Cookies, tracking tools and social media plug-ins

Cookies

We use cookies on our website. These are small files that your browser automatically creates and that are stored on your device (laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) when you visit our website. Cookies do not cause any damage to your device and do not contain viruses, trojans or other malware. Information is stored in the cookie that results in connection with the specific device used. However, this does not mean that we are immediately aware of your identity. The use of cookies serves on the one hand to make the use of our offer more pleasant for you. We use so-called session cookies to recognize that you have already visited individual pages on our website. These are automatically deleted after leaving our site. In addition, we also use temporary cookies to optimize user-friendliness, which are stored on your device for a specific period of time. If you visit our site again to use our services, it is automatically recognized that you have already been with us and which entries and settings you have made so that you do not have to enter them again. On the other hand, we use cookies to statistically record the use of our website and to evaluate it for you for the purpose of optimizing our offer (see section 6). These cookies enable us to automatically recognize when you visit our site again that you have already visited us. These cookies are automatically deleted after a defined period of time. The data processed by cookies are necessary for the purposes mentioned to safeguard our legitimate interests and those of third parties in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f GDPR required.
The European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance also offers the option of deactivating non-technical cookies from third parties at www.youronlinechoices.eu.
Deactivating cookies may restrict the functionality of our website.
Most browsers accept cookies automatically. However, you can configure your browser so that no cookies are stored on your computer or a message always appears before a new cookie is created. However, if you completely deactivate cookies, you may not be able to use all the functions of our website.

Analysis tools

The tracking measures listed below and used by us are based on Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. f GDPR carried out. With the tracking measures used, we want to ensure a needs-based design and continuous optimization of our website. On the other hand, we use tracking measures to statistically record the use of our website and to evaluate it for you to optimize our offer. These interests are to be regarded as legitimate within the meaning of the afore mentioned regulation. The respective data processing purposes and data categories can be found in the corresponding tracking tools.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (https://about.google/intl/en/)(1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; hereinafter “Google”). In this context, pseudonymized usage profiles are created and cookies (see section 1, (please check the order data processing agreement at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/3379636?hl=en is used. The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website such as
• browser type / version,
• the operating system used,
• referrer URL (the previously visited page),
• host name of the accessing computer (IP address),
• time of the server request,
• duration of the session
are transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. The information is used to evaluate the use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide other services related to website activity and internet usage for the purposes of market research and the needs-based design of this website. This information may also be transferred to third parties if this is required by law or if third parties process this data on behalf of us. Under no circumstances will your IP address be merged with other Google data. The IP addresses are anonymized so that an assignment is not possible (IP masking). You can prevent the installation of cookies by setting the browser software accordingly; however, we would like to point out that in this case not all functions of this website can be used to their full extent. You can also prevent the collection of the data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) and the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing a browser add-on (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en). An opt-out cookie will be set which prevents the future collection of your data when you visit this website. The opt-out cookie is only valid in this browser and only for our website and is stored on your device. If you delete the cookies in this browser, you will have to set the opt-out cookie again. Further information on data protection in connection with Google Analytics can be found in the Google Analytics Help (https://support.google.com/analytics).

How to manage cookies within your browser

The user can set up the browser in such a way as to be warned of the presence of cookies and decide whether or not to accept a specific cookie. It is also possible to delete previously installed cookies through the browser preferences. If the user disables all cookies, the functioning of this site may be compromised. Information on how to manage cookies on your browser is available at the addresses: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Windows Explorer and Microsoft Edge.

Social Media Plug-ins

To make ourselves known better, we use the social plugins of social networks Facebook and Instagram on our website pursuant to art. 6 c. 1 let. f GDPR. The underlying advertising purpose must be considered a legitimate interest under the GDPR. The responsibility for a data protection operation must be guaranteed by the respective supplier. The integration of these plug-ins on our part takes place with the so-called two-click method around the visitors of our web page in the best possible way to protect.
a. Facebook
Our website uses Facebook social media plugins to customize their use. For this we use the “LIKE” or “SHARE” button. This is a Facebook offer. When you access a page of our website that contains such a plugin, the browser establishes a direct connection to the Facebook servers. The content of the plugin is transmitted directly from Facebook to your browser and integrated into the website. By integrating the plugins, Facebook receives the information that your browser has recalled the corresponding page of our website, even if you do not have a Facebook account or are not currently connected to Facebook. This information (including your IP address) is transmitted directly from your browser to a Facebook server in the USA and stored there. If you are logged into Facebook, Facebook can directly associate your visit to our website with your Facebook account. If you interact with plugins, for example by pressing the “LIKE” or “SHARE” button, the corresponding information is transmitted directly to a Facebook server and stored there. The information is also published on Facebook and displayed to your Facebook friends. Facebook can use this information for advertising purposes, for market research and for creating demand-oriented Facebook pages. To this end, Facebook creates profiles of use, interest and relationship, for example to evaluate the use of our website in relation to advertisements displayed on Facebook, to inform other Facebook users about the activities carried out on our website and for provide other services associated with the use of Facebook. If you do not want Facebook to associate the information collected through our website to your Facebook account, you must log out of Facebook before visiting our website. The purpose and scope of data collection and further processing and use of data from Facebook, as well as your rights and setting options for the protection of your privacy are listed in the information on data protection (https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/) of Facebook.
b. Instagram
Our website also uses the so-called Instagram social plugins (“plugins”), provided by Instagram LLC, 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA (“Instagram”). The plug-ins are marked with the Instagram logo, for example in the form of an “Instagram camera”. When you access a page of our website that contains such a plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to the Instagram servers. Instagram transfers the contents of the plugin directly to your browser and integrates it into the page. This integration informs Instagram that your browser has recalled the corresponding page of our website, even if it does not have an Instagram profile or is not currently connected to Instagram. This information (including your IP address) is transmitted directly from your browser to an Instagram server in the US and saved there. If you are connected to Instagram, Instagram can immediately associate your visit to our website with your Instagram account. If you interact with plugins, for example by pressing the “Instagram” button, this information is also transmitted directly to an Instagram server and stored there. The information is also published on your Instagram account and displayed to your contacts. If you do not want Instagram to associate the information collected through our site directly to your Instagram account, you must log out of Instagram before visiting our website. Refer to the Instagram privacy policy https://help.instagram.com for more information.
c. LinkedIn
Plugins of the LinkedIn network are integrated on our website. You can recognize the LinkedIn plugins by the LinkedIn logo on our site. When you visit a page on our website that contains such a plugin, a direct connection is established between your browser and the LinkedIn server. This gives LinkedIn the information that you have visited our site with your IP address. If you click the LinkedIn button while you are logged into your LinkedIn account, you can link the content of our pages to your LinkedIn profile. This enables LinkedIn to assign your visit to our website to your user account. We would like to point out that, as the provider of the pages, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted or its use by LinkedIn. If you do not want LinkedIn to be able to assign your visit to our website, please log out of your LinkedIn user account. You can find more information on this in LinkedIn’s data protection declaration (https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy?_l=en).

Version: 1° november 2020