Privacy Policy

The protection of your personal data is important to us, Passion Mode GmbH. With this data protection declaration, we inform you about what data we collect, how we use it and what rights you have in relation to your data.

Collection and storage of personal data and the nature and purpose of its use

When you visit the website:
When you visit our website passionmode.de, information is automatically sent to our website server. This information is temporarily stored in a so-called log file. The following information is collected without any action on your part and stored until it is automatically deleted

IP address of the requesting computer
Date and time of access
Name and URL of the retrieved file
Website from which the access was made (referrer URL)
Browser used and, if applicable, the operating system of your computer and the name of your access provider
The aforementioned data is processed by us for the following purposes

Ensuring a smooth connection to the website
Ensuring a comfortable use of our website
Evaluation of system security and stability and
for further administrative purposes
The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest follows from the data collection purposes listed above.

 

 

  • When Using Our Contact Form

If you send us inquiries via the contact form, your details from the inquiry form, including the contact details you provided there, will be stored with us for the purpose of processing the inquiry and in case of follow-up questions. We do not pass on this data without your consent.

Cookies

Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data. Below, we explain what cookies are and why they are used to help you better understand the following privacy policy.

What Exactly Are Cookies?

Whenever you surf the internet, you use a browser. Well-known browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing is undeniable: cookies are very helpful tools. Almost all websites use cookies. To be more precise, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other types of cookies for different applications. HTTP cookies are small files stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically placed in the cookie folder, effectively the “brain” of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language preferences or personal page settings. When you revisit our site, your browser sends the “user-specific” information back to our website. Thanks to cookies, our website knows who you are and can provide you with your usual default settings. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file, while in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, while third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g., Google Analytics). Each cookie needs to be evaluated individually, as each one stores different data. The lifespan of a cookie also varies, from a few minutes to several years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans, or other “malware.” Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data might look like this:

  • Name: _ga
  • Expiration: 2 years
  • Purpose: Distinguishing website visitors
  • Example Value: GA1.2.1326744211.152311214384

A browser should support the following minimum sizes:

  • A cookie should be able to hold at least 4096 bytes.
  • At least 50 cookies should be able to be stored per domain.
  • A total of at least 3000 cookies should be storable.

 

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
According to the provisions of the GDPR, you have the following rights:

  • Right to rectification (Article 16 GDPR)
  • Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") (Article 17 GDPR)
  • Right to restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR)
  • Right to notification - obligation to notify regarding rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing (Article 19 GDPR)
  • Right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR)
  • Right to object (Article 21 GDPR)
  • Right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing — including profiling — (Article 22 GDPR)

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection laws or if your data protection rights have been otherwise violated in any way, you can lodge a complaint with the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI).

 

Analysis of Visitor Behavior
In this privacy policy, we inform you if and how we analyze data from your visit to this website. Typically, the data collected is analyzed anonymously, so we cannot infer your identity from your behavior on this website. Further information on options to object to this data analysis can be found in the following privacy policy.

 

TLS Encryption with HTTPS
We use HTTPS to securely transmit data over the internet (data protection through technical design, Article 25(1) GDPR). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), a protocol for secure data transmission on the internet, we ensure the protection of sensitive data. You can recognize this secure data transmission by the small lock icon in the top left corner of the browser and the use of "https" (instead of "http") as part of our internet address.

 

Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics (GA), a tracking tool of the American company Google Inc., on our website. For the European area, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data on your actions on our website. For example, if you click on a link, this action is saved in a cookie and sent to Google Analytics. The reports we receive from Google Analytics help us to better tailor our website and service to your needs. Below, we will go into more detail about the tracking tool and, in particular, inform you about the data that is stored and how you can prevent this.

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a tracking tool used for analyzing the traffic on our website. To make Google Analytics work, a tracking code is embedded in the code of our website. When you visit our website, this code records various actions you perform on our site. Once you leave our website, this data is sent to Google Analytics servers and stored there.

Google processes the data and provides us with reports on your user behavior. These reports may include:

  • Audience Reports: Audience reports help us better understand our users and gain insights into who is interested in our services.
  • Ad Reports: Ad reports allow us to analyze and improve our online advertising.
  • Acquisition Reports: Acquisition reports provide valuable information on how we can attract more people to our services.
  • Behavior Reports: These reports show us how you interact with our website. We can track the paths you take on our site and see which links you click.
  • Conversion Reports: A conversion is an action you take in response to a marketing message, such as becoming a customer or subscribing to a newsletter. These reports help us understand how effective our marketing efforts are in driving conversions, so we can improve our conversion rate.
  • Real-Time Reports: Real-time reports show us what is currently happening on our website. For example, we can see how many users are reading this text at any given moment.

Why do we use Google Analytics on our website?

Our goal with this website is clear: we want to offer you the best possible service. The statistics and data from Google Analytics help us achieve this goal.

The statistically analyzed data provides us with a clear picture of our website’s strengths and weaknesses. On the one hand, we can optimize our site to make it easier for interested people to find us on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us better understand you as a visitor. This way, we know exactly what needs improvement to provide you with the best possible experience. The data also helps us conduct our advertising and marketing efforts more effectively and cost-efficiently by targeting people who are genuinely interested in our products and services.

What data does Google Analytics store?

Google Analytics generates a random, unique ID using a tracking code, which is associated with your browser cookie. This allows Google Analytics to recognize you as a new user. When you visit our site again, you will be identified as a “returning” user. All collected data is stored with this user ID, making it possible to analyze pseudonymous user profiles.

Through identifiers like cookies and app instance IDs, your interactions on our website are measured. Interactions include all types of actions you take on our website. If you use other Google systems (such as a Google account), data generated by Google Analytics can be linked with third-party cookies. Google does not share Google Analytics data unless we, as website operators, authorize it. Exceptions may occur if legally required.

The following cookies are used by Google Analytics:

Name: _ga
Value: 2.1326744211.152311214384-5
Purpose: By default, analytics.js uses the _ga cookie to store the User-ID. Its main purpose is to distinguish website visitors.
Expiration: After 2 years

Name: _gid
Value: 2.1687193234.152311214384-1
Purpose: This cookie also serves to differentiate website visitors.
Expiration: After 24 hours

Name: gat_gtag_UA<property-id>
Value: 1
Purpose: Used to throttle the request rate. When Google Analytics is provided through the Google Tag Manager, this cookie is named dc_gtm<property-id>.
Expiration: After 1 minute

Name: AMP_TOKEN
Value: No information available
Purpose: This cookie contains a token that can retrieve a User ID from the AMP Client ID service. Other possible values indicate an opt-out, a request, or an error.
Expiration: After 30 seconds to 1 year

Name: __utma
Value: 1564498958.1564498958.1564498958.1
Purpose: This cookie tracks your behavior on the website and measures performance. It is updated each time information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiration: After 2 years

Name: __utmt
Value: 1
Purpose: This cookie is used, like gat_gtag_UA<property-id>, to throttle the request rate.
Expiration: After 10 minutes

Name: __utmb
Value: 3.10.1564498958
Purpose: This cookie is used to determine new sessions. It is updated each time new data or information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiration: After 30 minutes

Name: __utmc
Value: 167421564
Purpose: This cookie is used to establish new sessions for returning visitors. It’s a session cookie and only lasts until the browser is closed.
Expiration: Upon closing the browser

Name: __utmz
Value: m|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/
Purpose: This cookie is used to identify the source of traffic to our website. It records where you came from to access our website, whether that was from another site or an ad.
Expiration: After 6 months

Name: __utmv
Value: No information available
Purpose: This cookie is used to store custom user data. It is updated every time information is sent to Google Analytics.
Expiration: After 2 years

Note: This list is not exhaustive, as Google may change its selection of cookies over time.

Heatmaps: Below is an overview of the main data collected by Google Analytics:

Google creates what are known as heatmaps. Through heatmaps, we can see exactly which areas of our site you click on, giving us insights into where you navigate on our website.

Session Duration: Google defines session duration as the time you spend on our site without leaving it. If you remain inactive for 20 minutes, the session automatically ends.

Bounce Rate: A "bounce" occurs when you view only one page on our website and then leave.

Account Creation: If you create an account or place an order on our website, Google Analytics records this information.

IP Address: The IP address is only displayed in shortened form, making it impossible to identify you precisely.

Location: Based on your IP address, the country and approximate location can be determined, a process known as IP-based geolocation.

Technical Information: Technical information includes your browser type, Internet provider, and screen resolution, among other details.

Source of Origin: Google Analytics, as well as ourselves, is interested in knowing through which website or advertisement you arrived on our page.

Additional data collected includes contact details, any reviews, media playback (e.g., if you play a video on our site), sharing content on social media, or adding items to your favorites. This list is not exhaustive and is intended to provide a general overview of the data storage by Google Analytics.

How long and where is the data stored?

Google has servers distributed all over the world, with most of them located in the United States. Therefore, your data is typically stored on U.S. servers. You can see exactly where Google’s data centers are located here: https://www.google.com/about/datacenters/inside/locations/?hl=en

Your data is spread across various physical storage devices. This setup allows for quicker data retrieval and better protection against tampering. Each Google data center has emergency protocols in place for data security. For example, in case of hardware failure or natural disasters affecting servers, Google minimizes the risk of service interruptions.

By default, Google Analytics has a standard data retention period of 26 months for your user data. After this period, your user data is deleted. However, we have the option to choose the retention period for user data ourselves. We can select from the following options:

  • Deletion after 14 months
  • Deletion after 26 months
  • Deletion after 38 months
  • Deletion after 50 months
  • No automatic deletion

Once the chosen retention period has expired, data is deleted on a monthly basis. This retention period applies to data linked to cookies, user identifiers, and advertising IDs (e.g., cookies from the DoubleClick domain). Report results are based on aggregated data and are stored independently of user data. Aggregated data is a combination of individual data points into a larger unit.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

Under European Union data protection law, you have the right to access, update, delete, or restrict your data. By using the browser add-on for deactivating Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js, dc.js), you can prevent Google Analytics from using your data. You can download and install the browser add-on here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en. Please note that this add-on only disables data collection by Google Analytics.

If you want to generally disable, delete, or manage cookies (regardless of Google Analytics), there are instructions for each browser:

  • Chrome: Delete, enable, and manage cookies in Chrome
  • Safari: Manage cookies and website data in Safari
  • Firefox: Delete cookies to remove information websites have stored on your computer
  • Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies
  • Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

Google Analytics is an active participant in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of personal data. More information can be found here:  https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&tid=311214384

If you would like to learn more about this tracking service, we recommend these two links:

Google Analytics Terms of Service and Google Analytics Help Center.

 

Facebook Pixel Privacy Policy

We use the Facebook Pixel on our website. To enable this, we’ve implemented a code on our site. The Facebook Pixel is a piece of JavaScript code that loads a set of functions, allowing Facebook to track user actions if you arrived at our website via Facebook ads. For instance, if you make a purchase on our site, the Facebook Pixel is triggered and stores your actions on our website in one or more cookies. These cookies allow Facebook to match your user data (such as IP address, user ID) with data from your Facebook account. After this matching, Facebook deletes the data. The collected data remains anonymous to us, and we cannot view it. It is only used for the purpose of ad targeting. If you are a Facebook user and logged in, your visit to our website is automatically associated with your Facebook account.

Our aim is to show our services and products only to those who are genuinely interested. Using the Facebook Pixel allows us to better tailor our advertising to your needs and interests. This means that Facebook users (who have permitted personalized advertising) will see relevant ads. Additionally, Facebook uses the data collected for analysis and its own advertising purposes.

Below are the cookies that may be set through the Facebook Pixel on a test site. Please note, these are example cookies. Depending on your interaction with our website, different cookies may be set.

  • Name: _fbp
    Value: fb.1.1568287647279.257405483-6311214384-7
    Purpose: This cookie is used by Facebook to display advertising products.
    Expiration: after 3 months
  • Name: fr
    Value: 0aPf312HOS5Pboo2r..Bdeiuf…1.0.Bdeiuf.
    Purpose: This cookie ensures that the Facebook Pixel functions properly.
    Expiration: after 3 months
  • Name: comment_author_50ae8267e2bdf1253ec1a5769f48e062311214384-3
    Value: Author's name
    Purpose: This cookie stores the text and name of a user who, for example, leaves a comment.
    Expiration: after 12 months
  • Name: comment_author_url_50ae8267e2bdf1253ec1a5769f48e062
    Value: https%3A%2F%2Fwww.testsite…%2F (URL of the author)
    Purpose: This cookie saves the URL of the website the user enters into a text field on our website.
    Expiration: after 12 months
  • Name: comment_author_email_50ae8267e2bdf1253ec1a5769f48e062
    Value: Author's email address
    Purpose: This cookie stores the email address of the user, if they choose to provide it on our site.
    Expiration: after 12 months

Note: The cookies listed above relate to individual user behavior. Especially with cookies, it’s important to remember that Facebook may update its practices over time.

If you are logged into Facebook, you can adjust your ad preferences at any time by visiting Facebook Ad Settings. If you are not a Facebook user, you can generally manage your usage-based online advertising preferences on Your Online Choices, where you have the option to enable or disable providers.

If you would like to learn more about Facebook's privacy policies, we recommend reviewing the company's data policy at https://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

 

Newsletter Privacy Policy

When you sign up for our newsletter, you provide us with the personal data mentioned above and grant us permission to contact you via email. We use the data collected during newsletter registration exclusively for our newsletter and do not share it with third parties.
If you decide to unsubscribe from the newsletter—there is a link at the bottom of each newsletter—then we will delete all data stored as part of your newsletter subscription.

Embedded Social Media Elements Privacy Policy

We embed elements from social media services on our website to display images, videos, and texts. When you visit pages that display these elements, data is transmitted from your browser to the respective social media service and stored there. We do not have access to this data.

The following links lead to the privacy policies of the respective social media services, where they explain how they handle your data:

Facebook Privacy Policy

We use selected tools from Facebook on our website. Facebook is a social media network operated by Facebook Ireland Ltd., located at 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland. These tools allow us to offer you and people interested in our products and services the best possible experience. Below, we provide an overview of the various Facebook tools, the data they transmit to Facebook, and how you can delete this data.

What Are Facebook Tools?

Facebook offers a range of products under the name "Facebook Business Tools." However, since this term is not widely known, we refer to them simply as Facebook tools. These include:

  • Facebook Pixel
  • Social plugins (such as the "Like" or "Share" buttons)
  • Facebook Login
  • Account Kit
  • APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)
  • SDKs (Software Development Kits)
  • Platform integrations
  • Plugins
  • Codes
  • Specifications
  • Documentation
  • Technologies and services

These tools allow Facebook to expand its services and collect information about user activities outside of Facebook.

Why Do We Use Facebook Tools on Our Website?

We want to show our products and services to people who are genuinely interested in them. Through advertising (Facebook Ads), we can reach precisely these individuals. To display relevant ads to users, Facebook needs information about people’s preferences and interests. This is achieved by sharing data about user behavior (and contact information) on our website with Facebook. Facebook uses this data to deliver more relevant advertising to people interested in our products or services. Thus, these tools help us run targeted advertising campaigns on Facebook.

The data about your behavior on our website that Facebook collects is known as "event data." This data is also used for measurement and analytics services. For instance, Facebook can generate "campaign reports" for us on the effectiveness of our ad campaigns. Additionally, through these analytics, we gain better insights into how you use our services, website, or products, allowing us to optimize your user experience on our site. For example, social plugins enable you to share content from our site directly on Facebook.

 

What Data is Stored by Facebook Tools?

When individual Facebook tools are used, personal data (customer data) may be sent to Facebook. Depending on the tools used, customer data such as name, address, phone number, and IP address may be transmitted. Facebook uses this information to match it with any data it already holds about you (if you are a Facebook member). Before customer data is transmitted to Facebook, it goes through a process called "hashing." Hashing transforms any size dataset into a character string, serving as a way to encrypt the data.

In addition to contact information, "event data" is also transmitted. "Event data" refers to the information we collect about you on our website, such as the pages you visit or the products you purchase. Facebook does not share this information with third parties (like advertisers) unless it has explicit permission or is legally obligated to do so. Event data can also be linked with contact information, enabling Facebook to offer more personalized advertising. After the matching process is complete, Facebook deletes the contact information.

To optimize the delivery of advertisements, Facebook only uses event data when it is combined with other data (collected through other means by Facebook). Facebook also uses event data for security, protection, development, and research purposes. Many of these data are transmitted to Facebook via cookies—small text files used for storing data or information in browsers. Depending on the tools used and whether you are a Facebook member, a varying number of cookies are stored in your browser. We provide specific details about individual Facebook cookies in the descriptions of the tools we use. You can also find general information on Facebook's cookie usage at https://www.facebook.com/policies/cookies.

How Long and Where is Data Stored?

In general, Facebook stores data as long as it is necessary for providing its services and products. Facebook has servers around the world where your data may be stored. Customer data, however, is deleted within 48 hours after it has been matched with Facebook’s user data.

How Can I Delete My Data or Prevent Data Storage?

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to access, rectify, transfer, and delete your data. Complete deletion of data occurs only if you fully delete your Facebook account. Here’s how to delete your Facebook account:

  1. Click on "Settings" on the right side of Facebook.
  2. Then click on "Your Facebook Information" in the left column.
  3. Click on "Deactivation and Deletion."
  4. Select "Delete Account" and then click "Continue to Account Deletion."
  5. Enter your password, click "Continue," and then select "Delete Account."

