What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are generated when your browser sends a request to our web server and are stored on your device. Their purpose is usually to allow us to identify your device and its behavior when visiting our websites.
There are two types of cookies – persistent cookies and temporary cookies (session cookies).
Session cookies are stored temporarily on your computer while you are visiting our Website, but they are deleted as soon as you close the page.
Persistent cookies are stored as a file on your computer or mobile device for a longer period of time.
With the exception of cookies necessary for the functioning of our website, we store cookies on your device only with your consent. If you do not wish to accept cookies, you may adjust your browser settings – more information on this can be found at the end of this document.
If you prefer not to receive cookies while browsing our website, you may refuse them by setting your internet browser to warn you before accepting a cookie or to reject cookies when your browser notifies you of their presence. You may also refuse all cookies by disabling them through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies will affect the functionality of this and many other websites you visit. Disabling cookies will usually also result in the disabling of certain features of our website.
How are cookies deleted?
You know when and whether your browser receives cookies because it notifies you of this on your first visit. In this way, you have the option to accept or reject a given cookie.
Your browser can be set to reject all cookies. If you would like to find out how to do this, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org/ or Microsoft’s Cookie Guide at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/260971/description-of-cookies.
Please note that changes to your browser settings that disable the cookie function may prevent the website from functioning properly.
You may choose which cookies to allow or block by visiting the relevant settings pages of your browsers:
Internet Explorer cookie settings: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies#ie=ie-10
Chrome cookie settings: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en&ref_topic=14666
Safari cookie settings for web: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH17191?locale=en_US and for iOS: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201265
Strictly necessary cookies
Certain cookies are necessary in order for us to securely provide our services through the website. This category includes, for example:
– Cookies that identify or authenticate our users;
– Cookies that temporarily store certain user data (for example, the contents of an online form);
– Cookies that store certain user preferences (for example, search settings or language settings);
– Cookies that store data to ensure uninterrupted playback of video or audio content.
Analytical cookies
We use analytical cookies to record user behavior (for example, clicks on advertising banners, search queries entered) and to statistically evaluate these actions.
Advertising cookies
We also use cookies for advertising purposes. User behavior profiles created with the help of such cookies (for example, clicks on advertising banners, visited subpages, entered search queries) are used by us to show you advertisements or offers tailored to your interests (“interest-based advertising”).
Third-party advertising cookies
We also allow other companies to evaluate our users’ data through advertising cookies. This allows us and third parties to show users of our website interest-based advertisements based on an analysis of your usage behavior (for example, clicks on advertising banners, visited subpages, entered search queries), and this is not limited only to our online offers.
Referral cookies
Our referral tracking partners place cookies on your computer (“referral cookie”) in the event that you have reached our website through an advertisement of the respective partner. These cookies usually expire after 30 days. If you visit certain pages hosted by us and the cookie has not yet expired, we and the relevant conversion tracking partner may see that a particular user clicked on the advertisement and was referred to our page. The information collected through the referral cookie is used to create referral statistics and to determine the total number of users who clicked on the relevant advertisement and were referred to a page equipped with a referral tracking tag.
Web analytics
We need statistical information about the use of our website in order to make it more user-friendly, carry out reach measurements, and conduct market research.
For this purpose, we use the web analytics tools described in this section.
The user profiles created by these tools, with the help of analytical cookies or by evaluating log files, do not contain personal data. The tools either do not use users’ IP addresses at all, or they shorten them immediately after collection.
The providers of these tools process data only as processors of personal data according to our instructions and not for their own purposes.
Below you will find information about each tool provider and how you can object to the collection and processing of personal data through the tool.
Please note that for tools using opt-out cookies, the opt-out function is linked to the device or browser and is therefore valid only for the device or browser currently in use. If you use several devices or browsers, you must select the opt-out function on each device and in each browser used.
In addition, you can generally prevent the creation of user profiles by disabling the use of cookies.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). We use Google Analytics with the additional IP anonymization feature offered by Google. Google shortens the IP address within the EU, and only in exceptional cases in the USA, while in both cases storing only shortened IP addresses.
You can object to the collection and processing of your data by downloading and installing a browser plug-in from the following link: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en
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