Datenschutzerklärung
Privacy policy DSGVO - GDPR
vpmk Rechtsanwälte Berlin Rechtsanwaltskanzlei in Berlin und Stuttgart. Spezialisiert auf Migrationsrecht, Immobilienrecht, Blue Card, Business Immigration, Familienrecht, Mietrecht, Legal Services

Privacy policy DSGVO – GDPR

Privacy policy DSGVO – GDPR

With the following data protection declaration, we would like to inform you about the types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to as “data”) that 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 the provision of our services and, in particular, 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.

Status: November 27, 2022

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Table of contents

Responsible

vpmk Attorneys at Law Legal Services von Planta Mauch Müller Kroidl Ponert Dufner Heinrich Conzelmann PartmbB

Monbijouplatz 3a
10178 Berlin, Deutschland
Email: datenschutzbeauftragter@vpmk.de oder
Telephone: +49 (0)30 536 33 99 0
Fax: +49 (0)30 536 33 99 8

E-Mail-address:

datenschutzbeauftragter@vpmk.de

Overview of processing

The following overview summarises the types of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the data subjects.

Types of data processed

  • Location data.
  • Contact data.
  • Content data.
  • Usage data.
  • Meta/communication data.

Categories of persons concerned

  • Communication partner.
  • Users.

Purposes of processing

  • Provision of contractual services and customer service.
  • Contact requests and communication.
  • Security measures.
  • Reach measurement.
  • Tracking.
  • Managing and responding to enquiries.
  • Feedback.
  • Profiles with user-related information.
  • Provision of our online services and user experience.
  • Information technology infrastructure.

Relevant legal basis

Below you will find an overview of the legal basis of the GDPR on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. Should more specific legal bases be relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.

  • Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) DSGVO) – The data subject has given his/her consent to the processing of personal data relating to him/her for a specific purpose or purposes.
  • Performance of a contract and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6(1)(b) DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or for the performance of pre-contractual measures carried out at the data subject’s request.
  • Legitimate interests (Art. 6 (1) p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests of the controller or a third party, unless such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require the protection of personal data.

In addition to the data protection regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation, national regulations on data protection apply in Germany. These include, in particular, the Act on Protection against Misuse of Personal Data in Data Processing (Federal Data Protection Act – BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special regulations on the right to information, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, the processing for other purposes and the transmission and automated decision-making in individual cases, including profiling. Furthermore, it regulates data processing for purposes of the employment relationship (§26 BDSG), in particular with regard to the establishment, implementation or termination of employment relationships as well as the consent of employees. Furthermore, data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

Security measures

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures in accordance with the law, taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing, as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the level of threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, in order to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk.

The measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access to, input of, disclosure of, assurance of availability of and segregation of the data. We also have procedures in place to ensure the exercise of data subjects’ rights, the deletion of data and responses to data compromise. Furthermore, we already take the protection of personal data into account in the 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.

TLS encryption (https): In order to protect your data transmitted via our online offer, we use TLS encryption. You can recognise such encrypted connections by the prefix https:// in the address line of your browser.

Transmission of personal data

In the course of our processing of personal data, it may happen that the data is transmitted to other bodies, companies, legally independent organisational units or persons or that it is disclosed to them. The recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers commissioned 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 appropriate contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.

Data processing in third countries

If we process data in a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or the processing takes place in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or companies, this will only be done in accordance with the legal requirements.

Subject to express consent or contractually or legally required transfer, we only process or have data processed in third countries with a recognised level of data protection, contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission, in the presence of certifications or binding internal data protection regulations (Art. 44 to 49 DSGVO, information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_de).

Deletion of data

The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as their consents permitted for processing are revoked or other permissions cease to apply (e.g. if the purpose of processing this data has ceased to apply or it is not necessary for the purpose). If the data are not deleted because they are required for other and legally permissible purposes, their processing is limited to these purposes. I.e. the data is blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person.

Within the framework of our data protection notices, we may provide users with further information on the deletion as well as on the retention of data that applies specifically to the respective processing operations.

Use of cookies

Cookies are small text files or other memory notes that store information on end devices and read information from the end devices. For example, to save the login status in a user account, the contents of a shopping basket in an e-shop, the contents called up or the functions used in an online offer. Cookies can further be used for various purposes, e.g. for purposes of functionality, security and comfort of online offers as well as the creation of analyses of visitor flows.

Notes on consent: We use cookies in accordance with legal requirements. We therefore obtain prior consent from users, except where this is not required by law. In particular, consent is not required if the storage and reading of information, including cookies, is absolutely necessary to provide a telemedia service (i.e. our online offer) expressly requested by the user. The revocable consent is clearly communicated to the users and contains the information on the respective cookie use.

