Privacy Policy

Applicable Legal Bases under the GDPR: Below you will find an overview of the legal bases under the GDPR on which we process personal data. Please note that, in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations in your country of residence or our country of establishment may also apply. Should more specific legal bases be applicable in individual cases, we will inform you accordingly in this privacy policy.

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) - The data subject has given their consent to the processing of their personal data for one or more specific purposes.

Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) - The processing is necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the controller or a third party, provided that the interests, fundamental rights, and freedoms of the data subject requiring protection of personal data do not outweigh those interests.

National Data Protection Regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national data protection rules apply in Germany. This includes, in particular, the Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz – BDSG), which contains special provisions regarding the right of access, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes, data transfers, as well as automated decision-making in individual cases including profiling. Furthermore, data protection laws of the individual federal states (Länder) may also apply.

Notice on the Applicability of the GDPR and the Swiss Data Protection Act (DPA): These privacy notices serve both as information pursuant to the Swiss Data Protection Act (DPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For this reason, please note that, due to the broader territorial application and better comprehensibility, the terminology of the GDPR is used. In particular, instead of the terms used in the Swiss DPA such as "processing" of "personal data," "overriding interest," and "particularly sensitive personal data," the terms "processing" of "personal data," "legitimate interest," and "special categories of data" as used in the GDPR are applied. However, the legal meaning of these terms is determined according to the Swiss DPA within the scope of its applicability.

In accordance with legal requirements and taking into account the state of the art, implementation costs, the nature, scope, circumstances, and purposes of the processing, as well as the varying likelihood and severity of risks to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, we implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

These measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data, as well as access, input, transmission, availability, and separation of the data. Furthermore, we have established procedures to ensure the exercise of data subject rights, data deletion, and responses to data breaches. Additionally, we consider the protection of personal data during the development and selection of hardware, software, and processes in accordance with the principles of data protection by design and by default.

Securing Online Connections through TLS/SSL Encryption Technology (HTTPS): To protect users' data transmitted via our online services from unauthorized access, we use TLS/SSL encryption technology. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are the cornerstones of secure data transmission on the internet. These technologies encrypt the information exchanged between the website or app and the user's browser (or between two servers), thereby safeguarding the data against unauthorized access. TLS, as the more advanced and secure successor to SSL, ensures that all data transmissions meet the highest security standards. When a website is secured with an SSL/TLS certificate, this is indicated by HTTPS in the URL. This serves as an indicator to users that their data is transmitted securely and encrypted.

As part of our processing of personal data, it may be transferred or disclosed to other entities, companies, legally independent organizational units, or individuals. Recipients of such data may include service providers entrusted with IT tasks or providers of services and content integrated into a website. In such cases, we comply with legal requirements and, in particular, conclude appropriate contracts or agreements with the recipients of your data to ensure the protection of your data.

If we transfer data to a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)) or if such transfers occur in the course of using third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, entities, or companies (which can be identified, for example, by the provider's postal address or by an explicit notice in the privacy policy regarding data transfers to third countries), this is always carried out in compliance with legal requirements.

For data transfers to the United States, we primarily rely on the Data Privacy Framework (DPF), which was recognized as a secure legal framework by the European Commission's adequacy decision dated July 10, 2023. Additionally, we have concluded standard contractual clauses with the respective providers that comply with the requirements of the European Commission and establish contractual obligations to protect your data.

This dual-layer protection ensures comprehensive security for your data: the Data Privacy Framework (DPF) serves as the primary safeguard, while the standard contractual clauses provide additional security. Should any changes occur within the DPF framework, the standard contractual clauses act as a reliable fallback option. This way, we ensure that your data remains adequately protected even in the event of political or legal changes.

For each individual service provider, we inform you whether they are certified under the Data Privacy Framework (DPF) and whether standard contractual clauses are in place. Further information about the DPF and a list of certified companies can be found on the website of the U.S. Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/

For data transfers to other third countries, appropriate safeguards apply, in particular standard contractual clauses, explicit consents, or legally required transfers. Information on third-country transfers and applicable adequacy decisions can be found in the information provided by the European Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en

We delete personal data that we process in accordance with legal requirements as soon as the underlying consents are revoked or no further legal basis for processing exists. This applies in cases where the original purpose of processing no longer applies or the data is no longer needed. Exceptions to this rule exist when statutory obligations or legitimate interests require longer retention or archiving of the data.

