Data policy
Status: December 29, 2025
Starke Unternehmensnachfolge GmbH
Kreienkoppel 2a
23556 Lübeck
Represented by the managing director:
Joshua Starke
Commercial Register Entry:
Entry in the commercial register.
Register Court: Lübeck
Register Number: HRB 26958 HL
Contact:
Email: info@starke-nachfolge.de
Phone: +49 152 551 834 60
Imprint:
www.starke-nachfolge.de/impressum
Preamble
With the following data protection declaration, we would like to inform you about what types of personal data (hereinafter also referred to as "data") we process for what purposes and to what extent. The data protection declaration applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of providing our services and specifically on our websites, in mobile applications, and within external online presences such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as "online offer"). The terms used are not gender-specific.
Overview of Processing
The following overview summarizes the types of processed data and the purposes of their processing and refers to the affected persons.
Types of Processed Data
Inventory data.
Contact data.
Content data.
Usage data.
Meta, communication, and procedure data.
Log data.
Categories of Affected Persons
Communication partners.
Users.
Purposes of Processing
Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
Communication.
Security measures.
Direct marketing.
Reach measurement.
Organizational and administrative procedures.
Feedback.
Marketing.
Profiles with user-related information.
Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
IT infrastructure.
Public relations.
Sales promotion.
Relevant Legal Bases
Relevant legal bases under the GDPR: Below you will find an overview of the legal bases of the GDPR on which we process personal data. Please note that, in addition to the regulations of the GDPR, national data protection regulations in your or our home or registered country may apply. If, in individual cases, more specific legal bases are relevant, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.
Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR) - The affected person has given their consent to the processing of personal data concerning them for a specific purpose or purposes.
Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR) - The processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the affected person is party or to take steps at the request of the affected person prior to entering into a contract.
Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR) - the processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the affected person, which require protection of personal data.
National Data Protection Regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national regulations on data protection in Germany apply. This particularly includes the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). The BDSG contains specific regulations regarding the right to information, the right to deletion, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, the processing for other purposes, and the transmission as well as automated decision-making in individual cases including profiling. Furthermore, state data protection laws of individual federal states may also apply.
Security Measures
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, implementation costs, and the nature, scope, context, and purposes of processing, as well as the varying probabilities of occurrence and the severity of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.
These measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data through control of physical and electronic access to the data as well as the related access, input, disclosure, securing availability, and its separation. In addition, we have established procedures to meet affected rights, to delete data, and to respond to threats to the data. Furthermore, we take into account the protection of personal data already during development or selection of hardware, software, and procedures in accordance with the principle of data protection through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.
Securing online connections through TLS/SSL encryption technology (HTTPS): To protect the users' data transmitted over our online services from unauthorized access, we rely on TLS/SSL encryption technology. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are the cornerstones of secure data transmission over the Internet. These technologies encrypt the information transmitted between the website or app and the user's browser (or between two servers), thus protecting the data from unauthorized access. TLS, as the improved and more secure version of SSL, ensures that all data transfers comply with the highest security standards. When a website is secured by an SSL/TLS certificate, this is indicated by the display of HTTPS in the URL. This serves as an indicator for users that their data is transmitted securely and encrypted.
Transmission of Personal Data
In the context of our processing of personal data, it may happen that data is transmitted to other places, companies, legally independent organizational units, or individuals. Recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers who are tasked with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we observe the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude corresponding contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.
International Data Transfers
Data processing in third countries: If we transmit data to a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)) or this occurs in the context of the use of services from third parties or the disclosure or transmission of data to other persons, places, or companies (which becomes evident from the address of the respective provider or when the data transfer to third countries is explicitly mentioned in the data protection declaration), this always takes place in accordance with the legal requirements.
For data transfers to the USA, we primarily rely on the Data Privacy Framework (DPF), which has been recognized as a secure legal framework by an adequacy decision of the EU Commission dated July 10, 2023. Additionally, we have concluded standard contractual clauses with the respective providers that comply with the requirements of the EU Commission and establish contractual obligations to protect your data.
This double-layer protection ensures comprehensive protection of your data: The DPF forms the primary layer of protection, while the standard contractual clauses serve as additional security. If there are changes in the DPF framework, the standard contractual clauses act as a reliable fallback option. This ensures that your data remains adequately protected even in the event of political or legal changes.
For each service provider, we inform you whether they are certified under the DPF and whether standard contractual clauses are in place. Further information on the DPF and a list of certified companies can be found on the website of the US Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ (in English).
For data transmissions to other third countries, appropriate security measures apply, in particular, standard contractual clauses, explicit consents, or legally required transmissions. Information on transfers to third countries and applicable adequacy decisions can be taken from the information offered by the EU Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en?prefLang=de.
General Information on Data Storage and Deletion
We delete personal data that we process in accordance with the legal regulations as soon as the underlying consents are revoked or there are no further legal bases for processing. This applies in cases where the original purpose of processing ceases to exist or the data is no longer needed. Exceptions to this rule exist if legal obligations or special interests require a longer storage or archiving of the data.
In particular, data that must be kept for commercial or tax reasons or whose storage is necessary for legal prosecution or for the protection of the rights of other natural or legal persons must be archived accordingly.
Our data protection notices contain additional information regarding the retention and deletion of data that apply specifically to certain processing processes.
In the case of multiple entries regarding the retention period or deletion deadlines of a date, the longest period shall apply. Data that is no longer kept for the originally intended purpose but is stored due to legal requirements or other reasons will only be processed for the reasons justifying its retention.
Retention and deletion of data: The following general periods apply for the retention and archiving according to German law:
10 years - Retention period for books and records, annual financial statements, inventories, management reports, opening balance sheets, and other organizational documents necessary for their understanding (§ 147 (1) No. 1 in conjunction with (3) AO, § 14b (1) UStG, § 257 (1) No. 1 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
8 years - Accounting documents, such as invoices and expense receipts (§ 147 (1) No. 4 and 4a in conjunction with (3) sentence 1 AO as well as § 257 (1) No. 4 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
6 years - Other business documents: received commercial or business letters, reproductions of sent commercial or business letters, other documents as far as they are important for taxation, e.g., time sheets, operational accounting sheets, calculation documents, price labels, but also payroll documents, as far as they are not already accounting documents and cash slips (§ 147 (1) No. 2, 3, 5 in conjunction with (3) AO, § 257 (1) No. 2 and 3 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
3 years - Data required to consider potential warranty and damage claims or similar contractual claims and rights, as well as to process related inquiries, based on previous business experiences and usual industry practices, are stored for the duration of the regular statutory limitation period of three years (§§ 195, 199 BGB).
Deadline commencement at the end of the year: If a deadline does not expressly start on a certain date and is at least one year, it automatically starts at the end of the calendar year in which the triggering event occurred. In the case of ongoing contractual relationships, in which data is stored, the triggering event is the point in time when the termination becomes effective or any other termination of the legal relationship occurs.
Rights of the Affected Persons
Rights of the affected persons under the GDPR: You have various rights as an affected person under the GDPR, which are mainly derived from Articles 15 to 21 GDPR:
Right of objection: You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you, which is based on Art. 6 (1) (e) or (f) GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If personal data concerning you is processed to carry out direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purposes of such marketing; this also applies to profiling, to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.
Right of withdrawal for consents: You have the right to withdraw any consents given at any time.
Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you is being processed and to obtain information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
Right to rectification: You have the right, in accordance with the legal requirements, to request the completion of personal data concerning you or the rectification of personal data concerning you that is inaccurate.
Right to deletion and restriction of processing: You have the right to request, in accordance with the legal requirements, that personal data concerning you be deleted immediately or alternatively, in accordance with the legal requirements, a restriction of processing of the data be requested.
Right to data portability: You have the right to receive personal data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format or to request the transfer to another controller, in accordance with the legal requirements.
Right to lodge a complaint with supervisory authorities: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the member state of your habitual residence, your workplace, or the place of the alleged infringement, if you believe that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the provisions of the GDPR, without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy.
Provision of the Online Offer and Web Hosting
We process the users' data in order to provide them with our online services. For this purpose, we process the user's IP address, which is necessary to transmit the content and functions of our online services to the browser or the end device of the users.
Processed Data Types: Usage data (e.g., page views and duration, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication, and procedure data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, involved persons); log data (e.g., log files concerning logins or retrieval of data or access times). Content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and contributions as well as the related information, such as author information or creation time).
Affected Persons: Users (e.g., website visitors, online service users).
Purposes of Processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; IT infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.)); security measures. Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion".
Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Further notes on processing processes, procedures, and services:
Provision of online offer on rented storage space: For the provision of our online offer, we use storage space, computing power, and software that we rent or obtain from a corresponding server provider (also referred to as "web hoster"); Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offer is logged in the form of so-called "server log files". Server log files may include the addresses and names of the retrieved websites and files, date and time of the retrieval, data volumes transferred, message about successful retrieval, browser type and version, the user's operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page), and typically include IP addresses and the requesting provider. The server log files can be used for security purposes, e.g., to avoid overload of the servers (particularly in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks), and also to ensure the utilization and stability of the servers; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Data Deletion: Logfile information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized. Data, the further retention of which is required for evidentiary purposes, is excluded from deletion until the final clarification of the respective incident.
Email Sending and Hosting: The web hosting services we make use of also include sending, receiving, and storing emails. For these purposes, the addresses of the recipients and senders as well as other information relating to the email dispatch (e.g., the providers involved) as well as the contents of the respective emails are processed. The aforementioned data may also be processed for the purposes of spam detection. Please note that emails are generally not encrypted during transmission over the internet. In general, emails are encrypted while in transit, but (unless an end-to-end encryption method is used) not on the servers from which they are sent and received. We therefore cannot accept any responsibility for the transmission path of emails between the sender and reception on our server; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
1&1 IONOS: Services in the field of providing IT infrastructure and related services (e.g., storage space and/or computing power); Service Provider: 1&1 IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.ionos.de; Data Protection Declaration: https://www.ionos.de/terms-gtc/terms-privacy. Data Processing Agreement: https://www.ionos.de/hilfe/datenschutz/allgemeine-informationen-zur-datenschutz-grundverordnung-dsgvo/vereinbarung-zur-auftragsverarbeitung-avv-mit-ionos-abschliessen/.
Use of Cookies
The term "cookies" refers to functions that store and read information on users' devices. Cookies can also be used for various purposes, such as functionality, security, and convenience of online offers, as well as analyzing visitor flows. We use cookies in accordance with legal regulations. For this purpose, we obtain the consent of the users in advance when required. If consent is not necessary, we rely on our legitimate interests. This applies when storing and reading information is essential to provide expressly requested content and functions. This includes, for example, saving settings as well as ensuring the functionality and security of our online offer. Consent can be revoked at any time. We clearly inform about the scope and which cookies are used.
Notes on Data Protection Legal Bases: Whether we process personal data using cookies depends on consent. If consent is available, it serves as a legal basis. Without consent, we rely on our legitimate interests, which are explained above in this section and in the context of the respective services and procedures.
Storage Duration:
With respect to the storage duration, the following types of cookies are distinguished:
Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed their device (e.g., browser or mobile application).
Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved and preferred content displayed directly when the user revisits a website. Similarly, the user data collected via cookies may be used for reach measurement purposes. Unless we explicitly inform users about the type and duration of cookies (e.g., in the context of obtaining consent), they should assume that these are permanent and that the storage duration can be up to two years.
General Notes on Revocation and Objection (Opt-out):
Users can revoke their consents given at any time and also declare an objection to the processing in accordance with legal requirements, including through the privacy settings of their browser.
Processed Data Types: Meta, communication, and procedure data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, involved persons).
Affected Persons: Users (e.g., website visitors, online service users).
Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
Further Notes on Processing Processes, Procedures, and Services:
Processing Cookie Data Based on Consent: We use a consent management solution that collects the consent of users for the use of cookies or the processes and providers mentioned in the consent management solution. This procedure is used to collect, log, manage, and revoke consents, particularly related to the use of cookies and similar technologies that are used to store, read, and process information on users' devices. Within this process, users' consents for the use of cookies and the related processing of information, including the specific processes and providers mentioned in the consent management process, are collected. Users also have the option to manage and revoke their consents. The consent declarations are stored to avoid repeated queries and to ensure proof of consent according to legal requirements. Storage occurs server-side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie) or using similar technologies to assign the consent to a specific user or their device. If no specific information about the providers of consent management services is available, the following general information applies: The duration of storage of consent is up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created, which is stored together with the time of consent, the information about the scope of consent (e.g., relevant categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as information about the browser, the system, and the device used; Legal Bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
Contact and Inquiry Management
When contacting us (e.g., by mail, contact form, email, telephone, or via social media) and within the scope of existing user and business relationships, the information of the requesting persons is processed as far as this is necessary to respond to the contact inquiries and any requested actions.
Processed Data Types: Inventory data (e.g., full name, home address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers); content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and contributions as well as relevant information, such as author information or creation time); usage data (e.g., page views and duration, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication, and procedure data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, involved persons).
Affected Persons: Communication partners.
Purposes of Processing: Communication; organizational and administrative procedures; feedback (e.g., collecting feedback via online forms). Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion".
Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
Further Notes on Processing Processes, Procedures, and Services:
Contact Form: When contacting via our contact form, by email, or other communication methods, we process the personal data transmitted to us to respond to and manage the respective concern. This typically includes information such as name, contact information, and any additional information provided to us that is necessary for adequate processing. We use this data solely for the stated purpose of contact and communication; Legal Bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Advertising Communication via Email, Post, Fax, or Phone
We process personal data for the purposes of advertising communication, which may occur through various channels such as email, telephone, postal mail, or fax in accordance with legal requirements.
Recipients have the right to withdraw consents given at any time or to object to advertising communication at any time free of charge using the aforementioned contact methods.
After withdrawal or objection, we store the necessary data to evidence the previous legitimacy of contact or sending up to three years after the end of the year of the withdrawal or objection based on our legitimate interests. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of possible defense against claims. Based on our legitimate interest to permanently consider the users' withdrawal or objection, we also store the necessary data to avoid renewed contact (e.g., depending on the communication channel, the email address, phone number, name).
Processed Data Types: Inventory data (e.g., full name, home address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers). Content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and contributions as well as relevant information, such as author information or creation time).
Affected Persons: Communication partners.
Purposes of Processing: Direct marketing (e.g., via email or postal mail); marketing. Sales promotion.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion".
Legal Bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Web Analysis, Monitoring, and Optimization
Web analysis (also referred to as "reach measurement") serves to evaluate visitor flows on our online offer and may include behavior, interests, or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, in the form of pseudonymous values. Using reach analysis, we can, for example, recognize when our online offer or its functions or contents are used most frequently or invite reuse. We can also identify which areas need optimization.
In addition to web analysis, we may also use test procedures to test and optimize different versions of our online offer or its components.
Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, that is, data summarized for a usage process, may be created for these purposes, and information may be stored and then read in a browser or device. The information collected includes, in particular, visited websites and elements used there as well as technical information such as the browser used, the computer system in use, and information about usage times. If users have consented to the collection of their location data with us or with the providers of the services we use, the processing of location data may also be possible.
In addition, the IP addresses of users are stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e., pseudonymization by truncating the IP address) to protect users. Generally, no clear user data (e.g., email addresses or names) are stored in the context of web analysis, A/B testing, and optimization, but pseudonymous data. This means that we and the providers of the software used do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the respective procedures.
Notes on Legal Bases: If we ask users for their consent to use third-party vendors, the legal basis for the data processing is consent. Otherwise, the user data is processed based on our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in efficient, economical, and user-friendly services). In this context, we also want to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this data protection declaration.
Processed Data Types: Usage data (e.g., page views and duration, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication, and procedure data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, involved persons).
Affected Persons: Users (e.g., website visitors, online service users).
Purposes of Processing: Reach measurement (e.g., access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiles with user-related information (creating user profiles). Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion". Storage of cookies for up to 2 years (unless otherwise stated, cookies and similar storage methods can be stored on users' devices for a period of two years).
Security Measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
Legal Bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Further Notes on Processing Processes, Procedures, and Services:
Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to measure and analyze the usage of our online offer based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This identification number does not contain unique data such as names or email addresses. It is used to assign analysis information to an end device to recognize which content users have accessed during a usage process, which search terms they have used, re-accessed, or interacted with our online offer. The time of use and its duration are also stored, as well as the sources of users that refer to our online offer and technical aspects of their end devices and browsers.
In this process, pseudonymous profiles of users are created with information from the use of various devices, where cookies may be used. Google Analytics does not log or store individual IP addresses for EU users. However, Analytics provides coarse geographical location data by deriving the following metadata from the IP addresses: city (and the derived latitude and longitude of the city), continent, country, region, subcontinent (and ID-based counterparts). For EU traffic, IP address data is only used for this derivation of geolocation data before being immediately deleted. They are not logged, are not accessible, and are not used for any further purposes. When Google Analytics collects measurement data, all IP queries are performed on EU-based servers before the traffic is forwarded to Analytics servers for processing; Service Provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal Bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; Security Measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address); Data Protection Declaration: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Data Processing Agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/; Basis Third Country Transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), standard contractual clauses (https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms); Objection Possibility (Opt-Out): Opt-Out Plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, settings for displaying ad placements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff. Further information: https://business.safety.google/adsservices/ (types of processing and the processed data).
Presences in Social Networks (Social Media)
We maintain online presences within social networks and process users' data in this context to communicate with users active there or offer information about us.
We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This can pose risks for users as the enforcement of user rights may be hindered.
Furthermore, users' data is generally processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles may be created based on user behavior and interests derived from this. The latter may in turn be used to display advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to users' interests. Therefore, cookies are generally stored on users' computers storing usage behavior and users' interests. Additionally, usage profiles may also store data independently of the devices used by the users (especially when they are members of the respective platforms and logged in there).
For a detailed representation of the respective forms of processing and the opt-out possibilities, we refer to the privacy policies and statements of the operators of the respective networks.
Even in the case of requests for information and the assertion of affected rights, we would like to emphasize that these can be most effectively asserted with the providers. Only they have access to the user data and can directly take corresponding actions and provide information. If you still need assistance, you can contact us.
Processed Data Types: Contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers); content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and contributions as well as relevant information, such as author information or creation time). Usage data (e.g., page views and duration, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).
Affected Persons: Users (e.g., website visitors, online service users).
Purposes of Processing: Communication; feedback (e.g., collecting feedback via online forms). Public relations.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion".
Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Further Notes on Processing Processes, Procedures, and Services:
LinkedIn: Social Network - We are jointly responsible with LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company for the collection (but not further processing) of data from visitors used to create the "Page-Insights" (statistics) of our LinkedIn profiles. These data include information about the types of content users view or interact with, as well as the actions they take. Additionally, details about the devices used are recorded, such as IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, and cookie data, as well as information from user profiles such as job function, country, industry, hierarchy level, company size, and employment status. Privacy information on the processing of user data by LinkedIn can be found in LinkedIn's privacy notices: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.
We have entered into a specific agreement with LinkedIn Ireland ("Page Insights Joint Controller Addendum", https://legal.linkedin.com/pages-joint-controller-addendum), which regulates in particular what security measures LinkedIn must observe and in which LinkedIn has undertaken to fulfill the rights of the affected persons (i.e., users can make inquiries for information or deletion directly to LinkedIn). The rights of users (especially the right to information, deletion, objection, and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with LinkedIn. Joint responsibility is limited to the collection and transmission of data to LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, a company based in the EU. The further processing of the data is solely the responsibility of LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, particularly regarding the transmission of the data to the parent company LinkedIn Corporation in the USA; Service Provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Data Protection Declaration: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Basis Third Country Transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), standard contractual clauses (https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa). Objection Possibility (Opt-Out): https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
Changes and Updates
We ask you to regularly inform yourself about the content of our data protection declaration. We adapt the privacy policy as soon as the changes in the processing of data we conduct make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as these changes require an action on your part (e.g., consent) or any other individual notification.
If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this data protection declaration, please note that the addresses may change over time and we ask you to check the details before contacting.
Definitions
In this section you will find an overview of the terminology used in this data protection declaration. As far as the terminology is legally defined, the legal definitions apply. The following explanations are intended primarily for understanding.
Inventory data: Inventory data includes essential information necessary for the identification and management of contractual partners, user accounts, profiles, and similar allocations. This data may include personal and demographic information such as names, contact information (addresses, phone numbers, email addresses), birth dates, and specific identifiers (user IDs). Inventory data forms the basis for any formal interaction between individuals and services, facilities, or systems, allowing for unique allocation and communication.
Content data: Content data encompasses information generated in the process of creating, editing, and publishing all kinds of content. This category of data may include texts, images, videos, audio files, and other multimedia content published on various platforms and media. Content data is not limited to the actual content but also includes metadata, which provides information about the content itself, such as tags, descriptions, authorship information, and publication dates.
Contact data: Contact data are essential information that enable communication with individuals or organizations. They include phone numbers, postal addresses, and email addresses, as well as communication means such as social media handles and instant messaging identifiers.
Meta, communication, and procedure data: Meta, communication, and procedure data are categories that contain information about how data are processed, transmitted, and managed. Metadata, also known as data about data, includes information describing the context, origin, and structure of other data. It can include specifications about file size, creation date, author of a document, and change histories. Communication data capture the exchange of information between users through various channels, such as email traffic, call logs, messages in social networks, and chat histories, including the persons involved, timestamps, and transmission paths. Procedure data describe the processes and workflows within systems or organizations, including workflow documentation, transaction logs and activities, and audit logs used for tracking and reviewing operations.
Usage data: Usage data refers to information capturing how users interact with digital products, services, or platforms. This data includes a wide range of information showcasing how users use applications, what functions they prefer, how long they linger on specific pages, and through which paths they navigate an application. Usage data may also include frequency of use, timestamps of activities, IP addresses, device information, and location data. They are particularly valuable for analyzing user behavior, optimizing user experiences, personalizing content, and improving products or services. Moreover, usage data play a crucial role in identifying trends, preferences, and possible problems within digital offerings.
Personal data: "Personal data" is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as "affected person"); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g., cookie), or to one or more specific characteristics that are an expression of the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person.
Profiles with user-related information: The processing of "profiles with user-related information", or simply "profiles", includes any automated processing of personal data that consists of using this personal data to analyze, assess, or predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this can include various information regarding demographics, behavior, and interests, such as interactions with websites and their contents, etc.). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
Log data: Log data are information about events or activities that have been logged in a system or network. This data typically contains information such as timestamps, IP addresses, user actions, error messages, and other details about the usage or operation of a system. Log data are often used for system problem analysis, security monitoring, or performance reporting.
Reach measurement: Reach measurement (also referred to as web analytics) serves to evaluate the visitor flows of an online offer and may include the behavior or interests of visitors regarding specific information, such as website content. With the help of reach analysis, operators of online offerings can, for example, recognize when users visit their websites and for which content they are interested. This allows them to better tailor the content of the websites to the needs of their visitors. For reach analysis purposes, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used to recognize recurring visitors and obtain more accurate analyses of the usage of an online offer.
Controller: The "controller" is the natural or legal person, authority, institution, or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
Processing: "Processing" is any operation or series of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means. The term covers a wide range and includes practically every handling of data, whether it is collecting, evaluating, storing, transmitting, or deleting.
Created with the free data protection generator by Dr. Thomas Schwenke
Status: December 29, 2025
Starke Unternehmensnachfolge GmbH
Kreienkoppel 2a
23556 Lübeck
Represented by the managing director:
Joshua Starke
Commercial Register Entry:
Entry in the commercial register.
Register Court: Lübeck
Register Number: HRB 26958 HL
Contact:
Email: info@starke-nachfolge.de
Phone: +49 152 551 834 60
Imprint:
www.starke-nachfolge.de/impressum
Preamble
With the following data protection declaration, we would like to inform you about what types of personal data (hereinafter also referred to as "data") we process for what purposes and to what extent. The data protection declaration applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of providing our services and specifically on our websites, in mobile applications, and within external online presences such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as "online offer"). The terms used are not gender-specific.
Overview of Processing
The following overview summarizes the types of processed data and the purposes of their processing and refers to the affected persons.
Types of Processed Data
Inventory data.
Contact data.
Content data.
Usage data.
Meta, communication, and procedure data.
Log data.
Categories of Affected Persons
Communication partners.
Users.
Purposes of Processing
Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
Communication.
Security measures.
Direct marketing.
Reach measurement.
Organizational and administrative procedures.
Feedback.
Marketing.
Profiles with user-related information.
Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
IT infrastructure.
Public relations.
Sales promotion.
Relevant Legal Bases
Relevant legal bases under the GDPR: Below you will find an overview of the legal bases of the GDPR on which we process personal data. Please note that, in addition to the regulations of the GDPR, national data protection regulations in your or our home or registered country may apply. If, in individual cases, more specific legal bases are relevant, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.
Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR) - The affected person has given their consent to the processing of personal data concerning them for a specific purpose or purposes.
Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR) - The processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the affected person is party or to take steps at the request of the affected person prior to entering into a contract.
Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR) - the processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the affected person, which require protection of personal data.
National Data Protection Regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national regulations on data protection in Germany apply. This particularly includes the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). The BDSG contains specific regulations regarding the right to information, the right to deletion, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, the processing for other purposes, and the transmission as well as automated decision-making in individual cases including profiling. Furthermore, state data protection laws of individual federal states may also apply.
Security Measures
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, implementation costs, and the nature, scope, context, and purposes of processing, as well as the varying probabilities of occurrence and the severity of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.
These measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data through control of physical and electronic access to the data as well as the related access, input, disclosure, securing availability, and its separation. In addition, we have established procedures to meet affected rights, to delete data, and to respond to threats to the data. Furthermore, we take into account the protection of personal data already during development or selection of hardware, software, and procedures in accordance with the principle of data protection through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.
Securing online connections through TLS/SSL encryption technology (HTTPS): To protect the users' data transmitted over our online services from unauthorized access, we rely on TLS/SSL encryption technology. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) are the cornerstones of secure data transmission over the Internet. These technologies encrypt the information transmitted between the website or app and the user's browser (or between two servers), thus protecting the data from unauthorized access. TLS, as the improved and more secure version of SSL, ensures that all data transfers comply with the highest security standards. When a website is secured by an SSL/TLS certificate, this is indicated by the display of HTTPS in the URL. This serves as an indicator for users that their data is transmitted securely and encrypted.
Transmission of Personal Data
In the context of our processing of personal data, it may happen that data is transmitted to other places, companies, legally independent organizational units, or individuals. Recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers who are tasked with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we observe the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude corresponding contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.
International Data Transfers
Data processing in third countries: If we transmit data to a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)) or this occurs in the context of the use of services from third parties or the disclosure or transmission of data to other persons, places, or companies (which becomes evident from the address of the respective provider or when the data transfer to third countries is explicitly mentioned in the data protection declaration), this always takes place in accordance with the legal requirements.
For data transfers to the USA, we primarily rely on the Data Privacy Framework (DPF), which has been recognized as a secure legal framework by an adequacy decision of the EU Commission dated July 10, 2023. Additionally, we have concluded standard contractual clauses with the respective providers that comply with the requirements of the EU Commission and establish contractual obligations to protect your data.
This double-layer protection ensures comprehensive protection of your data: The DPF forms the primary layer of protection, while the standard contractual clauses serve as additional security. If there are changes in the DPF framework, the standard contractual clauses act as a reliable fallback option. This ensures that your data remains adequately protected even in the event of political or legal changes.
For each service provider, we inform you whether they are certified under the DPF and whether standard contractual clauses are in place. Further information on the DPF and a list of certified companies can be found on the website of the US Department of Commerce at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ (in English).
For data transmissions to other third countries, appropriate security measures apply, in particular, standard contractual clauses, explicit consents, or legally required transmissions. Information on transfers to third countries and applicable adequacy decisions can be taken from the information offered by the EU Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en?prefLang=de.
General Information on Data Storage and Deletion
We delete personal data that we process in accordance with the legal regulations as soon as the underlying consents are revoked or there are no further legal bases for processing. This applies in cases where the original purpose of processing ceases to exist or the data is no longer needed. Exceptions to this rule exist if legal obligations or special interests require a longer storage or archiving of the data.
In particular, data that must be kept for commercial or tax reasons or whose storage is necessary for legal prosecution or for the protection of the rights of other natural or legal persons must be archived accordingly.
Our data protection notices contain additional information regarding the retention and deletion of data that apply specifically to certain processing processes.
In the case of multiple entries regarding the retention period or deletion deadlines of a date, the longest period shall apply. Data that is no longer kept for the originally intended purpose but is stored due to legal requirements or other reasons will only be processed for the reasons justifying its retention.
Retention and deletion of data: The following general periods apply for the retention and archiving according to German law:
10 years - Retention period for books and records, annual financial statements, inventories, management reports, opening balance sheets, and other organizational documents necessary for their understanding (§ 147 (1) No. 1 in conjunction with (3) AO, § 14b (1) UStG, § 257 (1) No. 1 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
8 years - Accounting documents, such as invoices and expense receipts (§ 147 (1) No. 4 and 4a in conjunction with (3) sentence 1 AO as well as § 257 (1) No. 4 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
6 years - Other business documents: received commercial or business letters, reproductions of sent commercial or business letters, other documents as far as they are important for taxation, e.g., time sheets, operational accounting sheets, calculation documents, price labels, but also payroll documents, as far as they are not already accounting documents and cash slips (§ 147 (1) No. 2, 3, 5 in conjunction with (3) AO, § 257 (1) No. 2 and 3 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
3 years - Data required to consider potential warranty and damage claims or similar contractual claims and rights, as well as to process related inquiries, based on previous business experiences and usual industry practices, are stored for the duration of the regular statutory limitation period of three years (§§ 195, 199 BGB).
Deadline commencement at the end of the year: If a deadline does not expressly start on a certain date and is at least one year, it automatically starts at the end of the calendar year in which the triggering event occurred. In the case of ongoing contractual relationships, in which data is stored, the triggering event is the point in time when the termination becomes effective or any other termination of the legal relationship occurs.
Rights of the Affected Persons
Rights of the affected persons under the GDPR: You have various rights as an affected person under the GDPR, which are mainly derived from Articles 15 to 21 GDPR:
Right of objection: You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you, which is based on Art. 6 (1) (e) or (f) GDPR; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If personal data concerning you is processed to carry out direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purposes of such marketing; this also applies to profiling, to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.
Right of withdrawal for consents: You have the right to withdraw any consents given at any time.
Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you is being processed and to obtain information about this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
Right to rectification: You have the right, in accordance with the legal requirements, to request the completion of personal data concerning you or the rectification of personal data concerning you that is inaccurate.
Right to deletion and restriction of processing: You have the right to request, in accordance with the legal requirements, that personal data concerning you be deleted immediately or alternatively, in accordance with the legal requirements, a restriction of processing of the data be requested.
Right to data portability: You have the right to receive personal data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format or to request the transfer to another controller, in accordance with the legal requirements.
Right to lodge a complaint with supervisory authorities: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the member state of your habitual residence, your workplace, or the place of the alleged infringement, if you believe that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the provisions of the GDPR, without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy.
Provision of the Online Offer and Web Hosting
We process the users' data in order to provide them with our online services. For this purpose, we process the user's IP address, which is necessary to transmit the content and functions of our online services to the browser or the end device of the users.
Processed Data Types: Usage data (e.g., page views and duration, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); meta, communication, and procedure data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, involved persons); log data (e.g., log files concerning logins or retrieval of data or access times). Content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and contributions as well as the related information, such as author information or creation time).
Affected Persons: Users (e.g., website visitors, online service users).
Purposes of Processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; IT infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.)); security measures. Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion".
Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Further notes on processing processes, procedures, and services:
Provision of online offer on rented storage space: For the provision of our online offer, we use storage space, computing power, and software that we rent or obtain from a corresponding server provider (also referred to as "web hoster"); Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offer is logged in the form of so-called "server log files". Server log files may include the addresses and names of the retrieved websites and files, date and time of the retrieval, data volumes transferred, message about successful retrieval, browser type and version, the user's operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page), and typically include IP addresses and the requesting provider. The server log files can be used for security purposes, e.g., to avoid overload of the servers (particularly in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks), and also to ensure the utilization and stability of the servers; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Data Deletion: Logfile information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymized. Data, the further retention of which is required for evidentiary purposes, is excluded from deletion until the final clarification of the respective incident.
Email Sending and Hosting: The web hosting services we make use of also include sending, receiving, and storing emails. For these purposes, the addresses of the recipients and senders as well as other information relating to the email dispatch (e.g., the providers involved) as well as the contents of the respective emails are processed. The aforementioned data may also be processed for the purposes of spam detection. Please note that emails are generally not encrypted during transmission over the internet. In general, emails are encrypted while in transit, but (unless an end-to-end encryption method is used) not on the servers from which they are sent and received. We therefore cannot accept any responsibility for the transmission path of emails between the sender and reception on our server; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
1&1 IONOS: Services in the field of providing IT infrastructure and related services (e.g., storage space and/or computing power); Service Provider: 1&1 IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.ionos.de; Data Protection Declaration: https://www.ionos.de/terms-gtc/terms-privacy. Data Processing Agreement: https://www.ionos.de/hilfe/datenschutz/allgemeine-informationen-zur-datenschutz-grundverordnung-dsgvo/vereinbarung-zur-auftragsverarbeitung-avv-mit-ionos-abschliessen/.
Use of Cookies
The term "cookies" refers to functions that store and read information on users' devices. Cookies can also be used for various purposes, such as functionality, security, and convenience of online offers, as well as analyzing visitor flows. We use cookies in accordance with legal regulations. For this purpose, we obtain the consent of the users in advance when required. If consent is not necessary, we rely on our legitimate interests. This applies when storing and reading information is essential to provide expressly requested content and functions. This includes, for example, saving settings as well as ensuring the functionality and security of our online offer. Consent can be revoked at any time. We clearly inform about the scope and which cookies are used.
Notes on Data Protection Legal Bases: Whether we process personal data using cookies depends on consent. If consent is available, it serves as a legal basis. Without consent, we rely on our legitimate interests, which are explained above in this section and in the context of the respective services and procedures.
Storage Duration:
With respect to the storage duration, the following types of cookies are distinguished:
Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed their device (e.g., browser or mobile application).
Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved and preferred content displayed directly when the user revisits a website. Similarly, the user data collected via cookies may be used for reach measurement purposes. Unless we explicitly inform users about the type and duration of cookies (e.g., in the context of obtaining consent), they should assume that these are permanent and that the storage duration can be up to two years.
General Notes on Revocation and Objection (Opt-out):
Users can revoke their consents given at any time and also declare an objection to the processing in accordance with legal requirements, including through the privacy settings of their browser.
Processed Data Types: Meta, communication, and procedure data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, involved persons).
Affected Persons: Users (e.g., website visitors, online service users).
Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
Further Notes on Processing Processes, Procedures, and Services:
Processing Cookie Data Based on Consent: We use a consent management solution that collects the consent of users for the use of cookies or the processes and providers mentioned in the consent management solution. This procedure is used to collect, log, manage, and revoke consents, particularly related to the use of cookies and similar technologies that are used to store, read, and process information on users' devices. Within this process, users' consents for the use of cookies and the related processing of information, including the specific processes and providers mentioned in the consent management process, are collected. Users also have the option to manage and revoke their consents. The consent declarations are stored to avoid repeated queries and to ensure proof of consent according to legal requirements. Storage occurs server-side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie) or using similar technologies to assign the consent to a specific user or their device. If no specific information about the providers of consent management services is available, the following general information applies: The duration of storage of consent is up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created, which is stored together with the time of consent, the information about the scope of consent (e.g., relevant categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as information about the browser, the system, and the device used; Legal Bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
Contact and Inquiry Management
When contacting us (e.g., by mail, contact form, email, telephone, or via social media) and within the scope of existing user and business relationships, the information of the requesting persons is processed as far as this is necessary to respond to the contact inquiries and any requested actions.
Processed Data Types: Inventory data (e.g., full name, home address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers); content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and contributions as well as relevant information, such as author information or creation time); usage data (e.g., page views and duration, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication, and procedure data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, involved persons).
Affected Persons: Communication partners.
Purposes of Processing: Communication; organizational and administrative procedures; feedback (e.g., collecting feedback via online forms). Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion".
Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR). Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR).
Further Notes on Processing Processes, Procedures, and Services:
Contact Form: When contacting via our contact form, by email, or other communication methods, we process the personal data transmitted to us to respond to and manage the respective concern. This typically includes information such as name, contact information, and any additional information provided to us that is necessary for adequate processing. We use this data solely for the stated purpose of contact and communication; Legal Bases: Contract fulfillment and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR), legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Advertising Communication via Email, Post, Fax, or Phone
We process personal data for the purposes of advertising communication, which may occur through various channels such as email, telephone, postal mail, or fax in accordance with legal requirements.
Recipients have the right to withdraw consents given at any time or to object to advertising communication at any time free of charge using the aforementioned contact methods.
After withdrawal or objection, we store the necessary data to evidence the previous legitimacy of contact or sending up to three years after the end of the year of the withdrawal or objection based on our legitimate interests. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of possible defense against claims. Based on our legitimate interest to permanently consider the users' withdrawal or objection, we also store the necessary data to avoid renewed contact (e.g., depending on the communication channel, the email address, phone number, name).
Processed Data Types: Inventory data (e.g., full name, home address, contact information, customer number, etc.); contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers). Content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and contributions as well as relevant information, such as author information or creation time).
Affected Persons: Communication partners.
Purposes of Processing: Direct marketing (e.g., via email or postal mail); marketing. Sales promotion.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion".
Legal Bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Web Analysis, Monitoring, and Optimization
Web analysis (also referred to as "reach measurement") serves to evaluate visitor flows on our online offer and may include behavior, interests, or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, in the form of pseudonymous values. Using reach analysis, we can, for example, recognize when our online offer or its functions or contents are used most frequently or invite reuse. We can also identify which areas need optimization.
In addition to web analysis, we may also use test procedures to test and optimize different versions of our online offer or its components.
Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, that is, data summarized for a usage process, may be created for these purposes, and information may be stored and then read in a browser or device. The information collected includes, in particular, visited websites and elements used there as well as technical information such as the browser used, the computer system in use, and information about usage times. If users have consented to the collection of their location data with us or with the providers of the services we use, the processing of location data may also be possible.
In addition, the IP addresses of users are stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e., pseudonymization by truncating the IP address) to protect users. Generally, no clear user data (e.g., email addresses or names) are stored in the context of web analysis, A/B testing, and optimization, but pseudonymous data. This means that we and the providers of the software used do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the respective procedures.
Notes on Legal Bases: If we ask users for their consent to use third-party vendors, the legal basis for the data processing is consent. Otherwise, the user data is processed based on our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in efficient, economical, and user-friendly services). In this context, we also want to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this data protection declaration.
Processed Data Types: Usage data (e.g., page views and duration, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions). Meta, communication, and procedure data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, involved persons).
Affected Persons: Users (e.g., website visitors, online service users).
Purposes of Processing: Reach measurement (e.g., access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiles with user-related information (creating user profiles). Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion". Storage of cookies for up to 2 years (unless otherwise stated, cookies and similar storage methods can be stored on users' devices for a period of two years).
Security Measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address).
Legal Bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Further Notes on Processing Processes, Procedures, and Services:
Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to measure and analyze the usage of our online offer based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This identification number does not contain unique data such as names or email addresses. It is used to assign analysis information to an end device to recognize which content users have accessed during a usage process, which search terms they have used, re-accessed, or interacted with our online offer. The time of use and its duration are also stored, as well as the sources of users that refer to our online offer and technical aspects of their end devices and browsers.
In this process, pseudonymous profiles of users are created with information from the use of various devices, where cookies may be used. Google Analytics does not log or store individual IP addresses for EU users. However, Analytics provides coarse geographical location data by deriving the following metadata from the IP addresses: city (and the derived latitude and longitude of the city), continent, country, region, subcontinent (and ID-based counterparts). For EU traffic, IP address data is only used for this derivation of geolocation data before being immediately deleted. They are not logged, are not accessible, and are not used for any further purposes. When Google Analytics collects measurement data, all IP queries are performed on EU-based servers before the traffic is forwarded to Analytics servers for processing; Service Provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal Bases: Consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; Security Measures: IP masking (pseudonymization of the IP address); Data Protection Declaration: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Data Processing Agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms/; Basis Third Country Transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), standard contractual clauses (https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms); Objection Possibility (Opt-Out): Opt-Out Plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, settings for displaying ad placements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff. Further information: https://business.safety.google/adsservices/ (types of processing and the processed data).
Presences in Social Networks (Social Media)
We maintain online presences within social networks and process users' data in this context to communicate with users active there or offer information about us.
We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This can pose risks for users as the enforcement of user rights may be hindered.
