Privacy Policy

Business services

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

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

We inform the contractual partners which data is required for the aforementioned purposes before or as part of the data collection, e.g. in online forms, by special marking (e.g. colors) or symbols (e.g. asterisks or similar), or personally.

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

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

• Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, duration, customer category); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Data subjects: Customers; interested parties; business and contractual partners.
  Pupils/ students/ participants.
• Purposes of Processing: Provision of contractual services and performance of contractual obligations; Security measures; Contact requests and communication; Office and organizational procedures.
  Managing and responding to requests.
• Legal basis: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art.
  6 para.
  1 sentence 1 lit.
  b) GDPR); Legal obligation (Art.
  6 para.
  1 p. 1 lit.
  c) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Customer account: Customers can create an account within our online offer (e.g. customer or user account, “customer account” for short).
  If it is necessary to register a customer account, customers will be informed of this and of the information required for registration.
  Customer accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines.
  As part of the registration process and subsequent logins and use of the customer account, we store the IP addresses of customers together with the access times in order to be able to prove registration and prevent any misuse of the customer account.
  If the customer account has been terminated, the customer account data will be deleted after the termination date, unless it is stored for purposes other than provision in the customer account or must be stored for legal reasons (e.g. internal storage of customer data, order processes or invoices).
  It is the customer’s responsibility to back up their data when the customer account is terminated; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
• Education and training services: We process the data of participants in our education and training services (uniformly referred to as “trainees”) in order to be able to provide them with our training services.
  The data processed in this context, the type, scope, purpose and necessity of its processing are determined by the underlying contractual and training relationship.
  The forms of processing also include the performance assessment and evaluation of our services and those of our instructors.
  As part of our activities, we may also process special categories of data, in particular information on the health of trainees and students as well as data revealing ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs.
  Where necessary, we obtain the express consent of the trainees for this purpose and otherwise only process the special categories of data if it is necessary for the provision of training services, for the purposes of health care, social protection or the protection of vital interests of the trainees; legal basis: fulfillment of the contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Use of online platforms for offer and sales purposes

We offer our services on online platforms that are operated by other service providers.
In this context, the data protection notices of the respective platforms apply in addition to our data protection notices.
This applies in particular with regard to the execution of the payment process and the procedures used on the platforms to measure reach and for interest-based marketing.

• Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, duration, customer category); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Persons affected: Customers.
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
  Marketing.
• Legal bases: Fulfilment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
  Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Apple App Store: App and software sales platform; Service provider: Apple Inc, Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https: //www.apple.com/de/ios/app-store/. Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/de-ww/.
• Google Play: App and software sales platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://play.google.com/store/apps?hl=de. Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Providers and services used in the course of business activities

As part of our business activities, we use additional services, platforms, interfaces or plug-ins from third-party providers (“services” for short) in compliance with legal requirements.
Their use is based on our interests in the proper, lawful and economic management of our business operations and our internal organization.

• Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
  Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category).
• Data subjects: Customers; interested parties; users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  Business and contractual partners.
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
  Office and organizational procedures.
• Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).
  Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Firebase: Google Firebase is a platform for developers of applications (“apps” for short) for mobile devices and websites.
  Google Firebase offers a variety of functions for testing apps, monitoring their functionality and optimizing them (which are presented on the following overview page: https://firebase.google.com/products).
  The functions include the storage of apps including personal data of the application users, such as content created by them or information regarding their interaction with the apps (so-called “cloud computing”).
  Google Firebase also offers interfaces that allow interaction between app users and other services, e.g. authentication using services such as Facebook, Twitter or an email/password combination.
  Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR); Website: https://firebase.google.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy. Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

