Privacy Policy

When visiting our website, we only collect the personal data that your browser automatically transmits to our server. We collect the data that is technically necessary for us to display our website and to ensure stability and security, especially the following:

• IP-address
• Date and time of the request
• Time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
• Content of request (specific website)
• Access status/HTTP-status code
• Data volume transmitted
• Website, from which the request comes from (referrer-URL)
• Browser
• Operating system and its interface
• Language and version of your browser software
• Your internet service provider.

The above-mentioned data is statistically evaluated with the purpose of furthering the enhancement of our Website's offerings and to make it more user-friendly, as well as to provide personalized and location-based content, to find and fix errors faster, and to control server capacity. This is also our legitimate interest according to point (f) of Article 6(1) GDPR.

If there is a concrete indication of illegal use of our website, we will use these data for the purpose of prosecution.

The IP addresses of users are deleted or made anonymous after a year in general. In the case of anonymization, the IP addresses are changed in such a way that individual details about personal or factual circumstances can no longer be assigned to a specific or identifiable natural person.

In addition to the aforementioned log file data, this website uses cookies stored on your device that allow this website to recognize your browser on subsequent visits. Cookies are small text files that are assigned to the browser you use and stored on your device, and that provide certain information to the entity that sets the cookie (here us). Cookies can not run programs or transmit malware to your device. They are used to make the internet offer more user-friendly and effective. If you do not agree with the storage of cookies on your device, you can set up your browser so that it informs you about the setting of cookies and you allow the setting individually. Additionally, you can disable the use of cookies in your browser. However, we point out that you may not be able to use all features of this website in that case.

Our legitimate interest in the use of cookies according to point (f) of Article 6(1) GDPR is to make our website more user-friendly, effective and safer.

Here you can find out which cookies we use:

• ga / Analytics cookie by Google Analytics to differentiate users
• gat / Analysis cookie by Google Analytics for restricting request rates
• gid / Analytics cookie by Google Analytics to differentiate users
• inlinecss-loaded / cookie to speed up the load times of web pages by inlining CSS scripts
• PHPSESSID / The PHPSESSID cookie is native to PHP and is used to establish a user session and to pass state data via a temporary cookie

4.2.1 Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google. Google Analytics uses cookies. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website such as

• browser-type/-version,
• the operating system in use,
• referrer-URL (the previously visited website),
• time of the server request,

are usually transmitted to a Google server in the US and stored there. The IP address provided by your browser through Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google information. We have also added the code "anonymizeIP" to Google Analytics on this website. This guarantees the masking of your IP address so that all data is collected anonymously. Only in exceptional cases the full IP address will be sent to a Google server in the US and be shortened there.

On our behalf, Google will use the information to evaluate your use of this website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide other services related to website and internet usage to the website operator. You can prevent the storage of cookies by changing your browser settings accordingly.

You can also prevent the transmission of data generated by the cookie (incl. your IP address) to Google and the processing of these data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de. An opt-out cookie will be set which prevents the future collection of your personal data when you visit this website. The opt-out cookie is only valid in this browser and only for our website and is stored on your device. If you delete the cookies in this browser, you must set the opt-out cookie again.

We also reserve the right to use Google Analytics to analyze data from Double-Click and AdWords for statistical purposes. If you do not want this to happen, you can disable it through the Ads Preferences Manager (http://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/?hl=de).

For more information about Google Analytics’ privacy, see the Google Analytics Help Center (https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de).

Third-party information: Google Dublin, Google Ireland Ltd., Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, Fax: +353 (1) 436 1001. Terms of use: https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/de.html as well as the privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de. 

4.2.2 Social Media

Our website uses social media plugins (e.g., Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, XING, Youtube).

The plugins can usually be identified by the respective social media logos. To ensure data privacy on our website, we only use these plugins together with the so-called "Shariff" solution. This application prevents these plugins from transferring data to the respective provider when visiting our website.

When visiting our website, these buttons are disabled by default. Only when you activate the respective plugin by clicking the corresponding button, a direct connection to the server of the provider is established. Once you activate the plugin, the respective provider receives the information that you have visited our website together with your IP address. After activating the plugin, the respective provider is able to collect data, regardless of whether you interact with the button. If you are simultaneously logged into your respective social media account, the respective provider may assign the visit to our website to your user account. The button will remain active until you disable it or delete your cookies.

If you are a member of a social media network and do not want to associate the information collected during visiting our website with your stored membership information, you must log out of the social media network before activating the buttons. We have no influence on the extent of the data collected by the respective provider when activating the respective plugin. For further information on the purpose and scope of data collection, data processing and use of the data by the respective provider, as well as your rights in this regard and setting possibilities for the protection of your personal data, please take a look at the privacy policy of the respective provider.

4.2.2.1 Twitter

Our website uses features of the service Twitter. These features are made available through Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. By using Twitter and the "Retweet" function, the websites you visit are linked to your Twitter account and shared with other users. This data is also transmitted to Twitter. We point out that we are not aware of the extent of the transmitted data and their use by Twitter. For more information, see the privacy policy of Twitter at https://twitter.com/privacy. 

You can change your Twitter privacy settings in the account settings at https://twitter.com/account/settings.

4.2.2.2 LinkedIn

Our website uses features of the LinkedIn network. The provider is the LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043. Each time you visit a top-level or subpage of our website that has LinkedIn features included, it will connect to LinkedIn servers. LinkedIn is informed that you have visited our website together with your IP address. If you click LinkedIn's "Recommend Button" while logged in to LinkedIn, LinkedIn will be able to associate your visit to our website with your LinkedIn user account. We point out that we are not aware of the extent of the transmitted data and their use by LinkedIn.

