Our company attaches great importance to the protection of personal data and respects your wish for privacy. This privacy policy informs you about the type, scope and purpose of the processing of personal data (hereinafter referred to as "data") within our online offer and the websites, functions and content associated with it, as well as external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter jointly referred to as "online offer"). With regard to the terms used, such as "processing" or "controller", we refer to the definitions in Article 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Controller
Controller according to the GDPR is:
iF International Forum Design GmbH 
Bahnhofstrasse 8 
30159 Hannover, Germany
Phone: +49.511.54224-202 
Fax: +49.511.54224-100 
Email: [email protected]
CEO: Uwe Cremering

Link to imprint: https://ifdesign.com/en/data-privacy-statement 

For all questions and suggestions on data protection, please contact our data protection officer at [email protected].

1. Data processing during website visit During the mere informational use of the website, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise transmit information to us (e.g. via a contact form), we collect the following technical information (log file data):

• operating system of the end device with which you visit our website
• browser (type, version & language settings)
• the amount of data retrieved
• the current IP address of the end device with which you visit our website
• date and time of access
• the URL of the previously visited website (referrer)
• the URL of the (sub)page you are accessing on the website
• the Internet service provider of the accessing system

The collection of this data is technically necessary to display our website to you and to ensure stability and security. We (and our service provider) are regularly unaware of who is the owner of an IP address. We do not combine the data listed above with other data. 
 
The legal basis is Art. 6 s. 1 f GDPR. Since the collection of data for the provision of the website and the storage in log files are absolutely necessary for the operation of the website and to protect against misuse, our legitimate interest in data processing overrides at this point.

2. Legal basis of our data processing

The processing of personal data can be based on various legal grounds. If we require your data for the performance of a contract with you or to respond to inquiries from you regarding a contract, the legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 s. 1 b GDPR. If we obtain your consent for certain data processing, the legal basis is Art. 6 s. 1 a GDPR. We carry out some data processing on the basis of our legitimate interest, whereby a balancing of your interests worthy of protection and our legitimate interests is always carried out. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 s. 1 f GDPR. Insofar as the processing is necessary for the fulfilment of a legal obligation to which we are subject, the legal basis is Art. 6 s. 1 c GDPR. Below we explain how we process personal data via our website.

3. Data security We have taken extensive technical and operational precautions to protect your data from accidental or intentional manipulation, loss, destruction or access by unauthorized persons. Our security procedures are regularly reviewed and adapted to technological progress.

4. Contact When you contact us by e-mail or using a contact form, the data you provide (your e-mail address, possibly your name and telephone number) will be saved by us in order to answer your questions and process your concerns. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Sentence 1 Letter f GDPR. Insofar as we use our contact form to request information that is not required to establish contact, we have always marked this as optional. This information is used to concretise your request and to improve the processing of your request. This information is provided expressly on a voluntary basis and with your consent, Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Clause 1 lit. a GDPR. Insofar as this concerns information on communication channels (e.g. email address, telephone number), you also consent to us contacting you via this communication channel, if necessary, in order to answer your request. You can of course revoke this consent at any time for the future. Your data that we received when you contacted us will be deleted as soon as they are no longer required to achieve the purpose for which they were collected, your request has been fully processed and no further communication with you is required or requested by you.

5. Transfers to third countries If we process data in a third country (i.e. outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)) or if this occurs in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to third parties, this will only occur if it is done in order to fulfil our (pre-)contractual obligations, on the basis of your consent, on the basis of a legal obligation or on the basis of our legitimate interests. Subject to legal or contractual permissions, we will only process or allow data to be processed in a third country if the special requirements of Art. 44 et seq. GDPR are met. This means that the processing is carried out, for example, on the basis of special guarantees, such as the officially recognized determination of a level of data protection corresponding to the or compliance with officially recognized special contractual obligations (so-called "standard contractual clauses").

6. Provision of Online seminars and Performance of the Contract 
Booking and performance of seminars You can book our online seminars via our website. In order to process your booking of the Online seminars, we require the following information from you:

• Name/company and address,
• Email address
• Telephone number, and
• Payment details (e.g. credit card information, bank details, PayPal or Alipay payment information).

