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Data Protection

I have drafted this privacy policy (version 02.07.2020-311191178) to explain to you in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 which information this website collects, how I use data, and what decision-making options you as a visitor to this website have.

Unfortunately, it is inherent in the nature of the subject matter that these explanations sound very technical. However, I have made every effort to describe the most important things as simply and clearly as possible during the creation process.

Automatic Data Storage

When you visit websites nowadays, certain information is automatically created and stored, just like on this website.

When you visit this website as you are doing right now, the web server (computer on which this website is stored) automatically stores data in files (web server log files).

This data includes, for example:
• The address of the accessed website (URL)
• Browser and browser version
• The operating system used
• The address of the previously visited page (referrer URL)
• The hostname and IP address of the device from which access is made
• Date and time

Web server log files are usually stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not pass on this data, but we cannot exclude the possibility that this data may be viewed in the event of unlawful behavior.

My website uses HTTP cookies to store usage-specific data. Below, I explain what cookies are and why they are used, so you can better understand the following privacy policy.

What exactly are cookies? Whenever you surf the internet, you use a browser. Well-known browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing is undeniable: cookies help. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, these are HTTP cookies, as there are also other cookies for different application areas. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored by my website on your computer. These cookie files are automatically placed in the cookie folder, essentially the “brain” of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain usage data from you, such as language or personal page settings. When you revisit this page, your browser sends the information related to you (user data) back to this page. Thanks to the cookies, my website knows who you are and offers you your usual default settings. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file, while in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, while third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g., Google Analytics). Each cookie must be evaluated individually, as each cookie stores different data. The expiration time of a cookie also varies from a few minutes to a few years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, trojans, or other “malware”. Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data might look like this:
• Name: _ga
• Expiration time: 2 years
• Use: Distinguishing website visitors
• Exemplary value: GA1.2.1326744211.152311191178

A browser should support the following minimum sizes:
• A cookie should be able to contain at least 4096 bytes
• At least 50 cookies should be stored per domain
• A total of at least 3000 cookies should be stored

What types of cookies are there?

The question of which cookies are used specifically depends on the services used and will be clarified in the following sections of the privacy policy. At this point, I would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

Four types of cookies can be distinguished:

1. Essential cookies: These cookies are necessary to ensure basic functions of the website. For example, these cookies are needed when a user adds a product to the shopping cart, then surfs other pages, and later proceeds to checkout. These cookies prevent the shopping cart from being deleted even if a user closes their browser window.

2. Functional cookies: These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether a user receives any error messages. Furthermore, these cookies also measure the loading time and behavior of the website in different browsers.

3. Performance cookies: These cookies ensure better user-friendliness. For example, entered locations, font sizes, or form data are stored.

4. Advertising cookies: These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver individually tailored advertising to users. This can be very practical but also very annoying.

Typically, when you first visit a website, you are asked which of these types of cookies you want to allow. And of course, this decision is also stored in a cookie.

How can I delete cookies?

You decide for yourself whether and how you want to use cookies. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come from, you always have the option of deleting cookies, allowing only certain cookies, or deactivating them altogether. For example, you can block third-party cookies but allow all other cookies.

If you want to find out which cookies have been stored in your browser, change cookie settings, or delete them, you can find this in your browser settings:
• Chrome: Clear, enable, and manage cookies in Chrome
• Safari: Manage cookies and website data with Safari
• Firefox: Delete cookies to remove data that websites have placed on your computer
• Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies
• Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you generally do not want cookies, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be set. This way, you can decide for each individual cookie whether to allow it or not. The procedure varies depending on the browser. It is best to search for the instructions using a search engine of your choice with the search term “delete cookies Chrome” or “disable cookies Chrome” in the case of a Chrome browser. Replace the word "Chrome" with the name of your browser, if necessary, such as Edge, Firefox, Safari.

What about my privacy?

Since 2009, there have been the so-called “cookie guidelines”. It is stipulated that storing cookies requires consent from you. However, there are still very different reactions to these guidelines within the EU countries. In Germany, the cookie guidelines were not implemented as national law. Instead, the implementation of these guidelines largely took place in § 15 (3) of the Telemedia Act (TMG).

If you would like to know more about cookies and are not averse to technical documentation, I recommend https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6265, the Request for Comments from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) titled “HTTP State Management Mechanism”. — Rights according to the General Data Protection Regulation

According to the provisions of the GDPR, you are generally entitled to the following rights:
• Right to rectification (Article 16 GDPR)
• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) (Article 17 GDPR)
• Right to restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR)
• Right to notification — notification obligation in connection with the rectification or erasure of personal data or the restriction of processing (Article 19 GDPR)
• Right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR)
• Right to object (Article 21 GDPR)
• Right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing — including profiling (Article 22 GDPR)

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or your data protection rights have otherwise been violated in any way, you can contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI).