Privacy Policy

1. Privacy at a glance

General information

The following information provides a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data is any data with which you can be personally identified. For detailed information on data protection, please refer to our privacy policy set out below this text. The German version of this policy is the legally binding one.

Data collection on this website

Who is responsible for data collection on this website?

Data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. You can find their contact details in the section “Information on the controller” in this privacy policy.

How do we collect your data?

Your data is collected partly when you provide it to us — for example, data you enter into a contact form. Other data is collected automatically or with your consent by our IT systems when you visit the website. This is primarily technical data (e.g. internet browser, operating system or time of the page request). This data is collected automatically as soon as you enter this website.

What do we use your data for?

Part of the data is collected to ensure the website is provided without errors. Other data may be used to analyse your user behaviour. Where contracts can be concluded or initiated via the website, the transmitted data is also processed for contract offers, orders or other enquiries.

What rights do you have regarding your data?

You have the right to receive information about the origin, recipients and purpose of your stored personal data free of charge at any time. You also have a right to request the correction or deletion of this data. If you have given consent to data processing, you can revoke this consent at any time for the future. You also have the right, under certain circumstances, to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. Furthermore, you have a right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. You can contact us at any time regarding this and other questions on the subject of data protection.

Analysis tools and third-party tools

When you visit this website, your browsing behaviour may be statistically evaluated, primarily using so-called analysis programs. Detailed information about these analysis programs can be found in the privacy policy below.

2. Hosting

We host the content of our website with the following provider:

External hosting

This website is hosted externally. The personal data collected on this website is stored on the servers of the host(s). This may include, in particular, IP addresses, contact requests, meta and communication data, contract data, contact details, names, website accesses and other data generated via a website.

External hosting is carried out for the purpose of fulfilling our contract with our potential and existing customers (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and in the interest of a secure, fast and efficient provision of our online offering by a professional provider (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Where consent has been requested, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG (German Telecommunications and Telemedia Data Protection Act), insofar as the consent covers the storage of cookies or access to information on the user’s device. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Our host(s) will only process your data to the extent necessary to fulfil their performance obligations and will follow our instructions regarding this data.

We use the following host:

3. General information and mandatory disclosures

Data protection

The operators of these pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this privacy policy. When you use this website, various personal data is collected. This privacy policy explains what data we collect and what we use it for. It also explains how and for what purpose this is done. We point out that data transmission over the internet (e.g. when communicating by email) can have security gaps. Complete protection of data against access by third parties is not possible.

Information on the controller

The controller for data processing on this website is:

The controller is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data (e.g. names, email addresses, etc.).

Storage period

Unless a more specific storage period is stated within this privacy policy, your personal data will remain with us until the purpose for the data processing no longer applies. If you assert a legitimate request for deletion or revoke consent to data processing, your data will be deleted unless we have other legally permissible grounds for storing your personal data (e.g. retention periods under tax or commercial law); in the latter case, deletion takes place after these grounds cease to apply.

General information on the legal basis for data processing

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 where special categories of data are processed. If your data is required to fulfil a contract or to carry out pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Furthermore, we process your data where necessary to comply with a legal obligation on the basis of Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. Processing may also be carried out on the basis of our legitimate interest under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The relevant legal basis in each individual case is set out in the following sections of this policy.

Recipients of personal data

In the course of our business activities, we cooperate with various external parties. In some cases, this also requires the transmission of personal data to these external parties. We only pass on personal data to external parties where this is necessary for the performance of a contract, where we are legally obliged to do so (e.g. disclosure to tax authorities), where we have a legitimate interest under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, or where another legal basis permits the transfer. When using processors, we only pass on our customers’ personal data on the basis of a valid data processing agreement.

Revocation of your consent to data processing

Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You can revoke consent you have already given at any time. The lawfulness of the data processing carried out before the revocation remains unaffected.

