Privacy Policy

There may be various legal bases for the processing of personal data. If we require your data for the performance of a contract with you or to respond to your queries in relation to a contract, the legal basis for this data processing is Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter b) GDPR. If we obtain your consent for specific data processing activities, the legal basis is Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter a) GDPR. We carry out some data processing on the basis of our legitimate interests, always weighing your interests meriting protection and our legitimate interests. The legal basis for this is Article 6(?) letter f) GDPR. Where the processing is necessary for the purpose of fulfilling a legal obligation to which we are subject, the legal basis is Article 6(1) letter c) GDPR.

Below we explain how we process personal data via our website.

If you use our website for purely informational purposes, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information (e.g. via a contact form), we collect the following technical information (log file data):

– operating system of the device you use to visit our website
– browser (type, version & language settings)
– the amount of data accessed
– the current IP address of the device you use to visit our website
– date and time of access
– the URL of the previously visited website (referrer)
– the URL of the (sub)page of the website that you access
– the internet service provider of the accessing system

The collection of this data is technically necessary for us to display our website to you and to ensure its stability and security. Generally, we do not know who is behind a particular IP address. We do not collate the data listed above with other data.

The legal basis is Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter f) GDPR. Because the collection of the data for the purpose of providing the website and the storage of the data in log files is absolutely necessary for the operation of the website and to protect against misuse, our legitimate interest in processing the data takes precedence here.

Click on a subject:

When you contact us by email or via a contact form, the data provided by you (your email address and potentially your name and telephone number) will be stored by us for the purpose of answering your questions and to enable us to process your requests and address your concerns. The legal basis here is Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter f) GDPR. Insofar as we request that you provide us with details via our contact form which are not necessary for establishing contact, the relevant fields will always be marked as optional. This information helps us to clarify your query and to more effectively process your request or address your concern. It is made available on an explicitly voluntary basis and with your consent (Article 6(1) letter a) GDPR). In the case of information concerning communication channels (for example email addresses, telephone numbers), you also consent to us possibly contacting you via those means of communication in order to process your request or address your concern. You can, of course, withdraw this consent at any time with effect going forward.

Your data that we receive as a result of you contacting us will be erased as soon as it is no longer required to achieve the purpose for which it was collected, your request has been fully processed or your concern fully addressed, and no further communication with you is necessary or desired by you.

As the data controller, our company has implemented numerous technical and organisational measures in order to ensure as complete protection as possible of the personal data processed through this website. It is nevertheless always possible for internet-based data transmissions to suffer from security vulnerabilities. Absolute protection cannot be guaranteed. At any rate, the transmission of unencrypted emails is not secure. We therefore ask that you do not send sensitive data by way of an unencrypted email and that you instead either make use of encrypted means of communication (e.g. our contact form) to this end or rely on traditional mail.

We are happy to provide you with information regarding whether and what personal data belonging to you is processed by us and for what purposes (Article 15 GDPR). You are also entitled, subject to the respective statutory conditions, to a right to rectification (Article 16 GDPR), a right to restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR), a right to erasure (Article 17 GDPR) and a right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR).

Subject to the relevant statutory conditions, you have the right to submit an objection to processing (Article 21 GDPR).

In order to exercise the rights listed above, please send an email to info@otara.de or a letter to otara GmbH, Mastholter Str. 168, 59558 Lippstadt. Exercising these rights is free of charge for you.

Without prejudice to said rights and the possibility of some other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to at any time lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence or your place of work or of the place where the alleged infringement occurred, if you consider that the processing of your personal data infringes provisions of data protection legislation (Article 77 GDPR). The supervisory authority under whose jurisdiction we fall: Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit [State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information], North Rhine-Westphalia, PO box 20 04 44, 40102 Düsseldorf.

We have implemented extensive technical and operational safeguards in order to protect your data against accidental or intentional manipulation, loss, destruction or access by unauthorised persons. Our security procedures are regularly reviewed and adjusted in line with technological advances.

You can submit applications to our company electronically, e.g. via email. Please note that emails which are sent in an unencrypted form are not access restricted.

Your information will be used for the purpose of processing your application and deciding whether to establish an employment relationship. The legal basis for this is Article 26 para. 1 in conjunction with para. 8 sentence 2 of the German Data Protection Act (Bundesdatenschutzgesetz, BDSG). Your personal data may also be processed to the extent that this is necessary to defend against legal claims asserted against us which arise in connection with the application process. The legal basis for this is Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter f) GDPR. The stated purposes constitute a legitimate interest in processing the data.

