Data Privacy Statement

The operator of this site takes the protection of your personal data very seriously. We handle your personal data in confidence and in accordance with the legal data protection regulations and this data privacy statement.

Objective
This  Data Privacy Statement explains the manner, scope and purpose of the processing (among other things the collection, processing and use, including consents) of personal and other data within the context of our online presence and the websites, functions and content associated with this (jointly referred to below as “online presence” or “website”). The Data Privacy Statement applies irrespective of the domains, systems, platforms and devices (e.g. desktop or mobile) used on which the online presence is implemented.

What are personal data?
The term “personal data” is defined in the Federal Data Protection Act [Bundesdatenschutzgesetz]. according to which this means individual information concerning personal or material circumstances of an identified or identifiable natural person. So for example this includes your real name, address, phone number or date of birth.

Our website can generally be used without providing your personal details. Insofar as personal data are collected on our site (for example, name, address or email addresses), as far as possible this always takes place on a voluntary basis.

No disclosure of data to third parties
Your data will not be passed on to third parties unless we are obliged or entitled by law to do so, or you have given your express consent to this.

We wish to point out that data transmission via the Internet (e.g. in email communication) can exhibit security gaps. It is impossible to protect data seamlessly against access by third parties.

Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
In the event of infringements of data protection law, the data subject has the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. The supervisory authority on matters of data protection law is the Commissioner for Data Protection of the federal state in which our company has its registered office. A list of Commissioners for Data Protection and their contact details can be found via the following link: https://www.bfdi.bund.de/DE/Infothek/Anschriften_Links/anschriften_links-node.html.

Right to data portability
You have the right to have data which we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in the performance of a contract issued to you in a commonly used and machine-readable format. If you request us to transmit these data to another data controller, this will take place only insofar as is technically feasible.

Right to access, erasure and blocking
You have the right at any time to be provided with information free of charge about the personal data concerning you that we have stored, their origin and recipients, and the purpose of the data processing, as well as a right to rectification, blocking or erasure of these data. You can contact us about this, as well as about other questions on the subject of personal data, at any time using the address stated in the Legal Notice.

Right to object to the data processing in particular cases, and to direct marketing (Art. 21 GDPR)
If the data processing takes place on the basis of Art. 6 Para. 1.(e) or (f) GDPR, you have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to processing of personal data concerning you, including profiling based on those provisions. The respective legal basis on which this processing takes place can be found in this Data Privacy Statement. If you file an objection, we will no longer process your personal data concerned unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate reasons for this processing which overrides your interests, rights and freedoms, or if the processing serves for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims (objection in accordance with Art. 21 Para. 1. GDPR).

If your personal data are processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing; this also applies to profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. If you object, your personal data will subsequently no longer be used for direct marketing purposes (objection in accordance with Art. 21 Para. 2. GDPR).

Right to restriction of processing
You have the right to ask for the processing of your personal data to be restricted. For this purpose you can contact us at any time using the address stated in the Legal Notice.

The right to restriction of processing exists in the following cases:

  • If you contest the accuracy of the personal data we have stored, we will generally need time to verify the accuracy. During this verification period you have the right to ask for the processing of your personal data to be restricted.
  • If the processing of your personal data is /was unlawful, instead of erasure you can ask for the data processing to be restricted.
  • If we no longer need your personal data, but you require them for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, you have the right instead of erasure to ask for the processing of your personal data to be restricted.
  • If you have filed an objection in accordance with Art. 21 Para. 1. GDPR, your interests and ours must be weighed against each other. As long as it has not been established whose interests are overriding, you have the right to ask for the processing of your personal data to be restricted.
  • If you have restricted the processing of your personal data, apart from storage these data can only be processed with your consent or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person, or for reasons of substantial public interest of the European Union or a Member State.

Cookies
To some extent our website uses cookies. Cookies do not cause any damage on your computer and do not contain any viruses. Cookies serve to make our website more user-friendly, more effective and safer. Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer and stored by your browser. Most of the cookies we use are session cookies, which are automatically deleted after the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your end device until you delete them. These cookies enable us to recognise your browser on your next visit.

You can set your browser so that you are informed when cookies are placed, and you can allow cookies only in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies in certain cases or generally, or disable cookies when you close your browser. If you disable cookies, this might affect the functionality of this website.

Server log files
The provider of our website automatically collects and stores information in server log files, which your browser automatically transmits to us. This following details are collected:

  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system used
  • Referrer URL
  • Hostname of the accessing computer
  • Time of the server request

These data cannot be allocated to particular persons, and are not merged with other data sources. The IP addresses are stored only insofar as this is necessary for the provision of our services. Otherwise the IP addresses are deleted or anonymised. When you visit our website, our provider stores your IP address for a maximum of 7 days in order to recognise you and combat attacks. We reserve the right to review these data subsequently if we become aware of specific indications of unlawful use.

Contact
We collect personal data when you provide these to us yourself, for example when you contact us. Naturally we will only use the personal data that you have transmitted to us in this way for the purpose for which you provided them to us when you contacted us. These details serve to ascertain your query and improve the way we deal with it. These details are communicated expressly on a voluntary basis and with your consent. If this involves information concerning communication channels (for example your email address, phone number), you also consent to our contacting you via these communication channels if necessary to answer your query.

Naturally you can withdraw your declarations of consent at any time with future effect. To do this please contact us.

Storage period
We will store your contact and traffic data only for as long as is necessary for our services. If the data are required for compliance with existing legal, statutory or contractual retention periods (e.g. invoices), these data will also be stored beyond this period corresponding to the legal requirements.

Security
We have taken extensive technical and organisational measures to protect your data against accidental or intentional manipulation, loss, destruction or access by unauthorised persons. Our security procedures are regularly reviewed and adapted to reflect technological progress. We apply authentication and authorisation procedures to ensure as far as possible that unauthorised persons have no access to your personal data, or without authorisation use services that are reserved only for you.

SSL encryption
For reasons of security and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as enquiries you send to us as the site operators, our website uses SSL encryption. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from “http://” to “https://”, and by the padlock symbol in your browser line.

When the SSL encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Objection to advertising emails
We hereby object to the contact details we have published within the context of our duty to publish our Legal Notice being used by third parties to send us advertising and information material that we have not expressly requested. The site operators expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of the unrequested sending of advertising information, for example via spam emails.

Links to other websites
Our online offering contains links to other websites. We have no influence over whether the operators of these sites comply with the data protection provisions.

Social media links
We have our own social media pages with the third-party providers that are accessible via the links from this website. By using the links you will reach the respective Internet sites of the third-party providers (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Google+). As soon as you access the sites of the third-party provider you will be in the area of responsibility of the third-party provider in question, so their data privacy statement or explanations of their use of data also apply. We have no influence over this, but to prevent any unnecessary data disclosure we recommend that you log out of the respective third-party provider’s site before using such a link, so that the third-party provider cannot create usage profiles under certain circumstances simply through the link being used.

Google Analytics
No Google Analytics tracking takes place on our website.

Google web fonts
To ensure that fonts are displayed consistently, this site uses web fonts from Google. When you access a page, your browser loads the required web fonts into your browser cache, in order to display texts and fonts correctly. However, your browser does not connect to Google‘s servers, but accesses our hosting server. In this way Google does not become aware that Google fonts have been accessed via your IP address, but our hosting provider becomes aware of your IP address within the framework of the use of the website. The way your IP address is handled is described under the item “Server log files” in this Data Privacy Statement.

The use of Google web fonts takes place in the interest of displaying our online offerings consistently and attractively. If your browser does not support web fonts, your computer will use a standard font.

Font Awesome
To ensure that fonts are displayed consistently, this site uses web fonts provided by Fonticons, Inc.. When you access a page, your browser loads the required web fonts into your browser cache, in order to display texts and fonts correctly.

For this purpose the browser you are using has to connect to the servers of Fonticons, Inc.. In this way Fonticons, Inc. becomes aware that our website has been accessed via your IP address. The use of web fonts takes place in the interest of displaying our online offerings consistently and attractively. This represents a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 Para. 1. (f) GDPR. If your browser does not support web fonts, your computer will use a standard font. You will find further information about the font Awesome at https://fontawesome.com/help and in the Privacy Policy of Fonticons, Inc.: https://fontawesome.com/privacy.

Online presences on social media
We have set up online presences on social networks so that we can communicate with users, interested parties and customers via these channels, and keep them informed about our editorial content, current events and our services.

In this context we wish to point out that the data of users of this site can be processed outside the European Union by the provider of the respective service. It is possible that risks for the user might derive from this, as for example it might be more difficult to assert their rights. In respect of providers in the USA which are certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield, we also wish to point out that by this means they have also undertaken to comply with EU data protection standards.

In addition, the data of the users of social networks are usually further processed for market research and advertising. This means, for example, that user profiles are created from the usage behaviour, and preferences and interests are derived from this. User profiles of this kind can ultimately be used, for example, potentially to display advertising in line with the assumed interests of the respective user within the corresponding social network and on other online presences. For this, cookies (small text files) are usually stored on the user’s devices; these can be used to collect data on the user’s usage behaviour, which can be amalgamated for further processing to ascertain the user’s interests. The collection and amalgamation of these data can in particular be undertaken when members of the respective social network are logged in, and also via several end devices used by a user.

The processing of personal user data takes place against the background of our legitimate interest in effectively informing and directly communicating with the users of our website in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1. (f) GDPR. Insofar as users are asked by the respective providers of the services to consent to their data being processed and have indicated their agreement by selecting a checkbox or activating a button provided for this, the legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 Para. 1. (a), Art. 7 GDPR.

In the case of wishes for information or the use of other user rights, we wish to point out that enquiries of this kind should be sent most directly to the providers of the respective service, as only they have access to the stored data, are able to provide the relevant information, and can take further actions if necessary. However, if users require help in exercising their rights, they can also contact us.

A more detailed description of the data processing undertaken by the providers of the social networks we use, and the corresponding possibilities for objecting (opt-out) can be found in the information supplied by the respective provider:

Facebook (Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland) - Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/; opt-out: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads and http://www.youronlinechoices.com; Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC&status=Active.

Google/ YouTube (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) – Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated; Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active.

Instagram (Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA) – Data Policy/ opt-out: http://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy/.

Twitter (Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA) - Privacy Policy: https://twitter.com/en[RH1] /privacy; opt-out: https://twitter.com/personalization; Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000TORzAAO&status=Active.

Pinterest (Pinterest Inc., 635 High Street, Palo Alto, CA, 94301, USA) –Privacy Policy/ opt-out: https://about.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy.

LinkedIn (LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland) - Privacy Policy https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; opt-out: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out; Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000L0UZAA0&status=Active.

Xing (XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany) - Data Privacy Statement/ opt-out: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.

Changes to the data protection provisions
We reserve the right to change the Data Privacy Statement to adapt it to changes in the legal situation, changes to the online presence or the data processing. However, this does not apply in respect of declaration of the data processing. Insofar as the users’ agreement is required, or elements of the Data Privacy Statement contain provisions of the contractual relationship with the users, such changes take place only with the users’ consent. Users are therefore asked to keep themselves updated about the content of these, in particular if they provide personal information afresh.

Contact
German Translation + Business Service e.K.
Patrizia Savarino-Aschmann
Tannenweg 4, D-72076 Tübingen

Phone: 07071 980 65 55
gtbs@gt-bs.de