Privacy Policy

Preamble

With the following privacy policy, we would like to inform you about what types of your personal data (hereinafter referred to as “data”) we process, for what purposes, and to what extent. The privacy policy applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of providing our services and particularly on our websites, in mobile applications, and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “online offering”).

The terms used are not gender-specific.

Last updated: April 26, 2025

Table of Contents

• Preamble
• Controller
• Overview of Processing
• Applicable Legal Bases
• Security Measures
• Transfer of Personal Data
• International Data Transfers
• General Information on Data Storage and Deletion
• Rights of Data Subjects
• Business Services
• Business Processes and Procedures
• Provision of Online Services and Web Hosting
• Use of Cookies
• Blogs and Publication Media
• Contact and Inquiry Management
• Newsletter and Electronic Notifications
• Marketing Communications via Email, Post, Fax or Telephone
• Web Analytics, Monitoring and Optimization
• Online Marketing
• Affiliate Programs and Affiliate Links
• Customer Reviews and Rating Procedures
• Social Media Presences
• Plugins and Embedded Functions and Content

Controller

WMB-Magazin
Peter Prütting
Wilhelm-Spaeth.Str.
90461 Nuremberg

Email address: datenschutz@windmuehlenbauer.com

Imprint: https://windmuehlenbauer.com/impressum/

Overview of Processing

The following overview summarizes the types of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the data subjects.

Types of Data Processed

• Inventory data.
• Payment data.
• Location data.
• Contact data.
• Content data.
• Contract data.
• Usage data.
• Meta, communication and procedural data.
• Log data.

Categories of Data Subjects

• Service recipients and clients.
• Interested parties.
• Communication partners.
• Users.
• Business and contractual partners.
• Education and course participants.

Purposes of Processing

• Provision of contractual services and fulfillment of contractual obligations.
• Communication.
• Security measures.
• Direct marketing.
• Reach measurement.
• Tracking.
• Office and organizational procedures.
• Conversion measurement.
• Target group formation.
• Affiliate tracking.
• Organizational and administrative procedures.
• Firewall.
• Feedback.
• Marketing.
• Profiles with user-related information.
• Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness.
• Information technology infrastructure.
• Public relations.
• Sales promotion.
• Business processes and business procedures.

Applicable Legal Bases

Relevant legal bases under the GDPR: Below you will find an overview of the legal bases of the GDPR on which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the regulations of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence. Should more specific legal bases be applicable in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the privacy policy.

• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) – The data subject has given consent to the processing of their personal data for one or more specific purposes.
• Performance of a contract and pre-contractual inquiries (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) – Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.
• Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR) – Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) – Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data.

National data protection regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the GDPR, national regulations on data protection apply in Germany. This includes in particular the Federal Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz – BDSG). The BDSG contains special provisions on the right to access, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes and transmission, as well as automated individual decision-making, including profiling. Furthermore, state data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

Note on applicability of GDPR and Swiss DSG: This privacy information serves the purpose of providing information according to both the Swiss DSG and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For this reason, please note that the terms of the GDPR are used for broader territorial application and comprehensibility. In particular, instead of the terms “processing” of “personal data”, “overriding interest” and “particularly sensitive personal data” used in the Swiss DSG, the terms “processing” of “personal data” as well as “legitimate interest” and “special categories of data” used in the GDPR are employed. However, the legal meaning of the terms continues to be determined by the Swiss DSG within the scope of its application.

Security Measures

We take appropriate technical and organizational measures in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the technology, the implementation costs, and the nature, scope, circumstances, and purposes of the processing, as well as the varying likelihood and severity of the risk to the rights and freedoms of natural persons, in order to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk.

The measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access to, input, transfer, safeguarding of availability, and its separation. Furthermore, we have established procedures to ensure the exercise of data subject rights, the deletion of data, and responses to data compromise. We also consider the protection of personal data already during the development or selection of hardware, software, and processes in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

Transfer of Personal Data

In the course of our processing of personal data, it may happen that the data is transferred to or disclosed to other entities, companies, legally independent organizational units, or persons. Recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we comply with the legal requirements and conclude appropriate contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.

International Data Transfers

Data processing in third countries: If we transfer data to a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA)) or if this occurs in the context of using third-party services or disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, entities, or companies (which will be evident from the provider’s postal address or when explicitly mentioned in the privacy policy), this always takes place in accordance with legal requirements.

For data transfers to the US, we primarily rely on the Data Privacy Framework (DPF), which was recognized as a secure legal framework by an adequacy decision of the EU Commission on July 10, 2023. Additionally, we have concluded Standard Contractual Clauses with the respective providers that comply with the EU Commission’s requirements and establish contractual obligations to protect your data.

This dual safeguard ensures comprehensive protection of your data: The DPF forms the primary layer of protection, while the Standard Contractual Clauses serve as additional security. Should changes occur within the DPF framework, the Standard Contractual Clauses will serve as a reliable fallback option. This way, we ensure that your data remains adequately protected even in the event of political or legal changes.

For individual service providers, we inform you whether they are certified under the DPF and whether Standard Contractual Clauses are in place. Further information on the DPF and a list of certified companies can be found on the US Department of Commerce website at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ (in English).

For data transfers to other third countries, appropriate safeguards apply, particularly Standard Contractual Clauses, explicit consent, or legally required transfers. Information on third-country transfers and applicable adequacy decisions can be found in the information provided by the EU Commission: https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en?prefLang=de.

General Information on Data Storage and Deletion

We delete personal data that we process in accordance with legal requirements as soon as the underlying consents are withdrawn or other legal grounds for processing no longer apply. This applies to cases where the original purpose of processing no longer exists or the data is no longer needed. Exceptions to this rule exist when legal obligations or special interests require longer retention or archiving of the data.

In particular, data that must be retained for commercial or tax law reasons or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise, or defense of legal claims or to protect the rights of other natural or legal persons must be archived accordingly.

Our privacy notices contain additional information on the retention and deletion of data that specifically applies to certain processing operations.

If there are multiple retention periods or deletion deadlines for a piece of data, the longest period is always applicable.

If a period does not explicitly start on a specific date and is at least one year, it automatically starts at the end of the calendar year in which the event triggering the period occurred. In the case of ongoing contractual relationships within which data is stored, the event triggering the period is the time when the termination or other end of the legal relationship becomes effective.

Data that is no longer needed for the originally intended purpose but is retained due to legal requirements or other reasons is processed exclusively for the reasons justifying its retention.

Further information on processing operations, procedures, and services:

• Storage and deletion of data: The following general periods apply to the retention and archiving under German law:
  • 10 years – Retention period for books and records, annual financial statements, inventories, management reports, opening balance sheet, and the work instructions and other organizational documents necessary for their understanding (§ 147(1) No. 1 in conjunction with (3) German Fiscal Code (AO), § 14b(1) German VAT Act (UStG), § 257(1) No. 1 in conjunction with (4) German Commercial Code (HGB)).
  • 8 years – Accounting documents, such as invoices and expense receipts (§ 147(1) No. 4 and 4a in conjunction with (3) sentence 1 AO and § 257(1) No. 4 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
  • 6 years – Other business documents: received commercial or business letters, reproductions of sent commercial or business letters, other documents insofar as they are relevant for taxation, e.g., hourly wage sheets, operating statements, calculation documents, price markings, but also payroll accounting documents, insofar as they are not already accounting documents, and cash register receipts (§ 147(1) No. 2, 3, 5 in conjunction with (3) AO, § 257(1) No. 2 and 3 in conjunction with (4) HGB).
  • 3 years – Data that is necessary to consider potential warranty and compensation claims or similar contractual claims and rights, as well as to process related inquiries, based on previous business experiences and common industry practices, is stored for the duration of the regular statutory limitation period of three years (§§ 195, 199 German Civil Code (BGB)).

Rights of Data Subjects

Rights of data subjects under the GDPR: As a data subject under the GDPR, you have various rights, particularly arising from Art. 15 to 21 GDPR:

• Right to object: You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to processing of personal data concerning you which is based on Article 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR, including profiling based on those provisions. If personal data concerning you is processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing, which includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
• Right of access: You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether relevant data is being processed and to access this data as well as further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the legal requirements.
• Right to rectification: You have the right in accordance with the legal requirements to request the completion of data concerning you or the rectification of inaccurate data concerning you.
• Right to erasure and restriction of processing: You have the right in accordance with the legal requirements to request that data concerning you be erased without undue delay, or alternatively, in accordance with the legal requirements, to request restriction of the processing of the data.
• Right to data portability: You have the right to receive data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements, or to request its transfer to another controller.
• Complaint to supervisory authority: Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR.

Social Media Presences

We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with the users active there or to offer information about us.

We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This may create risks for users because, for example, it could make it more difficult to enforce their rights.

Furthermore, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles can be created based on the usage behavior and resulting interests of the users. These usage profiles may in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are typically stored on the users’ computers, in which the users’ usage behavior and interests are stored. Furthermore, data independent of the devices used by the users may be stored in the usage profiles (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).

For a detailed presentation of the respective forms of processing and the opt-out options, we refer to the privacy policies and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

Also in the case of requests for information and the assertion of data subject rights, we point out that these can be most effectively asserted with the providers. Only the providers have access to the users’ data and can directly take appropriate measures and provide information. If you still need help, you can contact us.

