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Privacy Notice of ifm electronic gmbh

Privacy Notice of ifm electronic gmbh

1.    Scope, controller, data protection officer, definitions

1.1    The present Privacy Notice informs about how and what kinds of personal data of the user (in the following "you") are processed by us, ifm electronic gmbh, when you visit our websites.

1.2    
ifm electronic gmbh
Friedrichstr. 1
45128 Essen
Phone: 02 01 / 24 22-0
Fax: 02 01 / 24 22-1200
Email: info@ifm.com

is the controller pursuant to Article 4 no. 7 EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the processing of personal data on our websites according to this Data Protection Regulation (cf. our Legal notice).
You can also directly contact our Data Protection Officer:

ifm electronic gmbh
Data Protection Officer

Friedrichstraße 1
45128 Essen
Email: gdpr@ifm.com

1.3    Personal data means any data relating to you personally such as name, address, email addresses, the information about your use of our websites (see under section 2).
Processing means any operation performed on personal data such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction of personal data.

2.    Processing of personal data when visiting our websites or contact by email; purpose and basis

2.1    Informatory use of our websites
If the websites are used for information only, i.e. if you do not register or transmit information in any way, we only collect the personal data your browser transmits to our server. If you want to look at our websites, we collect the following data:

  • IP address,
  • date and time of the request,
  • time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT),
  • content of the request (specific site),
  • access status/HTTP status code,
  • transferred amount of data,
  • website from which the request is sent,
  • browser,
  • operating system and its user interface,
  • language and version of the browser software and
  • your approximate location data which we derive from the above-mentioned data.

Purpose and basis
The purpose of the processing of this data is to show you our websites and to ensure stability and protection. The basis is Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (f) GDPR. According to this the processing of personal data for the purposes of our legitimate interests is lawful except where this is overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject.

2.2    Contact by email or use of the contact form on our websites
If you contact us by email or use a contact form, we process

  • your advised request,
  • the company you work for,
  • your sex (salutation),
  • your first and last names,
  • your business contact data (email address, address and telephone number, the indication of your customer number is optional).

The purpose of the processing of this data is to answer your questions. We will delete the data collected in this context when storage is no longer necessary or restrict the processing if there is a legal obligation to retain data. The basis for the processing is Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (f) GDPR except where there are legal obligations to retain data. In this case the basis for storage is Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (c) GDPR; according to this the processing is lawful for compliance with a legal obligation.
Furthermore, you have the possibility to receive regular information from us (newsletter, see below section 2.6 point (c)) irrespective of filling in the contact form and the reply to your request.

2.3    Cookies

a)    In addition to the previously mentioned data cookies are stored on your PC when you use our websites. Cookies are small text files which are stored on your hard disk assigned to the browser you use and by means of which the person setting the cookie (here: we) receives certain information. Cookies cannot execute any programs or transfer viruses to your computer. Their purpose is to make the websites more user-friendly and effective. The basis is your explicit consent you give when you start visiting our website and which can be revoked at any time pursuant to Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (a) GDPR or Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (f) GDPR.

b)    These websites use the following types of cookies the scope and function of which are explained below:

  • transient cookies (see aa)
  • persistent cookies (see bb).

aa)    Transient cookies are automatically deleted when you close the browser. These include in particular session cookies. They store a session ID by means of which several requests from your browser can be assigned to one and the same session. This allows your computer to be recognised when you return to our websites. The session cookies are deleted when you log out or close the browser.

bb)    Persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a time defined by us. This time may vary according to the cookies. You can delete the cookies in the security settings of your browser at any time. With this deletion you also withdraw your consent to process the respective cookie.

c)    You can configure your browser settings according to your wishes and for example reject the acceptance of third-party cookies or all cookies. Please note, that in such a case you may not be able to use all functions of our websites.

If you leave the "Keep me logged in" function enabled when logging in to "my ifm", a permanent cookie (for 60 days) is set in the browser of your end device. This ensures that the website recognises you next time you visit. You can delete this cookie via your browser settings at any time.

2.4.       Data collection through Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Ireland Ltd. ("Google"), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Google Analytics uses "cookies", text files stored on your computer making it possible to analyse the way you use the website. As a rule, the information about your use of this website generated by means of cookies is transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

If IP anonymisation is activated on this website, your IP address is shortened beforehand by Google in countries in the European Union and other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. Please note that this website uses Google Analytics with the code extension "anonymizelp" to ensure an anonymised version of the IP address.

On behalf of the website owner, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, create reports about website activities and provide further services related to web site and internet use to the website owner. The IP address transferred by your browser in the context of Google Analytics will not be combined with other Google data.

The basis for the processing of data is your consent in accordance with point (a) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR. You may withdraw your consent with effect for the future at any time by making the appropriate setting in our cookie consent tool.

Google processes your personal data to some extent in the USA. Currently, no adequacy decision by the EU Commission exists for a data transfer. The adequate level of data protection is therefore ensured through the use of EU standard contractual clauses.

You can prevent the storage of cookies by adjusting your browser settings accordingly; however, we point out that if you do so, you might not be able to use all functions of this website.

2.5 Google Tag Manager

This website uses Google Tag Manager. This service makes it possible to manage website tags via a surface. Google Tag Manager only implements tags. This means: No cookies are used, and no personal data is collected. Google Tag Manager activates other tags that might collect data. However, Google Tag Manager does not access this data. If you have selected deactivation at domain or cookie level, it will remain valid for all tracking tags, provided that they have been implemented with Google Tag Manager.

2.6 DoubleClick

This website uses DoubleClick. Using the Google service DoubleClick enables us to provide the user with relevant advertisements. For this purpose, cookies are used that can identify the user's browser. This makes it possible to trace back which advertisements were shown and which of them the user has clicked on.

2.7 Google AdWords and Google Conversion Tracking

This website uses Google AdWords. AdWords is an online advertising service offered by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States (“Google”).

Within the scope of Google AdWords, we use a service called conversion tracking. If you click on an ad delivered by Google, a cookie will be set to enable conversion tracking. Cookies are small text files that the internet browser stores on the user's computer. These cookies will expire after 30 days and are not used to identify the user. If the user visits certain pages of this website and the cookie has not yet expired, Google and we will be able to tell that the user has clicked on the ad and proceeded to that page.

Every Google AdWords client gets a different cookie. The cookies cannot be traced back via the websites of AdWords clients. The information collected by using the conversion cookie is used to prepare conversion statistics for AdWords clients who have decided in favour of conversion tracking. The clients are informed about the overall number of users that have clicked on their ad and proceeded to a page that has a conversion tracking tag. However, they do not receive any information that would make it possible to personally identify the user. If you do not wish to be tracked, you can object to this service by deactivating the Google conversion tracking cookie in the user settings of your internet browser. In this case, you will not be considered in the conversion tracking statistics.

Conversion cookies are stored on the basis of section 1 of article 6 of the General Data Protection Regulation. The website owner has a legitimate interest in the analysis of user behaviour in order to optimise the website and advertising.

You will find more information about Google AdWords and Google conversion tracking in Google's data protection regulation: https://www.google.de/policies/privacy/.

You can set your browser to receive a notification if a cookie is set and only accept cookies in individual cases, prevent them in specific cases or in general and activate automatic deletion of cookies when the browser is closed. Deactivating cookies may restrict the functionality of this website.

2.8 Google Analytics Remarketing

Our websites use the function of Google Analytics Remarketing in connection with the cross-device functions of Google AdWords and Google DoubleClick. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

This function makes it possible to link the advertisement target groups that are created with Google Analytics Remarketing with the cross-device functions of Google AdWords and Google DoubleClick. This makes it possible that interest-related, personalised advertising messages that were adjusted to you on the basis of your past user and browsing behaviour on an end device (e.g. mobile phone) will also be displayed on another of your end devices (e.g. tablet or PC).

If you have given corresponding consent, Google will link your web and app browser history to your Google account. Thereby the same personalised advertising messages can be provided on every end device where you log into your Google account.

