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Privacy Policy

Responsible handling of personal data is very important to us. We have therefore taken technical and organisational measures to ensure that the legal requirements for data protection are complied with. Read more about which data are collected when upon using our website and how we process it.

1. Name and address of the controller

Responsible in the sense of the general data protection regulation and other national data protection laws of the member states as well as other data protection regulations is:

Rother OSS GmbH

Legally represented by Stefan Rother
Oberwalting 31
94339 Leiblfing
Germany

T DE: +49 (0)9427 68 39 000
Business Email: datenschutz@otobo.io

You can find further details on the controller in our Imprint.

Data protection officer

We are not legally obliged to appoint a data protection officer and have not appointed one.

2. Server location

The servers on which our website, our e-mail system and the support portal are operated, are located in data centers in Germany and Switzerland.

Switzerland is a safe third country within the meaning of the GDPR; the appropriate level of data protection results from an adequacy decision of the European Commission according to Art. 45 GDPR as well as binding internal data protection regulations of the subcontractor according to Art. 47 in conjunction with Art. 46 Para. 2 lit b GDPR.

We have contracts regulating the data processing on our behalf with the hosting providers.

3. Data processing when using our website for information purposes

If you visit our website without using the contact options we offer (contact form, email, login for support customers, comment function in the blog, forum), only the personal data that your web browser transmits to our server will be collected.

We collect the following data that is technically necessary to display the website and ensure its stability and security:

– IP address
– date and time of access
– browser type and version used
– operating system used
– website from which you came to our website
– websites that you access via our website

This data is stored in so-called log files on our servers. It is not stored together with other personal data from you.

In addition, the application with which this site is operated (“WordPress” + plugins) saves some types of access to this website for 14 days. Incorrect login attempts, attempts to access non-existent content (“404 Detection”) and IP addresses that were blocked due to incorrect login attempts are logged.

The collection and temporary storage of the IP address is necessary to enable delivery of our website to your device. To do this, your IP address must remain stored for the duration of the session. The data listed above are saved in log files and by WordPress to ensure the functionality of the website. In addition, we use this data to optimize the website and to ensure the security of our information technology systems. The data is not evaluated for marketing purposes.

Our legitimate interest in data processing lies in the purposes described above. The legal basis for the collection and temporary storage of the aforementioned data and the log files is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

The data will be deleted or blocked as soon as they are no longer required to achieve the purpose for which they were collected. In the case of the collection of data for the provision of the website, this is the case when the respective session has ended. If the data is stored in log files, this is the case after seven days at the latest. The data collected by WordPress will be deleted after 14 days. Further storage is possible. In this case, the IP addresses of the users are deleted or alienated, so that it is no longer possible to assign the calling client.

Storage can also take place if this has been provided for by the European or national legislator in EU regulations, laws or other regulations to which the controller is subject. The data will also be blocked or deleted if a storage period prescribed by the standards mentioned expires, unless there is a need for further storage of the data for the conclusion or performance of a contract.

The collection and storage of this data as described above is absolutely necessary for the provision of the website and its operation. There is no possibility to object.

4. Use of Cookies

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are small text files that are saved on your device in the Internet browser or from the Internet browser when you visit websites. These cookies contain a characteristic string that enables the browser to be clearly identified when the website is called up again.

The following essential cookies are set:

You can prevent the setting of cookies at any time by making the appropriate setting in your internet browser. Cookies that have already been set can be deleted manually or automatically at any time. This is possible in all common internet browsers. If the setting of cookies is deactivated in the browser, not all functions of the website may be fully usable.

The following cookies are set, unless you prevent storage by your browser settings or by clicking the corresponding link in the cookie banner or the following section:

Google Analytics’ Cookies

If you give your consent, when you visit this website, cookies are set by Google Analytics, which enable your use of our website to be analysed. Your IP address is pseudonymised through technical precautions (IP anonymisation and deactivation of the user ID). An assignment of the data to the accessing user is therefore no longer possible. The data is not stored together with other personal data of the users.

We use the analysis cookies for the purpose of improving the quality of our website and its content. Through the analysis cookies we learn how the website is used and can thus continuously optimise our offer and your user experience. Our legitimate interest in the processing of personal data also lies in these purposes.

The legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

We have a contract with Google governing the data processing on our behalf.

You can adjust your settings for Google Analytics cookies here:

Log-in of registered users at the support portal

A cookie is also created when registered users log in to our support portal via the website. This cookie enables the website to recognise you and is usually saved for 7 days. If you activate the function to remember the password / stay logged in, the storage period of the cookie is extended to one year. You can delete this cookie at any time using the settings in your browser.

The legal basis for the storage is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our interest: The provision of contractual services and ease of use.

5. Contact form and email contact

We offer a contact form on our website, which can be used to contact us electronically. If you use this, the following data entered in the input mask will be sent to us by e-mail and saved:

name
email address
phone number (if specified).

