Queermed Logo

Data protection

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” for short) 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 in the context 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 the “Online Offer”).

The terms used are not gender-specific.

As of 2 May 2022

Table of contents

  • Introduction
  • Responsible
  • Overview of the processing
  • Relevant legal bases
  • Security measures
  • Data processing in third countries
  • Use of cookies
  • Provision of the online offer and web hosting
  • Presence in social networks (social media)
  • Data deletion
  • Amendment and update of the privacy policy
  • Rights of the data subjects
  • Definitions of terms

Responsible

Sara Grzybek
Karlstr. 17
50679 Köln

Mail: info@queermed-deutschland.de

Overview of the processing

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

  • Content data (e.g. entries in online forms).
  • Meta/communication data (e.g. device information, IP addresses).
  • Usage data (e.g. websites visited, interest in content, access times).
  • Contact details of recommended doctors and therapists.
  • Data of users when contacting us by e-mail, telephone or post.

Categories of persons concerned

  • Users (e.g. website visitors, users of online services)
  • Recommended doctors and therapists

Purposes of the processing

  • Provision of our online offer and user-friendliness.

Relevant legal bases

Below you will find an overview of the legal basis of the GDPR on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that in addition to the provisions of the GDPR, national data protection regulations may apply in your or our country of residence or domicile. Should more specific legal bases be relevant in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.

  • Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. GDPR) – The data subject has given their consent to the processing of personal data relating to them for a specific purpose or purposes.
  • Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1) p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO) – Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests of the controller or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require the protection of personal data.

The legitimate interest of the data controller in processing the personal data of users is to provide them with the requested information about LGBTQIA+-friendly doctors and therapists. In addition, the functionality of the website can be ensured through this data processing.

In the case of personal contact by a user, the data is processed in order to process the respective request and to subsequently get back to the user about this request.

The legitimate interest in the processing of personal data of users in the course of the use of cookies and the provision of the online offer and web hosting is specified in more detail below.

The legitimate interest of the data controller in processing the personal data of recommended doctors and therapists is to inform the LGBTQIA+ community about appropriate medical and therapeutic services. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as third parties, have a legitimate interest in receiving this helpful information.

National data protection regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation, national regulations on data protection apply in Germany. These include, in particular, the Act on Protection against Misuse of Personal Data in Data Processing (Federal Data Protection Act – BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special regulations on the right to information, the right to erasure, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, the processing for other purposes and the transmission and automated decision-making in individual cases, including profiling. Furthermore, it regulates data processing for purposes of the employment relationship (Section 26 BDSG), in particular with regard to the establishment, implementation or termination of employment relationships as well as the consent of employees. Furthermore, data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.

Security measures

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of protection appropriate to the risk, in accordance with the law and taking into account the state of the art, the cost of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing, as well as the different probabilities of occurrence and the level of risk 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 and procedures in accordance with the principle of data protection, through technology design and through data protection-friendly default settings.

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.

Processing of data in third countries

Where we process data in a third country (i.e., outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or the processing takes place in the context of the use of third-party services or the disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or undertakings, this is done only in accordance with the law.
Subject to express consent or contractually or legally required transfer, we only process or allow data to be processed in third countries with a recognised level of data protection, contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission, in the presence of certifications or binding internal data protection regulations (Art. 44 to 49 DSGVO, information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_de ).

Use of cookies

Cookies are text files that contain data from visited websites or domains and are stored by a browser on the user’s computer. A cookie is primarily used to store information about a user during or after their visit within an online offering. Stored information may include, for example, language settings on a website, login status, a shopping cart or where a video was watched. The term cookies also includes other technologies that perform the same functions as cookies (e.g. when user details are stored using pseudonymous online identifiers, also known as “user IDs”).

  • Temporary cookies (also: session cookies): Temporary cookies are deleted at the latest after a user has left an online offer and closed his browser.
  • Permanent cookies: Permanent cookies remain stored even after the browser 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, the interests of users used for range measurement or marketing purposes can be stored in such a cookie.
  • First-party cookies: First-party cookies are set by ourselves.
  • Third-party cookies (also: third-party cookies): Third-party cookies are mainly used by advertisers (so-called third parties) to process user information.
  • Necessary (also: essential or absolutely necessary) cookies: Cookies may, on the one hand, be absolutely necessary for the operation of a website (e.g. to store logins or other user input or for security reasons).
  • Statistical, marketing and personalisation cookies: Furthermore, cookies are usually also used in the context of range measurement and when a user’s interests or behaviour (e.g. viewing certain content, using functions, etc.) on individual websites are stored in a user profile. Such profiles are used, for example, to show users content that matches their potential interests. This procedure is also referred to as “tracking”, i.e. tracking the potential interests of users. Insofar as we use cookies or “tracking” technologies, we will inform you separately in our data protection declaration or in the context of obtaining consent.

Notes on legal bases: The legal basis on which we process your personal data using cookies depends on whether we ask you for consent. If this is the case and you consent to the use of cookies, the legal basis for processing your data is your declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies is processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in the business operation of our online offer and its improvement) or, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations.

Storage period: If we do not provide you with explicit information on the storage period of permanent cookies (e.g. in the context of a so-called cookie opt-in), please assume that the storage period can be up to two years.