To support this function, Google Analytics collects Google-authenticated user IDs that will be temporarily linked to our Google Analytics data in order to define or create target groups for cross-device advertising.

You can permanently object to cross-device remarketing/targeting by deactivating personalised advertising in your Google account. For this purpose, just follow this link: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/.

The data collected will only be linked to your Google account on the basis of your consent given to Google, which you can revoke (Section 1 of Article 6 of the General Data Protection Regulation). In case of data collection processes that will not be linked to your Google account (e.g. because you do not have a Google account or because you have objected to the linking), the data collection is based on Section 1 of Article 6 of the General Data Protection Regulation. The legitimate interest is a result of the fact that the website owner has an interest in an anonymised analysis of the website visitors for advertising purposes.

You will find more information and the data protection regulations in Google's privacy note: https://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/.

2.9 Facebook Website Custom Audiences

For our website, we use the "website custom audiences" pixel of the Facebook social network, 1601 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. As a result, so-called tracking pixels are integrated into our pages. When you visit our pages, the tracking pixel will create a direct link between your browser and the Facebook server. Thus, Facebook will receive the information from your browser that our website was accessed from your device. If you are a Facebook user, Facebook can therefore associate your visit to our pages with your user account. Please note that we as the provider of this website are not notified of the content of the data transmitted or of the use thereof by Facebook. We can merely specify the segments of Facebook users (based on criteria such as age, interests) on whose pages we would like our ads to be displayed.  We use one of the two Custom Audiences processes without any data records being transmitted to Facebook, especially no email addresses of our users - neither coded nor uncoded. For more information concerning this topic, please see Facebook’s privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/.

If you want to object to the use of Facebook Website Custom Audiences, please go to https://www.facebook.com/ads/website_custom_audiences/.

Conversion analysis using the Facebook conversion pixel
We use the conversion pixel or visitor action pixel of Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA(“Facebook”). This pixel allows Facebook to see whether a Facebook advertisement has been successful, e.g. has led to an online transaction. For this purpose, Facebook gives us statistical data only, without reference to a specific person. This allows us to analyse the efficiency of Facebook advertisements for statistical and market research purposes. Especially if you have a Facebook account, we refer you to their privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/.

Please go to www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads, if you want to withdraw your consent to the use of the conversion pixel.

2.10 Google Optimize

Our website uses the web analysis and optimisation service “Google Optimize”, which is provided by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (hereinafter “Google Optimize”). We use the Google Optimize service to increase the attractiveness, content and functionality of our website by playing new functions and content to a percentage of our users and statistically evaluating the change in usage. Google Optimize is a sub-service of Google Analytics (see section Google Analytics).

Google Optimize uses cookies to optimise and analyse your use of our website. As a rule, the information about your use of our website generated by means of these cookies is transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. We use Google Optimize with IP anonymisation activated so that your IP address is shortened beforehand by Google within member states of the European Union or other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of our website, compiling reports on website optimisation tests and related website activity, and providing other services to us relating to website activity and internet usage.

You can prevent the storage of cookies by adjusting your internet browser accordingly. Besides, you can prevent the transmission of data about your use of our website generated by cookies (incl. your IP address) to Google and the processing of this data by Google by downloading the browser plugin available at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. Further information on data collection and processing by Google can be found in Google's privacy policy, which is available at http://www.google.com/policies/privacy.

2.11 LinkedIn Insight Tag

We use the LinkedIn Insight Tag from LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Attn: Legal Dept. (Privacy Policy and User Agreement), Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. This makes it possible to collect data about visits to our website, including the URL, referrer URL, IP address, device and browser characteristics (user agent) and timestamp. This data is encrypted, the IP addresses are shortened and the LinkedIn IDs of those having a LinkedIn user account are removed within seven days in order to pseudonymise the data. The remaining pseudonymised data is deleted within 90 days. Based on this pseudonymised data, we receive reports on the website's target group and the performance of our advertisements.

