Data Protection Declaration

We are very pleased that you are interested in our company. Data protection is of particular importance. As a matter of principle, the use of the Internet pages is possible without the disclosure of any personal data. However, if a data subject wishes to make use of special services of our company via our website, it may be necessary to process personal data. If processing personal data is necessary and there is no legal basis for such processing, we generally obtain the consent of the data subject.

Processing of personal data, such as the name, address, email address or telephone number of a data subject, is always carried out in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and in accordance with the country-specific data protection regulations applicable to our company. In accordance with this data protection declaration, our company would like to inform the public about the type, scope, and purpose of the personal data collected, used, and processed by us. Furthermore, this data protection declaration informs the data subject of his/her rights.

As the entity responsible for processing, our company has implemented numerous technical and organizational measures to ensure that the personal data processed via this website is protected as completely as possible. Nevertheless, breaches of security are possible with Internet-based data transmission and absolute protection cannot be guaranteed. For this reason, it is possible for each person to transmit personal data to us by alternative means, for example by telephone.

Our data protection declaration is based on the terms used by the European legislator when the General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) was issued. Our data protection declaration should be easy to read and understand for the public and for our customers and business partners. To ensure this, we would like to explain the terms used in advance.

We use the following terms in this data protection declaration:

a) Personal Data
Personal data is all information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as "data subject"). Identifiable is a natural person who can be identified directly or indirectly, in particular by assignment to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or one or more special characteristics that express the physical, physiological, genetic, psychological, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

b) Data Subject
The data subject is any identified or identifiable natural person whose personal data is processed by the person responsible.

c) Processing
Processing means any process or series of processes carried out with or without the aid of automated procedures in relation to personal data, such as the collection, organization, sorting, storage, adaptation or alteration, reading, retrieval, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or any other form of provision, comparison or linking, restriction, erasure or destruction.

d) Restrictions on Processing
Restrictions on processing refers to marking stored personal data with the objective of restricting future processing.

e) Pseudonymization
Pseudonymization is the processing of personal data in such a way that the personal data cannot be assigned to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that this additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures that ensure that the personal data is not assigned to an identified or identifiable natural person.

f) Entity or Person Responsible for Processing
The entity or person responsible for processing is the natural or legal person, public authority, institution or other body that, either alone or together with others, decides on the purposes and means of processing personal data. Where the purposes and means of such processing are laid down by Union law or by the law of the Member States, the person responsible or the specific criteria for his appointment may be laid down in accordance with Union law or the law of the Member States.

g) Processor
The processor is a natural or legal person, authority, institution or other body that processes personal data on behalf of the person responsible.

h) Recipient
The recipient is a natural or legal person, authority, institution or other body to which personal data is disclosed, irrespective of whether it is a third party or not. However, authorities which may receive personal data under Union law or the law of the Member States within the scope of a particular investigation mandate shall not be regarded as recipients.

i) Third Party
A third party is a natural or legal person, authority, institution or other body other than the data subject, the person responsible, the data processor and the persons authorized to process the personal data under the direct responsibility of the entity responsible or the data processor.

j) Consent
Consent shall mean any informed and unequivocal expression of will be given voluntarily by the data subject for the specific case in the form of a declaration or other clear affirmative act by which the data subject indicates his or her consent to the processing of personal data concerning him or her.

Because of legal regulations, the website contains information that allows fast electronic contact with our company and direct communication with us, which also includes a general address for so-called electronic mail (email address). If a data subject contacts the person responsible for processing the inquiry via email or a contact form, the personal data transmitted by the data subject will be automatically stored and used. If necessary, this data is provided to the PI subsidiaries or retailers for further processing. The personal data is not passed on to any other third party.

a) Right to Confirmation
Every data subject shall have the right as granted by the European legislator of directives and regulations to require the entity to confirm whether personal data concerning him/her is being processed. If a data subject wishes to exercise this right of confirmation, he or she may contact our data protection officer or another employee of the entity responsible for processing at any time.

b) Right of the Data Subject to Information
Any person affected by processing of personal data shall have the right as as granted by the European legislator of directives and regulations to obtain information on any personal data stored relating to him/her from the entity responsible for processing and demand a copy of that information. Furthermore, the European regulator requires that the data subject is entitled to the following information:

• reasons for processing
• the personal data categories that are processed
• the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or are still being disclosed, in particular recipients in third countries or international organizations
• if possible, the duration planned for storing the personal data and if this is not possible, the criteria for determining that duration
• the right of rectification or deletion of personal data concerning him or restrict processing by the entity responsible for processing or the right to oppose such processing
• a right of appeal to a supervisory authority
• if the personal data is not collected from the data subject: All available information on the origin of the data
• the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling in accordance with Article 22 paragraphs 1 and 4 GDPR and, at least in these cases, meaningful information on the logic involved and the scope and intended effects of such processing for the data subject

Furthermore, the data subject has a right of access to information to determine whether personal data have been transferred to a third country or to an international organization. If this is the case, the data subject also has the right to obtain information on the appropriate guarantees in conjunction with the transfer.
If a data subject wishes to exercise this right to information, he or she may contact our data protection officer or another employee of the entity responsible for processing at any time.

c) Right to Correction
Any data subject to the processing of personal data shall have the right as granted by the European legislator of directives and regulations to request immediate correction of inaccurate personal data concerning him/her. Furthermore, with respect to the purpose of processing, the data subject has the right to request the completion of incomplete personal data, including a supplementary declaration. If a data subject wishes to exercise this right to correction, he or she may contact our data protection officer or another employee of the entity responsible for processing at any time.

d) Right to Cancellation (Right to be Forgotten)
Any data subject affected by processing of personal data shall have the right as granted by the European legislator of directives and regulations to require the person responsible to request immediate deletion of his/her personal data, provided that one of the following reasons applies and insofar the processing is deemed not necessary:

• The personal data was collected or otherwise processed for purposes that are no longer necessary.
• The data subject withdraws his/her consent on the basis for processing, and where there is no other legal basis for the processing pursuant to Article 6 paragraph letter a GDPR or Article 9 paragraph 2 letter a GDPR.
• The data subject opposes processing under Article 21 paragraph 1 GDPR and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for processing or the data subject opposes processing under Article 21 paragraph 2 GDPR.
• The personal data was processed unlawfully.
• The deletion of personal data is necessary to fulfil a legal obligation under Union law or the law of the Member States that the person responsible is subject to.
• The personal data was collected relating to information society services offered in accordance with Art. 8 para. 1 GDPR.

