Privacy Policy smart quality solution

§ 1 General Information

We process your personal data (e.g. salutation, name, address, email address, telephone number) solely in accordance with the provisions of German data protection law and the data protection law of the European Union (EU). The following provisions inform you about the purposes of processing, the legal bases, recipients, storage periods, your rights, and the controller responsible for processing your data. This privacy policy applies only to our websites. If you are forwarded to other sites via links on our pages, please inform yourself there about the respective handling of your data.

§ 2 Contacting Us

(1) Purpose of Processing

We process the personal data that you provide to us by email, contact form, etc. in order to respond to and handle your inquiries. You are not obliged to provide us with your personal data. However, without an email address we cannot respond to you by email.

(2) Legal Bases

• a) If you have given us explicit consent to process your data, Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR serves as the legal basis for this processing.
• b) If we process your data to carry out pre-contractual measures, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR is the legal basis.
• c) In all other cases (in particular when a contact form is used) Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR is the legal basis.

(3) Legitimate Interest

Our legitimate interest in the processing is to communicate with you quickly and to answer your inquiries cost-effectively. If you provide us with your postal address, we reserve the right to use it for postal direct marketing. You can safeguard your privacy by sharing only minimal data (e.g. by using a pseudonym).

(4) Categories of Recipients

Hosting providers, mailing service providers for direct marketing.

(5) Storage Period

Your data is deleted once the circumstances indicate that your inquiry or the related matter has been conclusively resolved.

If a contract is concluded, we retain the data required under commercial and tax law for the statutory periods, generally ten years (cf. Sec. 257 German Commercial Code, Sec. 147 German Fiscal Code).

(6) Right of Withdrawal

Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

§ 3 Comments

(1) Purpose of Processing

You can publish comments on our website. Your data (e.g. name/pseudonym, email address, website) is processed solely for the purpose of publishing your comment.

(2) Legal Basis

The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

(3) Legitimate Interest

Our legitimate interest is the public exchange of user opinions on specific topics and products. Publication increases transparency and supports opinion formation. Your privacy is protected because you may publish your comment under a pseudonym.

(4) Storage Period

No specific storage period is defined. You can request deletion of your comment at any time.

§ 4 Web Analytics with Google Analytics

(1) Purpose of Processing

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ("Google"). Google Analytics uses so-called "cookies", text files placed on your computer that enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookie about your use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. If IP anonymization is activated on this website, your IP address will, however, be shortened by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area before transmission. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened 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 further services related to website and internet usage.

(2) Legal Basis

The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

(3) Legitimate Interest

Our legitimate interest is the statistical analysis of user behavior for optimization and marketing purposes. To protect your privacy this website uses Google Analytics with the "anonymizeIP()" extension so that IP addresses are only processed in a shortened form and cannot be directly linked to an individual.

(4) Categories of Recipients

Google, partner companies.

(5) Transfer to a Third Country

Google LLC, headquartered in the USA, is certified under the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, which is intended to ensure compliance with the data protection standards applicable in the EU.

(6) Storage Period

Unlimited.

§ 5 Web Analytics by Visable.com

smart quality solution GmbH uses products and services provided in cooperation with Visable GmbH (www.visable.com) for analysis and marketing purposes. Using pixel technology, data is collected, processed, and stored to create at least pseudonymized, and where possible fully anonymized, usage profiles. The data collected, which may initially still contain personal information, is transmitted to Visable or collected directly by Visable and used there to create the aforementioned usage profiles. Visitors to this website are not personally identified, and no other personal data is merged with the usage profiles. Should IP addresses be identified as personal, they are deleted immediately.

§ 6 Information About Cookies

(1) Purpose of Processing

This website uses technically necessary cookies. These are small text files that are stored on your computer by your internet browser.

(2) Legal Basis

The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

(3) Legitimate Interest

Our legitimate interest is the proper functionality of our website. The user data collected by technically necessary cookies is not used to create user profiles, protecting your privacy.

(4) Storage Period

Technically necessary cookies are usually deleted when you close your browser. Persistent cookies can remain stored for durations ranging from a few minutes to several years.

§ 7 Newsletter

(1) Purpose of Processing

When you subscribe to the newsletter, your email address is used for advertising purposes, i.e. we inform you in the newsletter about products from our portfolio. For statistical purposes we can evaluate which links in the newsletter are clicked, though we cannot identify which specific person clicked.

(2) Legal Basis

The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

(3) Categories of Recipients

Newsletter delivery providers, where applicable.

(4) Storage Period

Your email address is stored for newsletter delivery only for as long as you remain subscribed.

(5) Right of Withdrawal

You may withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. If you no longer wish to receive the newsletter, you can unsubscribe via a link in the newsletter or by email.

§ 8 Rights of the Data Subject

If your personal data is processed, you are a data subject within the meaning of the GDPR and you have the following rights vis-à-vis us:

1. Right of Access

You may request confirmation as to whether personal data concerning you is being processed by us.

If such processing takes place, you may request information about the following:

• the purposes for which the personal data is processed;
• the categories of personal data concerned;
• the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data has been or will be disclosed;
• the envisaged period for which the personal data will be stored, or, if specific information is not possible, the criteria used to determine that period;
• the existence of the right to request rectification or erasure of personal data concerning you, the right to restriction of processing by us, or the right to object to such processing;
• the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority;
• any available information about the source of the data if the personal data was not collected from you;
• the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, pursuant to Art. 22(1) and (4) GDPR and—at least in those cases—meaningful information about the logic involved, as well as the significance and envisaged consequences of such processing for you.

2. Right to Rectification

You have the right to obtain rectification and/or completion if the personal data concerning you is inaccurate or incomplete. We must perform the rectification without delay.

3. Right to Restriction of Processing

You may request restriction of processing of your personal data under the following conditions:

• if you contest the accuracy of the personal data, for a period enabling us to verify the accuracy of the data;
• the processing is unlawful and you oppose the erasure of the personal data and request the restriction of its use instead;
• we no longer need the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but you require it for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims; or
• you have objected to processing pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR and it has not yet been determined whether our legitimate grounds override yours.

4. Right to Erasure

a) Obligation to Erase

You may request that we erase personal data concerning you without undue delay, and we are obliged to erase such data without undue delay if one of the following reasons applies:

• The personal data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed.
• You withdraw your consent on which the processing is based according to Art. 6(1)(a) or Art. 9(2)(a) GDPR, and there is no other legal ground for the processing.
• You object to the processing pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or you object pursuant to Art. 21(2) GDPR.
• The personal data has been unlawfully processed.
• The erasure of the personal data is required to comply with a legal obligation under Union or Member State law to which we are subject.
• The personal data has been collected in relation to the offer of information society services referred to in Art. 8(1) GDPR.

5. Right to Notification

If you have exercised your right to rectification, erasure, or restriction of processing, we are obliged to communicate this rectification or erasure of data or restriction of processing to each recipient to whom the personal data has been disclosed, unless this proves impossible or involves disproportionate effort.

6. Right to Data Portability

You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you that you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format. You also have the right to transmit that data to another controller without hindrance, provided the processing is based on consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR or Art. 9(2)(a) GDPR or on a contract pursuant to Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR and the processing is carried out by automated means.

7. Right to Object

8. Right to Withdraw Consent

You may withdraw your consent under data protection law at any time. The withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out on the basis of the consent until the withdrawal.

9. Automated Individual Decision-Making Including Profiling

You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing—including profiling—that produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you.

10. Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority

Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, your place of work, or the place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR.