PRIVACY POLICY

Introduction and overview

We have written this data protection declaration (version 09/19/2024-122873894) in order to explain to you, in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws, which personal data (data for short) we as the controller – and that of Processors commissioned by us (e.g. providers) – process, will process in the future and what legal options you have. The terms used are to be understood as gender-neutral.
In short: We inform you comprehensively about the data we process about you.

Privacy policies usually sound very technical and use legal terms. This data protection declaration, however, is intended to describe the most important things to you as simply and transparently as possible. To the extent that it promotes transparency, technical terms are explained in a reader-friendly manner, links to further information are provided and graphics are used. We thereby inform you in clear and simple language that we only process personal data as part of our business activities if there is a corresponding legal basis. This is certainly not possible if you make as brief, unclear and legal-technical statements as possible, as are often standard on the Internet when it comes to data protection. I hope you find the following explanations interesting and informative and perhaps there is one or two pieces of information that you didn’t know before.
If you still have questions, we would like to ask you to contact the responsible body named below or in the legal notice, follow the existing links and look at further information on third-party sites. You can of course also find our contact details in the legal notice.

Scope

This data protection declaration applies to all personal data processed by us in the company and to all personal data that companies commissioned by us (contract processors) process. By personal data we mean information within the meaning of Article 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 data protection declaration includes:

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

In short: The data protection declaration applies to all areas in which personal data is processed in a structured manner within the company via the channels mentioned. If we enter into legal relationships with you outside of these channels, we will inform you separately if necessary.

Legal basis

In the following data protection declaration we provide you with transparent information about the legal principles and regulations, i.e. the legal bases of the General Data Protection Regulation, which enable us to process personal data.
As far as EU law is concerned, we refer to REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of April 27, 2016. You can of course access this EU General Data Protection Regulation online on EUR-Lex, the access to the EU -Law, read at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679.

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

Consent (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. a GDPR): You have given us your consent to process data for a specific purpose. An example would be saving the data you entered on a contact form.

Contract (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. b GDPR): In order to fulfill a contract or pre-contractual obligations with you, we process your data. For example, if we conclude a purchase contract with you, we need personal information in advance.

Legal obligation (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. c GDPR): If we are subject to a legal obligation, we process your data. For example, we are legally obliged to keep invoices for accounting purposes. These usually contain personal data.

Legitimate interests (Article 6 paragraph 1 lit. 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 is therefore a legitimate interest.

Other conditions such as the perception of recordings in the public interest and the exercise of public authority as well as the protection of vital interests generally do not apply to us. If such a legal basis is relevant, it will be shown in the appropriate place.

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

In Austria, this is the Federal Law on the Protection of Natural Persons with regard to the Processing of Personal Data (Data Protection Act), or DSG for short.
The Federal Data Protection Act, or BDSG for short, applies in Germany.
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 responsible person or body below:
Andreas Pachler
Au 54
4822 Bad Goisern
Authorized representative: Andreas Pachler
Email: office@citroen-pachler.at

office@citroen-pachler.at

Storage period

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

If you wish to have your data deleted or revoke 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.

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

In accordance with Articles 13, 14 GDPR, we inform you of the following rights to which you are entitled so that data is processed fairly and transparently:

  • According to Article 15 GDPR, you have a right to information as to whether we are processing your data. If this is the case, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and to know 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, deletion 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 for you.
  • According to Article 16 GDPR, you have the right to rectification of data, which means that we must correct data if you find errors.
  • According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to deletion (“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 restrict processing, which means that we are only allowed to store the data but not use it any further.
  • According to Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that upon request we will provide you with your data in a common format.
  • According to Article 21 GDPR, you have a right to object, which, once enforced, will result in a change to the processing.
    • If the processing of your data is based on Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter e (public interest, exercise of official authority) or Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f (legitimate interest), you can object to the processing. We will then check as quickly as possible whether we can legally comply with this objection.
    • If data is used to conduct direct advertising, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We may then no longer use your data for direct marketing.
    • If data is used to carry out profiling, you can object to this type of data processing at any time. We are then no longer allowed to use your data for profiling.
  • According to Article 22 GDPR, you may have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g. profiling).
  • According to Article 77 GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint. This means that you can complain to 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 your data protection rights have been violated in any other way, you can complain to the supervisory authority. For Austria, this is the data protection authority, whose website you can find at https://www.dsb.gv.at/. In Germany there is a data protection officer for each federal state. For more 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:

Security of data processing

To protect personal data, we have implemented both technical and organizational measures. Where possible, we encrypt or pseudonymize personal data. In doing so, we make it as difficult as possible for third parties to infer personal information from our data.

