Data privacy

The Ruess Group GmbH's data protection declaration is based on the terms used by the European legislator for directives and regulations when the basic data protection regulation (DS-GVO) was issued. Our privacy policy should be easy to read and understand for the public as well as for our customers and business partners. To ensure this, we would like to explain the terms used in advance.

We use the following terms, among others, in this privacy policy:

a) Personal data
Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (hereinafter referred to as 'data subject'). An identifiable person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, a location data, an online identifier, or one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

b) The person concerned
Data subject means any identified or identifiable natural person whose personal data are processed by the controller.

c) Processing
Processing is any operation or set of operations, performed upon personal data, whether or not by automatic means, such as collection, recording, organisation, organisation, filing, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

d) Restriction on processing
Restriction of processing is the marking of stored personal data with the aim of limiting their future processing.

e) Profiling
Profiling ist jede Art der automatisierten Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten, die darin besteht, dass diese personenbezogenen Daten verwendet werden, um bestimmte persönliche Aspekte, die sich auf eine natürliche Person beziehen, zu bewerten, insbesondere, um Aspekte bezüglich Arbeitsleistung, wirtschaftlicher Lage, Gesundheit, persönlicher Vorlieben, Interessen, Zuverlässigkeit, Verhalten, Aufenthaltsort oder Ortswechsel dieser natürlichen Person zu analysieren oder vorherzusagen.

f) Pseudonymisation
Pseudonymisation is the processing of personal data in such a way that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without additional information, provided that this additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures which ensure that the personal data is not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person.

(g) Controller or data controller
Controller or data controller shall mean the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data. Where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union law or by the law of the Member States, provision may be made for the controller or for the specific criteria for his or her designation in accordance with Union law or the law of the Member States.

(h) processors
Processor is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller.

(i) Recipient
The recipient is a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body to whom personal data are disclosed, whether or not it is a third party. However, authorities which may receive personal data in the context of a specific investigation mandate under Union or national law shall not be considered as recipients.

j) Third party
Third party means any natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body other than the data subject, the controller, the processor and the persons who, under the direct authority of the controller or the processor, are authorized to process the personal data.

(k) Consent
Consent shall mean any freely given specific and informed expression of the data subject's will in an informed and unequivocal manner, in the form of a declaration or other unequivocal affirmative act by which the data subject signifies his or her consent to the processing of personal data relating to him or her.

The person responsible within the meaning of the basic data protection regulation, other data protection laws applicable in the member states of the European Union and other provisions of a data protection nature is the:

Ruess Group GmbH
Lindenspürstraße 22
70176 StuttgartGermany

Phone: +49 (0) 711 / 16 44 6-0
Mail: info@ruess-group.com
Website: www.ruess-group.com

The Ruess Group GmbH website uses cookies. Cookies are text files which are filed and stored on a computer system via an Internet browser.

Many websites and servers use cookies. Many cookies contain a so-called cookie ID. A cookie ID is a unique identifier for the cookie. It consists of a string of characters by which Internet pages and servers can be assigned to the specific Internet browser in which the cookie was stored. This enables the Internet pages and servers visited to distinguish the individual browser of the person concerned from other Internet browsers that contain other cookies. A particular Internet browser can be recognized and identified by the unique cookie ID.

The use of cookies enables Ruess Group GmbH to provide users of this website with more user-friendly services that would not be possible without the setting of cookies.

By means of a cookie, the information and offers on our website can be optimised in the interest of the user. Cookies enable us, as already mentioned, to recognise the users of our website. The purpose of this recognition is to make it easier for users to use our website. For example, the user of a website that uses cookies does not have to re-enter his or her access data each time he or she visits the website, as this is done by the website and the cookie stored on the user's computer system. Another example is the cookie of a shopping cart in the online shop. The online shop remembers the articles that a customer has placed in the virtual shopping cart via a cookie.

The person concerned can prevent the setting of cookies by our website at any time by means of a corresponding setting in the Internet browser used and thus permanently object to the setting of cookies. Furthermore, cookies that have already been set can be deleted at any time via an Internet browser or other software programs. This is possible in all common Internet browsers. If the person concerned deactivates the setting of cookies in the Internet browser used, it is possible that not all functions of our website can be used to their full extent.

The Ruess Group GmbH website collects a number of general data and information every time a person or automated system accesses the website. This general data and information is stored in the log files of the server.

The (1) browser types and versions used, (2) the operating system used by the accessing system, (3) the website from which an accessing system accesses our website (so-called referrer), (4) the sub-websites that are accessed via an accessing system on our website, (5) the date and time of an access to the Internet site, (6) an Internet Protocol address (IP address), (7) the Internet service provider of the accessing system and (8) other similar data and information which serve to prevent danger in the event of attacks on our information technology systems.

When using this general data and information, Ruess Group GmbH does not draw any conclusions about the person concerned. This information is rather required to (1) deliver the contents of our website correctly, (2) optimize the contents of our website as well as the advertising for it, (3) ensure the permanent functionality of our information technology systems and the technology of our website as well as (4) to provide law enforcement agencies with the information necessary for prosecution in case of a cyber attack. These anonymously collected data and information are therefore evaluated by the Ruess Group GmbH on the one hand statistically and also with the aim of increasing data protection and data security in our company, in order to ultimately ensure an optimal level of protection for the personal data processed by us. The anonymous data of the server log files are stored separately from all personal data provided by a person concerned.

