PRIVACY POLICY
- the address (URL) of the accessed web page
- Browser and browser version
- the operating system used
- the address (URL) of the previously visited page (referrer URL)
- the host name and IP address of the device being accessed
- Date and time
Cookies
Our website sometimes uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.
In the following we explain what cookies are and why they are used, so that 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 not to be dismissed: Cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, since there are other cookies for other applications. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, quasi 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 user data about you, such as language or personal page settings. When you return to our site, your browser transmits the “user-related” information back to our site. Thanks to the cookies, our website knows who you are and offers you your usual default settings. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file, 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, third-party cookies are created by partner sites (e.g. Google Analytics). Each cookie is unique because 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 may look like this:
- Name: _ga
- Expiration period: 2 years
- Usage: differentiation of website visitors
- Example value: GA1.2.1326744211.152321192673
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 able to be stored per domain
- A total of at least 3000 cookies should be able to be stored
What types of cookies are there?
The question which cookies we use in particular depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the privacy policy. At this point we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.
One can distinguish between 4 types of cookies:
Absolutely necessary 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 continues surfing on other pages and only goes to checkout later. These cookies do not delete the shopping cart, even if the user closes his browser window.
Functional Cookies
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. These cookies are also used to measure the loading time and the behavior of the website in different browsers.
Target-oriented cookies
These cookies ensure a better user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes or form data are stored.
Advertising cookies
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver customized advertising to the user. This can be very practical, but also very annoying.
Usually the first time you visit a website, you will be 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?
How and whether you want to use cookies is up to you. Regardless of the service or website from which the cookies originate, you always have the option of deleting cookies, allowing them only partially or deactivating them. For example, you can block third-party cookies, but allow all other cookies.
If you want to find out which cookies are stored in your browser, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this in your browser settings:
Chrome: Delete, activate 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
If you do not wish to receive cookies, you can set your browser to notify you whenever a cookie is set. In this way, you can decide for each individual cookie whether or not you wish to accept it. The procedure varies depending on the browser. The best thing to do is to look for the instructions in Google with the search term “Delete cookies Chrome” or “Deactivate cookies Chrome” in case of a Chrome browser or replace the word “Chrome” with the name of your browser, e.g. Edge, Firefox, Safari.
What about my privacy?
Since 2009 there are the so-called “cookie guidelines”. This states that the storage of cookies requires your consent. Within the EU countries, however, there are still very different reactions to these guidelines. In Germany, the cookie guidelines have not been implemented as national law. Instead, the implementation of this guideline was largely carried out in § 15, 3 of the Telemediengesetz (TMG).
If you want to know more about cookies and are not afraid of technical documentation, we recommend https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6265, the Request for Comments of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) called “HTTP State Management Mechanism”.
Rights according to the basic data protection regulation
In accordance with the provisions of the DSGVO, you are basically entitled to the following rights:
- Right of rectification (Article 16 DSGVO)
- Right of deletion (“right to be forgotten”) (Article 17 DSGVO)
- Right to restrict processing (Article 18 DSGVO)
- Right of notification – Obligation to notify in connection with the correction or deletion of personal data or the restriction of processing (Article 19 DPA)
- Right to data transferability (Article 20 DSGVO)
- Right of objection (Article 21 DSGVO)
- Right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling (Article 22 DPA)
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).