Introduction and Overview

We have drafted this privacy policy (version 21.07.2022-112064270) to inform you, in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national laws, about which personal data (short: data) we, as the responsible party – and the processors commissioned by us (e.g., providers) – process, will process in the future, and the lawful options available to you. The terms used are to be understood as gender-neutral.
​
In short: We provide you with comprehensive information about the data we process about you.

 

Privacy policies often sound very technical and use legal terminology. This privacy policy, however, is intended to describe the most important aspects as simply and transparently as possible. Where helpful for clarity, technical terms are explained in a reader-friendly manner, links to further information are provided, and graphics may be used. We want to inform you in clear and simple language that we process personal data only when a corresponding legal basis exists within the scope of our business activities. This is certainly not possible if one provides vague, unclear, and overly technical legal explanations, as is often the standard on the internet when it comes to data protection. We hope you find the following explanations interesting and informative, and perhaps there is even some new information for you.
​
If you still have questions, we kindly ask you to contact the responsible party mentioned below or in the imprint, follow the provided links, and review further information on third-party websites. Of course, you can also find our contact details in the imprint.

​

Wenn trotzdem Fragen bleiben, möchten wir Sie bitten, sich an die unten bzw. im Impressum genannte verantwortliche Stelle zu wenden, den vorhandenen Links zu folgen und sich weitere Informationen auf Drittseiten anzusehen. Unsere Kontaktdaten finden Sie selbstverständlich auch im Impressum. 

​

​

Scope of Application

This privacy policy applies to all personal data processed by our company and to all personal data processed by companies commissioned by us (processors). By personal data, we mean information as defined in Art. 4 No. 1 of the GDPR, such as a person’s name, email address, and postal address. The processing of personal data enables us to offer and bill for 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
Mobile apps for smartphones and other devices
​
In short: This privacy policy applies to all areas where personal data is processed within our company via the mentioned channels. If we enter into legal relationships with you outside these channels, we will inform you separately if necessary.

​

​

Legal Basis 

In the following privacy policy, we provide transparent information about the legal principles and regulations, i.e., the legal bases of the General Data Protection Regulation, that allow us to process personal data.

For EU law, we refer to REGULATION (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of April 27, 2016. You can access this General Data Protection Regulation of the EU online on EUR-Lex, the access point to EU law, at https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32016R0679.

We process your data only if at least one of the following conditions applies:
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 the data you entered in a contact form.

Contract (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR): To fulfill a contract or pre-contractual obligations with you, we process your data. For example, if we conclude a purchase contract with you, we need personal information in advance.
Legal Obligation (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR): If we are subject to a legal obligation, we process your data. For instance, we are legally required to keep invoices for accounting purposes, which typically contain personal data.
Legitimate Interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR): In cases of legitimate interests that do not override your fundamental rights, we reserve the right to process personal data. For example, we must process certain data to operate our website securely and economically. This processing is therefore a legitimate interest.

​

Other legal bases, such as processing data in the public interest or exercising official authority, as well as protecting vital interests, generally do not apply to us. If such a legal basis becomes relevant, it will be indicated at the appropriate point.

​

In addition to the EU regulation, national laws also apply:
In Austria, this is the Federal Act on the Protection of Natural Persons in the Processing of Personal Data (Data Protection Act, DSG).
In Germany, the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) applies.
If additional regional or national laws apply, we will inform you in the following sections.

​​

​

Contact Details of the Responsible Party

If you have any questions about data protection or the processing of personal data, you will find the contact details of the responsible person or entity below:

​

Matoga OG
Margeritengasse 1/9, 2700 Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Email: kontakt@matoga.at
Imprint: https://www.matoga.at/impressum/

​​

​

Retention Period 

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

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

If we have additional information regarding the specific duration of individual data processing activities, we will inform you further below.

​​

​

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

In accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the GDPR, we inform you about the following rights you have to ensure fair and transparent data processing:
Right of access (Article 15 GDPR): You have the right to know whether we process your data. If this is the case, you are entitled to receive a copy of the data and to obtain the following information:

• The purpose of the data processing;

• The categories (types) of data being 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, deletion, restriction of processing, and 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 source of the data if it was not collected from you;

• Whether profiling is performed, meaning whether data is automatically analyzed to create a personal profile about you.

• Right to rectification (Article 16 GDPR): If you find errors in your data, you have the right to request correction.

• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten," Article 17 GDPR): You may request the deletion of your data.

• Right to restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR): You can request that your data be stored but no longer used.

• Right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR): You have the right to receive your data in a commonly used format upon request.

• Right to object (Article 21 GDPR): If the processing of your data is based on Article 6(1)(e) (public interest, exercise of public authority) or Article 6(1)(f) (legitimate interest), you can object to the processing. We will then review as soon as possible whether we can legally comply with your objection.

• If your data is used for direct marketing, you can object at any time. We will then no longer use your data for marketing purposes.

If your data is used for profiling, you can object at any time. We will then no longer process your data for this purpose.

Right not to be subject to automated decision-making (Article 22 GDPR): You may have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing (e.g., profiling).

Right to lodge a complaint (Article 77 GDPR): If you believe that the processing of your personal data violates the GDPR, you can file a complaint with a supervisory authority at any time.

In summary:
You have rights—don’t hesitate to contact the responsible entity listed above!
If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection regulations or that your data protection rights have been infringed in any other way, you can file a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority.
For Austria, this is the Austrian Data Protection Authority, whose website you can find at https://www.dsb.gv.at/.
In Germany, each federal state has its own data protection officer. For more information, you can contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI).
The responsible local data protection authority for our company is:

 

​

Austrian Data Protection Authority

Leiterin: Mag. Dr. Andrea Jelinek 
Adresse: Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Wien 
Telefonnr.: +43 1 52 152-0 
E-Mail-Adresse: dsb@dsb.gv.at 
Website: https://www.dsb.gv.at/ 

​​

​

Security of Data Processing

To protect personal data, we have implemented both technical and organizational measures. Whenever possible, we encrypt or pseudonymize personal data to make it as difficult as possible for third parties to link our data to personal information.

Article 25 of the GDPR refers to “data protection by design and by default,” meaning that security considerations should be integrated into both software (e.g., forms) and hardware (e.g., access to server rooms). Below, we provide further details on specific measures where necessary.

​​

​

TLS Encryption with HTTPS

TLS, encryption, and HTTPS may sound technical—and they are. We use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) to securely transmit data over the internet.

This ensures that all data transmission between your browser and our web server is encrypted and cannot be intercepted by third parties.

With this additional security layer, we comply with data protection by design (Article 25(1) GDPR). The use of TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission over the internet, ensures the protection of confidential data.

You can recognize this secure data transmission by the small padlock icon in the upper left corner of your browser, next to the website address (e.g., examplepage.com), and the use of https instead of http in the web address.
For more information about encryption, we recommend searching for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure wiki” on Google to find useful resources.

​​

​

Communication

Communication Summary
👥 Affected Individuals: Anyone who communicates with us via phone, email, or online forms
📓 Processed Data: e.g., phone number, name, email address, form input data. More details are provided under each communication method
🤝 Purpose: Handling communication with customers, business partners, etc.
📅 Retention Period: Duration of the business transaction and in accordance with legal requirements
⚖️ Legal Bases: Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent), Article 6(1)(b) GDPR (contract), Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests)

 

Communication Details
If you contact us via phone, email, or an online form, personal data may be processed.
These data are used for handling and processing your inquiry and the associated business transaction. The data will be stored for as long as necessary to complete the transaction or as required by law.

​

Affected Individuals
All individuals who contact us through our provided communication channels are affected by this processing.

 

Phone
When you call us, call data is pseudonymized and stored on the respective device and by the telecommunications provider. Additionally, information such as your name and phone number may be forwarded via email and stored for responding to inquiries. The data will be deleted as soon as the business case is concluded and legal requirements allow.

 

Email
If you communicate with us via email, data may be stored on the respective device (computer, laptop, smartphone, etc.) and on our email server. The data will be deleted once the business case is concluded and legal requirements allow.

 

Online Forms
When 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 will be deleted once the business case is concluded and legal requirements allow.

​​

​

Legal Bases

The processing of data is based on the following legal grounds:
Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (Consent): You grant us permission to store and use your data for purposes related to the business case.

Article 6(1)(b) GDPR (Contract): The processing is necessary for fulfilling a contract with you or a service provider (e.g., a telecommunications provider) or for pre-contractual activities such as preparing an offer.

Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (Legitimate Interests): We aim to manage customer inquiries and business communication professionally. Certain technical infrastructures, such as email programs, Exchange servers, and mobile network providers, are required to facilitate efficient communication.

​​

​

Data Processing Agreement (DPA)

In this section, we explain what a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is and why it is necessary. Since “Data Processing Agreement” is quite a mouthful, we will often use the abbreviation DPA in this text. Like most companies, we do not work alone but also use services from other companies or individuals.

By involving various companies or service providers, we may need to share personal data for processing. These partners act as data processors, with whom we establish a Data Processing Agreement (DPA). The most important thing for you to know is that the processing of your personal data is carried out exclusively under 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 that we process from you. In addition to data controllers, there are also data processors. A data processor is any company or individual that processes personal data on our behalf.

According to the GDPR definition, any natural or legal person, authority, agency, or other body that processes personal data on our behalf is considered a data processor. Examples of data processors include service providers such as hosting companies, cloud providers, payment processors, newsletter providers, or large companies like Google or Microsoft.

To clarify the roles in GDPR, here is an overview:
Data Subject (you as a customer or user) → Data Controller (we as the company) → Data Processor (service providers like web hosting or cloud providers

​​

​

Content of a Data Processing Agreement

As mentioned earlier, we have established a DPA with our partners who act as data processors. The agreement primarily ensures that the data processor processes the data strictly in accordance with the GDPR.
The agreement must be concluded in writing, but electronic agreements are also considered legally binding under GDPR. Only after the contract is in place can personal data be processed.

The DPA must include the following:
Obligation to follow our instructions as the data controller
Duties and rights of the data controller
Categories of affected individuals
Types of personal data processed
Nature and purpose of data processing
Scope and duration of data processing
Location of data processing
Additionally, the contract outlines the obligations of the data processor. The key responsibilities include:
Ensuring data security measures
Implementing necessary technical and organizational measures to protect data subject rights
Maintaining a data processing record
Cooperating with the data protection authority upon request
Conducting a risk analysis of the received personal data
Sub-processors may only be engaged with written consent from the data controller
For an example of what a DPA looks like, you can refer to a sample contract provided at https://www.wko.at/service/wirtschaftsrecht-gewerberecht/eu-dsgvo-mustervertrag-auftragsverarbeitung.html.

​​

​

Cookies 

Cookies Summary
👥 Affected parties: Visitors of the website
🤝 Purpose: Varies depending on the specific cookie. More details can be found below or from the software provider that sets the cookie.
📓 Processed data: Depends on the specific cookie. More details can be found below or from the software provider that sets the cookie.
📅 Storage duration: Varies by cookie, ranging 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.
Whenever you browse the internet, you use a web 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.

Cookies are incredibly useful tools, and nearly all websites use them. Specifically, we are referring to HTTP cookies, which are the most common type used for web browsing. These small files are stored on your computer in your browser’s cookie folder. A cookie consists of a name and a value, and additional attributes define its behavior.
Cookies store user-related data, such as language preferences or website settings. When you revisit our website, your browser sends these stored data back to us. This allows the website to recognize you and apply your previous settings automatically.

Some browsers store each cookie in a separate file, while others (such as Firefox) store all cookies in a single file.

There are first-party cookies and third-party cookies:
First-party cookies: Created directly by our website.
Third-party cookies: Created by partner services (e.g., Google Analytics).
Each cookie stores different data and has varying expiration periods, from a few minutes to several years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans, or other malware. They also cannot access information on your PC.