Art. 25 GDPR speaks here of “data protection through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings” and means that security and corresponding security are always taken into account when it comes to both software (e.g. forms) and hardware (e.g. access to the server room). takes measures. Below we will go into specific measures if necessary.

TLS encryption with https

TLS, encryption and https sound very technical and they are. We use HTTPS (the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure stands for “secure hypertext transfer protocol”) to transmit data over the Internet in a secure manner.
This means that the complete transmission of all data from your browser to our web server is secured – no one can “eavesdrop”.

We have thus introduced an additional security layer and comply with data protection through technical 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 transfer protection by the small lock symbol at the top left 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 would like to know more about encryption, we recommend searching Google for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure wiki” to get good links to further information.

Communication

Communication summary
👥 Those affected: Anyone who communicates with us by phone, email or online form
📓 Processed data: e.g. E.g. telephone number, name, email address, entered form data. You can find more details about the type of contact used
🤝 Purpose: Handling communication with customers, business partners, etc.
📅 Storage period: Duration of the business case and the legal regulations
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b GDPR (contract), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. 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 and process your question and the related business transaction. The data is stored for as long as the law requires.

Affected persons

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

Phone

If you call us, the call data will be stored pseudonymously on the respective device and by the telecommunications provider used. In addition, data such as name and telephone number can then be sent by email and saved to answer your query. The data will be deleted as soon as the business transaction has ended and legal requirements allow it.

E-mail

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

Online forms

If you communicate with us using an online form, data will be stored on our web server and, if necessary, forwarded to one of our email addresses. The data will be deleted as soon as the business transaction has ended and legal requirements allow it.

Legal basis

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

Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent): You give us your consent to store your data and to continue using it for purposes relevant to the business transaction;
Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Letter b GDPR (contract): There is a need to fulfill a contract with you or a processor such as. B. the telephone provider or we need to use the data for pre-contractual activities, such as: B. the preparation of an offer;
Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests): We want to conduct customer inquiries and business communication in a professional framework. For this purpose, certain technical facilities such as: B. E-mail programs, exchange servers and mobile phone operators are necessary in order to be able to operate communication efficiently.

Cookies

Cookies summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: depending on the respective cookie. You can find more details about this below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.
📓 Data processed: Depending on the cookie used. You can find more details about this below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.
📅 Storage period: depending on the respective cookie, can vary from hours to years
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. 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. Well-known 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 cannot be denied: Cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. To be more precise, they are HTTP cookies, as there are also other cookies for other areas of application. 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 attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal page settings. When you visit our site again, your browser sends 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: B. Chrome and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie back from the server, which the browser uses again as soon as another page is requested.

HTTP Cookie Interaktion zwischen Browser und Webserver

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g. Google Analytics). Each cookie must be evaluated individually because each cookie stores different data. The expiry 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 “malicious” things. Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data might look like this:

Name: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152122873894-9
Purpose: Differentiation of 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 in particular depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the data protection declaration. At this point we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

There are 4 types of cookies:

Essential cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic functions of the website. For example, these cookies are needed when a user puts a product in the shopping cart, then continues surfing on other pages and only later checks out. These cookies do not delete the shopping cart, even if 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 are also used to measure the loading time and behavior of the website on different browsers.

Targeting cookies
These cookies ensure better user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes or form data are saved.

Advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They serve to provide the user with individually tailored advertising. This can be very practical, but also very annoying.

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

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

Purpose of processing via cookies

The purpose ultimately depends on the respective cookie. You can find more details about this below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.

Which data is processed?

Cookies are little helpers for many different tasks. Unfortunately, it is not possible to generalize which data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the data processed or stored in the following data protection declaration.

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, others can remain on a computer for several years.

You also have an influence on the storage period. You can delete all cookies manually at any time via your browser (see also “Right to object” below). Furthermore, cookies that are based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you revoke your consent, although the legality of storage remains unaffected until then.

Right to object – how can I delete cookies?

You decide for yourself how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come from, you always have the option of deleting cookies, deactivating them or only partially allowing them. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all other cookies.

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

Chrome: Delete, enable and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Manage cookies and site data with Safari

Firefox: Delete cookies to remove data that websites have placed on your computer

Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Deleting and managing cookies

If you generally do not want cookies, you can set your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be set. This means you can decide for each individual cookie whether you allow the cookie or not. The procedure varies depending on the browser. The best thing to do is to search for the instructions in Google using the search term “delete cookies Chrome” or “deactivate cookies Chrome” in the case of a Chrome browser.

Legal basis

The so-called “Cookie Guidelines” have existed since 2009. This states that the storage of cookies requires your consent (Article 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). However, there are still very different reactions to these guidelines within the EU countries. In Austria, however, this directive was implemented in Section 165 Paragraph 3 of the Telecommunications Act (2021). In Germany, the cookie guidelines have not been implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 Paragraph 3 of the Telemedia Act (TMG), which has been replaced by the Digital Services Act (DDG) since May 2024.

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

If non-essential cookies are used, this will only happen with your consent. The legal basis in this respect is Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter 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 hosting introduction

Web hosting summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: professional hosting of the website and securing operations
📓 Processed data: IP address, time of website visit, browser used and other data. You can find more details about this below or with the web hosting provider you use.
📅 Storage period: depends on the respective provider, but usually 2 weeks
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit.f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is web hosting?

When you visit websites these days, certain information – including personal data – is created and stored automatically, including on this website. This data should be processed as sparingly as possible and only with justification. By the way, by website we mean the entirety of all websites on a domain, i.e. everything from the start page (homepage) to the very last subpage (like this one). By domain we mean, for example, example.de or musterexample.com.

If you want to view a website on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you use a program called a web browser. You probably know a few web browsers by name: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari. We call it browser or web browser for short.

To display the website, the browser must connect to another computer where the website’s code is stored: the web server. Operating a web server is a complicated and time-consuming task, which is why it is usually carried out by professional providers. These offer web hosting and thus ensure reliable and error-free storage of website data. A lot of technical terms, but please stay tuned, it gets better!

When the browser connects to your computer (desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone) and during data transfer to and from the web server, personal data may be processed. On the one hand, your computer stores data, but on the other hand, the web server also needs to store data for a while to ensure proper operation.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so the following graphic shows the interaction between the browser, the Internet and the hosting provider.

Browser und Webserver

Why do we process personal data?

The purposes of data processing are:

Professional website hosting and operational security
to maintain operational and IT security
Anonymous evaluation of access behavior to improve our offering and, if necessary, to prosecute or pursue claims

Which data is processed?

Even while you are visiting our website, our web server, which is the computer on which this website is stored, usually automatically saves data such as

the complete internet address (URL) of the website accessed
Browser and browser version (e.g. Chrome 87)
the operating system used (e.g. Windows 10)
the address (URL) of the previously visited page (referrer URL) (e.g. https://www.beispielquellsite.de/vondabinichkommen/)
the hostname and IP address of the device from which access is made (e.g. COMPUTERNAME and 194.23.43.121)
Date and time
in files called web server log files

How long is data stored?

As a rule, the above-mentioned data is stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not pass on this data, but we cannot rule out that this data will be viewed by authorities if illegal behavior occurs.

In short: Your visit will be logged by our provider (company that runs our website on special computers (servers)), but we will not pass on your data without consent!

Legal basis

The legality of the processing of personal data in the context of web hosting results from Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f of the GDPR (protection of legitimate interests), because the use of professional hosting from a provider is necessary to keep the company safe and user-friendly on the Internet to be able to present and, if necessary, pursue attacks and claims resulting from this.

There is usually a contract for order processing between us and the hosting provider in accordance with Art. 28 f. GDPR, which ensures compliance with data protection and guarantees data security.

Website modular systems introduction

Website modular systems data protection declaration summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: Optimization of our service
📓 Data processed: Data such as technical usage information such as browser activity, clickstream activity, session heatmaps, as well as contact details, IP address or your geographical location. You can find more details about this below in this data protection declaration and in the data protection declaration of the providers.
📅 Storage period: depends on the provider
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent)

What are modular website systems?

We use a modular website system for our website. Modular systems are special forms of a content management system (CMS). With a modular system, website operators can create a website very easily and without any programming knowledge. In many cases, web hosts also offer modular systems. By using a modular system, your personal data can also be collected, stored and processed. In this data protection text we provide you with general information about data processing through modular systems. Further information can be found in the provider’s privacy policy.

Why do we use website builders for our website?

The biggest advantage of a modular system is its ease of use. We want to offer you a clear, simple and clear website that we can easily operate and maintain ourselves – without external support. A modular system now offers many helpful functions that we can use even without programming knowledge. This allows us to design our web presence according to our wishes and offer you an informative and pleasant time on our website.

What data is stored by a modular system?

Exactly which data is stored depends, of course, on the website construction system used. Each provider processes and collects different data from website visitors. However, technical usage information such as operating system, browser, screen resolution, language and keyboard settings, hosting provider and the date of your website visit are usually collected. Tracking data (e.g. browser activity, clickstream activity, session heatmaps, etc.) can also be processed. Personal data can also be collected and stored. This usually involves contact information such as email address, telephone number (if you have provided it), IP address and geographical location data. You can find out exactly which data is stored in the provider’s privacy policy.

How long and where is the data stored?

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing in connection with the website modular system used, provided we have further information about it. You can find detailed information about this in the provider’s privacy policy. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. It may be that the provider stores your data according to its own requirements, over which we have no influence.

Right to object

You always have the right to information, correction and deletion of your personal data. If you have any questions, you can contact those responsible for the website modular system used at any time. You can find contact details either in our data protection declaration or on the website of the relevant provider.

You can delete, deactivate or manage cookies that providers use for their functions in your browser. Depending on which browser you use, this works in different ways. Please note, however, that not all functions may then work as usual.

Legal basis

We have a legitimate interest in using a modular website system to optimize our online service and present it to you in an efficient and user-appealing manner. The corresponding legal basis for this is Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use the modular system if you have given your consent.

If the processing of data is not absolutely necessary for the operation of the website, the data will only be processed based on your consent. This particularly applies to tracking activities. The legal basis in this respect is Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter a GDPR.

With this data protection declaration we have provided you with the most important general information about data processing. If you would like to find out more about this, you can find further information – if available – in the following section or in the provider’s data protection declaration.

WordPress.com privacy policy

WordPress.com Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: Optimization of our service
📓 Data processed: Data such as technical usage information such as browser activity, clickstream activity, session heatmaps, as well as contact details, IP address or your geographical location. You can find more details about this further down in this data protection declaration.
📅 Storage duration: It depends primarily on the type of data stored and the specific settings.
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is WordPress?

We use the well-known content management system WordPress.com for our website. The service provider is the American company Automattic Inc., 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.

The company was born in 2003 and, in a relatively short space of time, developed into one of the best-known content management systems (CMS) in the world. A CMS is software that helps us design our website and display content beautifully and orderly. The content can be text, audio and video.
By using WordPress, your personal data can also be collected, stored and processed. As a rule, mainly technical data such as operating system, browser, screen resolution or hosting provider are stored. However, personal data such as IP address, geographical data or contact details may also be processed.

Why do we use WordPress on our website?

We have many strengths, but real programming is not one of our core competences.

However, we want to have a powerful and attractive website that we can manage and maintain ourselves. This is exactly what is possible with a website construction system or a content management system like WordPress. With WordPress we don’t have to be programming aces to offer you a beautiful website. Thanks to WordPress, we can use our website quickly and easily, even without any prior technical knowledge. If technical problems arise or we have special requests for our website, there are always our specialists who feel at home in HTML, PHP, CSS and the like.

Thanks to the ease of use and comprehensive functions of WordPress, we can design our web presence according to our wishes and offer you good user-friendliness.

What data is processed by WordPress?

Non-personal information includes technical usage information such as browser activity, clickstream activity, session heatmaps, and information about your computer, operating system, browser, screen resolution, language and keyboard settings, Internet service provider, and date of page visit.

Personal data is also collected. These are primarily contact details (email address or telephone number, if you provide them), IP address or your geographical location.

WordPress may also use cookies to collect data. This often collects data about your behavior on our website. For example, it can be recorded which sub-pages you particularly like to view, how long you spend on individual pages, when you leave a page again (bounce rate) or which presets (e.g. language selection) you have made. Based on this data, WordPress can also better adapt its own marketing measures to your interests and user behavior. The next time you visit our website, you will see our website as you previously set it.

WordPress may also use technologies such as pixel tags (web beacons), for example to clearly identify you as a user and possibly offer interest-based advertising.

How long and where is the data stored?

How long the data is stored depends on various factors. It depends primarily on the type of data stored and the specific settings of the website. Basically, WordPress deletes data when it is no longer needed for its own purposes. There are of course exceptions, especially when legal obligations require the data to be stored for longer. Web server logs that contain your IP address and technical data are deleted by WordPress or Automattic after 30 days. Automattic uses the data for this period to analyze traffic on its own websites (for example, all WordPress pages) and to resolve potential problems. Deleted content on WordPress websites is also stored in the trash for 30 days to enable recovery, after which it can remain in backups and caches until they are deleted. The data is stored on Automattic’s American servers.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You have the right and the opportunity to access your personal data and to object to the use and processing of it at any time. You can also file a complaint with a government supervisory authority at any time.

You also have the option of managing, deleting or deactivating cookies individually in your browser. Please note, however, that deactivated or deleted cookies may have a negative impact on the functions of our WordPress site. Depending on which browser you use, managing cookies works slightly differently. Under the “Cookies” section you will find the relevant links to the respective instructions for the most popular browsers.

Legal basis

If you have consented to WordPress being used, the legal basis for the corresponding data processing is this consent. According to Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent represents the legal basis for the processing of personal data as it may occur when WordPress is collected.

We also have a legitimate interest in using WordPress to optimize our online service and present it nicely for you. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use WordPress if you have given your consent.

WordPress or Automattic processes your data in the USA, among other places. Automattic is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. You can find more information on this at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Automattic also uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCC) 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 third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Automattic undertakes to comply with the European level of data protection 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 details on the data protection policy and which data is processed in which way by WordPress can be found at https://automattic.com/privacy/.

Cookie Consent Management Platform Introduction

Cookie Consent Management Platform Summary
👥 Affected parties: Website visitors
🤝 Purpose: Obtaining and managing consent to certain cookies and thus the use of certain tools
📓 Data processed: Data for managing the cookie settings set, such as IP address, time of consent, type of consent, individual consents. You can find more details about this in the tool used.
📅 Storage period: Depends on the tool used, you have to be prepared for periods of several years
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 Para. 1 lit.f GDPR (legitimate interests)
What is a Cookie Consent Management Platform?

We use a Consent Management Platform (CMP) software on our website that makes it easier for us and you to use the scripts and cookies used correctly and securely. The software creates

What is a Cookie Consent Management Platform?

We use a Consent Management Platform (CMP) software on our website that makes it easier for us and you to handle the scripts and cookies used correctly and safely. The software automatically creates a cookie popup, scans and checks all scripts and cookies, provides you with cookie consent required by data protection law, and helps us and you to keep track of all cookies. Most cookie consent management tools identify and categorize all existing cookies. You, as a website visitor, then decide for yourself whether and which scripts and cookies you allow or not. The following graphic shows the relationship between browser, web server and CMP.

Consent Management Platform Überblick

Why do we use a cookie management tool?