The data collected by Facebook via our website is mainly stored through cookies (e.g., social plugins). In your browser, you can disable, delete, or manage individual or all cookies. The process varies depending on the browser you use. Below are guides for managing cookies in different browsers:

  • Chrome: Delete, enable, and manage cookies in Chrome
  • Safari: Manage cookies and website data in Safari
  • Firefox: Clear cookies to remove data that websites have placed on your computer
  • Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies
  • Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you generally do not want any cookies, you can set your browser to notify you whenever a cookie is about to be set, allowing you to decide on a case-by-case basis whether to allow it.

Facebook is an active participant in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, which ensures the correct and secure transfer of personal data. For more information, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC. We hope this overview has helped you understand the use and processing of data by Facebook tools. If you would like to know more about how Facebook uses your data, we recommend reviewing Facebook’s Data Policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/update.

Facebook Social Plugins Privacy Policy

Our website includes social plugins from Facebook Inc. You can recognize these buttons by the classic Facebook logo, such as the "Like" button (a hand with a raised thumb) or a "Facebook Plugin" label. A social plugin is a small piece of Facebook embedded into our site, each with its own specific function. The most common functions are the well-known "Like" and "Share" buttons.

Facebook offers the following social plugins:

  • "Save" button
  • "Like," "Share," "Send," and "Quote" buttons
  • Page Plugin
  • Comments Plugin
  • Messenger Plugin
  • Embedded posts and video player
  • Group Plugin

You can find more information on the various plugins and their uses at https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins. We use these social plugins to provide a better user experience on our site and because they help Facebook optimize our advertising efforts.

If you have a Facebook account or have visited facebook.com before, Facebook has likely already placed at least one cookie in your browser. In this case, your browser sends information to Facebook via this cookie whenever you visit our site or interact with social plugins (e.g., the "Like" button). The information received is deleted or anonymized within 90 days. According to Facebook, this data includes your IP address, the website you visited, the date and time, and other browser-related information.

To prevent Facebook from collecting extensive data during your visit to our website and linking it to your Facebook data, you need to log out of Facebook while browsing our site. If you are not logged into Facebook or do not have a Facebook account, your browser sends less information to Facebook, as fewer Facebook cookies are set. However, data such as your IP address and which site you visited may still be transmitted to Facebook. We want to emphasize that we do not have detailed knowledge of the exact data content, but we strive to inform you as accurately as possible based on our current knowledge. You can review how Facebook uses data in the company’s Data Policy at https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/update.

The following cookies are at least set in your browser when you visit a website with Facebook social plugins:

  • Name: dpr
    • Purpose: Used to ensure that social plugins on our website work properly.
    • Expiration: End of session
  • Name: fr
    • Value: 0jieyh4311214384c2GnlufEJ9..Bde09j…1.0.Bde09j
    • Purpose: Also necessary for proper plugin functionality.
    • Expiration: 3 months

Note: These cookies were set during testing, even if you are not a Facebook member.

If you are logged into Facebook, you can adjust your ad settings at https://www.facebook.com/ads/preferences/?entry_product=ad_settings_screen. If you are not a Facebook user, you can generally manage your online behavioral advertising at http://www.youronlinechoices.com/de/praferenzmanagement/, where you can disable or enable providers.

For more information on Facebook’s data policy, please visit https://www.facebook.com/policy.php.

Facebook Login Privacy Policy

Our website includes the convenient Facebook Login feature, allowing you to log in with your Facebook account instead of creating a new user account. If you choose to register via Facebook Login, you are redirected to Facebook, where you log in with your Facebook credentials. Through this login process, data about you and your user behavior is stored and transmitted to Facebook.

To store this data, Facebook uses various cookies. Below are some key cookies set in your browser when you log in through Facebook Login on our site:

  • Name: fr
    • Value: 0jieyh4c2GnlufEJ9..Bde09j…1.0.Bde09j
    • Purpose: Ensures the social plugin on our website works effectively.
    • Expiration: 3 months
  • Name: datr
    • Value: 4Jh7XUA2311214384SEmPsSfzCOO4JFFl
    • Purpose: Set by Facebook when a browser accesses facebook.com; helps identify login activities and protect users.
    • Expiration: 2 years
  • Name: _js_datr
    • Value: deleted
    • Purpose: This session cookie is set by Facebook for tracking purposes, even if you do not have a Facebook account or are logged out.
    • Expiration: End of session

Note: These cookies are just a selection of the many cookies available to Facebook, which also include _fbp, sb, and wd. A complete list is not possible as Facebook uses a variety of cookies that are dynamically implemented.

