Privacy Policy

1. Data protection at a glance

General information

The following notes provide a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data means all data that can be used to identify you personally. Detailed information on data protection can be found in the full Privacy Policy below.

Data collection on this website

Who is responsible for data collection on this website?
Data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. You can find the operator’s contact details in the section “Information on the controller”.

How do we collect your data?
Some data is collected when you provide it to us, for example by entering information into a contact form.
Other data is collected automatically or after your consent when you visit the website. This is mainly technical data (e.g. browser type, operating system or time of page view). This data is collected automatically as soon as you access this website.

What do we use your data for?
Part of the data is collected to ensure that the website is provided without errors. Other data can be used to analyse user behaviour or to fulfil contractual or legal obligations, for example when you subscribe to our newsletter.

What rights do you have regarding your data?
You have the right to obtain information free of charge at any time about the origin, recipient and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request rectification or erasure of this data, the right to restrict processing and – under certain conditions – the right to data portability.
If you have given your consent to data processing, you may withdraw this consent at any time with effect for the future.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.
For this and for any other questions on the subject of data protection, you can contact us at any time using the contact details provided in this Privacy Policy.

2. Hosting

External hosting

This website is hosted externally. The personal data collected on this website is stored on the servers of the hosting provider. This may include, in particular, IP addresses, contact requests, meta and communication data, contract data, contact details, names, website access data and other data generated via a website.

External hosting is carried out for the purpose of fulfilling our obligations towards potential and existing customers (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and in the interest of a secure, fast and efficient provision of our online offering by a professional provider (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). If you have given your consent, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TTDSG, insofar as the consent also covers the use of cookies or access to information in the user’s end device. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Our host will only process your data to the extent necessary to fulfil its performance obligations and will follow our instructions with regard to these data.

We use the following hosting provider:

netcup GmbH
Emmy-Noether-Straße 10
D-76131 Karlsruhe
Germany

Data Processing Agreement

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with the above-mentioned provider. This is a contract required under data protection law which ensures that the provider processes the personal data of our website visitors only in accordance with our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

3. General notes and mandatory information

Data protection

The operators of this website take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We handle your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations and this Privacy Policy.

When you use this website, various personal data are collected. Personal data are data with which you can be personally identified. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect and what we use it for. It also explains how and for what purpose this happens.

We would like to point out that data transmission on the internet (e.g. communication by email) can have security gaps. Complete protection of data against access by third parties is not possible.

Information on the controller

The controller responsible for data processing on this website is:

Simon Heinrich
Röthenbachstraße 24
86984 Prem
Germany

Email: info@prepareforgermany.com

The controller is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

Storage period

Unless a more specific storage period is stated in this Privacy Policy, your personal data will remain with us until the purpose for the data processing no longer applies. If you make a legitimate request for erasure or withdraw your consent to data processing, your data will be erased unless we have other legally permissible reasons for storing your personal data (e.g. retention periods under tax or commercial law); in the latter case, erasure will take place after these reasons cease to apply.

Legal bases for data processing on this website

Where you have consented to data processing, we process your personal data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and Art. 9(2)(a) GDPR if special categories of data are processed. In the case of explicit consent to the transfer of personal data to third countries, data processing is additionally based on Art. 49(1)(a) GDPR. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

If your data is required for the performance of a contract or for pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.
If the processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation, we process your data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR.
Furthermore, data may be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The relevant legal bases in each individual case are explained in the following sections of this Privacy Policy.

Transfers of data to countries outside the EU that are not secure in terms of data protection / transfers to US companies that are not DPF-certified

Among other tools, we use services from companies based in countries outside the EU that are not considered to offer an adequate level of data protection, as well as US tools whose providers are not certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). If these tools are active, your personal data may be transferred to these third countries and processed there.

We would like to point out that these countries may not offer a level of data protection comparable to that of the EU. Data transfers to the USA may be permissible if the recipient is certified under the DPF or if suitable additional safeguards are in place. Information on transfers to third countries, including specific recipients, can be found in this Privacy Policy in the sections describing the relevant tools.

Recipients of personal data

In the course of our business activities, we cooperate with various external parties. In some cases, this also involves the transmission of personal data to these external parties. We only pass on personal data to third parties if this is necessary for the performance of a contract, if we are legally obliged to do so (e.g. transfer of data to tax authorities), if we have a legitimate interest in the transfer within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, or if you have given your consent.

Withdrawal of your consent to data processing

Many data processing operations are only possible with your explicit consent. You may withdraw consent at any time. The lawfulness of data processing carried out before the withdrawal remains unaffected.

Right to object to data processing in specific cases and to direct marketing (Art. 21 GDPR)

If data processing is based on Art. 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR, you have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of your personal data. This also applies to profiling based on these provisions.
If you object, we will no longer process your personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Where your personal data are processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing; this includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.
If you object, your personal data will no longer be used for direct marketing purposes.

Right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority

In the event of infringements of the GDPR, data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of their habitual residence, place of work or the place of the alleged infringement. The right to lodge a complaint exists without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy.

Right to data portability

You have the right to receive the data which we process on the basis of your consent or in performance of a contract, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and to have this data transmitted to another controller where technically feasible. If you request the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will only take place where technically feasible.

Right of access, rectification and erasure

Within the framework of the applicable legal provisions, you have the right at any time to obtain information free of charge about your stored personal data, their origin and recipients and the purpose of the data processing and, where appropriate, a right to rectification or erasure of this data. You can contact us at any time using the contact details given in this Privacy Policy for this purpose.

Right to restriction of processing

You have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. You can contact us at any time in this regard. The right to restriction of processing applies in the following cases, for example:

  • If you contest the accuracy of your personal data stored by us, we usually need time to verify this. For the duration of the verification, you have the right to request restriction of the processing of your personal data.