If one of the above-mentioned reasons applies and the data subject wishes to have personal data stored with us deleted, he or she may contact our data protection officer or another employee of the entity responsible for processing at any time. Our data protection officer will ensure that the request for deletion is complied with without delay.

e) Right to Restrict Processing

Any data subject affected by processing of personal data shall have the right as granted by the European legislator of directives and regulations to require the person responsible to restrict processing if one of the following conditions is met:

• The accuracy of the personal data is disputed by the data subject for a period that allows the person responsible to verify the accuracy of the personal data.
• Processing is unlawful, the data subject refuses to delete the personal data and instead, requests that the use of the personal data be restricted.
• The person responsible no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but the data subject needs them to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.
• The data subject objects to processing pursuant to Art. 21 para. 1 GDPR and it has not yet been determined whether the legitimate reasons of the data subject outweigh those of the person responsible.

If one of the above conditions is met and a person affected wishes to request restriction of personal data stored by our company, he or she can contact our data protection officer at any time. The data protection officer will arrange for processing to be restricted.

f) Right to Data Transferability
Any data subject affected by processing of personal data shall have the right as granted by the European legislator to receive personal data relating to him/her from a person responsible in a structured, current and machine-readable format. They shall also have the right to transmit such data to another person responsible without obstruction by the person responsible to whom the personal data was made available, provided that processing is based on the consent provided for in Article 6 paragraph 1 letter a GDPR or Article 9 paragraph 2 letter a GDPR or on a contract in accordance with Article 6 paragraph 1 letter b GDPR and that processing is carried out using automated procedures, unless processing is necessary for the performance of a task in the public interest or in the exercise of public authority conferred on the person responsible.
Furthermore, in exercising his right to data transferability pursuant to Article 20 paragraph 1 GDPR, the data subject has the right to demand that personal data be transferred directly by a person responsible to another person responsible, provided this is technically feasible and provided that the rights and freedoms of other persons are not affected.
The person affected may contact the data protection officer or another employee at any time to assert the right to data transferability.

g) Right of Objection
Any person affected by processing of personal data shall have the right as granted by the European legislator for reasons related to his/her particular situation to object at any time to processing of personal data concerning them under Article 6 paragraph 1 letter e or f GDPR. This also applies to profiling based on these provisions.
We will not continue to process personal data in the event of an objection, unless we can prove compelling grounds for processing that outweigh the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject or the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.
If we process personal data to carry out direct advertising, the data subject has the right to object to the processing of personal for the purpose of such advertising at any time. This also applies to profiling insofar as it is connected with such direct advertising. If the data subject objects to our company processing for direct marketing purposes, we will discontinue processing personal data for these purposes.
Furthermore, the data subject has the right to object to processing of his/her personal data for scientific or historical research purposes or for statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89 paragraph 1 GDPR related to his/her particular situation, unless such processing is necessary for the performance of a task in the public interest.
The data subject may contact the data protection officer directly to exercise the right of objection. Notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, the data subject shall also be free to exercise his right of opposition with respect to the use of information society services by means of automated procedures that use technical specifications.

h) Automated Decisions in Individual Cases Including Profiling
Any person affected by processing of personal data shall have the right as granted by the European legislator not to be subject to a decision based exclusively on automated processing, including profiling, which has legal effect against him or significantly affects him in a similar way, provided that the decision is not necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract between the data subject and the person responsible, or is admissible under Union or Member State law that the person responsible is subject to, and that such law contains appropriate measures to safeguard the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of the data subject or is taken with the data subject's express consent.
Where a decision is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract between the data subject and the data controller or is taken with the express consent of the data subject, we shall take appropriate measures to safeguard the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of the data subject, including at least the right to demand intervention of a person by the person responsible, to state his own position and to challenge the decision.
If the person concerned wishes to assert rights with respect to automated decisions, he or she can contact our data protection officer at any time.

i) Right to Revoke Consent under Data Protection Law
Any person affected by processing of personal data has the right as granted by the European legislator to withdraw his or her consent to the processing of personal data at any time.
If the data subject wishes to exercise his/her right to withdraw his/her consent, he/she may contact our data protection officer or another employee of the entity responsible for processing at any time.

The entity responsible for processing collects and processes the personal data of applicants for the purpose of processing the application. Processing can also be done electronically. This is particularly the case if an applicant sends corresponding application documents to the entity responsible for processing electronically, for example, by email or via a form on the website. If the entity responsible for processing concludes an employment contract with an applicant, the data transmitted will be stored for the purpose of processing the employment relationship in compliance with the statutory provisions. If the entity responsible for processing does not conclude an employment contract with the applicant, the application documents shall be deleted automatically three months after notification of the decision of refusal, provided that no other legitimate interests of the entity responsible for processing contradict deletion. Other legitimate interest in this sense is, for example, a burden of proof in proceedings under the General Equal Opportunity Act (German Allgemeinen Gleichbehandlungsgesetz - AGG).