Privacy Policy - FIN LAW

1. Data Protection at a Glance

General Information

The following information provides a simple overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit our website. Personal data is any data that can be used to personally identify you. For detailed information on data protection, please refer to our Privacy Policy listed below this text.

Data Collection on Our Website

Who is responsible for data collection on this website?

Data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. You can find their contact information in the legal notice of this website.

How do we collect your data?

Your data is collected, on the one hand, by you providing it to us. This may include, for example, data you enter into a contact form.

Other data is collected automatically by our IT systems when you visit the website. This primarily consists of technical data (e.g., internet browser, operating system, or time of page view). This data is collected automatically as soon as you enter our website.

What do we use your data for?

Some of the data is collected to ensure the website functions properly. Other data may be used to analyze your user behavior.

What rights do you have regarding your data?

You have the right at any time to receive information free of charge regarding the origin, recipients, and purpose of your stored personal data. You also have the right to request the correction, blocking, or deletion of this data. For this and any other questions regarding data protection, you can contact us at any time at the address provided in the legal notice. Furthermore, you have the right to file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority.

Analytics Tools and Third-Party Tools

When you visit our website, your browsing behavior may be statistically analyzed. This is primarily done using cookies and so-called analytics programs. The analysis of your browsing behavior is generally anonymous; your browsing behavior cannot be traced back to you. You may object to this analysis or prevent it by not using certain tools. Detailed information on this can be found in the following privacy policy.

You may object to this analysis. We will inform you about the options for objecting in this privacy policy.

2. General Information and Mandatory Disclosures

Data Protection

The operators of this website take the protection of your personal data very seriously. We treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations as well as this privacy policy.

When you use this website, various types of personal data are collected. Personal data is data that can be used to personally identify you. This privacy policy explains what data we collect and how we use it. It also explains how and for what purpose this is done.

Please note that data transmission over the Internet (e.g., when communicating via email) may involve security vulnerabilities. It is not possible to completely protect data from access by third parties.

Information on the Data Controller

The controller responsible for data processing on this website is:

FIN LAW
Attorney Dr. Lutz Auffenberg, LL.M. (London)
Senckenberganlage 19
60325 Frankfurt am Main

M.info@fin-law.de
T. +49 (0) 69 87 000 13 20

The controller is the natural or legal person who, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data (e.g., names, email addresses, etc.).

Withdrawal of Your Consent to Data Processing

Many data processing operations are only possible with your express consent. You may withdraw consent you have already given at any time. To do so, simply send us an informal email. The lawfulness of the data processing carried out prior to the withdrawal remains unaffected by the withdrawal.

Right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority

In the event of violations of data protection laws, the data subject has the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. The competent supervisory authority for data protection matters is the State Data Protection Commissioner of the federal state in which our company is headquartered. A list of data protection officers and their contact details can be found at the following link: : https://www.bfdi.bund.de/DE/Infothek/Anschriften_Links/anschriften_links-node.html.

Right to Data Portability

You have the right to have data that we process automatically based on your consent or in fulfillment of a contract provided to you or to a third party in a commonly used, machine-readable format. If you request the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will only take place to the extent that it is technically feasible.

SSL or TLS Encryption

This site uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as orders or inquiries that you send to us as the site operator. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the address bar of the browser changes from “http://” to “https://” and by the lock icon in your browser bar.

When SSL or TLS encryption is enabled, the data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Access, Blocking, Deletion

In accordance with applicable legal provisions, you have the right at any time to receive, free of charge, information about your stored personal data, its origin and recipients, and the purpose of data processing, as well as the right to have this data corrected, restricted, or deleted. For this and any other questions regarding personal data, you may contact us at any time at the address provided in the legal notice.

Objection to promotional emails

We hereby object to the use of contact data published in accordance with the legal notice requirement for the purpose of sending unsolicited advertising and informational materials. The operators of this website expressly reserve the right to take legal action in the event of the unsolicited transmission of advertising information, such as via spam emails.

3. Data Collection on Our Website

Hosting

This website is hosted by an external service provider (host). The personal data collected on this website is stored on the host’s servers. This may primarily include IP addresses, contact requests, meta and communication data, contract data, contact details, names, website visits, and other data generated via a website.

The use of the host is for the purpose of fulfilling our contractual obligations to our potential and existing customers (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and in the interest of providing our online services securely, quickly, and efficiently through a professional provider (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Our hosting provider will process your data only to the extent necessary to fulfill its service obligations and will follow our instructions regarding this data.

Conclusion of a Data Processing Agreement

To ensure data protection-compliant processing, we have entered into a data processing agreement with our hosting provider.

Cookies

Some of the web pages use so-called cookies. Cookies do not harm your computer and do not contain viruses. Cookies serve to make our website more user-friendly, effective, and secure. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and saved by your browser.

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 device until you delete them. These cookies allow us to recognize your browser on your next visit.