We use this information to process your booking, to communicate with you regarding your booking (e.g. to confirm your booking or to send you download links for tickets or content you have purchased), and to process your payment. We will also transmit your payment information to our bank in order to process the payment of your booking. The legal basis is Article 6 s. 1 b GDPR. Additionally, we will transmit your email address and name to Microsoft Ireland Ltd. in order to conduct seminars via Microsoft Teams and to the external coaches who host the online seminar. This data is required for the performance of the contract with you. If you do not provide this data, the contract cannot be concluded. The legal basis is Article 6 s. 1 b GDPR. If the booking is not made by yourself (e.g. through your employer), we process this information for our legitimate interests to fulfil agreements with our customers. In such a case the legal basis is Art. 6 s. 1 f GDPR.

7. Maxbrain

We use the “MaxBrain” platform to provide you with course content via a learning platform. The provider of the platform is MaxBrain AG, Limmatstrasse 50, 8005 Zurich.

In this context, we transmit the first names, surnames, email addresses, training content, course and booking data of training participants to the provider, so that participants can access their training content in a personalised manner. A data processing agreement has been concluded with Maxbrain AG.

The legal basis for processing data with MaxBrain is Article 6 s. 1 b GDPR, insofar as this is necessary for the performance of a training session in accordance with contractual agreements. In all other cases, the legal basis for data processing is Article 6 s. 1 f GDPR.

Further information on data protection at MaxBrain can be found at: https://maxbrain.com/datenschutzerklaerung

7.1. New Relic

For error management and performance monitoring (APM) of the MaxBrain platform, Maxbrain uses New Relic, Inc., 188 Spear Street, Suite 1000, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA, with hosting in the EU (hereinafter “New Relic”). New Relic is ISO-27001:2022 certified and processes log data and error information, which may occasionally contain personal data such as email addresses and names of course participants. This data is encrypted at rest.

New Relic acts as a subprocessor for MaxBrain and has concluded a data processing agreement with Maxbrain, which in turn has a data processing agreement us. Further information on data protection at New Relic can be found at: https://newrelic.com/termsandconditions/dataprotection

New Relic participates in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF). This certification allows personal data to be lawfully transferred to New Relic in the United States, as it confirms that New Relic complies with data protection standards deemed adequate by the European Commission.

The legal basis for processing data with New Relic is Article 6 s. 1 b GDPR, insofar as this is necessary for the performance of a training session in accordance with contractual agreements. In all other cases, the legal basis for data processing is Article 6 s. 1 f GDPR.

7.2. Norse Digital AS

Maxbrain uses the services of Norse Digital AS, Torggata 15, 0181 Oslo, Norway, and its German subsidiary (hereinafter “Norse Digital”) for the development, support, and maintenance of the document management system (DMS). In this context, Norse Digital may process documents, email addresses, first names, and surnames of course participants as part of their support and maintenance activities for Maxbrain.

Norse Digital acts as a subprocessor for MaxBrain and has concluded a data processing agreement with Maxbrain, which in turn has a data processing agreement us. Further information on data protection at Norse Digital can be found at: https://norse.co/privacy-policy

The legal basis for processing data with Norse Digital is Article 6 s. 1 b GDPR, insofar as this is necessary for the performance of a training session in accordance with contractual agreements. In all other cases, the legal basis for data processing is Article 6 s. 1 f GDPR.

7.3. Hetzner

We use the services of Hetzner Online GmbH, Industriestr. 25, 91710 Gunzenhausen, Germany (hereinafter “Hetzner”) for server hosting in connection with the MaxBrain platform. Hetzner hosts the entire MaxBrain infrastructure, which means that all data processed by MaxBrain—including first names, surnames, email addresses, training content, course and booking data—are stored and processed on Hetzner’s servers located within the European Union.

Hetzner acts as a subprocessor for MaxBrain and processes your data exclusively for the purposes for which Maxbrain processes your data. Hetzner has concluded a data processing agreement with Maxbrain, which in turn has a data processing agreement us. Further information on data protection at Hetzner can be found at: https://www.hetzner.com/rechtliches/datenschutz

The legal basis for processing data with Hetzner is Article 6 s. 1 b GDPR, insofar as this is necessary for the performance of a training session in accordance with contractual agreements. In all other cases, the legal basis for data processing is Article 6 s. 1 f GDPR

7.4. TalkJS

We use the services of Klets B.B., operating under the name TalkJS, with its principal office located at Bogert 1, 5612 LX Eindhoven, the Netherlands, hereinafter referred to as “TalkJS”,for the chat system functionalities on the MaxBrain platform. TalkJS provides the chat function inside the MaxBrain platform. This allows course participants and instructors to communicate with each other in one-on-one and many-to-many chat conversations, including the ability to share files. The only cookies used by the chat function are functional: a cookie to remember the popup state and message drafts stored in the browser's local storage to prevent loss of text being written.

