Privacy Policy

Last update on 03.01.2026

Table of Content

• Introduction and overview
• Scope
• Legal basis
• Contact details
• Storage period
• Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation
• Communication
• Cookies
• Webhosting
• Web Analytics
• Email Marketing
• Social Media
• Audio & Video

Introduction and Overview

We have written this privacy policy (version 03.01.2026-113093021) 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 (short: data) we as the controller – and the processors commissioned by us (e.g. providers) – process, will process in the future, and which lawful options you have. The terms used are to be understood as gender-neutral.
In short: We comprehensively inform you about the data we process about you.

Scope of Application

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

• all online presences (websites, online shops) operated by us
• social media presences and email communication

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

Legal Bases

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

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

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

Further conditions such as the performance of tasks carried out in the public interest or the exercise of official authority, as well as the protection of vital interests, generally do not apply to us. Should such a legal basis nevertheless be relevant, it will be indicated at the appropriate place.

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

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

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

Contact Details

If you have any questions about data protection or the processing of personal data, you will find the contact details of the controller in accordance with Article 4(7) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) below:
V3 SOUND GmbH
Archenweg 1i
6114 Kolsass
Austria

Email: office@v3sound.com
Phone: +43 699 1799 0699
Legal notice: www.v3sound.com/en-impressum.html

Storage Duration

As a general principle, we only store personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary for the provision of our services and products. This means that we delete personal data as soon as the reason for processing the data no longer applies. In some cases, we are legally obliged to store certain data even after the original purpose has ceased to apply, for example for accounting purposes.

If you request the deletion of your data or revoke your consent to data processing, the data will be deleted as quickly as possible, provided there is no legal obligation to retain it.

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

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

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

• According to Article 15 GDPR, you have the right to obtain information as to whether we process data concerning you. If this is the case, you have the right to receive a copy of the data and the following information:
  • the purposes for which the processing is carried out;
  • the categories, i.e. the types of data that are processed;
  • the recipients of the data and, if the data is transferred to third countries, how security is ensured;
  • the duration for which the data is stored;
  • the existence of the right to rectification, erasure, or restriction of processing, as well as the right to object to processing;
  • the right to lodge a complaint with 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 about you.
• According to Article 16 GDPR, you have the right to rectification of inaccurate data, which means that we must correct data if you discover errors.
• According to Article 17 GDPR, you have the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), which specifically means that you may request the deletion of your data.
• According to Article 18 GDPR, you have the right to restriction of processing, which means that we may only store the data but no longer use it.
• According to Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to data portability, which means that we will provide you with your data in a commonly used format upon request.
• According to Article 21 GDPR, you have the right to object, which, once exercised, results in a change to the processing.
  • If the processing of your data is based on Article 6(1)(e) (public interest, exercise of official authority) or Article 6(1)(f) (legitimate interests), you may object to the processing. We will then examine as quickly as possible whether we can legally comply with this objection.
  • If data is used for direct marketing purposes, you may 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 for profiling purposes, you may object to this type of data processing at any time. We may then no longer 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 may lodge a complaint with the data protection authority at any time if you believe that the processing of personal data violates the GDPR.

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

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection rights have otherwise been infringed, you may lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority. In Austria, this is the Data Protection Authority, whose website can be found at https://www.dsb.gv.at/. In Germany, there is a data protection officer for each federal state. For further information, you may contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI).

Communication

Communication Summary 👥 Affected persons: All who communicate with us via telephone, email, or online form 📓 Processed data: e.g. phone number, name, email address, entered form data. More details can be found under the respective type of contact 🤝 Purpose: Handling communication with customers, business partners, etc. 📅 Storage duration: Duration of the business case and statutory requirements ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (contract), Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

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

The data is processed for handling and processing your inquiry and the associated business transaction. The data is stored only for as long as necessary or as required by law.

Affected Persons

All persons who seek contact with us via the communication channels provided by us are affected by the processes mentioned.

Telephone

If you call us, the call data is stored in pseudonymized form on the respective device and by the telecommunications provider used. In addition, data such as name and phone number may subsequently be sent by email and stored for the purpose of responding to the inquiry. The data is deleted once the business case has been completed and legal requirements permit.

Email

If you communicate with us by email, data may be stored on the respective device (computer, laptop, smartphone, …) and data is stored on the email server. The data is deleted once the business case has been completed and legal requirements permit.

Online Forms

If you communicate with us via an online form, data is stored on our web server and may be forwarded to one of our email addresses. The data is deleted once the business case has been completed and legal requirements permit.

Legal Bases

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

• Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent): You give us consent to store your data and continue to use it for purposes related to the business case;
• Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (contract): There is a necessity to fulfill a contract with you or a processor such as a telecommunications provider, or we must process the data for pre-contractual measures, such as preparing an offer;
• Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests): We want to conduct customer inquiries and business communication in a professional manner. Certain technical facilities such as email programs, Exchange servers, and mobile network operators are required in order to operate communication efficiently.

Cookies

Cookies Summary 👥 Affected persons: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: depends on the respective cookie. 📓 Processed data: depends on the cookie used. 📅 Storage duration: depends on the respective cookie and can range from hours to years ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What Are Cookies?

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

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

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

A browser should be able to support the following 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 specifically use depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the privacy policy. At this point, we would like to briefly explain the different types of HTTP cookies.

Four types of cookies can be distinguished:

Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic functions of the website. For example, these cookies are required when a user places a product in the shopping cart, continues browsing on other pages, and only later proceeds to checkout. These cookies ensure that the shopping cart is not deleted even if the user closes the browser window.

