Privacy Policy

 

Responsible authority in the sense of the data protection laws, in particular the EU data protection basic regulation (GDPR), is Prof. Dr. theol. Dr. phil. Thomas Schirrmacher (Friedrichstr. 38, 53111 Bonn).

Your rights of data subjects

You can exercise the following rights at any time using the contact details provided:

  • Information about your data stored with us and their processing (Art. 15 GDPR),
  • Correction of incorrect personal data (Art. 16 GDPR),
  • Deletion of your data stored with us (Art. 17 GDPR),
  • Restriction of data processing if we are not yet allowed to delete your data due to legal obligations (Art. 18 GDPR),
  • Objection to the processing of your data by us (Art. 21 GDPR) and
  • Data transferability if you have consented to data processing or have concluded a contract with us (Art. 20 GDPR).

If you have given us your permission, you can revoke it at any time with effect for the future.

You may at any time file a complaint with a supervisory authority, e.g. the competent supervisory authority of the federal state in which you reside or the authority responsible for us.

You will find a list of the supervisory authorities (for the non-public sector) with their addresses at: https://www.bfdi.bund.de/DE/Infothek/Anschriften_Links/anschriften_links-node.html.

Collection of general information when you visit our website

Type and purpose of processing: If you access our website, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise submit information, information of a general nature is automatically collected. This information (server log files) includes, for example, the type of web browser, the operating system used, the domain name of your Internet service provider, your IP address and the like.

In particular, they shall be processed for the following purposes:

  • Ensuring a trouble-free connection to the website.
  • Ensuring the trouble-free use of our website,
  • Evaluation of system safety and stability as well as
  • for other administrative purposes.

We do not use your data to draw conclusions about your person. Information of this kind is evaluated statistically by us if necessary, in order to optimize our Internet appearance and the technology behind it.

Legal basis: Processing takes place in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website.

Recipients: Recipients of the data may be technical service providers who act as contract processors for the operation and maintenance of our website.

Storage duration: The data are deleted as soon as they are no longer required for the purpose of collection. This is generally the case for the data used to provide the website when the respective session has ended.

Provision mandatory or required: The provision of the aforementioned personal data is neither required by law nor by contract. Without the IP address, however, the service and functionality of our website cannot be guaranteed. In addition, individual services may not be available or restricted. For this reason an objection is excluded.

Cookies

Type and purpose of processing: Like many other websites, we also use so-called “cookies”. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your end device (laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc.) when you visit our website.

This gives us certain data such as IP address, browser used and operating system.

Cookies cannot be used to start programs or transfer viruses to a computer. The information contained in cookies helps us to make navigation easier for you and to display our web pages correctly.

Under no circumstances will the data collected by us be passed on to third parties or linked to personal data without your consent.

Of course, you can also view our website without cookies. Internet browsers are regularly set to accept cookies. In general, you can deactivate the use of cookies at any time via the settings of your browser. Please use the help functions of your Internet browser to find out how you can change these settings. Please note that individual functions of our website may not work if you have deactivated the use of cookies.

Storage duration and cookies used: If you allow us to use cookies through your browser settings or consent, the following cookies may be used on our websites:

Insofar as these cookies may (also) affect personal data, we will inform you of this in the following sections.

You can delete individual cookies or the entire cookie pool via your browser settings. In addition, you will receive information and instructions on how these cookies can be deleted or their storage blocked in advance. Depending on the provider of your browser, you will find the necessary information under the following links:

The maximum storage time for cookies on this website is one hour.

Cookies and reports on access figures VG Wort

We use “session cookies” from VG Wort, Munich, to measure access to texts in order to record the probability of copying. Session cookies are small units of information that a provider stores in the RAM of the visitor’s computer. A randomly generated unique identification number, a so-called session ID, is stored in a session cookie. In addition, a cookie contains information about its origin and the storage period. Session cookies cannot store any other data. These measurements are carried out by Kantar Germany GmbH using the Scalable Central Measurement Method (SZM). They help to determine the copy probability of individual texts for the remuneration of legal claims of authors and publishers. We do not collect any personal data via cookies.

Many of our pages are provided with JavaScript calls, through which we report the accesses to the Verwertungsgesellschaft Wort (VG Wort). In this way, we enable our authors to participate in the distributions of the VG Wort, which ensure the statutory remuneration for the use of copyrighted works in accordance with § 53 UrhG.

It is also possible to use our offers without cookies. Most browsers are set to automatically accept cookies. However, you can deactivate the storage of cookies or set your browser to notify you as soon as cookies are sent.

Privacy policy on the use of the Scalable Central Measurement System

Our website and our mobile website use the “Scalable Central Measurement Method” (SZM) of Kantar Germany GmbH to determine statistical parameters for determining the copy probability of texts.

Anonymous measurement values are collected in the process. The access count measurement alternatively uses a session cookie or a signature, which is created from various automatically transmitted information of your browser, for the recognition of computer systems. IP addresses are only processed in anonymized form.

The procedure was developed in compliance with data protection. The sole aim of the procedure is to determine the copying probability of individual texts.

At no time are individual users identified. Your identity always remains protected. You will not receive any advertising via the system.

Comments

Type and purpose of processing: When users leave comments on our website, the time of their creation and the user name previously chosen by the website visitor are stored in addition to this information. This serves our security, as we can be held responsible for illegal content on our website, even if it has been created by users.

Legal basis: The processing of data entered as comments is carried out on the basis of a legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR).

By providing the comment function, we would like to enable you to interact in an uncomplicated manner. The information you provide will be stored for the purpose of processing your enquiry and for possible follow-up questions.

Recipient: Recipients of the data may be contract processors.

Storage duration: The data are deleted as soon as they are no longer required for the purpose of collection. This is generally the case when communication with the user has been completed and the company can infer from the circumstances that the matter in question has been conclusively clarified.

Provision mandatory or required: The provision of your personal data is voluntary. Without the provision of your personal data, we cannot grant you access to our comment function.

Newsletter

Type and purpose of processing: Your data will only be used to send you the subscribed newsletter by email. Your name will be entered in order to address you personally in the newsletter and, if necessary, to identify you if you wish to exercise your rights as a data subject.

Your email address is sufficient for receiving the newsletter. When you register to receive our newsletter, the data you provide will be used exclusively for this purpose. Subscribers may also be informed by email of circumstances relevant to the service or registration (e.g. changes to the newsletter offer or technical circumstances).

For an effective registration we need a valid email address. We use the “double opt-in” procedure to check that the registration is actually carried out by the owner of an email address. For this purpose, we log the order of the newsletter, the dispatch of a confirmation email and the receipt of the reply requested herewith. Further data will not be collected. The data will be used exclusively for the newsletter dispatch and will not be passed on to third parties.

Legal basis: On the basis of your expressly given consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR), we regularly send you our newsletter or comparable information by email to your specified email address.

You can revoke your consent to the storage of your personal data and its use for newsletter dispatch at any time with effect for the future. In every newsletter you will find a corresponding link. You can also unsubscribe directly from this website at any time or inform us of your cancellation via the contact option given at the end of this data protection notice.

Recipient: Recipients of the data may be order processors.

Storage duration: The data will only be processed in this context as long as the corresponding consent has been obtained. They are then deleted.

Provision mandatory or required: The provision of your personal data is voluntary, based solely on your consent. Unfortunately, we cannot send you our newsletter without your consent.

Contact form

Type and purpose of processing: The data entered by you will be stored for the purpose of individual communication with you. For this purpose it is necessary to provide a valid email address and your name. This is used to assign the query and then answer it. The specification of further data is optional.

Legal basis: The data entered in the contact form are processed on the basis of a legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR).

By providing the contact form, we would like to make it easy for you to contact us. Your details will be stored for the purpose of processing your enquiry and for possible follow-up questions.

If you contact us to request an offer, the data entered in the contact form will be processed to carry out pre-contractual measures (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR).

Recipient: Recipients of the data may be order processors.

Storage duration: Data is deleted at the latest 6 months after processing of the request.