Notes on legal bases under data protection law: The legal basis under data protection law on which we process users’ personal data using cookies depends on whether we ask users for consent. If users consent, the legal basis for processing their data is their declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed using cookies is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the business operation of our online offer and improvement of its usability) or, if this is done in the context of the performance of our contractual obligations, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations. The purposes for which the cookies are processed by us are explained in the course of this privacy policy or as part of our consent and processing procedures.

Storage duration: With regard 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 his end device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
  • Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the end device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, user data collected with the help of cookies can be used to measure reach. Unless we provide users with explicit information about the type and storage duration of cookies (e.g. when obtaining consent), users should assume that cookies are permanent and that they can be stored for up to two years.

General information on revocation and objection (opt-out): Users can revoke the consent they have given at any time and also file an objection to processing in accordance with the legal requirements in Art. 21 DSGVO. Users can also declare their objection via their browser settings, e.g. by deactivating the use of cookies (although this may also limit the functionality of our online services). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared via the websites https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/ .

  • Types of data processed: meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further information on processing operations, procedures and services:

  • Processing of cookie data based on consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure, in the context of which the consent of users to the use of cookies, or the processing and providers mentioned in the cookie consent management procedure, can be obtained and managed and revoked by users. The declaration of consent is stored in order not to have to repeat the request and to be able to prove the consent in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie or with the help of comparable technologies) in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or their device. Subject to individual information on the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of consent can be up to two years. A pseudonymous user identifier is created and stored with the time of consent, information on the scope of consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) and the browser, system and end device used.
  • Compliance: Cookie consent management; Service provider: Hosted locally on our server, no data transfer to third parties; Website: https://complianz.io/ ; Privacy policy: https://complianz.io/legal/; Further information: An individual user ID, language as well as types of consents and the time they were given are stored on the server side and in the cookie on the users’ device.
  • CookieYes: Cookie consent management; Service provider: CookieYes Limited, 3 Warren Yard Warren Park, Wolverton Mill, Milton Keynes, MK12 5NW, United Kingdom; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.cookieyes.com; Privacy policy: https://www.cookieyes.com/privacy-policy/; Order processing agreement: https://www.cookieyes.com/dpa/.

Provision of the online offer and web hosting

We process 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 user’s browser or terminal device.

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; information technology infrastructure (operation and provision of information systems and technical devices (computers, servers, etc.).); security measures.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further information 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 capacity and software that we rent or otherwise obtain from a corresponding server provider (also referred to as “web hoster”); legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
  • Collection of access data and log files: Access to our online offer is logged in the form of so-called “server log files”. The server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, the date and time of access, the volume of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider.The server log files may be used for security purposes, for example, to prevent server overload (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and, on the other hand, to ensure server utilisation and stability; legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymised. Data whose further storage is necessary for evidentiary purposes is exempt from deletion until the final clarification of the respective incident.
  • WordPress.com: Hosting and software for the creation, provision and operation of websites, blogs and other online offerings; service provider: Aut O’Mattic A8C Ireland Ltd, Grand Canal Dock, 25 Herbert Pl, Dublin, D02 AY86, Ireland; Legal basis: legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://wordpress.com; Privacy policy: https://automattic.com/de/privacy/; Order processing agreement: https://wordpress.com/support/data-processing-agreements/.

Contact and enquiry management

When contacting us (e.g. via contact form, email, telephone or via social media) as well as in the context of existing user and business relationships, the information of the inquiring persons is processed to the extent necessary to respond to the contact requests and any requested measures.

  • Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Communication partners.
  • Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; managing and responding to requests; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); providing our online offer and user experience.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); contract performance and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Contact form: If users contact us via our contact form, e-mail or other communication channels, we process the data communicated to us in this context for the purpose of processing the communicated request; Legal basis: Contract performance and pre-contractual enquiries (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b) DSGVO), Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Web analysis, monitoring and optimisation

Web analysis (also referred to as “reach measurement”) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offering and may include behaviour, interests or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of the reach analysis, we can, for example, recognise at what time our online offer or its functions or content are most frequently used or invite re-use. Likewise, we can understand which areas need optimisation.

In addition to web analysis, we may also use test procedures, e.g. to test and optimise different versions of our online offer or its components.

Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, i.e. data summarised for a usage process, may be created for these purposes and information may be stored in a browser or in a terminal device and read from it. The information collected includes, in particular, websites visited and elements used there as well as technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times. If users have agreed to the collection of their location data from us or from the providers of the services we use, location data may also be processed.

The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e. pseudonymisation by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (e.g. e-mail addresses or names) is stored in the context of web analysis, A/B testing and optimisation, but pseudonyms. This means that we as well as 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 purposes of the respective procedures.

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiling with user-related information (creation of user profiles); tracking (e.g. interest/behaviour-based profiling, use of cookies); provision of our online offer and user experience.
  • Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymisation of the IP address).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a) DSGVO).

Further notes on processing processes, procedures and services:

Plugins and embedded functions and content

We integrate functional and content elements into our online offer that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”). These can be, for example, graphics, videos or city maps (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “content”).

