Privacy policy

Introduction privacy policy
With the following data protection declaration, we would like to explain to you which types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to as “data”) we process for which purposes and to what extent. The data protection declaration applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both as part 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: 07/13/2022

 

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

Types of data processed

• Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses)
• Content data (e.g. entries in online forms)
• Contact information (e.g. email, phone numbers)
• Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses)
• Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times)
• Contract data (e.g. subject matter, term, customer category)
• Payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history)
• Categories of data subjects
• Employees (e.g. employees, applicants, former employees)
• business and contractual partners
• interested persons
• communication partner
• Customers
• members
• Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services)

Purposes of processing

• Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness
• Conversion measurement (measurement of the effectiveness of marketing measures)
• office and organizational procedures
• Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post)
• Interest-Based and Behavioral Marketing
• Contact Requests and Communication
• Profiling (creating user profiles)
• remarketing
• Range measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors)
• Tracking (e.g. interest/behavioural profiling, use of cookies)
• Provision of contractual services and customer service
• Management and response to inquiries

 

Governing Law
In the following we inform you about the legal basis of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), on the basis of which we process the personal data. Please note that in addition to the regulations of the GDPR, the national data protection regulations in your or our country of residence and domicile may apply. If more specific legal bases are relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of them in the data protection declaration.

• Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a. GDPR) – The person concerned has given their consent to the processing of their personal data for a specific purpose or several specific purposes.
• Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b. GDPR) – The processing is necessary for the fulfillment of a contract to which the data subject is a party, or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures that are required at the request of the data subject take place.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR) – Processing is necessary to safeguard the legitimate interests of the person responsible or a third party, unless the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject, which protect personal Data require prevail.
• National data protection regulations in Switzerland:
• In addition to the data protection regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation, national data protection regulations apply in Switzerland. This includes in particular the Federal Data Protection Act (DSG). The DSG applies in particular if no EU/EEC citizens are affected and, for example, only data from Swiss citizens is processed.

 

Safety measures
We take appropriate technical and organizational measures in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the implementation costs and the type, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the extent of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons 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, input, disclosure, ensuring availability and their separation. Furthermore, we have set up procedures that ensure the exercise of data subject rights, the deletion of data and reactions to data threats. Furthermore, we already take the protection of personal data into account when developing or selecting hardware, software and processes in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

 

Transmission and disclosure of personal data
As part of our processing of personal data, it may happen that the data is transmitted to other bodies, companies, legally independent organizational units or persons or that it is disclosed to them. The recipients of this data can include, for example, payment institutions in the context of payment transactions, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such a case, we observe the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude appropriate contracts or agreements with the recipients of your data that serve to protect your data.

 

Data transfer within the organization
We may transfer personal data to other entities within our organization or allow them access to this data. If this transfer takes place for administrative purposes, the transfer of the data is based on our legitimate entrepreneurial and business interests or takes place if it is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations or if the consent of the person concerned or legal permission is available.

 

Use of cookies
Cookies are text files containing data from visited websites or domains and are stored by a browser on the user’s computer. A cookie is primarily used to store information about a user during or after their visit to an online offer. The stored information can include, for example, the language settings on a website, the login status, a shopping cart or the place where a video was viewed. The term “cookies” also includes other technologies that fulfill the same functions as cookies (e.g. when user information is stored using pseudonymous online identifiers, also referred to as “user IDs”).

The following cookie types and functions are distinguished

• Temporary cookies (also: session or session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed his browser.
• Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the browser 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, the interests of users, which are used to measure reach or for marketing purposes, can be stored in such a cookie.
• First-party cookies: First-party cookies are set by us.
• Third-party cookies (also: third-party cookies): Third-party cookies are mainly used by advertisers (so-called third parties) to process user information.
• Necessary (also: essential or absolutely necessary) cookies: Cookies can be absolutely necessary for the operation of a website (e.g. to save logins or other user entries or for security reasons).
• Statistics, marketing and personalization cookies: Cookies are also usually used to measure range and when the interests of a user or his behavior (e.g. viewing certain content, using functions, etc.) on individual websites in a user profile get saved. Such profiles are used to show users, for example, content that corresponds to their potential interests. This procedure is also referred to as “tracking”, ie tracking the potential interests of users. If we use cookies or “tracking” technologies, we will inform you separately in our data protection declaration or when obtaining consent.

 

Notes on legal bases
The legal basis on which we process your personal data using cookies depends on whether we ask for your consent. If this is the case and you consent to the use of cookies, the legal basis for the processing of your data is the declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the commercial operation of our online offer and its improvement) or if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations.

 

Storage duration

If we do not provide you with any explicit information on the storage period of permanent cookies (e.g. as part of a so-called cookie opt-in), please assume that the storage period can be up to two years.
General information on revocation and objection (opt-out):
Depending on whether the processing is based on consent or legal permission, you have the option at any time to revoke any consent you have given or to object to the processing of your data by cookie technologies (collectively referred to as “opt-out”). You can initially declare your objection using the settings in your browser, e.g. by deactivating the use of cookies (which can also limit the functionality of our online offer). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared using a variety of services, especially in the case of tracking, via the websites https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/ will. In addition, you can receive further objection notices as part of the information on the service providers and cookies used.

 

Processing of cookie data based on consent
Before we process or have data processed within the framework of the use of cookies, we ask the user to give their consent, which can be revoked at any time. Before consent has not been given, cookies may be used that are absolutely necessary for the operation of our online offer.

• Types of data processed: usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a. GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

 

Performance of tasks in accordance with the articles of article or the rules of procedure
We process the data of our members, supporters, interested parties, business partners or other persons (collectively “data subjects”) if we have a membership or other business relationship with them and perform our tasks and are recipients of services and benefits. Otherwise, we process the data of those affected on the basis of our legitimate interests, e.g. when it comes to administrative tasks or public relations work.
The data processed here, the type, scope and purpose and the necessity of their processing are determined by the underlying membership or contractual relationship, from which the necessity of any data information results (otherwise we refer to necessary data).
We delete data that is no longer required to fulfill our statutory and business purposes. This is determined according to the respective tasks and contractual relationships. We keep the data for as long as they can be relevant for business transactions, as well as with regard to any warranty or liability obligations based on our legitimate interest in their regulation. The necessity of storing the data is checked regularly; Otherwise, the statutory retention requirements apply.

• 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).
• Affected persons: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services), members, business and contractual partners.
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and customer service, contact requests and communication, administration and answering of requests.
• Legal basis: Fulfillment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b. GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

 

Provision of the online offer and web hosting
In order to be able to provide our online offer securely and efficiently, we use the services of one or more web hosting providers from whose servers (or servers managed by them) the online offer can be accessed. For these purposes, we may use infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services, as well as security services and technical maintenance services.
The data processed as part of the provision of the hosting offer may include all information relating to the users of our online offer that arises in the context of use and communication. This regularly includes the IP address, which is necessary in order to be able to deliver the content of online offers to browsers, and all entries made within our online offer or on websites.

• Types of data processed: 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).
• Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

 

Video conferences, online meetings, webinars and screen sharing
We use platforms and applications from other providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”) for the purpose of conducting video and audio conferences, webinars and other types of video and audio meetings. When selecting third-party providers and their services, we observe the legal requirements.
In this context, the data of the communication participants are processed and stored on the servers of third-party providers, insofar as these are part of communication processes with us. This data may include, in particular, registration and contact details, visual and vocal contributions, as well as entries in chats and shared screen content.
If users are referred to the third-party providers or their software or platforms as part of communication, business or other relationships with us, the third-party providers can process usage data and metadata for security purposes, service optimization or marketing purposes. We therefore ask you to observe the data protection notices of the respective third-party providers.

 

Notes on legal bases
If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers or certain functions (e.g. consent to the recording of conversations), the legal basis for processing is consent. Furthermore, their use can be part of our (pre)contractual services, provided that the use of third-party providers has been agreed in this context. Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests in efficient and secure communication with our communication partners. In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this data protection declaration.

 

Newsletter and electronic notifications
We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter “newsletters”) only with the consent of the recipient or legal permission. If the contents of the newsletter are specifically described when registering for the newsletter, they are decisive for the consent of the user. Our newsletter also contains information about our services and us.
In order to register for our newsletters, it is generally sufficient if you enter your e-mail address. However, we may ask you to provide a name so that we can address you personally in the newsletter, or other information if this is necessary for the purposes of the newsletter.

 

Double opt-in procedure
The registration for our newsletter takes place in a so-called double opt-in procedure. This means that after registration you will receive an e-mail in which you will be asked to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that nobody can register with someone else’s e-mail address. 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 storing the time of registration and confirmation as well as the IP address. Changes to your data stored by the shipping service provider are also logged.

 

Deletion and restriction of processing
We can store the unsubscribed e-mail addresses for up to three years on the basis of our legitimate interests before we delete them in order to be able to prove a previously given consent. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. An individual request for deletion is possible at any time, provided that the previous existence of consent is confirmed at the same time. In the case of obligations to permanently observe contradictions, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address in a block list (so-called “block list”) solely for this purpose.
The registration process is logged on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of proving that it was carried out properly. If we commission a service provider to send emails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure shipping system.
Notes on legal bases:
The newsletter is sent on the basis of the consent of the recipient or, if consent is not required, on the basis of our legitimate interests in direct marketing, if and to the extent that this is permitted by law, e.g. in the case of advertising for existing customers. If we commission a service provider to send emails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests. The registration process is recorded on the basis of our legitimate interests to demonstrate that it has been carried out in accordance with the law.
Content: Information about us, our services, promotions and offers.

 

Analysis and success measurement
The newsletters contain a so-called “web beacon”, ie a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from our server when the newsletter is opened or, if we use a shipping service provider, from their server. As part of this retrieval, technical information, such as information about the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and the time of retrieval, is initially collected.
This information is used to technically improve our newsletter based on the technical data or the target groups and their reading behavior based on their retrieval locations (which can be determined using the IP address) or the access times. This analysis also includes determining whether the newsletters are opened, when they are opened and which links are clicked. For technical reasons, this information can be assigned to the individual newsletter recipients. However, it is neither our aim nor, if used, that of the shipping service provider to monitor individual users. Rather, the evaluations serve us to recognize the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content to them or to send different content according to the interests of our users.
The evaluation of the newsletter and the measurement of success are carried out, subject to the express consent of the user, on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of using a user-friendly and secure newsletter system, which serves both our business interests and meets the expectations of the users.
Unfortunately, a separate revocation of the performance measurement is not possible. In this case, the entire newsletter subscription must be canceled or objected to.

• 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).
• Affected persons: communication partners.
• Purposes of processing: direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a. GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR).
• Possibility of objection (opt-out): You can cancel the receipt of our newsletter at any time, ie 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.

 

Services and service providers used
Mailchimp: email marketing platform; Service Provider: “Mailchimp” – Rocket Science Group, LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE #5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA; Website: https://mailchimp.com; Privacy Policy: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/.

 

Web analysis, monitoring and optimization
The web analysis (also referred to as “reach measurement”) serves to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offer and can include behavior, interests or demographic information about the visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of the range analysis, we can, for example, identify at what time our online offer or its functions or content are used most frequently or invite people to use them again. We can also understand which areas need optimization.
In addition to web analysis, we can also use test procedures, for example to test and optimize different versions of our online offering or its components.
For these purposes, so-called user profiles can be created and stored in a file (so-called “cookie”) or similar processes can be used for the same purpose. This information can include, for example, content viewed, websites visited and elements used there and technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, this can also be processed depending on the provider.
The IP addresses of the users are also saved. However, we use an IP masking process (ie pseudonymization by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (e.g. e-mail addresses or names) are stored in the context of web analysis, A/B testing and optimization, but pseudonyms. This means that we and 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 process.

 

Notes on legal bases
If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (ie interest in efficient, economical and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to draw your attention to the information on the use of cookies in this data protection declaration.

• Types of data processed: usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: range measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors), tracking (e.g. interest/behavioral profiling, use of cookies), conversion measurement (measurement of the effectiveness of marketing measures), profiling (creating user profiles).
• Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. a. GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR).
• Services and service providers used:
• Google Analytics: range measurement and web analysis; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.

 

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 the users active there or to offer information about us.
We would like to point out that user data can be processed outside of the European Union. This can result in risks for the user, because it could make it more difficult to enforce the user’s rights, for example.
Furthermore, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles can be created on the basis of usage behavior and the resulting interests of users. The usage profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements inside and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the user. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the users’ computers, in which the usage behavior and the interests of the users are stored. Furthermore, data can also be stored in the usage profiles independently of the devices used by the users (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).
For a detailed description of the respective forms of processing and the possibility of objection (opt-out), we refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.
Also in the case of requests for information and the assertion of data subject rights, we would like to point out that these can be asserted most effectively with the providers. Only the providers have access to the data of the users and can take appropriate measures and provide information directly. If you still need help, you can contact us.

• 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).
• Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication, tracking (e.g. interest/behavioral profiling, use of cookies), remarketing.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f. GDPR).

 

Services and service providers used:
LinkedIn: social network; Service Provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Opt-out option: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.

 

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”). This can be, for example, graphics, videos or social media buttons as well as posts (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “content”).
The integration always presupposes that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, since without the IP address they could not send the content to their browser. The IP address is therefore required for the display of this content or functions. We endeavor to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. Third-party providers can 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 evaluate information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information can also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and the operating system, websites to be referred to, the time of the visit and other information on the use of our online offer and can also be linked to such information from other sources.

 

Notes on legal bases
If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (ie interest in efficient, economical and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to draw your attention to the information on the use of cookies in this data protection declaration.

• Types of data processed: usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times), meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Affected persons: users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.