This privacy policy informs you about the type, scope, and purpose of the processing of personal data (hereinafter referred to as „data“) within our online offering and its related websites, functions, and content, as well as external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as „online offering“). With regard to the terms used, such as „processing“ or „controller,“ we refer to the definitions in Article 4 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
For any questions regarding data protection, you can reach us on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at +49 (0) 2193 / 5008-0 or via email at info@microball.de.
Types of Data Processed
– Basic Data: (e.g., names, addresses).
– Contact Data: (e.g., email addresses, phone numbers).
– Content Data: (e.g., text entries, photographs, videos).
– Usage Data: (e.g., visited web pages, interest in content, access times).
– Meta/Communication Data: (e.g., device information, IP addresses).
Categories of Affected Persons
Visitors and users of the online offer (hereinafter collectively referred to as ‚users‘).
Purpose of Processing
- Provision of the online offer, its functions, and content.
- Response to contact inquiries and communication with users.
- Security measures.
- Reach measurement/marketing.
Terminology Used
“Personal Data” refers to all information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as the „data subject“); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, particularly by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g., a cookie), or one or more specific characteristics that express the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person.
“Processing” means any operation or set of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means. This term is broad and encompasses practically any handling of data.
“Data Controller” refers to the natural or legal person, authority, institution, or other body that alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
Applicable Legal Basis
In accordance with Article 13 of the GDPR, we inform you about the legal bases of our data processing. If the legal basis is not mentioned in this privacy policy, the following applies: The legal basis for obtaining consent is Article 6(1)(a) and Article 7 of the GDPR; the legal basis for processing to fulfill our services and carry out contractual measures as well as for responding to inquiries is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR; the legal basis for processing to fulfill our legal obligations is Article 6(1)(c) of the GDPR; and the legal basis for processing to safeguard our legitimate interests is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. In cases where vital interests of the data subject or another natural person require the processing of personal data, Article 6(1)(d) of the GDPR serves as the legal basis.
Collaboration with Processors and Third Parties
If we disclose data to other individuals and companies (processors or third parties) as part of our processing, transmit data to them, or otherwise grant them access to the data, this occurs only based on a legal permission (e.g., if the transmission of data to third parties, such as payment service providers, is necessary for contract fulfillment according to Article 6(1)(b) GDPR), if you have given consent, if there is a legal obligation, or based on our legitimate interests (e.g., when using agents, web hosts, etc.).
If we commission third parties to process data based on a so-called „data processing agreement,“ this is done based on Article 28 GDPR.
Transfers to Third Countries
If we process data in a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)), or if this occurs when using third-party services or disclosing or transmitting data to third parties, it will only be done if it is necessary to fulfill our (pre)contractual obligations, based on your consent, due to a legal obligation, or based on our legitimate interests. Subject to legal or contractual permissions, we process or allow the processing of data in a third country only if the special conditions of Articles 44 et seq. GDPR are met. This means that processing is carried out, for example, based on specific guarantees, such as an officially recognized level of data protection equivalent to that of the EU (e.g., through the „Privacy Shield“ for the USA) or by adhering to officially recognized specific contractual obligations (so-called „Standard Contractual Clauses“).
Rights of Affected Persons
You have the right to request confirmation as to whether relevant data is being processed, as well as to obtain information about this data, additional information, and a copy of the data in accordance with Article 15 of the GDPR.
You have the right, according to Article 16 of the GDPR, to request the completion of your personal data or the correction of inaccurate data concerning you.
Under Article 17 of the GDPR, you have the right to request the immediate deletion of relevant data, or alternatively, under Article 18 of the GDPR, to request a restriction of the processing of the data.
You have the right to request that the data concerning you, which you have provided to us, be received in accordance with Article 20 of the GDPR and to demand its transmission to other controllers.
Furthermore, according to Article 77 of the GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.
Right of Withdrawal
You have the right to withdraw any consents given in accordance with Article 7(3) of the GDPR with effect for the future.
