1. General Information

Thank you for choosing to visit our website smartfacts.com. We take the protection and security of our customers’ and users’ data very seriously. Our website and our business processes were designed in such a way so that as little personal data as possible is collected or processed. The following privacy policy explains in detail which information might be collected during your visit to our website, which personal data might be processed and how.

This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons when transferring your personal data and other confidential information (e.g. inquiries to the persons in charge). You can identify an encrypted connection by the character string https:// and the lock symbol in your browser line.

2. Log Files

We process so-called access data (notably your IP address) for statistical purposes to enable operation, security and technical optimizations on our website. This enables us to present our content more effectively and to detect potential errors. We collect access data when you access our website and save it in a log file:

• Name of the web page accessed
• Date and time access
• Amount of data transmitted / message about successful retrieval
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Referrer URL
• Requesting provider / your IP address

You cannot be identified using this information. Log data is regularly deleted (after 30 days at the latest). This represents a legitimate interest in accordance with article 6 para. 1 lit. f) GDPR.

3. Cookies

We use so-called “cookies” on our website. These are small text files used to simplify and accelerate the control of your visit; they may be required to enable you to use and access the secure areas of our website.

Depending on where a cookie comes from, so-called first-party cookies and third-party cookies can be distinguished between:

Depending on the validty period of the cookies, a distinction can be made between transient and persistent cookies:

Depending on their nature and purpose, the use of certain cookies may require the user’s consent. Therefore, cookies can be differentiated as to whether the user’s consent is mandatory for their use:

These cookies will only be used where user consent is required if you have already given yourconsent. A “cookie banner” will appear when you access our website. You can use it to give your consent to the use of cookies on the website by clicking a button.

Essential cookies cannot be deactivated via this website’s cookie banner. However, you can manage and deactivate these cookies at any time in your browser.

4. Statistical Evaluation – Tracking

We use tracking technologies on our website to measure, evaluate and optimize our content. We can also identify security risks in order to protect our users and partners from fraud. The legal basis for this data processing is the consent you have given us (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a) GDPR). For this purpose, we use the following products made available to us via external service providers:

4.1 Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics, a web analysis service by Google Ireland Ltd, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4 Ireland (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies to analyze how you use the website. Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate the use of our website by the users, to compile reports on the activities within this website and to provide us with further services related to the use of this website and the internet. The processed data can be used to create alias user profiles for the users.

The protection of your data is important to us, which is why we have added the configuration parameter “anonymizeIP” to Google Analytics. Your IP address is only recorded in abbreviated form by the code. Your personal user data is only processessed anonymously in Google Analytics. This means that the user’s IP address is shortened by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. The IP address transmitted by the user’s browser is not merged with other Google data.

Information about how you use our websites created by the cookie is normally transferred to a Google server in the USA. The processing is based on EU standard contract clauses. Through this, Google offers a guarantee to comply with European data protection law. The storage of cookies is based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time using the following link: Cookie Settings

Further information on the use of your data and appeal options can be found in Google’s privacy policy and in the settings for the display of advertising by Google.

Further information on the terms of use of Google Analytics and the data protection regulations can be found here or under this link.

4.2 HubSpot

We use the services of the software manufacturer HubSpot. HubSpot is a software company from the USA with a subsidiary in Ireland (HubSpot European Headquarters, Ground Floor, Two Dockland Central, Guild Street, Dublin 1, Ireland).

HubSpot is a service platform. The service used is an integrated software solution that allows us to manage customer data and cover various aspects of our online marketing. These include analysis of landing pages and reporting. “Web beacons” are used for this and cookies are stored on your end device.

The following personal data may be collected in the process:

• IP address
• Geographical location
• Type of browser
• Duration of the visit
• Accessed pages

The information collected and the content of our website is stored on servers of our software partner HubSpot Ireland. We use HubSpot to analyze the use of our website. This allows us to continuously optimize our website and make it more user-friendly. We also use information to determine which of our company services are of interest to customers and newsletter subscribers and to contact them for advertising purposes. In addition, we use the evaluation to optimize our web offer for you.

Your IP address is truncated to preserve anonymity. This means that the user’s IP address is shortened by HubSpot within European Union member states or in other contracting states in the European Economic Area. Full IP addresses are rarely sent to a HubSpot server in the USA and truncated there.

The cookies have a normal lifetime of 13 months. In addition, we delete personal data collected through HubSpot as soon as the purpose for which it was collected has been achieved, unless deletion is prevented by legal retention periods.

The information generated by the cookie about the use of the website by users can usually also be transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. The processing is based on EU standard contract clauses. This enables HubSpot to comply with European data protection law.

The storage of cookies is based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR. You can withdraw your consent under the following link: Cookie Settings

For more information about how HubSpot works, please refer to the HubSpot Inc. privacy policy.

5. Social Plug-Ins

We use social plug-ins from various social network providers. Social plug-ins enable the distribution of website content via social networks. On this website you can find social plug-ins from various internet services. On the corresponding detail page, the individual plug-ins are explained and examples of their application and integration are given.

5.1 Google Web Fonts

We use so-called web fonts for the uniform display of fonts which are provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland (“Google”). When you access a page, your browser loads the required web fonts into your browser cache in order to display texts and fonts correctly. For this purpose, your browser must connect to Google’s servers, which may also involve the transfer of personal information to Google LLC. servers in the United States. Google uses this information to recognize that our website has been accessed via your IP address. The use of Google Web Fonts is in the interest of a uniform and attractive presentation of our online offers.

This represents a legitimate interest in the sense of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Further information on Google Web Fonts can be found in their FAQs and in Google’s privacy policy.

You can object to this data processing at any time via the settings in your browser or certain browser plug-ins. One such plug-in is the matrix-based firewall, uMatrix, for the Firefox and Google Chrome browsers. Please note that this may result in functional restrictions on the website.

5.2 Google Tag Manager

We use Google Tag Manager, an online advertising program provided by Google Inc, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States. This service allows website tags to be managed through a single interface. The Google Tag Manager only implements tags.

This means: no cookies are used and no personal data is collected. The Google Tag Manager triggers other tags, which in turn may collect data. However, the Google Tag Manager does not access this data. If a deactivation has been made at domain or cookie level, it will remain in effect for all tracking tags as long as they are implemented with the Google Tag Manager.

For more information on how we handle user data, please visit the Google tagmanager use policy.

5.3 LinkedIn Insights

We use the LinkedIn pixel from LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA on this website.

The code implemented on this page can evaluate the behavior of visitors who came to this site via a LinkedIn advertisement. This can be used to improve LinkedIn advertisements. This information is collected and stored by LinkedIn. The data collected is visible to us and can only be used in the context of advertising campaigns. By using the LinkedIn pixel code, cookies are also set.

By using the LinkedIn pixel code, your visit to this website is reported to LinkedIn so that visitors to LinkedIn are shown appropriate advertisements. If you have a LinkedIn account and are logged-in, your visit to this website will be associated with your LinkedIn account.

The storage of cookies is based on Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f) GDPR. You can revoke your consent at the following link: Cookie Settings

More information about LinkedIn’s data policy can be found here.

6. Social Media

We use social medias in order to communicate with our users and to provide information about our services. When visiting our site, no direct connection is made between your browser and the servers of the respective social networks. The data will only be forwarded if you have chosen and agreed to the data transfer within the privacy settings. An automatic transmission of user data to the operators of these platforms does not take place. For detailed information about the respective forms of processing and contestation options, please refer to the data protection declarations and information of the operators of the respective networks.

6.1 LinkedIn

Our website uses the “share function” of the LinkedIn network (provided by LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA). By clicking on the LinkedIn button, you will be redirected to your user account in a separate browser window – provided you are logged-in to LinkedIn in your user account. The plug-in establishes a direct connection between your browser and the LinkedIn server. LinkedIn receives information about your visit and your IP address. LinkedIn might track your visit to our website and link it to your account. We have no knowledge of the content of the (personal) data transmitted or used by LinkedIn. For more information, please refer to the LinkedIn privacy policy.

6.2 Xing

Our website uses the “share function” of the Xing network (provided by Xing AG, Dammtorstrasse 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany). By clicking on the Xing button, you will be redirected to your user account in a separate browser windo – provided you are logged-in to your Xing user account. The plug-in establishes a direct connection between your browser and the Xing server. Xing receives information about your visit and your IP address. We have no knowledge of the content of the (personal) data transmitted or used by Xing. For more information, please refer to the Xing privacy policy.

6.3 Facebook (Fanpage)

We operate a so-called “fan page” on Facebook to provide information about MID GmbH activities. This provides prospective customers, current customers and applicants with information about our company culture and topics in general. This is an offer provided by Facebook Ireland Ltd (“Facebook”), 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2.

We have agreed to the terms and conditions for the commercial use of Facebook. If you visit our fan page on Facebook, Facebook uses our fan page cookie on your end device and collects so-called “Insights data” about the use of our fan page:

• Information about your visit to our Facebook fan page (your IP address, last visited website, file name, URL)
• Information about your Facebook interactions regarding our content (“likes”)
• If applicable, any comments you made will be saved, including a timestamp

These cookies from Facebook each have a unique cookie ID. On the basis of the data processing carried out by Facebook, we receive anonymised statistical data of fan page visitors from Facebook in accordance with our joint responsibility as controllers pursuant to Art. 26 GDPR. At no time during your visit to our fanpage, the Insights function and the statistics provided by these will allow us to identify your person.

The legal basis for the collection and processing of your personal data carried out by Facebook for us for the aforementioned statistical purposes is Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f) GDPR.

When and in what form Facebook corrects, ports, saves or deletes your personal data is known only to Facebook. We have no influence on this. Since Facebook, as the provider of the fan page and the Facebook Insights Tool, carries out the surveys and evaluations of personal data required for our statistics, it also has the possibility to establish a personal reference using this data or transfer it to the USA.

The information generated by the cookies about the use of the online offer by the users is usually transferred to a server in the USA and stored there. The processing is based on EU standard contract clauses. Through this, Facebook offers a guarantee to comply with European data protection law.

Information on how to contact Facebook, how to set up ads and the data usage guidelines are available under this link.

6.4 YouTube

We also use the video portal of YouTube LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., 94066 San Bruno, CA, USA, hereinafter only referred to as “YouTube”.

A connection to the YouTube server in the USA is established as soon as you access one of our Internet pages which a YouTube video is embedded in. This connection is required for displaying the respective video on our Internet site via your Internet browser. During your visit, YouTube will record and process your IP address, the date and time, and the website you visited.

For the purpose of functionality as well as for the analysis of the usage behaviour YouTube permanently stores cookies via your internet browser on your end device.

YouTube is a subsidiary of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, hereinafter only referred to as “Google”. The information generated by the cookies about the use of the online offer by the users is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. The processing is based on EU standard contract clauses. Through this, Google offers a guarantee to comply with European data protection law.

The storage of cookies is based on Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a DSGVO. You can revoke your consent under the following link: Cookie Settings

You can find more information about this under “Cookies”. Google provides further information about the collection and use of data and your rights and protection options in this regard in the data protection information available here.

7. Newsletter

On our website, you can subscribe to our newsletter to receive information. We will only process the information you provide voluntarily for the purpose of sending you the newsletter. Our legal basis for the processing is your consent according to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a) GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future. This revokes your consent for both receiving the newsletter as well as statistical analyses. It is not possible to revoke consent for solely receiving the newsletter or statistical evaluation. You will find a link to cancel the newsletter at the end of each newsletter.