Functional Cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives error messages. In addition, these cookies are used to measure the loading time and behavior of the website across different browsers.

Targeted Cookies
These cookies ensure improved user-friendliness. For example, entered locations, font sizes, or form data are stored.

Advertising Cookies
These cookies are also known as targeting cookies. They are used to deliver individually tailored advertising to users. This can be very practical, but also very annoying.

Typically, when you visit a website for the first time, you are asked which of these cookie types you want to allow. Of course, this decision is also stored in a cookie.

If you would like to learn more about cookies and do not shy away from technical documentation, we recommend https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6265, the Request for Comments by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) titled “HTTP State Management Mechanism”.

Purpose of Processing via Cookies

The purpose ultimately depends on the respective cookie.

Which Data Is Processed?

Cookies are small 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 processed or stored data in the context of the following privacy policy.

Storage Duration of Cookies

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

You also have influence over the storage duration yourself. You can manually delete all cookies at any time via your browser (see also “Right to Object” below). Furthermore, cookies based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you withdraw your consent, without affecting the lawfulness of storage up to that point.

Right to Object – How Can I Delete Cookies?

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

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

Chrome: Delete, enable, and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Manage cookies and website data with Safari

Firefox: Clear cookies and site data

Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you generally do not want cookies, you can set up your browser to always inform you when a cookie is about to be set. This allows you to decide for each individual cookie whether to allow it or not. The procedure differs depending on the browser. It is best to search for instructions on Google using terms such as “delete cookies Chrome” or “disable cookies Chrome” if you are using Chrome.

Legal Basis

Since 2009, there have been so-called “cookie guidelines”. These stipulate that storing cookies requires your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). Within EU countries, however, there are still very different reactions to these guidelines. In Austria, this directive was implemented in Section 165(3) of the Telecommunications Act (2021). In Germany, the cookie guidelines were not implemented as national law. Instead, the directive was largely implemented in Section 15(3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG), which was replaced in May 2024 by the Digital Services Act (DDG).

For strictly necessary cookies, even if no consent has been given, legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) exist, 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 purpose.

Where non-essential cookies are used, this only takes place with your consent. The legal basis in this case is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.

Web Hosting Introduction

Web Hosting Summary 👥 Affected persons: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: professional hosting of the website and safeguarding of operations 📓 Processed data: IP address, time of website visit, browser used, and other data. More details can be found below or from the respective web hosting provider. 📅 Storage duration: depends on the provider, but usually 2 weeks ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What Is Web Hosting?

When you visit websites nowadays, certain information – including personal data – is automatically generated and stored, including on this website. This data should be processed as sparingly as possible and only with justification. By website, we mean the entirety of all web pages on a domain, i.e. everything from the homepage to the very last subpage (such as this one). By domain, we mean, for example, beispiel.de or musterbeispiel.com.

If you want to view a website on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you use a program called a web browser. You are probably familiar with some web browsers by name: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari. We simply refer to them as browsers or web browsers.

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 complex and resource-intensive task, which is why this is usually handled by professional providers. These providers offer web hosting and thus ensure reliable and error-free storage of website data. A lot of technical terms – but please stay with us, it gets better!

When the browser on your computer (desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone) connects and during data transmission to and from the web server, personal data may be processed. On the one hand, your computer stores data; on the other hand, the web server must also store data for a certain period of time to ensure proper operation.

Why Do We Process Personal Data?

The purposes of data processing are:

1. Professional hosting of the website and safeguarding of operations
2. Maintaining operational and IT security
3. Anonymous analysis of access behavior to improve our offering and, if necessary, for prosecution or enforcement of claims

Which Data Is Processed?

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

• the complete internet address (URL) of the accessed webpage
• 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/vondabinichgekommen/)
• the host name and IP address of the device from which access is made (e.g. COMPUTERNAME and 194.23.43.121)
• date and time
• in files known as 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 this data on, but we cannot rule out that this data may be viewed by authorities in the event of unlawful behavior.

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

Legal Basis

The lawfulness of processing personal data in the context of web hosting is derived from Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests), since the use of professional hosting with a provider is necessary in order to present the company securely and user-friendly on the internet and to pursue attacks and claims arising from this if necessary.

As a rule, there is a data processing agreement between us and the hosting provider in accordance with Art. 28 et seq. GDPR, which ensures compliance with data protection and guarantees data security.

World4You Privacy Policy

World4You Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected persons: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: website storage and accessibility on the internet 📓 Processed data: IP address, but above all technical data 📅 Storage duration: log files are deleted after 14 days ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is World4You?

It is quite possible that you have already heard of the web hosting provider World4You. Especially in Austria, the web host enjoys great popularity. The service provider is the Austrian company World4You Internet Services GmbH, Hafenstraße 35, 4020 Linz, Austria.

Since 1998, the company from the Upper Austrian capital has been active in the web hosting sector. World4You operates several of its own data centers in Austria and relies on proprietary technology. This ensures fail-safe operation and fast server connections. As you may have already read in our introduction to web hosting, your data is also transmitted to World4You’s servers and processed there. This primarily concerns technical data such as browser version or operating system, but in addition, personal data is also processed together with your IP address.

Why do we use World4You?

When it comes to a website, we value reliability, speed, and security—probably just like you do. Even if you access our website in the middle of the night or if we already have many visitors, it must function flawlessly. When you click on subpages, it should not take an eternity for the page to fully load. And if problems do arise, there should be a good backup system that secures our content and protects all data. To ensure all of this works to our satisfaction, we naturally need a reliable web host. With World4You, we believe we have found a partner that meets our requirements. World4You operates its own data centers and thus offers fixed bandwidth, which makes a website quickly accessible. We also appreciate the company’s personal support.

What data is processed by World4You?

World4You may also process personal data about you. While you visit our website, our web server automatically stores data. This includes personal data such as your IP address, but above all technical data such as the internet address of the accessed website, device information such as browser version, operating system, and the URL of the previously visited website. In addition, it is recorded when you accessed our website and, where applicable, location data. The IP address can be used to enhance website security, detect possible errors, and also to carry out anonymous statistical analyses. Cookies may also be used for data storage.

How long and where is the data stored?

The data is stored on World4You’s own servers. The exact retention period of the data depends heavily on the type of data and the individual configurations. In principle, World4You stores data for as long as is necessary to fulfill its obligations. Data that is collected solely for providing the website is deleted after the respective session ends. Data stored in so-called log files is deleted after a maximum of 14 days. However, data may also be stored for a longer period, for example to provide evidence in the event of possible legal disputes.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

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

If you do not want cookies to be set and data to be stored, you can also prevent the setting of cookies in your browser. You can manage, deactivate, or delete cookies in your browser. Depending on the browser, this works somewhat differently.

In the section “Cookies” you will find the corresponding links to instructions for the most common browsers.

Legal basis

On our part, there is a legitimate interest in using World4You in order to be able to offer our online service. The corresponding legal basis is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests).

You can of course also make use of this support if you have specific questions regarding data protection at World4You. We also recommend the website’s privacy policy, which you can find at https://www.world4you.com/de/unternehmen/datenschutzerklaerung.html. The FAQs at https://www.world4you.com/faq/de/dsgvo.html also contain a dedicated GDPR section with many useful pieces of information.

Web Analytics Introduction

Web Analytics Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected parties: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the web offering. 📓 Processed data: Access statistics containing data such as locations of access, device data, duration and time of access, navigation behavior, click behavior, and IP addresses. More details can be found in the respective web analytics tool used. 📅 Storage duration: Depends on the web analytics tool used ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Web Analytics?

We use software on our website to analyze the behavior of website visitors, referred to as web analytics or web analysis. Data is collected that is stored, managed, and processed by the respective analytics tool provider (also called a tracking tool). With the help of this data, analyses of user behavior on our website are created and made available to us as the website operator. In addition, most tools offer various testing options. For example, we can test which offers or content are best received by our visitors. For a limited period, we show you two different offers. After the test (so-called A/B test), we know which product or content our website visitors find more interesting. For such testing procedures, as well as for other analytics methods, user profiles may also be created and data stored in cookies.

Why do we use Web Analytics?

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

What data is processed?

The exact data stored naturally depends on the analytics tools used. However, as a rule, data such as which content you view on our website, which buttons or links you click, when you access a page, which browser you use, which device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use to visit the website, or which computer system you use is stored. If you have agreed that location data may also be collected, this may also be processed by the web analytics tool provider.

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

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

Duration of data processing

We will inform you about the duration of data processing further below if we have additional information. In general, we process personal data only for as long as is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If legally required, such as in the case of accounting, this storage period may be exceeded.

Right to object

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

Legal basis

The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained via our cookie popup. This consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur during collection by web analytics tools, in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent).

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors in order to improve our offering technically and economically. With the help of web analytics, we can detect website errors, identify attacks, and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use the tools if consent has been granted.

Google Analytics Privacy Policy

Google Analytics Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected persons: Visitors of the website 🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website offering. 📓 Processed data: Access statistics including data such as access locations, device data, duration and time of access, navigation behavior and click behavior. More details can be found below in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage duration: Individually configurable, Google Analytics 4 stores data for 14 months by default ⚖️ Legal bases: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Analytics?

We use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics in the version Google Analytics 4 (GA4) on our website. This service is provided by the American company Google Inc. For the European region, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. By combining various technologies such as cookies, device IDs and login information, users can be identified across different devices. This allows actions to be analyzed across platforms.

For example, when you click a link, this event is stored in a cookie and transmitted to Google Analytics. Using the reports we receive from Google Analytics, we can better adapt our website and services to your preferences. Below, we provide more detailed information about the tracking tool, especially regarding which data is processed and how you can prevent this.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool used to analyze website traffic. The basis of these measurements and analyses is a pseudonymous user identification number. This number does not contain personal data such as name or address but is used to assign events to a device. GA4 uses an event-based model that captures detailed information about user interactions such as page views, clicks, scrolling and conversion events. In addition, GA4 includes various machine learning features to better understand user behavior and certain trends. Based on collected data, missing data can be modeled to optimize analysis and generate forecasts.

To enable Google Analytics to function, a tracking code is integrated into our website code. When you visit our website, this code records various events you perform on our website. Using the event-based data model of GA4, we as website operators can define and track specific events in order to analyze user interactions. In addition to general information such as clicks or page views, specific events relevant to our business can also be tracked, such as submitting a contact form or purchasing a product.

As soon as you leave our website, this data is transmitted to and stored on Google Analytics servers.

Google processes the data and provides us with reports about your user behavior. These reports may include, among others:

• Audience reports: These reports help us better understand our users and identify who is interested in our services.
• Advertising reports: Advertising reports help us analyze and improve our online advertising.
• Acquisition reports: These reports provide helpful information on how we can attract more people to our services.
• Behavior reports: These reports show how you interact with our website, which paths you take and which links you click.
• Conversion reports: A conversion refers to an action you take as a result of a marketing message, such as becoming a customer or newsletter subscriber. These reports help us understand how our marketing efforts are received.
• Real-time reports: These reports show what is happening on our website at any given moment, for example how many users are currently viewing a specific page.

In addition to the analysis reports mentioned above, Google Analytics 4 also offers the following features:

• Event-based data model: Captures specific events such as video playback, product purchases or newsletter sign-ups.
• Advanced analysis functions: Enable deeper insights into user behavior, user segmentation, audience comparisons and user paths.
• Predictive modeling: Uses machine learning to predict future events and trends based on collected data.
• Cross-platform analysis: Enables analysis across websites and apps, provided that consent has been given.

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

Our goal with this website is to provide you with the best possible service. The statistics and data from Google Analytics help us achieve this goal.

The statistically evaluated data provides us with a clear picture of our website’s strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, it allows us to optimize our website so that it can be found more easily by interested users via Google. On the other hand, the data helps us better understand you as a visitor. This enables us to improve our website in a targeted manner and to design our advertising and marketing measures more efficiently and cost-effectively.

What data is stored by Google Analytics?

Google Analytics uses a tracking code to create a random, unique ID that is linked to your browser cookie. This allows Google Analytics to recognize you as a new user and assign a user ID. When you visit our website again, you are recognized as a returning user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID, making it possible to analyze pseudonymous user profiles.

To analyze our website with Google Analytics, a property ID must be inserted into the tracking code. The data is then stored in the corresponding property. Each newly created property is a Google Analytics 4 property by default, and data storage duration may vary depending on the property settings.

Through identifiers such as cookies, app instance IDs, user IDs or custom event parameters, your interactions are measured across platforms if you have given consent. Interactions include all types of actions you perform on our website. If you also use other Google services (such as a Google account), data generated via Google Analytics may be linked with third-party cookies. Google does not pass on Google Analytics data unless we as the website operator authorize it or if required by law.

According to Google, IP addresses are not logged or stored in Google Analytics 4. Google uses IP address data only to derive location data and deletes it immediately afterward. All IP addresses collected from users in the EU are deleted before the data is stored on a server or in a data center.

Because GA4 focuses on event-based data, significantly fewer cookies are used compared to earlier versions. However, some specific cookies are still used, such as:

Name: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152113093021-5
Purpose: Used to distinguish website visitors and store the user ID.
Expiration: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152113093021-1
Purpose: Used to distinguish website visitors
Expiration: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_<property-id>
Value: 1
Purpose: Used to reduce request rates. If Google Analytics is deployed via Google Tag Manager, this cookie is named _dc_gtm_ <property-id>.
Expiration: after 1 minute

Note: This list does not claim to be complete, as Google may change cookie usage at any time. GA4 aims to improve data protection and provides options to control data collection and storage duration.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google operates servers worldwide. Information about Google data center locations can be found at https://datacenters.google/.

Data is distributed across multiple physical storage systems, ensuring fast access and protection against manipulation. Each data center includes emergency programs to protect data in case of hardware failure or natural disasters.

Data retention depends on the property settings. Google Analytics offers four retention options:

• 2 months (shortest retention period)
• 14 months (default)
• 26 months
• Data is deleted manually

If data is set to be deleted after inactivity, the retention period resets each time you revisit the website within the defined timeframe.

After expiration, data is deleted once per month. Aggregated report data is stored independently of user data.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Under EU data protection law, you have the right to access, rectify, delete or restrict the processing of your personal data. You can prevent Google Analytics from using your data by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.

You can also manage, delete or disable cookies via your browser settings. Instructions for common browsers can be found in the “Cookies” section of our privacy policy.

Legal basis

The use of Google Analytics requires your consent, obtained via our cookie banner. This consent constitutes the legal basis pursuant to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent).

Additionally, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing website usage to improve technical performance and economic efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests). Google Analytics is only used if consent has been granted.

Google also processes data in the United States. Google participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, ensuring lawful and secure data transfers from the EU to the USA.

Google also uses Standard Contractual Clauses pursuant to Art. 46 GDPR to ensure an adequate level of data protection.

Further information about Google Analytics can be found at: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/terms/en/ and https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=en.

You can find Google’s general privacy policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Email Marketing Introduction

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

What is Email Marketing?

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

If you would like to participate in our email marketing (usually via newsletter), you normally only need to sign up with your email address. To do this, you fill out an online form and submit it. In some cases, we may also ask for your salutation and name so that we can address you personally.

In principle, subscribing to newsletters works using the so-called “double opt-in procedure”. After you sign up for our newsletter on our website, you will receive an email in which you must confirm your subscription. This ensures that the email address belongs to you and that no one has signed up using a third party’s email address. We or a notification tool used by us logs each individual registration. This is necessary so that we can prove the legally correct registration process. This usually involves storing the time of registration, the time of confirmation, and your IP address. In addition, any changes you make to your stored data are also logged.

Why do we use Email Marketing?

Of course, we want to stay in contact with you and always present you with the most important news about our company. For this purpose, we use email marketing – often referred to simply as “newsletters” – as an essential part of our online marketing. Provided that you agree or that it is legally permitted, we will send you newsletters, system emails, or other notifications by email. When we use the term “newsletter” in the following text, we mainly mean regularly sent emails. Naturally, we do not want to bother you with our newsletters in any way. That is why we always strive to offer only relevant and interesting content. For example, you will learn more about our company, our services, or our products. Since we are constantly improving our offerings, you will also be informed via our newsletter whenever there are news or special, attractive promotions. If we commission a service provider that offers a professional dispatch tool for our email marketing, we do so in order to provide you with fast and secure newsletters. The purpose of our email marketing is essentially to inform you about new offers and to bring us closer to our business goals.

What data is processed?

If you become a subscriber to our newsletter via our website, you confirm your membership in an email list by email. In addition to your IP address and email address, your salutation, name, address, and telephone number may also be stored. However, this only occurs if you consent to this data storage. The data marked as such is necessary for participation in the offered service. Providing this information is voluntary; failure to provide it will result in the service not being usable. In addition, information about your device or your preferred content on our website may be stored. You can find more information about data storage when visiting a website in the section “Automatic Data Storage”. We record your consent declaration so that we can always prove that it complies with legal requirements.

Duration of data processing

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

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

Right to object

You have the option to cancel your newsletter subscription at any time. All you need to do is revoke your consent to the newsletter subscription. This usually only takes a few seconds or one or two clicks. In most cases, you will find a link at the end of every email that allows you to cancel your newsletter subscription. If the link cannot be found in the newsletter, please contact us by email and we will cancel your subscription immediately.

Legal basis

Our newsletters are sent on the basis of your consent (Article 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). This means that we may only send you a newsletter if you have actively signed up for it beforehand. Where applicable, we may also send you promotional messages if you have become our customer and have not objected to the use of your email address for direct advertising.

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

Social Media Introduction

Social Media Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Data subjects: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: Presentation and optimization of our services, communication with visitors, interested parties, and others, advertising 📓 Processed data: Data such as telephone numbers, email addresses, contact details, user behavior data, information about your device, and your IP address. More details can be found in the respective social media tool used. 📅 Storage period: Depends on the social media platforms used ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Social Media?

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

Why do we use Social Media?

For years, social media platforms have been the place where people communicate and connect online. With our social media presences, we can bring our products and services closer to interested parties. The social media elements embedded on our website help you quickly and easily switch to our social media content.

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

As a rule, we assume that we remain responsible under data protection law even when using services of a social media platform. However, the European Court of Justice has ruled that in certain cases the operator of the social media platform may be jointly responsible with us within the meaning of Art. 26 GDPR. Where this is the case, we point this out separately and work on the basis of a corresponding agreement. The essential content of such an agreement is reproduced further below for the respective platform.

Please note that when using social media platforms or our embedded elements, your data may also be processed outside the European Union, as many social media channels, such as Facebook or Twitter, are American companies. As a result, you may no longer be able to assert or enforce your rights regarding your personal data as easily.

What data is processed?

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

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

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

Duration of data processing

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

Right to object

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

Since cookies may be used with social media tools, we also recommend our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly which data is stored and processed about you, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the processing and storage of your data through embedded social media elements, this consent constitutes the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, if consent has been given, your data will also be stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. However, we only use the tools if you have given your consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you read our privacy text on cookies carefully and review the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Information about specific social media platforms can be found – if applicable – in the following sections.

Facebook Privacy Policy

Facebook Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Data subjects: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: Optimization of our services 📓 Processed data: Data such as customer data, user behavior data, information about your device, and your IP address. More details can be found further below in the privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: until the data is no longer useful for Facebook's purposes ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are Facebook Tools?

We use selected tools from Facebook on our website. Facebook is a social media network of Meta Platforms Inc., or for the European region, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. Using these tools, we can provide you and people interested in our products and services with the best possible offer.

If data about you is collected and transmitted through our embedded Facebook elements or our Facebook page (fan page), both we and Facebook Ireland Ltd. are responsible. Facebook alone is responsible for further processing of this data. Our joint responsibilities are also anchored in a publicly accessible agreement at https://www.facebook.com/legal/controller_addendum. This includes, for example, that we must clearly inform you about the use of Facebook tools on our site. Additionally, we are responsible for ensuring that the tools are integrated securely from a data protection perspective. Facebook, on the other hand, is responsible for the data security of Facebook products. For any questions about data collection and processing by Facebook, you can contact the company directly. If you direct your question to us, we are obligated to forward it to Facebook.

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

In addition to many other products, Facebook also offers the so-called "Facebook Business Tools." This is the official name by Facebook. Since the term is hardly known, we have chosen to simply call them Facebook tools. These include, among others:

• Facebook Pixel
• social plugins (e.g., the "Like" or "Share" button)
• Facebook Login
• Account Kit
• APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)
• SDKs (Software Development Kits)
• Platform Integrations
• Plugins
• Codes
• Specifications
• Documentation
• Technologies and Services

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

Why do we use Facebook Tools on our website?

We only want to show our services and products to people who are genuinely interested. With the help of advertisements (Facebook Ads), we can reach exactly these people. In order to show users appropriate advertising, Facebook needs information about people's interests and needs. Thus, information about user behavior (and contact data) on our website is made available to the company. This allows Facebook to collect better user data and display relevant advertisements about our products or services to interested people. The tools thus enable tailored advertising campaigns on Facebook.

Data about your behavior on our website is referred to by Facebook as "event data." This data is also used for measurement and analysis services. Facebook can create "campaign reports" on the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns on our behalf. Additionally, we gain better insights through analyses into how you use our services, website, or products. Using some of these tools, we optimize your user experience on our website. For example, you can share content from our site directly on Facebook using the social plugins.

What data is stored by Facebook Tools?

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

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

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

To optimize ad delivery, Facebook uses the event data only if it has been aggregated with other data (collected by Facebook in other ways). Facebook also uses this event data for security, protection, development, and research purposes. Many of these data are transmitted to Facebook via cookies. Cookies are small text files used to store data or information in browsers. Depending on the tools used and whether you are a Facebook member, different numbers of cookies may be stored in your browser. In the descriptions of individual Facebook tools, we go into more detail about specific Facebook cookies. General information about the use of Facebook cookies can also be found at https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies.

How long and where is the data stored?

In principle, Facebook stores data until it is no longer needed for its own services and Facebook products. Facebook has servers worldwide where its data is stored. However, customer data is deleted within 48 hours after being matched with its own user data.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to access, correct, transfer, and delete your data.

Complete deletion of the data only occurs if you delete your Facebook account entirely. Here’s how to delete your Facebook account:

1) Click on Settings in the top right of Facebook.

2) Then click on "Your Facebook Information" in the left column.

3) Click "Deactivation and Deletion."

4) Select "Delete Account" and then click "Continue and Delete Account."

5) Enter your password, click "Continue," and then "Delete Account."

The data Facebook receives from our site is stored, among other ways, via cookies (e.g., for social plugins). In your browser, you can disable, delete, or manage individual or all cookies. The method depends on the browser you use. In the "Cookies" section, you will find links to the instructions for the most common browsers.

If you generally do not want cookies, you can configure your browser to always notify you when a cookie is set. This way, you can decide on a case-by-case basis whether to allow it or not.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the processing and storage of your data through embedded Facebook tools, this consent constitutes the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In principle, your data is also stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and efficient communication with you or other customers and business partners. We only use the tools if you have given consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend reading our privacy text on cookies carefully and reviewing Facebook's privacy policy or cookie guidelines.

Facebook also processes data about you in the USA. Facebook/Meta Platforms actively participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the proper and secure transfer of personal data from EU citizens to the USA. More information can be found at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Facebook also uses so-called Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) (= Art. 46 para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses are templates provided by the EU Commission to ensure that your data continues to meet European data protection standards, even if transferred to third countries (e.g., the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and SCCs, Facebook commits to maintaining the European data protection level when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an EU Commission implementing decision. You can find the decision and the corresponding SCCs here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Facebook Data Processing Terms, which refer to the Standard Contractual Clauses, can be found at https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing.

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

Instagram Privacy Policy

Instagram Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Data subjects: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: Optimization of our services 📓 Processed data: Data such as user behavior, information about your device, and your IP address. More details can be found further below in the privacy policy. 📅 Storage period: until Instagram no longer needs the data for its purposes ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Instagram?

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

Below, we want to give you a closer insight into why Instagram collects data, what kind of data it collects, and how you can largely control the data processing. Since Instagram belongs to Meta Platforms Inc., we obtain our information both from Instagram’s policies and from Meta’s privacy policies themselves.

Instagram is one of the most well-known social media networks worldwide. Instagram combines the advantages of a blog with those of audiovisual platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo. On "Insta" (as many users casually call the platform), you can upload photos and short videos, edit them with various filters, and share them on other social networks. If you don’t want to be active yourself, you can simply follow other interesting users.

Why do we use Instagram on our website?

Instagram has grown tremendously in recent years. Naturally, we responded to this boom. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible on our website. Therefore, providing varied content is a priority for us. The embedded Instagram functions allow us to enrich our content with helpful, fun, or exciting material from the Instagram world. Since Instagram is a subsidiary of Facebook, the data collected may also be useful for personalized advertising on Facebook. This way, our ads are only shown to people genuinely interested in our products or services.

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

What data is stored by Instagram?

If you visit a page that has Instagram functions (such as Instagram images or plugins) integrated, your browser automatically connects to Instagram’s servers. Data is transmitted, stored, and processed by Instagram, whether or not you have an Instagram account. This includes information about our website, your computer, purchases made, ads you see, and how you use our offerings. Additionally, the date and time of your interaction with Instagram are stored. If you have an Instagram account or are logged in, Instagram stores significantly more data about you.

Facebook distinguishes between customer data and event data. We assume that Instagram works the same way. Customer data includes, for example, name, address, phone number, and IP address. This customer data is transmitted to Instagram only after being "hashed." Hashing means that a dataset is converted into a string, allowing contact data to be encrypted. In addition, the above-mentioned "event data" is transmitted. "Event data" refers to data about your user behavior. Contact data may also be combined with event data. Collected contact data is matched with data that Instagram already has about you.

Through small text files (cookies), which are usually set in your browser, the collected data is transmitted to Facebook. Depending on the Instagram functions used and whether you have an Instagram account, varying amounts of data are stored.

We assume that data processing on Instagram works the same way as on Facebook. This means: if you have an Instagram account or visited www.instagram.com, Instagram has at least set a cookie. In this case, your browser sends information to Instagram via the cookie whenever you interact with an Instagram function. At the latest, these data are deleted or anonymized after 90 days. Although we have examined Instagram's data processing closely, we cannot precisely say which data Instagram collects and stores.

Below we list the cookies that are set in your browser at a minimum when you click on an Instagram function (like a button or an image). Our test assumes you do not have an Instagram account. If you are logged into Instagram, naturally, significantly more cookies will be set in your browser.

These cookies were used in our test:

Name: csrftoken
Value: ""
Purpose: This cookie is most likely set for security reasons to prevent request forgery. Exact details could not be determined.
Expiration: after one year

Name: mid
Value: ""
Purpose: Instagram sets this cookie to optimize its services and offerings on and off Instagram. The cookie sets a unique user ID.
Expiration: end of session

Name: fbsr_113093021124024
Value: not specified
Purpose: This cookie stores the login request for Instagram app users.
Expiration: end of session

Name: rur
Value: ATN
Purpose: This is an Instagram cookie that ensures functionality on Instagram.
Expiration: end of session

Name: urlgen
Value: "{“194.96.75.33”: 1901}:1iEtYv:Y833k2_UjKvXgYe113093021"
Purpose: This cookie serves Instagram's marketing purposes.
Expiration: end of session

Note: We cannot claim completeness. Which cookies are set in individual cases depends on the embedded functions and your use of Instagram.

How long and where is the data stored?

Instagram shares the received information among Facebook companies with external partners and with people you connect with worldwide. Data processing is carried out in accordance with Instagram’s privacy policy. Your data is, for security reasons among others, distributed across Facebook servers worldwide. Most of these servers are in the USA.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

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

Here’s how to delete your Instagram account:

Open the Instagram app. On your profile page, scroll down and click on “Help Center.” This will take you to the company website. On the website, click on “Managing Your Account” and then on “Delete Your Account.”

When you delete your account completely, Instagram deletes posts such as your photos and status updates. Information that other people have shared about you does not belong to your account and will therefore not be deleted.

As mentioned above, Instagram primarily stores your data via cookies. You can manage, deactivate, or delete these cookies in your browser. Depending on your browser, management may work slightly differently. In the "Cookies" section, you can find links to instructions for the most common browsers.

You can also generally configure your browser to always notify you when a cookie is set. Then you can decide individually whether to allow the cookie or not.

Legal basis

If you have consented to the processing and storage of your data through embedded social media elements, this consent constitutes the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). Your data is also stored and processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in fast and efficient communication with you or other customers and business partners. We only use the embedded social media elements if you have given consent. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend reading our privacy text on cookies carefully and reviewing the privacy policy or cookie guidelines of the respective service provider.

Instagram also processes data about you in the USA. Instagram/Meta Platforms actively participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the proper and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. More information can be found at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Instagram also uses so-called Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) (= Art. 46 para. 2 and 3 GDPR). SCCs are templates provided by the EU Commission to ensure your data continues to meet European data protection standards even if transferred to third countries (e.g., USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and SCCs, Instagram commits to maintaining European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an EU Commission implementing decision. You can find the decision and the corresponding SCCs here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

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

Instagram Lookalike Audience Privacy Policy

We also use the advertising tool Instagram Lookalike Audience. The service provider is the American company Meta Platforms Inc. For the European region, the responsible company is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland).

Instagram/Meta processes data about you, among other locations, in the USA. Facebook/Meta Platforms is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the proper and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. More information can be found at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

In addition, Meta Platforms uses so-called Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) (= Art. 46 para. 2 and 3 GDPR). Standard Contractual Clauses are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data continues to meet European data protection standards even when transferred to third countries (such as the USA) and stored there. Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the Standard Contractual Clauses, Meta Platforms commits to maintaining 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: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Instagram/Meta data processing terms, which refer to the Standard Contractual Clauses, can be found at https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/dataprocessing.

More information about the data processed through the use of Instagram Lookalike Audience can be found in the privacy policy at https://privacycenter.instagram.com/policy/.

Audio & Video Introduction

Audio & Video Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected parties: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: Optimization of our services 📓 Processed data: Data such as contact information, user behavior data, information about your device, and your IP address may be stored. More details can be found below in the respective privacy statements. 📅 Storage duration: Data is generally stored as long as it is needed for the service purpose ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What are Audio and Video Elements?

We have integrated audio and video elements on our website so that you can, for example, watch videos or listen to music/podcasts directly on our site. The content is provided by service providers, meaning all content is also sourced from the respective provider’s servers.

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

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

Why do we use Audio & Video Elements on our Website?

Of course, we want to provide you with the best possible offerings on our website. We are aware that content is no longer conveyed solely through text and static images. Instead of simply providing a link to a video, we offer audio and video formats directly on our site that are entertaining or informative, ideally both. This enhances our service and makes it easier for you to access interesting content. In addition to our texts and images, we thus provide video and/or audio content.

Which data is stored by Audio & Video Elements?

When you visit a page on our website that contains an embedded video, your server connects with the server of the service provider. Data about you is also transmitted to the third-party provider and stored there. Some data is collected and stored regardless of whether you have an account with the third-party provider. This usually includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, and other general information about your device. Furthermore, most providers also collect information about your web activity, such as session duration, bounce rate, which buttons you clicked, or via which website you accessed the service. All this information is usually stored via cookies or pixel tags (also called web beacons). Pseudonymized data is often stored in cookies in your browser. Exact details on which data is stored and processed can always be found in the privacy policy of the respective provider.

Duration of Data Processing

How long the data is stored on the third-party servers can be found either below in the privacy statement of the respective tool or in the provider’s privacy policy. Personal data is generally only processed as long as it is necessary for providing our services or products. This also generally applies to third-party providers. You can usually assume that some data is stored for several years on third-party servers. Data stored in cookies may have varying retention periods. Some cookies are deleted as soon as you leave the website, while others may remain in your browser for several years.

Right to Object

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

Since audio and video functions embedded on our site usually also use cookies, you should also read our general privacy policy on cookies. In the privacy statements of the respective third-party providers, you can find detailed information about how your data is handled and stored.

Legal Basis

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

YouTube Privacy Policy

YouTube Privacy Policy Summary 👥 Affected parties: Website visitors 🤝 Purpose: Optimization of our services 📓 Processed data: Data such as contact information, user behavior data, information about your device, and your IP address may be stored. More details can be found below in this privacy policy. 📅 Storage duration: Data is generally stored as long as it is needed for the service purpose ⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is YouTube?

We have embedded YouTube videos on our website to present interesting videos directly on our site. YouTube is a video portal that has been a subsidiary of Google since 2006. It is operated by YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. When you visit a page on our website that has an embedded YouTube video, your browser automatically connects to YouTube’s or Google’s servers, transmitting various data depending on your settings. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all data processing in the European area.

Below we explain in more detail which data is processed, why we embed YouTube videos, and how you can manage or delete your data.

On YouTube, users can watch, rate, comment on, and upload videos for free. Over the years, YouTube has become one of the most important social media channels worldwide. To display videos on our website, YouTube provides a code snippet that we embed on our site.

Why do we use YouTube videos on our website?

YouTube is the video platform with the most visitors and the best content. We aim to provide the best possible user experience on our website. Interesting videos naturally cannot be missing. With our embedded videos, we offer additional helpful content besides our texts and images. Embedded videos also make our website more easily discoverable in Google search. Even when we use Google Ads, the data collected allows Google to show our ads only to people who are really interested in our offers.

Which data is stored by YouTube?

When you visit a page with an embedded YouTube video, YouTube sets at least one cookie that stores your IP address and the URL of our website. If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can usually link your interactions on our website to your profile using cookies. This includes data such as session duration, bounce rate, approximate location, technical information like browser type, screen resolution, or your internet provider. Additional data may include contact information, ratings, sharing content via social media, or adding to your favorites on YouTube.

If you are not logged into a Google or YouTube account, Google stores data with a unique identifier linked to your device, browser, or app. For example, your preferred language setting is retained. However, many interaction data points cannot be saved due to fewer cookies being set.

The following list shows cookies set during a browser test. Some cookies are set without a logged-in YouTube account, others with a logged-in account. The list is not exhaustive as data depends on YouTube interactions.

Name: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5Y113093021-1
Purpose: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the watched video.
Expiration: end of session

Name: PREF
Value: f1=50000000
Purpose: This cookie also registers your unique ID. Google receives statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our site.
Expiration: 8 months

Name: GPS
Value: 1
Purpose: This cookie registers your unique ID on mobile devices to track GPS location.
Expiration: 30 minutes

Name: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
Value: 95Chz8bagyU
Purpose: This cookie estimates the user’s bandwidth on websites with embedded YouTube videos.
Expiration: 8 months

Additional cookies when logged into a YouTube account:

Name: APISID
Value: zILlvClZSkqGsSwI/AU1aZI6HY7113093021-
Purpose: This cookie is used to build a profile of your interests for personalized advertising.
Expiration: 2 years

Name: CONSENT
Value: YES+AT.de+20150628-20-0
Purpose: Stores user consent status for different Google services and ensures security.
Expiration: 19 years

Name: HSID
Value: AcRwpgUik9Dveht0I
Purpose: Used to build a profile of your interests to display personalized advertising.
Expiration: 2 years

Name: LOGIN_INFO
Value: AFmmF2swRQIhALl6aL…
Purpose: Stores login information.
Expiration: 2 years

Name: SAPISID
Value: 7oaPxoG-pZsJuuF5/AnUdDUIsJ9iJz2vdM
Purpose: Uniquely identifies browser and device to build an interest profile.
Expiration: 2 years

Name: SID
Value: oQfNKjAsI113093021-
Purpose: Stores your Google account ID and last login in a digitally signed and encrypted form.
Expiration: 2 years

Name: SIDCC
Value: AN0-TYuqub2JOcDTyL
Purpose: Stores information about how you use the website and which ads you may have seen before visiting our site.
Expiration: 3 months

Where and how long are the data stored?

Data collected and processed by YouTube is stored on Google servers, most of which are in the USA. You can see the exact locations of Google data centers at https://datacenters.google/. Data is distributed across servers for faster access and better protection against manipulation.

Google stores collected data for different durations. Some data can be deleted manually, some are automatically deleted after a limited time, and others are stored longer. Data in your Google account, such as items from “My Activity,” photos, documents, and products, remain until you delete them. Even if you are not logged into a Google account, some data linked to your device, browser, or app can be deleted.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

You can manually delete data in your Google account. The automatic deletion feature for location and activity data, introduced in 2019, stores information for 3 or 18 months depending on your settings, and then deletes it.

Whether you have a Google account or not, you can configure your browser to delete or block Google cookies. Browser-specific instructions vary. Under the “Cookies” section, you can find links to guides for major browsers.

If you generally want to avoid cookies, you can set your browser to notify you whenever a cookie is set, allowing you to decide case by case.

Legal Basis

If you consent to the processing and storage of data through embedded YouTube elements, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). Your data is also processed on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) for fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners. We only use embedded YouTube elements if you have given consent. YouTube also sets cookies in your browser, so we recommend reviewing our cookie policy and the provider’s privacy or cookie policies.

YouTube processes data in the USA. YouTube/Google participates in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the secure transfer of EU personal data to the USA. More information: https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en.

Google also uses Standard Contractual Clauses (Art. 46 para. 2 and 3 GDPR) to ensure European data protection standards when data is transferred to third countries. More info: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

Google Ads Data Processing Terms referencing SCCs: https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/

Since YouTube is a subsidiary of Google, there is a joint privacy policy. For more information on handling your data, see: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de

All texts are copyright protected.

Source: Privacy Policy generated with the AdSimple Privacy Policy Generator for Austria