Data Privacy Statement

Storage and processing of personal data

Every time a user accesses a page on our website, and every time a file is accessed, access data regarding these actions is anonymised and stored in a log file on our server. This procedure immediately and automatically deletes any references to specific persons in the data.

The basic components of each data set are:

• the page from which the file was requested
• the name of the file
• the date and time of the request
• the IP address of the computer from which the request originated
• the quantity of data transmitted
• the access status (file transmitted, file not found, etc.)
• a description of the type of web browser used

This anonymised stored data is exclusively processed for statistical purposes.

Where there is an option to enter personal or commercial data (email addresses, names, addresses) on our website, this disclosure of this data by the user is always expressly voluntary. We only use the data provided to fulfil the desired purpose. Data is strictly processed in accordance with legal provisions. Mandatory information is clearly marked as such.

We exclusively store and process your personal details to fulfil our own business purposes (Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. b & f GDPR). We handle your data confidentially and do not disclose it to third parties without justification.

Data regarding use of our website is only allocated to individual users with the users’ prior consent (see below).

HARTING uses third parties as service providers to process data, including personal data in the context of our own business purposes. These third parties are cloud providers, activity analysis service providers and web analysis services. The following text contains more detailed descriptions of these services providers.

You can, on request and at any time, obtain information on the type and scope of personal data we hold concerning you. Additionally, in accordance with legal provisions, you have the right to rectification, the right to block and the right to deletion of this personal data.

Responsible contact partner

The data controller in the context of the processing of data collected on this website is:

HARTING Systems GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 32339 Espelkamp
Tel.: 05772/47-284; E-Mail: Systems@HARTING.com

The contact partner at HARTING is:
Dr Laker, HARTING Stiftung & Co. KG, Marienwerderstrasse 3, 32339 Espelkamp, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)5772 47848, Email: datasecurity_de@HARTING.com

You can contact the external Data Protection Officer at:
Jhcon.de, Dipl.-Ing. Jörg Hagen, Königstrasse 50a, 30175 Hannover, Germany
Email: hagen@jhcon.de

Tracking mechanisms

The purpose of tracking mechanisms is to allow the operator of a website to monitor – and in some cases control – online marketing measures with reference to their efficacy. Commonly used synonyms for the term ‘tracking’ include ‘web controlling’, ‘web analysis’ and ‘traffic analysis’. Tracking encompasses success monitoring, control and efficiency analysis of a website and the online marketing measures it uses.

Measures used for tracking purposes generally examine where a website’s visitors come from, their behaviour and actions on the platform as well as, in some circumstances, what they do after leaving the page. There are essentially two different methods used to carry out tracking.
HARTING uses tracking mechanisms to measure and analyse its reach and personalise its web content. If you are a registered user and are also signed in, HARTING will also use tracking mechanisms for profiling purposes.

Reach measurement and analysis

Reach measurement and analysis (as well as clickstream analysis, data traffic analysis, traffic analysis, web analysis, web controlling, etc.) denotes the collection and evaluation of data regarding the behaviour of website visitors. An analysis mechanism typically examines where visitors come from, which areas of a website are visited and how often, and for how long individual subpages and categories are viewed. First and foremost, it serves to optimise the website and achieve specific objectives more effectively (e.g. to increase page visits, visitor frequency or newsletter subscriptions, etc.). At a fundamental level, a differentiation can be made in web analysis between analytical procedures to measure site efficacy on a permanent basis and methods to find weak spots in a website and identify potential ways to improve these.

Cookies

We use so-called cookies on our website. These are essentially small text files that are saved on the computer, tablet or smartphone used by the visitor, and which enable analysis of the visitor’s use of the website. HARTING uses cookies, for example, to identify users’ preferences and design the site as well as possible in response to this.

Using cookies enables us to make it easier to navigate a website and also offers a high degree of user-friendliness. Moreover, cookies help us to identify particularly popular areas of our website. They make it possible to collect information regarding a specific period of time and identify the visitor’s computer. We use permanent cookies to improve user guidance and provide personalised content. We also use so-called session cookies, which are automatically deleted when you close your browser. You can configure your browser so that it informs you when cookies are placed, thereby making the use of cookies transparent for you.

We use five different categories of cookies on our website:

• performance cookies (future)
• functionality cookies
• tracking cookies

Performance cookies: These cookies collect information on how visitors use a website: for example, which pages they access most frequently, and whether they receive error messages from websites. These cookies do not collect any data by which visitors could be personally identified. All information collected with the help of these cookies is anonymous and is exclusively used to improve the website’s functionality and services. We therefore use performance cookies to generate statistics on how our website is used and to see how effective our marketing campaigns are.