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

• Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
  Content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.)). Security measures.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offering is logged in the form of so-called “server log files”.
  The server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, date and time of access, data volumes transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider.
  The server log files may be used for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the servers (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and to ensure the utilization of the servers and their stability; legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR). Deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized.
  Data whose further storage is required for evidentiary purposes is excluded from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified.
• Hetzner: services in the field of the provision of information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacity); service provider: Hetzner Online GmbH, Industriestr.
  25, 91710 Gunzenhausen, Germany; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.hetzner.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.hetzner.com/de/rechtliches/datenschutz. Data processing agreement: https://docs.hetzner.com/de/general/general-terms-and-conditions/data-privacy-faq/.
• WordPress.com: Hosting and software for the creation, provision and operation of websites, blogs and other online offers; Service provider: Aut O’Mattic A8C Ireland Ltd, Grand Canal Dock, 25 Herbert Pl, Dublin, D02 AY86, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://wordpress.com; Privacy Policy: https://automattic.com/de/privacy/; Data processing agreement: https://wordpress.com/support/data-processing-agreements/. Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

Special notes on applications (apps)

We process the data of users of our application to the extent necessary to provide users with the application and its functionalities, to monitor its security and to develop it further.
We may also contact users in compliance with legal requirements if communication is necessary for the purposes of administration or use of the application.
Otherwise, we refer to the data protection information in this privacy policy with regard to the processing of user data.

Legal basis: The processing of data required to provide the functionalities of the application serves to fulfill contractual obligations.
This also applies if the provision of the functions requires user authorization (e.g. release of device functions).
If the processing of data is not necessary for the provision of the functionalities of the application, but serves the security of the application or our business interests (e.g. collection of data for the purpose of optimizing the application or security purposes), it is carried out on the basis of our legitimate interests.
If users are expressly asked for their consent to the processing of their data, the data covered by the consent is processed on the basis of the consent.

• Processed data types: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history).
  Contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, term, customer category).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para.
  1 sentence 1 lit.
  a) GDPR); contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art.
  6 para.
  1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Commercial use: We process the data of the users of our application, registered users and any test users (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “users”) in order to be able to provide them with our contractual services and on the basis of legitimate interests in order to ensure the security of our application and to be able to develop it further.
  The required information is identified as such in the context of the conclusion of the usage, order, purchase order or comparable contract and may include the information required for the provision of services and for any billing as well as contact information in order to be able to hold any consultations; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
• Device authorizations for access to functions and data: The use of our application or its functionalities may require user authorizations for access to certain functions of the devices used or to the data stored on the devices or accessible with the help of the devices.
  By default, these authorizations must be granted by the users and can be revoked at any time in the settings of the respective devices.
  The exact procedure for controlling app permissions may depend on the user’s device and software.
  Users can contact us if they require clarification.
  We would like to point out that the denial or revocation of the respective authorizations may affect the functionality of our application.
• No location history and no movement profiles: The location data is only used selectively and is not processed to create a location history or a movement profile of the devices used or their users.

Obtaining applications via app stores

Our application is obtained via special online platforms operated by other service providers (so-called “app stores”).
In this context, the data protection notices of the respective app stores apply in addition to our data protection notices.
This applies in particular with regard to the procedures used on the platforms to measure reach and interest-based marketing as well as any obligation to pay costs.

• Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); payment data (e.g. bank details, invoices, payment history); contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); contract data (e.g. subject matter of the contract, duration, customer category); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
  Content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
• Persons affected: Customers.
  Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
  Marketing.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Apple App Store: App and software sales platform; Service provider: Apple Inc, Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https: //www.apple.com/de/ios/app-store/. Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/de-ww/.
• Google Play: App and software sales platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://play.google.com/store/apps?hl=de. Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Registration, login and user account

Users can create a user account.
As part of the registration process, users are provided with the required mandatory information and processed for the purpose of providing the user account on the basis of contractual obligations.
The processed data includes in particular the login information (user name, password and an e-mail address).

As part of the use of our registration and login functions and the use of the user account, we store the IP address and the time of the respective user action.
The storage is based on our legitimate interests as well as those of the users in protection against misuse and other unauthorized use.
This data is not passed on to third parties unless it is necessary to pursue our claims or there is a legal obligation to do so.

Users can be informed by e-mail about processes that are relevant to their user account, such as technical changes.

• Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; security measures; managing and responding to inquiries.
  Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
• Legal bases: Fulfilment of contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
  Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Registration with pseudonyms: Users may use pseudonyms as usernames instead of real names; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
• User profiles are not public: User profiles are not visible or accessible to the public.
• Deletion of data after termination: If users have terminated their user account, their data will be deleted with regard to the user account, subject to a legal permission, obligation or consent of the users; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Community functions

The community functions provided by us allow users to enter into conversations or otherwise exchange information with each other.
Please note that the use of the community functions is only permitted in compliance with the applicable legal situation, our terms and conditions and guidelines as well as the rights of other users and third parties.

• Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations. Safety measures.
• Legal basis: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Right to delete content and information: The deletion of posts, content or information provided by users is permitted to the extent necessary after proper consideration if there are concrete indications that they constitute a violation of legal regulations, our specifications or the rights of third parties; legal basis: contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).
• Protection of personal data: Users decide for themselves what data they disclose about themselves within our online offering.
  For example, when users provide information about themselves or participate in conversations.
  We ask users to protect their data and only publish personal data with caution and only to the extent necessary.
  In particular, we ask users to take special care to protect their access data and to use secure passwords (i.e. above all, combinations of characters that are as long and random as possible); legal basis: performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Single sign-on login

Single sign-on” or “single sign-on registration or authentication” refers to procedures that allow users to log in to a provider of single sign-on procedures (e.g. a social network), including our online offering, with the help of a user account.
The prerequisite for single sign-on authentication is that users are registered with the respective single sign-on provider and enter the required access data in the online form provided for this purpose, or are already registered with the single sign-on provider and confirm the single sign-on registration via a button.

Authentication takes place directly with the respective single sign-on provider.
As part of such authentication, we receive a user ID with the information that the user is logged in to the respective single sign-on provider under this user ID and an ID that cannot be used by us for other purposes (so-called “user handle”).
Whether additional data is transmitted to us depends solely on the single sign-on procedure used, on the data releases selected during authentication and also on which data users have released in the privacy or other settings of the user account with the single sign-on provider.
Depending on the single sign-on provider and the user’s choice, it can be different data, usually the e-mail address and the user name.
The password entered with the single sign-on provider as part of the single sign-on procedure is neither visible to us nor is it stored by us.

Users are asked to note that their details stored with us can be automatically compared with their user account with the single sign-on provider, but that this is not always possible or actually takes place.
If, for example, users’ e-mail addresses change, they must change them manually in their user account with us.

If agreed with the users, we can use single sign-on registration in the context of or before the fulfillment of the contract, insofar as the users have been asked to do so, process it within the scope of consent and otherwise use it on the basis of our legitimate interests and the interests of the users in an effective and secure registration system.

Should users ever decide that they no longer wish to use the link to their user account with the single sign-on provider for the single sign-on procedure, they must cancel this link within their user account with the single sign-on provider.
If users wish to delete their data with us, they must cancel their registration with us.

• Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; security measures.
  Registration procedure.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Apple Single-Sign-On: Authentication service; Service provider: Apple Inc, Infinite Loop, Cupertino, CA 95014, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.apple.com/de/. Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/de-ww/.
• Auth0: Authentication service; Service provider: Auth0, Inc, 10800 NE 8th Street, Suite 700, Bellevue, WA 98004, USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://auth0.com/de; Privacy Policy: https://auth0.com/privacy/. Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
• Google Single Sign-On: Authentication service; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.google.de; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Possibility of objection (opt-out): Settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
• Microsoft Single-Sign-On: Authentication service; Service provider: Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, One Microsoft Place, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, Ireland, parent company: Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/security/business/identity-access-management/single-sign-on; Privacy Policy: https://privacy.microsoft.com/de-de/privacystatement; Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Further information: https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/trustcenter.

Blogs and publication media

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

• Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; security measures.
  Managing and responding to inquiries.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Comments and contributions: When users leave comments or other contributions, their IP addresses may be stored on the basis of our legitimate interests.
  This is done for our security in case someone leaves illegal content in comments and posts (insults, prohibited political propaganda, etc.).
  In this case, we ourselves may be prosecuted for the comment or post and are therefore interested in the identity of the author. we also reserve the right to process users’ details on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of spam detection. on the same legal basis, we reserve the right to store users’ IP addresses for the duration of surveys and to use cookies in order to avoid multiple votes.

  The personal information provided in the context of comments and contributions, any contact and website information as well as the content information will be stored permanently by us until the user objects;
  Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Contact and inquiry management

When contacting us (e.g. by post, contact form, email, telephone or via social media) and in the context of existing user and business relationships, the data of the inquiring persons will be processed to the extent necessary to answer the contact requests and any requested measures.

• Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Affected persons: Communication partner.
• Purposes of Processing: Contact requests and communication; Managing and responding to inquiries; Feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form).
  Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Chatbots and chat functions

We offer online chats and chatbot functions (collectively referred to as “chat services”) as a means of communication.
A chat is an online conversation conducted with a certain degree of timeliness.
A chatbot is software that answers users’ questions or informs them about messages.
If you use our chat functions, we may process your personal data.

If you use our chat services within an online platform, your identification number will also be stored within the respective platform.
We may also collect information about which users interact with our chat services and when.
Furthermore, we store the content of your conversations via the chat services and log registration and consent processes in order to be able to prove these in accordance with legal requirements.

We would like to point out to users that the respective platform provider may find out that and when users communicate with our chat services and may collect technical information about the user’s device and, depending on the settings of their device, location information (so-called metadata) for the purpose of optimizing the respective services and for security purposes.
Likewise, the metadata of communication via chat services (i.e., e.g., information about who has communicated with whom) may be used by the respective platform providers for marketing purposes or to display advertising tailored to users in accordance with their provisions, to which we refer for further information.

If users declare their willingness to a chatbot to activate information with regular messages, they have the option to unsubscribe from the information for the future at any time.
The chatbot informs users how and with which terms they can unsubscribe from the messages.
By unsubscribing from the chatbot messages, user data is deleted from the list of message recipients.

We use the aforementioned data to operate our chat services, e.g. to address users personally, to answer their queries, to transmit any requested content and also to improve our chat services (e.g. to “teach” chatbots answers to frequently asked questions or to recognize unanswered queries).

Notes on legal bases: We use the chat services on the basis of consent if we have previously obtained permission from users to process their data as part of our chat services (this applies to cases in which users are asked for consent, e.g. so that a chatbot can send them regular messages).
If we use chat services to answer users’ inquiries about our services or our company, this is done for contractual and pre-contractual communication.
Otherwise, we use chat services on the basis of our legitimate interests in optimizing the chat services, their cost-effectiveness and enhancing the positive user experience.

Revocation, objection and deletion: You can revoke your consent or object to the processing of your data in the context of our chat services at any time.

• Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Affected persons: Communication partner.
• Purposes of processing: Contact requests and communication.
  Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para.
  1 sentence 1 lit.
  a) GDPR); contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art.
  6 para.
  1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• OpenAI: Interface access (so-called “API”) to AI-based services designed to understand and generate natural language and related input and data, analyze information and make predictions (“AI”, i.e. “artificial intelligence”, is to be understood in the applicable legal sense of the term); Service provider: OpenAI OpCo, LLC, 3180 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94110 USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://openai.com/product; Privacy Policy: https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy; Data processing agreement: https://openai.com/policies/data-processing-addendum; Basis for transfer to third countries: Standard Contractual Clauses(https://openai.com/policies/data-processing-addendum). Option to object (opt-out): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevgtKyiSWIOj6CV6XWBHl1daPZSOcIWzcUYUXQ1xttjBgDpA/viewform.

Push messages

With the user’s consent, we can send users so-called “push notifications”.
These are messages that are displayed on users’ screens, end devices or browsers, even if our online service is not currently being actively used.