Furthermore, users' data is generally processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles may be created based on user behavior and interests derived from this. The latter may in turn be used to display advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to users' interests. Therefore, cookies are generally stored on users' computers storing usage behavior and users' interests. Additionally, usage profiles may also store data independently of the devices used by the users (especially when they are members of the respective platforms and logged in there).
For a detailed representation of the respective forms of processing and the opt-out possibilities, we refer to the privacy policies and statements of the operators of the respective networks.
Even in the case of requests for information and the assertion of affected rights, we would like to emphasize that these can be most effectively asserted with the providers. Only they have access to the user data and can directly take corresponding actions and provide information. If you still need assistance, you can contact us.
Processed Data Types: Contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or phone numbers); content data (e.g., textual or visual messages and contributions as well as relevant information, such as author information or creation time). Usage data (e.g., page views and duration, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).
Affected Persons: Users (e.g., website visitors, online service users).
Purposes of Processing: Communication; feedback (e.g., collecting feedback via online forms). Public relations.
Retention and Deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section "General Information on Data Storage and Deletion".
Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR).
Further Notes on Processing Processes, Procedures, and Services:
LinkedIn: Social Network - We are jointly responsible with LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company for the collection (but not further processing) of data from visitors used to create the "Page-Insights" (statistics) of our LinkedIn profiles. These data include information about the types of content users view or interact with, as well as the actions they take. Additionally, details about the devices used are recorded, such as IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, and cookie data, as well as information from user profiles such as job function, country, industry, hierarchy level, company size, and employment status. Privacy information on the processing of user data by LinkedIn can be found in LinkedIn's privacy notices: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.
We have entered into a specific agreement with LinkedIn Ireland ("Page Insights Joint Controller Addendum", https://legal.linkedin.com/pages-joint-controller-addendum), which regulates in particular what security measures LinkedIn must observe and in which LinkedIn has undertaken to fulfill the rights of the affected persons (i.e., users can make inquiries for information or deletion directly to LinkedIn). The rights of users (especially the right to information, deletion, objection, and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with LinkedIn. Joint responsibility is limited to the collection and transmission of data to LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, a company based in the EU. The further processing of the data is solely the responsibility of LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, particularly regarding the transmission of the data to the parent company LinkedIn Corporation in the USA; Service Provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal Bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Data Protection Declaration: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Basis Third Country Transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), standard contractual clauses (https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa). Objection Possibility (Opt-Out): https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
Changes and Updates
We ask you to regularly inform yourself about the content of our data protection declaration. We adapt the privacy policy as soon as the changes in the processing of data we conduct make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as these changes require an action on your part (e.g., consent) or any other individual notification.
If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this data protection declaration, please note that the addresses may change over time and we ask you to check the details before contacting.
Definitions
In this section you will find an overview of the terminology used in this data protection declaration. As far as the terminology is legally defined, the legal definitions apply. The following explanations are intended primarily for understanding.
Inventory data: Inventory data includes essential information necessary for the identification and management of contractual partners, user accounts, profiles, and similar allocations. This data may include personal and demographic information such as names, contact information (addresses, phone numbers, email addresses), birth dates, and specific identifiers (user IDs). Inventory data forms the basis for any formal interaction between individuals and services, facilities, or systems, allowing for unique allocation and communication.
Content data: Content data encompasses information generated in the process of creating, editing, and publishing all kinds of content. This category of data may include texts, images, videos, audio files, and other multimedia content published on various platforms and media. Content data is not limited to the actual content but also includes metadata, which provides information about the content itself, such as tags, descriptions, authorship information, and publication dates.
Contact data: Contact data are essential information that enable communication with individuals or organizations. They include phone numbers, postal addresses, and email addresses, as well as communication means such as social media handles and instant messaging identifiers.
Meta, communication, and procedure data: Meta, communication, and procedure data are categories that contain information about how data are processed, transmitted, and managed. Metadata, also known as data about data, includes information describing the context, origin, and structure of other data. It can include specifications about file size, creation date, author of a document, and change histories. Communication data capture the exchange of information between users through various channels, such as email traffic, call logs, messages in social networks, and chat histories, including the persons involved, timestamps, and transmission paths. Procedure data describe the processes and workflows within systems or organizations, including workflow documentation, transaction logs and activities, and audit logs used for tracking and reviewing operations.
Usage data: Usage data refers to information capturing how users interact with digital products, services, or platforms. This data includes a wide range of information showcasing how users use applications, what functions they prefer, how long they linger on specific pages, and through which paths they navigate an application. Usage data may also include frequency of use, timestamps of activities, IP addresses, device information, and location data. They are particularly valuable for analyzing user behavior, optimizing user experiences, personalizing content, and improving products or services. Moreover, usage data play a crucial role in identifying trends, preferences, and possible problems within digital offerings.
Personal data: "Personal data" is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as "affected person"); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g., cookie), or to one or more specific characteristics that are an expression of the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person.
Profiles with user-related information: The processing of "profiles with user-related information", or simply "profiles", includes any automated processing of personal data that consists of using this personal data to analyze, assess, or predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this can include various information regarding demographics, behavior, and interests, such as interactions with websites and their contents, etc.). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
Log data: Log data are information about events or activities that have been logged in a system or network. This data typically contains information such as timestamps, IP addresses, user actions, error messages, and other details about the usage or operation of a system. Log data are often used for system problem analysis, security monitoring, or performance reporting.
Reach measurement: Reach measurement (also referred to as web analytics) serves to evaluate the visitor flows of an online offer and may include the behavior or interests of visitors regarding specific information, such as website content. With the help of reach analysis, operators of online offerings can, for example, recognize when users visit their websites and for which content they are interested. This allows them to better tailor the content of the websites to the needs of their visitors. For reach analysis purposes, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used to recognize recurring visitors and obtain more accurate analyses of the usage of an online offer.
Controller: The "controller" is the natural or legal person, authority, institution, or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
Processing: "Processing" is any operation or series of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means. The term covers a wide range and includes practically every handling of data, whether it is collecting, evaluating, storing, transmitting, or deleting.
Created with the free data protection generator by Dr. Thomas Schwenke