Privacy Policy
Introduction
With the following data protection declaration, we would like to inform you about the types of your personal data (hereinafter also referred to as “data”) that we process, for what purposes and to what extent. The data protection declaration applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both as part of the provision of our services and in particular on our websites, in mobile applications and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “online offer”).
The terms used are not gender-specific.
Status: 14 February 2022
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Person responsible
- Overview of processing operations
- Security measures
- Transmission of personal data
- Use of cookies
- Business services
- Provision of the online offer and web hosting
- Contact and enquiry management
- Chatbots and chat functions
- Newsletter and electronic notifications
- Promotional communication via Whatsapp
- Web analysis, monitoring and optimisation
- Presence in social networks (social media)
- Plugins and embedded functions and content
- Rights of the data subjects
Responsible
Erdfarben Enterprise
PO BR216 Aburi
Aburi, Eastern Region
Ghana
Email: [email protected]
Imprint: https://properties-in-ghana.com/legal-notice-disclaimer/
Overview of the processing operations
The following overview summarises the types of data processed and the purposes of their processing and refers to the data subjects.
Types of data processed
- Inventory data.
- Payment data.
- Contact data.
- Content data.
- Contract data.
- Usage data.
- Meta/communication data.
Categories of data subjects
- Interested parties.
- Communication partners.
- Business and contractual partners.
Purposes of processing
- Provision of contractual services and customer service.
- Contact requests and communication.
- Security measures.
- Direct marketing.
- Reach measurement.
- Office and organisational procedures.
- Managing and responding to enquiries.
- Profiles with user-related information.
- Provision of our online services and user experience.
Security measures
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the implementation costs and the nature, scope, circumstances and purposes of the processing as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the extent of the threat to the rights and freedoms of natural persons.
The measures include, in particular, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access to, input of, disclosure of, assurance of availability of and segregation of the data. We also have procedures in place to ensure the exercise of data subjects’ rights, the deletion of data and responses to data compromise. Furthermore, we already take the protection of personal data into account in the development or selection of hardware, software as well as procedures in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.
Shortening of the IP address: If IP addresses are processed by us or by the service providers and technologies used and the processing of a complete IP address is not necessary, the IP address is shortened (also referred to as “IP masking”). In this process, the last two digits or the last part of the IP address after a full stop are removed or replaced by wildcards. The shortening of the IP address is intended to prevent or make it considerably more difficult to identify a person by their IP address.
SSL encryption (https): In order to protect your data transmitted via our online offer, we use SSL encryption. You can recognise such encrypted connections by the prefix https:// in the address line of your browser.
Transmission of personal data
In the course of our processing of personal data, the data may be transferred to or disclosed to other bodies, companies, legally independent organisational units or persons. The recipients of this data may include, for example, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are integrated into a website. In such cases, we observe the legal requirements and, in particular, conclude corresponding contracts or agreements that serve to protect your data with the recipients of your data.
Use of cookies
Cookies are small text files or other memory notes that store information on end devices and read information from the end devices. For example, to save the login status in a user account, the contents of a shopping basket in an e-shop, the contents called up or the functions used in an online offer. Cookies can also be used for various purposes, e.g. to ensure the functionality, security and convenience of online offers and to create analyses of visitor flows.
Notes on legal bases under data protection law: The legal basis under data protection law on which we process users’ personal data with the aid of cookies depends on whether we ask users for consent. If users consent, the legal basis for processing their data is their declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed using cookies is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the business operation of our online offer and improvement of its usability) or, if this is done in the context of the performance of our contractual obligations, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations. The purposes for which the cookies are processed by us are explained in the course of this privacy policy or as part of our consent and processing procedures.
Storage duration: With regard to the storage duration, the following types of cookies are distinguished:
- Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed his end device (e.g. browser or mobile application).
- Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the end device is closed. For example, the login status can be saved or preferred content can be displayed directly when the user visits a website again. Likewise, user data collected with the help of cookies can be used to measure reach. Unless we provide users with explicit information about the type and storage duration of cookies (e.g. when obtaining consent), users should assume that cookies are permanent and that they can be stored for up to two years.
Business services
We process data of our contractual and business partners, e.g. customers and interested parties (collectively referred to as “contractual partners”) in the context of contractual and comparable legal relationships as well as related measures and in the context of communication with contractual partners (or pre-contractual), e.g. to answer enquiries.
We process this data in order to fulfil our contractual obligations. These include, in particular, the obligations to provide the agreed services, any update obligations and remedies in the event of warranty and other service disruptions. Furthermore, we process the data to safeguard our rights and for the purpose of the administrative tasks associated with these obligations as well as the company organisation. Furthermore, we process the data on the basis of our legitimate interests in proper and business management as well as security measures to protect our contractual partners and our business operations from misuse, endangerment of their data, secrets, information and rights (e.g. for the involvement of telecommunications, transport and other auxiliary services as well as subcontractors, banks, tax and legal advisors, payment service providers or tax authorities). Within the framework of applicable law, we only disclose the data of contractual partners to third parties to the extent that this is necessary for the aforementioned purposes or to fulfil legal obligations. Contractual partners will be informed about other forms of processing, e.g. for marketing purposes, within the framework of this data protection declaration.
We inform the contractual partners which data is required for the aforementioned purposes before or in the course of data collection, e.g. in online forms, by means of special labelling (e.g. colours) or symbols (e.g. asterisks or similar), or in person.
We delete the data after the expiry of legal warranty and comparable obligations, i.e. generally after 4 years, unless the data is stored in a customer account, e.g. as long as it must be kept for legal archiving reasons (e.g. for tax purposes generally 10 years). We delete data disclosed to us by the contractual partner within the scope of an order in accordance with the specifications of the order, in principle after the end of the order.
Insofar as we use third-party providers or platforms to provide our services, the terms and conditions and data protection notices of the respective third-party providers or platforms shall apply in the relationship between the users and the providers.
Customer Account
Contractual partners can create an account within our online offer (e.g. customer or user account, “customer account” for short). If registration of a customer account is required, contractual partners will be informed of this as well as of the information required for registration. The customer accounts are not public and cannot be indexed by search engines. Within the scope of registration and subsequent logins and uses of the customer account, we store the IP addresses of the customers together with the access times in order to be able to prove the registration and to prevent any misuse of the customer account.
If customers have terminated their customer account, the data relating to the customer account will be deleted, unless their retention is required for legal reasons. It is the responsibility of the customer to back up their data upon termination of the customer account.
Provision of the online offer and web hosting
In order to provide our online offer securely and efficiently, we use the services of one or more web hosting providers from whose servers (or servers managed by them) the online offer can be accessed. For these purposes, we may use infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services as well as security services and technical maintenance services.
The data processed in the course of providing the hosting service may include all information relating to the users of our online service that is generated in the course of use and communication. This regularly includes the IP address, which is necessary to be able to deliver the contents of online offers to browsers, and all entries made within our online offer or from websites.
- Types of data processed: Content data (e.g. entries in online forms); Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
- Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
- Purposes of processing: Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.
- Legal basis: Legitimate interests
Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:
- E-mail dispatch and hosting: The web hosting services we use also include the dispatch, receipt and storage of e-mails. For these purposes, the addresses of the recipients and senders as well as further information regarding the e-mail dispatch (e.g. the providers involved) and the contents of the respective e-mails are processed. The aforementioned data may also be processed for the purpose of recognising SPAM. Please note that e-mails on the Internet are generally not sent in encrypted form. As a rule, e-mails are encrypted in transit, but (unless a so-called end-to-end encryption procedure is used) not on the servers from which they are sent and received. We can therefore not assume any responsibility for the transmission path of the e-mails between the sender and the reception on our server.