You can configure your browser to notify you when cookies are set and to allow cookies only on a case-by-case basis, to block the acceptance of cookies in specific cases or generally, and to enable the automatic deletion of cookies when you close your browser. Disabling cookies may limit the functionality of this website.

Cookies that are necessary for the execution of the electronic communication process or for the provision of specific functions you have requested (e.g., shopping cart functionality) are stored on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in storing cookies to ensure the technically error-free and optimized provision of its services. To the extent that other cookies (e.g., cookies for analyzing your browsing behavior) are stored, these are addressed separately in this privacy policy.

Server Log Files

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

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

This data is not combined with other data sources.

The legal basis for data processing is Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR, which permits the processing of data for the performance of a contract or pre-contractual measures.

Contact Form

If you send us inquiries via the contact form, the information you provide in the form—including the contact details you enter there—will be stored by us for the purpose of processing your inquiry and in case of follow-up questions. We will not share this data without your consent.

The processing of the data entered in the contact form is therefore based exclusively on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may revoke this consent at any time. To do so, simply send us an informal email. The lawfulness of the data processing operations carried out prior to revocation remains unaffected by the revocation.

The data you enter in the contact form will remain with us until you request its deletion, revoke your consent to its storage, or the purpose for storing the data no longer applies (e.g., after your inquiry has been processed). Mandatory legal provisions—in particular retention periods—remain unaffected.

Registration on this website

You can register on our website to use additional features on the site. We use the data entered for this purpose solely for the purpose of using the respective offer or service for which you have registered. The mandatory information requested during registration must be provided in full. Otherwise, we will reject the registration.

For important changes, such as to the scope of our offerings or for technically necessary changes, we will use the email address provided during registration to inform you.

The processing of the data entered during registration is based on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may revoke your consent at any time. To do so, simply send us an informal email. The lawfulness of any data processing that has already taken place remains unaffected by the revocation.

We store the data collected during registration for as long as you are registered on our website and delete it thereafter. Statutory retention periods remain unaffected.

4. Analytics Tools and Advertising

Google Analytics

This website uses features of the web analytics service Google Analytics. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

Google Analytics uses so-called “cookies.” These are text files that are stored on your computer and enable an analysis of your use of the website. The information generated by the cookie regarding your use of this website is generally transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there.

The storage of Google Analytics cookies is based on Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior in order to optimize both its website and its advertising.

IP Anonymization

We have enabled the IP anonymization feature on this website. This causes Google to truncate your IP address within member states of the European Union or in other signatory states to the Agreement on the European Economic Area before transmitting it to the United States. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the United States and truncated there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide other services related to website and internet usage to the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.

Browser Plugin

You can prevent the storage of cookies by adjusting your browser settings accordingly; however, we would like to point out that in this case, you may not be able to use all functions of this website to their full extent. You can also prevent the collection of data generated by the cookie and related to your use of the website (including your IP address) by Google, as well as the processing of this data by Google, by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de.

Objection to Data Collection

You can prevent Google Analytics from collecting your data by clicking the following link. An opt-out cookie will be set to prevent the collection of your data during future visits to this website: Disable Google Analytics.

For more information on how Google Analytics handles user data, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245?hl=de.

Data Processing

We have entered into a contract with Google for commissioned data processing and fully comply with the strict requirements of the German data protection authorities when using Google Analytics.

Demographic Features in Google Analytics

This website uses the “demographic features” function of Google Analytics. This allows reports to be generated that contain information about the age, gender, and interests of site visitors. This data comes from interest-based advertising by Google as well as from visitor data provided by third parties. This data cannot be attributed to any specific individual. You can disable this feature at any time via the ad settings in your Google Account or generally prohibit the collection of your data by Google Analytics as described in the section “Objection to Data Collection.”

WordPress Stats

This website uses the WordPress Stats tool to analyze visitor traffic. The provider is Automattic Inc., 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110-4929, USA.

WordPress Stats uses cookies that are stored on your computer and enable an analysis of website usage. The information generated by the cookies regarding the use of our website is stored on servers in the United States. Your IP address is anonymized after processing and before storage.

“WordPress Stats” cookies remain on your device until you delete them.

The storage of “WordPress Stats” cookies is based on Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the anonymized analysis of user behavior in order to optimize both its website and its advertising.

You can object to the collection and use of your data in the future by clicking this link to set an opt-out cookie in your browser: https://www.quantcast.com/opt-out/.

If you delete the cookies on your computer, you must set the opt-out cookie again.

Google Analytics Remarketing

Our websites use the features of Google Analytics Remarketing in conjunction with the cross-device features of Google AdWords and Google DoubleClick. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

This feature allows the advertising audiences created with Google Analytics Remarketing to be linked to the cross-device features of Google AdWords and Google DoubleClick. In this way, interest-based, personalized advertising messages that have been tailored to you based on your previous usage and browsing behavior on one device (e.g., a mobile phone) can also be displayed on another of your devices (e.g., a tablet or PC).

If you have given your consent, Google links your web and app browsing history to your Google Account for this purpose. This allows the same personalized advertising messages to be displayed on any device on which you sign in with your Google Account.

To support this feature, Google Analytics collects Google-authenticated user IDs, which are temporarily linked to our Google Analytics data to define and create audiences for cross-device advertising.

You can permanently opt out of cross-device remarketing/targeting by disabling personalized ads in your Google Account; to do so, follow this link: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/.

The consolidation of the collected data in your Google Account is based exclusively on your consent, which you can provide or revoke with Google (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). For data collection processes that are not consolidated in your Google Account (e.g., because you do not have a Google Account or have objected to the consolidation), the collection of data is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The legitimate interest arises from the fact that the website operator has an interest in the anonymized analysis of website visitors for advertising purposes.

Further information and the privacy policy can be found in Google’s privacy policy at: https://www.google.com/policies/technologies/ads/.

Google AdWords and Google Conversion Tracking

This website uses Google AdWords. AdWords is an online advertising program provided by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States (“Google”).

As part of Google AdWords, we use what is known as conversion tracking. When you click on an ad placed by Google, a cookie for conversion tracking is set. Cookies are small text files that the internet browser stores on the user’s computer. These cookies expire after 30 days and are not used to personally identify users. If the user visits certain pages on this website and the cookie has not yet expired, Google and we can recognize that the user clicked on the ad and was redirected to this page.

Each Google AdWords customer receives a different cookie. The cookies cannot be tracked across the websites of AdWords customers. The information collected using the conversion cookie is used to generate conversion statistics for AdWords customers who have opted in to conversion tracking. Customers learn the total number of users who clicked on their ad and were redirected to a page tagged with a conversion tracking tag. However, they do not receive any information that can be used to personally identify users. If you do not wish to participate in tracking, you can object to this use by easily disabling the Google conversion tracking cookie via your internet browser’s user settings. You will then not be included in the conversion tracking statistics.

The storage of “conversion cookies” is based on Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior in order to optimize both its website and its advertising.

For more information about Google AdWords and Google Conversion Tracking, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy: https://www.google.de/policies/privacy/.

Google reCAPTCHA

We use “Google reCAPTCHA” (hereinafter “reCAPTCHA”) on our websites. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”).

reCAPTCHA is used to verify whether data entry on our websites (e.g., in a contact form) is performed by a human or by an automated program. To do this, reCAPTCHA analyzes the website visitor’s behavior based on various characteristics. This analysis begins automatically as soon as the website visitor enters the website. For the analysis, reCAPTCHA evaluates various pieces of information (e.g., IP address, the duration of the website visitor’s stay on the website, or mouse movements made by the user). The data collected during the analysis is forwarded to Google.

The reCAPTCHA analyses run entirely in the background. Website visitors are not notified that an analysis is taking place.

Data processing is based on Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in protecting its web offerings from abusive automated spying and from SPAM.

For more information on Google reCAPTCHA and Google’s privacy policy, please visit the following links: https://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy/ and https://www.google.com/recaptcha/intro/android.html.

5. Newsletter

Newsletter Data

If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter offered on the website, we require your email address as well as information that allows us to verify that you are the owner of the provided email address and consent to receiving the newsletter. No further data is collected, or only on a voluntary basis. We use this data exclusively for sending the requested information and do not share it with third parties.

The processing of the data entered in the newsletter registration form is based solely on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). You may revoke your consent to the storage of your data and email address, as well as their use for sending the newsletter, at any time, for example via the “Unsubscribe” link in the newsletter. The lawfulness of data processing operations that have already taken place remains unaffected by the revocation.

The data you have provided to us for the purpose of subscribing to the newsletter will be stored by us until you unsubscribe from the newsletter and will be deleted after you unsubscribe. Data stored by us for other purposes (e.g., email addresses for the member area) remains unaffected by this.

6. Plugins and Tools

Google Web Fonts

This site uses so-called web fonts provided by Google to ensure consistent font display. When you visit a page, your browser loads the required web fonts into its cache to display text and fonts correctly.

For this purpose, the browser you are using must establish a connection to Google’s servers. As a result, Google becomes aware that our website has been accessed via your IP address. The use of Google Web Fonts is in the interest of a consistent and appealing presentation of our online offerings. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

If your browser does not support Web Fonts, a standard font from your computer will be used.

For more information about Google Web Fonts, visit https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and Google’s Privacy Policy: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

Google Maps

This site uses the Google Maps map service via an API. The provider is Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.

To use the features of Google Maps, it is necessary to store your IP address. This information is generally transmitted to a Google server in the United States and stored there. The provider of this site has no influence over this data transmission.

The use of Google Maps is in the interest of presenting our online offerings in an appealing manner and making it easy to find the locations we specify on the website. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

For more information on the handling of user data, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/.