Facebook Login offers you a quick and easy registration process while enabling us to share data with Facebook. This helps us tailor our services and advertising to your interests and preferences. Data we may receive from Facebook includes public information like:

  • Your Facebook name
  • Your profile picture
  • An email address associated with your account
  • Friend lists
  • Button interactions (e.g., “Like” button)
  • Date of birth
  • Language
  • Location

In return, we provide Facebook with information about your activities on our website, such as the device you used, which pages you visited, or which products you purchased.

By using Facebook Login, you consent to data processing. You may withdraw this consent at any time. For more details on data processing by Facebook, please see Facebook’s Data Policy at https://de-de.facebook.com/policy.php.

If you are logged into Facebook, you can modify your ad settings at https://www.facebook.com/ads/preferences/?entry_product=ad_settings_screen.

Instagram Privacy Policy

Our website integrates features from Instagram, a social media platform operated by Instagram LLC, 1601 Willow Rd, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA. Since 2012, Instagram has been a subsidiary of Facebook Inc. and is part of Facebook’s products. Embedding Instagram content on our website is known as "embedding," which allows us to display Instagram content such as buttons, photos, or videos directly on our website. When you visit pages on our site that contain an Instagram feature, data is transmitted to Instagram, stored, and processed. Instagram uses the same systems and technologies as Facebook, meaning that your data is processed across all Facebook companies.

Below, we provide a closer look at why Instagram collects data, what data is collected, and how you can largely control the data processing. Since Instagram is owned by Facebook Inc., we base our information both on Instagram’s policies and Facebook’s data policies.

Why Do We Use Instagram on Our Website?

Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms in recent years, and naturally, we’ve adapted to this trend. Our goal is to make your experience on our website as enjoyable as possible, which is why we aim to offer a variety of engaging content. By embedding Instagram features, we can enhance our content with helpful, entertaining, or exciting elements from the Instagram world. Since Instagram is a subsidiary of Facebook, the collected data can also be useful for personalized advertising on Facebook, ensuring that our ads reach people who are genuinely interested in our products or services.

Instagram also uses the collected data for measurement and analysis purposes, providing us with aggregated statistics to help us better understand your preferences and interests. It’s important to note that these reports do not personally identify you.

What Data Does Instagram Store?

When you visit one of our pages that has Instagram features (like Instagram images or plugins), your browser automatically connects to Instagram’s servers. Data is then sent to, stored, and processed by Instagram, regardless of whether or not you have an Instagram account. This data includes information about our website, your computer, any purchases made, ads you view, and how you interact with our content. Additionally, the date and time of your interaction with Instagram are recorded. If you have or are logged into an Instagram account, Instagram collects significantly more data about you.

Facebook differentiates between "customer data" and "event data." We assume this is the same for Instagram. Customer data includes information like your name, address, phone number, and IP address. It’s worth noting that this customer data is only transmitted to Instagram after it has been "hashed." Hashing transforms the data into a string of characters, which effectively encrypts your contact information. Furthermore, the aforementioned "event data" is also transmitted. Event data, as defined by Facebook (and thus also by Instagram), includes information about your user behavior. In some cases, contact data may be combined with event data, and the collected contact data is matched with data Instagram already has about you.

The collected data is transmitted to Facebook via small text files (cookies) that are often set in your browser. The amount of data stored depends on the Instagram features used and whether or not you have an Instagram account.

We assume that Instagram’s data processing works similarly to Facebook’s. This means that if you have an Instagram account or have visited www.instagram.com, at least one cookie has been set by Instagram. In this case, your browser sends information to Instagram via the cookie whenever you interact with an Instagram feature. This data is deleted or anonymized within 90 days after matching. Despite our in-depth research on Instagram’s data processing, we cannot provide a complete breakdown of what data Instagram specifically collects and stores.

Below are some cookies that are set in your browser when you click on an Instagram feature (such as a button or an Instagram image). This example assumes you do not have an Instagram account. If you are logged into Instagram, significantly more cookies will be set in your browser.

  • Name: csrftoken
    • Value: ""
    • Purpose: This cookie is likely set for security reasons, to prevent cross-site request forgery. We were unable to obtain further details.
    • Expiration: 1 year
  • Name: mid
    • Value: ""
    • Purpose: Instagram sets this cookie to optimize its services and offerings within and outside of Instagram. It sets a unique user ID.
    • Expiration: End of session
  • Name: fbsr_311214384124024
    • Value: Not specified
    • Purpose: This cookie stores the login request for Instagram app users.
    • Expiration: End of session
  • Name: rur
    • Value: ATN
    • Purpose: This Instagram cookie ensures functionality on Instagram.
    • Expiration: End of session
  • Name: urlgen
    • Value: “{\”194.96.75.33\”: 1901}:1iEtYv

”

    • Purpose: This cookie is used for Instagram’s marketing purposes.
    • Expiration: End of session

Note: This list is not exhaustive. The specific cookies set depend on the embedded features and your use of Instagram.

Where and How Long Is Data Stored?

Instagram shares the collected information with Facebook companies, external partners, and people you connect with worldwide. Data processing complies with Instagram’s data policy, and for security and other reasons, your data is stored on Facebook’s servers globally. Most of these servers are located in the United States.

How Can I Delete or Prevent My Data from Being Stored?

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to access, transfer, rectify, and delete your data. You can manage your data in your Instagram settings. To completely delete your data from Instagram, you would need to delete your Instagram account permanently.

To delete your Instagram account:

  1. Open the Instagram app.
  2. Go to your profile page, scroll down, and click on “Help Center.”
  3. On the website, click on “Managing Your Account” and then select “Delete Your Account.”

If you delete your account, Instagram will delete posts like photos and status updates. However, information that others have shared about you does not belong to your account and will not be deleted.

As mentioned above, Instagram primarily stores your data via cookies. You can manage, disable, or delete these cookies in your browser. The process varies slightly depending on your browser. Here are instructions for the main browsers:

  • Chrome: Manage and delete cookies in Chrome.
  • Safari: Manage cookies and website data with Safari.
  • Firefox: Delete cookies to remove data stored by websites on your computer.
  • Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies.
  • Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies.

You can also set your browser to notify you whenever a cookie is set, allowing you to decide on a case-by-case basis whether to accept it.

Instagram is a subsidiary of Facebook Inc., and Facebook actively participates in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, which ensures proper data transfer between the United States and the European Union. You can learn more about this framework at https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC.

We have attempted to provide you with the most important information regarding data processing by Instagram.

 

On Instagram's Help Center, you can delve deeper into Instagram's data policies.

YouTube Privacy Policy

We have embedded YouTube videos on our website. This allows us to present interesting videos directly on our page. YouTube is a video platform that has been a subsidiary of Google since 2006. The video portal is operated by YouTube, LLC, located at 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. When you visit a page on our website that has an embedded YouTube video, your browser automatically connects to the servers of YouTube or Google. Depending on your settings, various data may be transmitted. For all data processing in the European area, Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible.

Below, we will explain in more detail which data is processed, why we have embedded YouTube videos, and how you can manage or delete your data.

YouTube is the video platform with the most visitors and the best content. We strive to provide you with the best possible user experience on our website. Of course, interesting videos should not be missing. With our embedded videos, we provide you with additional helpful content alongside our texts and images. Additionally, our website is more easily found on the Google search engine due to the embedded videos. Even when we run advertisements through Google Ads, Google can show these ads only to people who are genuinely interested in our offerings, thanks to the collected data.

What data is stored by YouTube?

As soon as you visit one of our pages that has an embedded YouTube video, YouTube sets at least one cookie that stores your IP address and our URL. If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can usually associate your interactions on our website with your profile using cookies. This includes data such as session duration, bounce rate, approximate location, technical information like browser type, screen resolution, or your internet service provider. Additional data may include contact details, ratings, sharing content via social media, or adding to your favorites on YouTube.

If you are not logged into a Google account or a YouTube account, Google stores data with a unique identifier linked to your device, browser, or app. For instance, your preferred language setting is maintained. However, many interaction data points cannot be saved because fewer cookies are set.

In the following list, we show cookies that were set in a test in the browser. We display cookies that are set without a logged-in YouTube account, as well as cookies that are set with a logged-in account. The list cannot claim completeness, as user data always depends on interactions on YouTube.

Name: YSC
Value: b9-CV6ojI5Y311214384-1
Purpose: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the viewed video.
Expiration: At the end of the session

Name: PREF
Value: f1=50000000
Purpose: This cookie also registers your unique ID. Through PREF, Google receives statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our website.
Expiration: After 8 months

Name: GPS
Value: 1
Purpose: This cookie registers your unique ID on mobile devices to track GPS location.
Expiration: After 30 minutes

Name: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
Value: 95Chz8bagyU
Purpose: This cookie attempts to estimate the user's bandwidth on our pages (with embedded YouTube videos).
Expiration: After 8 months

Additional cookies set when you are logged into your YouTube account:

Name: APISID
Value: zILlvClZSkqGsSwI/AU1aZI6HY7311214384-
Purpose: This cookie is used to create a profile of your interests. The data is used for personalized advertising.
Expiration: After 2 years

Name: CONSENT
Value: YES+AT.de+20150628-20-0
Purpose: The cookie stores a user’s consent status for the use of different Google services. CONSENT also serves security purposes, verifying users and protecting user data from unauthorized attacks.
Expiration: After 19 years

Name: HSID
Value: AcRwpgUik9Dveht0I
Purpose: This cookie is used to create a profile of your interests. This data helps display personalized advertising.
Expiration: After 2 years

Name: LOGIN_INFO
Value: AFmmF2swRQIhALl6aL…
Purpose: This cookie stores information about your login data.
Expiration: After 2 years

Name: SAPISID
Value: 7oaPxoG-pZsJuuF5/AnUdDUIsJ9iJz2vdM
Purpose: This cookie works by uniquely identifying your browser and device. It is used to create a profile of your interests.
Expiration: After 2 years

Name: SID
Value: oQfNKjAsI311214384-
Purpose: This cookie stores your Google account ID and your last login time in a digitally signed and encrypted format.
Expiration: After 2 years

Name: SIDCC
Value: AN0-TYuqub2JOcDTyL
Purpose: This cookie stores information about how you use the website and what advertisements you may have seen before visiting our page.
Expiration: After 3 months

 

How long and where are the data stored?
The data YouTube receives from you is stored on Google servers. Most of these servers are located in the United States. You can see exactly where Google’s data centers are located at this link. Your data is distributed across these servers, allowing faster access and better protection against tampering.

The duration for which Google retains the collected data varies. Some data can be deleted by you at any time, some are automatically deleted after a limited time, and others are retained by Google for longer periods. Certain data (like items in "My Activity," photos or documents, products) stored in your Google account remains until you delete it. Even if you are not logged into a Google account, you can delete some data linked to your device, browser, or app.

 

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?

In general, you can manually delete data in your Google account. With the automatic deletion feature for location and activity data introduced in 2019, information is retained based on your choice—either for 3 or 18 months—and then deleted.

Whether or not you have a Google account, you can configure your browser to delete or disable cookies from Google. The process varies depending on the browser you use. The following guides show you how to manage cookies in your browser:

  • Chrome: Delete, enable, and manage cookies in Chrome
  • Safari: Manage cookies and website data in Safari
  • Firefox: Delete cookies to remove the data that websites have stored on your computer
  • Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies
  • Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you generally do not want to allow cookies, you can set your browser to notify you each time a cookie is about to be placed. This way, you can decide whether to allow each cookie individually. As YouTube is a subsidiary of Google, there is a shared privacy policy. If you want to learn more about how your data is handled, we recommend reading the privacy policy at Google Privacy Policy.

YouTube Subscribe Button Privacy Policy

We have embedded the YouTube Subscribe button on our website. You can usually recognize the button by the classic YouTube logo. The logo shows the word "Subscribe" or "YouTube" in white text against a red background, with a white "Play" symbol to the left. The button may also appear in a different design.

Our YouTube channel regularly offers you entertaining, interesting, or exciting videos. With the embedded "Subscribe" button, you can subscribe to our channel directly from our website without having to visit the YouTube website. This makes it as easy as possible for you to access our extensive content. Please note that YouTube may collect and process data about you as a result.

When you see an embedded subscribe button on our site, YouTube, according to Google, sets at least one cookie. This cookie stores your IP address and our URL. YouTube may also obtain information about your browser, your approximate location, and your preset language. In our test, the following four cookies were set without being logged into YouTube:

  • Name: YSC
    Value: b9-CV6ojI5311214384Y
    Purpose: This cookie registers a unique ID to store statistics of the viewed video.
    Expiration: At the end of the session
  • Name: PREF
    Value: f1=50000000
    Purpose: This cookie also registers your unique ID. Through PREF, Google receives statistics on how you use YouTube videos on our website.
    Expiration: After 8 months
  • Name: GPS
    Value: 1
    Purpose: This cookie registers your unique ID on mobile devices to track GPS location.
    Expiration: After 30 minutes
  • Name: VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE
    Value: 31121438495Chz8bagyU
    Purpose: This cookie attempts to estimate the user's bandwidth on our pages (with embedded YouTube videos).
    Expiration: After 8 months

Note: These cookies were set based on a test and may not be comprehensive.

If you are logged into your YouTube account, YouTube can store many of your actions/interactions on our website with the help of cookies and associate them with your YouTube account. For example, YouTube may gain information on how long you browse our site, what browser type you use, your preferred screen resolution, or what actions you take.

YouTube uses this data both to improve its own services and offerings and to provide analytics and statistics for advertisers (who use Google Ads).