data to other bodies within our organisation or grant them access to this data. Where this transfer is for administrative purposes, the transfer of data is based on our legitimate business and operational interests or is made where it is necessary for the performance of our contract-related obligations or where we have obtained the consent of the data subjects or legal permission.

Data processing in third countries

If we process data in a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or the processing takes place in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or companies, this is only done in accordance with the legal requirements.

Subject to express consent or contractually or legally required transfer, we only process or have data processed in third countries with a recognised level of data protection, contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission, in the presence of certifications or binding internal data protection regulations (Art. 44 to 49 DSGVO, information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_de).

Deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as their consents permitted for processing are revoked or other permissions cease to apply (e.g. if the purpose of processing this data has ceased to apply or it is not necessary for the purpose). If the data are not deleted because they are required for other and legally permissible purposes, their processing is limited to these purposes. I.e. the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person.

Our data protection notices may also contain further details on the retention and deletion of data which have priority for the respective processing operations.

Use of cookies

Cookies are small text files or other memory notes that store information on end devices and read information from the end devices. For example, to save the login status in a user account, the contents of a shopping basket in an e-shop, the contents called up or the functions used in an online offer. Cookies can further be used for various purposes, e.g. for purposes of functionality, security and comfort of online offers as well as the creation of analyses of visitor flows.

Notes on consent: We use cookies in accordance with legal requirements. We therefore obtain prior consent from users, except where this is not required by law. In particular, consent is not required if the storage and reading of information, including cookies, is absolutely necessary in order to provide a telemedia service (i.e. our online offer) expressly requested by the user. The revocable consent is clearly communicated to the users and contains the information on the respective cookie use.

Notes on legal bases under data protection law: The legal basis under data protection law on which we process users’ personal data using cookies depends on whether we ask users for consent. If users consent, the legal basis for processing their data is their declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed using cookies is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the business operation of our online offer and improvement of its usability) or, if this is done in the context of the performance of our contractual obligations, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations. The purposes for which the cookies are processed by us are explained in the course of this privacy policy or as part of our consent and processing procedures.

Storage duration: With regard to the storage duration, the following types of cookies are distinguished:

Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed his end device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the end device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, user data collected with the help of cookies can be used to measure reach. Unless we provide users with explicit information about the type and storage duration of cookies (e.g. when obtaining consent), users should assume that cookies are permanent and that they can be stored for up to two years.

General information on revocation and objection (opt-out): Users can revoke the consents they have given at any time and also file an objection to processing in accordance with the legal requirements in Art. 21 DSGVO. Users can also declare their objection via their browser settings, e.g. by deactivating the use of cookies (although this may also limit the functionality of our online services). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared via the websites https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Processing of cookie data based on consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure, in the context of which the consent of users to the use of cookies, or the processing and providers mentioned in the cookie consent management procedure, can be obtained and managed and revoked by users. The declaration of consent is stored in order not to have to repeat the request and to be able to prove the consent in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie or with the help of comparable technologies) in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or their device. Subject to individual information on the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of consent can be up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created and stored with the time of consent, information on the scope of consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as the browser, system and end device used.
BorlabsCookie: Cookie consent management; Service provider: Hosted locally on our server, no data transfer to third parties; Website: https://de.borlabs.io/borlabs-cookie/; Other information: An individual user ID, language as well as types of consents and the time they were given are stored on the server side and in the cookie on the users’ device.

Business Services

We process data of our contractual and business partners, e.g. customers and interested parties (collectively referred to as “contractual partners”) in the context of contractual and comparable legal relationships as well as related measures and in the context of communication with contractual partners (or pre-contractual), e.g. to answer enquiries.

We process this data in order to fulfil our contractual obligations. These include, in particular, the obligations to provide the agreed services, any update obligations and remedies in the event of warranty and other service disruptions. Furthermore, we process the data to safeguard our rights and for the purpose of the administrative tasks associated with these obligations as well as the company organisation. Furthermore, we process the data on the basis of our legitimate interests in proper and business management as well as security measures to protect our contractual partners and our business operations from misuse, endangerment of their data, secrets, information and rights (e.g. for the involvement of telecommunications, transport and other auxiliary services as well as subcontractors, banks, tax and legal advisors, payment service providers or tax authorities). Within the framework of applicable law, we only disclose the data of contractual partners to third parties to the extent that this is necessary for the aforementioned purposes or to fulfil legal obligations. Contractual partners will be informed about other forms of processing, e.g. for marketing purposes, within the framework of this data protection declaration.

We inform the contractual partners which data is required for the aforementioned purposes before or in the course of data collection, e.g. in online forms, by means of special labelling (e.g. colours) or symbols (e.g. asterisks or similar), or in person.

We delete the data after the expiry of legal warranty and comparable obligations, i.e. generally after 4 years, unless the data is stored in a customer account, e.g. as long as it must be kept for legal archiving reasons. The statutory retention period for documents relevant under tax law as well as for commercial books, inventories, opening balances, annual financial statements, the work instructions required to understand these documents and other organisational documents and accounting vouchers is ten years and for received commercial and business letters and reproductions of sent commercial and business letters six years. The period shall commence at the end of the calendar year in which the last entry was made in the book, the inventory, the opening balance sheet, the annual financial statements or the management report was prepared, the commercial or business letter was received or sent or the accounting document was created, furthermore the recording was made or the other documents were created.

If we use third-party providers or platforms to provide our services, the terms and conditions and data protection notices of the respective third-party providers or platforms apply in the relationship between the users and the providers.

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); contract data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
Data subjects: Customers; prospective customers; business and contractual partners.
Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; security measures; contact requests and communication; office and organisational procedures; administration and response to requests.
Legal bases: Contract performance and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. c) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

Customer account: Contractual partners can create an account within our online offer (e.g. customer or user account, “customer account” for short). If registration of a customer account is required, contractual partners will be informed of this as well as of the information required for registration. The customer accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. Within the scope of registration and subsequent logins and use of the customer account, we store the IP addresses of the customers together with the access times in order to be able to prove the registration and to prevent any misuse of the customer account.If customers have terminated their customer account, the data relating to the customer account will be deleted, subject to their retention being required for legal reasons. It is the responsibility of customers to safeguard their data when their customer account is terminated; legal basis: fulfilment of contract and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
Shop and e-commerce: We process the data of our customers in order to enable them to select, purchase or order the selected products, goods and associated services, as well as their payment and delivery or execution. If necessary for the execution of an order, we use service providers, in particular postal, forwarding and shipping companies, to carry out the delivery or execution for our customers. For the processing of payment transactions, we use the services of banks and payment service providers. The required information is identified as such in the context of the order or comparable purchase process and includes the information required for delivery, or provision and billing, as well as contact information in order to be able to consult with you if necessary; Legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
Agency services: We process our clients’ data as part of our contractual services, which may include, for example, conceptual and strategic consulting, campaign planning, software and design development/consulting or maintenance, implementation of campaigns and processes, handling, server administration, data analysis/consulting services and training services; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
Project and development services: We process the data of our customers and clients (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “customers”) in order to enable them to select, purchase or commission the selected services or works and associated activities as well as their payment and provision or execution or performance.The required information is identified as such in the context of the conclusion of the order, purchase order or comparable contract and includes the information required for the provision of services and billing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultations. Insofar as we obtain access to information of end customers, employees or other persons, we process this in accordance with the legal and contractual requirements; legal basis: fulfilment of contract and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).
Offer of software and platform services: We process the data of our users, registered users and any test users (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “users”) in order to be able to provide our contractual services to them and on the basis of legitimate interests in order to be able to guarantee the security of our offer and to develop it further. The required information is identified as such in the context of the order, purchase order or comparable contract conclusion and includes the information required for the provision of services and billing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultations; legal basis: contract performance and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

Provision of the online services and web hosting

We process users’ data in order to provide them with our online services. For this purpose, we process the user’s IP address, which is necessary to transmit the content and functions of our online services to the user’s browser or terminal device.

Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.).); security measures.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further information on processing provesses, procedures and services:

Provision of online offer on rented storage space: for the provision of our online offer, we use storage space, computing capacity and software that we rent or otherwise obtain from a corresponding server provider (also referred to as “web hoster”); legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offer is logged in the form of so-called “server log files”. The server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, the date and time of access, the volume of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider.The server log files may be used for security purposes, for example, to prevent server overload (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and, on the other hand, to ensure server utilisation and stability; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymised. Data whose further storage is necessary for evidentiary purposes is exempt from deletion until the final clarification of the respective incident.
E-mail dispatch and hosting: The web hosting services we use also include the dispatch, receipt and storage of e-mails. For these purposes, the addresses of the recipients and senders as well as further information regarding the e-mail dispatch (e.g. the providers involved) and the contents of the respective e-mails are processed. The aforementioned data may also be processed for the purpose of recognising SPAM. Please note that e-mails on the Internet are generally not sent in encrypted form. As a rule, e-mails are encrypted in transit, but (unless a so-called end-to-end encryption procedure is used) not on the servers from which they are sent and received. We can therefore not assume any responsibility for the transmission path of the e-mails between the sender and the reception on our server; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
ALL-INKL: Services in the field of providing information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacity); Service provider: ALL-INKL.COM – Neue Medien Münnich, Owner: René Münnich, Hauptstraße 68, 02742 Friedersdorf, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://all-inkl.com/; Privac Policy: https://all-inkl.com/datenschutzinformationen/; Order processing contract: Provided by the service provider.

Blogs and publication media

We use blogs or comparable means of online communication and publication (hereinafter “publication medium”). Readers’ data are processed for the purposes of the publication medium only to the extent necessary for its presentation and communication between authors and readers or for security reasons. For the rest, we refer to the information on the processing of visitors to our publication medium within the scope of this data protection notice.

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: provision of contractual services and customer service; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); provision of our online offer and user friendliness.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Contact and enquiry management

When contacting us (e.g. via contact form, email, telephone or via social media) as well as in the context of existing user and business relationships, the information of the inquiring persons is processed insofar as this is necessary to answer the contact enquiries and any requested measures.

The answering of contact requests as well as the administration of contact and request data in the context of contractual or pre-contractual relationships is carried out to fulfil our contractual obligations or to answer (pre)contractual requests and otherwise on the basis of legitimate interests in answering the requests and maintaining user or business relationships.

Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
Data subjects: Communication partners.
Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; managing and responding to requests; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); providing our online offer and user experience; providing contractual services and customer service.
Legal basis: Contract fulfilment and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

Contact form: If users contact us via our contact form, e-mail or other communication channels, we process the data communicated to us in this context in order to process the communicated request. For this purpose, we process personal data in the context of pre-contractual and contractual business relationships, insofar as this is necessary for their fulfilment and otherwise on the basis of our legitimate interests as well as the interests of the communication partners in responding to the concerns and our statutory retention obligations; legal bases: fulfilment of contract and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO), legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Newsletter and electronic notifications

We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter “newsletter”) only with the consent of the recipients or a legal permission. Insofar as the contents of the newsletter are specifically described in the course of registration, they are decisive for the consent of the users. Apart from that, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.

In order to subscribe to our newsletters, it is generally sufficient to provide your e-mail address. However, we may ask you to provide a name, for the purpose of personal address in the newsletter, or further details, if these are necessary for the purposes of the newsletter.

Double opt-in procedure: The registration for our newsletter is always carried out in a so-called double opt-in procedure. This means that after registration you will receive an e-mail in which you are asked to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that no one can register with other people’s e-mail addresses. The registrations for the newsletter are logged in order to be able to prove the registration process in accordance with the legal requirements. This includes the storage of the registration and confirmation time as well as the IP address. Changes to your data stored with the dispatch service provider are also logged.

Deletion and restriction of processing: We may store unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before deleting them in order to be able to prove consent previously given. The processing of this data will be limited to the purpose of a possible defence 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. In the case of obligations to permanently observe objections, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address in a block list (so-called “block list”) for this purpose alone.

The logging of the registration process takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of proving its proper course. Insofar as we commission a service provider with the dispatch of e-mails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure dispatch system.

Contents:

Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
Data subjects: Communication partners.
Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by email or post).
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
Option to object (opt-out): You can cancel receipt of our newsletter at any time, i.e. revoke your consent or object to further receipt. You will find a link to cancel the newsletter either at the end of each newsletter or you can use one of the contact options given above, preferably e-mail, for this purpose.

Further information on processing, procedures and services:

Measurement of opening and click-through rates: The newsletters contain a so-called “web beacon”, i.e. a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from our server when the newsletter is opened or, if we use a dispatch service provider, from their server. This information is used for the technical improvement of our newsletter on the basis of the technical data or the target groups and their reading behaviour on the basis of their retrieval locations (which can be determined with the help of the IP address) or the access times. This analysis also includes determining whether and when the newsletters are opened. Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO).
HubSpot: Email marketing platform; Service provider: HubSpot, Inc., 25 First St., 2nd floor, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02141, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.hubspot.de; Privac Policy: https://legal.hubspot.com/de/privacy-policy; Order processing agreement: https://legal.hubspot.com/dpa; Standard contractual clauses (guaranteeing the level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://legal.hubspot.com/dpa.