In this context, TalkJS processes the following data:

• Chat message content between course participants and instructors
• Files uploaded and shared within chat conversations
• Timestamps, read receipts, delivery status
• User ID

TalkJS acts as a subprocessor for MaxBrain and processes your data exclusively for the purposes for which Maxbrain processes your data. TalkJS has concluded a data processing agreement with Maxbrain, which in turn has a data processing agreement with us. Further information on data protection at TalkJS can be found at: https://talkjs.com/privacy/ TalkJS ensures that every processing operation of personal data performed by or on behalf of TalkJS, including by third parties engaged for the execution of the Agreement, is carried out within the European Economic Area (EEA) or in countries offering an adequate level of protection in accordance with the GDPR. The legal basis for processing data with TalkJS is Article 6 s. 1 b GDPR, insofar as this is necessary for the performance of a training session in accordance with contractual agreements. In all other cases, the legal basis for data processing is Article 6 s. 1 f GDPR.

7.5. sentry.io

We use the services of Functional Software, Inc., operating under the name sentry.io, with its principal office located at 45 Fremont Street, 8th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA, hereinafter referred to as "sentry.io", for error monitoring functionalities on the MaxBrain platform. sentry.io provides Real User Monitoring (RUM) functionality on the MaxBrain platform, which logs errors occurring in the frontend (i.e., in end users' browsers). This enables MaxBrain to automatically generate support tickets to proactively identify errors and resolve them as quickly as possible. Additionally, sentry.io allows MaxBrain to monitor integrated third-party services to ensure their proper functioning within the platform. In this context, sentry.io processes the following data:

• Error information (stack traces, error messages, application state)
• IP addresses

sentry.io acts as a subprocessor for MaxBrain and processes your data exclusively for the purposes for which MaxBrain processes your data. Sentry has concluded a data processing agreement with MaxBrain, which in turn has a data processing agreement with us. Further information on data protection at Sentry can be found at: https://sentry.io/privacy/ MaxBrain uses sentry.io’s EU data residency option, ensuring that data is stored within the European Union (Frankfurt, Germany). Additionally, sentry.io is certified by the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. The legal basis for processing data with sentry.io is Article 6 s. 1 f GDPR (legitimate interests). Our legitimate interest lies in ensuring the secure and stable operation of the platform and in identifying and resolving technical errors to maintain the functionality of our services.

8. Miro

We use Miro from RealtimeBoard, Inc. d/b/a Miro, 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA (hereinafter “Miro”) to provide collaborative online whiteboards for courses and learning activities. Miro enables real-time visual collaboration, including sticky notes, diagrams, comments and file uploads. When using Miro, the following personal data relating to you are subject to processing: your display name, email address, and, optionally, your profile picture. In addition, all data that you enter or provide while using the whiteboard will be processed. Furthermore, the date of each login is recorded whenever you access your account. When you access a Miro board, the necessary service components are loaded by your browser and the data required for participation is processed. Miro is integrated via an external server. This means that your data is also transferred to Miro. We are using the EU Data Residency option offered by Miro. This means that storage and compute infrastructure are located inside the EU. All production data, backup data and metadata is hosted within the EU. It cannot be ruled out that your data may also be transferred to a server in the USA, where Miro has operations. Although the EU has not recognised the level of data protection in the USA as equivalent to that in the EU, Miro participates in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF). This certification allows personal data to be lawfully transferred to Miro in the USA because it ensures that Miro complies with data protection standards considered adequate by the European Commission. Additionally, you will have to register with Miro to make use of the functionalities offered by Miro. To learn more, how Miro processes your personal information in this context, please refer to Miro’s privacy policy: https://miro.com/legal/privacy-policy/

For the essential operation of Miro (e.g., establishing the connection, security, and delivering the board you explicitly request), the legal basis is Art. 6 s. 1 b GDPR (performance of a contract for participants) or Art. 6 s. 1 f GDPR (our legitimate interest in efficient teaching collaboration) if you participate because your employer or another organization has contracted with us for the seminar, and you are not personally a party to that contract.