General information on revocation and objection (opt-out): Depending on whether the processing is based on consent or legal permission, you have the option at any time to revoke any consent you have given or to object to the processing of your data by cookie technologies (collectively referred to as “opt-out”). Sie können Ihren Widerspruch zunächst mittels der Einstellungen Ihres Browsers erklären, z.B., indem Sie die Nutzung von Cookies deaktivieren (wobei hierdurch auch die Funktionsfähigkeit unseres Onlineangebotes eingeschränkt werden kann). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can also be declared by means of a variety of services, especially in the case of tracking, via the https://optout.aboutads.info and https://www.youronlinechoices.com/ websites. In addition, you can obtain further instructions on how to object in the context of the information on the service providers and cookies used.

Processing of cookie data based on consent: We use a cookie consent management procedure under which users’ consents to the use of cookies, or to the processing and providers mentioned in the cookie consent management procedure, can be obtained and managed and revoked by users. The declaration of consent is stored in order not to have to repeat the request and to be able to prove the consent in accordance with the legal obligation. The storage can take place on the server side and/or in a cookie (so-called opt-in cookie or with the help of comparable technologies) in order to be able to assign the consent to a user or their device. Subject to individual information on the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of consent can be up to two years. Here, a pseudonymous user identifier is created and stored with the time of consent, information on the scope of consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) as well as the browser, system and end device used.

  • 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).
  • Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a. DSGVO), Legitimate Interests (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

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 in order to be able to deliver the contents of online offers to browsers, and all entries made within our online offer or by 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 (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Services used and service providers:

  • webgo: Services in the field of provision of information technology infrastructure and related services (e.g. storage space and/or computing capacities); Service provider: webgo GmbH, Wandsbeker Zollstr. 95, 22041 Hamburg, Germany; Website: https://www.webgo.de/; Privacy policy: https://www.webgo.de/datenschutz/.
  • Google Analytics: web analytics, reach measurement and measurement of user flows; 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://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/; Privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy; Order processing agreement: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Standard contractual clauses (guaranteeing the level of data protection for processing in third countries): https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms; Opt-out: Opt-out plugin: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de, Settings for the display of advertising: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated; Further information: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices (types of processing and data processed).

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, the data of users within social networks are usually processed 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 possibilities to object (opt-out), we refer to the data protection declarations and information provided by the operators of the respective networks.

Also in the case of requests for information and the assertion of data subject rights, we 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.

  • Data types: 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 (Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f. DSGVO).

Services used and service providers:

  • Instagram: Social network; service provider: Instagram Inc, 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA, parent company: Facebook, 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA; website: https://www.instagram.com; privacy policy: https://instagram.com/about/legal/privacy.
  • Twitter: Social network; service provider:  Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA.; website: https://twitter.com/home; privacy policy: https://twitter.com/en/privacy.

Data deletion

The data processed by us will be deleted in accordance with the legal requirements as soon as their consents permitted for processing are revoked or other permissions cease to apply (e.g. if the purpose of processing these data has ceased to apply or they are not required for the purpose).

If the data are not deleted because they are required for other and legally permissible purposes, their processing will be limited to these purposes. That is, the data are blocked and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be retained for reasons of commercial or tax law or whose storage is necessary for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural person or legal entity.

Our privacy notices may also include further information on the retention and erasure of data that takes precedence for the processing operations in question.

Amendment and update of the privacy policy

We ask you to regularly check the content of our privacy policy. We adapt the data protection declaration as soon as the changes in the data processing carried out by us make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require an act of cooperation on your part (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.

Where we provide addresses and contact information for companies and organisations in this Privacy Policy, please note that addresses may change over time and please check the information before contacting us.

Rights of the data subjects

As a data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Art. 15 to 21 GDPR:

  • Right to object: You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning you which is carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) or (f) DSGVO; this also applies to profiling based on these provisions. If the personal data concerning you is processed for the purpose of direct marketing, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you for the purpose of such marketing; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct marketing.
  • Right of withdrawal of consent: You have the right to revoke any consent you have given at any time.
  • Right of access: You have the right to obtain confirmation as to whether data relating to you is being processed and to obtain information about this data and further information and a copy of the data in accordance with the law.
  • Right to rectification: You have the right, in accordance with the law, to request that data concerning you be completed or that inaccurate data concerning you be rectified.
  • Right to erasure and restriction of processing: You have the right, in accordance with the law, to request that data concerning you be erased without delay or, alternatively, to request restriction of the processing of the data in accordance with the law.
  • Right to data portability: You have the right to receive data relating to you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, common and machine-readable format in accordance with the legal requirements, or to demand that it be transferred to another controller.
  • Complaint to the supervisory authority: Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or place of the alleged infringement, if you consider that the processing of personal data concerning you infringes the requirements of the GDPR.

Definitions of terms

This section provides you with an overview of the terms used in this privacy statement. Many of the terms are taken from the law and defined above all in Art. 4 GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are primarily intended to aid understanding. The terms are sorted alphabetically.

  • Personal data: “Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter “data subject”); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier (e.g. cookie) or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
  • Controller: “Controller” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
  • Processing: “Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed upon personal data, whether or not by automatic means. The term is broad and encompasses virtually any handling of data, be it collection, analysis, storage, transmission or erasure.