Example of Cookie Data
Name    Value    Purpose    Expiration
_ga    GA1.2.1326744211.152112064270-9    Differentiates website visitors    2 years
Most browsers support at least:
4096 bytes per cookie
50 cookies per domain
3000 cookies total

 

​

What types of cookies are there?

In the next sections of our Privacy Policy, we will specify which cookies we use and for what purposes. Below, we provide an overview of the different types of HTTP cookies.

​

Types of Cookies
There are four main types of cookies:
1. Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary to ensure basic website functions. For example, when a user adds a product to the shopping cart, continues browsing, and later returns to checkout, these cookies prevent the cart from being emptied—even if the user closes their browser window.
2. Functional Cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and detect potential error messages. Additionally, they help measure website performance, including load times and browser compatibility.
3. Preference Cookies
These cookies improve user experience by storing preferences, such as locations, font sizes, or form data.
4. Advertising Cookies
Also known as targeting cookies, these are used to deliver personalized ads. While they can be useful, they may also feel intrusive.

​​

​

User Consent for Cookies

When you visit a website for the first time, you are usually asked which types of cookies you want to allow. Your preferences are then stored in a cookie.
If you're interested in a technical deep dive on cookies, you can read the IETF’s RFC 6265, which details the HTTP State Management Mechanism.

​

Purpose of Cookie Data Processing
The specific purpose of each cookie depends on its function. More details can be found below or from the software provider that sets the cookie.

​​​

​

What Data is Processed? 

Cookies can store a variety of data, depending on their function. Below is a summary of cookies used on our website

​​

​

Cookie Names

Necessary    AWSALB, AWSALBCORS, hs, platform_app_#-#-#-#-#_#-#-#-#-#, ssr-caching, TS#, XSRF-TOKEN
Statistics    fedops.logger.defaultOverrides, fedops.logger.sessionId
Marketing    svSession

​​

​

Cookie Storage Duration

Short-lived cookies: Deleted within hours.
Long-lived cookies: Can remain stored on a computer for years.
User control: You can manually delete cookies in your browser settings (see "Right to Object" below).
Consent-based cookies: If you withdraw your consent, these cookies will be deleted immediately. However, processing before withdrawal remains lawful.

​​

​

Right to Object – How to Delete Cookies

You have full control over how cookies are used. Regardless of which website or service they originate from, you can:
Delete cookies
Disable cookies
Allow only selected cookies (e.g., block third-party cookies while allowing others)

Managing Cookies in Different Browsers
You can check which cookies are stored in your browser and adjust your settings accordingly. Below are the links for managing cookies in major browsers:
Google Chrome: Manage cookies in Chrome
Safari: Manage cookies in Safari
Mozilla Firefox: Clear cookies in Firefox
Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies
Microsoft Edge: Manage cookies in Edge

Disabling Cookies Completely
If you don’t want any cookies, you can configure your browser to notify you before a cookie is set. This way, you can decide case by case whether to allow each cookie. Since the process varies by browser, it's best to search for specific instructions online using phrases like:
“Disable cookies in Chrome”
“Delete cookies in Firefox”

​​

​

Legal Basis

Since 2009, the so-called "Cookie Directive" has required user consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR) for cookie storage. However, different EU countries have implemented this directive in various ways:
Austria: Implemented via § 96(3) Telecommunications Act (TKG).
Germany: No direct national law, but the directive is mostly covered under § 15(3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG).
For strictly necessary cookies, consent is not required because of legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR), often of an economic nature—e.g., ensuring a smooth website experience.

For non-essential cookies, processing occurs only with user consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.
The next sections provide more details on specific cookies and software that use them.

​​

​

Web Hosting – Introduction 

Web Hosting Summary
👥 Affected Users: Website visitors
🤝 Purpose: Professional website hosting and operational security
📓 Processed Data: IP address, visit time, browser type, and more (details below)
📅 Storage Duration: Typically 2 weeks, depending on the hosting provider
⚖️ Legal Basis: Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (Legitimate Interests)

​​

​

What is Web Hosting?