If an employment relationship between you and us is established, we may further process the personal data we have already received from you for purposes in connection with the employment relationship, in accordance with Article 26(1) BDSG, if this is necessary for the performance or termination of the employment relationship or for the exercise or fulfilment of rights and obligations of the party(/ies) representing employee interests arising from legislation, or a collective bargaining agreement, works agreement or labour agreement (collective agreement).

No processing of your application data will occur over and above the uses described above.

Your personal data will be erased after the application procedure has concluded, no later than after six months, unless other legitimate interests of our company preclude this course of action or you have consented to us storing the data for a longer period of time. Other legitimate interests in this sense may be, for example, an obligation to furnish evidence in proceedings pursuant to the General Act on Equal Opportunities (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, AGG).

Cookies are files which are placed on your computer by a website that you visit and which enable your browser to be re-assigned. Cookies allow information to be transmitted to the party that installed the cookie. Cookies can store different information, such as your language setting, the duration of your visit to our website or any details you entered there. This means, for example, that you do not have to re-enter required form data each time you use our site. The information stored in the cookies may also be used to recognise preferences and to orient content towards the user’s interests.

There are different types of cookies: Session cookies are quantities of data that are only temporarily stored in working memory and are erased when you close your browser. Permanent or persistent cookies are automatically erased after a set period of time, which may differ depending on the cookie. With this type of cookie, the information may also be stored on your computer in text files. However, these cookies can also be erased at any time via your browser settings.

First-party cookies are installed by the website that you are currently visiting. Only that website is permitted to read information stored in these cookies. Third-party cookies are installed by organisations that do not operate the website you are visiting. These cookies are used, for example, by marketing companies.

The legal bases for potentially processing personal data through the use of cookies and their storage period may vary. Insofar as you have given us your consent, the legal basis is Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter a) GDPR. If the data processing occurs on the basis of our overriding legitimate interests, the legal basis is Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter f) GDPR. In this case, the stated purpose constitutes our legitimate interest.

We use cookies to ensure the proper operation of the website, to provide basic features, to measure reach and – with your consent – to tailor our services to preferred areas of interest. To this end, we make use of both transient cookies and persistent cookies.

You can erase the cookies already stored on your device at any time. If you wish to prevent cookies from being stored, you can do so via your browser settings. You can find instructions for popular browsers here: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, Google Chrome mobile, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Safari mobile. Alternatively, you can also install ad blockers. Please note that individual features of our website may not function if you have deactivated the use of cookies.

To disable certain cookies on our site, please click here.

General information
You can subscribe on our website to a newsletter, which will allow us to inform you about offers, new releases and perks. The legal basis for sending the respective newsletter is your consent pursuant to Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter a) GDPR in conjunction with Article 7(2) No. 3 of the German Unfair Competition Act (Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb, UWG) / statutory permission in accordance with Article 7(3) UWG.

Signing up for our newsletter is subject to a double opt-in procedure. This means that after you have signed up we send an email to the email address you specified in which we ask you to confirm that you would like to receive the newsletter. Failure to confirm will result in your information being promptly erased.

After you have confirmed your registration, we will store your email address until further notice for the purpose of sending the newsletter. We will also store your current IP address at the time of signing up, as well as the time of signing up and confirmation for up to three years after you signed up (limitation period). The purpose of this procedure is to enable us to provide proof that you signed up in case of doubt and to clarify possible misuse of your personal data. The legal basis for logging your decision to sign up is our legitimate interest pursuant to Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter f) GDPR in being able to provide proof of previously granted consent; see also Article 7(1) GDPR.

You can withdraw your consent to receive the newsletter at any time and unsubscribe. You can effect your withdrawal by clicking on the link provided in every newsletter email.

Newsletter tracking
Please be advised that when we send the newsletter we analyse your user behaviour (analysis of the opening rate). We use the data that we obtain in this manner to create a user profile so that we can tailor the newsletter to your particular interests. We record the time when you read our newsletters and the links you click on within them, and on this basis we infer your personal interests. We link this data to actions performed by you on our website. The legal basis for this data processing is your consent pursuant to Article 6(1) sentence 1 letter a) GDPR. This kind of tracking is not possible if you have deactivated images from being displayed in your email client by default, in which case the newsletter will not be displayed to you in full and you may not be able to make use of all the features. If you manually allow the images to be displayed, the tracking described above will occur.

The information gathered from tracking will be stored for as long as you are subscribed to the newsletter. After unsubscribing, the data will be anonymised and used for purely statistical purposes.

The data that we record about you for the purposes of the newsletter subscription will be stored by us until you unsubscribe and then erased after the newsletter is cancelled. This does not affect data that are stored by us for other purposes.

You have the option to register on our website and to set up a customer account. Fields that require the entry of personal data are marked as mandatory in the respective registration form. Any additional information is optional.

For the purposes of registration, we collect and store the following data from you (optional):

- Title
- Name
- Email address
- Telephone no.
- Company name
- VAT ID no.
- Address

Any additional information is optional.

Registration is subject to a double opt-in procedure. This means that your registration is not complete until it has been confirmed by you by clicking on the link contained in a confirmation email sent to you for this purpose. Failure to confirm will result in your registration being automatically erased from our database. Following registration, you will receive personal, password-protected account access and will be able to view and manage the data recorded about you. Registration is voluntary, but it is required to take advantage of particular services offered by us.

We will store your data that are necessary for the performance of the contract and potentially also information regarding the payment method used until you permanently delete access to your account. We will continue to store any additional data provided by you for the duration of your use of the customer account unless you erase these beforehand. You can manage and edit all the information in the secure customer area.

You may delete your customer account at any time. Erasing the account will result in all personal data that are not subject to a statutory retention obligation or Article 17(3) GDPR being erased.

The legal basis for this data processing is Article 6(1) letters a), b) and f) GDPR.

For the purposes of analysing and optimising our websites, we make use of various services described below. These enable us to analyse how many users visit our site, what information is the most sought after and how users discover our service. In this context, we also record data regarding the website from which the user came to our website (the “referrer”), which subpages of the website were accessed or how often a particular subpage was viewed and for how long. This helps us make our service more user friendly, identify errors and improve our service, with this constituting our legitimate interest in the use of these tools. The data collected in the process are not used to personally identify individual users. For this reason, we take a minimalist approach to data: Anonymous or, at most, pseudonymous data are collected. The legal basis for this data processing is Article 6(1) letter a) GDPR.

As far as you have given your consent, we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. The responsible service provider in the EU is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (“Google”).

Google Analytics uses cookies that enable an analysis of your use of our website. The information collected by the cookies about your use of this website is generally transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

We use the ‘anonymizeIP’ function (so-called IP masking): Due to the activation of IP anonymization on this website, your IP address is shortened by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other data from Google.

During your website visit, the following data, among others, is collected:

• the pages you visit, your “click path”
• achievement of “website goals” (conversions, such as newsletter sign-ups, downloads)
• your user behavior (e.g., clicks, time spent, bounce rates)
• your approximate location (region)
• your IP address (in shortened form)
• technical information about your browser and the devices you use (e.g., language setting, screen resolution)
• your internet provider
• the referrer URL (via which website/advertising medium you came to this website)

Purposes of Processing
On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website and to compile reports on website activity. The reports provided by Google Analytics are used to analyze the performance of our website and the success of our marketing campaigns.

Recipient
The recipient of the data is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland as a processor. For this, we have concluded a data processing agreement with Google.

Storage Duration
The data we send and link with cookies will be automatically deleted after 14 months. Data whose retention period has been reached is automatically deleted once a month.

To prevent tracking by Universal Analytics across different devices, you must opt out on all systems used. If you click here, the opt-out cookie will be set: Deactivate Google Analytics

For more information on Google Analytics terms of use and Google's privacy policy, please visit https://marketingplatform.google.com/about/analytics/terms/de/ and https://policies.google.com/?hl=de.

Legal Basis and Revocation Option
for this data processing is your consent, Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a) GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future by clicking on "Cookie Settings" at the bottom of the website.

The otara GmbH uses products and services for analysis and marketing purposes, provided in cooperation with Visable GmbH, ABC-Straße 21, 20354 Hamburg. For this purpose, data is collected, processed, and stored using pixel technology to create at least pseudonymized, and where possible and reasonable, fully anonymized usage profiles. The collected data, which may initially include personal data, is transmitted to Visable or directly collected by Visable and used to create the above-mentioned usage profiles. Personal identification of visitors to this website does not take place, and no other personal data is combined with the usage profiles. If IP addresses are identified as personal data, they are immediately deleted.
The legal basis for this is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. The legitimate interest lies in the analysis, optimization, and economic operation of our online offering. You can object to the forms of processing described here at any time with effect for the future: Exclude visitor tracking (Note: This link sets a 1st-party cookie for an opt-out)

We use the service Custom Audiences provided by Facebook Inc. in connection with use-based online advertising. (1601 S. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA). To this end, we set up user target groups in Facebook’s ad manager on the basis of certain characteristics, with these groups subsequently being shown advertisements within the Facebook network. The users are selected by Facebook based on the profile information they provide and other data made available through the use of Facebook. If a user clicks on an advertisement and is then directed to our website, Facebook is informed via the Facebook Pixel integrated into our website that the user clicked on the advertising banner. A non-reversible and non-personal checksum (hash value) is generated from your usage data, which is transmitted to Facebook for analysis and marketing purposes. This involves the installation of a Facebook cookie, which records information about your activities on our website (e.g. surfing behaviour, visited subpages, etc.). Furthermore, your IP address is stored and used to direct advertising based on geographical considerations. Facebook Custom Audiences is not used by us via the customer list, nor is the advanced reconciliation feature.

Further information about the purpose and scope of the collection of data and the further processing and use of the data by Facebook, as well as the options available to you in your settings with regard to protecting your privacy, is provided in Facebook’s privacy policy. You can tailor the settings to determine which advertisements you will be shown on Facebook via this link as well in Facebook’s account settings.

The transmission of data to the USA is permitted under Article 45 GDPR, as Facebook is Privacy Shield certified, meaning that there is an adequate level of data protection according to Commission Implementing Decision 2016/1250 (https://eur-lex.Europe.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016D1250&from=DE). You can access the certification at https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt0000000GnywAAC&status=Active.

Further information regarding Facebook’s Custom Audiences service is available at:
https://de-de.facebook.com/business/help/449542958510885.

Further information on data processing and the storage period is available from the provider or at
https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy.

The legal basis for this is Article 6(1) letter f) GDPR. The legitimate interest of the controller is analysing website usage.

Users who are logged in can deactivate the Facebook Custom Audiences feature at
https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=ads#_.

You can also block cookies from being stored entirely by adjusting your browser settings accordingly. Please note, however, that if you do so you may not be able to make full use of all the features of our website. You can find additional options for deactivating cookies through third-party providers at
www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp or on the Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out platform at http://optout.aboutads.info/?c=2&lang=en.

As far as you have given your consent, we use services from YouTube, a video content provider of Google LLC. The responsible service provider in the EU is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (“Google”).
This serves to improve our online offering.

When visiting a website that includes YouTube, your browser establishes a direct connection with Google’s servers, and the following data is processed:

• Device information
• Videos watched
• IP address

The collected information about your use of this website is generally processed in the European Union. The data is deleted as soon as it is no longer needed for processing purposes.

For more information on how user data is handled, see the following:
https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/
https://policies.google.com/technologies/cookies?hl=en
https://safety.google/privacy/privacy-controls/

Legal Basis and Revocation Option
for this data processing is your consent, Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a) GDPR. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future by clicking on "Cookie Settings" at the bottom of the website.

As a rule, your data will not be transmitted to third parties unless we are legally obliged to do so or disclosing the data is necessary for the performance of the contractual relationship or you have previously explicitly consented to the disclosure of your data.
External service providers and partner companies, for example online payment providers or the shipping company charged with handling the delivery, will only receive your data to the extent that this is necessary to process your order. The scope of the data transmitted in these cases shall be limited to the required minimum. Insofar as our service providers come into contact with your personal data and process it on our behalf and subject to our instructions, we will ensure, within the scope of contract processing in accordance with Article 28 GDPR, that they comply with data protection laws in the same manner. Please also take note of the privacy policy of the respective provider. The content of third-party services is the responsibility of the respective service provider. We will, however, take reasonable steps to verify that their services comply with the legal requirements.

Mollie
We transmit your data as part of the payment process to our payment service partner Mollie (Mollie B.V., Keizersgracht 126, 1015CW Amsterdam, Netherlands). The legal basis for this data processing is Article 6(1) letter b) GDPR. Please also take note of the detailed information available regarding Mollie's privacy policy https://www.mollie.com/en/privacy.

PayPal
We may also transmit your data as part of the payment process to our payment service partner PayPal (Europe) S.à.r.l. & Cie. S.C.A., 22-24 Boulevard Royal, 2449 Luxembourg. If you select PayPal as your payment method, the data required from you to complete the payment process will be automatically transmitted to PayPal. The legal basis for this data processing is Article 6(1) letter b) GDPR.

As a rule, your data will not be transmitted to third parties unless we are legally obliged to do so or disclosing the data is necessary for the performance of the contractual relationship or you have previously explicitly consented to the disclosure of your data.

Personal data that we collect will be erased if the purpose for processing ceases to apply or within the statutory retention periods.

When you use our website, you are not subject to any statutory or contractual obligations to provide data.

No automated decision-making including profiling occurs in accordance with Article 22 GDPR.