Privacy Policy

1. Privacy at a Glance

General Information

The following information provides a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data refers to any data that can be used to personally identify you. For detailed information on data protection, please refer to our Privacy Policy listed below this text.

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 information in the “Information on the Data Controller” section of this Privacy Policy.

How do we collect your data?

Your data is collected, in part, when you provide it to us. This may include, for example, data that you enter into a contact form.

Other data is collected by our IT systems automatically or with your consent when you visit the website. This primarily consists of technical data (e.g., internet browser, operating system, or the time the page was accessed). This data is collected automatically as soon as you access this website.

What do we use your data for?

Some of the data is collected to ensure the website functions properly. Other data may be used to analyze your user behavior. If contracts can be concluded or initiated through the website, the data provided will also be processed for contract offers, orders, or other order inquiries.

What rights do you have regarding your data?

You have the right at any time to receive, free of charge, information about the source, recipients, and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request the correction or deletion of this data. If you have given consent to data processing, you may revoke that consent at any time with future effect. In addition, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances. Furthermore, you have the right to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.

Please feel free to contact us at any time regarding this matter or any other questions you may have about data protection.

2. Hosting

We host our website's content with the following provider:

All-Inclusive

The provider is ALL-INKL.COM - Neue Medien Münnich, owned by René Münnich, Hauptstraße 68, 02742 Friedersdorf (hereinafter “All-Inkl”). For details, please refer to All-Inkl’s Privacy Policy: https://all-inkl.com/datenschutzinformationen/.

The use of All-Inkl is based on Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in ensuring that our website is displayed as reliably as possible. If consent has been requested, processing is based exclusively on Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR and Section 25(1) of the TDDDG, to the extent that the consent covers the storage of cookies or access to information on the user’s device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. Consent may be revoked at any time.

Order Processing

We have entered into a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) for the use of the service mentioned above. This is a contract required under data protection law that ensures the service provider processes the personal data of our website visitors only in accordance with our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

3. General Information and Mandatory Disclosures

The operators of this website take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with applicable data protection laws and this Privacy Policy.

When you use this website, various types of personal data are collected. Personal data is information that can be used to identify you personally. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect and how we use it. It also explains how and for what purpose this is done.

Please note that data transmission over the Internet (e.g., when communicating via email) may be subject to security vulnerabilities. It is not possible to completely protect data from access by third parties.

Note Regarding the Responsible Party

The entity responsible for data processing on this website is:

Hans-Jörg Kolbeck
7 Schluftergraben
99955 Herbsleben

Phone: +49 (0) 36041 57625
Email: info@arge-ost.de

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 (e.g., names, email addresses, etc.).

Retention period

Unless a more specific retention period is stated in this Privacy Policy, we will retain your personal data until the purpose for which it was collected no longer applies. If you submit a valid request for erasure or revoke your consent to data processing, your data will be erased unless we have other legally permissible grounds for retaining your personal data (e.g., retention periods under tax or commercial law); in the latter case, the data will be deleted once these grounds no longer apply.

General Information on the Legal Basis for Data Processing on This Website

If you have consented to the processing of your data, we process your personal data pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR or Article 9(2)(a) of the GDPR, provided that special categories of data as defined in Article 9(1) of the GDPR are processed. In the event of explicit consent to the transfer of personal data to third countries, data processing is also carried out on the basis of Article 49(1)(a) of the GDPR. If you have consented to the storage of cookies or to access to information on your device (e.g., via device fingerprinting), data processing is additionally based on Section 25(1) of the German Telemedia Act (TDDDG). You may revoke your consent at any time. If your data is necessary for the performance of a contract or for the implementation of precontractual measures, we process your data based on Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR. Furthermore, we process your data, to the extent that it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, on the basis of Article 6(1)(c) of the GDPR. Data processing may also be based on our legitimate interest pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. The applicable legal bases in each individual case are described in the following sections of this Privacy Policy.

Recipients of Personal Data

As part of our business operations, we collaborate with various external parties. In some cases, this requires the transfer of personal data to these external parties. We only disclose personal data to external parties if it is necessary for the performance of a contract, if we are legally obligated to do so (e.g., disclosure of data to tax authorities), if we have a legitimate interest in the disclosure pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, or if another legal basis permits the disclosure of data. When using data processors, we disclose our customers’ personal data only on the basis of a valid data processing agreement. In the case of joint processing, a joint processing agreement is concluded.

Withdrawal of Your Consent to Data Processing

Many data processing operations are only possible with your explicit consent. You may withdraw any consent you have already given at any time. The lawfulness of the data processing carried out prior to the withdrawal remains unaffected by the withdrawal.

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

IF DATA PROCESSING IS BASED ON ART. 6, PAR. 1, SUBPAR. E OR F OF THE GDPR, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT AT ANY TIME, FOR REASONS RELATED TO YOUR SPECIFIC SITUATION, TO OBJECT TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING BASED ON THESE PROVISIONS. PLEASE REFER TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY FOR THE SPECIFIC LEGAL BASIS ON WHICH PROCESSING IS BASED. IF YOU OBJECT, WE WILL NO LONGER PROCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA, UNLESS WE CAN DEMONSTRATE COMPELLING LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING THAT OUTWEIGH YOUR INTERESTS, RIGHTS, AND FREEDOMS, OR THE PROCESSING IS NECESSARY FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT, EXERCISE, OR DEFENSE OF LEGAL CLAIMS (OBJECTION PURSUANT TO ART. 21(1) OF THE GDPR).

IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS PROCESSED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT AT ANY TIME TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUCH MARKETING; THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IS RELATED TO SUCH DIRECT MARKETING. IF YOU OBJECT, YOUR PERSONAL DATA WILL NO LONGER BE USED FOR DIRECT MARKETING PURPOSES (OBJECTION PURSUANT TO ART. 21(2) OF THE GDPR).

Right to File a Complaint with the Competent Regulatory Authority

In the event of violations 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, their place of work, or the location of the alleged violation. The right to lodge a complaint is without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedies.

Right to Data Portability

You have the right to have data that we process automatically—based on your consent or in fulfillment of a contract—provided to you or to a third party in a commonly used, machine-readable format. If you request the direct transfer of the data to another data controller, this will only take place to the extent that it is technically feasible.

Access, Correction, and Deletion

In accordance with applicable legal provisions, you have the right at any time to receive, free of charge, information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients, and the purpose of data processing, as well as the right to have this data corrected or deleted, if applicable. You may contact us at any time regarding this matter or with any other questions about personal data.

Right to Restriction of Processing

You have the right to request that the processing of your personal data be restricted. You may contact us at any time to do so. The right to restriction of processing applies in the following cases:

If you dispute the accuracy of your personal data stored by us, we generally need time to verify this. For the duration of the verification process, you have the right to request that the processing of your personal data be restricted.
If the processing of your personal data was or is unlawful, you may request that the processing be restricted instead of having the data erased.
If we no longer need your personal data, but you need it to exercise, defend, or assert legal claims, you have the right to request that the processing of your personal data be restricted instead of being erased.
If you have filed an objection under Article 21(1) of the GDPR, a balancing of your interests against ours must be conducted. Until it is determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to request that the processing of your personal data be restricted.

If you have restricted the processing of your personal data, such data—apart from its storage—may be processed only with your consent or for the purpose of asserting, exercise, or defense of legal claims; to protect the rights of another natural or legal person; or for reasons of a substantial public interest of the European Union or a Member State.

SSL or TLS encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential information—such as orders or inquiries you send to us as the website operator—this site uses SSL or TLS encryption. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the browser’s address bar changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock icon in your browser’s address bar.

If SSL or TLS encryption is enabled, the data you send to us cannot be read by third parties.

4. Data Collection on This Website

Contact Form

If you submit inquiries to us via the contact form, we will store the information you provide in the inquiry form—including the contact information you provide there—for the purpose of processing your inquiry and in case we have any follow-up questions. We will not share this information without your consent.

The processing of this data is based on Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, provided that your inquiry is related to the performance of a contract or is necessary for the implementation of precontractual measures. In all other cases, the processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective handling of inquiries directed to us (Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR) or on your consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR), provided that consent was requested; consent may be withdrawn at any time.