When you visit websites today, certain information—including personal data—is automatically generated and stored, including on this website. These data should be processed as sparingly as possible and only with justification. By “website,” we mean the entirety of all web pages under a domain, from the homepage to the very last subpage (like this one). A “domain” refers to addresses like example.com or samplewebsite.com.

To view a website on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you use a program called a web browser. You may be familiar with some 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, your browser must connect to another computer where the website’s code is stored—the web server. Operating a web server is complex and resource-intensive, which is why it is usually managed by professional providers known as hosting providers. These providers offer web hosting, ensuring reliable and error-free storage of website data. That’s a lot of technical terms, but stay with us—it gets even more interesting!
When your browser connects to a web server and transmits data back and forth, personal data may be processed. Your computer stores certain data, and the web server must also temporarily store some data to ensure smooth operation.

 

Why Do We Process Personal Data?
The purposes of data processing are:
Professional website hosting and operational security
Maintaining operational and IT security
Anonymous analysis of access behavior to improve our services and, if necessary, for law enforcement or legal claims.

​​

​

What Data is Processed? 

Even as you visit our website right now, our web server—the computer where this website is stored—typically automatically saves data such as:
- The full 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.example-source-site.com/fromhereicame/)
- The hostname and IP address of the device accessing the site (e.g., COMPUTERNAME and 194.23.43.121)
- Date and time of access

These details are stored in files known as web server log files.

​​

​

How Long Are Data Stored?

The data mentioned above is usually stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not share this data, but we cannot rule out the possibility that authorities may access it in cases of unlawful behavior.

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

​​

​

Legal Basis

The legal basis for processing personal data in the context of web hosting is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR (legitimate interests), as the use of professional hosting by a provider is necessary to securely and user-friendly present our company online and to track and address potential attacks or claims.

​

There is usually a data processing agreement (DPA) between us and the hosting provider in accordance with Article 28 et seq. GDPR, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and guaranteeing data security.

​​

​

World4You Privacy Policy

We use World4You as a web hosting provider for our website. The service provider is World4You Internet Services GmbH, located at Hafenstraße 35, 4020 Linz, Austria.

For more information on the data processed by World4You, please refer to their privacy policy:

https://www.world4you.com/de/unternehmen/datenschutzerklaerung.html. 

  

​

Website Builder Systems – Introduction

Website Builder Systems Privacy Policy – Summary
👥 Affected parties: Website visitors
🤝 Purpose: Optimization of our service
📓 Processed data: Technical usage data such as browser activity, clickstream activities, session heatmaps, as well as contact details, IP address, or geographical location. More details can be found below in this privacy policy and in the provider’s privacy policy.
📅 Storage duration: Depends on the provider
⚖️ Legal basis: Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests), Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent)

 

​

What Are Website Builder Systems?

We use a website builder system for our website. Website builders are a special type of Content Management System (CMS) that allows website owners to create a website easily and without programming knowledge. In many cases, web hosting providers also offer website builders.

By using a website builder, personal data may be collected, stored, and processed. In this privacy notice, we provide general information about data processing through website builders. For more details, please refer to the provider’s privacy policy.

​​

​

Why Do We Use a Website Builder for Our Website? 

The biggest advantage of a website builder is its ease of use. We want to provide you with a clear, simple, and user-friendly website that we can manage and maintain ourselves—without external assistance.

Modern website builders offer a variety of helpful features that can be used without programming knowledge. This allows us to design our web presence the way we want and provide you with an informative and enjoyable experience on our website.

​​

​

What Data Is Stored by a Website Builder?

The specific data stored depends on the website builder used. Each provider collects and processes different data from website visitors. However, in general, the following technical usage information is recorded:
- Operating system
- Browser type and version
- Screen resolution
- Language and keyboard settings
- Hosting provider
- Date of website visit

​

Additionally, tracking data may be processed, such as:
- Browser activity
- Clickstream behavior
- Session heatmaps

​

Personal data may also be collected and stored, including:
- Contact details (email address, phone number—if provided)
- IP address
- Geolocation data

​

For the exact data storage details, please refer to the provider’s privacy policy.
​

​

How Long and Where Is Data Stored? 

Information about data retention can be found further below, depending on the website builder system we use. You can also find detailed information in the provider’s privacy policy.

In general, we process personal data only as long as necessary to provide our services and products. However, the provider may store your data according to its own policies, over which we have no control.

​​

​

Right to Object 

You always have the right to access, correct, and delete your personal data. If you have any questions, you can contact the responsible parties of the website builder system we use. You can find their contact details in our privacy policy or on the provider’s website.

​

Cookies used by the provider for their functions can be deleted, disabled, or managed in your browser settings. The method varies depending on the browser you use. However, please note that some website functions may no longer work as expected if you disable cookies.

​​

​

Legal Basis 

We have a legitimate interest in using a website builder system to optimize our online services and present them efficiently and attractively to users. The corresponding legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests). However, we only use the website builder system if you have given your consent.

If data processing is not strictly necessary for the operation of the website, data will only be processed based on your consent. This applies in particular to tracking activities, where the legal basis is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent).
This privacy policy provides you with the most important general information about data processing. If you would like more details, please refer to the next section or the provider’s privacy policy.

​​

​

Email Marketing – Introduction

Email Marketing Summary
👥 Affected parties: Newsletter subscribers
🤝 Purpose: Direct advertising via email, notifications about system-relevant events
📓 Processed data: Data entered during registration, at a minimum, your email address. More details can be found in the privacy policy of the email marketing tool used.
📅 Storage duration: As long as the subscription is active
⚖️ Legal basis: Article 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent), Article 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interests

 

​

What Is Email Marketing?

To keep you informed, we use email marketing. If you have agreed to receive our emails or newsletters, your data will be processed and stored accordingly.

Email marketing is a subset of online marketing, where news, updates, or general company, product, or service information is sent via email to a specific group of interested individuals.

​​

​

How Does Email Marketing Work?

If you want to participate in our email marketing (usually through newsletters), you typically only need to register with your email address. To do this, you fill out an online form and submit it. In some cases, we may ask for your name and salutation so that we can address you personally.

​

Newsletter registration generally follows the double opt-in process. After signing up on our website, you will receive a confirmation email to verify your subscription. This ensures that the email address belongs to you and that no one else has signed up with your email. We or our email service provider log each registration to document the legally compliant signup process. This includes:
- Time of registration
- Time of confirmation
- Your IP address
- Any changes you make to your stored data

​​

​

Why Do We Use Email Marketing?

We want to stay in touch with you and keep you updated on our latest company news. That’s why we use email marketing, also known as a newsletter, as a key part of our online marketing strategy.

If you consent (or if legally permitted), we will send you newsletters, system emails, or other notifications via email. When we mention “newsletter” in this text, we mainly refer to regularly sent emails.

We strive to ensure that our newsletters contain only relevant and interesting content—whether about our company, services, or products. If we offer special promotions or updates, you will hear about them first via our newsletter.
If we use a third-party email marketing service provider, it’s to ensure fast and secure newsletter delivery. Our goal is to keep you informed about new offers and to advance our business objectives.

​​

​

What Data Is Processed?

When you subscribe to our newsletter, you confirm your membership in an email list. Besides your email address and IP address, we may also store:
- Salutation
- Name
- Address
- Phone number

​

However, this information is only stored with your consent. If you do not provide this data, you may not be able to use certain features of our email marketing service.

​

Additionally, we may collect information about:
- Your device
- Your preferred website content

​

More details on automatic data storage can be found in the relevant section of our privacy policy. We document your consent to ensure compliance with legal requirements.

​​

​

How Long Do We Store Your Data? 

If you unsubscribe from our newsletter, we may store your email address for up to three years based on our legitimate interests to prove that you once consented. However, we will only process this data if we need to defend ourselves against potential legal claims.

If you confirm that you previously gave consent, you can request deletion of your data at any time. If you permanently object to receiving emails, we may place your email address on a blocklist to prevent future mailings.
As long as you voluntarily subscribe to our newsletter, we will store your email address accordingly.