We also collect your IP address and the time of sending. Your consent to the processing of the data is obtained as part of the sending process and reference is made to this Privacy Policy.

Alternatively, you can contact us using the email address provided. In this case, the personal data transmitted with the email will be saved.

The processing of the transmitted personal data serves only to process your request. If you contact us by email, this also includes the necessary legitimate interest in the processing of the data.

The other personal data processed during the sending process serve to prevent misuse of the contact form and to ensure the security of our information technology systems. Your data will not be passed on to third parties and will only be used to process your request.

The legal basis for processing the data with the user’s consent is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

The legal basis for the processing of data transmitted in the course of sending an email is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR. If the email contact is aimed at the conclusion of a contract, Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR is an additional legal basis for the processing.

Subject to statutory retention periods, the data will be deleted as soon as we have processed your request.

You have the opportunity to send an email to datenschutz@otobo.de at any time to declare your objection or to withdraw your consent to data processing.

In this case, all personal data saved in the course of contacting us will be deleted. It will then no longer be possible to process your request.

6. Comment function and share buttons in the blog on the website

Comment function

We offer users of our website the opportunity to leave individual comments on individual blog posts.

Your consent to the processing of the data is obtained as part of the sending process and reference is made to this Privacy Policy.

If users leave a comment in the blog published on this website, in addition to the comment itself, information about when the comment was entered as well as the name and email of the user are saved.

The comment will be published with the name. The e-mail address, the time stamp of the comment entry and the IP address of the user are saved in a database in the background. These personal data processed during the sending process serve to prevent misuse of the comment function and to ensure the security of our information technology systems.

The personal data collected will not be passed on to third parties unless such transfer is required by law or serves to defend the rights of the controller.

The legal basis for processing the data with the user’s consent is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. a GDPR. Insofar as the processing is based on our legitimate interests, the legal basis is Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

The stored IP addresses are automatically anonymized after two months. We save your email address as long as your comment is publicly visible.

If you have given your consent to the storage of the data, you can revoke it at any time.

In this case, all personal data saved in the course of contacting us will be deleted. The entered comment will also be deleted.

Share buttons

Zur Bereitstellung von Teilen-Buttons unter Blog-Beiträgen verwenden wir das Plugin “Shariff”. Dieses wurde von den Spezialisten der Computerzeitschrift c’t als Alternative zu den “Share”-Buttons sozialer Netzwerke entwickelt, um mehr Privatsphäre im Netz zu ermöglichen. Mehr Informationen zum Shariff-Projekt finden Sie here.

7. Newsletter

To subscribe to our newsletter, all you have to do is provide your email address. The dispatch takes place via a service provider from Germany. Your data will not be passed on to other third parties. By subscribing to the newsletter, you consent to the use of analysis functions to optimise the newsletter content. For detailed information on the newsletter subscription, please refer to the separate information on data protection for the OTOBO newsletters.

7.1 Operator of the website and the newsletter

The operator of the otobo.de / otobo.ch websites and the newsletter is Rother OSS GmbH, based in Leiblfing, Lower Bavaria. You can find further details about the responsible party in our legal notice.

7.2 Use and disclosure of personal data

Your data will be used exclusively for sending the newsletter and will also be passed on to an external service provider for this purpose. However, this is also the only exception to our policy of not passing on your personal data to third parties.

7.3 Newsletter service provider

We have chosen Rapidmail, a company based in Germany, as our service provider for sending newsletters. The servers of this service are operated exclusively in Germany. This means that all data is stored in Germany.

7.4 Why use an external service provider?

With the presentation of OTOBO, we have decided to keep interested parties and users up to date on innovations and current developments in an appropriate form. We see the distribution of information by e-mail newsletter as an important step towards publicizing and increasing the popularity of OTOBO and our services relating to the tool.

We evaluated various newsletter providers in order to build up this business area in the long term and ultimately opted for Rapidmail. In addition to the technical aspects of the service, the issue of data security was at the top of our list.

From a legal perspective, the use of Rapidmail for sending newsletters is a transfer of your personal data. By choosing a German provider that uses a high-security data center in Germany for its service, we believe that an appropriate – indeed very high – level of data protection is ensured. The data is processed and used exclusively in Germany. Naturally, we have concluded an order processing contract with Rapidmail.

7.5 Legal basis

By registering for the newsletter, you have consented to the transfer and processing of your personal data for the purpose of sending the newsletter and its evaluation for the purpose of optimizing our offer. The legal basis for the forwarding and processing of the data is therefore Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR.

7.6 Analytics

Rapidmail offers statistical analysis options for usage data. We use these functions to draw group-based conclusions about the relevance of the information provided for our readers and to tailor our offer as precisely as possible to your expectations. By tracking opening and click behavior, we also want to ensure that subscribers actually read our newsletters (so you are more likely to receive content that interests you and we can keep our costs for sending the free newsletter within reasonable limits).