Besides, LinkedIn offers the possibility of retargeting via the Insight Tag. Based on this data, we are able to provide targeted advertising to you even outside of our website. For further information about data protection at LinkedIn, please refer to the LinkedIn privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

The basis is your consent according to Art. 6 section 1 point a GDPR. To deactivate the Insight Tag on our website ("opt-out") please click here: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out?trk=microsites-frontend_legal_cookie-policy.

2.12 Akamai Content Delivery Network

We use the Content Delivery Network (CDN) of Akamai Technologies GmbH, Parkring 20, 85748 Garching Germany (Akamai) to increase the security and performance of our website. This corresponds to our legitimate interest (point (f) of Article 6(1) of the GDPR). A CDN is a network of [globally] distributed servers that is capable of delivering optimised content to the website user. For this purpose, Akamai may process the following personal data in server log files: your IP address, URLs of pages visited, date and time of access, your location based on your IP address and the location of the Akamai server, telemetry data (e.g. mouse clicks, movement patterns and associated browser data).

Akamai is the recipient of your personal data and acts as a processor for us. This corresponds to our legitimate interest referred to in point (f) of Article 6(1), first sentence, of the GDPR, not to operate a Content Delivery Network ourselves.

You have the right to object to the processing. Whether the objection will be successful shall be determined within the framework of the balancing of interests.

Processing of the data specified in this section is not a statutory or contractual requirement. The functionality of the website is not guaranteed without the processing.

Your personal data will be stored by Akamai no longer than is necessary for the purposes described.

For more information on how to object and opt out of Akamai, please visit: https://www.akamai.com/content/dam/site/en/documents/akamai/akamai-privacy-statement.pdf

Akamai has implemented compliance measures for international data transfers. These apply to all global activities where Akamai processes personal data of natural persons in the EU. These measures are based on the EU standard contractual clauses (SCCs). For more information, please visit: https://www.akamai.com/us/en/multimedia/documents/akamai/akamai-pre-signed-eu-standard-contractual-clauses.pdf

2.13 Salesforce and Salesforce Messenger

Salesforce Salescloud. Data that you make available to us via our website (e.g. in newsletter registration or shop registration) are currently stored in the Salesforce Sales Cloud (salesforce.com Germany GmbH, Erika-Mann-Str. 31, 80636 Munich) Servers in the EU and / or UK and used to send emailings, order confirmations and shipment information. Salesforce undertakes to comply with binding internal data protection regulations in accordance with Art. 46 Paragraph 2 b) and Art. 47 GDPR (so-called binding corporate rules), including when processing data outside the European Union.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud. We use the Salesforce Marketing Cloud to send our newsletters, for automated mailings (e.g. welcome mails) and for advertising campaigns in social networks. For this purpose, the data of the newsletter subscriber is transferred from the Salescloud to the Marketing Cloud. In this context, we use strict authorization concepts and encryption. The data of the Salesforce Marketing Cloud is stored and processed on Salesforce servers in the USA. Salesforce undertakes to comply with binding internal data protection regulations in accordance with Art. 46 Paragraph 2 b) and Art. 47 GDPR (so-called binding corporate rules) to maintain an appropriate level of data protection when processing data outside the European Union. With the help of so-called web beacons and pixels, we receive information on the click behavior of users via the Marketing Cloud. Interaction data is stored directly on the user in the Marketing Cloud so that we can send you targeted advertising, e.g. via social networks. If you do not want this, you have the option of disabling personalized advertising in your account settings on the social networks. You can also use a different e-mail address for the newsletter or your customer account with us than for your social media accounts.

Further information on data processing by Salesforce is available here:

Salesforce privacy policy: https://www.salesforce.com/de/company/privacy/

Documents on Salesforce's compliance with the GDPR, especially when transferring data to third countries such as the USA: https://www.salesforce.com/content/dam/web/en_us/www/documents/legal/Agreements/EU-Data-Transfer-Mechanisms-FAQ.pdf

2.14 Matomo

We use the Matomo web analytics tool to customise our web pages. Matomo creates usage profiles based on pseudonyms. This is done by placing permanent cookies on your terminal device that are read by us. It allows us to recognise and count returning visitors. We also use the Heatmap & Session Recording modules. Matomo’s Heatmap service shows us the areas of our website where the mouse is most frequently moved or clicked. The Session Recording service records individual user sessions. We may replay recorded sessions to analyse the use of our website. Data entered in forms is not recorded and is not visible at any time. Data processing is carried out in accordance with your consent pursuant to § 25 (1) of the German Telecommunications and Telemedia Data Protection Act (TTDSG), Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR, provided you have given your consent via our cookie consent tool. You can withdraw your consent at any time. Please make the appropriate settings via our cookie consent tool. More information on Matomo’s terms of use and privacy policy can be found at: https://matomo.org/privacy/.

2.15 SalesViewer

This website uses SalesViewer® technology from SalesViewer® GmbH on the basis of the website operator’s legitimate interests (Section 6 paragraph 1 lit.f GDPR) in order to collect and save data on marketing, market research and optimisation purposes.

In order to do this, a javascript based code, which serves to capture company-related data and according website usage. The data captured using this technology are encrypted in a non-retrievable one-way function (so-called hashing). The data is immediately pseudonymised and is not used to identify website visitors personally

The data stored by Salesviewer will be deleted as soon as they are no longer required for their intended purpose and there are no legal obligations to retain them.

The data recording and storage can be repealed at any time with immediate effect for the future, by clicking on https://www.salesviewer.com/opt-out in order to prevent SalesViewer® from recording your data. In this case, an opt-out cookie for this website is saved on your device. If you delete the cookies in the browser, you will need to click on this link again.

3. Integration of videos by Movingimage

We have included videos into our online offer that have been stored by Movingimage EVP GmbH, Stralauer Allee 7, 10245 Berlin on https://www.movingimage.com/ and can be played directly from our websites. In this context data such as browser, browser version and country is collected.

For the Privacy Notice of our video partner Movingimage please refer to the following website: https://www.movingimage.com/gtc/privacy-policy-of-movingimage-evp-gmbh/.

4. Registration and newsletter

a)    If you want to use certain services of our websites, for example the download of data, a registration of the following data concerning you is required:

  • indication if you or the company you work for are an existing ifm customer,
  • sex (for the salutation),
  • first name, last name,
  • company you work for,
  • your business contact data (email address, address and telephone number, the indication of your customer number is optional).

You have to assign a sufficiently secure password for this data.

b)    We use the double-opt-in procedure for registration. That means that we send an email to the indicated email address after entry of your registration data in which we ask you to confirm your registration data. If you do not confirm your registration, your information is blocked and deleted after the statutory storage period has elapsed (in any case up to the end of the period of limitation for any claims). Furthermore, we store your used IP addresses and the times of entering your registration data and the confirmation. The purpose of the procedure is to evidence your registration and to solve a possible misuse of your personal data, if need be. The basis is Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (f) GDPR.

c)    Newsletter
On our websites you can register for our newsletter with current information about our company and our services.
Your consent to receive the newsletter is always freely given. You can withdraw your consent at any time. You can use all other functions of our websites irrespective of your consent to receive the newsletter. This also includes the functions in the context of the registration or the contact form.
After your registration for the newsletter we carry out the double-opt-in procedure as described above under point (b). If you have also registered for the newsletter during your registration, you confirm by means of the double-opt-in procedure your consent to receive the newsletter.
To send you the newsletter we only process your name, your sex (for the salutation) and your email address so that we can address you personally. The basis for the use of this processing of your personal data is Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (a) GDPR. You can withdraw your consent to send you the newsletter at any time and unsubscribe from the newsletter. You can state your withdrawal by sending an email to info.at@ifm.com (Austria), info.be@ifm.com (Belgium), info.bg@ifm.com (Bulgaria), info.cz@ifm.com (Czech Republic), info.hr@ifm.com (Croatia), info.dk@ifm.com (Denmark), info.fi@ifm.com (Finland), info.fr@ifm.com (France), info.de@ifm.com (Germany), info.gr@ifm.com (Greece), info.hu@ifm.com (Hungary), info.dk@ifm.com (Iceland), info.ie@ifm.com (Ireland), info.it@ifm.com (Italy), marketing.nl@ifm.com (Netherlands), info.pl@ifm.com (Poland), info.pt@ifm.com (Portugal), info.ro@ifm.com (Romania), info.ru@ifm.com (Russia), info.hr@ifm.com (Serbia), info.sk@ifm.com (Slovakia), info.si@ifm.com (Slovenia), info.es@ifm.com (Spain), info.se@ifm.com (Sweden), info.ch@ifm.com (Switzerland), info.tr@ifm.com (Türkiye), info.ua@ifm.com (Ukraine), info.gb@ifm.com (United Kingdom), info.ar@ifm.com (Argentina), info.br@ifm.com (Brazil), ca.us@ifm.com (Canada), info.cl@ifm.com (Chile), info.mx@ifm.com (México), cs.us@ifm.com (USA), sales.au@ifm.com (Australia), info.cn@ifm.com (China), info.hk@ifm.com (Hongkong), info.india@ifm.com (India), info.jp@ifm.com (Japan), info.kr@ifm.com (Korea), info.my@ifm.com (Malaysia), info.nz@ifm.com (New Zealand), info.sg@ifm.com (Singapore), info.tw@ifm.com (Taiwan), info.ae@ifm.com (United Arab Emirates), info.vn@ifm.com (Vietnam), info.na@ifm.com (Namibia), info.za@ifm.com (South Africa) or by sending a message to the contacts indicated in the contact notice.

d)    White paper

You can download white papers on different topics via our website or via our co-operation partners. The latter are social media providers, in particular LinkedIn (LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland), who legally provided us with your data, i.e. your contact details (last name, first name, gender, email address) and your company details. The download is free of charge. In order to refinance this service, we use your contact details for advertisements by email, post or telephone due to your consent.
The basis is Art. 6, paragraph 1, sentence 1, point (a) GDPR. We store your data for as long as your consent is not withdrawn. You can withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future, preferably via info@ifm.com. The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

4.1   Eventbuilder

We offer you the possibility to participate in webinars to get information about our company and our products. We operate the registrations of this service through the service provider NW Virtual Partners LLC dba EventBuilder, 915 Broadway St, #250, Vancouver, WA 98660, USA. We point out that in this context data is transmitted to third countries.

The data processing via the platform of NW Virtual Partners LLC dba EventBuilder is done according to the general terms and conditions agreed between you and the platform operator. We only have limited influence on the data processing of the platform operator. If you wish more information about the data processing at EventBuilder please use the following link: https://portal.eventbuilder.com/privacy

The data requested for the registration must be indicated completely to register for the webinar. Otherwise, no registration is possible. The webinar is refinanced by your consent to advertising given when you register for the webinar. You can withdraw your consent at any time. You find more information under "Newsletter".

4.2   On the ifm webshop

a)    If you want to place an order in our webshop, a requirement necessary to enter into a contract is that you indicate the personal data asked for which we need to process your order. Mandatory information necessary to process the contracts is marked separately; any other information is given freely. The data you indicate is used by us to process your order. The basis is Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (b) GDPR. If you are not our customer but the company you work for, we process your business contact data on the basis of Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (f) GDPR for the purpose of enabling and facilitating the communication with our customers to execute the contract.

b)    Due to trade and tax laws we are obliged to store your address, payment and order data for a period of ten years. After the end of the periods of limitation we limit processing, i.e. your data is only used to comply with the legal obligations.

4.3   Chat services

We offer chat services and technical chats in different places on our websites. For this purpose, we process your e-mail address, the company you work for, your question and your IP address. The purpose of the processing is to process and answer your chat requests for direct communication and thus provide fast customer service. This constitutes a legitimate interest according to Section 1 of Article 6 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your data will only be stored for the period it takes to process your request.

We use the chat service LiveChat for this purpose. The provider is LiveChat Software S.A., ul. Zwycieska 47, 53-033 Wroclaw, Poland. Further information on the handling of user data can be found in the declaration on the implementation of the GDPR by LiveChat Software S.A. at https://www.livechatinc.com/general-data-protection-regulation/ and in the privacy policy at https://www.livechatinc.com/privacy-policy/.

