Privacy Policy

 

Last updated: 25 March 2020

This Privacy Policy describes our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, transmission and storage of your personal information in connection with your use of this website.

We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy in due course and publish the changes here. For this reason, we recommend that you check this privacy policy regularly for changes. Changes to this privacy policy will become effective upon publication on this page.

I        Contact details

Ecovacs is a global company with numerous branches or affiliated companies in various countries. These branches or affiliated companies may each have to perform different activities and responsibilities with respect to the collection and processing of your personal information.

The responsibility for the processing of personal data in connection with the website www.ecovacs.com/de (the "Website") within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), national data protection laws of other Member States and other relevant data protection legislation is with:

Ecovacs Europe GmbH

Address: Holzstraße 2, 40221 Düsseldorf, Germany

Telefone: +49 211 5380 4300

E-Mail: info@ecovacs-europe.com

Website: www.ecovacs.com/uk

 

The Chief Privacy Officer of the responsible comany is:

DataCo GmbH

Address: Dachauer Str. 65, 80335 Munich

Telefone: +49 (0) 89 40 458 40

E-Mail: datenschutz@dataguard.de

Website: www.dataguard.de

The website is operated and maintained by one of our affiliated companies having registered office in the People's Republic of China. The People's Republic of China has not been recognised by the European Union as a country with an adequate level of data protection. In order to adequately protect your personal data, the processing of your personal data will only be carried out in accordance with a specific contract which contains the standard contractual clauses for the transfer of personal data to processors located in countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area.

II       Rights of the concerned persons

You have the right to request information as to whether we hold personal data about you and, if so, you may also request access to your personal data. You can also have your personal data corrected or deleted at any time or restrict our processing of your data, provided the legal requirements are met. If the processing is based on our legitimate interests, you may also have the right to object to the data processing at any time.

If the processing of your data is based on your consent, you are entitled to revoke your consent at any time. In this case we will stop processing the personal data you have agreed to.

Insofar as the processing of your personal data is based on your consent or on a contract with you, or if the processing happens in automated ways and you have provided us with your personal data, we will send you your personal data in a machine-readable format upon request so that you can use this data with other service providers

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection legislation, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a regulatory authority.

III     General information on data processing

(1)   Scope of the processing of personal data

Your personal data is processed for the purpose of providing you with a functioning website, providing you with customer support and better services, and improving the quality of our products (e.g. by developing new products and improving the functionality of existing products so that you have high-quality services that are suitable for you). Except as otherwise set out in this Privacy Policy, you are under no obligation to provide us with personal information, but if you voluntarily provide us with the information listed in this Privacy Policy at our request, you will benefit from better, more personalized services and faster responses.

(2)   Legal basis for the processing of personal data

We may process your personal data for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy if at least one of the following conditions is met: the processing is carried out with your consent, to fulfil a legal obligation to which we are subjected, to fulfil a contract to which you are party in order to protect the vital interests of yourself or another natural person, or if we believe that the processing is necessary to protect our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of a third party.

(3)   Deletion of data and duration of storage

We only store your personal data for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose, or as required or permitted by applicable law. When determining the retention period, we carefully examine whether there is any need to collect personal information at all, and if we determine a relevant need, we retain the information for the shortest possible period of time during which the purpose for which the information was collected can be fulfilled, unless a longer retention period is required by law. If your personal information is no longer necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, we will immediately delete or make anonymous the personal information collected from you.

IV     Collection of data when you visit the website and creation of log files

(1)   Description and scope of data processing

Each time you visit the website, our system automatically collects data and information about the computer system of your device.

The following data is collected:

(a)   Information about the browser type and version used

(b)   Your operating system

(c)   Your IPAddress

(d)   Date and time of access

(e)   Websites from which you have been directed to this website

(f)    Information regarding your Internet service provider of the user

(g)   Information on websites from which you have accessed the website

(h)   Information about web pages that your system calls up via the website

This information is stored in the log files of our system.

(2)   Purpose and legal basis for the collection of data and creation of log files

Temporary storage of the IP address is necessary to protect our legitimate interest in enabling the website to be made available on your device and to identify potential threats to our IT systems (e.g. hacker or other cyber attacks). For this purpose, your IP address and the duration of the session will be saved. The data is stored in log files to ensure the functionality of the website. In addition, the data we collect is used to improve the performance of the website and to ensure the security of our IT systems. We do not use the data collected in this context for marketing purposes. The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6 (1) f) GDPR.

