GSB International e.V. | Privacy Policy

1. Data protection at a glance

a) General information

The following information provides a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website or interact with us on our social media channels. Personal data is any data that can be used to identify you personally. For detailed information on data protection, please refer to our privacy policy set out below this text.

b) Controller

The controller responsible for data processing is:

GSB International e.V.
Fritz-Vomfelde-Straße 30
40547 Düsseldorf
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)211 – 47 96 – 450 / – 451
Email: info@gsb-international.de

c) How do we collect your data?

Some of your data is collected when you provide it to us. Other data is collected automatically or after your consent when you visit the website, by our IT systems. This is primarily technical data (e.g. internet browser, operating system or time of the page view). This data is collected automatically as soon as you enter this website.

d) What do we use your data for?

Some of the data is collected to ensure that the website is provided without errors. Other data may be used to analyse your user behaviour.

e) What rights do you have regarding your data?

You have the right at any time to receive information free of charge about the origin, recipients and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request the correction or deletion of this data. If you have given consent to data processing, you can revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future. You also have the right, under certain circumstances, to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data. Furthermore, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.

You can contact us at any time regarding this and other questions on the subject of data protection.

f) Analysis tools and third-party tools

When you visit this website, your browsing behaviour may be statistically evaluated. This is done primarily with so-called analysis programs. Detailed information on these analysis programs can be found in the following privacy policy.

2. General information on data processing

a) Storage period

Unless a more specific storage period is stated in this privacy policy, your personal data will remain with us until the purpose of the data processing no longer applies. If you assert a legitimate request for deletion or revoke your consent to data processing, your data will be deleted, unless we have other legally permissible reasons for storing your personal data (e.g. retention periods under tax or commercial law); in the latter case, the data will be deleted once these reasons no longer apply.

b) General information on the legal bases of data processing

If you have consented to data processing, we process your personal data on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR. If you have consented to the storage of cookies or to access to information on your end device (e.g. via device fingerprinting), the data processing is additionally based on Section 25 (1) TDDDG. Consent can be revoked at any time. If your data is required for the performance of a contract or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR. Furthermore, we process your data where this is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR. Data processing may also take place on the basis of our legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. The legal bases applicable in each individual case are set out in the following sections of this privacy policy.

c) Note on data transfers to the USA and other third countries

Among other things, we use tools from companies based in the USA or other third countries that are not secure from a data protection perspective. When these tools are active, your personal data may be transferred to these third countries and processed there.

Since 10 July 2023, the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” has applied to the transfer of personal data to the USA; the European Commission adopted it by means of an adequacy decision. Accordingly, personal data transferred from the EU to a company in the USA that is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework is afforded an adequate level of protection. The companies based in the USA to which we transfer personal data are certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

d) SSL and TLS encryption

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

3. Data collection on this website

a) Cookies

Our websites use so-called “cookies”. Cookies are small data packets and do not cause any damage to your end device. They are stored on your end device either temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or permanently (persistent cookies). Session cookies are deleted automatically after your visit ends. Persistent cookies remain stored on your end device until you delete them yourself or your web browser deletes them automatically.

Cookies may come from us (first-party cookies) or from third-party companies (so-called third-party cookies). Third-party cookies enable the integration of certain services from third-party companies within websites (e.g. cookies for processing payment services).

Cookies have various functions. Numerous cookies are technically necessary, as certain website functions would not work without them (e.g. the shopping cart function or the display of videos). Other cookies may be used to analyse user behaviour or for advertising purposes.

Cookies that are required to carry out the electronic communication process or to provide certain functions you have requested (necessary cookies) are stored on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR, unless another legal basis is specified. We have an interest in storing necessary cookies in order to provide our services in a technically error-free and optimised manner. If consent to the storage of cookies and comparable recognition technologies was requested, processing takes place exclusively on the basis of this consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR and Section 25 (1) TDDDG); consent can be revoked at any time.

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general, and activate the automatic deletion of cookies when the browser is closed. If cookies are deactivated, the functionality of this website may be limited.

You can find out which cookies and services are used on this website in this privacy policy.

b) Consent with Borlabs Cookie

Our website uses the consent technology of Borlabs Cookie to obtain your consent to the storage of certain cookies in your browser or to the use of certain technologies, and to document this in a data-protection-compliant manner. The provider of this technology is Borlabs GmbH, Rübenkamp 32, 22305 Hamburg, Germany (hereinafter Borlabs).

When you visit our website, a Borlabs cookie is stored in your browser in which the consents you have given, or the revocation of these consents, are recorded. This data is not passed on to the provider of Borlabs Cookie.

The data collected is stored until you request its deletion, delete the Borlabs cookie yourself, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies. Mandatory statutory retention periods remain unaffected. You can find details on the data processing by Borlabs Cookie at https://de.borlabs.io/kb/welche-daten-speichert-borlabs-cookie.

The Borlabs Cookie consent technology is used to obtain the consents required by law for the use of cookies. The legal basis for this is Art. 6 (1) (c) GDPR.

[borlabs-cookie type=”btn-cookie-preference” title=”Adjust cookie settings”/]

c) Server log files

The provider of the pages automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser transmits to us automatically. These are:

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

This data is not merged with other data sources. This data is collected on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in the technically error-free presentation and optimisation of our website – for this purpose, the server log files must be collected.

d) Hosting

Our hosting provider is IONOS SE, Elgendorfer Str. 57, 56410 Montabaur, Germany (hereinafter IONOS). When you visit our website, IONOS collects various log files including your IP addresses. For details, please refer to the privacy policy of IONOS: https://www.ionos.de/terms-gtc/terms-privacy.

Data processing by IONOS in the context of hosting takes place on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in the most reliable possible presentation of our website. If corresponding consent was requested, processing takes place exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR and Section 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar as the consent covers the storage of cookies or access to information on the user’s end device (e.g. device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) with IONOS pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR.

e) Enquiries by email, telephone or fax

If you contact us by email, telephone or fax, your enquiry, including all personal data arising from it (name, enquiry), will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of handling your request. We do not pass on this data without your consent.

This data is processed on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR if your enquiry is related to the performance of a contract or is necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, processing is based on our legitimate interest in the effective handling of enquiries addressed to us (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR) or on your consent (Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR) if this was requested; consent can be revoked at any time.

The data you send to us via contact enquiries remains with us until you request its deletion, revoke your consent to its storage, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g. after your request has been fully processed). Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular statutory retention periods – remain unaffected.

4. Plugins and tools

a) YouTube with enhanced privacy

This website embeds videos from the YouTube website. The operator of the pages is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

We use YouTube in enhanced privacy mode. According to YouTube, this mode means that YouTube does not store any information about visitors to this website before they watch the video. However, enhanced privacy mode does not necessarily rule out the disclosure of data to YouTube partners. For example, regardless of whether you watch a video, YouTube establishes a connection to the Google DoubleClick network.

As soon as you start a YouTube video on this website, a connection to the YouTube servers is established. In doing so, the YouTube server is informed which of our pages you have visited. If you are logged in to your YouTube account, you enable YouTube to assign your browsing behaviour directly to your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account.

Furthermore, after a video is started, YouTube may store various cookies on your end device or use comparable recognition technologies (e.g. device fingerprinting). In this way, YouTube can obtain information about visitors to this website. This information is used, among other things, to collect video statistics, improve user-friendliness and prevent attempts at fraud.

If necessary, further data processing operations may be triggered after a YouTube video is started, over which we have no influence.

YouTube is used in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online offerings. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. If corresponding consent was requested, processing takes place exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR and Section 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar as the consent covers the storage of cookies or access to information on the user’s end device (e.g. device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Further information on data protection at YouTube can be found in their privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

b) Google Maps

This site uses the map service Google Maps. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

To use the functions of Google Maps, it is necessary to store your IP address. This information is generally transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. The provider of this site has no influence on this data transmission. When Google Maps is activated, Google may use Google Fonts for the purpose of uniform display of fonts. When you call up Google Maps, your browser loads the required web fonts into its browser cache in order to display texts and fonts correctly.

Google Maps is used in the interest of an appealing presentation of our online offerings and to make the locations stated on the website easy to find. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. If corresponding consent was requested, processing takes place exclusively on the basis of Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR and Section 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar as the consent covers the storage of cookies or access to information on the user’s end device (e.g. device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. Consent can be revoked at any time.

Google is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. More information on the handling of user data can be found in Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de.

c) Font Awesome (local hosting)

This site uses Font Awesome for the uniform display of fonts. Font Awesome is installed locally. No connection to servers of Fonticons, Inc. is established in the process. Further information on Font Awesome can be found in the privacy policy for Font Awesome at: https://fontawesome.com/privacy

5. Data processing in the context of certification applications

If you submit an application for certification as a contact person for a company, we process your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR) in carrying out the certification assignment.

We transmit your contact details to recipients within GSB International and to external recipients involved in carrying out the examination required for certification. These include, for example, external auditors and testing institutes.

We store your contact details for as long as this is necessary to carry out the certification assignment or for the duration of your certification.

6. Our social media channels

If you interact with us on our social media channels, we process your personal data (e.g. user name, type of interaction, communication content) for the purpose of handling your request.

We process this personal data for the duration of the operation of the respective social media channel, until you request its deletion, or until the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g. after your request has been fully processed). Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular statutory retention periods – remain unaffected.

7. Your rights

a) Right of access

You can request information pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR about the personal data we process about you.

b) Right to object

You have the right, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you which is based on Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. We will then no longer process your personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override your interests, rights and freedoms, or unless the processing serves the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. The collection of data for the provision of the website and the storage of log files are absolutely necessary for the operation of the website.

c) Right to rectification

If the data concerning you is incorrect (or no longer correct), you can request rectification pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR. If your data is incomplete, you can request that it be completed.

d) Right to erasure

You can request the erasure of your personal data pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR.

e) Right to restriction of processing

Pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR, you have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data.

f) Right to lodge a complaint

If you believe that the processing of your personal data violates data protection law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority of your choice pursuant to Art. 77 (1) GDPR.

g) Right to data portability

If the conditions of Art. 20 (1) GDPR are met, you have the right to request that the data we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in performance of a contract be transmitted to you or to third parties. The collection of data for the provision of the website and the storage of log files are absolutely necessary for the operation of the website. The processing is therefore not based on consent pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR or on a contract pursuant to Art. 6 (1) (b) GDPR, but is justified under Art. 6 (1) (f) GDPR. The requirements of Art. 20 (1) GDPR are therefore not met.