Our goal is to offer you the best possible transparency in the area of ​​data protection. We are also legally obliged to do so. We want to inform you as best as possible about all tools and all cookies that can store and process your data. It is also your right to decide for yourself which cookies you accept and which you do not. In order to grant you this right, we first need to know exactly which cookies have landed on our website in the first place. Thanks to a cookie management tool that regularly scans the website for all existing cookies, we know about all cookies and can provide you with information about them in accordance with the GDPR. You can then accept or reject cookies using the consent system.

Which data is processed?

With our cookie management tool, you can manage each individual cookie yourself and have complete control over the storage and processing of your data. The declaration of your consent is saved so that we do not have to ask you every time you visit our website and we can also prove your consent if legally required. This is stored either in an opt-in cookie or on a server. The storage period for your cookie consent varies depending on the provider of the cookie management tool. This data (such as pseudonymous user ID, time of consent, details of the cookie categories or tools, browser, device information) is usually stored for up to two years.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below, if we have further information about it. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. Data stored in cookies is stored for different lengths of time. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, others can be stored in your browser for several years. The exact duration of data processing depends on the tool used; in most cases you should expect a storage period of several years. In the respective data protection declarations of the individual providers you will usually receive precise information about the duration of data processing.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies at any time. This works 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.

Information about special cookie management tools can be found – if available – in the following sections.

Legal basis

If you consent to cookies, your personal data will be processed and stored via these cookies. If we are permitted to use cookies through your consent (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter a GDPR), this consent is also the legal basis for the use of cookies or the processing of your data. Cookie consent management platform software is used to manage consent to cookies and to enable you to give your consent. The use of this software enables us to operate the website efficiently and in compliance with the law, which represents a legitimate interest (Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f GDPR).

BorlabsCookie privacy policy

We use BorlabsCookie on our website, which is, among other things, a tool for storing your cookie consent. The service provider is the German company Borlabs – Benjamin A. Bornschein, Rübenkamp 32, 22305 Hamburg, Germany.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of BorlabsCookie in the privacy policy at https://de.borlabs.io/datenschutz/.

External online platforms introduction

External online platforms privacy policy summary
👥 Affected parties: visitors to the website or visitors to the external online platforms
🤝 Purpose: presentation and optimization of our service, contact with visitors, interested parties
📓 Data processed: data such as telephone numbers, email addresses, contact details, data on user behavior, information about your device and your IP address.
You can find more details on the platform used.
📅 Storage period: depends on the platforms used
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are external online platforms?

In order to be able to offer our services or products outside of our website, we also use external platforms. These are usually online marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay. In addition to our responsibility for data protection, the data protection regulations of the external platforms we use also apply. This is especially the case when our products are purchased via the platform. In other words, when there is a payment process. Furthermore, most platforms also use your data to optimize their own marketing measures. For example, with the help of collected data, the platform can tailor advertisements precisely to the interests of customers and website visitors.

Why do we use external online platforms?

In addition to our website, we also want to offer our services on other platforms in order to bring our services closer to more customers. External online marketplaces such as Amazon, Ebay or Digistore24 offer large sales websites that offer our products to people who may not know our website. It can also happen that built-in elements on our site lead to an external online platform. Data that is processed and stored by the online platform used is used by the company to log the payment process on the one hand, but also to carry out web analyses on the other.

The aim of these analyses is to be able to develop more precise and personalized marketing and advertising strategies. Depending on your behavior on a 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 customized advertisements or products. Cookies are usually placed in your browser for this purpose, which store data on your usage behavior.

Please note that when using the platforms or our built-in elements, your data may also be processed outside the European Union, as online platforms such as Amazon or eBay are American companies. This may mean that you can no longer easily demand or enforce your rights with regard to your personal data.

Which data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored and processed depends on the respective external platform. But it is usually data such as telephone numbers, email addresses, data that you enter in a contact form, user data such as which buttons you click, when you visited which pages, information about your device and your IP address. Very often most of this data is stored in cookies. If you have your own profile on an external platform and are logged in there, data can be linked to the profile. The data collected is stored on the servers of the platforms used and processed there. You can find out exactly how an external platform stores, manages and processes data in the respective data protection declaration. If you have any questions about data storage and data processing or want to assert corresponding rights, we recommend that you contact the platform directly.

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing below if we have further information about it. For example, Amazon stores data until it is no longer needed for its own purposes. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products.

Right of objection

You also have the right and the option to revoke your consent to the use of cookies at any time. This works either via our cookie management tool or via opt-out functions on the respective external platform. You can also prevent data collection through cookies by managing, deactivating or deleting cookies in your browser.

As cookies can be used, we also recommend that you read our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective external platforms.

Legal basis

If you have consented that your data can be processed and stored by external platforms, this consent is considered the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, if you have given your consent, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of a legitimate interest (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and good communication with you or other customers and business partners. If we have integrated elements of external platforms on our website, we will only use them if you have given your consent.

You can find information about specific external platforms – if available – in the following sections.

Explanation of terms used

We always endeavor to write our data protection declaration as clearly and comprehensibly as possible. However, this is not always easy, especially when it comes to technical and legal topics. It often makes sense to use legal terms (such as personal data) or certain technical expressions (such as cookies, IP address). However, we do not want to use these without explanation. Below you will find an alphabetical list of important terms used that we may not have covered sufficiently in the previous data protection declaration. If these terms were taken from the GDPR and are definitions, we will also list the GDPR texts here and add our own explanations if necessary.

Processor

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the term:

“Processor” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body that processes personal data on behalf of the controller;

Explanation: As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data that we process from you. In addition to the controllers, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or person that processes personal data on our behalf. Processors can therefore be, in addition to service providers such as tax consultants, hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.

Consent

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the term:

“Consent” of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous expression of will in the form of a declaration or other unambiguous affirmative action by which the data subject indicates that he or she agrees to the processing of personal data concerning him or her;

Explanation: As a rule, such consent is given on websites via a cookie consent tool. You are probably familiar with this. Whenever you visit a website for the first time, you are usually asked via a banner whether you agree or consent to data processing. You can usually also make individual settings and decide for yourself which data processing you allow and which you do not. If you do not consent, no personal data may be processed about you. In principle, consent can of course also be given in writing, i.e. not via a tool.

Personal data

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the following term means:

“Personal data” means all information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subject”); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more special characteristics that express the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person;

Explanation: Personal data is therefore all data that can identify you as a person. This is usually data such as:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Email address
  • Postal address
  • Telephone number
  • Date of birth
  • Identification numbers such as social security number, tax identification number, identity card number or registration number
  • Bank details such as account number, credit information, account balances and much more.

According to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), your IP address is also considered personal data. IT experts can use your IP address to determine at least the approximate location of your device and subsequently you as the connection owner. Therefore, storing an IP address also requires a legal basis in accordance with the GDPR. There are also so-called “special categories” of personal data that are particularly worthy of protection. These include:

  • racial and ethnic origin
  • political opinions
  • religious or ideological beliefs
  • union membership
  • genetic data such as data taken from blood or saliva samples
  • biometric data (this is information about psychological, physical or behavioral characteristics that can identify a person).
  • health data
  • data on sexual orientation or sex life

Profiling

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the following term means:

“Profiling” means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyse or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behaviour, whereabouts or movements;

Explanation: Profiling involves gathering various information about a person in order to learn more about that person. In the web sector, profiling is often used for advertising purposes or for credit checks. Web or advertising analysis programs collect data about your behaviour and interests on a website, for example. This results in a special user profile that can be used to target advertising to a specific target group.

Responsible party

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following terms shall apply:

“Responsible party” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of processing personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are specified by Union or Member State law, the responsible party or the specific criteria for its designation may be provided for by Union or Member State law;

Explanation: In our case, we are responsible for the processing of your personal data and are therefore the “responsible party”. If we pass on collected data to other service providers for processing, these are “processors”. A “processing agreement (AVV)” must be signed for this.

Processing

Definition according to Article 4 of the GDPR

For the purposes of this regulation, the term:

“Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, comparison or linking, restriction, erasure or destruction;

Note: When we talk about processing in our privacy policy, we mean any type of data processing. As mentioned above in the original GDPR declaration, this includes not only the collection but also the storage and processing of data.

All texts are protected by copyright.

Source: Created with the Data Protection Generator Austria from AdSimple