Version as of September 30, 2021 

GENERAL 

Information on the Processing of Personal Data 

In the following passages, we have provided information on the processing of personal data when you use this tekom Meetups platform. Personal data is all data that can be related to you personally, for example your name, address, email addresses, and behavior as a user. "Processing" means any operation performed in connection with personal data, such as collecting, recording, storing, or changing data.

CONTROLLER 

(1) Both associations

• Gesellschaft für Technische Kommunikation – tekom Deutschland e.V. and
• European Association for Technical Communication – tekom Europe e.V.

(hereinafter "tekom")

work together with tcworld GmbH as service provider. tcworld GmbH renders services for members and is an event organizer and publishing house for tekom publications, as well as a provider of training in the field of technical communication.
The controller, as defined by Article 4 (7) in conjunction with Article 26 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is tcworld GmbH, together with the above-mentioned associations ("joint controllership").

(2) A joint controllership is where two or more controllers are jointly responsible for processing personal data because they can jointly (not necessarily to the same extent!) determine the purposes and means of the processing. The GDPR stipulates that joint controllers

• must specify, by means of an arrangement between them, which controller is responsible for which duties as regards the exercise of the rights of the data subject (e.g. duty to provide information), unless this is determined by European Union or Member State law
• may designate a contact point for data subjects in the arrangement, and
• must further make key points of the arrangement (e.g. the actual functions and relations of the joint controllers) available to the data subject.

However, these specifications apply with binding effect only within the scope of the internal relationship between the joint controllers – for example if it must be proved that one of the joint controllers has actually fulfilled its contractual obligations. Regardless of any arrangements made, data subjects have the right to exercise their rights in respect of and against each of the controllers. Joint controllers should incorporate a liability clause in the contract in which they specify which controller is liable for which data incidents within the internal relationship. Data subjects are free to choose which of the joint controllers should be liable to them.

(3) The address of their joint office is:
Rotebühlstraße 64
70178 Stuttgart
GERMANY
info@tekom.org
+49 711 65704-0
Fax +49 711 65704-99

(4) If we use contracted service providers for individual functions of our site or would like to use your data for promotional purposes, we will inform you in detail of the relevant processes below. We will also inform you of the criteria defined for the storage period.

(5) Our joint data protection officer can be contacted at datenschutz(at)tekom.de or at our postal address for the attention of the "Data Protection Officer".
 

PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED ON THE TEKOM MEETUPS PLATFORM 

Collection of Personal Data When You Visit Our Platform 

If you use the platform for purely informational reasons, that is, if you do not log in, register or otherwise transmit information to us, we gather only the data that your browser transmits to enable you to visit the platform. If you would like to look at our platform, we will collect the following data, which is necessary for us in order to display our Platform to you and to ensure its stability and security (legal basis is GDPR Article 6 (1) 1 lit. f)):

• IP address
• Date and time of the request
• Time zone difference from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
• Content of the request (specific page)
• Access status/HTTP status code
• Amount of data transmitted each time
• Website from which the request originates
• Referring URL (the site previously visited)
• Browser
• Operating system and its interface
• Language and browser software version

COOKIES

Use of Cookies

(1) In addition to the above-mentioned data, cookies are stored on your computer when you use our platform. Cookies are small text files stored in association with the browser you use on your hard disk, which cause certain information to be transmitted to the location that sets the cookie (in this case, us). Cookies cannot run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. They are used to make internet service more user-friendly and effective on the whole.

(2) This platform uses the following types of cookies, whose scope and functionality are explained below:

• Transient cookies (see a below)
• Persistent cookies (see b below)

a) Transient cookies are automatically deleted when you close the browser. Session cookies belong to this group in particular. These cookies store what is known as a Session ID, using which various requests by your browser can be assigned to the shared session. This way, your computer can be recognized when you return to the website. Session cookies are deleted when you log out or close your browser.

b) Persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a predetermined duration, which can vary depending on the cookie. You can delete these cookies anytime in the security settings of your browser.

(3) You can configure your browser settings as you wish and, e.g., refuse the acceptance of third-party or all cookies. Please note, however, that you then may not be able to use all the functions of this website, see also “Use of Tools and Marketing Services” below.

(4) We use cookies so that we can identify you for subsequent visits if you have an account with us. Otherwise, you would have to log in again each time you visit our site.

USE OF TOOLS AND MARKETING SERVICES

Here, you will find the list of the tools and marketing services used, followed with the respective detailed explanations.

(I) Google: Google Analytics, Google Signals, Google Remarketing Services/Google Marketing Services, Google Ads, Google Tag Manager 
(II) Facebook Pixel for visitor actions

(I) Google

a) Google Analytics 
We create pseudonymous usage profiles with the help of Google Analytics for the demand-oriented design of our websites. Google Analytics uses targeting cookies, which are stored on your end device and can be read by us. This way, we can recognize returning visitors and as such, count them and learn how frequently our websites are called up by different users. Data is processed on the basis of GDPR Art. 6 Abs. 1 lit. a) (Consent).
The information generated by cookies about your use of this website is usually transferred to a Google server in the USA and stored there. However, due to the activation of IP anonymization on this website, your IP address will be shortened beforehand by Google within member states of the European Union. The full IP address is only transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there in exceptional cases (further information on the purpose and scope of data collection can be found e.g. at https://policies.google.com/privacy). We have also entered into an order processing agreement with Google LLC (USA) in accordance with GDPR Art. 28. Google will use this information on our behalf strictly to evaluate usage of our websites in order to compile reports on website activity. Google sets the following cookies when you visit our website and consent to the use of the Google Analytics cookie:

(1) Google Signals
We also use Google Signals, an extension of Google Analytics.
Here, visitor data from our website and/or our apps are recorded in Google Analytics and linked to your Google account, i.e. your logged-in user. We are thus provided with anonymized data  and have no access to your personal individual data. This only happens if you have previously consented to such a link on Google in order to receive personalized advertising. Visitor data includes: end user location, search history, YouTube history and data on Google partner websites. This data is used to provide aggregated and anonymized statistics on the behavior of our users across all devices.
At myactivity.google.com you can view "My Activities" and delete them at any time and object to personalize advertising in your Google account.

(2) Google Remarketing Services/Google Marketing Services
We use the marketing and remarketing services (briefly, "Google Marketing Services") from Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheater Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA ("Google").
Google Marketing Services allow us to display advertisements for and on our website in a more targeted manner in order to present users with only those advertisements that potentially correspond to their interests. If, for example, a user is shown advertisements for products that he was interested in on other websites, this is referred to as "remarketing". For these purposes, when our and other websites on which Google Marketing Services are active are accessed, Google immediately executes a code from Google and what are called (re-)marketing tags (invisible graphics or code, also known as "pixels") integrated into the platform. With their help, an individual cookie, i.e. a small file, is stored on the user’s device (comparable technologies can also be used instead of cookies). The cookies can be set by various domains, including google.com, doubleclick.net, invitemedia.com, admeld.com, googlesyndication.com or googleadservices.com. This file records which websites the user has visited, which content he is interested in and which offers he has clicked, as well as technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, visiting time and other information on the use of the online offer. The IP address of the user is also recorded, whereby we inform you as part of Google Analytics that the IP address is shortened within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area and only transferred in full to a Google server in the USA and shortened there in exceptional cases. The IP address will not be merged with the user’s data within other Google offers. The aforementioned information can also be combined by Google with information from other sources. If the user then visits other websites, the advertisements tailored to him can be displayed according to his interests. The aforementioned information can also be combined by Google with information from other sources. If the user then visits other websites, the advertisements tailored to him can be displayed according to his interests. The aforementioned information can also be combined by Google with information from other sources.
The user data is processed pseudonymously as part of Google Marketing Services. This means that Google does not store and process the name or email address of the user, for example, but processes the relevant cookie-related data within pseudonymous user profiles. In other words, from Google’s point of view, the ads are managed and displayed not for a specifically identified person but for the cookie holder, regardless of who this cookie holder is. This does not apply if a user has expressly allowed Google to process the data without this pseudonymization. The information collected by Google Marketing Services about users is transmitted to Google and stored on Google’s servers in the USA.

b) Google Marketing Services that we use include the online advertising program "Google Ads (formerly AdWords)". In the case of Google Ads, each Google Ads customer receives a different "conversion cookie". This means that cookies cannot be tracked via the websites of Google Ads customers. The information obtained with the help of the cookie is used to generate conversion statistics for Google Ads customers who have opted for conversion tracking. Google Ads customers find out the total number of users who clicked on their ad and were redirected to a page with a conversion tracking tag. However, they do not receive any information by which users can be personally identified.

c) We also use the "Google Tag Manager" to integrate and manage Google analysis and marketing services on our platform.

(II) Use of the Facebook Visitor Action Pixel

With your consent, the "visitor action pixel" of Facebook Inc., 1601 South California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA ("Facebook") is used within our web presence.
The "visitor action pixel" can be used to track users’ actions as soon as they are redirected to a provider’s website by clicking on a Facebook ad. This enables us to record the effectiveness of Facebook ads for statistical and market research purposes and to optimize our marketing measures accordingly. The collected data is anonymous for us. We cannot see any personal data of individual users or draw conclusions about this.
Facebook stores and processes this data. Facebook can therefore assign this data to your Facebook account. You may enable Facebook and its partners to serve ads on and off Facebook. Furthermore, a cookie may be stored on your computer for these purposes. For more information on the collection and use of data by Facebook, as well as your rights in this regard and options for protecting your privacy, please refer to Facebook’s data policy: www.facebook.com/about/privacy/.

Consent to the use of the Facebook visitor action pixel may only be declared by users older than 13 years of age. You may revoke consent.
You can object to the collection by the Facebook pixel and use of your data to display Facebook ads. To adjust which types of ads are displayed to you within Facebook, you can visit the page set up by Facebook and follow the instructions there for the settings of usage-based advertising: www.facebook.com/settings. The settings are made in a platform-independent manner, which means that they are applied to all devices, such as desktop computers or mobile devices.
You can further opt out of the use of cookies used for reach measurement and advertising purposes via the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page (https://optout.networkadvertising.org/?c=1) as well as the US website (http://www.aboutads.info/choices) or the European website (https://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/your-ad-choices).

Likewise, you can do this here directly on our platform via the cookie banner.
We base this use on GDPR Article 6 (1) lit. a).

WEB ANALYSIS SERVICES (MATOMO)

(1) To continually optimize our platform, we use the web analysis service Matomo (formerly Piwik), which analyzes usage of our platform. The statistics obtained allow us to improve our services and make them more interesting for you as a user. The legal basis for the use of Matomo is GDPR Article 6 (1) 1 lit. f).

(2) We use Matomo in conformity with data protection: Analysis is done using cookies (see above). Cookies collect information regarding your use of our platform. This information is stored solely on our server in Germany. We use "AnonymizeIP". With this, IP addresses are then only used in a shortened form, which precludes individual identification of users' personal data. The IP address transmitted from your browser by Matomo will not be associated with any other data collected by us.

(3) The Matomo program is an open source project. Information from this third party concerning data protection can be found here.

(4) You have the option of preventing Matomo cookies from being stored on your computer and your use of this website being tracked by Matomo. To do so, choose “Opt out” via our cookie banner.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLUGINS

Social Media

A variety of social media links such as links to XING, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are integrated into our platform.
The links integrated on our website are not integrated through social media plug-ins. The integrated graphics of the social media platforms contain only an http link to our respective presence on social media. This means that when you visit our website, no direct connection is established with the servers of the various social media platforms.
 

INTEGRATION OF THIRD-PARTY SERVICES    

YouTube 

(1) We include YouTube videos in our web offerings. They are stored at www.youtube.com and can be played directly from our platform.

(2) When you visit our platform, YouTube is informed that you have accessed the corresponding sub-page on this website. Also, any further personal data collected via our website will be transmitted. YouTube will do this regardless of whether you are logged in with a user account provided by YouTube or do not have a user account. If you are logged in to Google, your information will be associated directly with your account. If you do not want your profile to be associated with YouTube, however, you must log out before clicking the corresponding button. YouTube stores your data as user profiles and uses them for the purposes of advertising, market research and/or the design of its demand-oriented website. This type of evaluation is used in particular to provide demand-oriented advertising (even for users who are not logged in) and to inform other users of the social network about your activities on our platform. You have the right to object to the creation of these user profiles by contacting YouTube to exercise this right.

(3) The data protection declaration for the social network YouTube, which is operated by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, can be seen at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Google Maps 

(1) We use the services of Google Maps on this platform. This enables us to display interactive maps directly on the platform and provide you with convenient use of the map function.

(2) When you visit our platform, Google is notified that you have accessed the corresponding sub-page of our platform. In addition, further data collected via our web page is transmitted. This happens regardless of whether you are logged in with a user account provided by Google or do not have a user account. If you are logged in with Google, your data is associated directly with your account. If you do not want this data to be associated with your profile at Google, you must log out before activating the button. Google will store your data as user profiles and use it for the purposes of advertising, market research, and/or the demand-oriented design of its website. An analysis of this type is performed (even for users who are not logged in) specifically in order to deliver demand-oriented advertising and to inform other users of the social network about your activities on our platform. You have the right to object to the creation of this user profile, although to exercise this right, you must contact Google.

(3) Further information on the purpose and scope of the data collection and its processing by the plug-in provider can be found in the provider’s privacy policies. There, you can also obtain additional information on your rights in this regard and your settings options for protecting your privacy.

CONFERENCE TOOLS FOR WEB MEETINGS AND VIRTUAL EVENTS 

BIGBLUEBUTTON

We use BigBlueButton for events on the tekom Meetup platform:
(1) To participate in BigBlueButton meetings, you only need to enter your name. However, you can also enter a pseudonym. The other participants will see the name/pseudonym you entered.

(2) As a participant, you have the option to turn on your camera and share your screen. 

(3) Online meetings under BigBlueButton are not recorded. 

(4) BigBlueButton is open source software operated on its own server. We base the processing on GDPR Article 6 (1) lit. f). Our legitimate interest is the effective holding of online meetings. If the event is exclusively for tekom members, we also base the processing on GDPR Article 6 (1) lit. b).

DATA PROCESSING WHEN REGISTERING AS A USER AND REGISTERING FOR EVENTS

On the tekom Meetup platform, registered users and tekom members as well as members of affiliated organizations can arrange to meet (on site or online). To join in, you must first either register or already be a tekom member to log in with your tekom membership data. Then you can log in to the platform and register for all tekom Meetup groups and their meetings.

REGISTRATION FOR TEKOM MEETUP GROUPS AND THEIR EVENTS

You can register for the events of the tekom Meetup groups via our tekom Meetup platform. For this purpose, we require the following personal data from you:

• Title
• First name
• Last name
• Email address

You will receive a registration confirmation by email. You can deregister from the tekom Meetup groups and their events at any time, directly on the tekom Meetup platform. Your data will be processed exclusively for the purpose of event participation. This also includes forwarding your data to the responsible tekom Meetup group administrators as part of a list of participants. The legal basis for this is GDPR Article 6 (1) 1 lit. a). If necessary, only the names of the participants are forwarded for the creation of a hospitality voucher. The legal basis for this is GDPR Article 6 (1) 1 lit. a).
 

REGISTERING AS A NEW USER

(1) For a new registration to the tekom Meetup platform, we require the following personal data:

• Title
• First name
• Last name
• Email address

(2) We use the “double opt-in” procedure for registrations. This means that we send a confirmation email to your specified email address after your personal data has been provided. The email contains a link following which you can set a password and complete the registration process. If you do not complete the registration process within seven days, the personal data that you have provided for your registration will be automatically deleted.

(3) If you are logged in to the tekom Meetup platform, you can use the following functions:
Under 'my data':
See the personal data we have about you and make any necessary corrections.
Under 'my profile':
You can change and add to your profile data. Profile data is the data visible to members of your tekom Meetup groups.
You can add the following data to your profile:

• Nickname
• Profile picture
• Occupation
• Company
• Place of residence
• Special interests
• Link to your profile (e.g. XING or LinkedIn)
• Time zone

Under 'Establish Meetup Group':
You can establish a new tekom Meetup group. Establishing a new group requires the name and the email address of your profile data (already pre-filled) as well as other details:

• Title of the group
• Description of the group
• Focus of the group (regional or topic)
• Language of the group
• Country
• Telephone number for any further questions (optional)
• Motivational text for the administrator

(4) Once the creation of your tekom Meetup group has been confirmed, you are the group administrator and can create events yourself, appoint members of the group as moderators, and invite members of the group to events. 

(5) The online events on the tekom Meetup platform are held using BigBlueButton. More about BigBlueButton under "Conference tools".

DELETING A USER ACCOUNT

Deleting a user account on the tekom Meetup platform

As a registered user, you can edit or delete your user account at any time under 'my profile'. 
As tekom members can use their login data for 'my tekom', deleting the user account is only possible or recommended after the end of tekom membership. More information on this at: https://www.tekom.de/datenschutz