Privacy Policy

Welcome to our website. Below, we would like to explain which personal data we process, how we process this personal data, and what rights you have regarding this processing.

 

1. Data Controller

The data controller is:

Knowledge Markets Consulting GmbH, Siebensterngasse 31/12, A-1070 Vienna

 

2. Your Rights Regarding Data Processing

We are happy to provide you with information about whether and which of your personal data we process and for what purposes (Article 15 of the General Data Protection Regulation). In addition, you have the right to rectification (Article 16 General Data Protection Regulation), the right to restriction of processing (Article 18 General Data Protection Regulation), the right to erasure (Article 17 General Data Protection Regulation) and the right to data portability (Article 20 General Data Protection Regulation) under the respective legal requirements.

If our data processing is based on your consent within the meaning of Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation, you can withdraw this consent at any time freely and without giving reasons (Article 7(3) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Right to object: You can also object to the processing of your data for direct marketing purposes at any time (Article 21(2) GDPR). Furthermore, you may also object to other processing of your data for reasons arising from your particular situation, which is carried out to safeguard legitimate interests (Article 21(2) GDPR).

Without prejudice to these rights and the possibility of asserting any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. The supervisory authority responsible for us is

Austrian Data Protection Authority

Barichgasse 40-42

1030 Vienna

Austria

Telephone: +43 1 52 152-0

E-mail: dsb@dsb.gv.at

 

3. Data Security

We have taken extensive technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data from manipulation, loss, destruction or access by unauthorized third parties.

This site uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as requests that you send to us as the site operator. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock symbol in your browser line. If SSL or TLS encryption is activated, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

 

4. Direct Marketing

We may use the personal data provided by you to advertise our goods and services, unless the express consent of the addressee is required by law. The legal basis for data processing is Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation. The legitimate interest pursued by us is direct advertising.

If you give your consent, for example for email advertising, your consent - which can be revoked at any time - is the legal basis in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation.

 

5. Data Transfer to Third Countries

We only transfer or process data to countries outside the scope of the GDPR (third countries) if you consent to this processing or other legal permission exists. This applies in particular if the processing is required by law or necessary to fulfill a contractual relationship and in any case only to the extent that this is generally permitted. In most cases, your consent is the most important reason why we process data in third countries. The processing of personal data in third countries such as the USA, where many software manufacturers offer services and have their server locations, may mean that personal data is processed and stored in unexpected ways.

We expressly point out that, in the opinion of the European Court of Justice, there is currently only an adequate level of protection for data transfers to the USA if a US company that processes personal data of EU citizens in the USA is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. You can find more information on this at: https://commission.europa.eu/document/fa09cbad-dd7d-4684-ae60-be03fcb0fddf_en

Data processing by US services that are not active participants in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework may result in data not being processed and stored anonymously. Furthermore, US government authorities may be able to access individual data. In addition, data collected may be linked to data from other services of the same provider if you have a corresponding user account. Where possible, we try to use server locations within the EU if this is offered.

We will inform you in more detail about data transfer to third countries, if applicable, in the appropriate sections of this privacy policy.

 

6. Processing of Data You Actively Provide

6.1. Contact Forms

We offer you a contact form on our website for various purposes, which you can use to contact us quickly and easily with your questions. In order to process your questions appropriately and to be able to answer you personally, we must ask you to provide a selection of personal data, in particular your name and e-mail address. The legal basis for the processing of your data is Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation, insofar as it concerns the initiation of a contract or customer support within the framework of an existing contractual relationship. Otherwise, the legal basis is the protection of our legitimate interest in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation.

We will delete this data after final completion of the processing of your request. Statutory retention periods remain unaffected.

6.2. Newsletter Subscription

In order to stay in contact with you, we offer you the opportunity to subscribe to our newsletter. In order to be able to send you the newsletter, we need to ask you to provide personal data, i.e. your e-mail address. This is the only way we can send you the newsletter correctly.

The legal basis for processing this data is your express consent in accordance with Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation. You always give this consent voluntarily when you subscribe to the newsletter. We will store this data until you withdraw your consent. You can revoke your consent free of charge at any time without giving reasons; there is a corresponding link in all newsletter messages or you can contact us directly.

The newsletters we send out enable us to analyze the behavior of newsletter recipients. We statistically evaluate how many recipients have opened the newsletter message and how often which link in the newsletter was clicked on. With the help of conversion tracking, we can also analyze whether a predefined action (e.g. purchase of a product on our website) has taken place after clicking on the link in the newsletter.

 

7. Processing of Data from Your Devices: "Cookies" and Similar Identifiers

7.1 Cookies and "Identifiers"

We use technical tools on our website for various services and functions that are stored on your end device. These are in particular cookies, but also similar so-called identifiers, such as tracking pixels or web beacons (all such technical tools are referred to below simply as “cookies”, as the statements on cookies apply to other identifiers in the same way). We explain which services and functions use cookies in this privacy policy. Most of the cookies we use are so-called “session cookies”. They are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your end device until you delete them. These cookies enable us to recognize your browser on your next visit.

7.2 Technically Necessary Cookies

The technical structure of the website requires us to use certain technologies, in particular cookies. Without these technologies, our website cannot be displayed completely and correctly or the support functions could not be enabled. You cannot deselect these cookies if you wish to use our website. The legal basis for this processing is Section 165(3) of the Telecommunications Act (2021) and Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation. Our legitimate interest arises from the technical necessity that we would not be able to operate the website without the use of these technologies.

The technically necessary cookies include

  • cookie_notice_accepted: 1 month (stores whether and which cookies have been accepted)

7.3 Analysis and Marketing Cookies*

On our website, we use the analysis tracking tool Google Analytics in the version Google Analytics 4 (GA4) of the American company Google Inc. For the European area, the company Google Ireland Limited (Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland) is responsible for all Google services. Google Analytics collects data about your actions on our website. However, by combining various technologies such as cookies, device IDs and login information, you can be identified as a user across different devices. This means that your actions can also be analyzed across platforms.

Google Analytics is a tracking tool that is used to analyze the traffic on our website. These measurements and analyses are based on a pseudonymous user identification number. This number does not contain any personal data such as name or address, but is used to assign events to an end device. GA4 uses an event-based model that records detailed information on user interactions such as page views, clicks, scrolling and conversion events. GA4 also incorporates various machine learning functions to better understand user behavior and certain trends. GA4 relies on modeling with the help of machine learning functions. This means that missing data can also be extrapolated on the basis of the collected data in order to optimize the analysis and also to be able to make forecasts.

For Google Analytics to work in principle, a tracking code is built into the code of our website. When you visit our website, this code records various events that you perform on our website. With GA4's event-based data model, we as website operators can define and track specific events in order to obtain analyses of user interactions. In addition to general information such as clicks or page views, specific events that are important for our business can also be tracked. Such specific events can be, for example, the submission of a contact form or the purchase of a product.

As soon as you leave our website, this data is sent to the Google Analytics servers and stored there. Google processes the data and we receive reports on your user behavior.

The statistically analyzed data gives us a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of our website. On the one hand, we can optimize our site so that it can be found more easily by interested people on Google. On the other hand, the data helps us to better understand you as a visitor. We therefore know exactly what we need to improve on our website in order to offer you the best possible service. The data also helps us to carry out our advertising and marketing measures more individually and cost-effectively. After all, it only makes sense to show our products and services to people who are interested in them.

According to Google, no IP addresses are logged or stored in Google Analytics 4. However, Google uses the IP address data to derive location data and deletes it immediately afterwards. All IP addresses collected from users in the EU are therefore deleted before the data is stored in a data center or on a server.

We have implemented IP address anonymization from Google Analytics on this website. This function was developed by Google so that this website can comply with the applicable data protection regulations and recommendations of the local data protection authorities if they prohibit the storage of the full IP address. The anonymization or masking of the IP takes place as soon as the IP addresses arrive in the Google Analytics data collection network and before any storage or processing of the data takes place.

As Google Analytics 4 focuses on event-based data, the tool uses significantly fewer cookies compared to previous versions (such as Google Universal Analytics). Nevertheless, there are some specific cookies that are used by GA4. These include, for example:

  • ga: 2 years (used to distinguish website visitors)
  • gid: 24 hours (also used to distinguish website visitors)
  • gat_gtag_UA_<property-id>: 1 minute (is used to reduce the request rate. If Google Analytics is provided via the Google Tag Manager, this cookie is given the name _dc_gtm_ <property-id>)

Note: This list cannot claim to be exhaustive, as Google is constantly changing its choice of cookies. The aim of GA4 is also to improve data protection. The tool therefore offers a number of options for controlling data collection. For example, we can set the storage duration ourselves and also control data collection.

You can use the browser add-on to deactivate Google Analytics JavaScript (analytics.js, gtag.js) to prevent Google Analytics 4 from using your data. You can download and install the browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de. Please note that this add-on only deactivates data collection by Google Analytics.

The use of Google Analytics requires your consent, which we have obtained with our cookie pop-up. According to Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR (consent), this consent constitutes the legal basis for the processing of personal data, as may occur when data is collected by web analytics tools.

 

8. Processing of Data When Visiting the Website: Data Processing for Technical Provision

8.1 Processors

We also use technical service providers who act as processors.

Processors are companies that process personal data on our behalf. Knowledge Markets Consulting GmbH only works with processors who offer sufficient guarantees that suitable technical and organizational measures are implemented in such a way that the processing is carried out in accordance with the GDPR and your rights are protected.

These processors are bound by contract,

  • to use data only within the scope of our documented instructions and for no other purpose than to provide the service
  • to maintain the confidentiality of personal data
  • ensure the security of the personal data,
  • to engage sub-processors only with our prior authorization,
  • and, where necessary, to provide us with the necessary assistance to enable us to comply with your data subject rights.

Our processors are:

  • Hetzner Online GmbH, Industriestr. 25, 91710 Gunzenhausen, Germany (web hosting)
  • CleverReach GmbH & Co. KG, //CRASH Building, Schafjückenweg 2, 26180 Rastede, Germany (newsletter dispatch)
  • Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland (web analytics)

8.2. Logfiles

When you visit our website and view its content, information is transmitted from your browser to our server, including the following personal data:

  • Browser type
  • Browser version
  • Operating system used
  • Referrer URL
  • Host name of the accessing computer
  • Time of the server request
  • IP address

This information is temporarily stored in a so-called log file until it is automatically deleted, which regularly takes place within 24 hours.

We process this data in order to provide and display our website and the content it contains, as well as to protect against brute force attacks. The legal basis for this processing is Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation. Our legitimate interest in the processing arises from the fact that the processing is technically necessary in order to display our website to you and to ensure the stability and security of the website. The data is deleted as soon as it is no longer required for the purpose described

 

9. Use of Social Media Plugins and Other Third-Party Content

We do not use any social media plugins on our website. If our website contains icons from social media providers (e.g. Facebook, Instagram), we only use these to passively link to our pages on the respective platform: if you click on the icon, you will be redirected to the corresponding platform. However, the icons themselves do not process, collect or send any data.

* Source: Created with or inspired by the Datenschutz Generator Österreich from AdSimple