In particular, data that must be retained for commercial or tax law reasons, or whose storage is necessary for legal enforcement or the protection of the rights of other natural or legal persons, must be archived accordingly.

Our privacy notice contains additional information on the retention and deletion of data that specifically applies to certain processing activities.

If multiple retention periods or deletion deadlines apply to a piece of data, the longest period shall always be decisive. Data that is no longer needed for the originally intended purpose but is retained due to legal requirements or other reasons will be processed solely for the purposes that justify their retention.

Data Retention and Deletion: The following general periods apply for retention and archiving under German law:

10 years – Retention period for books and records, annual financial statements, inventories, management reports, opening balance sheets, as well as the working instructions and other organizational documents necessary for their understanding (§ 147 para. 1 no. 1 in conjunction with para. 3 AO, § 14b para. 1 UStG, § 257 para. 1 no. 1 in conjunction with para. 4 HGB).

8 years – Retention period for accounting documents, such as invoices and receipts (§ 147 para. 1 no. 4 and 4a in conjunction with para. 3 sentence 1 AO as well as § 257 para. 1 no. 4 in conjunction with para. 4 HGB).

6 years – Other business documents: received commercial or business letters, copies of sent commercial or business letters, other documents insofar as they are relevant for taxation, e.g., time sheets, cost accounting records, calculation documents, price tags, as well as payroll documents, provided they are not already accounting records, and cash register receipts (§ 147 para. 1 no. 2, 3, 5 in conjunction with para. 3 AO, § 257 para. 1 no. 2 and 3 in conjunction with para. 4 HGB).

3 years – Data necessary to consider potential warranty and compensation claims or similar contractual claims and rights, as well as to process related inquiries, are stored for the duration of the regular statutory limitation period of three years (§§ 195, 199 BGB).

Rights of the Data Subjects under the GDPR: As a data subject, you have various rights under the GDPR, which particularly arise from Articles 15 to 21 of the GDPR:

Right to object: YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT, ON GROUNDS RELATING TO YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION, AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA WHICH IS BASED ON ARTICLE 6(1) (E) OR (F) OF THE GDPR; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING BASED ON THESE PROVISIONS. IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS PROCESSED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA FOR SUCH MARKETING; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING INSOFAR AS IT IS RELATED TO SUCH DIRECT MARKETING.

Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw any consent you have given at any time.

Right of Access: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether data concerning you is being processed, and to receive information about this data, as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with legal requirements.

Right to Rectification: You have the right, in accordance with legal requirements, to demand the completion of your data or the correction of incorrect data concerning you.

Right to Erasure and the Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right, in accordance with legal requirements, to demand that data concerning you be erased without undue delay, or alternatively, in accordance with legal requirements, to demand a restriction of the processing of the data.

Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive data that you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format in accordance with legal requirements, or to demand its transmission to another controller.

Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority: Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the provisions of the GDPR.

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

Categories of data processed: Usage data (e.g., page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); Meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved); Log data (e.g., log files concerning logins or the retrieval of data or access times).

Data Subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).

Purposes of processing: Provision of our online service and user-friendliness; Information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.)); Security measures.

Storage and Deletion: Erasure in accordance with the details in the section "General information on data storage and erasure".

Legal bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR

Further information on processing operations, procedures, and services:

Hosting the online service on rented server space: To provide our online service, we use storage space, computing capacity, and software that we rent or otherwise obtain from a corresponding server provider (also known as a "web host"); Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR

Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online service is logged in the form of so-called "server log files." The server log files may include the address and name of the requested webpages and files, the date and time of the request, transferred data volumes, notification of a successful request, browser type and version, the user's operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page), and as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider. The server log files can be used for security purposes, for example, to prevent an overload of the servers (especially in the case of malicious attacks, so-called DDoS attacks), and also to ensure the utilization and stability of the servers. Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR. Erasure of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum period of 30 days and is then deleted or anonymized. Data whose further retention is required for evidentiary purposes is exempt from deletion until the final clarification of the respective incident.

Content-Delivery-Network: We use a "Content-Delivery-Network" (CDN). A CDN is a service that helps to deliver content of an online service, especially large media files such as graphics or program scripts, faster and more securely with the help of regionally distributed and internet-connected servers. Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR.

Hetzner: Services in the field of providing information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g., storage space and/or computing capacity); Service provider: Hetzner Online GmbH, Industriestr. 25, 91710 Gunzenhausen, Germany; Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR; Website: https://www.hetzner.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.hetzner.com/legal/privacy-policy; Data Processing Agreement: https://docs.hetzner.com/general/general-terms-and-conditions/data-privacy-faq.

Cloudflare: Content-Delivery-Network (CDN) - a service that helps to deliver content of an online service, especially large media files such as graphics or program scripts, faster and more securely with the help of regionally distributed and internet-connected servers. Service Provider: Cloudflare, Inc., 101 Townsend St., San Fransisco, CA 94107, USA; Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR; Website: https://www.cloudflare.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/.

The term "cookies" refers to functions that store and read information on users' end devices. Cookies can also be used for various purposes, such as for the functionality, security, and comfort of online services, as well as for creating analyses of visitor flows. We use cookies in accordance with legal regulations. To do so, we obtain the users' prior consent if required. If consent is not necessary, we rely on our legitimate interests. This applies when the storage and reading of information is essential to be able to provide explicitly requested content and functions. This includes, for example, the storage of settings and ensuring the functionality and security of our online service. Consent can be revoked at any time. We provide clear information on its scope and which cookies are used.

Notes on the legal bases for data protection: Whether we process personal data using cookies depends on consent. If consent has been given, it serves as the legal basis. Without consent, we rely on our legitimate interests, which are explained above in this section and in the context of the respective services and procedures.

Storage Duration: With regard to the storage duration, the following types of cookies are distinguished:

Temporary Cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted no later than after a user has left an online service and has closed their device (e.g., browser or mobile application).

Permanent Cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the device is closed. For example, the log-in status can be saved and preferred content can be displayed directly when the user revisits a website. Likewise, user data collected with the help of cookies can be used for reach measurement. If we do not provide users with explicit information on the type and storage duration of cookies (e.g., when obtaining consent), they should assume that these are permanent and the storage duration can be up to two years.

General information on withdrawal and objection (opt-out): Users can withdraw the consents they have given at any time and can also object to the processing in accordance with legal requirements, including via their browser's privacy settings.

Types of data processed: Meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).

Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).

Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR.

We use blogs or comparable means of online communication and publication (hereinafter referred to as "publication medium"). Reader data is processed for the purposes of the publication medium only to the extent necessary for its presentation, for communication between authors and readers, or for security reasons. For all other matters, we refer to the information on the processing of visitors to our publication medium within the scope of this privacy policy.

Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g., full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); Contact details (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers); Usage data (e.g., page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).

Data subject: User (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).

Purpose of processing: Provision of our online service and user-friendliness.

Retention and erasure: Erasure in accordance with the details in the section "General information on data storage and erasure."

Legal bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR.

When you contact us (e.g., via post, contact form, email, telephone, or social media) as well as in the context of existing user and business relationships, the information of the inquiring persons will be processed to the extent necessary to answer the contact inquiries and any requested actions.

Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g., full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); Contact details (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers).

Data subject: Communication Partners.

Purpose of processing: Communication; organizational and administrative procedures; feedback (e.g., collecting feedback via online form). Provision of our online service and user-friendliness.

Retention and erasure: Erasure in accordance with the details in the section "General information on data storage and erasure."

Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR.

We send newsletters, emails, and other electronic notifications (hereinafter "newsletter") exclusively with the consent of the recipients or on the basis of a legal provision. If the content of the newsletter is specified as part of the subscription, this content determines the scope of the users' consent. To subscribe to our newsletter, providing your email address is normally sufficient. However, to offer you a personalized service, we may ask for your company name, your position in the company or for other information if this is necessary for the purpose of the newsletter.

Deletion and restriction of processing: We can store unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before we delete them, in order to be able to prove a previously given consent. The processing of this data is restricted to the purpose of a potential defense against claims. An individual request for deletion is possible at any time, provided that the prior existence of consent is simultaneously confirmed. In the case of obligations to permanently respect objections, we reserve the right to store the email address for this purpose alone in a blocklist (so-called "blocklist").

The logging of the registration procedure is based on our legitimate interests for the purpose of proving its proper course. Insofar as we commission a service provider with the dispatch of emails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure dispatch system.

Content: Information about us, our services, promotions, and offers.

Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g., full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); Contact details (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers); Meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved). Usage data (e.g., page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).

Data subject: Communication Partners.

Purpose of processing: Direct Marketing (e.g. via Email).

Legal Bases: Consent (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter a) GDPR. Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR.

Right to object (Opt-Out): You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time, i.e., withdraw your consents or object to its further reception. You can find a link to unsubscribe from the newsletter at the end of every newsletter, or you can use one of the contact options listed above, preferably email, to do so.

Further information on processing operations, procedures, and services:

Measurement of open and click rates: The newsletters contain a so-called "web beacon", which is a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from our server (or that of a dispatch service provider if we use one) when the newsletter is opened. In the course of this retrieval, both technical information (such as data on your browser and system) and your IP address and the time of retrieval are collected. This information is used for the technical improvement of our newsletter based on the technical data, or for audience targeting and their reading behavior based on their retrieval locations (which can be determined with the help of the IP address) or access times. This analysis also includes determining whether and when the newsletters are opened and which links are clicked. The information is assigned to individual newsletter recipients and stored in their profiles until deletion. The analyses are used to recognize the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content to them or to send different content according to the interests of our users. Legal Bases: Consent (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter a) GDPR.

CleverReach: Email sending and automation services.; Service Provider: CleverReach GmbH & Co. KG, Schafjückenweg 2, 26180 Rastede, Germany; Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR; Website: https://www.cleverreach.com/; Privacy Policy: https://www.cleverreach.com/data-security/; Data Processing Agreement: https://eu2.cleverreach.com/assets/dpa/4.5_en_example.pdf.

We process personal data for the purposes of promotional communication, which can be carried out via various channels, such as email or telephone, in accordance with legal requirements.

Recipients have the right to withdraw their consent or to object to promotional communication at any time.

Following a withdrawal or objection, we store the data necessary to prove previous authorization for contact or sending for up to three years after the end of the year of the withdrawal or objection, based on our legitimate interests. The processing of this data is restricted to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. Furthermore, based on the legitimate interest of permanently respecting the users' withdrawal or objection, we also store the data required to avoid renewed contact (e.g., depending on the communication channel, the email address, telephone number, name).

Types of data processed: Inventory data (e.g., full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); Contact details (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers).

Data subject: Communication Partner.

Purpose of processing: Direct Marketing (e.g. via Email); Marketing. Sales promotion.

Retention and erasure: Erasure in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and erasure.".

Legal Bases: Consent (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter a) GDPR. Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR

Web analytics (also referred to as "reach measurement") is used to evaluate the visitor flow of our online service and can include behavior or interests. With the help of reach analysis, we can, for example, identify at what time our online service or its functions and content are most frequently used, or encourage repeat visits. It also allows us to understand which areas require optimization.

In addition to web analytics, we can also use testing procedures to test and optimize different versions of our online service or its components.

Unless otherwise stated below, for these purposes, profiles—data summarized from a usage process—can be created, and information can be stored in and then read from a browser or an end device. The information collected includes, in particular, websites visited and elements used there, as well as technical information such as the browser and computer system used and details on usage times. If users have consented to the collection of their location data with us or with the providers of the services we use, the processing of location data is also possible.

In addition, users' IP addresses are stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e., pseudonymization by truncating the IP address) to protect users. In general, within the scope of web analytics, A/B testing, and optimization, no identifiable user data (such as email addresses or names) is stored, but rather pseudonyms. This means that neither we nor the providers of the software used know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purpose of the respective procedures.

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the data processing is consent. Otherwise, user data will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in efficient, economic, and user-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to draw your attention to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g., page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).

Data subject: User (e.g. Website visitors).

Purpose of processing: Reach measurement (e.g., access statistics, recognition of returning visitors). Profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).

Retention and erasure: Erasure in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and erasure." Storage of cookies for up to 2 years (Unless otherwise specified, cookies and similar storage methods may be stored on users' devices for a period of two years).

Security measures: IP-Masking (Pseudonymization of IP-Addresses).

Legal Bases: Consent (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter a) GDPR. Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR.

We maintain an online presence within social networks and, in this context, process user data to communicate with the users active there or to provide information about us.

We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This can result in risks for users, for example, because it could make the enforcement of user rights more difficult.

Furthermore, user data within social networks is generally processed for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles can be created based on user behavior and their resulting interests. These profiles may then be used to display advertisements both within and outside the networks that presumably match the users' interests. Therefore, as a rule, cookies are stored on users' computers, which contain information about their usage behavior and interests. In addition, data can be stored in these usage profiles independently of the devices used by the users (especially if they are members of the respective platforms and are logged in there).

For a detailed description of the respective forms of processing and the objection options (opt-out), we refer to the privacy policies and information of the operators of the respective networks.

In the case of requests for information and the assertion of data subject rights, we also point out that these can be asserted most effectively with the providers. Only the providers have access to the user data and can directly take appropriate measures and provide information.

Types of data processed: Contact details (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers); Content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and posts as well as information relating to them, such as details on authorship or time of creation); Usage data (e.g., page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).

Data subject: User (e.g. Website visitors).

Purpose of processing: Communication; Feedback (e.g., collecting feedback via online form); Public relations. Public relations and information purposes.

Retention and Erasure: Erasure in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and erasure."

Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR.

Further information on processing operations, procedures, and services:

Bluesky: Decentralized social media network - enables the creation, sharing, and commenting on content, as well as the following of user profiles; Service Provider: Bluesky, PBLLC., Seattle, USA, [email protected]; Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR; Website: https://bsky.social; Privacy Policy: https://bsky.social/about/support/privacy-policy.

LinkedIn: Social network - Together with LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, we are responsible for the collection (but not the further processing) of visitor data that is used to create "Page Insights" (statistics) for our LinkedIn profiles. This data includes information about the types of content that users view or interact with, as well as the actions they take. In addition, details about the devices used are collected, such as IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, and cookie data, as well as information from the user profiles, such as job function, country, industry, hierarchy level, company size, and employment status. Data protection information on the processing of user data by LinkedIn can be found in LinkedIn's privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy. We have concluded a special agreement with LinkedIn Ireland ("Page Insights Joint Controller Addendum", https://legal.linkedin.com/pages-joint-controller-addendum, ), in which it is specifically regulated which security measures LinkedIn must observe and in which LinkedIn has agreed to fulfill the rights of the data subjects (i.e., users can, for example, address requests for information or deletion directly to LinkedIn). The rights of the users (in particular the right to information, deletion, objection, and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with LinkedIn. The joint responsibility is limited to the collection and transmission of the data to LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, a company based in the EU. The further processing of the data is the soleusers (in particular the responsibility of LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, particularly with regard to the transmission of the data to the parent company, LinkedIn Corporation in the USA. Service Provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR; Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Legal basis for third-country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa); Right to object (Opt-Out): https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.

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YouTube: Social Network and Video platform; Service Provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR. Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Legal basis for third-country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Right to object (Opt-Out): https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff.

We embed functional and content elements into our online service that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as "third-party providers"). These can include, for example, graphics, videos, or city maps (hereinafter uniformly referred to as "content").

The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the users' IP address, as they would not be able to send the content to the users' browsers without it. The IP address is therefore necessary for the display of this content or these functions. We make an effort to only use content whose respective providers use the IP address solely for the delivery of the content. Third-party providers can also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as "web beacons") for statistical or marketing purposes. These pixel tags can be used to evaluate information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. Furthermore, the pseudonymous information can be stored in cookies on the users' device and contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, the visiting time, and other details about the use of our online service, but can also be linked with such information from other sources.

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the data processing is consent. Otherwise, user data will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in efficient, economic, and user-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to draw your attention to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

Processed data types: Usage data (e.g., page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions) and meta, communication, and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, persons involved).

Data subject: Users (e.g. Website visitors).

Purpose of processing: Provision of our online service and user-friendliness.

Retention and erasure: Erasure in accordance with the information in the section "General information on data storage and erasure." Storage of cookies for up to 2 years (Unless otherwise specified, cookies and similar storage methods can be stored on users' devices for a period of two years).

Legal Bases: Consent (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter a) GDPR. Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR.

Further information on processing operations, procedures, and services:

Integration of third-party software, scripts, or frameworks: We integrate software into our online service that we retrieve from the servers of other providers (e.g., function libraries that we use for the purpose of displaying or enhancing the user-friendliness of our online service). In this process, the respective providers collect the users' IP address and can process it for the purposes of transmitting the software to the users' browser, as well as for security purposes, and for the evaluation and optimization of their service. Legal Bases: Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1) sentence 1, letter f) GDPR.