Privacy Notice

 

Privacy Policy

Table of Contents:
- Information on the Processing of Your Data by FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH
- What Data We Collect in Detail and How We Use It
- Information on Cookies and Integrated Applications
- Technical Instructions for Privacy Settings

General

This website is an offer of FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH. FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH takes data protection seriously. Your data is collected in accordance with statutory provisions. You can find comprehensive information on this at www.datenschutz.de. Below, we would like to show you what data we collect from you, what happens to this data, and what security measures we have taken to protect this data from misuse. Through this transparent and understandable information on our privacy policy, we want to ensure that visitors and customers are well informed about the collection, processing and use of personal data.

Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (e.g. name, address, telephone number, date of birth or e-mail address). In principle, you can use our online offering without providing personal data. However, the use of certain services may require the provision of personal data, e.g. registration or participation in a prize draw.

All employees of our company receive regular training on data protection and are bound by data protection obligations. Our data centre and our in-house IT department continuously adapt technical security measures to current circumstances and requirements. Both are subject to ongoing review by our internal processes and the data protection officer. Nevertheless, internet technologies may have security gaps that cannot guarantee comprehensive protection one hundred percent. For this reason, our users can also transmit data to us via other means of contact, such as telephone or fax.

   I. Information on the Processing of Your Data by FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH (pursuant to Articles 13 and 14 of the GDPR)

In order to create greater transparency in the processing of personal data by companies, the European legislator has introduced a new information obligation. Already at the point of data collection, you as the data subject should learn what happens to your personal data and for what purposes it is processed. You receive the following information on the basis of the GDPR:

a) Responsible for data processing is:

FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH
Mandichostraße 18
86504 Merching
Email: datenschutzbeauftragter(at)forum-verlag.com
Tel.: 08233-381-123

b) Name and address of the data protection officer

Datenschutzkanzlei Lenz GmbH & Co. KG
Sven Lenz
Bahnhofstraße 50
D-87435 Kempten (Allgäu)
Telephone: +49 831 930653-00
datenschutzbeauftragter(at)forum-verlag.com

c) Purposes of processing

We process your personal data only in compliance with the applicable data protection provisions. Your data is only processed if one of the following legal grounds applies:

  • to fulfil our contractual obligations
  • the processing is required by law
  • if your consent has been given
  • on the basis of our legitimate interests pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. This is the pursuit of our business activities, in particular with regard to the wellbeing of our employees and the company's owners.

Specific examples of this are:

  • Provision of this online offering and performance of the contract in accordance with our terms of use / general terms and conditions
  • Our own and third-party advertising as well as market research and reach measurement to the extent legally permitted (e.g. Section 7(3) UWG) or based on consent.
  • Sending an e-mail newsletter
  • Making contact to process your enquiries
  • Registration and use of your customer account and management of your orders

d) Storage period, or criteria for determining the period

We store the data you have provided to us only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the aforementioned purposes, or as required by the various statutory retention periods. Once the respective purpose no longer applies, or upon expiry of the relevant periods, your data is routinely blocked or deleted in accordance with statutory provisions.

e) Disclosure of data to third parties

In principle, we only pass your personal data on to third parties if this is necessary for the performance of the contract, if we or the third party have a legitimate interest in the disclosure, or if you have given your consent for this. For the performance of the contract, we pass your data on to the shipping company commissioned with delivery, insofar as this is necessary for the delivery of ordered goods. For the processing of payments, we pass on the payment data required for this purpose to the credit institution commissioned with the payment and, where applicable, to payment service providers commissioned by us, or to the payment service selected by you during the ordering process (e.g. PayPal). For attendance control purposes, we pass on participant lists to our speakers. Insofar as data is transmitted to third parties on the basis of a legitimate interest, this is explained in this privacy policy. In addition, data may be transmitted to third parties if we are obliged to do so due to statutory provisions or by enforceable official or judicial order. Employees of FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH are obliged to maintain confidentiality regarding personal data.

f) Service providers

We reserve the right to use service providers in the collection or processing of data. Service providers only receive from us the personal data they need for their specific activity. For example, your e-mail address may be passed on to a service provider so that they can deliver a newsletter you have ordered. Service providers may also be commissioned to provide server capacity. Service providers are generally engaged as so-called processors, who may only process the personal data of users of this online offering in accordance with our instructions. 

g) Data processing on our behalf (order processing)