The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, as without the IP address they would not be able to send the content to their browser. The IP address is thus required for the presentation of these contents or functions. We endeavour to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as “web beacons”) for statistical or marketing purposes. The “pixel tags” can be used to analyse information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and may contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and other information about the use of our online offering, as well as being linked to such information from other sources.

  • Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. web pages visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); location data (information on the geographical position of a device or person).
  • Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
  • Purposes of processing: provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; provision of contractual services and customer service.
  • Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).

Further information on processing processes, procedures and services:

  • Google Fonts (provision on own server): Provision of font files for the purpose of a user-friendly presentation of our online offer; service provider: The Google Fonts are hosted on our server, no data are transmitted to Google; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO).
  • Google Maps: We integrate the maps of the “Google Maps” service of the provider Google. The data processed may include, in particular, IP addresses and user location data; service provider: Google Cloud EMEA Limited, 70 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://mapsplatform.google.com/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Google Maps APIs and SDKs: Interfaces to Google’s map and location services that allow, for example, the addition of address entries, location determinations, distance calculations or the provision of supplementary information on locations and other places; Service provider: Google Cloud EMEA Limited, 70 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://mapsplatform.google.com/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
  • Typekit fonts from Adobe: We integrate the fonts (“Typekit fonts”) of the provider Adobe, whereby the users’ data is used solely for the purpose of displaying the fonts in the users’ browser. The integration is based on our legitimate interests in a technically secure, maintenance-free and efficient use of fonts, their uniform display and taking into account possible licensing restrictions for their integration; service provider: Adobe Systems Software Ireland Limited, 4-6 Riverwalk, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Ireland; Legal basis: Legitimate interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f) DSGVO); Website: https://www.adobe.com/de; Privacy policy: https://www.adobe.com/de/privacy.html .

Amendment and updating of the data protection declaration

We ask you to regularly inform yourself about the content of our data protection declaration. We adapt the data protection declaration as soon as the changes in the data processing carried out by us make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require an act of cooperation on your part (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.

If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organisations in this data protection declaration, please note that the addresses may change over time and please check the information before contacting us.

Rights of the data subjects

As a data subject, you have various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Art. 15 to 21 GDPR:

  • Right to object: 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 carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1)(e) or (f) DSGVO; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing.
  • Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to revoke any consent given at any time.
  • Right to information: You have the right to request confirmation as to whether data in question is being processed and to 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 law, to request that data concerning you be completed or that inaccurate data concerning you be rectified.
  • Right to erasure and restriction of processing: You have the right, in accordance with the law, to request that data concerning you be erased without delay or, alternatively, to request restriction of the processing of the data in accordance with the law.
  • Right to data portability: You have the right to receive data relating to you that you have provided to us in a structured, common and machine-readable format, or to request that it be transferred to another controller, in accordance with the law.
  • Complaint to supervisory authority: In accordance with the law and without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular a supervisory authority in the Member State where you usually reside, the supervisory authority of your place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the GDPR.

Definitions of terms

This section provides you with an overview of the terms used in this privacy policy. Many of the terms are taken from the law and defined primarily in Art. 4 of the GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are primarily intended to help you understand them. The terms are sorted alphabetically.

  • Personal data: “Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subject”); 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 factors specific to 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 “profiles” for short, includes any type of automated processing of personal data that consists of using such personal data to analyse, evaluate or to predict certain personal aspects relating to a natural person (depending on the type of profiling, this may include different information concerning demographics, behaviour and interests, such as interaction with websites and their content, etc.) (e.g. interests in certain content or products, click behaviour on a website or location). Cookies and web beacons are often used for profiling purposes.
  • Reach measurement: Reach measurement (also known as web analytics) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to an online offering and can include visitors’ behaviour or interests in certain information, such as website content. With the help of reach analysis, website owners can see, for example, at what time visitors visit their website and what content they are interested in. This enables them, for example, to better adapt the content of the website to the needs of their visitors. For reach analysis purposes, pseudonymous cookies and web beacons are often used to recognise returning visitors and thus obtain more precise analyses of the use of an online offer.
  • Location data: Location data is generated when a mobile device (or another device with the technical requirements of location determination) connects to a radio cell, a WLAN or similar technical means and functions of location determination. Location data is used to indicate the geographically determinable position on earth at which the respective device is located. Location data can be used, for example, to display map functions or other information dependent on a location.
  • Tracking: We speak of “tracking” when the behaviour of users can be traced across several online offers. As a rule, behavioural and interest information is stored in cookies or on servers of the providers of the tracking technologies with regard to the online offers used (so-called profiling). This information can then be used, for example, to display advertisements to users that are likely to correspond to their interests.
  • Controller: “Controller” is the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
  • Processing: “Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed upon personal data, whether or not by automatic means. The term is broad and encompasses virtually any handling of data, be it collection, analysis, storage, transmission or erasure.