Data Protection Declaration

1) Information on the Collection of Personal Data and Contact Details of the Controller

1.1 We are pleased that you are visiting our website and thank you for your interest. On the following pages, we inform you about the handling of your personal data when using our website. Personal data is all data with which you can be personally identified.

1.2 The controller in charge of data processing on this website, within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is Bianca Zapatka, Leopoldstraße 2-8, 32051 Herford, Deutschland, Tel.: 052216931444, E-Mail: [email protected]. The controller in charge of the processing of personal data is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

2) Data Collection When You Visit Our Website

2.1 When using our website for information only, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we only collect data that your browser transmits to our server (so-called “server log files”). When you visit our website, we collect the following data that is technically necessary for us to display the website to you:

Our visited website
Date and time at the moment of access
Amount of data sent in bytes
Source/reference from which you came to the page
Browser used
Operating system used
IP address used (if applicable: in anonymized form)

Data processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website. The data will not be passed on or used in any other way. However, we reserve the right to check the server log files subsequently, if there are any concrete indications of illegal use.

2.2 This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (e.g. orders or inquiries to the controller). You can recognize an encrypted connection by the character string https:// and the lock symbol in your browser line.

3) Hosting & Content Delivery Network

Cloudflare

We use a content delivery network offered by the following provider: Cloudflare Inc., 101 Townsend St. San Francisco, CA 94107, USA

This service enables us to deliver large media files such as graphics, page content or scripts faster via a network of regionally distributed servers. The processing is carried out to protect our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR. We have concluded an order processing agreement with the provider, ensuring the protection of our site visitors’ data and prohibiting unauthorised disclosure to third parties.

For data transfers to the USA, the provider participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

4) Cookies

In order to make your visit to our website more attractive and to enable the use of certain functions, we use cookies, i.e. small text files that are stored on your end device. In some cases, these cookies are automatically deleted again after the browser is closed (so-called “session cookies”), in other cases, these cookies remain on your end device for longer and allow page settings to be saved (so-called “persistent cookies”). In the latter case, you can find the duration of the storage in the overview of the cookie settings of your web browser.

If personal data is also processed by individual cookies set by us, the processing is carried out either in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR for the performance of the contract, in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR in the case of consent given or in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR to safeguard our legitimate interests in the best possible functionality of the website as well as a customer-friendly and effective design of the page visit.

You can set your browser in such a way that you are informed about the setting of cookies and you can decide individually about their acceptance or exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general.

Please note that the functionality of our website may be limited if cookies are not accepted.

5) Contacting Us

When you contact us (e.g. via contact form or e-mail), personal data is collected. Which data is collected in the case of a contact form can be seen from the respective contact form. This data is stored and used exclusively for the purpose of responding to your request or for establishing contact and for the associated technical administration.

The legal basis for processing data is our legitimate interest in responding to your request in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR. If your contact is aimed at concluding a contract, the additional legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR. Your data will be deleted after final processing of your enquiry; this is the case if it can be inferred from the circumstances that the facts in question have been finally clarified, provided there are no legal storage obligations to the contrary.

6) Commentary Function

In the context of the comment function on this website, in addition to your comment, information on the time of the creation of the comment and the commentator name you have chosen will be stored and published on this website. Furthermore, your IP address will be logged and stored. This storage of the IP address is for security reasons and for the event that the data subject infringes the rights of third parties by posting a comment or posts illegal content. We need your e-mail address in order to contact you in case a third party claims that your published content is illegal.

The legal bases for storing your data is Art. 6 (1) point b and point f GDPR. We reserve the right to delete comments if they are claimed to be unlawful by third parties.

You as a user can subscribe to the follow-up comments. For this purpose, you will receive a confirmation e-mail so that it can be ensured that you are the owner of the e-mail address provided (double opt-in procedure). The legal basis for data processing in the case of comment subscriptions is Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR. You can unsubscribe from ongoing comment subscriptions at any time with effect for the future; for more information on the unsubscription option, please refer to the confirmation e-mail.

7) Use of Client Data for Direct Advertising

7.1 Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter

If you register for our e-mail newsletter, we will regularly send you information about our offers. The only mandatory data for sending the newsletter is your e-mail address. The provision of further data is voluntary and will be used to address you personally. We use the so-called double opt-in procedure for sending the newsletter. This means that we will only send you an e-mail newsletter once you have expressly confirmed that you consent to receiving newsletters. We will then send you a confirmation e-mail asking you to confirm that you wish to receive the newsletter in future by clicking on an appropriate link.

By activating the confirmation link, you give us your consent for the use of your personal data pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point a GPPR. When you register for the newsletter, we store your IP address entered by your Internet service provider (ISP) as well as the date and time of registration for the purpose of tracing any possible misuse of your e-mail address at a later date. The data collected by us when you register for the newsletter is used exclusively for the promotional purposes by way of the newsletter. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the link provided for this purpose in the newsletter or by sending a corresponding message to the responsible person named at the beginning. After unsubscribing, your e-mail address will be deleted from our newsletter distribution list immediately, unless you have expressly consented to further use of your data, or we reserve the right to a more extensive use your data which is permitted by law and about which we inform you in this declaration.

7.2 MailerLite

Our e-mail newsletters are sent via this provider: MailerLite, J. Basanavičiaus 15, LT-03108 Vilnius, Litauen

On the basis of our legitimate interest in effective and user-friendly newsletter marketing, we pass on the data you provided when registering for the newsletter to this provider in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR so that they can send the newsletter on our behalf.

Subject to your express consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR, the provider also carries out a statistical analysis of the success of newsletter campaigns by means of web beacons or tracking pixels in the emails sent, which can measure opening rates and specific interactions with the newsletter content. In the process, end device information (e.g. time of page view, IP address, browser type and operating system) is also collected and analysed, but not combined with other data records.

You can revoke your consent to newsletter tracking at any time with effect for the future.

We have concluded an order processing agreement with the provider, which safeguards the data of our website visitors and prohibits a transfer to third parties.

8) Online Marketing

8.1 Amazon Partner Network

We participate in the affiliate programme of the following provider: Amazon EU S.a.r.l., 38 avenue John F. Kennedy, L-1855 Luxembourg

In this context, we have placed links on our website that lead to offers on websites of the provider or third parties (“affiliate sites”).

In order to measure the success of an affiliate link, the analysis of orders generated via such a link and the corresponding settlement of commission payments, the provider uses cookies and/or similar technologies which are generally set on the affiliate sites and for which we are not responsible in this respect under data protection law. In doing so, the provider also regularly processes the IP address and, if applicable, further end device information.

All of the processing described above, in particular the reading or saving of information on the end device used by you, will only be carried out if you have given your express consent to this in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future by using the cookie consent management options on the affiliate sites.

8.2 AdThrive

This Site is affiliated with CMI Marketing, Inc., d/b/a CafeMedia (“CafeMedia”) for the purposes of placing advertising on the Site, and CafeMedia will collect and use certain data for advertising purposes. To learn more about CafeMedia’s data usage, click here: https://www.cafemedia.com/publisher-advertising-privacy-policy.

9) Web Analysis Services

9.1 Google Analytics 4
This website uses Google Analytics 4, a service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland (“Google”), which can be used to analyze the use of websites.
When using Google Analytics 4, so-called “cookies” are used as standard. Cookies are text files that are stored on your terminal device and enable an analysis of your use of a website. The information collected by cookies about your use of the website (including the IP address transmitted by your terminal device, shortened by the last digits, see below) is usually transmitted to a Google server and stored and processed there. This may also result in the transmission of information to the servers of Google LLC, a company based in the USA, where the information is further processed.
When using Google Analytics 4, the IP address transmitted by your terminal device when you use the website is always collected and processed by default and automatically only in an anonymized manner, so that a direct personal reference of the collected information is excluded. This automatic anonymization is carried out by shortening the IP address transmitted by your terminal device by Google within member states of the European Union (EU) or other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) by the last digits.
On our behalf, Google uses this and other information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports (reports) on your website activities or your usage behavior and to provide us with other services related to your website usage and internet usage. In this context, the IP address transmitted and shortened by your terminal device within the scope of Google Analytics 4 will not be merged with other data from Google. The data collected in the context of the use of Google Analytics 4 will be retained for 2 months and then deleted.
Google Analytics 4 also enables the creation of statistics with statements about age, gender and interests of website users on the basis of an evaluation of interest-based advertising and with the involvement of third-party information via a special function, the so-called “demographic characteristics”. This makes it possible to determine and distinguish between groups of website users for the purpose of targeting marketing measures. However, data collected via the “demographic characteristics” cannot be assigned to a specific person and thus not to you personally. This data collected via the “demographic characteristics” function is retained for two months and then deleted.
All processing described above, in particular the setting of Google Analytics cookies for the storage and reading of information on the terminal device used by you for the use of the website, will only take place if you have given us your express consent for this in accordance with Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR. Without your consent, Google Analytics 4 will not be used during your use of the website. You can revoke your consent once given at any time with effect for the future. To exercise your revocation, please deactivate this service via the “Cookie Consent Tool” provided on the website.
On this website, the “Google Signals” service can also be used as an extension of Google Analytics 4. With Google Signals, cross-device reports can be created by Google (so-called “cross-device tracking”). If you have activated “personalised ads” in your Google account settings and you have linked your internet-enabled devices to your Google account, Google can analyse user behaviour across devices and create database models based on this, provided you have given your consent to the use of Google Analytics in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 letter a GDPR (see above). The logins and device types of all page visitors who were logged into a Google account and performed a conversion are taken into account. The data shows, among other things, on which device you first clicked on an ad and on which device the associated conversion took place. Insofar as Google Signals is used, we do not receive any personal data from Google, but only statistics compiled on the basis of Google Signals. You have the option of deactivating the “personalised ads” function in the settings of your Google account and thus turning off the cross-device analysis. To do this, follow the instructions on this page: https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=de
Further information can be found here: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7532985?hl=de
As an extension of Google Analytics 4, the “UserIDs” function can also be used on this website. By assigning individual UserIDs, we can have Google create cross-device reports (so-called “cross-device tracking”). This means that your usage behaviour can also be analysed across devices if you have given your corresponding consent to the use of Google Analytics in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 letter a GDPR, if you have set up a personal account by registering on this website and are logged into your personal account on different end devices with your relevant login data. The data collected in this way shows, among other things, on which end device you clicked on an ad for the first time and on which end device the relevant conversion took place.
We have concluded a so-called data processing agreement with Google for our use of Google Analytics 4, by which Google is obliged to protect the data of our website users and not to pass it on to third parties.
To ensure compliance with the European level of data protection, even in the event of any transfer of data from the EU or EEA to the USA and possible further processing there, Google refers to the so-called standard contractual clauses of the European Commission, which we have contractually agreed with Google.
Further legal information on Google Analytics 4, including a copy of the aforementioned standard contractual clauses, can be found at the following link: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en
Details on the processing triggered by Google Analytics 4 and Google’s handling of data from websites can be found here: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
For data transfers to the USA, the provider participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which ensures compliance with the European level of data protection on the basis of an adequacy decision by the European Commission.

