S³ Advice GmbH
Privacy Policy
Dear visitors, we appreciate your interest in our information offering and your attention. Protecting your privacy when collecting, processing, and using your personal data in accordance with the statutory provisions is very important to us. This privacy policy relates to our handling of personal data that we collect, process, or use via any website controlled by S3 Advice GmbH that contains a link to this privacy policy. This privacy policy concerns the personal data of customers, prospects, or visitors.
Personal data (hereinafter generally referred to as “data”) is processed by us only to the extent necessary and for the purpose of providing a functional and user‑friendly website, including its content and the services offered there.
Pursuant to Art. 4(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the General Data Protection Regulation (hereinafter “GDPR”), “processing” means any operation or set of operations performed on personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organisation, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.
With the following privacy policy, we inform you in particular about the type, scope, purpose, duration and legal basis of the processing of personal data, insofar as we alone or jointly with others decide on the purposes and means of the processing. We also inform you below about third‑party components we use for optimisation purposes and to improve the quality of use, insofar as third parties process data under their own responsibility.
Our privacy policy is structured as follows:
I. Information about us as the controller
II. Rights of users and data subjects
III. Information on data processing
I. Information about us as the controller
Controller responsible for this website within the meaning of data protection law is:
S³ Advice GmbH
Christof‑Stoll‑Straße 1
Dogern
Phone: +497751840
E‑mail: kontakt@s3.solutions
II. Rights of users and data subjects
With regard to the data processing described below, users and data subjects have the right:
to confirmation as to whether data concerning them is being processed, to access the processed data, to further information on the data processing and to copies of the data (cf. Art. 15 GDPR);
to rectification or completion of inaccurate or incomplete data (cf. Art. 16 GDPR);
to immediate erasure of data concerning them (cf. Art. 17 GDPR) or, alternatively, to restriction of processing pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR where further processing is required under Art. 17(3) GDPR;
to receive the data concerning them which they have provided and to transmit those data to other controllers (cf. Art. 20 GDPR);
to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority if they consider that the processing of data concerning them by the controller infringes data protection provisions (cf. Art. 77 GDPR).
In addition, the controller is obliged to inform all recipients to whom data have been disclosed by the controller of any rectification or erasure of data or restriction of processing pursuant to Art. 16, Art. 17(1), or Art. 18 GDPR. This obligation does not apply where such notification proves impossible or involves a disproportionate effort. Irrespective of this, the user has a right to information about these recipients.
Users and data subjects also have the right to object to the future processing of data concerning them pursuant to Art. 21 GDPR, where the data are processed by the controller on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. In particular, an objection to processing for direct marketing purposes is permitted.
III. Information on data processing
Data processed when using our website will be deleted or blocked as soon as the purpose of storage ceases to apply, there are no statutory retention obligations preventing erasure, and no different information is provided below for specific processing operations.
Cookie Manager
To obtain consent for the use of technically non‑essential cookies on the website, the controller uses a cookie manager. When the website is accessed, a cookie containing the user’s preference settings is stored on the user’s device so that the consent query does not have to be repeated on a subsequent visit.
This cookie is necessary to obtain the user’s consent in a manner compliant with the law.
Users can prevent or end the installation of cookies by adjusting their browser settings.
Cookies
a) Session cookies
We use so‑called cookies with our website. Cookies are small text files or other storage technologies that are placed and stored on your device by your internet browser. These cookies process certain information from you on an individual basis, such as your browser or location data or your IP address.
This processing makes our website more user‑friendly, effective, and secure, as it enables, for example, the display of our website in different languages or the provision of a shopping cart function.
The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, insofar as these cookies process data for the initiation or performance of a contract.
If processing does not serve the initiation or performance of a contract, our legitimate interest lies in improving the functionality of our website. The legal basis is then Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.
These session cookies are deleted when you close your internet browser.
b) Third‑party cookies
Where applicable, cookies from partner companies with which we cooperate for the purposes of advertising, analysis or the functionality of our website are also used.