​

Right to Object 

You can unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time by revoking your consent. This process typically takes only a few seconds and requires just one or two clicks. You will usually find an unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email.
If you cannot find the link, please contact us via email, and we will immediately remove you from our mailing list.

​​

​

Legal Basis
The legal basis for sending our newsletter is your explicit consent under Article 6(1)(a) DSGVO. This means we are only allowed to send you a newsletter if you have actively subscribed to it.

However, under § 7(3) UWG, we may also send promotional messages if you have become a customer and have not objected to the use of your email address for direct marketing.

Further details on specific email marketing services and how they process your personal data can be found in the sections below (if applicable).

​​

​

Messenger & Communication

Messenger & Communication Privacy Policy – Summary
👥 Affected Individuals: Website visitors
🤝 Purpose: Handling inquiries and general communication between us and you
📓 Processed Data: Name, address, email address, phone number, general message content, and potentially IP address
📅 Storage Duration: Varies depending on the communication method used
⚖️ Legal Basis:
- Article 6(1)(a) DSGVO (Consent)
- Article 6(1)(f) DSGVO (Legitimate Interests)
- Article 6(1)(b) DSGVO (Contractual or Pre-Contractual Obligations) 

 

​

What Are Messenger & Communication Tools? 

Our website provides various ways for you to communicate with us, including:
- Messenger & Chat features
- Online contact forms
- Email
- Phone

​

When you use these options, we may process and store your data as needed to respond to your inquiry and take any necessary follow-up actions.
Besides traditional methods like email, phone, and contact forms, we may also use chats or messengers. A widely used messenger service is WhatsApp, but there are many other providers offering communication tools specifically for websites.

If a messaging service uses end-to-end encryption, this will be noted in the privacy statement of the respective provider. End-to-end encryption ensures that the contents of your message remain invisible to the service provider itself. However, technical data, such as device information and location settings, may still be processed and stored.

 

​

Why Do We Use Messenger & Communication Tools? 

Communication with you is very important to us. We want to answer all your questions and provide the best possible support. A well-functioning communication system is a key part of our service.
We offer multiple options so that you can choose the method most convenient for you.

However, in some cases, certain inquiries cannot be handled via chat or messenger—especially when they involve internal contractual matters. In such cases, we recommend using email or phone communication instead.

​

Joint Responsibility & Data Processing
Generally, we assume that we remain the data controller when using social media platforms. However, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that in some cases, the platform provider and we may be joint controllers under Article 26 GDPR.

If this applies, we will specifically indicate this and operate based on a corresponding joint responsibility agreement. The essential details of such an agreement are outlined below for the relevant platform.

​

Data Processing Outside the EU
Please be aware that when using our integrated elements, your data may be processed outside the European Union (EU). Many service providers—such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp—are U.S.-based companies.

This may affect your ability to enforce your rights regarding your personal data. The data protection standards in non-EU countries may not match the high standards of the GDPR, potentially making it harder to exercise your rights.

​​

​

What Data is Processed?

The type of data processed depends on the provider of the messenger & communication services. Typically, the following personal data is collected:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Email address
- Content data (e.g., information entered into a contact form)
- Device information
- IP address

​

All data collected via messenger & communication tools is stored on the provider's servers.

To understand exactly which data is stored and how you can object to data processing, please refer to the privacy policy of the respective provider.

​

How Long is Data Stored? 

The storage duration depends primarily on the tool we use. You can find specific details about data processing for each tool further below.

​

The privacy policies of individual providers usually outline:
- Which data is stored
- How long it is stored
- How it is processed

In general, personal data is only processed for as long as necessary to provide our services.
For cookies, storage durations can vary:
- Some cookies are deleted immediately after leaving the website
- Others remain stored for years

If you want detailed information on cookie storage, check the individual cookie settings or the privacy policy of the respective provider.

​​

​

Right to Object 

You have the right and the ability to withdraw 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 other opt-out options. For example, you can also prevent the collection of data through cookies by managing, deactivating, or deleting cookies in your browser. For further information, please refer to the section on consent.

Since cookies may be used in messenger and communication functions, we also recommend reading our general privacy policy regarding cookies. To find out exactly which data of yours is stored and processed, please review the privacy policies of the respective tools

​​

​

Legal Basis 

If you have given your consent for data to be processed and stored by embedded messenger and communication functions, this consent constitutes the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). We handle your request and manage your data as part of contractual or pre-contractual relationships in order to fulfill our contractual or pre-contractual obligations or to respond to inquiries. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. b GDPR. In general, if consent has been given, your data may also be processed and stored on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in maintaining fast and effective communication with you or other customers and business partners.

​​

​

Social Media Introduction

Social Media Privacy Policy Summary
👥 Data Subjects: Website visitors
🤝 Purpose: Presentation and optimization of our service, communication with visitors, interested parties, etc., advertising
📓 Processed Data: Data such as phone numbers, email addresses, contact details, user behavior, device information, and your IP address.
More details can be found in the respective social media tool's privacy policy.
📅 Storage Duration: Depends on the social media platform used
⚖️ Legal Bases: 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. User data may be processed so that we can specifically target users who are interested in us via social networks. Furthermore, elements of a social media platform may be directly embedded into our website. This is the case, for example, when you click on a so-called social button on our website and are redirected directly to our social media presence. Social media refers to websites and apps through which registered members can produce content, exchange content either publicly 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. Through our social media presence, we can showcase our products and services to interested users. The social media elements integrated into our website help you easily and seamlessly access our social media content.

The data stored and processed through your use of a social media channel primarily serves the purpose of enabling web analytics. The aim of these analyses is to develop more precise and personalized marketing and advertising strategies. Based on your behavior on a social media platform, the data collected can provide valuable insights into your interests, which can then be used to create user profiles. This allows platforms to show you tailored advertisements. 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 legally responsible for data protection, 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 under Article 26 GDPR. In such cases, we will explicitly indicate this and operate on the basis of a corresponding agreement. The essential content of such an agreement is provided below under the relevant platform section.

Please note that when using social media platforms or our integrated elements, your data may also be processed outside the European Union, as many social media providers—such as Facebook or Twitter—are American companies. This may make it more difficult for you to assert or enforce your rights regarding your personal data.

 

​

What data is processed?

The exact data that is stored and processed depends on the specific provider of the social media platform. However, it generally includes data such as phone numbers, email addresses, information you enter into contact forms, user data such as which buttons you click, who you like or follow, when you visit which pages, as well as information about your device and your IP address. Most of this data is stored in cookies. If you have your own profile on the social media platform and are logged in while visiting it, this data can be directly linked to your profile.
All data collected via a social media platform is also stored on the providers' servers. This means that only the providers have access to this data and can provide you with the appropriate information or make changes accordingly.

If you want to know exactly what data is stored and processed by social media providers and how you can object to data processing, you should carefully read the respective company’s privacy policy. If you have questions about data storage and data processing or would like to assert your 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 on this. For example, the social media platform Facebook stores data until it is no longer needed for its own purpose. However, customer data that is matched with the platform’s own user data is deleted within two days. In general, we only process personal data for as long as it is strictly necessary to provide our services and products. If required by law—as is the case with bookkeeping, for example—this storage duration may be exceeded.

 

​

Right to object 

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

Since cookies may be used in social media tools, we also recommend reading our general privacy policy on cookies. To find out exactly what data of yours is stored and processed, you should review the privacy policies of the respective tools. 

​​

​

Legal Basis 

If you have consented to the processing and storage of your data by embedded social media elements, this consent serves as the legal basis for data processing (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR). In general, your data may also be stored and processed based on our legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) in maintaining fast and efficient communication with you or other customers and business partners—provided you have given consent. We only use such tools if you have given your explicit permission. Most social media platforms also set cookies in your browser to store data. Therefore, we recommend that you carefully read our privacy policy regarding cookies and consult the privacy or cookie policies of the respective service providers.

Information about specific social media platforms—if available—can be found in the sections below.