Privacy policy

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 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: 12 January 2022

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Responsible
• Overview of the processing
• Relevant legal bases
• Security measures
• Transmission of personal data
• Data processing in third countries
• Data deletion
• Use of cookies
• Provision of the online offer and web hosting
• Blogs and publication media
• Contact and enquiry management
• Web analysis, monitoring and optimisation
• Online marketing
• Affiliate programmes and affiliate links
• Customer reviews and rating procedures
• Plugins and embedded functions and content
• Amendment and update of the privacy policy
• Rights of the data subjects
• Definitions of terms

Responsible

E-mail address:

info@crowdgrower.eu

Imprint:

https://crowdgrower.eu/en/imprint/

Overview of data processing

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.
• Contact details.
• Content data.
• Contract data.
• Usage data.
• Meta/communication data.

Categories of persons concerned

• Customers.
• Communication partners.
• Users.

Purposes of data processing

• Provision of contractual services and customer service.
• Contact requests and communication.
• Security measures.
• Coverage measurement.
• Affiliate tracking.
• Managing and responding to requests.
• Feedback.
• Marketing.
• Profiles with user-related information.
• Provision of our online offer and user friendliness.

Relevant legal bases

Below you will find an overview of the legal basis of the German Data Protection Regulation (DSGVO) on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the DSGVO, 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 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO) – The data subject has given consent to the processing of personal data relating to him or her for a specific purpose or purposes.
• Contract fulfilment and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. DSGVO) – The processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures taken at the data subject’s request.
• Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. 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 of a third party, except where 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 (German 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 to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the implementation costs and the nature, 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.

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 the access, entry, disclosure, assurance of availability 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.

Transmission of personal data

In the course of our processing of personal data, the data may be transferred to or disclosed to other bodies, companies, legally independent organisational units or persons. 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 observe the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude corresponding contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.

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 allow data to be 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).

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 required 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 privacy notices may also contain further information on the retention and deletion of data, which will take precedence 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 also be used for various purposes, e.g. for the purpose 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 the law. 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, i.e. including cookies, is absolutely necessary in order to provide a telemedia service (i.e. our online offer) expressly requested by the users. The revocable consent is clearly communicated to the users and contains the information on the respective cookie use.

Notes on the legal basis for data protection: The legal basis under data protection law on which we process users’ personal data with the help of 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. We explain the purposes for which we process cookies in the course of this data protection declaration or as part of our consent and processing procedures.

Storage period: With regard to the storage period, 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 their end device (e.g. browser or mobile app).
• Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the terminal 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 consent they have given at any time and also object to the processing in accordance with the legal requirements in Art. 21 DSGVO (further information on the objection is provided within the scope of this privacy policy). Users can also declare their objection using the settings of their browser.

Cookie settings and objection option:

Customize cookies (Opt-out possible)

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Processing of cookie data on the basis of consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure in which the consent of users to the use of cookies, or the processing and providers named in the cookie consent management procedure, can be obtained and managed and revoked by the 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) and the browser, system and end device used.
• BorlabsCookie: Cookie consent management; Service provider: Borlabs; Website: https://borlabs.io/borlabs-cookie/; Further information: An individual user ID, language as well as types of consent and the time of their submission are stored on the server side and in the cookie on the user’s device.

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

In order 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.

This includes information that accrues in the course of use and communication. This regularly includes the IP address, which is necessary to be able to deliver the contents of online offers to browsers, and all entries made within our online offer or from 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).
• Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of the processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
• Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Email sending and hosting: The web hosting services we use also include the sending, receiving and storing 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.
• Collection of access data and log files: We ourselves (or our web hosting provider) collect data on every access to the server (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 the access, the amount 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 on the one hand for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the servers (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and on the other hand to ensure the utilisation of the servers and their stability; deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymised. Data whose further storage is required for evidentiary purposes is exempt from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified.
• WEBGO: Services in the field of the provision of information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacities); Service provider: webgo GmbH, Heidenkampsweg 81, 20097 Hamburg, Germany; Website: https://www.webgo.de/; Privacy Policy: https://www.webgo.de/datenschutz/; Data processing contract: concluded with 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).
• Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of the processing: Providing contractual services and customer service; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); security measures; managing and responding to enquiries.
• Legal bases: Contract performance 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:

• Comments and contributions: When users leave comments or other posts, their IP addresses may be stored based on our legitimate interests. This is done for our security in case someone leaves unlawful content in comments and posts (insults, forbidden political propaganda, etc.). In this case, we ourselves can be prosecuted for the comment or post and are therefore interested in the identity of the author. Furthermore, we reserve the right, on the basis of our legitimate interests, to process users’ details for the purpose of spam detection. On the same legal basis, we reserve the right to store the IP addresses of users for the duration of surveys and to use cookies in order to avoid multiple voting. The personal information provided in the context of comments and contributions, any contact and website information as well as the content-related information will be permanently stored by us until the user objects.
• Antispam Bee anti-spam check: We use the service “Antispam Bee” based on our legitimate interests. With the help of Antispam Bee, comments from real people are distinguished from spam comments. This is an open source software. To our knowledge, Antispam Bee does not store any user data. The plugin is therefore DSGVO-compliant, as no personal data is transmitted. Users are welcome to use pseudonyms or to refrain from entering their name or email address. They can prevent the transmission of data completely by not using our commenting system. That would be a shame, but unfortunately we don’t see any alternatives that work just as effectively.
• UpdraftPlus: Backup software and backup storage; Service provider: Simba Hosting Ltd., 11, Barringer Way, St. Neots, Cambs., PE19 1LW, GB; Website: https://updraftplus.com/; Privacy Policy: https://updraftplus.com/data-protection-and-privacy-centre/.

Contact and enquiry management

When contacting us (e.g. by contact form, e-mail, 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 enquiries as well as the administration of contact and enquiry data within the framework of contractual or pre-contractual relationships is carried out in order to fulfil our contractual obligations or to answer (pre)contractual enquiries and, moreover, on the basis of the legitimate interests in answering enquiries and maintaining user or business relationships.

• 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).
• Persons concerned: Communication partners.
• Purposes of the processing: Contact requests and communication; provision of contractual services and customer service.
• Legal bases: Contract performance and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b. DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO); Legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. c. 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 for the purpose of processing 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.

Web analysis, monitoring and optimisation

Web analytics (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 recognise, for example, at what time our online offer or its functions or contents 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 testing procedures, e.g. to test and optimise different versions of our online offer or its components.

Users can revoke the consent they have given at any time and also object to the processing in accordance with the legal requirements in Art. 21 DSGVO (further information on the objection is provided within the scope of this privacy policy). 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 purpose of the respective procedures.

Notes on legal bases: Where we ask users to consent to the use of 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: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of the processing: Reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
• Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymisation of the IP address).
• Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Google Analytics: Web analytics, reach measurement and measurement of user flows; service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further informationen: Types of processing and data processed: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices; Data processing terms and conditions for Google advertising products and standard contractual clauses for third country transfers of data: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms.
• Google Tag Manager: This website uses the Google Tag Manager. Through this service, website tags can be managed via an interface. The Google Tool Manager only implements tags. This means that no cookies are used and no personal data is collected. The Google Tool Manager triggers other tags, which in turn may collect data. However, the Google Tag Manager does not access this data. If a deactivation has been made at domain or cookie level, it remains in place for all tracking tags, insofar as these are implemented with the Google Tag Manager.
• Scalable central measurement procedure (VG Wort): VG Wort / Scalable Central Measurement Procedure – We use “session cookies” from VG Wort, Munich, to measure access to texts in order to record the probability of copying. Session cookies are small units of information that a provider stores in the RAM of the visitor’s computer. A randomly generated unique identification number, a so-called session ID, is stored in a session cookie. In addition, a cookie contains information about its origin and the storage period. Session cookies cannot store any other data. These measurements are carried out by Kantar Germany GmbH according to the Scalable Central Measurement Method (SZM). They help to determine the copy probability of individual texts for the remuneration of legal claims of authors and publishers. We do not collect any personal data via cookies. The Scalable Centralised Measurement Procedure collects anonymous measurement values. The access count measurement alternatively uses a session cookie or a signature created from various automatically transmitted information from your browser to recognise computer systems. IP addresses are only processed in anonymised form. The procedure was developed with due regard for data protection. The sole aim of the procedure is to determine the copying probability of individual texts. At no time are individual users identified. Your identity always remains protected. You will not receive any advertising via the system; Service provider: Verwertungsgesellschaft WORT (VG WORT), Untere Weidenstraße 5, 81543 Munich, Germany; Website: https://www.vgwort.de; Privacy policy: https://www.vgwort.de/hilfsseiten/datenschutz.html.

Online marketing

We process personal data for online marketing purposes, which may include, in particular, marketing advertising space or displaying promotional and other content (collectively, “content”) based on users’ potential interests and measuring 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 for 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 the 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 scope 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 later generally also be read 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 may be associated with the profiles. This is the case if, for example, the users are members of a social network whose online marketing procedures we use and the network links the users’ profiles with the aforementioned data. We ask you to note that users can make 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 methods 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.

Notes on legal bases: Where we ask users to consent to the use of 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: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
• Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of the processing: Marketing; profiles with user-related information (creating user profiles).
• Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymisation of the IP address).
• Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).
• Possibility of objection (Opt-Out): We refer to the data protection notices of the respective providers and the objection options (so-called “opt-out”) given for the providers. 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 areas: a) Europe: https://www.youronlinechoices.eu. b) Canada: https://www.youradchoices.ca/choices. c) USA: https://www.aboutads.info/choices. d) Cross-territorial: https://optout.aboutads.info.

processing procedures, methods and services:

• Google Adsense with personalised ads: We use the Google Adsense service with personalised advertisements, with the help of which advertisements 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; 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; Data processing conditions for Google advertising products: Information on services Data processing conditions between 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 advertisements, with the help of which advertisements 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; Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Further informationen: 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.

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 the 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 is cancelled as soon as it is no longer necessary for the purpose.

For the purposes of the aforementioned assignment of the affiliate links, the affiliate links can be supplemented by certain values that are a component of the link or can be stored otherwise, 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.

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the processing of data is consent. Furthermore, their use may be a component of our (pre-)contractual services, provided that the use of the third-party providers has been agreed within this framework. Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economical 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).
• Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of the processing: Affiliate tracking.
• Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO); Contract performance 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:

• Amazon Affiliate Program: Affiliate Partner Program (Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or one of its affiliates); Service provider: Amazon Europe Core S.à.r.l., Amazon EU S.à.r.l, Amazon Services Europe S.à.r.l. and Amazon Media EU S.à.r.l., all four resident in 38, avenue John F. Kennedy, L-1855 Luxemburg, as well as Amazon Instant Video Germany GmbH, Domagkstr. 28, 80807 Munich (together “Amazon Europe”), parent company: Amazon.com, Inc., 2021 Seventh Ave, Seattle, Washington 98121, USA; Website: https://www.amazon.de; Privacy Policy: https://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201909010.

Other partner programmes / advertisers

Other affiliate programmes and advertisers are used, but they do not set cookies here on the website. When clicking on affiliate links/advertising links, you will be redirected to the respective providers and the terms and conditions and data processing guidelines of the respective providers apply there.

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 evaluation 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).
• Persons concerned: Customers; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of the processing: Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); marketing.
• Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO); Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Rating widget: We integrate so-called “rating widgets” into our online offer. A widget is a functional and content element integrated into our online offer that displays variable information. It can be displayed, for example, in the form of a seal or comparable element, sometimes also called a “badge”. In this case, the corresponding content of the widget is displayed within our online offer, but it is retrieved at that moment from the servers of the respective widget provider. This is the only way to always show the current content, especially the current rating. For this purpose, a data connection must be established from the website called up within our online offer to the server of the widget provider and the widget provider receives certain technical data (access data, including IP address) which are necessary so that the content of the widget can be delivered to the user’s browser. Furthermore, the widget provider receives information that users have visited our online offer. This information may be stored in a cookie and used by the widget provider to identify which online services participating in the evaluation process have been visited by the user. The information may be stored in a user profile and used for advertising or market research purposes.

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 display of this content or function. 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 offering, as well as being linked to such information from other sources.

Notes on legal bases: Where we ask users to consent to the use of 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: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
• Persons concerned: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of the processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; provision of contractual services and customer service; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form).
• Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO); Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO).

Further guidance on processing operations, procedures 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). 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.
• Google Fonts: We integrate the fonts (“Google Fonts”) of the provider Google, whereby the user’s data is used solely for the purpose of displaying the fonts in the user’s browser. The integration is based on our legitimate interests in a technically secure, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts, their uniform presentation and taking into account possible licensing restrictions for their integration; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Irland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Website: https://fonts.google.com/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
• Shariff: We use the privacy-safe “Shariff” buttons. “Shariff” was developed to enable more privacy on the net and to replace the usual “share” buttons of social networks. In this process, it is not the user’s browser but the server on which this online offer is located that establishes a connection with the server of the respective social media platforms and queries, for example, the number of likes. The user remains anonymous. More information on the Shariff project can be found at the developers of the magazine c’t: https://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Shariff-Social-Media-Buttons-mit-Datenschutz-2467514.html; Service provider: Heise Medien GmbH & Co. KG, Karl-Wiechert-Allee 10, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Website: https://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Shariff-Social-Media-Buttons-mit-Datenschutz-2467514.html; Privacy policy: https://www.heise.de/Datenschutzerklaerung-der-Heise-Medien-GmbH-Co-KG-4860.html.

Amendment and update of 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.

Rights of the data subjects

As a data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Art. 15 to 21 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 Article 6(1)(e) or (f) DSGVO; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you are 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 of withdrawal for consents: You have the right to revoke any consent you have 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 of rectification: In accordance with the legal requirements, you have the right to request that the data concerning you be completed or that the incorrect data concerning you be corrected.
• Right to erasure and restriction of processing: In accordance with the statutory provisions, you have the right to demand that data relating to you be deleted immediately or, alternatively, to demand restriction of the processing of the data in accordance with the statutory provisions.
• Right to data portability: You have the right to receive data relating to you that you have provided to us in a structured, common and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements, or to request that it be transferred to another person responsible.
• Complaint to 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 the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the requirements of the DSGVO.

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 above all in Art. 4 of the DSGVO. 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: Within the framework of affiliate tracking, links are logged with the help of which the linking websites refer users to websites with product or other offers. The operators of the respective linking websites can 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.
• 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 “profiling” for short, includes any type of automated processing of personal data that consists of using these personal data to analyse, evaluate or 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.
• Coverage measurement: Coverage measurement (also referred to as web analytics) is used to evaluate the visitor flows of an online offer and can include the behaviour or interests of visitors 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 the purposes of reach analysis, 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.
• Responsible: “Responsible” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
• 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 covers virtually any handling of data, be it collection, analysis, storage, transmission or erasure.