Promotional communication via email, post, fax or telephone

We process personal data for the purposes of promotional communications, which may take place via various channels, such as e-mail, telephone, post or fax, in accordance with legal requirements.

Recipients have the right to revoke consent given at any time or to object to promotional communication at any time.

After revocation or objection, we store the data required to prove the previous authorisation for contacting or sending for up to three years after the end of the year of revocation or objection on the basis of our legitimate interests. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defence against claims. Based on the legitimate interest of permanently observing the user’s revocation or objection, we also store the data required to avoid contacting the user again (e.g. depending on the communication channel, the e-mail address, telephone number, name).

Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers).
Data subjects: Communication partners.
Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Web analysis, monitoring and optimisation

Web analysis (also referred to as “reach measurement”) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offering and may include behaviour, interests or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of the reach analysis, we can, for example, recognise at what time our online offer or its functions or content are most frequently used or invite re-use. Likewise, we can understand which areas need optimisation.

In addition to web analysis, we may also use test procedures, e.g. to test and optimise different versions of our online offer or its components.

Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, i.e. data summarised for a usage process, may be created for these purposes and information may be stored in a browser or in a terminal device and read from it. The information collected includes, in particular, websites visited and elements used there as well as technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times. If users have agreed to the collection of their location data from us or from the providers of the services we use, location data may also be processed.

The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e. pseudonymisation by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) is stored in the context of web analysis, A/B testing and optimisation, but pseudonyms. This means that we as well as the providers of the software used do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purposes of the respective procedures.

Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiling with user-related information (creation of user profiles); tracking (e.g. interest/behaviour-based profiling, use of cookies); provision of our online offer and user experience.
Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymisation of the IP address).
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

Piwik PRO: Web analysis, reach measurement and measurement of user flows; Service provider: Piwik PRO GmbH, Kurfürstendamm 21, 10719 Berlin; Data processing agreement: piwik.pro/core-dpa
We use Piwik PRO Analytics Suite as our website/app analytics software and consent management tool. We collect data about website visitors based on cookies. The collected information may include a visitor’s IP address, operating system, browser ID, browsing activity and other information. See the scope of data collected by Piwik PRO.

We calculate metrics like bounce rate, page views, sessions and the like to understand how our website/app is used. We may also create visitors’ profiles based on browsing history to analyze visitor behavior, show personalized content and run online campaigns. We host our solution on Microsoft Azure in Germany and the data is stored for 14 months.

The purpose of data processing: analytics and conversion tracking based on consent. Legal basis: Art. 6 (1)(a) GDPR. Piwik PRO does not send the data about you to any other sub-processors or third parties and does not use it for its own purposes. For more, read Piwik PRO’s privacy policy.
This website uses Mouseflow: a website analytics tool that provides session replay, heatmaps, funnels, form analytics, feedback campaigns, and similar features/functionality. Mouseflow may record your clicks, mouse movements, scrolling, form fills (keystrokes) in non-excluded fields, pages visited and content, time on site, browser, operating system, device type (desktop/tablet/phone), screen resolution, visitor type (first time/returning), referrer, anonymized IP address, location (city/country), language, and similar meta data.

Mouseflow does not collect any information on pages where it is not installed, nor does it track or collect information outside your web browser. If you’d like to opt-out, you can do so at https://mouseflow.com/opt-out. If you’d like to obtain a copy of your data, make a correction, or have it erased, please contact us first or, as a secondary option, contact Mouseflow at privacy@mouseflow.com.

For more information, see Mouseflow’s Privacy Policy, Mouseflow and GDPR, Mouseflow and CCPA/VCDPA
Jotform: We use Jotform, a service to create online forms to obtain regular feedback from our customers. The service provider is the American company Jotform Inc, 4 Embarcadero Center, Suite 780, San Francisco CA 94111, USA.

Although Jotform is an American company, it processes and stores data from European customers exclusively on European servers, according to its own information. You can find more information about this in the blog post “EU Safe Forms: Our Solution to the EU Safe Harbor Invalidation“.

You can find out more about the data that is processed through the use of Jotform in the privacy policy at https://www.jotform.com/privacy/.

Online marketing

We process personal data for online marketing purposes, which may include, in particular, the marketing of advertising space or the display of advertising and other content (collectively, “content”) based on the potential interests of users and the measurement of its effectiveness.