If it comes to a contractual relationship, we are subject to the legal retention periods according to HGB and delete your data after these periods.

Provision mandatory or necessary: The provision of your personal data is voluntary. However, we can only process your request if you provide us with your name, email address and the reason for the request.

Use of script libraries (Google Web Fonts)

Type and purpose of processing: In order to display our content correctly and graphically appealing across browsers, we use “Google Web Fonts” from Google LLC (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; hereinafter referred to as “Google”) on this website to display fonts.

The privacy policy of the library operator Google can be found here: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/

Legal basis: The legal basis for the integration of Google Webfonts and the associated data transfer to Google is your consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR).

Recipient: Calling up script libraries or font libraries automatically triggers a connection to the library operator. It is theoretically possible – but currently unclear whether and, if so, for what purposes – for the operator to collect Google data in this case.

Storage duration: We do not collect any personal data through the integration of Google Web Fonts.

More information about Google Web Fonts can be found at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and in Google’s privacy policy: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

Third country transfer: Google processes your data in the USA and has submitted to the EU_US Privacy Shield https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework.

Provision mandatory or required: The provision of personal data is neither required by law nor by contract. However, without the correct representation of the contents of standard fonts, it cannot be possible.

Revocation of permission: The programming language JavaScript is regularly used to display the contents. You can therefore object to data processing by deactivating the execution of JavaScript in your browser or by installing an integration JavaScript blocker. Please note that this may result in functional restrictions on the website.

Embedded YouTube videos

Type and purpose of processing: On some of our websites we embed YouTube videos. YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066, USA (hereinafter “YouTube”) is the operator of the corresponding plugins. When you visit a page with the YouTube plugin, a connection to YouTube servers is established. This will tell YouTube which pages you are visiting. If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can personally associate your browsing behavior with you. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account beforehand.

If a YouTube video is started, the provider uses cookies that collect information about user behavior.

Further information on the purpose and scope of data collection and processing by YouTube can be found in the provider’s privacy policy, where you will also find further information on your rights in this regard and setting options to protect your privacy (https://policies.google.com/privacy). Google processes your data in the USA and is subject to the EU-US Privacy Shield https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework

Legal basis: The legal basis for the integration of YouTube and the associated data transfer to Google is your consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR).

Recipient: The call to YouTube automatically triggers a connection to Google.

Storage duration and revocation of permission: If you have deactivated the storage of cookies for the Google Ad Program, you will not have to reckon with such cookies when watching YouTube videos. However, YouTube also stores non-personal usage information in other cookies. If you wish to prevent this, you must block the storage of cookies in your browser.

You can find further information on data protection at “YouTube” in the provider’s data protection declaration at: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/

Third country transfer: Google processes your data in the USA and has submitted to the EU_US Privacy Shield https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework.

Provision mandatory or required: The provision of your personal data is voluntary, based solely on your consent. If you block access, this may restrict the functionality of the website.

Social plugins

Type and purpose of processing: On our website we offer you the possibility of using so-called “social media buttons”. To protect your data, we use the “Shariff” solution during implementation. This means that these buttons on the website are only integrated as a graphic, which contains a link to the corresponding website of the button provider. By clicking on the graphic you will be forwarded to the services of the respective provider. Only then will your data be sent to the respective providers. If you do not click on the graphic, there will be no exchange between you and the providers of the social media buttons. Information about the collection and use of your data in the social networks can be found in the respective terms of use of the respective providers. You can find more information about the Shariff solution here: http://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Shariff-Social-Media-Buttons-mit-Datenschutz-2467514.html

We have included the social media buttons of the following companies on our website:

SSL encryption

In order to protect the security of your data during transmission, we use state-of-the-art encryption procedures (e.g. SSL) via HTTPS.

Changes to our privacy policy

We reserve the right to adapt this data protection declaration so that it always corresponds to the current legal requirements or to implement changes to our services in the data protection declaration, e.g. when introducing new services. Your renewed visit will then be subject to the new data protection declaration.

Questions?

If you have any questions about data protection, please send us an email or contact us directly: Contact