  • If the processing is unlawful, you may request restriction of processing instead of erasure.

  • If we no longer need your personal data but you require it for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, you have the right to request restriction instead of erasure.

  • If you have objected pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR, a balance must be struck between your interests and ours. Until it has been determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to request restriction of the processing of your personal data.

Where processing has been restricted, such data may – apart from storage – only be processed with your consent or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest of the European Union or of a Member State.

SSL or TLS encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders or enquiries that you send to us as the website operator, this site uses SSL or TLS encryption. An encrypted connection can be recognised by the fact that the browser’s address line changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the padlock symbol in your browser bar.

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

Objection to marketing emails

We hereby object to the use of contact details published in the context of the imprint obligation for the purpose of sending unsolicited advertising and information material. The operators of this website expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of the unsolicited sending of marketing information, for example by spam emails.

4. Data collection on this website

Cookies

Our websites use so-called “cookies”. Cookies are small data packages that do not damage your device. They are stored on your device either temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or permanently (persistent cookies). Session cookies are automatically deleted after your visit. Persistent cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them yourself or your web browser automatically erases them.

Cookies can be set by us (first-party cookies) or by third-party companies (third-party cookies). Third-party cookies enable the integration of certain services of third-party companies within websites (e.g. for payment processing or the display of videos).

Cookies have various functions. Many cookies are technically necessary because certain website functions would not work without them (e.g. shopping cart function or display of videos). Other cookies are used to analyse user behaviour or for marketing purposes.

Cookies that are necessary to carry out the electronic communication process, to provide certain functions you have requested or to optimise the website (e.g. cookies for measuring the web audience) are stored on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, unless another legal basis is specified. The website operator has a legitimate interest in storing necessary cookies for the technically error-free and optimised provision of its services. If your consent to the storage of cookies and comparable recognition technologies has been requested, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of this consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TTDSG); consent can be withdrawn at any time.

You can configure your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies, only allow cookies in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies for specific cases or in general, and activate the automatic deletion of cookies when closing the browser. If cookies are deactivated, the functionality of this website may be limited.

Details on which cookies and services are used on this website can be found in this Privacy Policy and in our cookie banner.

Enquiries by email, telephone or fax

If you contact us by email, telephone or fax, your enquiry including all resulting personal data (name, enquiry, contact details) will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of handling your request. We do not pass on this data without your consent.

This data is processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR if your enquiry is related to the performance of a contract or necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, processing is based on our legitimate interest in effectively handling enquiries addressed to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), where requested; consent can be withdrawn at any time.

The data you send to us via contact enquiries will remain with us until you request erasure, withdraw your consent to storage or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g. once your request has been completed). Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular statutory retention periods – remain unaffected.

5. Analytics tools and advertising

Matomo

This website uses the open-source web analytics service Matomo.

With the help of Matomo, we are able to collect and analyse data on the use of our website by visitors. Among other things, this allows us to find out which pages are viewed and from which region visitors come. We also record various log files (e.g. IP address, referrer, browser and operating system used) and can measure whether our website visitors perform certain actions (e.g. clicks on links).

The use of this analytics tool is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analysing user behaviour in order to optimise both the website and its advertising. If a corresponding consent has been requested, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TTDSG, insofar as the consent includes the storage of cookies or access to information in the user’s end device. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

IP anonymisation

We use Matomo with IP anonymisation. In this process, your IP address is shortened before analysis so that it can no longer be clearly assigned to you.

Hosting

We host Matomo exclusively on our own servers, so all analytics data remains on our infrastructure and is not passed on to third parties.

6. Newsletter

Newsletter data

If you wish to receive the newsletter offered on the website, we require an email address from you and information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the specified email address and that you agree to receive the newsletter. Any additional data is collected only on a voluntary basis. We use this data exclusively for sending the requested information and do not pass it on to third parties.

The processing of data entered into the newsletter registration form is based solely on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may withdraw your consent to the storage of the data, the email address and their use for sending the newsletter at any time, for example via the “unsubscribe” link in the newsletter. The lawfulness of the data processing operations already carried out remains unaffected by the withdrawal.

The data you provide for the purpose of receiving the newsletter will be stored by us or the newsletter service provider until you unsubscribe from the newsletter and deleted from the mailing list after you cancel your subscription. Data stored by us for other purposes remains unaffected.

After you unsubscribe from the newsletter mailing list, your email address may be stored in a blacklist to prevent future mailings. The data from the blacklist is only used for this purpose and not merged with other data. This serves both your interest and our interest in complying with legal requirements when sending newsletters (legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Storage in the blacklist is not time-limited. You may object to this storage if your interests outweigh our legitimate interest.

7. Plugins and tools

Wordfence

We have integrated Wordfence on this website. The provider is Defiant Inc., Defiant, Inc., 800 5th Ave Ste 4100, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.

Wordfence is used to protect our website from unwanted access or malicious cyber attacks. For this purpose, our website establishes a permanent connection to the servers of Wordfence so that Wordfence can compare its databases with the access made on our website and, where necessary, block them.

The use of Wordfence is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in protecting its website as effectively as possible against cyber-attacks. If the corresponding consent has been requested, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TTDSG, insofar as the consent includes the storage of cookies or access to information in the user’s end device. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the EU Commission’s standard contractual clauses. Details can be found here:
https://www.wordfence.com/help/general-data-protection-regulation/

Data Processing Agreement

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with Wordfence. This contract ensures that Wordfence processes the personal data of our website visitors only in accordance with our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

Source

Source of parts of this Privacy Policy (German original): https://www.datenschutzerklaerung.de