Details in this respect, in particular regarding the purposes and legal bases for processing such third‑party cookies, can be found in the information below.
c) Options for removal
You can prevent or restrict the installation of cookies by adjusting your internet browser settings. You can also delete cookies already stored at any time. The necessary steps and measures depend on the specific internet browser you use. If you have any questions, please use the help function or documentation of your internet browser or contact its manufacturer or support. In the case of so‑called Flash cookies, processing cannot be prevented via the browser settings. Instead, you must change the settings of your Flash player. The required steps and measures also depend on the specific Flash player you use. If you have any questions, please use the help function or documentation of your Flash player or contact the manufacturer or user support.
If you prevent or restrict the installation of cookies, this may, however, result in not all functions of our website being fully usable.
Contact requests / Contact options
If you contact us by contact form or email, the data you provide will be used to process your request. Providing the data is necessary to process and respond to your request—without providing it, we may not be able to process your request or only to a limited extent.
The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.
Your data will be deleted once your inquiry has been finally answered and there are no legal retention obligations preventing erasure, such as in the event of subsequent contract execution.
Privacy notice for the contact form
The data you enter in the contact form (name, email address, subject and message) will be used exclusively to process your inquiry and for any follow‑up questions. Processing takes place on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR if your inquiry is related to the fulfillment of a contract or is necessary for the implementation of pre‑contractual measures. In all other cases, processing is based on our legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) in the effective processing of inquiries addressed to us, or on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) if requested. The data you enter in the contact form will remain with us until you ask us to delete it, revoke your consent to storage, or the purpose for data storage no longer applies (e.g., after your inquiry has been processed). Mandatory statutory provisions—especially retention periods—remain unaffected. Further information on the handling of user data can be found in this privacy policy on this page.
Newsletter
If you register for our free newsletter, the data requested for this purpose—your email address and, optionally, your name and postal address—will be transmitted to us. At the same time, we store the IP address of the internet connection you use to access our website as well as the date and time of your registration. In the further course of the registration process, we will obtain your consent to send the newsletter, describe the content specifically, and refer to this privacy policy. The data collected will be used exclusively for sending the newsletter and will not be passed on to third parties.
The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.
You may revoke your consent to receive the newsletter at any time with effect for the future in accordance with Art. 7(3) GDPR. To do so, simply inform us of your revocation or click the unsubscribe link contained in each newsletter.
To promote our products and services and to communicate with prospects or customers, we operate a company presence on the platform Instagram. On this social media platform, we are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland.
The data protection officer of Instagram can be reached via a contact form:
https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/540977946302970
Joint responsibility is regulated in an agreement regarding the respective obligations under the GDPR. This agreement, which sets out the mutual obligations, is available at:
https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum
The legal basis for the resulting processing of personal data is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in analysis, communication, and the sale and promotion of our products and services. The legal basis may also be the user’s consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR vis‑à‑vis the platform operator. The user may revoke consent at any time for the future by notifying the platform operator pursuant to Art. 7(3) GDPR.
When our online presence on Instagram is accessed, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, as operator of the platform in the EU, processes users’ data (e.g., personal information, IP address, etc.). These data are used to compile statistical information about the use of our company presence on Instagram. Meta Platforms Ireland Limited uses these data for market research and advertising purposes as well as to create user profiles. Based on these profiles, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited can, for example, target users with interest‑based advertising within and outside of Instagram. If the user is logged into their Instagram account at the time of access, Meta Platforms Ireland Limited may also link the data with the respective user account.
If the user contacts us via Instagram, the personal data entered on this occasion will be used to process the request. The user’s data will be deleted by us provided the user’s request has been finally answered and there are no statutory retention obligations, such as in the case of subsequent contract execution, preventing erasure.
Cookies may also be set by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited to process the data. If the user does not agree with this processing, they can prevent the installation of cookies by adjusting their browser settings. Cookies already stored can also be deleted at any time. The relevant settings depend on the specific browser. For Flash cookies, processing cannot be prevented via the browser settings but only by adjusting the Flash player. If the user prevents or restricts the installation of cookies, not all functions of Facebook may be fully usable.
Further details on processing activities, their prevention, and the deletion of data processed by Instagram can be found in Instagram’s Data Policy:
https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875
It cannot be ruled out that processing by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited also takes place via Meta Platforms, Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
We maintain an online presence on LinkedIn to present our company and services and to communicate with customers/prospects. LinkedIn is a service of LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland, a subsidiary of LinkedIn Corporation, 1000 W. Maude Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94085, USA. We point out that users’ data may be processed outside the European Union, in particular in the USA. This may pose increased risks for users, for example, because subsequent access to user data may be more difficult. We also have no access to these user data; access is possible only by LinkedIn.
LinkedIn’s privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
YouTube
We maintain an online presence on YouTube to present our company and services and to communicate with customers/prospects. YouTube is a service of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, a subsidiary of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. We point out that users’ data may be processed outside the European Union, in particular in the USA. This may pose increased risks for users, for example, because subsequent access to user data may be more difficult. We also have no access to these user data; access is possible only by YouTube.
YouTube/Google privacy notices: https://policies.google.com/privacy
General linking to profiles with third‑party providers
The provider uses links on the website to the social networks listed below. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The provider’s legitimate interest lies in improving the quality of use of the website.
Plugins are embedded via a linked graphic. Only by clicking on the corresponding graphic is the user redirected to the service of the respective social network. After the customer has been redirected, information about the user is collected by the respective network. This initially includes data such as IP address, date, time, and the page visited. If the user is logged into their account of the respective network at that time, the network operator may be able to assign the collected information to the user’s personal account. If the user interacts via a “Share” button of the respective network, this information may be stored in the user’s personal account and may be published. If the user wishes to prevent the collected information from being directly assigned to their personal account, they must log out before clicking the graphic. There is also the option to configure the respective user account accordingly.
The following social networks are linked by the provider:
Instagram
Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Privacy policy: https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875
LinkedIn
LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland, a subsidiary of LinkedIn Corporation, 1000 W. Maude Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94085, USA.
Privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
YouTube
Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, a subsidiary of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
Analysis via Dealfront
Our website uses technologies from Dealfront (Dealfront Finland Oy as part of Dealfront Group GmbH) to analyse visitor behaviour. In this process, a visitor’s IP address is processed. The IP address is processed to help us understand which companies (B2B) visit our website. As part of the processing, the IP address is enriched with associated information such as the company name or industry code. For this purpose, at the beginning of the session, the website visitor’s IP address and the corresponding session data are matched against a comprehensive whitelist of known companies.
Newsletter (general)
The legal basis for sending the newsletter and the analysis is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. The user may revoke consent regarding the processing of data on the occasion of newsletter registration at any time for the future pursuant to Art. 7(3) GDPR by notifying the provider or by using the unsubscribe link contained in the newsletter. The user may revoke consent regarding analysis cookies at any time for the future via the cookie management settings pursuant to Art. 7(3) GDPR.
Adobe Typekit
To display font designs, we use external fonts from “Adobe Typekit”, a service of Adobe Systems Software Ireland Limited, 4–6 Riverwalk, Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24, Republic of Ireland (“Adobe”). When the provider’s website is accessed, a connection to the Adobe server is established to enable or update the display of the font. In doing so, data may be transferred to servers in the USA. In the view of the data protection supervisory authorities, the USA currently does not provide an adequate level of data protection. Between the provider and Adobe, so‑called standard contractual clauses are therefore in place for the transfer of data to third countries: https://www.adobe.com/de/privacy/eudatatransfers.html. However, these are private‑law agreements and therefore have no direct effect on the access possibilities of authorities in the USA.