Right to object to data collection in special cases and to direct marketing (Art. 21 GDPR)

IF DATA PROCESSING IS CARRIED OUT ON THE BASIS OF ART. 6(1)(e) OR (f) GDPR, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AT ANY TIME TO OBJECT TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA FOR REASONS ARISING FROM YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING BASED ON THESE PROVISIONS. IF YOU OBJECT, WE WILL NO LONGER PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA CONCERNED UNLESS WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING THAT OVERRIDE YOUR INTERESTS, RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, OR THE PROCESSING SERVES TO ASSERT, EXERCISE OR DEFEND LEGAL CLAIMS (OBJECTION UNDER ART. 21(1) GDPR).

IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS PROCESSED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA CONCERNING YOU FOR SUCH MARKETING; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING INSOFAR AS IT IS RELATED TO SUCH DIRECT MARKETING. IF YOU OBJECT, YOUR PERSONAL DATA WILL SUBSEQUENTLY NO LONGER BE USED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES (OBJECTION UNDER ART. 21(2) GDPR).

Right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority

In the event of violations of the GDPR, data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the member state of their habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged violation. This right to complain exists without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy.

Right to data portability

You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfilment of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a common, machine-readable format. If you request the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will only take place insofar as it is technically feasible.

Information, correction and deletion

Within the framework of the applicable statutory provisions, you have the right at any time to free information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients and the purpose of the data processing and, if applicable, a right to correction or deletion of this data. You can contact us at any time regarding this and other questions on the subject of personal data.

Right to restriction of processing

You have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. You can contact us at any time for this purpose. The right to restriction of processing exists in the following cases:

• If you dispute the accuracy of your personal data stored by us, we usually need time to verify this. For the duration of the verification, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.
• If the processing of your personal data happened/is happening unlawfully, you can request the restriction of data processing instead of deletion.
• If we no longer need your personal data, but you need it to exercise, defend or assert legal claims, you have the right to request the restriction of processing instead of deletion.
• If you have lodged an objection under Art. 21(1) GDPR, a balancing of your and our interests must be carried out. As long as it has not been determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.

SSL/TLS encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, this site uses SSL/TLS encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the fact that the browser’s address line changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock symbol in your browser line. When SSL/TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Objection to advertising emails

We hereby object to the use of contact data published within the scope of the imprint obligation to send advertising and information material not expressly requested. The operators of the pages expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of the unsolicited sending of advertising information, e.g. through spam emails.

4. Data collection on this website

Cookies

Our web pages use so-called “cookies”. Cookies are small data packages and do no harm to your device. They are stored on your device either temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or permanently (permanent cookies). Session cookies are automatically deleted after the end of your visit. Permanent cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them yourself or your web browser deletes them automatically.

Cookies can originate from us (first-party cookies) or from third-party companies (so-called third-party cookies). Necessary cookies required to carry out the electronic communication process, to provide certain functions you have requested or to optimise the website are stored on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, unless another legal basis is specified. Where consent to the storage of cookies and comparable recognition technologies has been requested, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of that consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG); consent can be revoked at any time.

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general, and activate the automatic deletion of cookies when closing the browser. If cookies are deactivated, the functionality of this website may be limited.

Use of AI on the website

We use AI-based services and/or applications on our website.

We use artificial intelligence (AI) on our website as follows: content generation and strategy consulting in the context of platform development; AI-supported data analysis. When you interact with elements on our website that use artificial intelligence (e.g. a chatbot), your inputs including metadata are processed in order to generate a suitable response. The use of these AI-based functions is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in using modern technologies on our website to improve our services. Where consent is required, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG. You can revoke your consent at any time.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI) to answer customer enquiries

We use AI-supported software to process and answer customer enquiries. The AI we use analyses the content of your message in order to autonomously or partly autonomously generate a suitable response or a response suggestion. In this context, our AI processes all content of your message, including names, email addresses, communication content or technical information (e.g. IP addresses, device information). The use of the AI software is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in the most efficient possible customer communication using modern technical solutions.

