Privacy Policy

Table of Content

• Introduction and Overview
• Scope
• Legal basis
• Contact details of the person responsible
• Contact details of the data protection officer
• Storage period
• Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation
• Security of data processing
• Communication
• Cookies
• Web Analytics Introduction
• Email Marketing Introduction
• Social Media Introduction
• Payment provider introduction
• Audio & Video Introduction
• Closing words

Introduction and Overview

We have drawn up this privacy policy (version 12.03.2025-312963999) to explain to you, in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws, which personal data (hereinafter "data") we as the controller – and the processors commissioned by us (e.g., providers) – process and will process in the future, and what legal options you have. The terms used are to be understood as gender-neutral.
In short: We provide you with comprehensive information about the data we process about you.

Data protection declarations usually sound very technical and use legal jargon. This data protection declaration, on the other hand, is intended to describe the most important things to you as simply and transparently as possible. Wherever it promotes transparency, technical terms are explained in a reader-friendly manner , links to further information are provided and graphics are used. We are thus informing you in clear and simple language that we only process personal data in the context of our business activities if there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible if you give explanations that are as brief, unclear and legal-technical as possible, which are often the norm on the Internet when it comes to data protection. I hope you find the following explanations interesting and informative and that you may find some information there that you were not aware of.
If you still have any questions, please contact the responsible office listed below or in the imprint, follow the links provided, and view further information on third-party websites. Our contact details can also be found in the imprint.

Scope

This privacy policy applies to all personal data processed by us within the company and to all personal data processed by companies commissioned by us (contract processors). By personal data, we mean information within the meaning of Art. 4 No. 1 GDPR, such as a person's name, email address, and postal address. The processing of personal data ensures that we can offer and bill our services and products, whether online or offline. The scope of this privacy policy includes:

• all online presences (websites, online shops) that we operate
• Social media presence and email communication
• mobile apps for smartphones and other devices

In short: This privacy policy applies to all areas in which personal data is processed in a structured manner within the company via the aforementioned channels. Should we enter into legal relationships with you outside of these channels, we will inform you separately if necessary.

Legal basis

In the following privacy policy, we provide you with transparent information on the legal principles and regulations, i.e. the legal basis of the General Data Protection Regulation, that enable us to process personal data.
With regard to EU law, we refer to REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 April 2016. You can, of course, read this EU General Data Protection Regulation online on EUR-Lex, the gateway to EU law, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679 .

We only process your data if at least one of the following conditions applies:

1. Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR): You have given us your consent to process data for a specific purpose. An example would be the storage of the data you entered in a contact form.
2. Contract (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR): We process your data in order to fulfill a contract or pre-contractual obligations with you. For example, if we conclude a purchase agreement with you, we require personal information in advance.
3. Legal obligation (Article 6 (1) (c) GDPR): We process your data if we are subject to a legal obligation. For example, we are legally obligated to retain invoices for accounting purposes. These usually contain personal data.
4. Legitimate interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR): In the case of legitimate interests that do not restrict your fundamental rights, we reserve the right to process personal data. For example, we need to process certain data in order to operate our website securely and economically efficiently. This processing therefore constitutes a legitimate interest.

We generally do not apply additional conditions, such as the processing of recordings in the public interest, the exercise of official authority, or the protection of vital interests. Should such a legal basis be applicable, it will be indicated at the appropriate point.

In addition to the EU regulation, national laws also apply:

• In Austria this is the Federal Act on the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data ( Data Protection Act ), abbreviated DSG .
• In Germany, the Federal Data Protection Act , or BDSG for short, applies.

If other regional or national laws apply, we will inform you about them in the following sections.

Contact details of the person responsible

If you have any questions about data protection or the processing of personal data, you will find the contact details of the controller in accordance with Article 4 paragraph 7 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) below:
Abaya Noor
Senftenberger Ring 85
13435 Berlin

Email: abayanoor@hotmail.com

Contact details of the data protection officer

Below you will find the contact details of the data protection officer:

Firat Serbest
Senftenberger Ring 85
13435 Berlin

Email: abayanoor@hotmail.com

Storage Period

Our general policy is to only store personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. This means that we delete personal data as soon as the reason for processing it no longer exists. In some cases, we are legally obligated to retain certain data even after the original purpose no longer applies, for example, for accounting purposes.

If you wish to have your data deleted or withdraw your consent to data processing, the data will be deleted as quickly as possible and unless there is an obligation to store it.

We will inform you below about the specific duration of the respective data processing, provided we have further information on this.

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

In accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the GDPR, we inform you of the following rights to which you are entitled to ensure fair and transparent data processing:

• According to Article 15 of the GDPR, you have the right to information about whether we process your data. If so, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and the following information:
• for what purpose we carry out the processing;
• the categories, i.e. the types of data that are processed;
• who receives this data and, if the data is transferred to third countries, how security can be guaranteed;
• how long the data is stored;
• the existence of the right to rectification, erasure or restriction of processing and the right to object to processing;
• that you can complain to a supervisory authority (links to these authorities can be found below);
• the origin of the data if we did not collect it from you;
• whether profiling is carried out, i.e. whether data is automatically evaluated in order to create a personal profile of you.
• According to Article 16 GDPR, you have the right to rectification of data, which means that we must correct data if you find any errors.
• According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), which specifically means that you can request the deletion of your data.
• According to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to restriction of processing, which means that we may only store the data but not use it further.
• According to Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that we will provide you with your data in a common format upon request.
• According to Article 21 GDPR, you have the right to object, which, if enforced, will result in a change in the processing.
• If the processing of your data is based on Article 6 (1) (e) (public interest, exercise of official authority) or Article 6 (1) (f) (legitimate interest), you may object to the processing. We will then examine as quickly as possible whether we can legally comply with this objection.
• If data is used for direct marketing purposes, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for direct marketing purposes after this time.
• If data is used for profiling, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may no longer use your data for profiling after this time.
• According to Article 22 GDPR, you may have the right not to be subjected to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g. profiling).
• According to Article 77 of the GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint. This means you can lodge a complaint with the data protection authority at any time if you believe that the processing of personal data violates the GDPR.

In short: You have rights – do not hesitate to contact the responsible body listed above!

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection rights have been violated in any other way, you can lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority. In Austria, this is the Data Protection Authority, whose website can be found at https://www.dsb.gv.at/ . In Germany, each federal state has a data protection officer. For further information, you can contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI) . The following local data protection authority is responsible for our company:

Berlin Data Protection Authority

State Commissioner for Data Protection: Meike Kamp
Address: Alt-Moabit 59-61, 10969 Berlin
Telephone number: 030/138 89-0
Email address: mailbox@datenschutz-berlin.de
Website: https://www.datenschutz-berlin.de/

Security of data processing

To protect personal data, we have implemented both technical and organizational measures. Where possible, we encrypt or pseudonymize personal data. This makes it as difficult as possible for third parties to derive personal information from our data.

Article 25 of the GDPR refers to "data protection through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings," meaning that security must always be considered and appropriate measures implemented, both in software (e.g., forms) and hardware (e.g., access to the server room). Below, we will discuss specific measures where necessary.

TLS encryption with https

TLS, encryption, and https sound very technical, and they are. We use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) to securely transmit data over the internet.
This means that the entire transmission of all data from your browser to our web server is secure – no one can “eavesdrop”.

We have thus introduced an additional security layer and comply with data protection by design ( Article 25, Paragraph 1, GDPR ). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission over the Internet, we can ensure the protection of confidential data.
You can recognize the use of this data transmission security by the small lock symbol in the top left corner of the browser, to the left of the Internet address (e.g. examplepage.de) and the use of the https scheme (instead of http) as part of our Internet address.
If you want to know more about encryption, we recommend Google searching for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure wiki” to get good links to further information.

Communication

Communication Summary 👥 Affected parties: All those who communicate with us by phone, email or online form 📓 Processed data: e.g., telephone number, name, email address, entered form data. You can find more details in the respective contact type used. 🤝 Purpose: Handling communication with customers, business partners, etc. 📅 Storage period: Duration of the business transaction and the legal regulations ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (contract), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

If you contact us and communicate by telephone, email or online form, personal data may be processed.

The data will be processed to process your inquiry and the related business transaction. The data will be stored for as long as required by law.

Affected persons

The above-mentioned processes affect everyone who contacts us via the communication channels we provide.

Phone

When you call us, the call data is stored pseudonymously on the respective device and by the telecommunications provider used. Furthermore, data such as name and telephone number may subsequently be sent via email and stored for the purpose of responding to your inquiry. The data will be deleted as soon as the transaction is completed and as permitted by law.

E-Mail

If you communicate with us via email, data may be stored on the respective device (computer, laptop, smartphone, etc.) and stored on the email server. The data will be deleted as soon as the transaction is completed and legal requirements permit.

Online forms

If you communicate with us via an online form, data will be stored on our web server and, if applicable, forwarded to an email address provided by us. The data will be deleted as soon as the transaction is completed and as permitted by law.

Legal basis

The processing of data is based on the following legal bases:

• Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent): You give us your consent to store your data and to use it further for the purposes related to the business case;
• Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (contract): There is a need to fulfill a contract with you or a processor such as the telephone provider or we have to process the data for pre-contractual activities, such as preparing an offer;
• Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (Legitimate Interests): We want to handle customer inquiries and business communications in a professional manner. To do this, certain technical facilities, such as email programs, Exchange servers, and mobile operators, are necessary to enable efficient communication.

Cookies

Cookies Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Depends on the specific cookie. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📓 Data processed: Depends on the cookie used. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie. 📅 Storage period: depends on the respective cookie, can vary from hours to years ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are cookies?

Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.
Below we explain what cookies are and why they are used so that you can better understand the following privacy policy.

Whenever you surf the internet, you use a browser. Common browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing is undeniable: cookies are truly useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other purposes as well. HTTP cookies are small files that our website stores on your computer. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, the "brain" of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more additional attributes must be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal site settings. When you visit our site again, your browser transmits the "user-related" information back to our site. Thanks to cookies, our website knows who you are and offers you the settings you are used to. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file; in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

The following graphic shows a possible interaction between a web browser, such as Chrome, and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie from the server, which the browser reuses whenever another page is requested.

There are both first-party and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, while third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g., Google Analytics). Each cookie must be evaluated individually, as each cookie stores different data. The expiration time of a cookie also varies, from a few minutes to a few years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans, or other "malware." Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data can look like this:

Name: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152312963999-9
Purpose: Distinguishing between website visitors
Expiry date: after 2 years

A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:

• At least 4096 bytes per cookie
• At least 50 cookies per domain
• At least 3000 cookies in total

What types of cookies are there?

The question of which cookies we use specifically depends on the services used and is explained in the following sections of this privacy policy. At this point, we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

There are four types of cookies:

Essential cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic website functions. For example, these cookies are needed when a user adds a product to their shopping cart, then continues browsing to other pages and only proceeds to checkout later. These cookies ensure that the shopping cart is not deleted even when the user closes their browser window.

Purposeful cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. These cookies also measure the loading time and behavior of the website across different browsers.

Targeted cookies
These cookies improve user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes, or form data are saved.

Advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver customized advertising to the user. This can be very useful, but also very annoying.

Typically, when you first visit a website, you'll be asked which of these cookie types you'd like to allow. And, of course, this decision will also be saved in a cookie.

If you would like to know more about cookies and are not afraid of technical documentation, we recommend https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265 , the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments called “HTTP State Management Mechanism”.

Purpose of processing via cookies

The purpose ultimately depends on the specific cookie. You can find more details below or contact the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.

What data is processed?

Cookies are small helpers for a variety of tasks. Unfortunately, it's not possible to generalize what data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the data processed and stored in the following privacy policy.

Storage period of cookies

The storage period depends on the respective cookie and is further specified below. Some cookies are deleted after less than an hour, while others can remain stored on a computer for several years.

You also have control over the storage period. You can manually delete all cookies at any time via your browser (see also "Right of Objection" below). Furthermore, cookies based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you revoke your consent, although the legality of their storage remains unaffected until then.

Right of objection – how can I delete cookies?

You decide how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of the service or website from which the cookies originate, you always have the option to delete, deactivate, or only partially accept cookies. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all other cookies.

If you want to find out which cookies have been stored in your browser, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this in your browser settings:

Chrome: Delete, enable, and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari

Firefox: Clear cookies to remove data that websites have stored on your computer

Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you don't want cookies at all, you can set your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be set. This allows you to decide for each individual cookie whether to accept it or not. The process varies depending on your browser. The best way to find instructions is to search for "delete cookies in Chrome" or "disable cookies in Chrome" in the case of a Chrome browser.

Legal basis

The so-called "Cookie Directive" has been in place since 2009. It stipulates that the storage of cookies requires your consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR). However, reactions to these guidelines vary greatly within EU countries. In Austria, however, this directive was implemented in Section 165 (3) of the Telecommunications Act (2021). In Germany, the Cookie Directive was not implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG), which was replaced by the Digital Services Act (DDG) in May 2024.

For strictly necessary cookies, even if consent is not given, legitimate interests exist (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR), which in most cases are of an economic nature. We want to provide website visitors with a pleasant user experience, and for this, certain cookies are often absolutely necessary.

If non-essential cookies are used, this only happens with your consent. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR.

In the following sections you will be informed in more detail about the use of cookies, if the software used uses cookies.

Web Analytics Introduction

Web Analytics Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website. 📓 Processed data: Access statistics, which include data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior, and IP addresses. Further details can be found in the respective web analytics tool used. 📅 Storage period: depends on the web analytics tool used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is web analytics?

We use software on our website to evaluate the behavior of website visitors, known as web analytics or web analysis for short. This data is collected and stored, managed and processed by the respective analytics tool provider (also known as a tracking tool). This data is used to create analyses of user behavior on our website and make it available to us as the website operator. In addition, most tools offer various testing options. For example, we can test which offers or content are most popular with our visitors. To do this, we show you two different offers for a limited period of time. After the test (a so-called A/B test), we know which product or content our website visitors find more interesting. For such testing procedures, as for other analytics procedures, user profiles can be created and the data stored in cookies.

Why do we use web analytics?

We have a clear goal in mind with our website: to provide the best web offering on the market for our industry. To achieve this goal, we want to offer the best and most interesting offering on the market, while also ensuring that you feel completely at home on our website. With the help of web analysis tools, we can take a closer look at the behavior of our website visitors and then improve our web offering for you and us accordingly. For example, we can determine the average age of our visitors, where they come from, when our website is most visited, or which content or products are particularly popular. All of this information helps us optimize the website and thus adapt it as best as possible to your needs, interests, and wishes.

What data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored depends, of course, on the analysis tools used. However, as a general rule, we store information such as the content you view on our website, the buttons or links you click, the time you access a page, the browser you use, the device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use to visit the website, and the computer system you use. If you have consented to the collection of location data, this may also be processed by the web analysis tool provider.

Your IP address is also stored. According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), IP addresses are personal data. However, your IP address is usually stored pseudonymously (i.e., in an unrecognizable and abbreviated form). For the purposes of testing, web analysis, and web optimization, no direct data such as your name, age, address, or email address is stored. All of this data, if collected, is stored pseudonymously. This means that you cannot be identified as an individual.

The following example shows schematically how Google Analytics works as an example of client-based web tracking with JavaScript code.

How long the respective data is stored always depends on the provider. Some cookies only store data for a few minutes or until you leave the website again; other cookies can store data for several years.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing, as soon as we have further information. Generally, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If required by law, such as in the case of accounting, this retention period may be exceeded.

Right of objection

You also have the right and option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies or third-party services at any time. This can be done either via our cookie management tool or through other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating, or deleting cookies in your browser.

Legal basis

The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained through our cookie popup. According to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected through web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our offering technically and economically. Web analytics helps us detect website errors, identify attacks, and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests) . However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent.

Since web analytics tools use cookies, we also recommend reading our general privacy policy on cookies. To learn exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Information on specific web analytics tools, if available, can be found in the following sections.

Email Marketing Introduction

Email Marketing Summary 👥 Affected: Newsletter subscribers 🤝 Purpose: Direct mailing via email, notification of system-relevant events 📓 Processed data: Data entered during registration, including at least the email address. Further details can be found in the respective email marketing tool used. 📅 Storage period: Duration of the subscription ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is email marketing?

To keep you up to date, we also use email marketing. If you have agreed to receive our emails or newsletters, your data will also be processed and stored. Email marketing is a subset of online marketing. It involves sending news or general information about a company, products, or services via email to a specific group of people who are interested.

If you would like to participate in our email marketing (usually via newsletter), you usually just need to register with your email address. To do so, you fill out an online form and submit it. However, we may also ask for your title and name so that we can contact you personally.

Generally, subscribing to newsletters works using the so-called "double opt-in process." After you have registered for our newsletter on our website, you will receive an email confirming your newsletter subscription. This ensures that the email address belongs to you and that no one has registered with someone else's. We, or a notification tool we use, logs each individual registration. This is necessary so that we can verify the legally correct registration process. Typically, the time of registration, the time of registration confirmation, and your IP address are saved. Additionally, any changes you make to your stored data are also logged.

Why do we use email marketing?

We naturally want to stay in touch with you and always provide you with the most important news about our company. To this end, we use email marketing – often simply referred to as “newsletter” – as an essential component of our online marketing. If you agree or if it is permitted by law, we will send you newsletters, system emails or other notifications by email. When we use the term “newsletter” in the following text, we primarily mean regularly sent emails. Of course, we do not want to bother you with our newsletter in any way. That's why we always strive to offer only relevant and interesting content. This way you can learn more about our company, our services or products. Because we are constantly improving our offerings, you will always find out about new developments or special, lucrative promotions via our newsletter. If we commission a service provider who offers a professional distribution tool for our email marketing, we do so so that we can offer you fast and secure newsletters. The purpose of our email marketing is basically to inform you about new offers and to get closer to our business goals.

What data is processed?

If you subscribe to our newsletter via our website, you will confirm your membership in an email list via email. In addition to your IP address and email address, your title, name, address, and telephone number may also be saved. However, only if you consent to this data storage. The data marked as such is necessary for you to participate in the service offered. Providing this information is voluntary; however, failure to provide it will prevent you from using the service. In addition, information about your device or your preferred content may also be saved on our website. You can find out more about the storage of data when you visit a website in the section "Automatic data storage." We record your declaration of consent so that we can always prove that it complies with our laws.

Duration of data processing

If you unsubscribe from our email/newsletter mailing list, we may store your address for up to three years based on our legitimate interests so that we can still verify your consent at the time. We may only process this data if we need to defend ourselves against potential claims.

However, if you confirm that you have given us your consent to subscribe to our newsletter, you can submit an individual deletion request at any time. If you permanently revoke your consent, we reserve the right to store your email address on a blocked list. As long as you have voluntarily subscribed to our newsletter, we will, of course, also retain your email address.

Right of objection

You have the option to cancel your newsletter subscription at any time. To do so, simply revoke your consent to the newsletter subscription. This usually only takes a few seconds or one or two clicks. You will usually find a link to cancel your newsletter subscription right at the end of every email. If you really cannot find the link in the newsletter, please contact us by email and we will cancel your newsletter subscription immediately.

Legal basis

Our newsletter is sent based on your consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR). This means that we may only send you a newsletter if you have previously actively subscribed to it. We may also send you promotional messages if you have become our customer and have not objected to the use of your email address for direct marketing purposes.

Information about specific email marketing services and how they process personal data can be found – if available – in the following sections.

Social Media Introduction

Social Media Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Presentation and optimization of our service, contact with visitors, interested parties, etc., advertising 📓 Data processed: Data such as telephone numbers, email addresses, contact details, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address. You can find more details in the social media tool used. 📅 Storage period: depends on the social media platforms used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is social media?