Insofar as personal data is collected by the customer in connection with the provision of web-based software applications and product components and is thus processed by FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH, this is done by way of processing on behalf of the controller pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR. For questions regarding data processing agreements, or if you would like to conclude a data processing agreement, please contact our customer service on telephone number 08233 381-123 or by e-mail to service(at)forum-verlag.com.  

h) Notice of data subject rights

You have the right to obtain information about the personal data concerning you. You may also demand the correction of inaccurate data. In addition, under certain conditions, you are entitled to the right to erasure of data, the right to restriction of processing, and the right to data portability. You have the right at any time to object to the use of your data for internal purposes with effect for the future. Please use the details given at the beginning of this privacy policy to exercise your rights. A simple e-mail to: service(at)forum-verlag.com is sufficient. Please ensure that we are able to clearly identify you. Note: for organisational reasons, there may be an overlap between your objection and the use of your data within the framework of an advertising campaign that is already underway.

Insofar as your personal data is processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, you have a right to object, provided there are grounds arising from your particular situation.

i) Notice of the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority. You may contact the data protection authority responsible for your place of residence or federal state, or the data protection authority responsible for us. This is: Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA), Promenade 18, D-91522 Ansbach, This e-mail address is protected from spam bots! You need JavaScript enabled to view it!.

j) Contact

For information and suggestions on the topic of data protection, we, or our data protection officer, are happy to assist you at datenschutzbeauftragter(at)forum-verlag.com. If you would like to contact us, you can reach us via the contact details given at the beginning of this privacy policy. Should you wish to contact FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH by e-mail, please note that the confidentiality of the information transmitted cannot be guaranteed. The content of e-mails may be viewed by third parties. We therefore recommend that you send us confidential information exclusively by post.

   II. What Data We Collect in Detail and How We Use It

Log files

You can visit our website without providing any personal information. However, whenever you use the internet, your internet browser automatically transmits certain information, which we store in so-called log files. We store the log files exclusively for the purpose of identifying faults and for security reasons (e.g. to investigate attempted attacks) for 90 days, after which they are deleted. Log files whose further retention is required for evidentiary purposes are excluded from deletion until the respective incident has been finally clarified, and may in individual cases be passed on to investigating authorities.

In particular, the following information is stored in the log files:

  • IP address (internet protocol address) of the device from which the online offering is accessed;
  • internet address of the website from which the online offering was accessed (so-called referring or referrer URL);
  • name of the files or information accessed;
  • date and time;
  • volume of data transferred;
  • operating system and information on the internet browser used, including installed add-ons (e.g. for the Flash Player);
  • http status code (e.g. "request successful" or "requested file not found").

The provision of personal data may also be required by law (e.g. under tax regulations).

Data collection and use for contract processing and when opening a customer account

We collect personal data if you voluntarily provide it to us as part of your order, when contacting us (e.g. via the contact form or e-mail), or when opening a customer account. The data collected can be seen from the respective input forms. We use the data you provide to process the contract and handle your enquiries. Once the contract has been fully processed or your customer account has been deleted, your data is blocked from further use and deleted after expiry of the retention periods under tax and commercial law, unless you have expressly consented to further use of your data or we reserve the right to a further use of data that is legally permitted and about which we inform you below. Your customer account can be deleted at any time and can be done by sending a message using the contact details described below.

Use of data when registering for the e-mail newsletter

If you register for one of our newsletters, we use the data required for this purpose, or data separately provided by you, to send you our e-mail newsletter regularly. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, either by sending a message using the contact details described below or via a link provided for this purpose in the newsletter. The use of the e-mails is recorded. You can object to this recording at any time via a link provided for this purpose in each e-mail or by sending a message to datenschutzbeauftragter(at)forum-verlag.com.

Use of data for e-mail, fax and telephone advertising, and your right to object

If we receive your e-mail address, fax number or telephone number in connection with the sale of goods or a service, and you have not objected to this, we reserve the right to inform you regularly, by e-mail, fax or telephone, about offers relating to products similar to those already purchased from our range. You can object to this use of your contact details at any time by sending a message using the contact details described below, or via a link provided for this purpose in the advertising e-mail, without incurring any costs other than the transmission costs according to the basic rates. The use of the e-mails is recorded. You can object to this recording at any time via a link provided for this purpose in each e-mail or by sending a message to datenschutzbeauftragter(at)forum-verlag.com.

Use of data for postal advertising and your right to object

In addition, we reserve the right to store your first and last name, your postal address and – insofar as we have received this additional information from you within the scope of the contractual relationship – your title, academic degree, year of birth, and your occupation, industry or business designation in compiled lists, and to use this for our own advertising purposes, e.g. to send you interesting offers and information about our products by letter post. You can object to the storage and use of your data for these purposes at any time by sending a message using the contact details described below.

