Privacy Policy

Personal data (hereinafter usually referred to only as "data") is processed by us only to the extent necessary and for the purpose of providing a functional and user-friendly website, including its content and the services offered there.

According to Art. 4 No. 1 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, i.e. the General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter referred to only as "GDPR"), "processing" means any operation or set of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

With this privacy policy, we inform you in particular about the type, scope, purpose, duration and legal basis of the processing of personal data, insofar as we decide either alone or jointly with others on the purposes and means of processing. In addition, we inform you below about the third-party components we use for optimization purposes and to increase the quality of use, insofar as third parties process data under their own responsibility.

Our privacy policy is structured as follows:

1. Information about us as controller
2. Rights of users and data subjects
3. Information on data processing
4. Manage cookie settings

1. Information about us as controller

The controller provider of this website within the meaning of data protection law is:

The data protection officer of the provider is:

2. Rights of users and data subjects

With regard to the data processing described in more detail below, users and data subjects have the right

• to confirmation of whether data concerning them is being processed, to information about the processed data, to further information about the data processing and to copies of the data (see also Art. 15 GDPR);
• to correction or completion of incorrect or incomplete data (see also Art. 16 GDPR);
• to immediate deletion of data concerning them (see also Art. 17 GDPR), or, alternatively, if further processing is necessary in accordance with Art. 17 (3) GDPR, to restriction of processing in accordance with Art. 18 GDPR;
• to receive data concerning them and provided by them and to transmit this data to other providers/controllers (see also Art. 20 GDPR);
• to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority if they believe that data concerning them is being processed by the provider in breach of data protection provisions (see also Art. 77 GDPR).

In addition, the provider is obliged to inform all recipients to whom data has been disclosed by the provider of any rectification or erasure of data or restriction of processing that takes place on the basis of Articles 16, 17 (1), 18 GDPR. However, this obligation does not apply if such notification is impossible or involves a disproportionate effort. Notwithstanding this, the user has a right to information about these recipients.

Likewise, users and data subjects have the right to object to the future processing of data concerning them in accordance with Art. 21 GDPR, provided that the data is processed by the provider in accordance with Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. In particular, an objection to data processing for the purpose of direct marketing is permissible.

3. Information on data processing

Your data processed when using our website will be deleted or blocked as soon as the purpose of storage ceases to apply, provided there are no statutory retention obligations preventing the deletion of the data and no other statements are made on individual processing procedures below.

Server data

For technical reasons, in particular to ensure a secure and stable website, data is transmitted by your Internet browser to us or to our web space provider. These so-called server log files record, among other things, the type and version of your Internet browser, the operating system, the website from which you switched to our website (referrer URL), the website(s) of our website that you visit, the date and time of the respective access, and the IP address of the Internet connection from which you use our website.

The data collected in this way is temporarily stored, but not together with other data about you.

This storage is based on Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the improvement, stability, functionality and security of our website.

The data will be deleted no later than seven days, unless further storage is required for evidentiary purposes. Otherwise, the data is wholly or partly excluded from deletion until the final clarification of an incident.

Cookies

a) Session Cookies

We use cookies on our website. Cookies are small text files or other storage technologies that are stored on your device by the Internet browser you are using. These cookies process certain information about you, such as your browser or location data or your IP address, to a specific extent. This processing makes our website more user-friendly, effective and secure, as the processing enables, for example, the reproduction of our website in different languages or the offering of a shopping cart function.

The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6 (1) lit. b) GDPR, insofar as these cookies process data for contract initiation or contract processing. If the processing does not serve contract initiation or contract processing, our legitimate interest lies in improving the functionality of our website. The legal basis is then Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR.

These session cookies are deleted when you close your Internet browser.

b) Third-party Cookies

If necessary, cookies from partner companies with which we cooperate for the purpose of advertising, analysis or the functionalities of our website may also be used with our website.

For details, in particular regarding the purposes and legal bases of the processing of such third-party cookies, please refer to the following information.

c) Consent and removal option

You can consent to the use of cookies on our website via the opt-in query and thus help us improve our website. You can revoke this consent at any time. To do so, please adjust the cookie settings at the end of this page. You can generally also use our website if you do not allow cookies. However, if you refuse or restrict the installation of cookies, this may result in not all functions of our website being fully usable.

In general, you can prevent or restrict the installation of cookies by setting your Internet browser. You can also delete cookies that have already been stored at any time. However, the steps and measures required depend on the specific Internet browser you are using. If you have any questions, please use the help function or documentation of your Internet browser or contact the manufacturer or support. With so-called flash cookies, however, processing cannot be prevented via the browser settings. Instead, you must change the setting of your flash player in this respect. The steps and measures required also depend on the specific flash player you are using. If you have any questions, please use the help function or documentation of your flash player or contact the manufacturer or user support.

Newsletter

If you register for our free newsletter, the data requested from you for this purpose, i.e. your email address and – optionally – your name, will be transmitted to us. At the same time, we store the IP address of the Internet connection from which you access our website, as well as the date and time of your registration. As part of the further registration process, we will obtain your consent to send the newsletter, specifically describe the content and refer to this privacy policy. We use the data collected exclusively for sending the newsletter.

You can revoke your consent to receive the newsletter at any time in accordance with Art. 7 (3) GDPR with effect for the future. To do this, you simply need to inform us of your revocation or click on the unsubscribe link contained in each newsletter.

a) Dispatch Service Provider

The newsletters are sent using the dispatch service provider rapidmail. The dispatch service provider is used on the basis of our legitimate interests in accordance with Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR and a data processing agreement in accordance with Art. 28 (3) sentence 1 GDPR.