Right to Object
You can object to the future processing of your personal data at any time in accordance with Article 21 of the GDPR. The objection may particularly be made against processing for the purposes of direct marketing.
Cookies and Right to Object to Direct Marketing
“Cookies” are small files that are stored on users’ computers. Various information can be stored within cookies. A cookie primarily serves to store information about a user (or the device on which the cookie is stored) during or after their visit to an online offering. Temporary cookies, also known as “session cookies” or “transient cookies,” are cookies that are deleted after a user leaves an online offering and closes their browser. For example, such a cookie may store the contents of a shopping cart in an online shop or a login status. “Permanent” or “persistent” cookies are cookies that remain stored even after the browser is closed. For instance, the login status can be saved if users revisit the site after several days. Such a cookie may also store users’ interests, which can be used for reach measurement or marketing purposes. “Third-party cookies” are cookies provided by entities other than the controller operating the online offering (if only their own cookies are involved, they are referred to as “first-party cookies”). We may use temporary and permanent cookies and will clarify this in our privacy policy.
By clicking the “Only technically necessary” button, only the essential cookies for the functionality and usability of the website will be activated. By clicking the “Accept All” button, the additional marketing and functional cookies (hereinafter referred to as “optional cookies”) embedded on the website will also be activated.
If users do not wish for cookies to be stored on their computer, they are requested to disable the corresponding option in their browser’s system settings. Stored cookies can be deleted in the browser’s system settings. Excluding cookies may lead to functional limitations of this online offering.
A general objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can be made through various services, especially in the case of tracking, via the US website http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ or the EU website http://www.youronlinechoices.com/. Additionally, cookie storage can be managed by disabling it in the browser settings. Please note that not all functions of this online offering may be available in this case.
Deletion of Data
The data we process will be deleted or its processing restricted in accordance with Articles 17 and 18 of the GDPR. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in this privacy policy, the data we store will be deleted as soon as they are no longer necessary for their intended purpose and no legal retention obligations prevent their deletion. If the data are not deleted because they are required for other legally permissible purposes, their processing will be restricted. This means the data will be blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for commercial or tax reasons.
According to legal requirements in Germany, retention is particularly for 6 years under Section 257 (1) of the Commercial Code (HGB) (commercial books, inventories, opening balances, annual financial statements, commercial letters, booking documents, etc.) and for 10 years under Section 147 (1) of the Fiscal Code (AO) (books, records, management reports, booking documents, commercial and business correspondence, documents relevant for taxation, etc.).
According to legal requirements in Austria, retention is particularly for 7 years under Section 132 (1) of the Federal Fiscal Code (BAO) (accounting documents, receipts/invoices, accounts, documents, business papers, statements of income and expenditure, etc.), for 22 years in connection with real estate, and for 10 years for documents related to electronically provided services, telecommunications, broadcasting, and television services provided to non-business customers in EU member states, for which the Mini-One-Stop-Shop (MOSS) is used.
Hosting Services
The hosting services we use serve the purpose of providing the following services: infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services, security services, and technical maintenance services, which are utilized for the operation of this online offering.
In this context, we and our hosting provider process stock data, contact data, content data, contract data, usage data, and meta and communication data from customers, prospects, and visitors of this online offering based on our legitimate interests in the efficient and secure provision of this online offering, pursuant to Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR in conjunction with Article 28 GDPR (conclusion of a data processing agreement).
Collection of Access Data and Logfiles
We, or our hosting provider, collect data about each access to the server on which this service is located (known as server logfiles) based on our legitimate interests according to Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Access data includes the name of the retrieved website, file, date and time of retrieval, transferred data volume, notification of successful retrieval, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page), IP address, and the requesting provider.
Logfile information is stored for security reasons (e.g., to investigate misuse or fraud) for a maximum of 7 days and is then deleted. Data that is necessary for evidentiary purposes is exempt from deletion until the final clarification of the respective incident.