9.2 This website uses the “Google Tag Manager”, a service of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (hereinafter: “Google”).

The Google Tag Manager provides a technical basis for bundling various web applications, including tracking and analysis services, and for calibrating, controlling and attaching conditions to them via a uniform user interface.
Google Tag Manager itself does not store any information on user end devices or read them. The service also does not perform any independent data analyses.
However, the Google Tag Manager transmits your IP address to Google when you visit a page and may store it there. Also a transmission to servers of Google LLC in the USA is possible.

All processing described above, in particular the reading or saving of information on the end device used, is only carried out if you have given us your express consent in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future by deactivating this service in the “cookie consent tool” provided on the website.

We have concluded an order processing agreement with the provider, which ensures the protection of our website visitors’ data and prohibits unauthorised disclosure to third parties.

10) Site functionalities

10.1 Facebook plugins

Plugins of the social network of the following provider are used on our website: Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland (Facebook)

These plugins allow direct interaction with content on the social network.

In order to increase the protection of your data when visiting our website, the plugins are initially deactivated and integrated into the page by means of a so-called “2-click” or “Shariff” solution. This integration ensures that when you access a page of our website that contains such plugins, no connection is yet established with the servers of the provider.

Your browser only establishes a direct connection to the servers of the provider when you activate the plugins and thereby give your consent to the data transfer in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR. In this process, regardless of whether you log into an existing user profile, a certain amount of information about your end device used (including your IP address), your browser and your page history is transferred to the provider and may be further processed there.

If you are logged into an existing user profile on the provider’s social network, information about interactions carried out via the plugins will also be published there and displayed to your contacts.

You can revoke your consent at any time by deactivating the activated plugin by clicking on it again. However, the revocation has no influence on the data that has already been transferred to the provider.

Data can also be transferred to: Meta Platforms Inc., USA

We have concluded an order processing agreement with the provider, which ensures the protection of our website visitors’ data and prohibits unauthorised disclosure to third parties.

10.2 Instagram plugins

Plugins of the social network of the following provider are used on our website: Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland (Instagram)

These plugins allow direct interaction with content on the social network.

Data can also be transferred to: Meta Platforms Inc., USA

We have concluded an order processing agreement with the provider, which ensures the protection of our website visitors’ data and prohibits unauthorised disclosure to third parties.

10.3 Pinterest plugins

Plugins of the social network of the following provider are used on our website: Pinterest Europe Ltd., Palmerston House, 2nd Floor, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, Ireland

These plugins allow direct interaction with content on the social network.

Data can also be transferred to: Pinterest Inc., USA

We have concluded an order processing agreement with the provider, which ensures the protection of our website visitors’ data and prohibits unauthorised disclosure to third parties.

For the transfer of data to the USA, the provider relies on standard contractual clauses of the European Commission, which are meant to ensure compliance with the European level of data protection.

10.4 reCAPTCHA

On this website, we use the CAPTCHA service of the following provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland

Data may also be transmitted to: Google LLC, USA. For the visual design of the CAPTCHA window, the provider uses “Google Fonts”, i.e., fonts loaded from the Internet by Google. No further information is processed except that mentioned above, which is already transmitted to Google via the functionality of ReCaptcha.

The service checks whether an input is made by a natural person or abusively by machine and automated processing with the aim of blocking spam, DDoS attacks and similar automated malicious attacks. To ensure whether an action is performed by a human being and not by an automated bot, Cloudflare Turnstile collects the IP address of the end device used, the recognition data of the browser, the operating system type and the date and duration of the visit and transmits these data to the provider’s servers to be evaluated.

This process is based on our legitimate interest in determining individual responsibility when using the Internet and in preventing abuse and spam in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

We have concluded an order processing contract with the provider, ensuring the protection of our site visitors’ data and prohibiting unauthorized disclosure to third parties.

11) Tools and Miscellaneous

This website uses a so-called “cookie consent tool” to obtain effective user consent for cookies and cookie-based applications that require consent. The “cookie consent tool” is displayed to users in the form of an interactive user interface when they access the page, on which consent for certain cookies and/or cookie-based applications can be given by ticking the appropriate box. Through the use of the tool, all cookies/services requiring consent are only loaded if the respective user provides the corresponding consent by ticking the corresponding box. This ensures that such cookies are only set on the respective end device of the user if consent has been granted.

The tool sets technically necessary cookies to save your cookie preferences. Personal user data is generally not processed.
If, in individual cases, personal data (such as the IP address) is processed for the purpose of storing, assigning or logging cookie settings, this is done in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in legally compliant, user-specific and user-friendly consent management for cookies and thus in a legally compliant design of our website.

Further legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) point c GDPR. As the responsible party, we are subject to the legal obligation to make the use of technically unnecessary cookies dependent on the respective user consent.

Further information on the operator and the setting options of the cookie consent tool can be found directly in the corresponding user interface on our website.

12) Rights of the Data Subject

12.1 The applicable data protection law grants you the following comprehensive rights of data subjects (rights of information and intervention) vis-à-vis the data controller with regard to the processing of your personal data:

Right of access by the data subject pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR;
Right to rectification pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR;
Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR;
Right to restriction of processing pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR;
Right to be informed pursuant to Art. 19 GDPR;
Right to data portability pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR;
Right to withdraw a given consent pursuant to Art. 7 (3) GDPR;
Right to lodge a complaint pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR.

12.2 RIGHT TO OBJECT

IF, WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A CONSIDERATION OF INTERESTS, WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA ON THE BASIS OF OUR PREDOMINANT LEGITIMATE INTEREST, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AT ANY TIME TO OBJECT TO THIS PROCESSING WITH EFFECT FOR THE FUTURE ON THE GROUNDS THAT ARISE FROM YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.
IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED. HOWEVER, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO FURTHER PROCESSING IF WE CAN PROVE COMPELLING REASONS WORTHY OF PROTECTION FOR PROCESSING WHICH OUTWEIGH YOUR INTERESTS, FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, OR IF THE PROCESSING SERVES TO ASSERT, EXERCISE OR DEFEND LEGAL CLAIMS.

IF WE PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA WHICH ARE USED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES. YOU MAY EXERCISE THE OBJECTION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

IF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT, WE WILL STOP PROCESSING THE DATA CONCERNED FOR DIRECT ADVERTISING PURPOSES.

13) Duration of Storage of Personal Data

The duration of the storage of personal data is based on the respective legal basis, the purpose of processing and – if relevant – on the respective legal retention period (e.g. commercial and tax retention periods).

If personal data is processed on the basis of an express consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR, this data is stored until the data subject revokes his consent.

If there are legal storage periods for data that is processed within the framework of legal or similar obligations on the basis of Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR, this data will be routinely deleted after expiry of the storage periods if it is no longer necessary for the fulfillment of the contract or the initiation of the contract and/or if we no longer have a justified interest in further storage.

When processing personal data on the basis of Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR, this data is stored until the data subject exercises his right of objection in accordance with Art. 21 (1) GDPR, unless we can provide compelling grounds for processing worthy of protection which outweigh the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject, or the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.

If personal data is processed for the purpose of direct marketing on the basis of Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR, this data is stored until the data subject exercises his right of objection pursuant to Art. 21 (2) GDPR.

Unless otherwise stated in the information contained in this declaration on specific processing situations, stored personal data will be deleted if it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.

Reservation of use: Text and data mining of the content on this website is not permitted.