The data you enter in the contact form will remain with us until you request that we delete it, revoke your consent to its storage, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies (e.g., after your inquiry has been processed). Mandatory legal provisions—in particular retention periods—remain unaffected.

Inquiries by email, phone, or fax

If you contact us by email, phone, or fax, we will store and process your inquiry—including all personal data contained therein (name, inquiry)—for the purpose of handling your request. We will not disclose this data without your consent.

The data you send us via contact requests will remain with us until you request that we delete it, revoke your consent to its storage, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies (e.g., after your request has been processed). Mandatory legal provisions—in particular statutory retention periods—remain unaffected.

5. Plugins and Tools

Google Fonts (locally hosted)

This site uses so-called Google Fonts, provided by Google, to ensure consistent font display. The Google Fonts are installed locally. No connection is made to Google's servers.

For more information about Google Fonts, visit https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and in Google's Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

Google Maps

This site uses the Google Maps service. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. This service allows us to embed maps on our website.

To use the features of Google Maps, it is necessary to store your IP address. This information is typically transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there. The provider of this site has no control over this data transfer. When Google Maps is enabled, Google may use Google Fonts to ensure consistent font rendering. When you access Google Maps, your browser loads the necessary web fonts into its cache to display text and fonts correctly.

We use Google Maps to ensure an appealing presentation of our online offerings and to make it easy to locate the places listed on our website. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. If consent has been requested, processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR and Section 25(1) of the TDDDG, to the extent that the consent covers the storage of cookies or access to information on the user’s device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. Consent may be revoked at any time.

Data transfers to the United States are based on the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses. For details, see here: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/gdprcontrollerterms/ and https://privacy.google.com/businesses/gdprcontrollerterms/sccs/.

For more information on how user data is handled, please see Google's Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

The company is certified under the “EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the United States designed to ensure compliance with European data protection standards when data is processed in the United States. Every company certified under the DPF commits to complying with these data protection standards. For more information, please visit the provider’s website at the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

6. Audio and Video Conferences

Data Processing

We use online conferencing tools, among other methods, to communicate with our customers. The specific tools we use are listed below. When you communicate with us via video or audio conference over the Internet, your personal data is collected and processed by us and by the provider of the respective conferencing tool.

The conference tools collect all data that you provide or use in connection with the tools (email address and/or your phone number). In addition, the conference tools process the duration of the conference, the start and end times of your participation in the conference, the number of participants, and other “contextual information” related to the communication process (metadata).

In addition, the tool provider processes all technical data necessary for handling online communication. This includes, in particular, IP addresses, MAC addresses, device IDs, device type, operating system type and version, client version, camera type, microphone or speaker, and the type of connection.

If content is exchanged, uploaded, or otherwise made available within the tool, it is also stored on the tool provider’s servers. Such content includes, in particular, cloud recordings, chat/instant messages, voicemails, uploaded photos and videos, files, whiteboards, and other information shared while using the service.

Please note that we do not have full control over the data processing activities of the tools we use. Our options depend largely on the corporate policies of the respective provider. For more information on data processing by the conference tools, please refer to the privacy policies of the respective tools, which we have listed below this text.

Purpose and Legal Basis

The conference tools are used to communicate with prospective or existing contractual partners or to offer specific services to our customers (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR). Furthermore, the use of these tools serves to generally simplify and expedite communication with us or our company (legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR). To the extent that consent has been requested, the use of the relevant tools is based on this consent; consent may be revoked at any time with future effect.

Retention period

The data we collect directly through our video and conferencing tools is deleted from our systems as soon as you request that we delete it, revoke your consent to its storage, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies. Stored cookies remain on your device until you delete them. Mandatory statutory retention periods remain unaffected.

We have no control over how long your data is stored by the operators of the conferencing tools for their own purposes. For more details, please contact the operators of the conferencing tools directly.

Conference Tools Used

We use the following conferencing tools:

Microsoft Teams

We use Microsoft Teams. The provider is Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, One Microsoft Place, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, Ireland. For details on data processing, please refer to the Microsoft Teams Privacy Statement: https://privacy.microsoft.com/de-de/privacystatement.

Order Processing

Source: e-recht24.de