- Collection of access data and log files: We ourselves (or our web hosting provider) collect data on every access to the server (so-called server log files). The server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, the date and time of access, the volume of data transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user’s operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider. The server log files may be used on the one hand for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the servers (especially in the event of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and on the other hand to ensure the utilisation of the servers and their stability; deletion of data: Log file information is stored for a maximum of 30 days and then deleted or anonymised. Data whose further storage is necessary for evidentiary purposes is exempt from deletion until the final clarification of the respective incident.
Contact and enquiry management
When contacting us (e.g. via contact form, Whatsapp, email, telephone or via social media) as well as in the context of existing user and business relationships, the information of the inquiring persons is processed insofar as this is necessary to answer the contact enquiries and any requested measures.
The answering of contact requests as well as the administration of contact and request data in the context of contractual or pre-contractual relationships is carried out to fulfil our contractual obligations or to answer (pre-)contractual requests and otherwise on the basis of the legitimate interests in answering the requests and maintaining user or business relationships.
- Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
- Data subjects: Communication partners.
- Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; provision of contractual services and customer service.
Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:
- Contact form: If users contact us via our contact form, e-mail or other communication channels, we process the data communicated to us in this context for the purpose of processing the communicated request. For this purpose, we process personal data in the context of pre-contractual and contractual business relationships, insofar as this is necessary for their fulfilment, and otherwise on the basis of our legitimate interests as well as the interests of the communication partners in responding to the concerns and our statutory retention obligations.
Chatbots und Chat functions
We offer online chats and chatbot functions (collectively referred to as “chat services”) as a communication option. A chat is an online conversation conducted with some degree of timeliness. A chatbot is software that answers users’ questions or notifies them of messages. When you use our chat features, we may process your personal data.
If you use our chat services within an online platform, your identification number will also be stored within the relevant platform. We may also collect information about which users interact with our chat services and when. Furthermore, we store the content of your conversations via the chat services and log registration and consent processes in order to be able to prove these in accordance with legal requirements.
We draw users’ attention to the fact that the respective platform provider can find out that and when users communicate with our chat services as well as collect technical information on the device used by the users and, depending on the settings of their device, also location information (so-called metadata) for the purpose of optimising the respective services and for security purposes. Likewise, the metadata of the communication via chat services (i.e. e.g. information on who communicated with whom) may be used by the respective platform providers in accordance with their provisions, to which we refer for further information, for marketing purposes or to display advertising tailored to users.
If users agree with a chatbot to activate information with regular messages, they have the option to unsubscribe from the information at any time in the future. The chatbot informs users how and with which terms they can unsubscribe from the messages. When users unsubscribe from chatbot messages, their data is deleted from the list of message recipients.
We use the aforementioned information to operate our chat services, e.g. to address users personally, to answer their queries, to transmit any requested content and also to improve our chat services (e.g. to “teach” chatbots answers to frequently asked questions or to identify unanswered queries).
Notes on legal basis: We use chat services on the basis of consent where we have obtained prior permission from users to process their data as part of our chat services (this applies to cases where users are asked for consent, e.g. for a chatbot to send them messages on a regular basis). If we use chat services to answer users’ enquiries about our services or our company, this is done for contractual and pre-contractual communication. Otherwise, we use chat services on the basis of our legitimate interests in optimising the chat services, their operational efficiency and increasing the positive user experience.
Revocation, objection and deletion: You can revoke a given consent or object to the processing of your data within the scope of our chat services at any time.
- Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
- Data subjects: Communication partners.
- Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; direct marketing (e.g. by email or post).
Newsletter und electronic notifications
We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic notifications (hereinafter “newsletter”) only with the consent of the recipients or a legal permission. Insofar as the contents of the newsletter are specifically described in the course of registration, they are decisive for the consent of the users. Apart from that, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.
In order to subscribe to our newsletters, it is generally sufficient to provide your e-mail address. However, we may ask you to provide a name, for the purpose of personal address in the newsletter, or further details, if these are necessary for the purposes of the newsletter.
Double opt-in procedure: The registration for our newsletter is always carried out in a so-called double opt-in procedure. This means that after registration you will receive an e-mail in which you are asked to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that no one can register with other people’s e-mail addresses. The registrations for the newsletter are logged in order to be able to prove the registration process in accordance with the legal requirements. This includes the storage of the registration and confirmation time as well as the IP address. Changes to your data stored with the dispatch service provider are also logged.
Deletion and restriction of processing: We may store unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before deleting them in order to be able to prove consent previously given. The processing of this data will be limited to the purpose of a possible defence against claims. An individual request for deletion is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time. In the case of obligations to permanently observe objections, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address in a block list (so-called “block list”) for this purpose alone.
The logging of the registration process takes place on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of proving its proper course. If we commission a service provider to send e-mails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in an efficient and secure sending system.
Notes on legal basis: The newsletter is sent on the basis of the recipients’ consent or, if consent is not required, on the basis of our legitimate interests in direct marketing, if and to the extent that this is permitted by law, e.g. in the case of advertising to existing customers. Insofar as we commission a service provider to send e-mails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in efficient and secure dispatch. The registration process is recorded on the basis of our legitimate interests to prove that it was carried out in accordance with the law.
Promotional communication via Whatsapp
We process personal data for the purposes of promotional communication, which may take place via WhatsApp.
Recipients have the right to revoke consent given at any time or to object to the promotional communication at any time.
After revocation or objection, we may store the data required to prove consent for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before deleting it. The processing of this data is limited to the purpose of a possible defence against claims. An individual deletion request is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of consent is confirmed at the same time.
- Types of data processed: inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers).
- Data subjects: Communication partners.
- Purposes of processing: Direct marketing (e.g. by e-mail or post).
- Legal basis: Consent, legitimate interests.
Web analysis, monitoring und optimisation
Web analytics (also referred to as “reach measurement”) is used to evaluate the flow of visitors to our online offering and may include behaviour, interests or demographic information about visitors, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of the reach analysis, we can, for example, recognise at what time our online offer or its functions or content are most frequently used or invite re-use. Likewise, we can understand which areas need optimisation.
In addition to web analysis, we may also use test procedures, e.g. to test and optimise different versions of our online offer or its components.
Unless otherwise stated below, profiles, i.e. data summarised for a usage process, may be created for these purposes and information may be stored in a browser or in a terminal device and read from it. The information collected includes, in particular, websites visited and elements used there as well as technical information such as the browser used, the computer system used and information on usage times. If users have agreed to the collection of their location data from us or from the providers of the services we use, location data may also be processed.
The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use an IP masking procedure (i.e. pseudonymisation by shortening the IP address) to protect users. In general, no clear user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) is stored in the context of web analysis, A/B testing and optimisation, but pseudonyms. This means that we as well as the providers of the software used do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purpose of the respective procedures.
Notes on legal basis: If we ask users for their consent to use the third-party providers, the legal basis for processing data is consent. Otherwise, users’ data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economic and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.
- Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. web pages visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
- Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
- Purposes of processing: reach measurement (e.g. access statistics, recognition of returning visitors); profiles with user-related information (creation of user profiles).
- Security measures: IP masking (pseudonymisation of the IP address).
Presence in social networks (Social Media)
We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with users active there or to offer information about us.
We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This may result in risks for the users because, for example, it could make it more difficult to enforce the rights of the users.
Furthermore, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, usage profiles can be created based on the usage behaviour and resulting interests of the users. The usage profiles can in turn be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks that presumably correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the users’ computers, in which the usage behaviour and the interests of the users are stored. Furthermore, data independent of the devices used by the users may also be stored in the usage profiles (especially if the users are members of the respective platforms and are logged in to them).
For a detailed presentation of the respective forms of processing and the options to object (opt-out), we refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.
In the case of requests for information and the assertion of data subject rights, we would also like to point out that these can be asserted most effectively with the providers. Only the providers have access to the users’ data and can take appropriate measures and provide information directly. If you still need help, you can contact us.
- Types of data processed: contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms); usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
- Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
- Purposes of processing: contact requests and communication; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form); marketing.