• Types of data processed: Contact data (e.g., postal and email addresses or telephone numbers); Content data (e.g., text or visual messages and posts as well as information related to them, such as authorship information or time of creation). Usage data (e.g., page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Communication; Feedback (e.g., collecting feedback via online form). Public relations.
• Storage and deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”.
• Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures, and services:

• LinkedIn: Social network – We are jointly responsible with LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company for the collection (but not the further processing) of data from visitors to our LinkedIn profiles used to create “Page Insights” (statistics). This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, as well as the actions they take. Details about the devices used are also collected, such as IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, and cookie data, as well as information from user profiles, such as job function, country, industry, hierarchy level, company size, and employment status. Privacy information on the processing of user data by LinkedIn can be found in LinkedIn’s privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.
  We have concluded a special agreement with LinkedIn Ireland (“Page Insights Joint Controller Addendum”, https://legal.linkedin.com/pages-joint-controller-addendum), which regulates in particular which security measures LinkedIn must observe and in which LinkedIn has agreed to fulfill the rights of data subjects (i.e., users can send information or deletion requests directly to LinkedIn, for example). The rights of users (in particular the right to information, deletion, objection, and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with LinkedIn. The joint responsibility is limited to the collection and transmission of data to LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, a company based in the EU. The further processing of the data is the sole responsibility of LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, particularly regarding the transfer of data to the parent company LinkedIn Corporation in the USA; Service provider: LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR); Website: https://www.linkedin.com; Privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy; Basis for third-country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Standard Contractual Clauses (https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa), Data Privacy Framework (DPF)Standard Contractual Clauses (https://legal.linkedin.com/dpa). Opt-out possibility: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
• YouTube: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR); Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Opt-out possibility: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff.
• Xing: Social network; Service provider: New Work SE, Am Strandkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR); Website: https://www.xing.com/. Privacy policy: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.

Plugins and Embedded Functions and Content

We integrate functional and content elements into our online offering that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”). These can include, for example, graphics, videos, or city maps (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “content”).

The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the users, as they could not send the content to their browsers without the IP address. The IP address is therefore required for the display of this content or functionality. We strive to use only such content whose respective providers use the IP address solely for the delivery of 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. The “pixel tags” can be used to analyze information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and may include technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, visit time, and other information regarding the use of our online offering, as well as being linked with such information from other sources.

Notes on legal bases: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for data processing is consent. Otherwise, user data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in efficient, economical, and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.

• Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g., page views and dwell time, click paths, usage intensity and frequency, device types and operating systems used, interactions with content and functions); Meta, communication and procedural data (e.g., IP addresses, timestamps, identification numbers, involved persons). Location data (information about the geographical position of a device or person).
• Data subjects: Users (e.g., website visitors, users of online services).
• Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offering and user-friendliness; Reach measurement (e.g., access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); Tracking (e.g., interest/behavioral profiling, use of cookies); Target group formation. Marketing.
• Storage and deletion: Deletion according to the information in the section “General Information on Data Storage and Deletion”. Storage of cookies for up to 2 years (Unless otherwise stated, cookies and similar storage methods can be stored on users’ devices for a period of two years).
• Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Further information on processing operations, procedures, and services:

• Google Fonts (provided on own server): Provision of font files for a user-friendly presentation of our online offering; Service provider: The Google Fonts are hosted on our server, no data is transmitted to Google; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
• Font Awesome (provided on own server): Display of fonts and icons; Service provider: The Font Awesome Icons are hosted on our server, no data is transmitted to the provider of Font Awesome; Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
• Google Maps: We integrate the maps of the “Google Maps” service provided by Google. The processed data may include, in particular, IP addresses and location data of the users; Service provider: Google Cloud EMEA Limited, 70 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR); Website: https://mapsplatform.google.com/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy. Basis for third-country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Data Privacy Framework (DPF).
• OpenStreetMap: We integrate the maps of the “OpenStreetMap” service, which are provided on the basis of the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL) by the OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF). The users’ data is used by OpenStreetMap exclusively for the purpose of displaying the map functions and caching the selected settings. This data may include, in particular, IP addresses and location data of the users, which, however, are not collected without their consent (usually carried out within the settings of their mobile devices or browsers); Service provider: OpenStreetMap Foundation (OSMF); Legal bases: Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR); Website: https://www.openstreetmap.de. Privacy policy: https://osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy.
• YouTube videos: Video content; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR); Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Opt-out possibility: Opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, Settings for the display of advertisements: https://myadcenter.google.com/personalizationoff.
• YouTube videos: Within our online offering, videos that are stored on YouTube are embedded. The integration of these YouTube videos is done via a special domain using the “youtube-nocookie” component in the so-called “enhanced privacy mode.” In “enhanced privacy mode,” only information to which your IP address as well as browser and device information belongs may be stored on your device in cookies or using comparable methods, which YouTube needs for the display, control, and optimization of the video display, until you start the videos. Once you play the videos, additional information for analyzing usage behavior and for storing in the user profile and for personalizing content and ads may be processed by YouTube. The storage period for cookies can be up to two years; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Legal bases: Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR); Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Basis for third-country transfers: Data Privacy Framework (DPF), Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Further information: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/171780?hl=de-DE#zippy=%2Cturn-on-privacy-enhanced-mode%2Cerweiterten-datenschutzmodus-aktivieren.