4.4    Applicant data

a)    We process the following data of people applying for a job using the application form on our websites or any other means:
first name, last name, email address, address, telephone number (if indicated) and the application documents transmitted to us.

b)    Subject to a separately given consent we only process the data to carry out the application process on which the respective application is based. Without this consent the data will not be stored after the end of the application process and the relevant storage periods.

5.    Social Media

We operate websites for business purposes at different social media portals. At these portals we are provided with statistical evaluations based on the data collection of the social media portals. We thus partly codetermine the purposes of the data collection so that we are also to be considered as responsible in addition to the social media operators.

We use these pages to provide information about our company and our products. The interaction with you as an interested party gives us direct insights into how we and our products are perceived in the market and helps us to improve ourselves and our products. Furthermore, these portals offer quick and easy contact possibilities so that you as an interested party can directly address your questions to us and we can answer them immediately.

The processing of this data is necessary for the purposes of our overriding legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6 paragraph 1 point f) GDPR.

The data processing via the platforms of the social media operators is done according to the general terms and conditions agreed between you and the platform operators as well as their data protection regulations. We only have limited influence on the data processing of the platform operators. If you do not wish to use the social media channels, you can, of course, contact us and find our information via our own website.

If you wish more information about the data processing of the social media portals please use the following links:

6.    Transfer and communication of your data to third parties

We never transfer your data to third parties without your consent.
We partly use the support of third companies for electronic data processing. They are reliable service providers we have selected very carefully so that they process your data according to our order. The basis is Article 28 GDPR. Our service providers are, of course, committed to handle the data carefully and only according to our instructions and the applicable data-protection regulations, in particular neither to use the data for their own purposes nor to transfer them to third parties.

Digital Marketing Service Providers. Based on Article 26 GDPR we periodically appoint digital marketing agents to conduct marketing activity on our behalf, such activity may result in the compliant processing of personal information. Our appointed data processors include: Prospect Global Ltd (trading as Sopro) Reg. UK Co. 09648733. You can contact Sopro and view their privacy policy here: http://sopro.io. Sopro are registered with the ICO Reg: ZA346877 their Data Protection Officer can be emailed at: dpo@sopro.io.

Furthermore, there may be individual cases in which we are legally obliged to forward your data by order from an official authority if this is required for the purpose of law enforcement or danger prevention by police or other authorities. The basis for transmission in such cases is Article 6 paragraph 1 point (c) GDPR.
Finally there may be cases in which your data is transmitted to companies associated with ifm electronic gmbh according to the company law (subsidiaries or affiliates) for one of the purposes mentioned in section 2 due to the work distribution within the ifm group of companies.
The purpose of this transmission is to structurally fulfil the tasks arising in the course of pursuit of corporate goals within a group of companies within our group of companies according to our work distribution; the basis is Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (f) GDPR.
If in this context personal data is processed outside the countries of the European Economic Area ("EEA"), we protect your personal data by transmitting and processing your personal data within our group of companies only according to the standard data protection clauses defined by the EU Commission following Article 46 paragraph 2 point (c). The standard data protection clauses can be viewed and downloaded at https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/data-transfers-outside-eu/model-contracts-transfer-personal-data-third-countries_de.

7.    Your rights

7.1    You have the following rights against us with regard to the personal data concerning you:

  • the right of information if and which of your personal data is processed by us,
  • right to rectification or erasure of your data,
  • right to restriction of processing,
  • right to object processing if the basis for this processing is Article 6 paragraph 1 sentence 1 point (f) GDPR and
  • right to data portability.

7.2    You also have the right to file a complaint with the data protection supervisory authorities about the processing of your personal data by us.

8.    Amendment of this Privacy Notice  

We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Notice at any time with future effect. The current version can be accessed on our websites. Please visit our websites regularly and inform yourself about the provisions on data protection in effect.

Date: 27 Nov. 2023