As a rule, the data is only analyzed with regard to specific persons if, for example, an error occurs, a support request is received or there is otherwise a specific reason.

7.7 Other notes

If you click on the link in an email to display the email correctly in your browser, you will be taken to a Rapidmail website. Among other things, the web analysis tool Google Analytics is used there. We have no influence on the use of the tool at this point and cannot access the data collected. You can prevent tracking by Google Analytics and other methods, e.g. by using browser plug-ins – or not use the link.

7.8 Description of the processing of personal data

When you subscribe to the newsletter list, we collect your first and last name in addition to your email address in order to personalize our emails. The address of the website from which you subscribed to the newsletter is also recorded.

Your e-mail is initially stored temporarily by the newsletter service provider. Only after your confirmation by clicking on the link in the confirmation e-mail (double opt-in) will your e-mail address be permanently stored in our mailing list until it is deleted there by you or us as the list operator. In addition to your e-mail address, the date of registration and your IP address will also be stored as part of the registration in the mailing list in order to be able to prove in case of doubt that no unsolicited e-mails are being sent. We do not use the IP address for any other purpose.

7.9 Advertising

We do not pass on personal data to third parties for the purposes of advertising, market research or opinion polling.

However, we do take the liberty of drawing attention to our own services or offers. In addition to providing information – we are honest about this – this is of course also the purpose of this newsletter. This does not mean that as a newsletter subscriber you enter into any obligation to commission us or buy anything. But of course we are pleased if OTOBO and Rother OSS become better known through the lists and if we can convince one or two readers of our expertise.

7.10 Revocation / termination of the newsletter subscription

Of course, you can object to the use of your personal data at any time and unsubscribe from the newsletter. You can do this at the end of each newsletter or by sending us an e-mail to newsletter (at) otobo (dot) de.

Here you will also receive answers to questions about the protection of your personal data and, in particular, about exercising your rights as a data subject. (More on this in our general data protection information).

8. Forum

The forum software used and the associated databases are also operated on servers in Germany and Switzerland.

If you would like to actively participate in the forum, you will need a user account. This account is created in the forum software.

In order to offer the functionalities of the forum and also to be able to monitor and enforce the rules of forum use, personal data of forum users is processed.

A user of the forum can see the so-called “display names” of other users. Users can therefore choose these display names themselves. However, they cannot be changed at will in order to ensure a comprehensible forum discussion.

The IP addresses of user actions are stored for a period of three days in order to ensure compliance with the forum rules.

Due to the scope of functions, it is hardly possible to explain every single data processing operation in detail here. Please contact us if you have specific questions about data processing in the context of the forum. You can of course have your forum account deleted at any time.

9 Data processing for applications and in the application process

We may offer the opportunity to apply online on our website. As part of the application process, we collect and process the personal data of applicants. Processing may also take place electronically. This is particularly the case if you send us your application documents by e-mail.

In this case, the data is processed for the purpose of carrying out the application procedure.

If an employment contract is concluded, the transmitted data will be stored for the purpose of processing the employment relationship in compliance with the statutory provisions.

If no employment contract is concluded with the applicant, the application documents will be deleted two months after notification of the rejection decision. Deletion will not take place if further processing and storage of the personal data is necessary in individual cases for the assertion, exercise or defense of legal claims. In this case, we have a legitimate interest in the further processing and storage of your personal data.

The legal basis for data processing in the application process is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR and, if you have given your consent, for example by sending information that is not necessary for the application process, Art. 6 para. a GDPR. The legal basis for data processing after a rejection is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR.

You can withdraw your consent at any time and object to the processing of your personal data at any time. In particular, you have the option of withdrawing your application at any time.

10. Facebook Link

We link from our website to our profile on Facebook.

This is purely a link. We have not integrated any Facebook plugins into our website.

You can find more information on data protection on Facebook in their privacy policy: https://de-de.facebook.com/policy.php

11. Twitter Link

We link from our website to our profile on Twitter.

This is purely a link. We have not integrated any Twitter plugins into our website.

You can change your data protection settings on Twitter in the account settings at http://twitter.com/account/settings.

12. your rights as a 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 the controller

Right to information

You can request information from the controller about the processing of your personal data.

Right to rectification, erasure, restriction of processing and objection

You have the right to rectification and/or completion of the personal data concerning you. If the legal requirements are met, you can request the erasure or restriction of processing and object to processing.

Right to data portability

You have the right to data portability within the scope of the legal requirements.

Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

You have the right to complain to a data protection supervisory authority about the processing of personal data by us.

This data protection declaration is based on a sample data protection declaration by Professor Dr. Thomas Hoeren and employees of the DFN-Verein’s Legal Research Unit (including Johannes Baur and Charlotte Röttgen). You can find it here.

We will revise this data protection information in the event of changes to our website or other occasions that make this necessary. You will always find the current version on this website.

Status: 13.12.2019