In addition to our website, we are also active on various social media platforms. User data may be processed so that we can specifically address users interested in us via social networks. Furthermore, elements of a social media platform may also be embedded directly into our website. This is the case, for example, if you click a so-called social button on our website and are redirected directly to our social media presence. Social media refers to websites and apps through which registered members can produce content, share content openly or in specific groups, and network with other members.

Why do we use social media?

For years, social media platforms have been the place where people communicate and connect online. Our social media presence allows us to bring our products and services closer to prospective customers. The social media elements integrated into our website help you quickly and seamlessly access our social media content.

The data stored and processed through your use of a social media channel primarily serves the purpose of conducting web analytics. The goal of these analyses is to develop more precise and personalized marketing and advertising strategies. Depending on your behavior on a social media platform, the evaluated data can be used to draw appropriate conclusions about your interests and create so-called user profiles. This also enables the platforms to present you with tailored advertisements. Cookies are usually placed in your browser for this purpose, which store data about your usage behavior.

We generally assume that we remain responsible for data protection, even when we use the services of a social media platform. However, the European Court of Justice has ruled that in certain cases, the operator of the social media platform may be jointly responsible with us within the meaning of Art. 26 GDPR. Where this is the case, we will specifically point this out and work on the basis of a relevant agreement. The essence of the agreement is then reproduced below for the relevant platform.

Please note that when using social media platforms or our integrated elements, your data may also be processed outside the European Union, as many social media channels, such as Facebook or Twitter, are American companies. This may make it more difficult for you to exercise or enforce your rights regarding your personal data.

What data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored and processed depends on the respective social media platform provider. However, it typically includes data such as telephone numbers, email addresses, data you enter into a contact form, user data such as which buttons you click, who you like or follow, when you visited which pages, information about your device, and your IP address. Most of this data is stored in cookies. Especially if you have a profile on the social media channel you visit and are logged in, data can be linked to your profile.

All data collected via a social media platform is also stored on the providers' servers. Therefore, only the providers have access to the data and can provide you with the appropriate information or make changes.

If you want to know exactly which data is stored and processed by social media providers and how you can object to data processing, you should carefully read the respective company's privacy policy. If you have any questions about data storage and processing or wish to assert your corresponding rights, we recommend that you contact the provider directly.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing, as soon as we have further information. For example, the social media platform Facebook stores data until it is no longer needed for its own purposes. However, customer data that is compared with its own user data is deleted within two days. Generally, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If required by law, such as in the case of accounting, this storage period may be exceeded.

Right of objection

You also have the right and option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies or third-party services, such as embedded social media elements, at any time. This can be done either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating, or deleting cookies in your browser.

Since social media tools may use cookies, we also recommend our general privacy policy regarding cookies. To learn exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Legal basis

If you have consented to your data being processed and stored by integrated social media elements, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR) . In principle, if you have given your consent, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR) in fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy on cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Information on specific social media platforms can be found – where available – in the following sections.

Facebook Privacy Policy

Facebook Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Data processed: Data such as customer data, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address. You can find more details below in the privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: until the data is no longer useful for Facebook's purposes ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are Facebook tools?

We use selected tools from Facebook on our website. Facebook is a social media network operated by Meta Platforms Inc., or for the European region, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. These tools enable us to offer you and people interested in our products and services the best possible service.

If data is collected and forwarded from you via our embedded Facebook elements or via our Facebook page (fan page), both we and Facebook Ireland Ltd. are responsible for this. Facebook alone bears responsibility for the further processing of this data. Our joint obligations have also been anchored in a publicly accessible agreement at https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum . This states, for example, that we must clearly inform you about the use of Facebook tools on our site. Furthermore, we are also responsible for ensuring that the tools are securely integrated into our website in accordance with data protection law. Facebook, on the other hand, is responsible for the data security of Facebook products, for example. If you have any questions about data collection and processing by Facebook, you can contact the company directly. If you address the question to us, we are obliged to forward it to Facebook.

Below we provide an overview of the various Facebook tools, which data is sent to Facebook and how you can delete this data.

Among many other products, Facebook also offers the so-called "Facebook Business Tools." This is Facebook's official name. However, since the term is hardly known, we've decided to simply call them Facebook Tools. These include:

• Facebook Pixel
• social plug-ins (such as the “Like” or “Share” button)
• Facebook Login
• Account Kit
• APIs (application programming interfaces)
• SDKs (collection of programming tools)
• Platform integrations
• Plugins
• Codes
• Specifications
• Documentation
• Technologies and services

Through these tools, Facebook expands its services and has the ability to obtain information about user activities outside of Facebook.

Why do we use Facebook tools on our website?

We want to show our services and products only to people who are genuinely interested in them. With the help of advertisements (Facebook Ads), we can reach precisely these people. However, in order to show users suitable advertising, Facebook needs information about people's wishes and needs. This provides the company with information about user behavior (and contact details) on our website. This allows Facebook to collect better user data and show interested people suitable advertisements about our products or services. These tools thus enable customized advertising campaigns on Facebook.

Facebook calls data about your behavior on our website "event data." This is also used for measurement and analytics services. Facebook can thus create "campaign reports" on our behalf about the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. Furthermore, analytics give us better insight into how you use our services, website, or products. This allows us to optimize your user experience on our website with some of these tools. For example, you can use the social plug-ins to share content from our site directly on Facebook.

What data are stored by Facebook tools?

By using certain Facebook tools, personal data (customer data) may be sent to Facebook. Depending on the tools used, customer data such as name, address, telephone number, and IP address may be sent.

Facebook uses this information to compare the data with the data it has about you (if you are a Facebook member). Before customer data is transmitted to Facebook, a process called "hashing" occurs. This means that a data set of any size is transformed into a character string. This also serves to encrypt data.

In addition to contact details, "event data" is also transmitted. "Event data" refers to the information we receive about you on our website. For example, which subpages you visit or which products you purchase from us. Facebook does not share the information received with third parties (such as advertisers) unless the company has explicit permission or is legally obligated to do so. "Event data" can also be linked to contact details. This enables Facebook to offer better, personalized advertising. After the aforementioned matching process, Facebook deletes the contact details.

In order to deliver optimized advertisements, Facebook only uses event data if it has been combined with other data (collected by Facebook in other ways). Facebook also uses this event data for security, protection, development, and research purposes. Much of this data is transferred to Facebook via cookies. Cookies are small text files that are used to store data or information in browsers. Depending on the tools used and whether you are a Facebook member, different numbers of cookies will be created in your browser. We go into more detail about individual Facebook cookies in the descriptions of the individual Facebook tools. General information about the use of Facebook cookies can also be found at https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies .

How long and where is the data stored?

Facebook generally stores data until it is no longer needed for its own services and Facebook products. Facebook has servers distributed around the world where its data is stored. However, customer data is deleted within 48 hours after it has been compared with its own user data.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

According to the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to information, rectification, portability and erasure of your data.

Complete deletion of your data will only occur if you completely delete your Facebook account. Here's how to delete your Facebook account:

1) Click on Settings on the right side of Facebook.

2) Then click on “Your Facebook information” in the left column.

3) Now click “Deactivation and deletion”.

4) Now select “Delete account” and then click “Continue and delete account”

5) Now enter your password, click “Next” and then “Delete account”

The data that Facebook receives from our site is stored, among other things, via cookies (e.g., social plugins). You can deactivate, delete, or manage individual or all cookies in your browser. This works differently depending on the browser you use. Under the "Cookies" section, you will find links to the relevant instructions for the most popular browsers.

If you prefer not to accept cookies, you can set your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be placed. This allows you to decide whether to accept or reject each individual cookie.

Legal basis

If you have consented to your data being processed and stored by integrated Facebook tools, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR) . In principle, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR) in fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy on cookies carefully and view Facebook's privacy policy or cookie guidelines.

Facebook processes your data, among other places, in the USA. Facebook and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. Further information can be found at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Facebook uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Facebook undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Facebook data processing conditions, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing .

We hope we have provided you with the most important information about the use and data processing by Facebook tools. If you would like to learn more about how Facebook uses your data, we recommend you read the data policy at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/ .

Instagram Privacy Policy

Instagram Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Data processed: Data such as user behavior data, information about your device, and your IP address. You can find more details below in the privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: until Instagram no longer needs the data for its purposes ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Instagram?

We have integrated Instagram functions into our website. Instagram is a social media platform of the company Instagram LLC, 1601 Willow Rd, Menlo Park CA 94025, USA. Instagram has been a subsidiary of Meta Platforms Inc. since 2012 and is one of the Facebook products. Embedding Instagram content on our website is called embedding. This allows us to show you content such as buttons, photos or videos from Instagram directly on our website. When you visit web pages on our website that have an integrated Instagram function, data is transmitted to, stored and processed by Instagram. Instagram uses the same systems and technologies as Facebook. Your data is therefore processed across all Facebook companies.

Below, we want to give you a more detailed insight into why Instagram collects data, what data it collects, and how you can largely control data processing. Since Instagram is part of Meta Platforms Inc., we obtain our information from both the Instagram guidelines and the Meta privacy policy itself.

Instagram is one of the most popular social media networks in the world. Instagram combines the benefits of a blog with those of audiovisual platforms like YouTube or Vimeo. You can upload photos and short videos to "Insta" (as many users casually call the platform), edit them with various filters, and share them on other social networks. And if you don't want to be active yourself, you can also just follow other interesting users.

Why do we use Instagram on our website?

Instagram is the social media platform that has really taken off in recent years. And of course, we've responded to this boom. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible on our website. That's why we take a natural approach to presenting our content in a varied way. Embedded Instagram features allow us to enrich our content with helpful, funny, or exciting content from the Instagram world. Since Instagram is a subsidiary of Facebook, the data collected can also be used to personalize advertising on Facebook. This way, our ads only reach people who are genuinely interested in our products or services.

Instagram also uses the collected data for measurement and analysis purposes. We receive aggregated statistics and thus gain more insight into your preferences and interests. It's important to note that these reports do not identify you personally.

What data does Instagram store?

When you visit one of our pages that has integrated Instagram features (such as Instagram images or plug-ins), your browser automatically connects to Instagram's servers. Data is sent to Instagram, stored, and processed, regardless of whether you have an Instagram account or not. This includes information about our website, your computer, purchases made, advertisements you see, and how you use our services. Furthermore, the date and time of your interaction with Instagram are also stored. If you have an Instagram account or are logged in, Instagram stores significantly more data about you.

Facebook differentiates between customer data and event data. We assume that this is also the case with Instagram. Customer data includes, for example, name, address, telephone number, and IP address. This customer data will only be transmitted to Instagram after it has been "hashed." Hashing means converting a data set into a character string. This allows contact details to be encrypted. The aforementioned "event data" will also be transmitted. Facebook – and consequently Instagram too – defines "event data" as data about your user behavior. It may also happen that contact details are combined with event data. The collected contact details will be compared with the data that Instagram already has about you.

The collected data is transmitted to Facebook via small text files (cookies), which are usually placed in your browser. Depending on the Instagram features used and whether you have an Instagram account, different amounts of data are stored.

We assume that data processing on Instagram works the same way as on Facebook. This means: if you have an Instagram account or have visited www.instagram.com , Instagram has at least set a cookie. If this is the case, your browser sends information to Instagram via the cookie as soon as you interact with an Instagram function. This data is deleted or anonymized after 90 days at the latest (after comparison). Although we have studied Instagram's data processing in detail, we cannot say exactly what data Instagram collects and stores.

Below, we show you the cookies that are set in your browser at a minimum when you click on an Instagram feature (such as a button or an Instagram image). For our test, we assume that you don't have an Instagram account. If you are logged in to Instagram, significantly more cookies will naturally be set in your browser.

These cookies were used in our test:

Name: csrftoken
Value: ""
Purpose: This cookie is most likely set for security reasons to prevent forged requests. However, we were unable to determine this further.
Expiry date: after one year

Name: mid
Value: ""
Purpose: Instagram sets this cookie to optimize its own services and offers on and off Instagram. The cookie sets a unique user ID.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Name: fbsr_312963999124024
Value: not specified
Purpose: This cookie stores the log-in request for users of the Instagram app.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Name: rur
Value: ATN
Purpose: This is an Instagram cookie that ensures functionality on Instagram.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Name: urlgen
Value: “{”194.96.75.33”: 1901}:1iEtYv:Y833k2_UjKvXgYe312963999”
Purpose: This cookie is used for Instagram’s marketing purposes.
Expiry date: after the end of the session

Note: We cannot claim to be comprehensive here. Which cookies are set in each individual case depends on the embedded functions and your use of Instagram.

How long and where is the data stored?

Instagram shares the information it receives between Facebook companies, external partners, and people you connect with around the world. Data processing is carried out in compliance with its own data policy. Your data is distributed across Facebook servers around the world, partly for security reasons. Most of these servers are located in the USA.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Thanks to the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to access, transfer, rectification, and erasure of your data. You can manage your data in your Instagram settings. If you want to completely delete your data on Instagram, you must permanently delete your Instagram account.

Here's how to delete your Instagram account:

First, open the Instagram app. On your profile page, scroll down and click on "Help Center." This will take you to the company's website. On the website, click on "Manage Account" and then "Delete Your Account."

If you delete your account entirely, Instagram will delete posts such as your photos and status updates. Information that other people have shared about you is not part of your account and therefore will not be deleted.

As mentioned above, Instagram primarily stores your data via cookies. You can manage, deactivate, or delete these cookies in your browser. Managing cookies works slightly differently depending on your browser. Under the "Cookies" section, you'll find links to the relevant instructions for the most popular browsers.

You can also generally configure your browser so that you are always informed when a cookie is about to be set. You can then decide individually whether you want to accept the cookie or not.

Legal basis

If you have consented to your data being processed and stored by integrated social media elements, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR) . In principle, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR) in fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the integrated social media elements if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also place cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy on cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Instagram processes your data, among other places, in the USA. Instagram and Meta Platforms are active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. Further information can be found at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

Instagram also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Instagram undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

We've tried to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Instagram. You can learn more about Instagram's data policy at https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/ .

TikTok Privacy Policy

TikTok Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Processed data: your IP address, browser data, date and time of your page visit may be stored You can find more details below in the privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: varies depending on settings ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is TikTok?

We use TikTok integration on our website. The service provider is the Chinese company Beijing Bytedance Technology Ltd. The Irish company TikTok Technology Limited, 10 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin, D02 T380, Ireland, is responsible for the European region. TikTok is a popular social media platform, especially among young people, where users can create, share, and watch short video clips.

In this privacy policy, we inform you about which data is processed by TikTok, how long the data is stored and how you can manage your privacy settings.

Why do we use TikTok on our website?

We've integrated TikTok into our website so that you can watch TikTok videos whenever you want and interact with them if you like. TikTok is especially known for its fun and creative content, and of course, we don't want to deprive you of such content. After all, we enjoy watching the occasional creative TikTok video ourselves.

What data does TikTok process?

When you watch or interact with TikTok videos on our website, TikTok may collect information about your usage and device. This may include data such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, location, and other technical information. TikTok may also use cookies and similar technologies to collect information and personalize your experience.

If you have a TikTok account yourself, additional information may also be collected and processed. This includes user information (such as your name, date of birth, or email address) and data about your communication with other TikTok users.

How long and where is the data stored?

The retention period and storage locations of the data collected by TikTok can vary greatly and are subject to TikTok's privacy policy. TikTok may also store data on servers in the US and other countries. The retention period is generally based on the respective legal requirements and internal policies. However, we have not yet been able to determine exactly how long data is stored. As soon as we have more information, we will of course inform you.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

If you have a TikTok account, you can manage your privacy settings directly on TikTok. For example, you can specify which information can and cannot be shared in your TikTok account settings. You can also manage and disable cookies in your web browser to limit data collection. Of course, this is also possible without a TikTok account. However, please note that this may affect the functionality of our website and your TikTok experience.

Legal basis

If you have consented to TikTok processing and storing your data, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR) . In principle, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR) in fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the integrated social media elements if you have given your consent. TikTok can also set cookies in your browser to store data. We therefore recommend that you read our privacy policy on cookies carefully and view the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

TikTok processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

TikTok uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR) as the basis for data processing with recipients located in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and therefore in particular in the USA) or for data transfers there. Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through these clauses, TikTok undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

For more information about TikTok’s privacy policy and how TikTok collects data, please visit the TikTok website at https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/eea/privacy-policy/en and the general information about TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/en/ .

Payment provider introduction

Payment provider privacy policy summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Enabling and optimizing the payment process on our website 📓 Processed data: Data such as name, address, bank details (account number, credit card number, passwords, TANs, etc.), IP address and contract data You can find more details in the payment provider tool used. 📅 Storage period: depends on the payment provider used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (performance of a contract)

What is a payment provider?

We use online payment systems on our website that enable a secure and seamless payment process for both us and you. Personal data may, among other things, be sent to the respective payment provider, stored there, and processed there. Payment providers are online payment systems that allow you to place an order via online banking. The payment is processed by the payment provider you choose. We then receive information about the payment made. This method is available to any user with an active online banking account with a PIN and TAN. There are hardly any banks that do not offer or accept such payment methods.

Why do we use payment providers on our website?

Naturally, we want to offer the best possible service with our website and our integrated online shop, so that you feel comfortable on our site and take advantage of our offers. We know that your time is valuable and that payment processing, in particular, must be quick and smooth. For these reasons, we offer you various payment providers. You can choose your preferred payment provider and pay as usual.

What data is processed?

Exactly which data is processed depends, of course, on the respective payment provider. However, data such as name, address, and bank details (account number, credit card number, passwords, TANs, etc.) are generally stored. This is necessary data to be able to carry out a transaction at all. In addition, any contract data and user data, such as when you visit our website, which content you are interested in, or which subpages you click on, may also be stored. Most payment providers also store your IP address and information about the computer you are using.

The data is generally stored and processed on the payment providers' servers. We, as the website operator, do not receive this data. We are only informed whether the payment was successful or not. Payment providers may forward data to the relevant department for identity and credit checks. The respective provider's business and data protection principles always apply to all payment transactions. Therefore, please always read the payment provider's general terms and conditions and privacy policy. You also have the right, for example, to have data deleted or corrected at any time. Please contact the respective service provider regarding your rights (right of withdrawal, right of information, and right to be affected).

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing, as soon as we have further information. Generally, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If required by law, such as in the case of accounting, this retention period may be exceeded. For example, we retain accounting documents related to a contract (invoices, contract documents, bank statements, etc.) for 10 years (Section 147 of the German Fiscal Code [AO]) and other relevant business documents for 6 years (Section 247 of the German Commercial Code [HGB]) after they are acquired.

Right of objection

You always have the right to access, correct, and delete your personal data. If you have any questions, you can also contact the responsible person of the payment provider you use at any time. Contact details can be found either in our specific privacy policy or on the website of the respective payment provider.

You can delete, deactivate, or manage cookies that payment providers use for their functions in your browser. This works differently depending on the browser you use. Please note, however, that if you do this, the payment process may no longer work.

Legal basis

In addition to traditional banking/credit institutions, we also offer other payment service providers for the processing of contractual or legal relationships (Article 6 (1) (b) GDPR) . The privacy policies of the individual payment providers (such as Amazon Payments, Apple Pay, or Discover) provide you with a detailed overview of data processing and storage. You can also always contact the responsible parties with any questions regarding data protection-related issues.

Information about the specific payment providers – if available – can be found in the following sections.

American Express Privacy Policy

We use American Express, a global financial services provider, on our website. The service provider is the American Express Company. American Express Europe SA (Avenida Partenón 12-14, 28042, Madrid, Spain) is responsible for the European region.

American Express processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

American Express uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR) as the basis for data processing with recipients located in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and therefore in particular in the USA) or for data transfers there. Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through these clauses, American Express undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of American Express in the Privacy Policy at https://www.americanexpress.com/de-de/firma/legal/datenschutz-center/online-datenschutzerklarung/ .

Google Pay Privacy Policy

We use the online payment provider Google Pay on our website. The service provider is the American company Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services.

Google processes your data, among other places, in the USA. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. Further information can be found at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Google uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The data processing terms for Google advertising products (Google Ads Controller-Controller Data Protection Terms), which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/adscontrollerterms/ .

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Google Pay in the Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy .

Klarna Checkout Privacy Policy

Klarna Checkout Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimization of the payment process on our website 📓 Processed data: Data such as name, address, bank details (account number, credit card number, passwords, TANs, etc.), IP address and contract data You can find more details about this further down in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: Data will be stored as long as Klarna needs it for the processing purpose. ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR (legal obligation), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Klarna Checkout?

We use the online payment system Klarna Checkout from the Swedish company Klarna Bank AB on our website. Klarna Bank has its headquarters at Sveavägen 46, 111 34 Stockholm, Sweden. If you choose to use this service, personal data, among other things, will be sent to Klarna, stored, and processed. In this privacy policy, we would like to provide you with an overview of Klarna's data processing.

Klarna Checkout is a payment system for orders in an online shop. The user selects the payment method, and Klarna Checkout handles the entire payment process. Once a user has made a payment through the checkout system and entered the relevant information, future online purchases can be made even faster and easier. The Klarna system then recognizes the existing customer simply by entering the email address and postal code.

Why do we use Klarna Checkout for our website?

Our goal with our website and our integrated online shop is to offer you the best possible service. This includes not only the overall website experience and our offerings, but also smooth, fast, and secure payment processing for your orders. To ensure this, we use the Klarna Checkout payment system.

What data does Klarna Checkout store?

As soon as you choose the Klarna payment service and pay using the Klarna Checkout payment method, you also transmit personal data to the company. On the Klarna Checkout page, technical data such as browser type, operating system, our Internet address, date and time, language settings, time zone settings, and IP address are collected from you and transmitted to Klarna's servers, where they are stored. This data is stored even if you have not yet completed an order.

When you order a product or service through our shop, you must enter your personal information in the specified fields. This data will be processed by Klarna for payment processing. Klarna may specifically store and process the following personal data (as well as general product information) for credit and identity verification purposes:

• Contact information: name, date of birth, national ID number, title, billing and shipping address, email address, phone number, nationality or salary.
• Payment information such as credit card details or your account number
• Product information such as tracking number, type of item and price of the product

There is also data that can be collected optionally, provided you consciously choose to do so. These include political, religious, or ideological beliefs, or various health data.

In addition to the above-mentioned data, Klarna may also collect data about the goods or services you purchase or order, either directly or through third parties (such as us or public databases). This may include, for example, the tracking number or the type of item ordered, but also information about your creditworthiness, income, or credit approval. Klarna may also share your personal data with service providers such as software providers, data storage providers, or us as a merchant.

When data is automatically entered into a form, cookies are always involved. If you do not wish to use this feature, you can deactivate these cookies at any time. Further down in the text, you will find instructions on how to delete, deactivate, or manage cookies in your browser. Our tests have shown that Klarna does not set any cookies directly. If you select the "Klarna Sofort" payment method and click "Order," you will be redirected to the Sofort website. After successful payment, you will be taken to our thank you page. There, sofort.com sets the following cookie:

Name : SOFUEB
Value: e8cipp378mdscn9e17kajlfhv7312963999-4
Purpose: This cookie stores your session ID.
Expiry date: after the browser session ends

How long and where is the data stored?

Klarna strives to store your data only within the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA). However, it may also happen that data is transferred outside the EU/EEA. If this happens, Klarna ensures that data protection is in compliance with the GDPR and that the third country has been subject to an adequacy decision by the European Union. The data will always be stored for as long as Klarna needs it for the processing purpose.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You can revoke your consent to Klarna processing your personal data at any time. You also always have the right to access, correct, and delete your personal data. To do so, simply contact the company or its data protection team by email at datenschutz@klarna.de . You can also contact Klarna directly via the Klarna website's "My Data Protection Request."

You can delete, disable, or manage cookies that Klarna may use for its functions in your browser. This works differently depending on the browser you use. You'll find links to the relevant instructions for the most popular browsers under the "Cookies" section.

Legal basis

In addition to traditional banking/credit institutions, we also offer the payment service provider Klarna Checkout for the processing of contractual or legal relationships (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR) .

We hope we have provided you with a good overview of Klarna's data processing practices. If you would like to learn more about how your data is handled, we recommend reading Klarna's privacy policy at https://cdn.klarna.com/1.0/shared/content/legal/terms/0/de_at/privacy .

PayPal Privacy Policy

PayPal Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimization of the payment process on our website 📓 Processed data: Data such as name, address, bank details (account number, credit card number, passwords, TANs, etc.), IP address and contract data may be processed. You can find more details about this further down in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: Data is generally stored until the cooperation with PayPal is terminated ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (contract processing), Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent)

What is PayPal?

We use the online payment service PayPal on our website. The service provider is the American company PayPal Inc. PayPal Europe (S.à rl et Cie, SCA, 22-24 Boulevard Royal, L-2449 Luxembourg) is responsible for the European region.

With PayPal, all users can send and receive money electronically. Founded in 1998, the company is now one of the world's best-known and largest online payment service providers with over 325 million active customers.

Why do we use PayPal for our website?

There are several reasons why we use PayPal and offer it on our website. Since PayPal is one of the most well-known online payment providers, many of our website visitors also use and trust this service. PayPal also offers high security standards for digital money transfers. The service uses various encryption methods to best protect your personal data. We also appreciate PayPal's ease of use and the ability to make international payments in various currencies. Transactions are generally very quick, which is another advantage for both us and you as a customer.

What data does PayPal process?

In its privacy policy, PayPal distinguishes between different categories of personal data that may be processed through the use of the service. These include login and contact data, identification and signature data, payment information, information about imported contacts, data from your account profile, device data such as your IP address, location data, and so-called derived data. This refers to information that can be derived through transactions or other data. This could include purchasing habits, behavioral patterns, creditworthiness, or personal preferences.

Then there's personal data collected by third parties (such as identity verifiers, fraud detection providers, or your bank). This data includes information from credit reporting agencies, transaction data, regulatory information, technical usage data, location data, and derived data.

PayPal and its partners also use tracking technologies such as cookies, pixel tags, web beacons and widgets to recognize you as a user, customize content and conduct analytics for interest-based advertising.

How long and where is the data stored?

PayPal generally stores data for as long as necessary to fulfill its obligations and for the purpose for which it was collected. Personal data necessary for the customer relationship is retained for up to 10 years after the relationship ends. If PayPal is subject to a legal obligation, the retention period for personal data is determined by the applicable law (e.g., insolvency law). PayPal also stores personal data for as long as necessary if retention is advisable in light of legal disputes.

Because PayPal is a global company, the service also has data centers around the world where your data may be stored. This means your data may also be stored on PayPal servers outside your country and outside the scope of the GDPR.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You have the right to information, correction or deletion, and restriction of the processing of your personal data at any time. You can also revoke your consent to the processing of your data at any time.

If you generally want to deactivate, delete or manage cookies, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers in the “Cookies” section.

Legal basis

We have a legitimate interest in integrating an external payment service with PayPal to make our offering more attractive and improve it technically and economically. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests). Please note that you can only use PayPal if you enter into a contractual relationship with PayPal. In this case, it may be necessary to provide additional data protection and contractual declarations (e.g., consent).

PayPal processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

PayPal uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46, Paragraphs 2 and 3 GDPR) as the basis for data processing with recipients located in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and therefore in particular in the USA) or for data transfers there. Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through these clauses, PayPal undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

For more information about the standard contractual clauses and the data processed through the use of PayPal, please see the privacy policy at https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/ua/privacy-full .

Shop Pay Privacy Policy

We use Shop Pay, an online payment service, on our website. The service provider is the American company Shopify Inc. The company responsible for the European region is Shopify International Limited (Victoria Buildings, 2nd Floor, 1-2 Haddington Road, Dublin 4, D04 XN32, Ireland).

We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfer to the USA. Data processing is primarily carried out by Shop Pay. This may result in data not being processed and stored anonymously. Furthermore, US government authorities may gain access to individual data. Furthermore, this data may be linked to data from other Shop Pay services for which you have a user account.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Shop Pay in the Privacy Policy at https://www.shopify.de/legal/datenschutz .

Visa Privacy Policy

We use Visa, a global payment provider, on our website. The service provider is the American company Visa Inc. Visa Europe Services Inc. (1 Sheldon Square, London W2 6TT, United Kingdom) is responsible for the European region.

Visa processes your data, among other places, in the USA. We would like to point out that, according to the European Court of Justice, there is currently no adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA. This may entail various risks to the legality and security of data processing.

Visa uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR) as the basis for data processing with recipients located in third countries (outside the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and therefore in particular in the USA) or for data transfers there. Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through these clauses, Visa undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

More information on Visa's standard contractual clauses can be found at https://www.visa.de/nutzungsbedingungen/visa-globale-datenschutzmitteilung/mitteilung-zu-zustandigkeitsfragen-fur-den-ewr.html .

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of Visa in the Privacy Policy at https://www.visa.de/nutzungsbedingungen/visa-privacy-center.html .

Audio & Video Introduction

Audio & Video Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected: Visitors to the website 🤝 Purpose: Optimizing our service 📓 Processed data: Data such as contact details, user behavior data, information about your device and your IP address may be stored. You can find more details below in the relevant data protection texts. 📅 Storage period: Data remains stored as long as it is necessary for the service purpose ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are audio and video elements?

We have integrated audio and video elements into our website so that you can watch videos or listen to music/podcasts directly through our website. The content is provided by service providers. All content is therefore also retrieved from the providers' respective servers.

These are integrated functional elements from platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, or Spotify. Using these portals is generally free, but paid content may also be published. Using these integrated elements, you can listen to or view the respective content on our website.

If you use audio or video elements on our website, your personal data may also be transmitted, processed and stored by the service providers.

Why do we use audio and video elements on our website?

Naturally, we want to provide you with the best possible service on our website. And we're aware that content is no longer conveyed solely through text and static images. Instead of simply providing you with a link to a video, we offer audio and video formats directly on our website that are entertaining or informative, and ideally even both. This expands our service and makes it easier for you to access interesting content. Therefore, in addition to our text and images, we also offer video and/or audio content.

What data is stored by audio and video elements?

When you visit a page on our website that, for example, has an embedded video, your server connects to the service provider's server. In the process, your data is also transferred to the third-party provider and stored there. Some data is collected and stored regardless of whether you have an account with the third-party provider or not. This usually includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, and other general information about your device. Furthermore, most providers also collect information about your web activity. This includes session duration, bounce rate, which button you clicked on, and which website you used to access the service. All of this information is usually stored via cookies or pixel tags (also called web beacons). Pseudonymized data is usually stored in cookies in your browser. You can always find out exactly which data is stored and processed in the privacy policy of the respective provider.

Duration of data processing

You can find out exactly how long the data is stored on the third-party providers' servers either further down in the data protection text of the respective tool or in the provider's privacy policy. As a general rule, personal data is only processed for as long as is absolutely necessary to provide our services or products. This generally also applies to third-party providers. You can usually assume that certain data will be stored on third-party servers for several years. Data can be stored for different lengths of time, especially in cookies. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, while others can remain in your browser for several years.

Right of objection

You also have the right and option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies or third-party providers at any time. This can be done either via our cookie management tool or via other opt-out functions. For example, you can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating, or deleting cookies in your browser. The legality of the processing up to the point of revocation remains unaffected.

Since the integrated audio and video features on our site usually also use cookies, you should also read our general privacy policy regarding cookies. The privacy policies of the respective third-party providers provide detailed information about how your data is handled and stored.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the processing and storage of your data through embedded audio and video elements, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR) . In principle, your data will also be stored and processed based on our legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR) in fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the embedded audio and video elements if you have given your consent.

Closing words

Congratulations! If you're reading these lines, you've truly "fought" your way through our entire privacy policy, or at least scrolled this far. As you can see from the length of our privacy policy, we take the protection of your personal data anything but lightly.
It is important to us to inform you to the best of our knowledge and belief about the processing of personal data. In doing so, we not only want to tell you which data is processed, but also explain the reasons for using various software programs. Privacy policies usually sound very technical and legalistic. However, since most of you are not web developers or lawyers, we wanted to take a different approach and explain the matter in simple, clear language. Of course, this is not always possible due to the subject matter. Therefore, the most important terms are explained in more detail at the end of the privacy policy.
If you have any questions about data protection on our website, please do not hesitate to contact us or the responsible party. We wish you a pleasant stay and hope to welcome you back to our website soon.

All texts are protected by copyright.

Source: Privacy Policy created with the Data Protection Generator for Germany from AdSimple