(3)   Duration of data storage

The data is deleted as soon as it is no longer required for the purpose for which it was collected. In the case of the collection of data relevant to the website, the data will be deleted as soon as the current session is terminated. In the case of storage of data in log files, the data concerned shall be stored for a maximum period of thirty (30) days. If a longer storage period is required, your IP address will be anonymised or falsified, provided this is compatible with the purpose for which we use your personal data after the storage period has expired. Anonymisation or falsification of your personal data is in particular not compatible with the purposes for which we store your data, if your IP address is connected to an attempt at cyber attack and is blocked for future access to the website.

V      Use of cookies

(1)   Description and scope of data processing

Cookies are used on this website. Cookies are text files that are stored in your web browser and on your device. When you access a website, a cookie may be stored in your operating system. This cookie contains a characteristic string of characters that clearly identifies the browser you are using to access the site.

We use cookies to make the website more user-friendly and, for example, to make browsing easier for you. Cookies, which are then stored as small data files, can also be used, for example, to avoid having to enter your data on the website several times, or they can help to determine the security of your account.

Our system may use cookies to automatically collect your language preferences and login information (including user name and password).

(2)   Purpose and legal basis for the use of cookies

The purpose of using technically necessary cookies is to protect our legitimate interest in making it easier for users to use websites. Some functions of the website cannot be offered without the use of cookies. For this purpose it is necessary that the browser is recognized. The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6 (1) f) GDPR.

(3)   Storage duration and opt-out

Cookies are stored on the user's device and transmitted to us. This gives you as a user full control over the use of your cookies. By changing the settings in your web browser, you can deactivate or restrict the transmission of cookies. If you disable cookies on the Site, you may not be able to access or use all features of the Site. Each cookie has a specific lifetime and is automatically deleted at the end of its lifetime.

VI     Contact and e-mail data

(1)   Description and scope of data processing

A contact form is available on the website which can be used for electronic contacts. If you use this form, the data you enter will be sent to us and stored. These are the following data:

(a)   E-mail address

(b)   Subject

(c)   Request of the user

(d)   Security code

We may also contact you at the e-mail address you provide to respond to your inquiries. In this case the transmitted message is stored in our systems.

No data will be passed on to third parties. The data will be used exclusively for processing your request.

To handle your requests, we use Zendesk Support, which is provided by Zendesk Inc, 1019 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. Zendesk Support is a cloud-based solution for improving customer service and managing our interactions with you.

When you submit a request, Zendesk Support sets a cookie to measure the number of pending and completed requests and our response times in processing such requests. This data is used to improve our customer service.

When we use Zendesk Support, your personal information may be processed on servers located in the USA. The USA is not recognised by the European Union as a country with an adequate level of data protection. To ensure the adequate protection of your personal data, Zendesk is certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield and is committed to complying with binding internal data protection regulations.

(2)   Purpose and legal basis for the collection of contact and e-mail data

The personal data collected from your entry will only be used by us for communication purposes.

The processing of personal data serves our legitimate interest in providing you with a customer-friendly method of contacting us, or is necessary for the implementation of pre-contractual measures which are carried out in response to your request. The legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) f) GDPR or Art. 6 (1) b) GDPR.

Furthermore, we use the data contained in the log files to prevent misuse of the contact data and to ensure the security of our IT systems.

(3)   Duration of data storage

The data is deleted as soon as it is no longer required for the purpose for which it was collected. With regard to the personal data from the input mask in the contact form and data sent by e-mail, it applies that the data in question will be deleted at the end of the conversation with the user, i.e. when your request has been completed in full. Provided that the content of the correspondence is not required for proper documentation (e.g. if you make a warranty claim) and no statutory retention periods apply to the correspondence, the correspondence will be deleted one month after we have received the last message from you.

VII   Transfer of information

As a matter of principle, we do not pass on your personal data to third companies, other organisations or persons. In the following exceptional circumstances we will disclose your personal information for legal, appropriate and necessary purposes. Third parties who receive such information have no right to share or transfer personal information for any other purpose that is not disclosed to you under this Privacy Policy.

(1)  The disclosure of data with your prior express permission or consent is necessary to provide you with products and services. This also applies in particular if you send us an inquiry about a specific product manufactured by one of our affiliated companies.

(2)  The transmission of data takes place in connection with a takeover, merger or reorganisation of our company.

(3)  Your personal data will be passed on in accordance with legal provisions and mandatory requirements of the regulatory authorities.

VIII  Cross-border transmission

The personal data collected and generated during your use of the website will be stored on our servers in the European Union and will not be transferred to third parties outside the European Union, unless this is expressly stated in this privacy policy.

IX     Disclosure of data

We will not make your personal data public. If disclosure is necessary, we will notify you of the purpose of the disclosure, the nature of the information disclosed and the extent of any sensitive information involved. We only disclose data with your prior explicit consent.

X      Tracking and Online Advertising

We participate in interest-based advertising and use the services of advertising companies to show you targeted advertising based on your browsing history and interests. We allow external online advertising networks, social media companies and other third party services to collect data about your use of the website over time to serve or display ads to you on the website, other web pages, apps or services you use, and other devices you use. Typically, but not always, the data used for interest-based advertising is collected using cookies or similar tracking technologies.We may share a general account identifier (such as an email address or user ID) or hash data with our third-party advertisers to enable your identification on multiple devices. We use this information, together with our external partners, to better tailor the advertising you see online to your interests and to provide advertising-related services such as reporting, attribution, analysis and market research.  

(1) Google Ads

The website uses Google Ads to display advertising on other websites. Google Ads is an online advertising network operated by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street Dublin 4, Ireland, ("Google"). As part of Google Ads we use conversion tracking functions.

Every time you click on an ad provided by Google Ads, Google stores a cookie on your device that expires after 30 days. If you click on a Google Ad and are redirected to the website, Google can trace that you have been guided to the website by a Google Ad and collects data on your use of the website until the cookie expires.

The data obtained with the help of the cookie is used to compile conversion statistics for us and to invoice the services Google provides for us. The conversion statistics tell us how many visitors were redirected to the website via Google Ads and how they used the website. However, this does not provide us with any data by which you can be directly identified.

Google Ads is only activated if you agree to this by adjusting the appropriate cookie settings the first time you visit the website. The legal basis for the use of Google Ads is Art. 6 (1) a) GDPR. You can revoke your consent and disable tracking via Google Ads by

-        deactivating the cookie for Google Conversion Tracking in your browser or

-        declaring an opt-out at http://www.google.com/settings/ads.

If your Personal Information is transferred to Google's affiliates in the United States, which is not recognized by the European Union as a country with an adequate level of data protection, an adequate level of data protection for your Personal Information is assured because Google's affiliates are certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield.

(2) Google Analytics

The website also uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service provided by Google. Google Analytics uses cookies to help us analyse how you use the website, to generate reports on website activity and to provide other services relating to your use of the website and the internet. The data generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) may be transmitted by Google and its affiliated companies to servers in the USA and stored there.However, if IP anonymisation is activated on the website, Google will truncate your IP address before transmitting it within the member states of the European Union or in countries of the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases the unabridged IP address will be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. The IP address transmitted by your browser in the context of Google Analytics is not mixed with other Google data.

The data sent by us in connection with cookies, user identification (e.g. user IDs) or advertising IDs are automatically deleted after 14 months. Data are automatically deleted once a month when their retention period has expired.

For more information about the terms of use and privacy policy of Google Analytics, please visit https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html or https://policies.google.com/.

Google Analytics is only activated if you agree to this by accepting the corresponding cookie settings during your first visit to the website. The legal basis for the use of Google Analytics is Art. 6 (1) a) GDPR.You can withdraw your consent and deactivate tracking via Google Analytics by

-        deactivating the cookie for Google Conversion Tracking in your browser settings or

-        declaring an opt-out athttps://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-analytics-opt-out/fllaojicojecljbmefodhfapmkghcbnh?hl=en.

You can also prevent Google from collecting and processing the data generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address) by downloading and installing the browser add-on from the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.

(3) Mixpanel

The website uses Mixpanel, a web analytics tool provided by Mixpanel, Inc, One Front Street, Floor 28, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA.

Mixpanel uses cookie and pixel technologies to analyze your user behavior on the website and creates logs of your use of the website and your interactions with it. These logs are used to understand and improve your user experience and to make general improvements to the site.