Functionality cookies: These cookies make it possible to provide the services you request, e.g. when you wish to view a video. Functionality cookies also make it possible to retain any settings you configure on the website (e.g. location). These cookies cannot track you when you browse other websites and cannot identify where you have surfed on the Internet outside of our website. Without these cookies, we would be unable to provide certain services or functions on request.

Tracking cookies: Tracking Cookies are set by trustworthy networks of third parties (f.e. Google Analytics), for tracking details like numbers of visitors and page use to improve the usability.

Preventing cookies from being stored: Generally speaking, you can prevent cookies from being stored on your hard drive by selecting ‘Block all cookies’ in your browser settings. Alternatively, you can also configure your browser so that it asks for your consent before 

cookie is set. You can also delete cookies once they have been set. To find out precisely how this works in your specific case, consult your browser’s help pages.

Please note: If you completely block cookies from being used in the settings of the web browser you use, you will be unable to use certain functionalities of our website or will be restricted in doing so.

In the event that you automatically delete your cookies due to the configurations you make, opt-out cookies may need to be reactivated.

You can find further information on the cookies we use in our Cookie Policy.

Newsletter

As part of your registration for an email newsletter, HARING needs your email address to which the newsletter is to be sent. Any other information is given voluntarily and will be used to address you personally and tailor the newsletter to your personal preferences and clarify queries regarding your email address.

If you register for the newsletter on this website, HARTING will use the data you enter exclusively for this purpose or to inform you of circumstances relevant to this service or registration for it. HARTING will pass these data to its service provider, ClickDimensions (LLC 5901 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, NE Suite B500 Atlanta, GA 30328) for the purpose of managing and performing the mailing of the newsletter, and this service provider will store the data in Microsoft Dynamics. Your data will not be stored on servers outside the EU.

A valid email address, the country and a language are needed to receive the newsletter. The IP address through which you register for the newsletter as well as the date and time when you order the newsletter are also stored. HARTING needs these data as evidence in the event of abuse, in case the email address registered for the newsletter does not belong to the user. To provide further security against an email address being improperly registered by third parties in HARTING’s circulation list, HARTING employs a “double opt-in” procedure. In this procedure, you will receive a confirmation email after registering, sent to the email address specified. You will only receive the desired email newsletter if you confirm your registration by clicking on a link contained in this email. As part of this procedure, the order for the newsletter, the despatch of the confirmation email and receipt of the confirmation of registration are all logged.

We would draw your attention to the fact that we will evaluate your user habits when sending newsletters. To do so, we use the tracking functions of ClickDimensions. The emails sent contain so-called web beacons or tracking pixels which represent one-pixel image files which are stored on our website. For these evaluations, we combine the data collected and the web beacons with your email address and an individual ID. Links received in the newsletter also contain this ID. We use the data thus acquired to create a user profile to tailor the newsletter to your individual interests. In the process, we record when you read our newsletter, which links you click on and from this we deduce your personal interests. We combine these data with the actions you perform on our website.

Tracking by means of web beacons or tracking pixels is not possible if you have deactivated the display of images in your email program as your standard setting. In this case, the newsletter will not be fully displayed and you may not be able to use all its functions. If you have the images displayed manually, the tracking described above will be performed.

You have the option at any time to revoke your consent to the storage of your data, email address and their use for the despatch of the newsletter, with effect for the future. HARTING provides you with a link in every newsletter for such revocation. You also have the option to communicate your desire to revoke your consent in writing to be sent to the contact options listed in the legal notice.

User-based and/or personalised offers

Our web offers should be as useful and interesting as possible for our users. For this reason, we present offers and product recommendations that correspond as closely as possible to user’s personal interests (personalised and user-based offers). We use cookies and other technologies to collect this data.

Usage-based online advertising: Our website, and linked websites from where a user originates, collect and process a visitor’s usage behaviour. The user benefits from this as the advertisements generated are tailored to their specific areas of interest; on the whole, fewer randomly scattered advertisements are displayed. A cookie is stored on the user’s computer to collect information on their usage behaviour.

We use the following tools to collect data in order to provide user-based online advertising:

• Google Analytics
• Google AdWords

Provider’s Data Privacy Information
https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=de

Opt-out option
http://bit.ly/1Q6YkQI

You can find further information on cookies and individual providers on the website youronlinechoices.com. This site also gives you the opportunity to object to usage-based online advertising using certain tools or using all tools.

Personalised offers: We also use these technologies to recognise returning users. Personalised offers are based on analysis of purchasing behaviour as well as the respective visitor’s use of our electronic media.

