Privacy Policy

1. Information on the Collection of Personal Data

(1) The following provides information on the collection of personal data when you use our website.

Personal data refers to any data that can be linked to you personally, such as your name, address, email addresses, and user behavior.

(2) The data controller pursuant to Art. 4(7) of the GDPR is:
EMPAL GmbH
Löffelstr. 22-24
70597 Stuttgart

Managing Director:
Marvin Palatini

2. Your Rights

(1) You have the following rights with respect to your personal data:
Right of access
Right to rectification or erasure
Right to restriction of processing
Right to object to processing
Right to data portability.
(2) You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority regarding our processing of your personal data.

3. Collection of Personal Data When Visiting Our Website

(1) When you use the website for informational purposes only—that is, if you do not log in, register, or otherwise provide us with information—we do not collect any personal data, with the exception of the data that your browser transmits to our server.

When you visit our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display our website to you and to ensure its stability and security (the legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR):

  • IP address
  • Date and time of the request
  • Time zone difference from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
  • Content of the request (specific page)
  • Access status / HTTP status code
  • Amount of data transferred in each case
  • Website from which the request originates
  • Browser
  • Operating system and its user interface
  • Language and version of the browser software.

(2) In addition to the data mentioned above, we use so-called “cookies.” Cookies are small text files used to store information about your use of the website. They are stored on your device either temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or permanently (persistent cookies). Session cookies are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Persistent cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them yourself or your web browser deletes them automatically. Cookies serve various functions.

Many cookies are technically necessary, as certain website functions would not work without them (e.g., consent management). Other cookies are used to analyze user behavior or display advertisements. Cookies that are necessary for conducting electronic communications (essential cookies), for providing specific functions you have requested (functional cookies), or for optimizing the website are stored based on our legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR), unless another legal basis is specified. We have a legitimate interest in storing cookies to ensure the technically error-free and optimized provision of our services.

In some cases, cookies from third-party companies (third-party cookies) or cookies that are not technically necessary may also be stored on your device. These enable us or you to use certain services provided by a third-party company. The storage of these cookies is based exclusively on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may revoke your consent at any time (Cookies).

Cookies necessary for the operation of the website are automatically set when you visit the website. Other cookies and features from the website operator and third parties that are not necessary for use may only be used with your consent. To this end, you will be asked to select which cookies and features you allow when you visit the website. This selection is then stored in a cookie until you delete that cookie from your device. In the Consent Manager, you will find further details on cookie names, their issuers, expiration times, and their functions.

You can correct your selection of permitted cookies and features at any time (Cookies).

4. Additional Features and Services on Our Website

(1) In addition to the purely informational use of our website, we offer various services that you may use if you are interested. To do so, you will generally need to provide additional personal data, which we use to provide the respective service and to which the aforementioned data processing principles apply.

(2) In some cases, we use external service providers to process your data. These providers have been carefully selected and commissioned by us, are bound by our instructions, and are regularly monitored.

(3) If our service providers or partners are based in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we will inform you of the implications of this in the description of the service.

4.1 Inquiries

(1) When you contact us via email or through our contact form, your inquiry—including all personal data contained therein (name, inquiry, contact address)—will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of handling your request. We will only disclose this data to third parties without your consent if this is necessary to fulfill your request. The processing of this data is based on Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, provided that your inquiry is related to the performance of a contract or is necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures.

(2) In all other cases, processing is based on our legitimate interest in effectively handling inquiries directed to us pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR or on your consent pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR, provided that such consent was requested. The data you send us via contact requests will remain with us until you request that we delete it, revoke your consent to its storage, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies (e.g., after your request has been fully processed). Mandatory legal provisions—in particular statutory retention periods—remain unaffected.

4.2 User Analysis – Google Analytics

(1) We use Google Analytics only with your consent to analyze and regularly improve the use of our website. Integration is carried out using Google Tag Manager. The statistics obtained enable us to improve our offerings and make them more interesting for you as a user. The legal basis for the use of Google Analytics is your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) . You may revoke your consent at any time with future effect.

(2) Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies that are stored on your computer and enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookies regarding your use of this website is generally transmitted to and stored on a Google server. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the United States and truncated there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide other services related to website and internet usage to the website operator.

4.3 Use of Google Web Fonts

Google Web Fonts are used on this site. These are hosted locally, and no personal data is processed in this regard.

4.4 Social Media Plug-ins and Online Presences

Based on our legitimate interests, we operate social media pages that can be accessed via a link from our website. If you do not use these links, we will not transmit any personal data to the social media platforms. The processing of personal data is based on joint responsibility between us and the respective portal operator.

4.4.1 Facebook

(1) When using Facebook, another joint controller for the processing of personal data is Facebook Ireland Ltd., 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland, acting as a joint controller pursuant to Article 26 of the GDPR in conjunction with the Facebook Page Insights add-on (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum).

(2) When using Facebook products—including when visiting our Facebook page—Facebook Ireland Ltd. processes (personal) data, including data from individuals who are not registered with any of Facebook’s services. Facebook describes in detail which (personal) data is collected, how it is processed, for what purposes, and on what legal basis in its Privacy Policy, which applies to all Facebook products. This policy also includes information on how to contact Facebook and on settings for ads, cookies, etc. The data may be transferred to countries outside the European Union.

Facebook provides more detailed information about the cookies it sets when you have a Facebook account, use Facebook products (including the website and apps), or visit other websites and apps that use Facebook products (including the “Like” button or other Facebook technologies), is provided by Facebook in its Cookie Policy (https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies/). Information on how you can manage the information Facebook has about you can also be found at this link: https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies/.

(3) When you visit our Facebook page, Facebook collects, among other things, your IP address. Together with other information that Facebook obtains through cookies, Facebook provides us, as the operator of the Facebook page, with statistical information about the use of this Facebook page (so-called Page Insights). This consists of aggregated data that reveals how users interact with the page. These Page Insights may be based on personal data collected by Facebook in connection with a user’s visit to or interaction with our Facebook page and its content. Facebook provides further information on this here: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.

(4) Using Page Insights, we can conduct an anonymous analysis of reach, page views, time spent watching video posts, user actions (likes, comments, sharing posts), as well as by age, gender, and location (as specified by users in their respective Facebook profiles). For the analysis of reach, settings can be configured or appropriate filters applied regarding the selection of a time period, the examination of a specific post, and demographic groupings (e.g., female, ages 20–30). This data is anonymized, aggregated, and abstracted. These settings therefore do not allow companies to draw conclusions about individuals. The analysis serves to optimize the content on the companies’ Facebook pages for public relations purposes. The legal basis for this data processing is Article 6(1)(a) and (f) of the GDPR. As the provider of the information service, we do not collect or process any other data resulting from the use of the Facebook page.

(5) Regardless of your rights vis-à-vis us, you have the right to file a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission (which has jurisdiction over Facebook Ireland Ltd.). If you have specific questions regarding the protection of your data, please contact the company’s data protection officer or the data protection officer at Facebook Ireland Ltd. at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation.

4.4.2 LinkedIn

(1) The use of the LinkedIn portal as an additional joint controller is governed by LinkedIn’s Terms of Service athttps://www.linkedin.com/legal/user-agreement and the other terms and policies listed there. In particular, the Privacy Policy can be found at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy, and the Cookie Policy can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy

(2) If you have any questions regarding the processing of your personal data, or if you wish to request information, have your data restricted, deleted, or corrected, or to revoke any consent you have given or file an objection, please contact the data controllers. Information regarding LinkedIn’s handling of personal data on the LinkedIn portal can be found in its Privacy Policy at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy and in its Cookie Policy at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy.

(3) LinkedIn shows you personalized ads both within and outside of its services. You can choose to receive personalized ads but not opt out of other ads.

(4) LinkedIn targets ads (and measures their performance) both within and outside of LinkedIn to members, visitors, and other individuals, either directly or through various partners. To do so, LinkedIn uses the following data, either in combination or separately (in some cases, we require your consent, which will be requested separately): data from advertising technologies both within and outside our services, pixels, tags, cookies, and device identifiers; Information provided by members (such as contact information, job title, and industry); data from your use of our services (such as search history, feed, content you read, who you follow or who follows you, contacts, participation in groups, page visits, videos you watch, and clicks on an ad); Information from advertising partners, providers, and publishers; and information that can be derived from the data listed above (e.g., using a profile’s job titles to infer an industry, career level, and compensation bracket; using educational background to infer age, or using first names or pronouns to infer gender; using your feed activity to infer your interests, or using device data to identify you as a member).

(5) LinkedIn shows you ads labeled “Sponsored Content” that look like similar, non-sponsored content, except that they are marked as advertisements (e.g., as “Ad” or “Sponsored”). If you take a social action on these ads (such as liking, commenting, or sharing), your action will be associated with your name and may be visible to third parties. This includes the advertiser (hts-tentiQ). When you take a social action on LinkedIn services, that action may (depending on your settings) be mentioned in connection with related ads.

5. Objection or Withdrawal of Consent to the Processing of Your Data

(1) If you have given your consent to the processing of your data, you may withdraw it at any time. Such a withdrawal affects the lawfulness of the processing of your personal data after you have notified us of it.

(2) To the extent that we base the processing of your personal data on a balancing of interests, you may object to the processing. This is the case, in particular, when the processing is not necessary to fulfill a contract with you, as we will explain in the following description of the functions. When exercising such an objection, please provide the reasons why we should not process your personal data as we currently do. In the event of a justified objection, we will review the situation and either cease or adjust the data processing, or explain to you our compelling legitimate grounds on the basis of which we will continue the processing.

(3) Of course, you may object at any time to the processing of your personal data for the purposes of advertising and data analysis. On the website, this is done using the Consent Manager. You may submit your objection to advertising to us using the contact information provided in Section 1, Paragraph 2 of this statement.