Mixpanel is only activated if you agree to this by setting the appropriate cookie settings on your first visit to the website. The legal basis for the use of Mixpanel is Art. 6 (1) a) GDPR.

In the course of analysis by Mixpanel, your personal data may be processed on servers located in the USA. The USA is not recognised by the European Union as a country with an adequate level of data protection. In order to guarantee the adequate protection of your personal data, Mixpanel is certified within framework of the EU-US Privacy Shield.

XI     Social Share Buttons

The website uses social media plugins from Facebook and Twitter. The Facebook Plug-in is operated by Facebook Ireland Ltd, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2 Dublin, Ireland, ("Facebook"). The Twitter plugin is operated by Twitter, Inc., 1355 Market St, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA ("Twitter").

In this context we use a "two-click solution". This means that when you access the website, no personal data is automatically transmitted to the providers of such plug-ins. You can recognize the respective provider of these plugins by their logo. If you click on the logo of the respective plugin, the plugin will be activated and your browser will establish a direct connection to the provider of the plugin. The plugin operator receives the information that you have visited the website and the data described above from the log files, regardless of whether you have registered with the operator in question or not.

By activating the plugin, personal data is transmitted to the respective operator and stored on servers in the USA. We have no influence on which data is transmitted to the operator of the plugin in question, nor do we have any comprehensive knowledge of the extent to which the operator collects personal data, the purpose for which such data is used and how long it is stored.

The operator of the plugin in question uses such data to create user profiles, which are used for advertising purposes, market research and/or to optimise its website. This use of personal information is specifically designed to show you advertisements that match your interests and to inform other users about your activities on the site. You have the right to object to the creation of such profiles. To exercise this right, you must send a request directly to the operator of the plugin concerned.

You agree to the transmission of personal data to the operator of the plugin in question if you click on the plugin and thus activate it. The legal basis for this processing of personal data is Art. 6 (1) a) GDPR.

The personal data is transmitted to the operator of the plugin in question, even if you have not registered with this operator and even if you are not logged into your account. If you are logged into your account, the operator of the plugin in question is able to link your visit to the website to your personal account. When you interact with such plugins, this information is also stored in your personal account and displayed to your contacts.

For more information on the use of your personal data by Facebook and Twitter, please refer to the privacy policy of the respective company.

Facebook's privacy policy can be found at http://www.facebook.com/policy.php; for more information on the collection of personal data: http://www.facebook.com/help/186325668085084 or http://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/your-info-on-other#applications.

The Twitter privacy policy can be found at: https://twitter.com/privacy. Please note that Twitter is certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield: https://www.privacyshield.gov/EU-US-Framework.

XII   YouTube Videos

We have embedded videos on the website, which are provided by www.youtube.com and can be played directly on the website. YouTube is a service operated by Google. All videos are embedded in data protection mode. This means that personal data is only then transmitted to YouTube when you click on the play button.

When you click "Play", Google receives information that you have visited the page of the website where the video is embedded. YouTube also uses cookies to collect information about the website's users and submits that information to Google, whether or not you are registered with YouTube and whether or not you are logged into your personal account. If you are signed in to your personal account, Google is able to link your visit to the site to your personal account.

Google stores your personal data as a user profile and uses this data for advertising and market research purposes and/or to optimize its websites. This information is used in particular to show you advertisements that match your interests, whether or not you are registered with YouTube. You have the right to object to the creation of such profiles. To exercise this right, you must submit a request directly to Google.

For more information about Google's collection and use of personal information and your rights regarding this use, please see Google's privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de&gl=de.

We use videos provided by YouTube to protect our legitimate interest in presenting content to you in an attractive and optimized form. The legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) f) GDPR.

XIII  Security

We are committed to taking all reasonable steps to ensure the protection of your personal information through technical security measures and appropriate security policies for our employees. You acknowledge and are aware that there is always a risk associated with the transmission and storage of personal data and that, as a result, any damages that you may incur as a result of the unlawful use of your personal data by third parties can never be claimed against us. If any data for which we are responsible is disclosed as a result of a breach of security, we will take reasonable steps to investigate the situation and, if necessary, notify those persons whose data may be affected. In addition, we will take all further steps provided for under current legislation.