More specifically, we use the following data to create advertisements tailored to you and your interests:

• data contained in your customer account and data you share with us when making purchases (master data)
• data about your purchases – to date or in future – at HARTING (transaction data) and information derived from the same (e.g. what products you prefer to purchase or configure)
• information generated automatically when you visit our electronic media (website or app, including across devices) including the date and time of the visit (usage data) and information derived from the same (e.g. what content you view and how often)
• products you have searched for or viewed in our electronic media

Analysing and evaluating the aforementioned information enables us to produce offerings and product recommendations tailored to individual users. Personalised offers may be sent by post, presented on a visit to our electronic media (website and app) or – if the user has given their specific consent – sent via email or push notification.

To optimise our offers on the basis of your user interests, we use the following tool:

Reach measurement and analysis using Google Analytics

To design our website in a way that meets users’ needs, we create pseudonymised user profiles with the help of Google Analytics, a web analysis service provided by Google Inc. (“Google”). Google uses cookies to facilitate analysis of how individual visitors use a website. The information generated by the cookie regarding use of this website is generally transmitted to, and stored on, one of Google’s servers in the USA. However, as we have activated IP anonymisation on this website, your IP address will be truncated by Google prior to its transmission from within European Union member states or in other signatory countries of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional circumstances will your full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA before being truncated. Google will use this information on behalf of HARTING in order to analyse your use of the website, to compile reports regarding website activities and to provide us with additional services relating to usage of the website and the internet. The IP address transmitted by your browser in the context of Google Analytics will not be combined with other Google data.

Stopping profiling and reach measurement and analysis

You can stop reach measurement and user profiling (either pseudonymised or personalised) by Google Analytics at any time. You can use the following methods to do so:

• You can prevent cookies used for profiling from being stored by configuring your browser software accordingly, as detailed above.
• Another option is to set an ‘opt-out cookie’ which you can find via the following link: deactivate Google Analytics. However, the opt-out cookie will only prevent web analysis from being carried out for as long as the browser stores the opt-out cookie.
• Depending on the browser you use, you may be able to install a browser plugin that prevents tracking. Simply install the available browser plugin to do so.

Data security

We would like to point out that, given the current state of technology, it is not possible to guarantee complete protection of data transmitted over the Internet. In some circumstances, third parties may be able to penetrate network security and monitor communications. In this regard, please note that the transmission of data via email is fundamentally not encrypted.

Retention period

HARTING stores personal data collected for business purposes as long as is required for the business relationship, and then duly deletes this data. A business purpose is deemed to have expired at the latest when the limitation periods for all claims that could arise from the business relationship have expired pursuant to generally applicable provisions. In case of doubt, this period should be assumed to be 10 years after the last business transaction. If HARTING receives personal data and no related business transaction occurs, this data will be deleted after 3 years at the latest. Naturally, HARTING will also delete this data if a business purpose no longer exists and the user revokes their consent.

Right of access, right to rectification, right to information

You have the right at all times to access your stored personal data, as well as information regarding its origin, recipient and the purpose of its storage. Furthermore, you have the right to rectification and the right to deletion of your data (the ‘right to be forgotten’).

The following links additionally offer you the opportunity to access information on the collection of personal data by the HARTING Technology Group in accordance with Articles 13 & 14 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation:

• Data privacy information for clients, distributors, interested parties and suppliers
• Data privacy information for HARTING employees and applicants
• Data privacy information for HARTING visitors

Revocation of consent

You can revoke your consent regarding use of your data at any time either in writing or electronically. The same applies if your personal data is processed in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f of the GDPR.

Revocation via email: datasecurity_de@HARTING.com

Revocation by post: FAO Dr Laker, HARTING Stiftung & Co. KG, Marienwerderstrasse 3, 32339 Espelkamp, Germany

In the event that you revoke your consent to the storage and processing of your data, HARTING Stiftung & Co. KG may be unable to offer you certain services, such as participation in competitions.

If you revoke your consent, we will no longer process your personal data. This shall not apply in the event we can demonstrate that the processing is necessary for compelling and legitimate grounds which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or in the event that the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims or rights.

Complaints body

You also have the right to submit complaints at any time to the respective supervisory authority for data privacy. To do so, please contact the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information for North Rhine-Westphalia, Kavalleriestrasse 2-4, 40213 Düsseldorf, Germany – Postal address: Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit NRW, PO Box 20 04 44, 40102 Düsseldorf, Germany.

Validity of this Data Privacy Statement

We reserve the right to amend or adapt this Data Privacy Statement from time to time. This statement was last amended on 11. April 2019.