For these purposes, so-called user profiles are created and stored in a file (so-called “cookie”) or similar procedures are used, by means of which the information about the user relevant to the presentation of the aforementioned content is stored. This information may include, for example, content viewed, websites visited, online networks used, but also communication partners and technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times and functions used. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, this may also be processed.

The IP addresses of users are also stored. However, we use available IP masking procedures (i.e. pseudonymisation by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) is stored within the framework of the online marketing process, but pseudonyms. This means that we as well as the providers of the online marketing procedures do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles.

The information in the profiles is usually stored in the cookies or by means of similar procedures. These cookies can generally also be read later on other websites that use the same online marketing procedure and analysed for the purpose of displaying content as well as supplemented with further data and stored on the server of the online marketing procedure provider.

Exceptionally, clear data can be assigned to the profiles. This is the case if, for example, the users are members of a social network whose online marketing procedure we use and the network links the users’ profiles with the aforementioned data. We ask you to note that users may enter into additional agreements with the providers, e.g. by giving their consent as part of the registration process.

In principle, we only receive access to summarised information about the success of our advertisements. However, in the context of so-called conversion measurements, we can check which of our online marketing procedures have led to a so-called conversion, i.e., for example, to a conclusion of a contract with us. The conversion measurement is used solely to analyse the success of our marketing measures.

Unless otherwise stated, we ask you to assume that cookies used will be stored for a period of two years.

Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. web pages visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); tracking (e.g. interest/behaviour-based profiling, use of cookies); marketing; profiling with user-related information (creating user profiles); conversion measurement (measuring the effectiveness of marketing measures).
Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymisation of the IP address).
Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO).
Possibility of objection (opt-out): We refer to the data protection notices of the respective providers and the options for objection given to the providers (so-called “opt-out”). If no explicit opt-out option has been specified, you have the option of switching off cookies in your browser settings. However, this may restrict the functions of our online offer. We therefore recommend the following additional opt-out options, which are offered in summary for the respective regions: a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu. b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices. c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices. d) Cross-territory: https://optout.aboutads.info.

Further information on provessing, procedures and services:

Google Ads and conversion measurement: We use the online marketing procedure “Google Ads” to place ads in the Google advertising network (e.g., in search results, in videos, on web pages, etc.) so that they are displayed to users who have a presumed interest in the ads (so-called “conversion”). We also measure the conversion of the ads. However, we only learn the anonymous total number of users who clicked on our ad and were redirected to a page marked with a so-called “conversion tracking tag”. However, we ourselves do not receive any information with which users can be identified; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further information: Types of processing as well as data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Data processing conditions between data controllers and standard contractual clauses for third country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.
Google Adsense with personalised ads: We use the service Google Adsense with personalised ads, with the help of which ads are displayed within our online offer and we receive remuneration for their display or other use; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further information: Types of processing as well as data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Data processing conditions for Google advertising products: Information on services Data processing terms and conditions between data controllers and standard contractual clauses for third country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.
Google Adsense with non-personalised ads: We use the Google Adsense service with non-personalised ads, with the help of which ads are displayed within our online offer and we receive remuneration for their display or other use; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further information: Types of processing and data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Google Ads Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms and standard contractual clauses for data transfers to third countries: https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms.
LinkedIn: Insights Tag / Conversion Measurement; Service Provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy, Cookie policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie_policy; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Opt-out: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.

Affiliate programmes and affiliate links

We include so-called affiliate links or other references (which may include, for example, search masks, widgets or discount codes) to the offers and services of third-party providers in our online offer (collectively referred to as “affiliate links”). If users follow the Affiliate Links or subsequently take advantage of the offers, we may receive a commission or other benefits from those third parties (collectively, “Commission”).

In order to be able to track whether users have taken advantage of the offers of an affiliate link used by us, it is necessary that the respective third-party providers learn that the users have followed an affiliate link used within our online offer. The assignment of the affiliate links to the respective business transactions or to other actions (e.g. purchases) serves the sole purpose of commission accounting and will be cancelled as soon as it is no longer necessary for the purpose.

For the purposes of the aforementioned allocation of the affiliate links, the affiliate links may be supplemented by certain values which are a component of the link or may be stored elsewhere, e.g. in a cookie. The values may include in particular the source website (referrer), the time, an online identifier of the operator of the website on which the affiliate link was located, an online identifier of the respective offer, the type of link used, the type of offer and an online identifier of the user.