Provision of Contractual Services
We process inventory data (e.g., names and addresses as well as contact details of users) and contractual data (e.g., services used, names of contact persons, payment information) for the purpose of fulfilling our contractual obligations and service offerings in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR. The entries marked as mandatory in online forms are required for the conclusion of the contract.
As part of using our online services, we store the IP address and the time of each user action. The storage is based on our legitimate interests, as well as the user‘s interest in protection against misuse and unauthorized use. Generally, we do not share this data with third parties unless it is necessary for asserting our claims or there is a legal obligation to do so according to Article 6(1)(c) of the GDPR.
We process usage data (e.g., the websites visited within our online offerings, interest in our products) and content data (e.g., entries in the contact form or user profile) for advertising purposes in a user profile, in order to display product suggestions based on their previously used services.
Data deletion occurs after the expiry of statutory warranty and comparable obligations, and the necessity for data retention is reviewed every three years; in the case of statutory archiving obligations, deletion occurs after their expiration. Information in any customer account remains until it is deleted.
Contacting Us
When you contact us (e.g., via contact form, email, phone, or social media), the information provided by the user is processed for the purpose of handling the inquiry and its follow-up in accordance with Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR. User information may be stored in a Customer Relationship Management system (CRM system) or a similar inquiry management system.
We delete inquiries as soon as they are no longer necessary. We review the necessity of data retention every two years; additionally, statutory archiving obligations apply.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”), based on our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization, and economic operation of our online offering in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR). Google uses cookies. The information generated by the cookie about users‘ use of the online offering is typically transmitted to a server in the USA and stored there.
Google is certified under the Privacy Shield framework, providing a guarantee of compliance with European data protection law (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).
Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate users’ use of our online offering, compile reports on activities within this online offering, and provide other services related to the use of this online offering and internet usage. Pseudonymous user profiles may be created from the processed data.
We only use Google Analytics with IP anonymization enabled. This means that users’ IP addresses will be truncated by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and truncated there.
The IP address transmitted by the user’s browser will not be merged with other Google data. Users can prevent the storage of cookies by adjusting their browser settings; additionally, users can prevent Google from collecting data generated by the cookie related to their use of the online offering and from processing this data by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.
For more information on data usage by Google, settings, and opt-out options, please visit Google’s websites: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/partners (“Data usage by Google when you use websites or apps of our partners”), http://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads (“Data usage for advertising purposes”), http://www.google.com/settings/ads (“Manage information that Google uses to show you ads”).
Online Presences on Social Media
We maintain online presences within social networks and platforms to communicate with active customers, interested parties, and users, and to inform them about our services. When accessing the respective networks and platforms, the terms of service and data processing policies of their respective operators apply.
Unless otherwise stated in our privacy policy, we process users’ data when they communicate with us within the social networks and platforms, for example, by posting on our online presences or sending us messages.
Integration of Third-Party Services and Content
We incorporate third-party content or service offerings within our online presence based on our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in analyzing, optimizing, and economically operating our online offerings in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) to integrate their content and services, such as videos or fonts (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “Content”).
This always requires that the third-party providers of this content perceive the users’ IP addresses, as they would not be able to send the content to their browsers without the IP address. The IP address is therefore necessary for displaying this content. We strive to use only such content whose respective providers use the IP address solely for delivering the content.
Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also referred to as “web beacons”) for statistical or marketing purposes. Through the pixel tags, information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website can be evaluated. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the users’ devices and may include technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, visit times, and other details regarding the use of our online offerings, and may be linked with information from other sources.
Vimeo
We integrate videos from the platform „Vimeo“ provided by Vimeo Inc., Attention: Legal Department, 555 West 18th Street New York, New York 10011, USA. Privacy Policy: https://vimeo.com/privacy.
Google Fonts
We integrate fonts („Google Fonts“) provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Privacy Policy: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/, Opt-Out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
Google ReCaptcha
We integrate the bot detection function, for example, for entries in online forms („ReCaptcha“) provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Privacy Policy: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/, Opt-Out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.