Redirection to other operators' pages

If you leave our site, for example by clicking on our banner advertising, and arrive at third-party sites, so-called cookies may be set by the recipients of the target site you have clicked on. FORUM VERLAG HERKERT GMBH is not legally responsible for these. Please refer to the privacy policies of our advertising partners regarding their use of such cookies and the information stored therein.

Data protection in application procedures

We collect personal data from applicants in order to process the application procedure. Your application documents are reviewed by HR representatives and, where applicable, several managers of the FORUM subsidiary companies. If an employment contract is concluded, personal data is stored for the purpose of carrying out the employment relationship. Statutory provisions are taken into account in this respect. In the event of a rejection decision, the application documents are deleted no later than two months thereafter. An exception applies where we need to retain the application documents, for example, for evidentiary purposes in proceedings under the General Equal Treatment Act, or where other legitimate interests exist. Should we wish to retain application documents in our applicant pool on a longer-term basis, we will ask for your consent to do so.

Data protection for minors

Since the protection of children's privacy is of great importance, we do not wish to collect, process or use personal data from persons under the age of 18. If you, as a parent or guardian, become aware that your children have transmitted their personal data to us, you may contact us at the addresses given if you would like the data to be deleted.

   III. Information on Cookies and Integrated Applications

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are sent when visiting a website and stored in the user's browser. When the relevant website is visited again, the user's browser sends back the contents of the cookies, thereby enabling the user to be recognised again. Certain cookies are automatically deleted at the end of the browser session (so-called session cookies), while others are stored in the user's browser for a specified period of time, or permanently, and delete themselves automatically thereafter (so-called temporary or permanent cookies).

What data is stored in cookies?

In principle, no personal data is stored in cookies, only an online identifier.

How can you prevent the use of cookies or delete cookies?

You can deactivate the storage of cookies via your browser settings and delete cookies already stored in your browser at any time. Please note, however, that this online offering may not function, or may only function to a limited extent, without cookies. Please also note that objections to the creation of usage profiles work in part via a so-called "opt-out cookie". If you delete all cookies, an objection may therefore no longer be taken into account and must be raised again by you.

What kind of cookies do we use?

Strictly necessary cookies

Certain cookies are necessary for us to be able to provide our online offering securely. This category includes, for example, cookies used to identify or authenticate our users; cookies that temporarily store certain user input (e.g. the contents of a shopping cart or an online form); cookies that store certain user preferences (e.g. search or language settings); cookies that store data to ensure the uninterrupted playback of video or audio content.

Usercentrics

On our website, we use the cookie consent technology of Usercentrics GmbH, Rosental 4, 80331 Munich, Germany (hereinafter “Usercentrics”), to obtain your consent to the storage of certain cookies on your device and to document this in a manner compliant with data protection law. Usercentrics uses a cookie to be able to allocate the consent(s) given, as well as their withdrawal, to you.

The data collected by Usercentrics is processed on our behalf and on the basis of a data processing agreement.

Usercentrics is used to obtain and manage the legally required consents for the use of cookies. The legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(c) GDPR.

For further information, please refer to the Usercentrics website: https://usercentrics.com/de/.

Matomo

For statistical evaluation purposes, we use "Matomo" (formerly "PIWIK") on some of our websites. This is an open-source tool for web analysis. With Matomo, data is only transmitted to our servers and is not passed on to third parties. Matomo is deactivated when you visit our website. Only once you have actively given your consent is your usage behaviour recorded on an anonymised basis. Your IP address is anonymised immediately, so that you remain anonymous as a user.

Google Analytics

Insofar as you have given your consent, Google Analytics, a web analytics service of Google LLC, is used on this website. The service provider responsible in the EU is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (“Google”).

Scope of processing
Google Analytics uses cookies that enable an analysis of your use of our website. The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website is generally transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

We use the ‘anonymizeIP’ function (so-called IP masking): due to the activation of IP anonymisation on this website, your IP address is shortened by Google within Member States of the European Union or in other signatory states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area beforehand. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics is not merged with other Google data.

During your visit to the website, the following data, among other things, is collected:
• the pages you access, your "click path"
• achievement of "website goals" (conversions, e.g. newsletter sign-ups, downloads, purchases)
• your user behaviour (e.g. clicks, dwell time, bounce rates)
• your approximate location (region)
• your IP address (in shortened form)
• technical information about your browser and the devices you use (e.g. language settings, screen resolution)
• your internet service provider
• the referrer URL (which website/advertising medium you came from to reach this website)

Purposes of processing
On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your (pseudonymous) use of the website and to compile reports on website activity. The reports provided by Google Analytics serve to analyse the performance of our website and the success of our marketing campaigns.

Recipient
The recipient of the data is: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, as processor. We have concluded a data processing agreement with Google for this purpose. Google LLC, headquartered in California, USA, and, where applicable, US authorities, may access the data stored at Google.

Transfer to third countries
A transfer of data to the USA cannot be ruled out. A data processing agreement has been concluded with Google.

Storage period
The data sent by us and linked to cookies is automatically deleted after 14 months. Deletion of data whose retention period has been reached takes place automatically once a month.
You can also prevent the collection of data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) by Google, as well as the processing of this data by Google, by
a. not giving your consent to the setting of the cookie, or
b. downloading and installing the browser add-on for deactivating Google Analytics: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de
c. clicking on the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set, which prevents the collection of your data on future visits to this website: Deactivate Google Analytics

You can also prevent the storage of cookies by setting your browser software accordingly. However, if you configure your browser to reject all cookies, this may restrict the functionality of this and other websites.

Legal basis and right of withdrawal
The legal basis for this data processing is your consent, Art. 6(1) sentence 1(a) GDPR. You may withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by opening the cookie settings widget, which is available on every page, and changing your selection there.

Further information on the terms of use of Google Analytics and on data protection at Google can be found at https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/de.html and at https://policies.google.com/?hl=de.

Google Maps

On our website, we use Google Maps to display our location and to provide directions. This is a service of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Google". If you access the Google Maps component integrated into our website, Google stores a cookie on your device via your internet browser. In order to display our location and provide directions, your user settings and data are processed. We cannot rule out that Google uses servers in the USA in this context. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in optimising the functionality of our website. Through the connection to Google established in this way, Google can determine from which website your request was sent and to which IP address the directions are to be transmitted. If you do not agree with this processing, you have the option of preventing the installation of the cookies through the corresponding settings in your internet browser. Details on this can be found above under the heading "Cookies". In addition, the use of Google Maps and the information obtained via Google Maps takes place in accordance with Google's terms of use https://policies.google.com/terms?gl=DE&hl=de and the terms and conditions for Google Maps https://www.google.com/intl/de_de/help/terms_maps.html. Google also provides further information at https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Google Fonts

On our website, we use Google Fonts to display external fonts. This is a service of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA, hereinafter referred to only as "Google". In order to enable the display of certain fonts on our website, a connection to the Google server in the USA is established when our website is accessed. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the optimisation and economic operation of our website. Through the connection to Google established when our website is accessed, Google can determine from which website your request was sent and to which IP address the display of the font is to be transmitted. Google provides further information at https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated https://policies.google.com/privacy, in particular regarding the options for preventing the use of data.

Google reCAPTCHA

We use Google reCAPTCHA (Google Ireland Ltd.) for bot protection. The service analyses user behaviour (e.g. IP address, mouse movements) to distinguish humans from bots. Google acts as a processor in this context pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR (strictly bound by our instructions, no use of the data for its own purposes). The legal basis is our legitimate interest in website security (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). Details on data processing can be found in the Google Cloud CDPA:
https://cloud.google.com/terms/data-processing-addendum

Use of Google Remarketing

This website uses the remarketing function of Google Inc. This function is used to present interest-based advertisements to website visitors within the Google advertising network. A so-called "cookie" is stored in the website visitor's browser, which enables the visitor to be recognised again when they visit websites that belong to Google's advertising network. On these pages, visitors may be shown advertisements relating to content that the visitor has previously accessed on websites that use Google's remarketing function. According to Google, no personal data is collected in this process. Should you nevertheless not wish to use Google's remarketing function, you can generally deactivate it by making the corresponding settings at http://www.google.com/settings/ads. Alternatively, you can deactivate the use of cookies for interest-based advertising via the Network Advertising Initiative by following the instructions at http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.

Use of Google Customer Match

As part of Google Ads, we use the Customer Match function to target our advertising campaigns more effectively and to show relevant offers to existing and potential customers. For this purpose, we process certain customer data (e.g. e-mail address or telephone number) that you have provided to us in the course of a purchase or registration. Before transmission to Google, the data is processed exclusively in hashed form (SHA-256). Google cannot view the hashed data in plain text. Google uses this information exclusively to assign you to specific target groups and to show you personalised advertising. The data is not passed on to other advertisers and is deleted after the matching process is completed (max. 48 hours). Processing is carried out on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest) in the economical and targeted advertising of our products. Further information on data processing by Google can be found in Google's privacy notice at: https://policies.google.com/privacy. You may object to the use of your data for personalised advertising at any time. Please contact us using the contact options provided.