If we ask users for their consent to use third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Otherwise, users’ data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economic and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

Types of data processed: contractual data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Affiliate tracking.
Legal grounds: consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO); legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Customer reviews and rating procedures

We participate in review and rating procedures in order to evaluate, optimise and promote our services. If users rate us or otherwise provide feedback via the participating rating platforms or procedures, the General Terms and Conditions of Business or Use and the data protection information of the providers also apply. As a rule, the rating also requires registration with the respective providers.

In order to ensure that the persons rating have actually used our services, we transmit, with the consent of the customers, the data required for this with regard to the customer and the service used to the respective rating platform (including name, e-mail address and order number or item number). This data is used solely to verify the authenticity of the user.

Types of data processed: contractual data (e.g. subject matter of contract, term, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
Data subjects: Customers; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); marketing.
Legal grounds: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

eKomi: Evaluation platform; Service provider: eKomi Ltd, Markgrafenstr. 11, 10969 Berlin, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.ekomi.de; Privacy policy: https://www.ekomi.de/de/datenschutz/.
kununu: Rating platform; Service provider: XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.kununu.com/de; Privacy policy: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.

Presence in social networks (social media)

We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with users active there or to offer information about us.

We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This may result in risks for the users because, for example, it could make it more difficult to enforce the rights of the users.

Furthermore, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles can be created based on the usage behaviour and resulting interests of the users. The usage profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the users’ computers, in which the usage behaviour and the interests of the users are stored. Furthermore, data independent of the devices used by the users may also be stored in the usage profiles (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).

For a detailed presentation of the respective forms of processing and the options to object (opt-out), we refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

In the case of information requests and the assertion of data subject rights, we also 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. If you still need help, you can contact us.

Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); marketing.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

Instagram: Social network; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.instagram.com; Privacy policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy.
Facebook pages: Profiles within the social network Facebook – We are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection (but not the further processing) of data of visitors to our Facebook page (so-called “fan page”). This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see under “Things You and Others Do and Provide” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy), as well as information about the devices users use (e.g. IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under “Device Information” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under “How do we use this information?”, Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, called “Page Insights”, to Page operators to provide them with insights into how people interact with their Pages and with the content associated with them. We have entered into a special agreement with Facebook (“Page Insights Information”, https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which in particular regulates which security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfil the data subject rights (i.e. users can, for example, send information or deletion requests directly to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook. Further information can be found in the “Information on Page Insights” (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data); service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum; Further information: Shared responsibility agreement: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data. Joint accountability is limited to the collection by and transfer of data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company based in the EU. Further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which concerns in particular the transfer of the data to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. in the USA (based on the standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.).
LinkedIn: Social network; Service provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Order processing agreement: https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Standard contractual clauses (ensuring level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Opt-out: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
Twitter: social network; service provider: Twitter International Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2 D02 AX07, Ireland, parent company: Twitter Inc, 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Privacy policy: https://twitter.com/privacy, (Settings: https://twitter.com/personalization).
YouTube: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
Xing: Social network; service provider: XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.xing.de; Privacy policy: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.

Plugins and embedded functions and content

We integrate functional and content elements into our online offer that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”). These can be, for example, graphics, videos or city maps (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “content”).

The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, as without the IP address they would not be able to send the content to their browser. The IP address is thus required for the presentation of these contents or functions. We endeavour to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as “web beacons”) for statistical or marketing purposes. The “pixel tags” can be used to analyse information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and may contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and other information about the use of our online offer, as well as being linked to such information from other sources.

Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. web pages visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing procedures, methods and services:

Integration of third-party software, scripts or frameworks (e.g. jQuery): We integrate software into our online offer that we retrieve from servers of other providers (e.g. function libraries that we use for the purpose of presentation or user-friendliness of our online offer). In doing so, the respective providers collect the IP address of the user and may process this for the purpose of transmitting the software to the user’s browser and for security purposes, as well as for the evaluation and optimisation of their offer. – We integrate software into our online offer that we retrieve from servers of other providers (e.g. function libraries that we use for the purpose of presentation or user-friendliness of our online offer). In doing so, the respective providers collect the IP address of the user and may process this for the purpose of transmitting the software to the user’s browser and for security purposes, as well as for the evaluation and optimisation of their offer; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
Google Fonts (obtained from the Google server): Obtaining fonts (and symbols) for the purpose of a technically secure, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts and symbols with regard to topicality and loading times, their uniform presentation and consideration of possible restrictions under licensing law. The provider of the fonts is informed of the user’s IP address so that the fonts can be made available in the user’s browser. In addition, technical data (language settings, screen resolution, operating system, hardware used) are transmitted which are necessary for the provision of the fonts depending on the devices used and the technical environment; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://fonts.google.com/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
Google Fonts (provided on own server): Fonts (“Google Fonts”) for the purpose of a user-friendly presentation of our online offer; Service provider: The Google Fonts are hosted on our server, no data is transmitted to Google; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Amendment and updatingof the privacy policy