9. LimeSurvey

We use LimeSurvey Cloud from LimeSurvey GmbH, Papenreye 63, 22453 Hamburg, Germany (hereinafter “LimeSurvey”) to conduct course-related surveys (e.g. placement tests, interim feedback, final evaluations). LimeSurvey Cloud enables questionnaires to be displayed and responses to be collected and evaluated. When you open a survey, the corresponding pages are delivered from an external LimeSurvey Cloud server in the data region selected by the operator. For this purpose, your browser establishes a connection to the LimeSurvey server. Technically necessary cookies may be stored in your browser (e.g. session ID, language, token/anti-duplicate protection). In this context, the following data may be transmitted to LimeSurvey:

• IP address,
• date and time of access,
• browser/user-agent,
• referrer URL and—if used—survey token.

When you submit the questionnaire, your responses are processed and stored on the LimeSurvey system and transmitted to to the external coaches hosting your online seminar. The data are stored exclusively in the region selected by the operator (e.g. within the EEA). A transfer to third countries does not take place unless a non-EEA location is chosen or is required in exceptional cases (e.g. support). In such cases, appropriate safeguards (e.g. EU Standard Contractual Clauses) are used. Further information on data protection can be found in LimeSurvey’s privacy notice: https://www.limesurvey.org/de/datenschutzhinweise However, we only use LimeSurvey without consent insofar as this is technically necessary for providing the survey. Where a survey is required for the performance of the contract (e.g. to tailor the course or issue certificates), the legal basis is Art. 6 s. 1 b GDPR (contract). Otherwise, we may rely on Art. 6 s. 1 f GDPR (legitimate interests) to improve our courses and ensure quality.

10. Teams Meeting (Microsoft 365)

We use Microsoft Teams through Microsoft 365 from “Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, One Microsoft Place, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, D18 P521, Ireland (hereinafter “Microsoft”) to deliver live online classes and to make class recordings available for later viewing by enrolled students. Microsoft Teams enables audio/video conferencing, screen sharing, chat and collaboration features. When you join a class, the necessary service components are loaded by your device and the data required for participation is processed. Microsoft Teams is provided via external servers. This means that your data is also transferred to Microsoft. It cannot be ruled out that your data may also be transferred to a server in the USA, where Microsoft has one of its headquarters. Microsoft participates in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF). This certification allows personal data to be lawfully transferred to Microsoft in the USA because it ensures that Microsoft complies with data protection standards considered adequate by the European Commission. Further information on data protection can be found in Microsoft’s privacy information and EU Data Boundary documentation: 
https://privacy.microsoft.com/privacystatement  
and  
https://learn.microsoft.com/privacy/eudb/ . Recordings are a core feature of the course. The classes are recorded and made available to participants for exam preparation and catching up on missed sessions. For participants, the legal basis for processing—including the creation and hosting of recordings—is Art. 6 s. 1 b GDPR (performance of a contract for educational online seminars). If you participate because your employer or another organization has contracted with us for the seminar, and you are not personally a party to that contract, we process your personal data (including participation metadata and, where applicable, recordings of image/voice and chat contributions) on the basis of Art. 6 s.1 f GDPR (legitimate interests). Our legitimate interests are (i) delivering and administering the seminar to the participants designated by the contracting organization, (ii) enabling quality assurance and learning review (including access to recordings for enrolled participants), and. We apply the safeguards described below (e.g., optional camera/microphone use, background blur, limited access to recordings, retention limits, encryption, and access controls). Access to session recordings is restricted to enrolled learners during the course. Access to the recordings is revoked after the course ends.

11. Rights of data subjects

You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether data in question are being processed and to obtain information about these data and further information and a copy of the data in accordance with Article 15 of the GDPR. You have according to. Art. 16 GDPR the right to request the completion of the data concerning you or the correction of incorrect data concerning you. In accordance with Art. 17 GDPR, you have the right to demand that data concerning you be deleted without delay or, alternatively, in accordance with Art. 18 GDPR, to demand restriction of the processing of the data. You have the right to request that the data concerning you that you have provided to us be received in accordance with Art. 20 GDPR and to request that it be transferred to other data controllers.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority in accordance with Article 77 of the GDPR.

12. Right of withdrawal

You have the right to withdraw your given consents according to Art. 7 s. 3 GDPR with effect for the future.

13. Right of objection

You may object to the future processing of data relating to you in accordance with Art. 21 GDPR at any time. The objection can be made in particular against the processing for purposes of direct marketing.