Use of Facebook Retargeting

We would like to present our users, within this online offering, with advertisements or special offers tailored to their interests ("interest-based advertising"), and to limit the frequency with which certain advertisements are shown. For this purpose, we use Facebook's Website Custom Audiences tool as well as the Facebook Pixel. The Facebook Pixel is a JavaScript code that sends the following data to Facebook Ireland Ltd, Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland ("Facebook"): · HTTP header information (including IP address, information on the web browser, page location, document, URL of the website and user agent of the web browser, as well as the date and time of use); · pixel-specific data; this includes the pixel ID and Facebook cookie data, including your Facebook ID (this is used to link events to a specific Facebook advertising account and to assign them to a Facebook user); · additional information about the visit as well as standard and custom data events. We use the following custom data events: content searched for and viewed at product level; product added to shopping cart; initiation of a checkout in the ordering process; and completion of the ordering process. Facebook uses the hashed, user-specific Facebook ID (contained in the Facebook cookie) to automatically check whether the data transmitted via the Facebook Pixel can be assigned to a Facebook user. If no Facebook cookie is stored in your browser, no assignment to one of the user groups referred to as "Custom Audiences" will take place.

If an assignment of the Facebook ID contained in the Facebook cookie to a Facebook user can be made, Facebook assigns this user to a "Custom Audience" based on the rules we have defined, provided the applicable criteria are met. We use the information thus obtained for placing advertisements on Facebook ("Facebook Ads"). However, advertisements are only displayed once a "Custom Audience" reaches a size of 20 different users – so no conclusions can be drawn about the characteristics of individual users from the placement of advertisements. Assignment to a "Custom Audience" applies for a maximum of 180 days. This period begins again each time you visit our website again and there is a match with the same "Custom Audience" rules. Facebook may associate your visit to our website and your related activities with your Facebook user account. We are not able to do this. We only receive statistical information from Facebook about the use of our website via Audience Insights. Facebook passes your data on to Facebook Inc., Facebook 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA, and uses your data to improve the quality of its advertising, including by improving the optimisation algorithm used by Facebook for displaying Facebook Ads and the News Feed ranking. Right to object: if you would like to object to the use of Facebook Website Custom Audiences, please click here. A so-called opt-out cookie will then be set, which prevents the transmission of data via the Facebook Pixel. This opt-out cookie generally has an unlimited period of validity. Please note, however, that the opt-out function is device- or browser-specific and generally only applies to the device or browser currently in use. If you use multiple devices or browsers, you must carry out the opt-out on each individual device and in each browser used. Furthermore, should you delete all cookies in your browser, an objection may no longer be taken into account and must be raised again by you.

 

LinkedIn

Our website uses functions of the LinkedIn network. The provider is LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Each time one of our pages containing LinkedIn functions is accessed, a connection to LinkedIn's servers is established. LinkedIn is informed that you have visited our website with your IP address. If you click on LinkedIn's "Recommend button" and are logged into your LinkedIn account, LinkedIn is able to associate your visit to our website with you and your user account. We would like to point out that, as the provider of the pages, we have no knowledge of the content of the data transmitted or of its use by LinkedIn. Further information on this can be found in LinkedIn's privacy policy at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

 

Use of our customer chat (Userlike)

This website uses the live chat tool Userlike, provided by Userlike UG (haftungsbeschränkt), Probsteigasse 44–46, 50670 Cologne, Germany (www.userlike.com). Userlike enables us to communicate with visitors to our website in real time.

The following data is processed when using the chat:

Date and time of access,
browser type/version,
IP address,
operating system,
URL of the previously visited website,
amount of data sent,
first name, last name, e-mail address (if provided),
chat history.

Processing takes place on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest), in order to enable direct communication with our customers. Insofar as you enter personal data via the chat (e.g. name, e-mail address), you do so voluntarily.

Userlike acts as a processor pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR. A corresponding data processing agreement has been concluded.

We have activated the data protection mode in Userlike, in which only data actively provided by the user is processed. Further information on data processing by Userlike can be found at: https://www.userlike.com/de/terms

 

Use of Doofinder for product search

We use the search technology of Doofinder on our website, a service of Doofinder S.L., Madrid, Spain. The search function enables a faster and more convenient product search within our online offering. For this purpose, Doofinder processes technical information, in particular:
• search terms entered,
• IP address,
• information on the device used,
• browser type and browser version,
• usage data in connection with the search query.
Processing takes place to improve user-friendliness and to optimise our offering, on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest). We have concluded a data processing agreement with Doofinder pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR. Further information on data processing by Doofinder can be found at: https://www.doofinder.com/en/privacy-policy

 

Use of ZOOM (video conferencing tool)

Purpose of processing
We use the "Zoom" tool to conduct telephone conferences, online meetings, video conferences and/or webinars (hereinafter: "online events"). "Zoom" is a service of Zoom Video Communications, Inc., which is headquartered in the USA. Participation in an online event held by Forum Verlag Herkert does not require you to create a ZOOM user account. It is sufficient for you to follow the link contained in the invitation e-mail and log in via the web interface. However, to participate, you must at least provide your name and e-mail address, so that Forum Verlag Herkert can identify you as an authorised participant.


What data is processed?
During your participation in an online event, various metadata (e.g. IP address, device/hardware information), connection data (e.g. phone number, country name, start and end time) and content data (e.g. chat history, Q&A, audio, video) are also processed. Metadata and connection data are information that necessarily arises when using ZOOM. Otherwise, no connection can be established to you and the devices used. You yourself have control over what content data is processed via ZOOM. You can switch off the camera or microphone yourself at any time, thereby preventing the processing of data in this way. Use of the chat function is likewise voluntary. Automated decision-making pursuant to Art. 22 GDPR is not used. If you have created a user account with ZOOM, the privacy information of Zoom Video Communications, Inc. applies in addition.

The permissibility of using ZOOM is governed by Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Online events are an alternative and complement to the traditional in-person event, and are increasingly in demand as digitalisation progresses. As a provider, Forum Verlag Herkert must adapt to the needs of companies and offer flexible solutions. The use of software applications such as ZOOM is an important component of this. The interactive design and implementation of online events requires software with corresponding functions and capacities. Forum Verlag Herkert has chosen ZOOM because the application is best suited for this purpose.


To participate in an online event, the processing of the metadata and connection data, as well as your name and e-mail address, is absolutely necessary. Provision of the other information is voluntary. However, if you do not provide it, you will not be able to actively participate in the online event, e.g. by asking a question.
The recipients of your name and the content data generated by you during processing via ZOOM are the persons with whom you communicate via the service. These may be employees of Forum Verlag Herkert or other participants.

An adequate level of data protection is ensured by the agreement of EU standard contractual clauses.

The content data processed within the framework of an online event is not recorded or stored without your consent. However, the chat history and the questions you submit to the speaker can be viewed until the online event has ended. Metadata and connection data are stored in accordance with statutory requirements for the purposes of billing and maintaining system security. Name and e-mail address are stored in ZOOM for a period of 6 months and then deleted.


Further information on data subject rights and the supervisory authority responsible for complaints can be found under items I.h) and I.i).

 

Withdrawal (withdrawal form)
If you use our withdrawal form, we process the personal data you provide in order to process and handle your withdrawal.

Data processed
First name
Last name
E-mail address
Order number

Purpose of processing
Processing and handling of your withdrawal and the related communication.

Legal basis
Art. 6(1)(b) and (1)(c) GDPR (performance of the contract, or implementation of pre-contractual measures, and statutory obligation).

Recipient
The recipients of the data are the internal departments responsible for processing the withdrawal. Where necessary, we use technical service providers (e.g. hosting and IT service providers) as processors.

Storage period
The data is stored only for as long as is necessary to process the withdrawal and to fulfil statutory retention obligations.

Data subject rights
You have the right to information, correction, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability and – insofar as the statutory requirements are met – the right to object to the processing of your personal data. Further information on this can be found in the general privacy notices.

 

IV. Technical Instructions for Privacy Settings

You can adjust your browser's privacy settings using the following technical instructions.

Internet Explorer/MS Edge:
Instructions at
https://windows.microsoft.com/de-de/internet-explorer/delete-manage-cookies#ie=ie-11-win-7
https://support.microsoft.com/de-de/hub/4337664/microsoft-edge-help
Mozilla Firefox:
Instructions at https://support.mozilla.org/de/kb/cookies-erlauben-und-ablehnen
Google Chrome:
Instructions at https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647
Safari:
Instructions at http://help.apple.com/

16.06.2026