- – Legal basis: Legitimate interests
Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:
- Instagram: Social network; Service provider: Instagram Inc, 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA; Website: https://www.instagram.com; Privacy policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy.
- Facebook pages: Profiles within the social network Facebook – We are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited for the collection (but not the further processing) of data from visitors to our Facebook page (so-called “fan page”). This data includes information about the types of content users view or interact with, or the actions they take (see under “Things You and Others Do and Provide” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy), as well as information about the devices users use (e.g. IP addresses, operating system, browser type, language settings, cookie data; see under “Device Information” in the Facebook Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/policy). As explained in the Facebook Data Policy under “How do we use this information?”, Facebook also collects and uses information to provide analytics services, called “Page Insights”, to Page operators to provide them with insights into how people interact with their Pages and with the content associated with them. We have entered into a special agreement with Facebook (“Page Insights Information”, https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum), which in particular regulates which security measures Facebook must observe and in which Facebook has agreed to fulfil the data subject rights (i.e. users can, for example, send information or deletion requests directly to Facebook). The rights of users (in particular to information, deletion, objection and complaint to the competent supervisory authority) are not restricted by the agreements with Facebook. Further information can be found in the “Information on Page Insights” (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data); service provider: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland; Website: https://www.facebook.com; Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy; Further information: Shared Responsibility Agreement: https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/information_about_page_insights_data.
- YouTube: Social network and video platform; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; Parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
Plugins and embedded functions and content
We integrate functional and content elements into our online offer that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as “third-party providers”). These can be, for example, graphics, videos or city maps (hereinafter uniformly referred to as “content”).
The integration always requires that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, as without the IP address they would not be able to send the content to their browser. The IP address is thus required for the presentation of these contents or functions. We endeavour to only use content whose respective providers only use the IP address to deliver the content. Third-party providers may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as “web beacons”) for statistical or marketing purposes. The “pixel tags” can be used to analyse information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user’s device and may contain, among other things, technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, time of visit and other information about the use of our online offering, as well as being linked to such information from other sources.
Notes on legal basis: If we ask users for their consent to the use of third-party providers, the legal basis for the processing of data is consent. Otherwise, users’ data is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economic and recipient-friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.
- Types of data processed: Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times); meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses); inventory data (e.g. names, addresses); contact data (e.g. e-mail, telephone numbers); content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
- Data subjects: Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services).
- Purposes of processing: provision of our online offer and user-friendliness; provision of contractual services and customer service; feedback (e.g. collecting feedback via online form).
- Legal basis: Consent; Contractual performance and pre-contractual enquiries , Legitimate interests.
Further guidance on processing operations, procedures and services:
- Google Maps: We integrate the maps of the “Google Maps” service of the provider Google. The data processed may include, in particular, IP addresses and location data of the users, which, however, are not collected without their consent (usually executed within the framework of the settings of their mobile devices); service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; website: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform; privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; opt-out: opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, settings for the display of advertisements: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
- Shariff: We use the privacy-safe “Shariff” buttons. “Shariff” was developed to enable more privacy on the net and to replace the usual “share” buttons of social networks. In this process, it is not the user’s browser but the server on which this online offer is located that establishes a connection with the server of the respective social media platforms and queries, for example, the number of likes. The user remains anonymous. More information on the Shariff project can be found at the developers of the magazine c’t: https://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Shariff-Social-Media-Buttons-mit-Datenschutz-2467514.html; Service provider: Heise Medien GmbH & Co. KG, Karl-Wiechert-Allee 10, 30625 Hannover, Germany; website: https://www.heise.de/ct/artikel/Shariff-Social-Media-Buttons-mit-Datenschutz-2467514.html; privacy policy: https://www.heise.de/Datenschutzerklaerung-der-Heise-Medien-GmbH-Co-KG-4860.html.
- YouTube videos: Video content; Service provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland; parent company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA; Website: https://www.youtube.com; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Opt-out: Opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, Ad display settings: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.