Your data will therefore be transmitted to rapidmail GmbH. rapidmail GmbH is prohibited from using your data for purposes other than sending the newsletter. Disclosure or sale of your data is not permitted to rapidmail GmbH. rapidmail is a German, certified newsletter software provider that has been carefully selected according to the requirements of the GDPR and the BDSG.

b) Success Measurement

The newsletters contain a so-called "pixel", i.e. a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from the server of our dispatch service provider rapidmail when the newsletter is opened. As part of this retrieval, technical information such as information about the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and time of retrieval, is initially collected.

This information is used to technically improve the services based on the technical data or the target groups and their reading behavior based on their retrieval locations (which can be determined using the IP address) or access times. The statistical surveys also include determining whether the newsletters are opened, when they are opened and which links are clicked. For technical reasons, this information can be assigned to individual newsletter recipients. However, it is neither our aim nor that of the dispatch service provider to observe individual users. The evaluations serve us much more to recognize the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content to them or to send different content according to the interests of our users.

Contact requests / Contact option / Website forms

If you contact us via form (e.g. contact, support, event registration, test version form) or email, the data you provide will be used to process your request. The provision of data is necessary to process and answer your request – without providing it, we cannot or can only answer your request to a limited extent. The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6 (1) lit. b) GDPR. Your data will be deleted once your request has been finally answered and there are no legal retention obligations preventing deletion, such as in the case of any subsequent contract processing.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics on our website. This is a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Google". Through certification under the EU-US Privacy Shield, Google guarantees that EU data protection requirements will also be complied with when processing data in the USA.

The Google Analytics service is used to analyze the usage behavior of our website. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our website.

The data collected in this way is in turn used by Google to provide us with an evaluation of visits to our website and the usage activities there. This data can also be used to provide further services related to the use of our website and the use of the Internet. Google states that it does not combine your IP address with other data.

Google AdWords with Conversion Tracking

We use the advertising component Google AdWords and the so-called conversion tracking on our website. This is a service provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Google". We use conversion tracking for targeted advertising of our offer. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the analysis, optimization and economic operation of our website.

If you click on an ad placed by Google, the conversion tracking we use stores a cookie on your device. These so-called conversion cookies expire after 30 days and are not used for personal identification. If the cookie is still valid and you visit a specific page of our website, both we and Google can evaluate that you clicked on one of our ads placed on Google and that you were subsequently redirected to our website.

"Google+" Social Plug-in

We use the plug-in of the social network Google+ ("Google Plus") on our website. Google+ is an Internet service provided by Google LLC., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Google". The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in improving the quality of our website.

Google Maps

We use Google Maps on our website to display our location and to create directions. This is a service provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Google". The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in optimizing the functionality of our website.

Google reCAPTCHA

We use Google reCAPTCHA on our website to check and prevent interactions on our website through automated access, e.g. by so-called bots. This is a service provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Google".

The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the security of our website and in the defense of unwanted, automated access in the form of spam or similar.

Google Fonts

We use Google Fonts on our website to display external fonts. This is a service provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Google". To enable the display of certain fonts on our website, a connection to the Google server in the USA is established when you access our website. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the optimization and economic operation of our website.

"Facebook" Social Plug-in

We use the plug-in of the social network Facebook on our website. Facebook is an Internet service provided by facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. In the EU, this service is operated by Facebook Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland, hereinafter both referred to only as "Facebook". The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in improving the quality of our website.

"Twitter" Social Plug-in

We use the plug-in of the social network Twitter on our website. Twitter is an Internet service provided by Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Twitter". The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in improving the quality of our website.

YouTube

We use YouTube on our website. This is a video portal operated by YouTube LLC., 901 Cherry Ave., 94066 San Bruno, CA, USA, hereinafter referred to only as "YouTube". YouTube is a subsidiary of Google LLC., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Google".

We use YouTube in connection with the "Extended Data Protection Mode" function to be able to show you videos. The legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in improving the quality of our website.

SSL Encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as requests you send to us as the site operator, this site uses SSL encryption. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from "http://" to "https://" and by the lock symbol in your browser line. If SSL encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Objection to promotional emails

We hereby object to the use of contact data published as part of the imprint obligation to send unsolicited advertising and information materials. The operators of the pages expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of unsolicited sending of advertising information, such as spam emails.

Online job applications / Publication of job advertisements

We offer you the opportunity to apply to us via our website. Applications are made exclusively by sending your application documents via email (available on the FLOWSTER careers page). For these digital applications, your applicant and application data is electronically collected and processed by us to handle the application process. The legal basis for this processing is § 26 (1) sentence 1 BDSG in conjunction with Art. 88 (1) GDPR.

If an employment contract is concluded after the application process, we will store your data transmitted during the application in your personnel file for the purpose of the usual organizational and administrative process – naturally in compliance with further legal obligations. The legal basis for this processing is also § 26 (1) sentence 1 BDSG in conjunction with Art. 88 (1) GDPR.

If an application is rejected, we automatically delete the data transmitted to us two months after notification of the rejection. However, deletion does not take place if the data must be stored for a longer period of up to four months or until the conclusion of legal proceedings due to legal requirements, e.g. due to the burden of proof under the AGG. In this case, the legal basis is Art. 6 (1) lit. f) GDPR and § 24 (1) No. 2 BDSG. Our legitimate interest lies in legal defense or enforcement.

If you expressly consent to a longer storage of your data, e.g. for inclusion in an applicant or interested party database, the data will be processed further on the basis of your consent. The legal basis is then Art. 6 (1) lit. a) GDPR. Of course, you can revoke your consent at any time in accordance with Art. 7 (3) GDPR by declaring to us with effect for the future.

4. Manage cookie settings