14. Registration function

Users can create a user account. Within the scope of the registration, the required mandatory data is communicated to the users and processed on the basis of Art. 6 s. 1 b GDPR for the purpose of providing the user account. The processed data includes in particular the login information (name, password as well as an email address). The data entered during registration is used for the purposes of using the user account and its purpose.

Users may be informed by e-mail about information relevant to their user account, such as technical changes. If users have terminated their user account, their data relating to the user account will be deleted, subject to any legal obligation to retain it. It is the responsibility of the users to save their data before the end of the contract in the event of termination. We are entitled to irretrievably delete all user data stored during the term of the contract.

We use the so-called double opt in procedure for registration, i.e. your registration is only completed once you have confirmed your registration by clicking on the link contained in a confirmation e-mail sent to you for this purpose. If you do not confirm your registration, it will be automatically deactivated. Once you have registered, you will receive personal, password-protected access and will be able to view and manage the data you have provided. Registration is voluntary, but may be a prerequisite for using certain services.

In the context of the use of our registration and login functions as well as the use of the user account, we store the IP address and the time of the respective user action. The storage is based on our legitimate interests, as well as those of the users in protection against abuse and other unauthorized use. In principle, this data is not passed on to third parties unless it is necessary for the pursuit of our claims or there is a legal obligation to do so in accordance with Art. 6 s. 1 c GDPR. The IP addresses are anonymised or deleted after 7 days at the latest.

15. What are cookies?

Cookies are data that are stored on your computer by a website you visit and allow your browser to be reassigned. Cookies transmit information to the entity that sets the cookie. Cookies can store various information, such as your language preference, the duration of your visit to our website or the entries you have made there. This prevents you, for example, from having to re-enter required form data each time you use the site. The information stored in cookies can also be used to identify preferences and to tailor content according to areas of interest.

There are different types of cookies: session cookies are sets of data that are only temporarily held in memory and are deleted when you close your browser. Permanent or persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a specified period of time, which may vary depending on the cookie. With this type of cookie, the information can also be stored in text files on your computer. However, you can also delete these cookies at any time via your browser settings.

First-party cookies are set by the website you are currently visiting. Only that website is allowed to read information from these cookies. Third-party cookies are set by organizations that do not operate the website you are visiting. These cookies are used by marketing companies, for example.

The legal basis for possible processing of personal data by means of cookies and their storage period may vary. Insofar as you have given us your consent, the legal basis is Art. 6 s. 1 a GDPR. Insofar as the data processing is based on our overriding legitimate interests, the legal basis is Art. 6 s.1 f GDPR. The stated purpose corresponds with our legitimate interest.

We use cookies to ensure the proper operation of the website, to provide basic functionality, to measure reach and - with your consent - to tailor our services to preferred areas of interest.

When accessing our website, all users of our website are informed by an information banner about our use of cookies and referred to this data protection notice. As a user, you will also be asked for your consent to the use of certain cookies, in particular for the personalisation of services and for marketing measures. Once you have given your consent, you can revoke it at any time with effect for the future by calling up the cookie administration in the footer of this website and "unchecking" the processing to which you had consented.

16. Deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted or restricted in its processing in accordance with Articles 17 and 18 GDPR. Unless expressly stated within the scope of this data protection declaration, the data stored by us will be deleted as soon as they are no longer required for their intended purpose and the deletion does not conflict with any statutory retention obligations. If the data is not deleted because it is required for other and legally permissible purposes, its processing will be restricted. I.e. the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law. According to legal requirements in Germany, data is stored in particular for 10 years in accordance with para. 147 s. 1 AO (German Fiscal Law or „Abgabenordnung“), 257 s. 1 nos. 1 and 4, s. 4 HGB (German Commercial Code or „Handelsgesetzbuch“) (accounts, records, management reports, accounting vouchers, commercial books, documents relevant for taxation, etc.) and 6 years in accordance with para. 257 s. 1 nos. 2 and 3, s. 4 HGB (commercial letters).

17. Newsletter 

General information You can subscribe to a newsletter on our website, with which we inform you about the activities of our company, current information about our services, special promotions and events. The content of the individual newsletter is briefly described within the scope of the registration. The legal basis for sending the respective newsletter is your consent in accordance with Art. 6 s. 1 a GDPR in conjunction with. Para. 7 s. 2 no. 3 UWG (Fair Trade Law or „Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb“) or the legal permission according to para. 7 s. 3 UWG. For the registration to our newsletters we use the so-called double opt in procedure. This means that after your registration we will send you an email to the email address you provided, in which we ask you to confirm that you wish to receive the newsletter. If you do not confirm your registration, your information will be deactivated. The only mandatory data for sending the newsletter is your e-mail address. The provision of further data is voluntary: this data is used to address you personally. After your confirmation, we store your e-mail address for the purpose of sending the newsletter and until revoked. We also store your IP address current at the time of registration, the time of registration and confirmation for up to three years after registration (statute of limitations). The purpose of this procedure is to be able to prove your registration in case of doubt and, if necessary, to clarify any misuse of your personal data. The legal basis for the logging of the registration is our legitimate interest in accordance with Art. 6 s. 1 f GDPR in the proof of a formerly given consent, see also Art. 7 s. 1 GDPR. You can withdraw your consent to the sending of the newsletter at any time and unsubscribe from the newsletter. You can declare the revocation by clicking on the link provided in every newsletter e-mail.

18. Comments and contributions

When users leave comments or other contributions, their IP addresses may be stored for 7 days on the basis of our legitimate interests within the meaning of Art. 6 s. 1 f GDPR are stored for 7 days. This is done for our security in case someone leaves unlawful content in comments and posts (insults, prohibited political propaganda, etc.). In this case, we ourselves can be prosecuted for the comment or post and are therefore interested in the identity of the author. Furthermore, we reserve the right, on the basis of our legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6 s. 1 f. GDPR, to process the information provided by users for the purpose of spam detection. The data provided in the context of comments and contributions will be permanently stored by us until the objection of the user.

19. Google Analytics

On our websites we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (https://www.google.de/intl/de/about/) (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; hereinafter "Google"). In this context, pseudonymised usage profiles are created and cookies are used (see under point 4). The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website such as.

• Browser type/version, operating system used,
• Referrer URL (the previously visited page),
• Host name of the accessing computer (IP address),
• Time of the server request,

will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. The information is used to evaluate the use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide other services associated with the use of the website and the Internet for the purposes of market research and the design of these Internet pages to meet requirements. This information may also be transferred to third parties if this is required by law or if third parties process this data on our behalf. Under no circumstances will your IP address be merged with other Google data. The IP addresses are anonymized so that an assignment is not possible (IP masking). You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. Google Analytics is used exclusively on the legal basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6 s. 1 a GDPR, provided that you have given this consent in advance. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future by calling up the cookie settings in the footer of this website and changing your selection there.

You can also prevent the collection of data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) and the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing a browser add-on (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de ).

As an alternative to the browser addon, especially for browsers on mobile devices, you can also prevent the collection by Google Analytics by clicking on the following link: Deactivate Google Analytics. An opt-out cookie will be set, which prevents the future collection of your data when visiting this website. The opt-out cookie is only valid in this browser and only for our website and is stored on your device. If you delete the cookies in this browser, you must set the opt-out cookie again.

Further information on data protection in connection with Google Analytics can be found, for example, in the Google Analytics 
Help (https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de).

20. YouTube (enhanced privacy mode)

We use services from YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave, 94066 San Bruno, CA, USA, a subsidiary of Google Inc, Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA, on our website. For users who are habitually resident in the European Economic Area or Switzerland, Google Ireland Limited ("Google"), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland is the data controller for your data.

In order to protect your personal data, we use the extended data protection option provided by YouTube. If you call up a page in which a YouTube video is embedded, a connection is established to the YouTube servers and the content is displayed on the website by informing your browser. According to YouTube's information, however, data is only transmitted to the YouTube server in "extended data protection mode" when you actively start the video. If you are logged in to YouTube at this time, the information about the videos you have viewed will be assigned to your YouTube member account. You can prevent this by logging out of your member account before visiting our website. Insofar as data is processed outside the European Economic Area / the EU, where there is no level of data protection equivalent to the European standard, Google states that it uses standard contractual clauses. 
Further information on YouTube's data protection is provided by Google at the following link: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/

21. Use of Facebook

In case of your consent, we use components of the provider Facebook.com on our site. Facebook is a company of Facebook Inc, 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. Each time you visit our website, this component causes the browser you are using to download a corresponding representation of the component from Facebook. This process informs Facebook which specific page of our website is currently being visited.

If you visit our site while logged in to Facebook, Facebook recognizes through the information collected by the component, which specific page you visit and assigns this information to your personal user account on Facebook.

If you do not want Facebook to be able to assign your visit to our pages to your Facebook user account, please log out of your Facebook user account.