7.1 Transfer of Data to Third Parties – Hubspot

Our newsletters are sent via “Hubspot”, 25 First Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02141, United States, a newsletter delivery platform.

Your personal information is stored on Hubspot’s servers. Hubspot uses this information to send and evaluate newsletters on our behalf. Furthermore, Hubspot may use this information to optimize or improve its own services, e.g. to technically optimize the delivery and display of newsletters or for commercial purposes to determine which countries the recipients come from. However, Hubspot does not use our newsletter recipients’ information to contact them itself or to share it with third parties.

The newsletters also contain a so-called “web-beacon”, i.e. a pixel-sized file that is retrieved from the server of the mailing service provider when the newsletter is opened. Within the scope of this retrieval, technical information such as information on the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and time of retrieval are initially collected. This information is used for the technical improvement of the services based on the technical data or the target groups and their reading behavior based on their retrieval locations (which can be determined by means of the IP address) or the access times. Statistical surveys also include determining whether newsletters are opened, when they are opened and which links are clicked. For technical reasons, this information can be attributed to individual newsletter recipients. However, it is neither our nor the dispatch service provider’s intention to observe individual users. The evaluation is instead used to recognize the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content towards them or to send different content according to the interests of our users. The use of the mail-order service provider, the performance of statistical surveys and analyses as well as the logging of the registration procedure are carried out on the basis of our legitimate interests in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f DSGVO. We are interested in the use of a user-friendly and secure newsletter system that serves our business interests and meets the expectations of the users.

Further information can be found in the HubSpot data protection declaration.

8. Contact via E-Mail / Contact Form

If you contact us via e-mail using an e-mail address provided by us, then the personal data you provide will be stored. This includes your e-mail address and other information you provide us with. We use your contact data exclusively to answer your inquiries.

The legal basis for data processing is the fulfilment of our (pre-)contractual obligations within the framework of the provision of our range of services in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 S. 1 lit. b) GDPR.

The data will be deleted as soon as the purpose for its collection no longer applies and it are no longer required for documentation purposes. We do not pass on the data to third parties.

9. Your Rights as a Data Subject

With regard to the data processing listed here, you are entitled to various data subject rights which are regulated in the GDPR.

Right of Access
First of all, you have the right to obtain information about the data that you have transmitted to us and that we have processed (Art. 15 GDPR).

Right to Correction, Deletion and Restriction
You can also request the correction (Art. 16 GDPR), deletion (Art. 17 GDPR) and restriction (Art. 18 GDPR) of your data.

Right to Data Portability and Right to Object
You also have a right to data portability (Art. 20 GDPR) and a right of objection (Art. 21 GDPR).

Right to Lodge a Complaint
Irrespective of any other administrative or judicial remedy, you also have the right to complain to a data protection authority. You may contact the data protection authority at your usual place of residence or our registered office. The address of our supervisory authority:

Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht
Promenade 18
91522 Ansbach
Germany

Telephone: +49 (0) 981 180093-0
E-mail: poststelle@lda.bayern.de

10. Information about the Person Responsible / Data Protection Officer

If you have any further questions, e.g. about data that we have stored about you, please do not hesitate to contact us.

MID GmbH
Dr. Martin Müller
Kressengartenstrasse 10
90402 Nuremberg
Germany

MID GmbH is the responsible party in terms of data protection regulations. Contact requests can be made via e-mail to datenschutzbeauftragter@mid.de. Our data protection officer is Mr Ali Tschakari, LL.M. Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbH, Albrechtstrasse 10, 10117 Berlin, Germany. You can contact him directly via e-mail at datenschutz@bitkom-consult.de.

11. Concluding Provisions

MID has the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time to ensure its compliance with current legal requirements or to implement changes to the services in the Privacy Policy, for example, when new services are introduced or changes are made to the website. The new Privacy Policy will then apply when you return to this website.

Last Update: November 2020