Data Protection Regulations

EINSTIEG GmbH Data Protection Regulations for the Internet site at www.einstieg.com

Issued: January 2007

1. General

1.1 These data protection regulations apply to the Internet site operated by EINSTIEG GmbH, Im MediaPark 6d, 50670 Cologne (hereinafter EINSTIEG).

1.2 EINSTIEG renders services in consideration of the applicable statutory regulations and these data protection regulations, and will only provide personal user data to third parties in relevant authorised cases.

1.3 All information provided by the user via dialogue and application forms within the scope of the EINSTIEG Internet site are transferred securely. For this purpose, EINSTIEG uses an SSL-protocol-based (Secure Socket Layer) transfer method. Through the SSL protocol, personal data is only transferred in encoded form between the user's browser and EINSTIEG, consequently protecting the information from unauthorised third-party access. In order to enable a secure connection, instead of using the HTTP protocol, EINSTIEG uses the HTTPS protocol, which is secured against third-party access. For the user's browser to transfer encoded data, the security protocol SSL must be activated in the settings.

1.4 EINSTIEG may amend these data protection regulations from time to time in order to bring them in line with any future expansion or other changes to the Internet site or individual services. EINSTIEG will inform the user of any changes to the data protection regulations by posting commensurate notification on their Internet site. The user may object to any changes to the data protection regulations and require deletion of any stored information regarding their person. The use of all or individual services may no longer be possible following the deletion of stored information.

2. Data processing within the scope of the Internet site

2.1 EINSTIEG may obtain personal user information in the course of accessing individual services and offers (for example, ordering newsletters and magazines, download of information, etc.); any such data acquisition, which the user must enter actively, will be respectively displayed to the user. This may occur through the provision of input fields, clickable option boxes or similar elements. Insofar as the information is necessary (required data) to enable utilisation of the specific offer or service, this will be expressly identified as such. Failure to enter the necessary data may result in the user being unable to use certain services.

2.2 Data processing when using the Internet site 

2.2.1 During access to the Internet site, EINSTIEG may obtain information on the nature and duration of the respective use (general utilisation data). For this purpose, EINSTIEG either allocates a session ID number for each visit to the Internet site or logs the information under the user number or registration information belonging to a user registered as a member of the EINSTIEG Community.

2.2.2 During access to the Internet site, EINSTIEG may use cookies in order to enable the personalisation of services in relation to the user. A cookie is a text file that is copied from a web server onto the user's hard disk. Cookies cannot run programmes or put viruses onto your computer. Cookies are uniquely allocated to each individual user and can only be read by a web server within the domain from which the cookie was allocated to the user. Through the cookie, the web server visited receives notification that a user has returned to a specific page and enables previous data entered by the user to be retrieved, hence allowing the user to utilise tailored services more easily. As a standard, by adjusting the browser settings the user can reject or accept cookies or accept individual cookies following prior enquiry. It is possible that certain services may not be utilised or utilised fully without the acceptance of cookies.

2.3 As a principle, EINSTIEG uses obtained personal information in accordance with the following regulations

2.3.1 to provide and render services and offers to the user, 

2.3.2 to improve the Internet site and Internet site services and tailor the Internet site and Internet site services to user requirements as well as to inform the user of such. 

3. Data processing within the scope of the EINSTIEG Community

Use of the EINSTIEG Community within the framework of the Internet site requires registration as a member. As a registered member of the EINSTIEG Community, the user can create a personal profile by entering personal information. This personal profile can be retrieved by other registered EINSTIEG Community members.

3.1 On registering as a member of the EINSTIEG Community, personal user information is requested in order to identify the user as a member of the EINSTIEG Community when accessing services and offers (hereinafter "required data"). The user provides EINSTIEG with such information voluntarily and in acknowledgement of these data protection regulations. Use of EINSTIEG Community is not possible without providing the required data; however, the user may still use the generally accessible areas of the Internet site.

3.2 Further personal information may be requested during registration for EINSTIEG Community membership and/or in relation to the personal user profile (hereinafter "supplementary data"). The user provides EINSTIEG with supplementary data voluntarily and in acknowledgement of these data protection regulations. Without the supplementary data, EINSTIEG may, however, be unable to render or fully render specific services and offers.

3.3 Information obtained within the scope of registration is stored in the personal user profile by EINSTIEG and used to identify the user when accessing EINSTIEG services, for providing services to the user, to contact the user within the scope of an activity approved by the user, to provide information requested by the user and in order to optimise and coordinate the Internet site in relation to user requirements.

3.4 Required data and supplementary data (including a photo uploaded by the user, and, naturally, excluding passwords) stored in the personal user profile will be displayed by EINSTIEG to other registered members of the EINSTIEG Community in order to facilitate contact. In the personal profile, the user can determine whether and precisely what information and details are displayed to other members of EINSTIEG Community; the user name chosen by the user on registration is always displayed. If the user also wishes to prevent the display of the user name, then the entire personal profile must be deleted. Use of EINSTIEG Community is then no longer possible. To delete the profile, simply send a corresponding email to info(at)einstieg.com.

4. Forwarding of data to third parties

4.1 EINSTIEG is entitled to provide user data to third parties that cooperate with EINSTIEG in the provision of its services. The forwarding of data is solely for the purpose of such cooperation; whereby the third parties collaborating with EINSTIEG are only authorised to use such data to the extent that it is required for the said provision of services.

4.2 Further, through commensurate agreement, EINSTIEG is also entitled to commission third parties to carry out all or part of the data processing referred to in sections 2 and 3 above. In such cases, the provisions stated under sections 2 and 3 also apply to third parties working in cooperation with EINSTIEG.

4.3 Moreover, EINSTIEG can forward personal information to third parties

4.3.1 where the user has expressly agreed to such,

4.3.2 where an enforceable or legally valid court or official order requiring the disclosure and/or forwarding of data to third parties is in effect; or where EINSTIEG is legally obliged to forward the information, including in the absence of any such order requiring the disclosure and/or forwarding of data to third parties.

4.3.3 where, in a legally permissible manner, disclosure and/or forwarding is necessary in order to prevent misuse of the Internet site or individual services - particularly the breach of the terms and conditions of use.

 4.4 With the exception of the above cases, EINSTIEG will not forward personal information to third parties.

5. Use of anonymised and pseudonymised data

5.1 EINSTIEG is entitled to anonymise and pseudonymise data obtained from the user within the scope of applicable statutory regulations and use such data to compile statistics and similar evaluations.

5.2 Furthermore, EINSTIEG is entitled to use this anonymised and pseudonymised data for its own purposes and to forward such data to third parties. In particular, within the scope of the EINSTIEG Internet site and using technology from etracker GmbH (www.etracker.de), data in anonymised form is collected and stored for marketing and optimisation purposes. User profiles are created from this data using a pseudonym; whereby this process may employ cookies, which, however, only collect and store data in pseudonym form. The data is not used to personally identify an EINSTIEG Internet site user and is not combined with data relating to the pseudonym carrier.

6. Processing and deletion of data

Notwithstanding additional statutory rights, subsequent to entering the user name and password, EINSTIEG can present the user with an opportunity to read, amend or delete their stored registration information; whereby the deletion of data may prevent the use or full use of certain services.

7.  Withdrawal of approval

Insofar as the user has approved a specific manner of data utilisation (particularly the forwarding of data to third parties), the user may withdrawn approval at any time with future effect by either sending an email to info(at)einstieg.com or by writing to EINSTIEG.