22. Facebook Custom Audiences (Facebook Pixel)

In the context of usage-based online advertising, we use the Custom Audiences service of Facebook Inc. (1601 S. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA). For this purpose, we define target groups of users based on certain characteristics in the Facebook ad manager, who are subsequently shown ads within the Facebook network. Users are selected by Facebook based on the profile information they provide and other data provided through their use of Facebook. If a user clicks on an advertisement and subsequently arrives on our website, Facebook receives the information that the user has clicked on the advertising banner via the Facebook pixel embedded on our website. Basically, a non-reversible and non-personal checksum (hash value) is generated from your usage data, which is transmitted to Facebook for analysis and marketing purposes. A Facebook cookie is set in the process. This collects information about your activities on our website (e.g. surfing behaviour, sub-pages visited, etc.). Your IP address is also stored and used for the geographical targeting of advertising. Facebook Customer Audiences via the customer list is not used by us, nor is the "advanced matching" function.

For more information about the purpose and scope of data collection and the further processing and use of data by Facebook, as well as your settings options for protecting your privacy, please refer to Facebook's privacy policy. You can make settings regarding which advertisements are displayed to you on Facebook under this link and in the Facebook account settings.

For more information about Facebook's Custom Audiences service, please visit: 
https://de-de.facebook.com/business/help/449542958510885.

Further information on data processing and storage duration is available from the provider or at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.

Deactivating the "Facebook Custom Audiences" function is possible for logged-in users at https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=ads#_.

23. Instagram Social PlugIns

Our website also uses so-called social plugins ("plugins") from Instagram, which is operated by Instagram LLC., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA ("Instagram"). The plugins are marked with an Instagram logo, for example in the form of an "Instagram camera".

When you access a page of our website that contains such a plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to the servers of Instagram. The content of the plugin is transmitted by Instagram directly to your browser and integrated into the page. Through this integration, Instagram receives the information that your browser has called up the corresponding page of our website, even if you do not have an Instagram profile or are not currently logged in to Instagram. This information (including your IP address) is transmitted by your browser directly to an Instagram server in the USA and stored there. If you are logged in to Instagram, Instagram can directly assign your visit to our website to your Instagram account. If you interact with the plugins, for example by clicking the "Instagram" button, this information is also transmitted directly to an Instagram server and stored there. The information is also published on your Instagram account and displayed there to your contacts.

If you do not want Instagram to directly assign the data collected via our website to your Instagram account, you must log out of Instagram before visiting our website.

For more information, please see Instagram's privacy policy (https://help.instaqram.com/15583370790Q388).

24. LinkedIn Services

Plugins from LinkedIn are operated by LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. Information about privacy at LinkedIn can be found here: https:/en.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

If you have not given your consent within the framework of the Consent Manager, you have the option of giving it subsequently within the framework of the so-called "2-click procedure". If you call up a page in which LinkedIn is embedded, a connection to the LinkedIn servers is only established when you click on the "Confirm" button. In this case, LinkedIn will set cookies and use your visit data for its own purposes. If you are logged in to LinkedIn at this time, the information about the videos you viewed will be assigned to your member account on LinkedIn. You can prevent this by logging out of your member account before visiting our website.

There is a risk that your data will be processed and transferred to the USA, i.e. a third country outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA). For this country, there is no adequacy decision of the EU Commission that ensures that a level of data protection equivalent to the European standard exists there. According to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), there is a particular risk that data may be processed unnoticed by US authorities for surveillance purposes. The legal basis for the processing of your data is your consent in accordance with Article 49 s. 1 a GDPR. This can be withdrawn at any time with effect for the future.

The legal basis for this data processing is your consent pursuant to Art. 6 s. 1 a GDPR. You can withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by calling up the cookie settings in the footer of the website and changing your selection there.

To prevent LinkedIn from collecting data for advertising purposes, you can set a cookie using this link: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out

In addition, you can make further data protection adjustments via this link: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/62931/manage-advertising-preferences?lang=en.

25. Pinterest

If you have given your consent, we use components of the provider Pinterest Europe Ltd, Palmerston House, 2nd Floor, Fenian Street, Dublin 2, Ireland on our website. This allows us to track the effectiveness of our Pinterest ads for statistical and market research purposes by seeing whether users have been redirected to our website after clicking on a Pinterest ad ("conversion").

Information on data protection at Pinterest can be found at: https://policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy