Communication Summary

👥 Affected parties: All those who communicate with us by phone, email or online form
📓 Processed data: e.g., telephone number, name, email address, entered form data. You can find more details in the respective contact type used.
🤝 Purpose: Handling communication with customers, business partners, etc.
📅 Storage period: Duration of the business transaction and the legal regulations⚖️ Legal basis: 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 by telephone, email or online form, personal data may be processed.

The data will be processed to process your inquiry and the related business transaction. The data will be stored for as long as required by law.

Affected persons

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

phone

When you call us, the call data is stored pseudonymously on the respective device and by the telecommunications provider used. Furthermore, data such as name and telephone number may subsequently be sent via email and stored for the purpose of responding to your inquiry. The data will be deleted as soon as the transaction is completed and as permitted by law.

e-mail

If you communicate with us via email, data may be stored on the respective device (computer, laptop, smartphone, etc.) and stored on the email server. The data will be deleted as soon as the transaction is completed and as permitted by law.

Online forms

If you communicate with us via an online form, data will be stored on our web server and, if applicable, forwarded to an email address provided by us. The data will be deleted as soon as the transaction is completed and as permitted by law.

Legal basis

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

• Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent): You give us your consent to store your data and to use it further for the purposes related to the business case;
• Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (contract): There is a need to fulfill a contract with you or a processor such as the telephone provider or we have to process the data for pre-contractual activities, such as preparing an offer;
• Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (Legitimate Interests): We want to handle customer inquiries and business communications in a professional manner. To do this, certain technical facilities, such as email programs, Exchange servers, and mobile operators, are necessary to enable efficient communication.

Data processing agreement (DPA)

In this section, we would like to explain what a data processing agreement is and why it is necessary. Because the term "data processing agreement" is quite a tongue twister, we will often use the acronym DPA in this text. Like most companies, we do not work alone; we also use the services of other companies or individuals. By involving various companies or service providers, we may pass on personal data for processing. These partners then act as data processors, with whom we conclude a contract, the so-called data processing agreement (DPA). The most important thing for you to know is that the processing of your personal data is carried out exclusively in accordance with our instructions and must be regulated by the DPA.

Who are data processors?

As a company and website owner, we are responsible for all data we process from you. In addition to the controllers, there may also be so-called processors. This includes any company or individual that processes personal data on our behalf. More precisely, and according to the GDPR definition: any natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body that processes personal data on our behalf is considered a processor. Processors can therefore be service providers such as hosting or cloud providers, payment or newsletter providers, or large companies such as Google or Microsoft.

To better understand the terminology, here is an overview of the three roles in the GDPR:

Data subject (you as a customer or interested party) → Controller (we as a company and client) → Processor (service provider such as web host or cloud provider)

Content of a data processing agreement

As mentioned above, we have concluded a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with our partners who act as data processors. This agreement stipulates, above all, that the data processor will process the data to be processed exclusively in accordance with the GDPR. The contract must be concluded in writing; however, in this context, electronic contract conclusion is also considered "written." Personal data is only processed on the basis of the contract. The contract must contain the following:

• Commitment to us as responsible parties
• Obligations and rights of the controller
• Categories of data subjects
• Type of personal data
• Type and purpose of data processing
• Subject and duration of data processing
• Place of data processing

Furthermore, the contract contains all obligations of the processor. The most important obligations are:

• To ensure data security measures
• to take possible technical and organizational measures to protect the rights of the data subject
• to maintain a data processing register
• to cooperate with the data protection supervisory authority upon request
• to carry out a risk analysis with regard to the personal data received
• Sub-processors may only be commissioned with the written consent of the controller

You can see what such a DPA looks like in concrete terms at https://www.wko.at/service/wirtschaftsrecht-gewerberecht/eu-dsgvo-mustervertrag-auftragsverarbeitung.html . A sample contract is presented there.

Cookies

Cookies Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: Depends on the specific cookie. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.
📓 Data processed: Depends on the cookie used. You can find more details below or from the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.
📅 Storage period: depends on the respective cookie, can vary from hours to years⚖️ Legal basis: 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.

Whenever you surf the internet, you use a browser. Common browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing is undeniable: cookies are truly useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other purposes as well. HTTP cookies are small files that our website stores on your computer. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, the "brain" of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more additional attributes must be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal site settings. When you visit our site again, 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 used to. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file; in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

The following graphic shows a possible interaction between a web browser, such as Chrome, and the web server. The web browser requests a website and receives a cookie from the server, which the browser reuses whenever another page is requested.

There are both first-party and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, 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 a few years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans, or other "malware." Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data can look like this:

Name: _ga
Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152122921697-9
Purpose: Distinguishing between website visitors
Expiry date: after 2 years

A browser should be able to support these minimum sizes:

• At least 4096 bytes per cookie
• At least 50 cookies per domain
• At least 3000 cookies in total

What types of cookies are there?

The question of which cookies we use specifically depends on the services used and is explained in the following sections of this privacy policy. At this point, we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

There are four types of cookies:

Essential cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic website functions. For example, these cookies are needed when a user adds a product to their shopping cart, then continues browsing to other pages and only proceeds to checkout later. These cookies ensure that the shopping cart is not deleted even when the user closes their browser window.

Purposeful cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. These cookies also measure the loading time and behavior of the website in different browsers.

Targeted cookies
These cookies improve user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes, or form data are saved.

Advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver customized advertising to the user. This can be very useful, but also very annoying.

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

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

Purpose of processing via cookies

The purpose ultimately depends on the specific cookie. You can find more details below or contact the manufacturer of the software that sets the cookie.

What data is processed?

Cookies are small helpers for a variety of tasks. Unfortunately, it's not possible to generalize what data is stored in cookies, but we will inform you about the data processed and stored in the following privacy policy.

Storage period of cookies

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

You also have control over the storage period. You can manually delete all cookies at any time via your browser (see also "Right of Objection" below). Furthermore, cookies based on consent will be deleted at the latest after you revoke your consent, although the legality of their storage remains unaffected until then.

Right of objection – how can I delete cookies?

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

If you want to find out which cookies have been stored in your browser, 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: Managing cookies and website data with Safari

Firefox: Clear cookies to remove data that websites have stored on your computer

Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you don't want cookies at all, you can set your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be set. This allows you to decide for each individual cookie whether or not to accept it. The process varies depending on your browser. The best way to find instructions is to search for "delete cookies in Chrome" or "disable cookies in Chrome" in the case of a Chrome browser.

Legal basis

The so-called "Cookie Directive" has been in place since 2009. It stipulates that the storage of cookies requires your consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR). However, reactions to these guidelines vary greatly within the EU countries. In Austria, however, this directive was implemented in Section 165 (3) of the Telecommunications Act (2021). In Germany, the Cookie Directive was not implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG), which was replaced by the Digital Services Act (DDG) in May 2024.

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

If non-essential cookies are used, this only happens with your consent. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR.

In the following sections you will be informed in more detail about the use of cookies, if the software used uses cookies.

Customer data

Customer data summary
👥 Affected parties: Customers or business and contractual partners
🤝 Purpose: Provision of the contractually or pre-contractually agreed services including associated communication
📓 Processed data: Name, address, contact details, email address, telephone number, payment information (such as invoices and bank details), contract data (such as term and subject of the contract), IP address, order data
📅 Storage period: the data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required to fulfill our business purposes and there is no legal obligation to retain it.
⚖️ Legal basis: Legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR), contract (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR)

What is customer data?

In order to be able to offer our services and contractually agreed services, we also process data from our customers and business partners. This data always includes personal data. Customer data refers to all information processed on the basis of a contractual or pre-contractual collaboration in order to provide the services offered. Customer data is therefore all information we collect and process about our customers.

Why do we process customer data?

There are many reasons why we collect and process customer data. The most important is that we simply need various pieces of data to provide our services. Sometimes your email address is enough, but if you purchase a product or service, we also need data such as your name, address, bank details, or contract details. We also subsequently use the data for marketing and sales optimization so that we can improve our service to our customers overall. Another important point is our customer service, which is always very important to us. We want you to be able to contact us at any time with questions about our offers, and for that we need at least your email address.

What data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored can only be shown here based on categories. This always depends on the services you purchase from us. In some cases, you only provide us with your email address so that we can, for example, contact you or answer your questions. In other cases, you purchase a product or service from us, and for this we require significantly more information, such as your contact details, payment details, and contract details.

Here is a list of possible data that we receive and process from you:

• name
• Contact address
• E-mail address
• Telephone number
• birth date
• Payment data (invoices, bank details, payment history, etc.)
• Contract data (term, content)
• Usage data (websites visited, access data, etc.)
• Metadata (IP address, device information)

How long will the data be stored?

As soon as we no longer need the customer data to fulfill our contractual obligations and our purposes, and the data is also no longer required for potential warranty and liability obligations, we delete the relevant customer data. This is the case, for example, when a business contract ends. After that, the limitation period is generally three years, although longer periods are possible in individual cases. Of course, we also adhere to statutory retention periods. Your customer data will definitely not be passed on to third parties unless you have explicitly given your consent.

Legal basis

The legal basis for the processing of your data is Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR (contract or pre-contractual measures), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests) and, in special cases (e.g. for medical services), Art. 9 (2) (a) GDPR (processing of special categories).

In the case of the protection of vital interests, data processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 9 (2) (c) GDPR. For the purposes of healthcare, occupational medicine, medical diagnostics, care or treatment in the healthcare or social sector, or for the administration of healthcare or social systems and services, personal data is processed in accordance with Art. 9 (2) (h) GDPR. If you voluntarily provide special category data, processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 9 (2) (a) GDPR.

Web hosting introduction

Web hosting summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: professional hosting of the website and securing its operation
📓 Data processed: IP address, time of website visit, browser used, and other data. Further details can be found below or from the respective web hosting provider.
📅 Storage period: depends on the respective provider, but usually 2 weeks
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is web hosting?

When you visit websites these days, certain information—including personal data—is automatically created 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 home page to the very last subpage (like this one). By "domain," we mean, for example, example.de or sampleexample.com.

When you want to view a website on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you use a program called a web browser. You probably know some of these 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 time-consuming task, which is why it's usually handled by professional providers. They offer web hosting and thus ensure reliable and error-free storage of website data. A lot of technical terms, but please stay tuned, it gets even better!

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

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

Why do we process personal data?

The purposes of data processing are:

1. Professional website hosting and operational security
2. to maintain operational and IT security
3. Anonymous evaluation of access behavior to improve our service and, if necessary, for criminal prosecution or the pursuit of claims

What 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 saves data such as

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

How long is data stored?

As a rule, the above-mentioned data is stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not share this data, but we cannot rule out the possibility that it may be viewed by authorities in the event of illegal behavior.

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

Legal basis

The legality of the processing of personal data within the framework of web hosting arises from Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (protection of legitimate interests), because 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 be able to pursue attacks and claims arising from this if necessary.

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

STRATO Privacy Policy

We use STRATO, among other web hosting providers, for our website. The service provider is the German company STRATO AG, Pascalstraße 10, 10587 Berlin, Germany.

You can find out more about the data processed through the use of STRATO in the privacy policy at https://www.strato.de/datenschutz/ .

Data processing agreement (DPA) STRATO

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with STRATO pursuant to Article 28 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can read more about what a DPA is and, above all, what must be included in a DPA in our general section "DPA".

This agreement is required by law because STRATO processes personal data on our behalf. It stipulates that STRATO may only process data it receives from us in accordance with our instructions and must comply with the GDPR.

Web Analytics Introduction

Web Analytics Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website.
📓 Processed data: Access statistics, which include data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, click behavior, and IP addresses. Further details can be found in the respective web analytics tool used.
📅 Storage period: depends on the web analytics tool used
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is web analytics?

We use software on our website to evaluate the behavior of website visitors, known as web analytics or web analysis for short. Data is collected, which the respective analytics tool provider (also known as a tracking tool) stores, manages, and processes. This data is used to create analyses of user behavior on our website and make them available to us as the website operator. In addition, most tools offer various
We offer testing options. For example, we can test which offers or content resonates most with our visitors. To do this, we show you two different offers for a limited period of time. After the test (so-called A/B testing), 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 can be created and the data stored in cookies.

Why do we use web analytics?

We have a clear goal in mind with our website: 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 offering on the market, while also ensuring that you feel completely at home on our website. With the help of web analysis tools, we can take a closer look at the behavior of our website visitors and then improve our web offering for you and us accordingly. For example, we can determine the average age of our visitors, where they come from, when our website is most visited, or which content or products are particularly popular. All of this information helps us optimize the website and thus adapt it as best as possible to your needs, interests, and wishes.

What data is processed?

Exactly which data is stored depends, of course, on the analysis tools used. However, as a general rule, we store information such as the content you view on our website, the buttons or links you click, the time you access a page, the browser you use, the device (PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.) you use to visit the website, and the computer system you use. If you have consented to the collection of location data, this may also be processed by the web analysis tool provider.

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

The following example shows schematically how Google Analytics works as an example of client-based web tracking with JavaScript code.

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

Duration of data processing

We will inform you below about the duration of data processing, as soon as we have further information. Generally, we only process personal data for as long as it is absolutely necessary to provide our services and products. If required by law, such as in the case of accounting, this retention period may be exceeded.

Right of objection

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

Legal basis

The use of web analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained through our cookie popup. According to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected through web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our offering technically and economically. Web analytics helps us detect website errors, identify attacks, and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests) . However, we only use these tools if you have given your consent.

Since web analytics tools use cookies, we also recommend reading our general privacy policy on cookies. To learn exactly which of your data is stored and processed, you should read the privacy policies of the respective tools.

Information on specific web analytics tools, if available, can be found in the following sections.

Google Analytics Privacy Policy

Google Analytics Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Affected: Visitors to the website
🤝 Purpose: Evaluation of visitor information to optimize the website.
📓 Data processed: Access statistics, which include data such as access locations, device data, access duration and time, navigation behavior, and click behavior. You can find more details about this further down in this privacy policy.
📅 Storage period: individually adjustable, by default Google Analytics 4 stores data for 14 months
⚖️ Legal basis: Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

What is Google Analytics?

We use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics, version Google Analytics 4 (GA4) from the American company Google Inc., on our website. Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services in Europe. Google Analytics collects data about your activities on our website. Through a combination of various technologies such as cookies, device IDs, and login information, you as a user can be identified across different devices. This allows your activities to be analyzed across platforms.

For example, if you click on a link, this event is stored in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. The reports we receive from Google Analytics help us better tailor our website and service to your needs. Below, we'll discuss the tracking tool in more detail and, above all, inform you about what data is processed and how you can prevent this.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool used to analyze our website's traffic. These measurements and analyses are based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This number does not contain any personal data such as name or address, but is used to assign events to a device. GA4 uses an event-based model that records detailed information on user interactions such as page views, clicks, scrolling, and conversion events. GA4 also incorporates various machine learning functions to better understand user behavior and certain trends. GA4 uses machine learning functions to model. This means that, based on the collected data, even missing data can be extrapolated in order to optimize the analysis and also to make forecasts.

For Google Analytics to work, a tracking code is embedded in our website code. When you visit our website, this code records various events that you perform on our website. With GA4's event-based data model, we as website operators can define and track specific events to obtain analytics of user interactions. This allows us to track not only general information such as clicks or page views, but also specific events that are important to our business. Such specific events can include, for example, submitting a contact form or purchasing a product.

As soon as you leave our website, this data is sent to the Google Analytics servers and stored there.

Google processes the data and we receive reports about your user behavior. These reports may include, among others, the following:

• Audience reports: Through audience reports, we get to know our users better and know more precisely who is interested in our service.
• Ad Reporting: Ad reporting helps us analyze and improve our online advertising.
• Acquisition reports: Acquisition reports give us helpful information about how we can get more people excited about our service.
• Behavioral reports: This tells us how you interact with our website. We can track your path on our site and the links you click.
• Conversion reports: A conversion is a process in which you perform a desired action based on a marketing message. For example, when you go from being a mere website visitor to a buyer or newsletter subscriber. These reports help us learn more about how our marketing efforts are resonating with you. This is how we want to increase our conversion rate.
• Real-time reports: This lets us know immediately what's happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are currently reading this text.

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

• Event-based data model: This model captures very specific events that can occur on our website. For example, playing a video, purchasing a product, or subscribing to our newsletter.
• Advanced analytics features: These features allow us to better understand your behavior on our website or certain general trends. For example, we can segment user groups, conduct comparative analyses of target groups, or track your journey or path through our website.
• Predictive modeling: Based on collected data, machine learning can extrapolate missing data to predict future events and trends. This can help us develop better marketing strategies.
• Cross-platform analysis: Data can be collected and analyzed from both websites and apps. This allows us to analyze user behavior across platforms, provided, of course, that you have consented to data processing.

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

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

The statistically analyzed data provides us with a clear picture of our website's strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, we can optimize our site so that it's easier for interested people to find on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us better understand you as a visitor. This means we know exactly what we need to improve on our website to provide you with the best possible service. The data also helps us implement our advertising and marketing measures more individually and cost-effectively. After all, it only makes sense to show our products and services to people who are interested in them.

What data does Google Analytics store?

Google Analytics uses a tracking code to create a random, unique ID linked to your browser cookie. This allows Google Analytics to recognize you as a new user and assign you a user ID. The next time you visit our site, you will be recognized as a "returning" user. All collected data is stored together with this user ID. This makes it possible to evaluate 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. The Google Analytics 4 property is the default for every newly created property. Data is stored for different lengths of time depending on the property used.

Using identifiers such as cookies, app instance IDs, user IDs, or custom event parameters, your interactions are measured across platforms, provided you have consented. Interactions are all types of actions you perform on our website. If you also use other Google systems (such as a Google Account), data generated via Google Analytics may be linked to third-party cookies. Google does not share Google Analytics data unless we, as the website operator, authorize this. Exceptions may apply if required by law.

According to Google, no IP addresses are logged or stored in Google Analytics 4. However, Google uses the IP address data 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 in a data center or on a server.

Because Google Analytics 4 focuses on event-based data, the tool uses significantly fewer cookies than previous versions (such as Google Universal Analytics). However, there are some specific cookies used by GA4. These include:

Name: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152122921697-5
Purpose: By default, analytics.js uses the cookie _ga to store the user ID. It is primarily used to distinguish between website visitors.
Expiry date: after 2 years

Name: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152122921697-1
Purpose: The cookie is also used to distinguish between website visitors
Expiry date: after 24 hours

Name: _gat_gtag_UA_<property-id>
Value: 1
Purpose: Used to reduce the request rate. If Google Analytics is provided via Google Tag Manager, this cookie is named _dc_gtm_ <property-id>.
Expiry date: after 1 minute

Note: This list cannot claim to be exhaustive, as Google continually changes its cookie choices. GA4 also aims to improve data protection. Therefore, the tool offers several options for controlling data collection. For example, we can specify the storage period ourselves and also control data collection.

Here we show you an overview of the most important types of data collected with Google Analytics:

Heatmaps: Google creates so-called heatmaps. Heatmaps show exactly the areas you click on. This gives us information about where you are on our site.

Session duration: Google defines the time you spend on our site without leaving the page as session duration. If you have been inactive for 20 minutes, the session ends automatically.

Bounce rate : A bounce occurs when you only view one page on our website and then leave our website again.

Account creation: When you create an account or place an order on our website, Google Analytics collects this data.

Location: IP addresses are not logged or stored in Google Analytics. However, location data is derived shortly before the IP address is deleted.

Technical information: Technical information includes, among other things, your browser type, your Internet service provider or your screen resolution.

Source: Google Analytics and we are of course also interested in which website or advertisement you came to our site from.

Other data includes contact information, any ratings, media playback (e.g., when you play a video on our site), sharing content via social media, or adding content to your favorites. This list is not exhaustive and serves only as a general guide to data storage by Google Analytics.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google has distributed its servers all over the world. You can find out exactly where Google's data centers are located here: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/locations/?hl=de

Your data is distributed across multiple physical storage devices. This has the advantage of making it faster to access and better protected from tampering. Every Google data center has emergency backup programs for your data. If, for example, Google's hardware fails or natural disasters cripple servers, the risk of service interruption at Google remains low.

The retention period for data depends on the properties used. The retention period is always determined individually for each property. Google Analytics offers us four options for controlling the retention period:

• 2 months: this is the shortest storage period.
• 14 months: By default, GA4 stores data for 14 months.
• 26 months: you can also store the data for 26 months.
• Data will only be deleted when we delete it manually

Additionally, you can choose to have data deleted only if you no longer visit our website within the period we select. In this case, the retention period will be reset each time you visit our website again within the specified period.

Once the specified period has expired, the data will be deleted once a month. This retention period applies to your data associated with cookies, user recognition, and advertising IDs (e.g., cookies from the DoubleClick domain). Report results are based on aggregated data and are stored independently of user data. Aggregated data is the merging of individual pieces of data into a larger unit.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Under European Union data protection law, you have the right to access, update, delete, or restrict your data. You can prevent Google Analytics 4 from using your data by using the browser add-on for deactivating Google Analytics JavaScript (analytics.js, gtag.js). You can download and install the browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de . Please note that this add-on only deactivates data collection by Google Analytics.

If you generally want to deactivate, delete or manage cookies, you will find the relevant links to the instructions for the most popular browsers in the “Cookies” section.

Legal basis

The use of Google Analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained through our cookie popup. According to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when collected through web analytics tools.

In addition to consent, we have a legitimate interest in analyzing the behavior of website visitors and thus improving our offering technically and economically. With the help of Google Analytics, we can detect website errors, identify attacks, and improve efficiency. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR (legitimate interests) . However, we only use Google Analytics if you have given your consent.

Google processes your data, among other places, in the USA. Google is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data of EU citizens to the USA. Further information can be found at https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en .

In addition, Google uses so-called standard contractual clauses (= Art. 46 (2) and (3) GDPR). Standard contractual clauses (SCCs) are templates provided by the EU Commission and are intended to ensure that your data complies with European data protection standards even if it is transferred to and stored in third countries (such as the USA). Through the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the standard contractual clauses, Google undertakes to comply with European data protection standards when processing your relevant data, even if the data is stored, processed, and managed in the USA. These clauses are based on an implementing decision of the EU Commission. You can find the decision and the corresponding standard contractual clauses here, among other places: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?locale=de

The Google Ads Data Processing Terms, which refer to the standard contractual clauses, can be found at https://business.safety.google/intl/de/adsprocessorterms/ .

We hope we have been able to provide you with the most important information about data processing by Google Analytics. If you would like to learn more about the tracking service, we recommend these two links: https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/terms/de/ and https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de .

If you would like to learn more about data processing, please refer to the Google Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de .