In order to register for the push messages, users must confirm the request from their browser or end device to receive the push messages.
This consent process is documented and saved.
The storage is necessary to recognize whether users have agreed to receive the push messages and to be able to prove their consent.
For these purposes, a pseudonymous identifier of the browser (so-called “push token”) or the device ID of an end device is stored.

The push notifications may be necessary for the fulfilment of contractual obligations (e.g. technical and organizational information relevant to the use of our online offer) and are otherwise sent on the basis of the user’s consent, unless specifically mentioned below.
Users can change the receipt of push messages at any time using the notification settings of their respective browsers or end devices.

• Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times). Meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Data subjects: Communication partners.
• Purposes of processing: Provision of our online services and user-friendliness.
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR). Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b) GDPR).

Cloud services

We use software services accessible via the Internet and running on the servers of their providers (so-called “cloud services”, also referred to as “software as a service”) for the storage and management of content (e.g. document storage and management, exchange of documents, content and information with specific recipients or publication of content and information).

In this context, personal data may be processed and stored on the provider’s servers if they are part of communication processes with us or are otherwise processed by us as set out in this privacy policy.
This data may include, in particular, master data and contact data of users, data on transactions, contracts, other processes and their content.
Cloud service providers also process usage data and metadata that they use for security purposes and to optimize their services.

If we use cloud services to provide other users or publicly accessible websites with forms or other documents and content, the providers may store cookies on users’ devices for the purposes of web analysis or to remember user settings (e.g. in the case of media control).

• Processed data types: Inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Affected persons: Customers; employees (e.g. employees, applicants, former employees); interested parties.
  Communication partners.
• Purposes of processing: Office and organizational procedures. Information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical equipment (computers, servers, etc.)).
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Google Cloud services: Cloud infrastructure services and cloud-based application software; Service provider: Google Cloud EMEA Limited, 70 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://cloud.google.com/; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Data processing agreement: https://cloud.google.com/terms/data-processing-addendum; Basis for third country transfers: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses(https://cloud.google.com/terms/eu-model-contract-clause). Further information: https://cloud.google.com/privacy.

Web analysis, monitoring and optimization

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

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

Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, i.e. data summarized for a usage process, can be created for these purposes and information can be stored in a browser or in an end device and read out from it.
The information collected includes, in particular, websites visited and the 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 consented 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 users are also stored.
However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e. pseudonymization 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 optimization, but pseudonyms.
This means that neither we nor the providers of the software used know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purposes of the respective processes.

• Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times). Meta, communication and procedural data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors). Profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
• Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
• Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Firebase: Google Firebase is a platform for developers of applications (“apps” for short) for mobile devices and websites.
  Google Firebase offers a variety of functions for testing apps, monitoring their functionality and optimizing them (which are presented on the following overview page: https://firebase.google.com/products).
  The functions include the storage of apps including personal data of the application users, such as content created by them or information regarding their interaction with the apps (so-called “cloud computing”).
  Google Firebase also offers interfaces that allow interaction between app users and other services, e.g. authentication using services such as Facebook, Twitter or an email/password combination.
  Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR); Website: https://firebase.google.com; Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy. Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF).

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 may be processed outside the European Union.
This may result in risks for users because, for example, it could make it more difficult to enforce users’ rights.

Furthermore, user data within social networks is generally processed for market research and advertising purposes.
For example, user profiles can be created based on user behavior and the resulting interests of users.
The user profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the users.
For these purposes, cookies are generally stored on the user’s computer, in which the user’s usage behavior and interests are stored.
Furthermore, data can also be stored in the user 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 opt-out options, please refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

In the case of requests for information and the assertion of data subject rights, we would also like to point out that these can be asserted most effectively with the providers.
Only the providers have access to the users’ data and can take appropriate measures and provide information directly.
If you still need help, you can contact us.

• Processed data types: Contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers); Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Contact requests and communication; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form).
  Marketing.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• Instagram: Social network; Service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.instagram.com. Privacy Policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy.
• Facebook pages: Profiles within the Facebook social network – We are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection (but not the further processing) of data from visitors to our Facebook page (known as a “fan page”).
  This data includes information about the types of content that users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see “Things you and others do and provide” in the Facebook Data Policy : https://www.facebook.com/policy), as well as information about the devices used by users (e.g. IP addresses, operating system).
  e.g. IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under “Device information” in the Facebook Data Policy : https://www.facebook.com/policy).
  As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under “How do we use this information?”, Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, known as “Page Insights”, for page operators to help them understand how people interact with their pages and the content associated with them.
  We have concluded a special agreement with Facebook (“Information on Page Insights”, https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which regulates in particular which security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfill the rights of data subjects (i.e. users can, for example, send information or deletion requests directly to Facebook).
  The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook.
  Further information can be found in the “Information on Page Insights”(https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data); service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses(https://www.facebook.com/legal/EU_data_transfer_addendum). Further information: Agreement on joint controllership: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data.
  The joint controllership is limited to the collection by and transfer of data to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, a company based in the EU.
  The further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which in particular concerns the transfer of data to the parent company Meta Platforms, Inc.
  in the USA (on the basis of the standard contractual clauses concluded between Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Meta Platforms, Inc.)
• LinkedIn: Social network; Service provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Data processing agreement: https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa; Basis for third country transfers: Standard Contractual Clauses(https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa). Option to object (opt-out): https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
• TikTok: Social network / video platform; service provider: TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland and TikTok Information Technologies UK Limited, Kaleidoscope, 4 Lindsey Street, London, United Kingdom, EC1A 9HP; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://www.tiktok.com. Privacy Policy: https://www.tiktok.com/de/privacy-policy.
• YouTube: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third country transfer: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Option to object (opt-out): https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

Plugins and embedded functions and content

We incorporate functional and content elements into our online offering that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”).
These may 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 they would not be able to send the content to their browser without the IP address.
The IP address is therefore required to display this content or function.
We endeavor 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.
Pixel tags can be used to analyze information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website.
The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and may contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and other information about the use of our online offer, as well as being linked to such information from other sources.

• Processed data types: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); metadata, communication data and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status); inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. email, telephone numbers).
  Content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• YouTube videos: Video content; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https: //www.youtube.com; Privacy Policy: https: //policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for transfer to third countries: EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Possibility of objection (opt-out): Opt-out plug-in: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de; Settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.

Management, organization and support tools

We use services, platforms and software from other providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”) for the purposes of organizing, managing, planning and providing our services.
When selecting third-party providers and their services, we observe the legal requirements.

In this context, personal data may be processed and stored on the servers of third-party providers.
This may affect various data that we process in accordance with this privacy policy.
This data may include, in particular, master data and contact data of users, data on transactions, contracts, other processes and their content.

If users are referred to the third-party providers or their software or platforms in the context of communication, business or other relationships with us, the third-party providers may 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.

• Processed data types: Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  Meta, communication and process data (e.g. IP addresses, time data, identification numbers, consent status).
• Affected persons: Communication partner. Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
  Office and organizational procedures.
• Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

• OpenAI: Interface access (so-called “API”) to AI-based services designed to understand and generate natural language and related input and data, analyze information and make predictions (“AI”, i.e. “artificial intelligence”, is to be understood in the applicable legal sense of the term); Service provider: OpenAI OpCo, LLC, 3180 18th St., San Francisco, CA 94110 USA; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR); Website: https://openai.com/product; Privacy Policy: https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy; Data processing agreement: https://openai.com/policies/data-processing-addendum; Basis for transfer to third countries: Standard Contractual Clauses(https://openai.com/policies/data-processing-addendum). Option to object (opt-out): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevgtKyiSWIOj6CV6XWBHl1daPZSOcIWzcUYUXQ1xttjBgDpA/viewform.

Amendment and updating of the privacy policy

We ask you to inform yourself regularly about the content of our privacy policy.
We will adapt the privacy policy as soon as changes to 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.

If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this privacy policy, please note that the addresses may change over time and please check the information before contacting us.