Data protection
We have drawn up this privacy policy (version 27.12.2019-321138442) to explain to you, in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 , what information we collect, how we use data and what choices you have as a visitor to this website.
Unfortunately, it is in the nature of things that these explanations sound very technical, but we have tried to describe the most important things as simply and clearly as possible.
Automatic data storage
When you visit websites these days, certain information is automatically created and stored, including on this website.
When you visit our website like you are currently doing, our web server (the computer on which this website is stored) automatically saves data such as
- the address (URL) of the website accessed
- Browser and browser version
- the operating system used
- the address (URL) of the previously visited page (referrer URL)
- the hostname and IP address of the device from which access is made
- Date and time
in files (web server log files).
Web server log files are generally stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not share this data, but cannot rule out the possibility that this data will be viewed in the event of illegal activity.
The legal basis, according to Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR (lawfulness of processing), is our legitimate interest in enabling the error-free operation of this website by collecting web server log files.
Cookies
Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.
Below, we explain what cookies are and why they are used to help you better understand our privacy policy.
What exactly are cookies?
Whenever you surf the internet, you use a browser. Common 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 are truly useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other purposes as well. HTTP cookies are small files that our website stores on your computer. These cookie files are automatically stored in the cookie folder, the “brain” of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more additional attributes must be specified.
Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal site settings. When you visit our site again, your browser transmits the “user-related” information back to us. Thanks to 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 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 can look like this:
- Name: _ga
- Expiry time: 2 years
- Use: Distinguishing between website visitors
- Example value: GA1.2.1326744211.152321138442
A browser should support the following minimum sizes:
- A cookie should 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 specific cookies we use depend on the services used and are explained in the following sections of this privacy policy. At this point, we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.
There are four types of cookies:
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are required to ensure basic website functions. For example, these cookies are needed when a user adds a product to their shopping cart, then continues browsing to other pages and only proceeds to checkout later. These cookies ensure that the shopping cart is not deleted even when the user closes their browser window.
Functional cookies:
These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. These cookies also measure the loading time and behavior of the website in different browsers.
Targeted cookies:
These cookies improve the user experience. For example, they store entered locations, font sizes, or form data.
Advertising cookies:
These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver customized advertising to the user. This can be very useful, but also very annoying.
Typically, when you first visit a website, you’ll be asked which of these cookie types you’d like to accept. And, of course, this decision will also be saved in a cookie.
How can I delete cookies?
You decide how and whether you want to use cookies. Regardless of the service or website from which the cookies originate, you always have the option to delete cookies, allow only some of them, or disable them. 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, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this in your browser settings:
Chrome: Delete, enable, and manage cookies in Chrome
Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari
Firefox: Clear cookies to remove data that websites have stored on your computer
Internet Explorer: Deleting and managing cookies
Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies
If you prefer not to accept cookies, you can configure your browser to always notify you when a cookie is about to be placed. This allows you to decide for each individual cookie whether or not to accept it. The procedure varies depending on your browser. The best way to do this is to search for instructions on Google using the search term “delete cookies Chrome” or “disable cookies Chrome” if you’re using a Chrome browser, or replace the word “Chrome” with the name of your browser, e.g., Edge, Firefox, or Safari.
What about my data protection?
The so-called “Cookie Directive” has been in effect since 2009. It stipulates that the storage of cookies requires the consent of the website visitor (i.e., you). However, reactions to these guidelines vary considerably across EU countries. In Germany, the Cookie Directive has not been implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the Telemedia Act (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 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments called “HTTP State Management Mechanism”.
TLS encryption with https
We use https to transmit data securely over the internet (data protection through technology design, Article 25, Paragraph 1 of the GDPR ). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission over the internet, we can ensure the protection of confidential data. You can recognize the use of this data transmission security by the small lock symbol in the top left corner of the browser and the use of the https scheme (instead of https) as part of our internet address.
Google Fonts Privacy Policy
We use Google Fonts from Google Inc. (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA) on our website.
You don’t need to log in or enter a password to use Google Fonts. Furthermore, no cookies are stored in your browser. The files (CSS, fonts) are requested via the Google domains fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com. According to Google, requests for CSS and fonts are completely separate from all other Google services. If you have a Google Account, you don’t need to worry about your Google Account data being transmitted to Google while using Google Fonts. Google records the use of CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and the fonts used and stores this data securely. We’ll look at how this data is stored in more detail later.
What are Google Fonts?
Google Fonts (formerly Google Web Fonts) is an interactive directory of more than 800 fonts that Google LLC provides for free use.
Many of these fonts are released under the SIL Open Font License, while others are released under the Apache License. Both are free software licenses, allowing us to use them freely without paying royalties.
Why do we use Google Fonts on our website?
With Google Fonts, we can use fonts on our own website without having to upload them to our own server. Google Fonts is an important component in maintaining the high quality of our website. All Google Fonts are automatically optimized for the web, which saves data volume and is a major advantage, especially for use on mobile devices. When you visit our site, the small file size ensures fast loading times. Furthermore, Google Fonts are so-called secure web fonts. Different image synthesis systems (rendering) in different browsers, operating systems, and mobile devices can lead to errors. Such errors can visually distort text or entire web pages. Thanks to the fast Content Delivery Network (CDN), there are no cross-platform problems with Google Fonts. Google Fonts supports all common browsers (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera) and works reliably on most modern mobile operating systems, including Android 2.2+ and iOS 4.2+ (iPhone, iPad, iPod).
We use Google Fonts so that we can present our entire online service as attractively and consistently as possible. According to Art. 6 (1) (f) (f) GDPR, this already constitutes a “legitimate interest” in the processing of personal data. “Legitimate interest” in this case refers to both legal and economic or non-material interests that are recognized by the legal system.
What data does Google store?
When you visit our website, the fonts are loaded via a Google server. This external call transmits data to the Google servers. This is how Google recognizes that you or your IP address are visiting our website. The Google Fonts API was developed to reduce the collection, storage, and use of end-user data to what is necessary for efficient font delivery. API stands for “Application Programming Interface” and serves, among other things, as a data transmitter in the software sector.
Google Fonts securely stores CSS and font requests with Google, making them protected. The collected usage data allows Google to determine the popularity of fonts. Google publishes the results on internal analytics sites, such as Google Analytics. Google also uses data from its own web crawler to determine which websites use Google Fonts. This data is published in the Google Fonts BigQuery database. BigQuery is a Google web service for companies that want to manage and analyze large amounts of data.
However, it’s important to note that every Google Font request automatically transmits information such as your IP address, language settings, browser screen resolution, browser version, and browser name to Google’s servers. Whether this data is actually stored is unclear, and Google doesn’t clearly communicate this.
How long and where is the data stored?
Google stores requests for CSS assets for one day on its servers, which are primarily located outside the EU. This allows us to use the fonts with the help of a Google stylesheet. A stylesheet is a formatting template that allows you to quickly and easily change, for example, the design or font of a website.
Google stores font files for one year. Google’s goal is to fundamentally improve website loading times. If millions of websites link to the same fonts, they are cached after the first visit and immediately appear on all other websites visited subsequently. Google sometimes updates font files to reduce file size, increase language coverage, and improve design.
How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?
The data that Google stores for one day or one year cannot simply be deleted. This data is automatically transmitted to Google when a page is accessed. To delete this data prematurely, you must contact Google Support at https://support.google.com/?hl=de&tid=321138442 . In this case, you can only prevent data storage if you do not visit our site.
Unlike other web fonts, Google gives us unrestricted access to all fonts. This means we have unlimited access to a sea of fonts and can thus get the most out of them for our website. You can find more information about Google Fonts and other questions at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq?tid=321138442 . While Google addresses privacy-related issues there, it doesn’t provide truly detailed information about data storage. It’s relatively difficult (almost impossible) to get truly precise information about stored data from Google.
You can also find out which data Google generally collects and what this data is used for at https://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/ .
Source: Created with the data protection generator from AdSimple in cooperation with hashtagmann.de