For more information, see the LinkedIn privacy statement at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

4.2.2.3 Facebook

Our website uses plugins of the social network Facebook, provided by Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA. You can recognize the Facebook plug-ins by the Facebook logo or the "Like-Button" ("Like") on our website. An overview of the Facebook plugins can be found here: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/.

When visiting our website, the plugin establishes a direct connection between your browser and the Facebook server. Facebook receives the information that you have visited our website with your IP address. If you click on the Facebook "Like" button while logged in to your Facebook account, you can link the contents of our website to your Facebook profile. This allows Facebook to associate the visit of our website with your user account. We point out that we are not aware of the content of the transmitted data and their use by Facebook. If you do not want Facebook to associate your visit to our website with your Facebook user account, please log out of your Facebook user account.

For more information, see the Facebook Privacy Policy at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation.

4.2.2.4 XING

Our website uses plugins of the network XING. The provider is the XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany. Each time you visit websites that contain XING plugins, it will connect to XING servers. As far as is reasonably known to us, XING does not store your personal data nor do they store your IP address or evaluate your usage behavior

Further information on data protection and the XING Share button can be found in XING's privacy policy at https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection.

4.2.2.5 Youtube

Our website uses plugins from Google's website YouTube. The operator is YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. If you visit websites equipped with a YouTube plugin, you will be connected to the servers of YouTube. Youtube receives the information that you have visited our website. If you're logged into your YouTube account, YouTube will allow you to associate your surfing behavior directly with your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account.

For more information, see the YouTube Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

For the electronic dispatch of information on products and services, news, information about the association, invitations to trade fairs or events by e-mail or the white paper (hereinafter “information on products and services”), we ask interested parties for their express consent to this Privacy Policy.

We use the so-called double opt-in process. This means that after registering, we will send you an e-mail to the e-mail address provided at the time of registration, asking you to confirm that you wish to receive information on products and services by e-mail. If you do not confirm your registration within 72 hours, your information will be locked and automatically deleted after one month. We store your given personal data, the time of registration and of confirmation. The purpose of the process is to prove your registration and, if necessary, to clarify a possible misuse of your personal data.

After your confirmation, we will store your e-mail address for the purpose of providing you with information on products and services. The legal basis for sending the newsletter is your consent in accordance with point (a) of Article 6(1) GDPR. The legal basis for logging the application is our legitimate interest in accordance with point (f) of Article 6(1) GDPR to prove that the dispatch was made with your consent.

You can withdraw or object your consent to the dispatch of information on products and services at any time. You can withdraw or object your consent by clicking on the link provided in each e-mail or by sending a message to the contact details stated in the imprint.

There is a contact form available on our website, which can be used to get into contact electronically, for downloading documents, such as the white paper, or to order documents by e-mail. If a user uses a contact form, the data given in the user interface is transmitted to us and stored electronically. The transmission of this data is done in an encrypted form. The respective data can be seen directly in the user interface.

Prior to the processing of data, your consent is always obtained and reference is made to this Privacy Policy. Alternatively, you can contact us through the contact form or the e-mail addresses provided on our website. In this case the user's personal data transmitted by e-mail will be stored. The data is used exclusively for processing the request.

The processing of the personal data from the user interface serves us only to process your contact request. In the case of contact via e-mail, this also includes our required legitimate interest in the processing of the data. The other personal data processed during the sending process serve to prevent misuse of the contact form and to ensure the security of our information technology systems.

If the data processing takes place to carry out pre-contractual measures, which occurs upon your request, or if you are already our member, the data processing takes place for the execution of the contract, the legal basis for this data processing is point (b) of Article 6(1) GDPR. We process further personal data only if you consent to it (point (a) of Article 6(1) GDPR) or if we have a legitimate interest in the processing of your data (point (f) of Article 6(1) GDPR). Replying to your e-mail is such a legitimate interest.

For the administration of our association we process your personal data for the following purposes:

• Communicating with members for example to process inquiries of members or billing.
• Carrying out marketing campaigns, market analyses, lotteries, competitions or similar actions and events;
• To maintain and protect the safety and reliability of our services and our website, to prevent and detect safety risks, fraudulent activity or other criminal or intentional acts;
• Comply with legal requirements (such as legal retention requirements); and
• Settlement of litigation, enforcement of existing contracts and assertion, exercise and defense of legal claims.

For the above purposes, we may process the following categories of personal information:

• Contact information, such as name, address, telephone number or e-mail address;
• Payment information, such as information required to process payment transactions or fraud prevention, including credit card information and card verification numbers;
• Information collected from publicly available sources, information databases or credit bureaus; and
• Other personal data whose processing is necessary for the management of the members or which are voluntarily provided by you, such as correspondence or other cooperation data on the associations activities;

The processing of personal data is necessary to achieve the above-mentioned purposes, including the performance of the associations goals. The legal basis for the processing of this data is point (b) of Article 6(1) GDPR, because this data is needed so that we can fulfill our obligations to you.

If the personal data are not provided or not available to the required extent or if we cannot collect these, the individual described purposes may not be fulfilled or the request(s) may not be processed. Please note that this would not be considered a contractual default on our part.

The hosting services we use are for the purpose of providing the following services: infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage and database services, security and technical maintenance services we use to operate this website.

In doing so, we or our hosting service provider processes inventory data, contact data, content data, contract data, usage data, metadata and communication data members, prospects and visitors to this website based on our legitimate interests in the efficient and secure provision of our website according to point (f) of Article 6(1) GDPR and Article 28 GDPR.