The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The provider’s legitimate interest lies in the optimisation and economical operation of the website. Through the connection, Adobe can identify from which website a request is sent and to which IP address the display of the font is transmitted. Further information, in particular on ways to prevent data use, is provided by Adobe at:
https://www.adobe.com/de/privacy.html
https://www.adobe.com/de/privacy/policies/adobe-fonts.html
Use of the “S³ Advice Quickcheck” tool
As part of our survey tool “S³ Advice Quickcheck”, we collect, on a voluntary basis, personal data such as company name, number of employees, first and last name, and email address of participating persons. Survey data and results are also stored in so‑called “session storage” and “local storage” in order to compile and send you your individual survey result afterwards. The collection and processing of this data is carried out exclusively for the purpose of conducting the analysis, presenting the individual results and—if desired—contacting you after the survey.
Processing is based on Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent). Participation in the “S³ Advice Quickcheck” is voluntary. You can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future. A simple notification to the contact address provided in the imprint or by email to [insert email address] is sufficient. The data you enter will be treated confidentially, not passed on to third parties, and stored only as long as necessary for the stated purpose or until revocation. Your data are processed on secure servers within the European Union.
Further information on your rights as a data subject can be found in the general notes in this privacy policy under “Rights of data subjects”.
BootstrapCDN
To optimise retrieval speed, design and display of the content of our website on different devices, we use the service BootstrapCDN, a content delivery network (CDN). This is a service of StackPath, LLC, 2021 McKinney Ave., Suite 1100, Dallas, TX 75201, USA (“BootstrapCDN”).
To deliver the content of our website quickly, the service relies on JavaScript libraries. Corresponding files are loaded from a BootstrapCDN server, which records your IP address. BootstrapCDN provides further privacy information at:
https://www.stackpath.com/legal/master-service-agreement/#privacy
The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in accelerating the loading times of our website and in its optimisation. To prevent execution of BootstrapCDN’s JavaScript code altogether, you can install a JavaScript blocker such as noscript.net or ghostery.com. If you prevent or restrict the execution of the JavaScript code, this may, for technical reasons, result in not all content and functions of our website being available.
Cookiebot
We use “Cookiebot” as our cookie banner. “Cookiebot” is a product of Usercentrics A/S, Havnegade 39, 1058 Copenhagen, Denmark (“Usercentrics”). The “Cookiebot” function informs the user about the use of cookies on the website and enables the user to decide on their use. If the user consents to the use of cookies, the following data are automatically logged by Usercentrics:
– the anonymised IP number of the user;
– date and time of consent;
– user agent of the end user’s browser;
– the provider’s URL;
– an anonymous, random and encrypted key;
– the cookies permitted by the user (cookie status), which serves as proof of consent.
The encrypted key and the cookie status are stored in a cookie on the user’s device to establish the corresponding cookie status for future page views. This cookie deletes itself automatically after 12 months. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the user‑friendliness of the website and in fulfilling the statutory requirements of the GDPR. The user can prevent or end the installation and storage of the cookie—and thus their cookie consent—at any time by adjusting their browser settings. Further information on data protection is provided by Usercentrics at:
https://www.cookiebot.com/de/privacy-policy/
Google Fonts
We use Google Fonts to display external fonts on our website. This is a service of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (“Google”).
In order to protect your data as best as possible, we strive to embed all web fonts locally on our web server. This means that, when our pages are accessed, no connection is made to third‑party servers such as Google or Font Awesome. Your IP address or other personal data are therefore not transmitted to external services.
For this we use the privacy‑friendly plugin OMGF (Optimize My Google Fonts), which automatically detects all Google Fonts used, downloads them and embeds them locally. Use takes place solely from our own server, ensuring the compliant operation of the embedded web fonts.
Legal basis: The embedding of fonts is based on our legitimate interest in an appealing and consistent presentation of our online offerings pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. In some cases, however, it may still happen that a connection is established to Google’s server in the USA when our website is accessed. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the optimisation and economical operation of our website. By the connection established when our website is accessed, Google can determine from which website your request was sent and to which IP address the display of the font is to be transmitted.
Google provides further information, in particular on ways to prevent data use, at:
https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated
https://policies.google.com/privacy
Font Awesome
We use the icon library and font “Font Awesome” on our website. Icons are loaded via a content delivery network (CDN) from Fonticons Inc. from a server in the USA. Your IP address is transmitted to Fonticons Inc., which constitutes the collection of personal data. We use Font Awesome to provide you with an attractive presentation of our website. The legal basis for data processing is our legitimate interest pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have concluded a data processing agreement with Fonticons Inc. that ensures compliance with European data protection standards. You can object to data collection at any time by disabling JavaScript execution in your browser; however, this may impair the functionality of the website. Alternatively, the icons can also be embedded locally, so that no data is transmitted to Fonticons Inc. Here, too, we primarily strive for local embedding via the privacy‑friendly plugin OMGF (Optimize My Google Fonts) in order to best protect your data and avoid connections to external servers.
YouTube (embedded videos)
We use YouTube on our website. This is a video portal of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (“YouTube”).
With your consent, the legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. The legal basis may also be Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in improving the quality of our website. According to YouTube, the “enhanced privacy mode” ensures that the data described below are transmitted to YouTube’s server only when you actually start a video.
Without this “enhanced privacy” mode, a connection to YouTube’s servers in the USA is established as soon as you access any of our web pages on which a YouTube video is embedded. This connection is necessary to display the respective video on our website via your internet browser. In the course of this, YouTube records and processes at least your IP address, the date and time, and the web page you visited. A connection to Google’s “DoubleClick” advertising network is also established.
If you are logged into YouTube at the same time, YouTube assigns the connection information to your YouTube account. To prevent this, you must either log out of YouTube before visiting our website or adjust the corresponding settings in your YouTube user account.
For functional purposes and to analyse usage behaviour, YouTube permanently stores cookies on your end device via your internet browser. If you do not agree to this processing, you have the option of preventing the storage of cookies by changing a setting in your internet browser. For more information, see the section “Cookies” above.
Further information on the collection and use of data and on your rights and protection options is provided by Google in its privacy notices at:
https://policies.google.com/privacy
LiveChat
We use the service LiveChat for analytics purposes and for our live chat system. This is a service of LiveChat Inc., 1 International Pl, STE 1400, Boston, MA 02110–2619, USA, which is operated in the European Union by LiveChat Software SA, ul. Zwycięska 47, 53–033 Wrocław, Poland (each “LiveChat”).
With your consent, the legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. The legal basis may also be Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in effective and direct support for our customers and prospects as well as in the statistical analysis of visitor behaviour for the purpose of optimisation and economical operation of our website.
For statistical analysis of visitor behaviour and operation of the live chat system, LiveChat stores a cookie on your device via your internet browser. Anonymised data are processed and a pseudonymised user profile is created. The data collected are not used for your personal identification.
If you do not agree to this processing, you can prevent the installation of cookies by adjusting the corresponding settings in your internet browser. Details can be found above under “Cookies”.
LiveChat provides further information on the collection and use of data as well as on your rights and options for protecting your privacy at:
https://www.livechatinc.com/legal/privacy-policy/#main
Rights of data subjects
You have the right at any time, within the framework of the applicable legal provisions, to:
Access (Art. 15 GDPR) to your personal data stored by us, their origin, recipients and the purpose of data processing;
Rectification (Art. 16 GDPR) of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;
Erasure (Art. 17 GDPR) of your stored data, insofar as there are no statutory retention obligations;
Restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR), e.g., if the accuracy of the data is contested or processing is unlawful;
Objection (Art. 21 GDPR) to processing, in particular to direct marketing or where processing is based on legitimate interests;
Data portability (Art. 20 GDPR), insofar as processing is based on consent or a contract and carried out by automated means.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, a simple notification to us is sufficient.
Template privacy policy by Anwaltskanzlei Weiß & Partner, supplemented by S³ Advice GmbH.