Anthropic

We use Anthropic for our customer communication. The provider is Anthropic, PBC, 548 Market Street, PMB 90375, San Francisco, CA 94104-5401, USA. When you contact us, your enquiries including metadata may be transmitted to and processed on this provider’s servers in order to generate a suitable response.

Enquiry by email, telephone or fax

If you contact us by email, telephone or fax, your enquiry including all resulting personal data (name, enquiry) will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of handling your request. We do not pass on this data without your consent. The processing of this data is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, provided your request is related to the fulfilment of a contract or is necessary to carry out pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective handling of the enquiries addressed to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) where requested; consent can be revoked at any time.

5. Social media

X (formerly Twitter)

Functions of the X (formerly Twitter) service are integrated on this website. These functions are offered by the parent company X Corp., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. For the data processing of persons living outside the USA, the establishment Twitter International Unlimited Company, One Cumberland Place, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, D02 AX07, Ireland, is responsible.

When the social media element is active, a direct connection is established between your device and the X server. X thereby receives information that you have visited this website. We point out that, as the provider of the pages, we have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or its use by X. This service is used on the basis of your consent under Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG. Consent can be revoked at any time. The transfer of data to the USA is based on the EU Commission’s standard contractual clauses. Further information can be found in X’s privacy policy at https://x.com/de/privacy.

Instagram

Functions of the Instagram service are integrated on this website. These functions are offered by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland. When the social media element is active, a direct connection is established between your device and the Instagram server.

Insofar as personal data is collected on our website with the help of this tool and forwarded to Facebook or Instagram, we and Meta Platforms Ireland Limited are jointly responsible for this data processing (Art. 26 GDPR). The transfer of data to the USA is based on the EU Commission’s standard contractual clauses. This service is used on the basis of your consent under Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG. Further information can be found in Instagram’s privacy policy at https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/.

Cookie consent management with CCM19

We use the CCM19 service to manage your cookie consent on a legally sound basis.

Provider:papoo Software & Media GmbH, Auguste-Viktoria-Straße 7, 12489 Berlin, Germany

Purpose: obtaining and managing the legally required consents for non-essential cookies, and documenting your choice

Data collected:

• Your cookie choice (which categories you accepted or rejected)
• The time of consent
• Anonymised technical data (browser type, language setting)

Storage period: The cookie settings are stored for 12 months. After expiry, the banner appears again.

Data transfer:The data is processed on papoo Software & Media GmbH servers in Germany. No data transfer to third countries.

Legal basis: legitimate interest under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR — we are legally obliged to document your cookie choice.

Further information: https://www.ccm19.de/datenschutz/

6. Newsletter

Newsletter data

If you would like to receive the newsletter offered on the website, we require an email address from you as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the email address provided and that you agree to receive the newsletter. Further data is not collected, or only on a voluntary basis. We use this data exclusively for sending the requested information and do not pass it on to third parties.

The processing of the data entered into the newsletter registration form is based exclusively on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You can revoke your consent to the storage of the data, the email address and its use for sending the newsletter at any time, for example via the “unsubscribe” link in the newsletter. The lawfulness of the data processing operations already carried out remains unaffected by the revocation.

The data you have provided to us for the purpose of receiving the newsletter will be stored by us or the newsletter service provider until you unsubscribe from the newsletter and will be deleted from the newsletter distribution list after you unsubscribe or after the purpose ceases to apply. After you unsubscribe from the newsletter distribution list, your email address may be stored by us or the newsletter service provider in a blacklist, insofar as this is necessary to prevent future mailings. Storage in the blacklist is not time-limited. You may object to the storage if your interests outweigh our legitimate interest.

Newsletter delivery via beehiiv

We use the beehiiv service to send our newsletter. The provider is beehiiv, Inc., 228 Park Avenue #2329976, New York, NY 10003, USA (“beehiiv”).

beehiiv is a service with which, among other things, the sending of newsletters can be organised and analysed. The data you enter for the purpose of subscribing to the newsletter (e.g. email address) is stored on beehiiv’s servers in the USA.

beehiiv enables us to analyse our newsletter campaigns. For example, we can see whether a newsletter message was opened and which links, if any, were clicked. In this way we can determine, among other things, which links were clicked particularly often.

We can also recognise whether certain predefined actions were carried out after opening/clicking (conversion rate). For example, we can recognise whether you made a purchase after clicking on the newsletter.

beehiiv also enables us to divide newsletter recipients into different categories (“clustering”). Recipients can be divided, for example, by age, gender or place of residence. In this way the newsletters can be better adapted to the respective target groups.

If you do not want any analysis by beehiiv, you must unsubscribe from the newsletter. We provide a corresponding link for this purpose in every newsletter message.

Data processing is based on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You can revoke this consent at any time by unsubscribing from the newsletter. The lawfulness of the data processing operations already carried out remains unaffected by the revocation.

The data you have provided to us for the purpose of subscribing to the newsletter is stored by us both on our servers and on beehiiv’s servers until you unsubscribe from the newsletter, and is deleted from the newsletter distribution list after you unsubscribe. Data stored by us for other purposes remains unaffected by this.

The transfer of data to the USA is based on the EU Commission’s standard contractual clauses. You can find details here: https://www.beehiiv.com/privacy

After you unsubscribe from the newsletter distribution list, your email address may be stored by beehiiv in a blacklist, insofar as this is necessary to prevent future mailings. The data from the blacklist is used only for this purpose and is 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). Storage in the blacklist is not time-limited.

Conclusion of a data processing agreement

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with beehiiv and fully implement the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using beehiiv.

Web analytics with Umami

We use Umami Web Analytics to analyse and improve the use of our website on an anonymised basis.

Provider: self-hosted on our own infrastructure

Server location: Hetzner Online GmbH, Gunzenhausen, Germany (EU)

Data collected:

• Anonymised session IDs (hash of IP address + user agent, with a daily-rotating salt)
• Pages visited
• Time on page (approximate)
• Referrer (referring website)
• Browser type and screen resolution (anonymous)
• Geographic region (country level)

Data not collected:

• No personal identifiers
• No full IP addresses (discarded before storage)
• No cookies or local storage
• No cross-site tracking
• No data transfer to third countries

Storage period: Aggregated statistics are kept for 12 months. Session data is anonymised daily.

Legal basis: consent under Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time via the cookie settings in the footer.

7. eCommerce and payment providers

Processing of customer and contract data

We collect, process and use personal customer and contract data to establish, structure and amend our contractual relationships. We collect, process and use personal data about the use of this website (usage data) only insofar as this is necessary to enable the user to use the service or to bill for it. The legal basis for this is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. The customer data collected is deleted after completion of the order or termination of the business relationship and the expiry of any statutory retention periods. Statutory retention periods remain unaffected.

Data transmission upon conclusion of a contract for services and digital content

We only transmit personal data to third parties where this is necessary in the course of contract processing, e.g. to the credit institution charged with processing the payment. Any further transmission of the data does not take place, or only if you have expressly consented to the transmission. The basis for the data processing is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, which permits the processing of data for the fulfilment of a contract or pre-contractual measures.

Payment services

We integrate the payment services of third-party companies on our website. When you make a purchase with us, your payment data (e.g. name, payment amount, account details, credit card number) is processed by the payment service provider for the purpose of payment processing. The respective contractual and data protection provisions of the relevant providers apply to these transactions. The use of payment service providers is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (contract processing) and in the interest of the smoothest, most convenient and most secure payment process possible (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Stripe

The provider for customers within the EU is Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd., 1 Grand Canal Street Lower, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, Ireland (“Stripe”). The transfer of data to the USA is based on the EU Commission’s standard contractual clauses. You can read the details in Stripe’s privacy policy at https://stripe.com/de/privacy.