We ask you to regularly inform yourself about the content of our data protection declaration. We adapt the data protection declaration as soon as the changes in the data processing carried out by us 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.

Where we provide addresses and contact details of companies and organisations in this privacy statement, please note that the addresses may change over time and please check the details before contacting us.

Rechte der betroffenen Personen

As a data subject, you have various rights under the GDPR, in particular as set out in Articles 15 to 21 of the GDPR:

Right to object: you have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you which is carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1)(e) or (f) DSGVO; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to revoke any consent given at any time.
Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether data in question is being processed and to information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
Right to rectification: You have the right, in accordance with the law, to request that data concerning you be completed or that inaccurate data concerning you be rectified.
Right to erasure and restriction of processing: You have the right, in accordance with the law, to request that data concerning you be erased without delay or, alternatively, to request restriction of the processing of the data in accordance with the law.
Right to data portability: You have the right to receive data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, common and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements, or to demand that it be transferred to another person responsible.
Complaint to the supervisory authority: Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the requirements of the GDPR.

Supervisory authority responsible for us:

The State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information of Baden-Württemberg.

Dr. Stefan Brink
Postfach 10 29 32
70025 Stuttgart

Telephone: 07 11/61 55 41-0
E-mail: poststelle@lfdi.bwl.de
Homepage: https://www.baden-wuerttemberg.datenschutz.de

Definitions of terms

This section provides you with an overview of the terms used in this privacy policy. Many of the terms are taken from the law and defined primarily in Art. 4 of the GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are primarily intended to help you understand them. The terms are sorted alphabetically.

Affiliate tracking: In the context of affiliate tracking, links with the help of which the linking websites refer users to websites with product or other offers are logged. The operators of the respective linking websites may receive a commission if users follow these so-called affiliate links and subsequently take advantage of the offers (e.g. buy goods or use services). For this purpose, it is necessary for the providers to be able to track whether users who are interested in certain offers subsequently take advantage of them at the instigation of the affiliate links. It is therefore necessary for the functionality of affiliate links that they are supplemented by certain values that become part of the link or are stored elsewhere, e.g. in a cookie. The values include, in particular, the source website (referrer), the 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, for example, advertising material ID, partner ID and categorisations.
Conversion measurement: Conversion measurement (also referred to as “visit action evaluation”) is a procedure with which the effectiveness of marketing measures can be determined. This is usually done by storing a cookie on users’ devices within the websites where the marketing activity takes place and then retrieving it again on the target website. For example, this allows us to track whether the ads we have placed on other websites have been successful.
Personal data: “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. cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
Profiles with user-related information: The processing of “profiles with user-related information”, or “profiles” for short, includes any kind of automated processing of personal data that consists of using such personal data to analyse, evaluate or to predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this may include different information concerning demographics, behaviour and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.) (e.g. interests in certain content or products, click behaviour on a website or location). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
Reach measurement: Reach measurement (also known as web analytics) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to an online offering and can include visitors’ behaviour or interests in certain information, such as website content. With the help of reach analysis, website owners can see, for example, at what time visitors visit their website and what content they are interested in. This enables them, for example, to better adapt the content of the website to the needs of their visitors. For reach analysis purposes, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used to recognise returning visitors and thus obtain more precise analyses of the use of an online offer.
Tracking: We speak of “tracking” when the behaviour of users can be traced across several online services. As a rule, behavioural and interest information with regard to the online offers used is stored in cookies or on servers of the providers of the tracking technologies (so-called profiling). This information can then be used, for example, to display advertisements to users that are likely to correspond to their interests.
Controller: “Controller” is 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.
Processing: “Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed upon personal data, whether or not by automatic means. The term is broad and encompasses virtually any handling of data, be it collection, analysis, storage, transmission or erasure.