On the Ruess Group GmbH website, users are given the opportunity to subscribe to our company's newsletter. Which personal data is transmitted to the data controller when ordering the newsletter can be seen from the input mask used for this purpose.

The Ruess Group GmbH informs its customers and business partners at regular intervals by means of a newsletter about company offers. The newsletter of our company can only be received by the person concerned if (1) the person concerned has a valid e-mail address and (2) the person concerned registers to receive the newsletter. For legal reasons, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address first entered by a person concerned for the newsletter dispatch using the double opt-in procedure. This confirmation e-mail is used to check whether the owner of the e-mail address, as the person concerned, has authorised the receipt of the newsletter.

When registering for the newsletter, we also save the IP address assigned by the Internet service provider (ISP) of the computer system used by the person concerned at the time of registration, as well as the date and time of registration. The collection of this data is necessary in order to be able to trace the (possible) misuse of the e-mail address of a data subject at a later date and therefore serves to provide legal protection for the data controller.

The personal data collected during registration for the newsletter will be used exclusively for sending our newsletter. Furthermore, subscribers to the newsletter could be informed by e-mail if this is necessary for the operation of the newsletter service or for registration, as could be the case if there are changes to the newsletter offer or if technical conditions change. Personal data collected within the scope of the newsletter service will not be passed on to third parties. The subscription to our newsletter can be cancelled by the person concerned at any time. The consent to the storage of personal data, which the person concerned has given us for the newsletter dispatch, can be revoked at any time. For the purpose of revoking this consent, a corresponding link is included in every newsletter. It is also possible at any time to unsubscribe from the newsletter mailing directly on the website of the controller or to inform the controller in any other way.

The controller shall process and store personal data relating to the data subject only for the time necessary to achieve the purpose of storage or where provided for by the European Directive and Regulation or by any other law or regulation to which the controller is subject.

If the purpose of storage ceases to apply or if a storage period prescribed by the European Directive and Regulation Giver or any other competent legislator expires, the personal data will be blocked or deleted as a matter of routine and in accordance with the statutory provisions.

Rights of the data subject

(a) Right to confirmation
Every data subject has the right, granted by the European Directives and Regulations, to obtain confirmation from the controller as to whether personal data relating to him are being processed. If a data subject wishes to exercise this right of confirmation, he or she may at any time contact an employee of the controller.

(b) Right to information
Any person affected by the processing of personal data has the right, granted by the European Directives and Regulations, to obtain at any time and free of charge from the controller information on the personal data stored in relation to him or her and a copy thereof. In addition, the European Directives and Regulations have granted the data subject access to the following information:

- the purposes of the processing - the categories of personal data processed - the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed, in particular, in the case of recipients in third countries or international organisations, where possible, the envisaged duration for which the personal data will be kept, or, if this is not possible, the criteria for determining this duration - the existence of a right of rectification or erasure of the personal data relating to him or her or of a right of the controller to restrict processing or object to such processing - the existence of a right of appeal to a supervisory authority - where the personal data are 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(1) and (4) of the DPA and, at least in these cases, meaningful information on the logic involved and the scope and intended impact of such processing on the data subject

The data subject shall also have the right to obtain information as to whether personal data have been transferred to a third country or to an international organisation. Where this is the case, the data subject shall also have the right to obtain information on the appropriate guarantees in connection with the transfer.

If a data subject wishes to exercise this right of access, he or she may at any time contact an employee of the controller.

(c) Right of rectification
Every person concerned by the processing of personal data has the right, granted by the European legislator, to request the rectification without delay of inaccurate personal data concerning him. The data subject shall also have the right to obtain the completion of incomplete personal data, including by means of a supplementary declaration, having regard to the purposes of the processing.

If a data subject wishes to exercise this right of rectification, he or she may at any time contact a member of staff of the controller.

(d) Right of cancellation (right to be forgotten)
Any person affected by the processing of personal data has the right, granted by the European Directives and Regulations, to obtain from the controller the immediate erasure of personal data relating to him/her, where one of the following reasons applies and provided that the processing is not necessary:

The personal data has been collected or otherwise processed for purposes for which it is no longer necessary.

The data subject withdraws the consent on which the processing was based pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) of the DPA or Article 9(2)(a) of the DPA and there is no other legal basis for the processing.

The data subject lodges an objection to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) of the Block Exemption Regulation and there are no overriding legitimate reasons for processing, or the data subject lodges an objection to the processing pursuant to Article 21(2) of the Block Exemption Regulation.

The personal data were processed unlawfully.

The deletion of personal data is necessary to comply with a legal obligation under Union law or the law of the Member States to which the controller is subject.

The personal data were collected in relation to information society services offered in accordance with Article 8 (1) of the DS-GVO.

If one of the above reasons applies and a data subject wishes to have personal data stored by Ruess Group GmbH deleted, he/she may contact an employee of the data controller at any time. The employee of Ruess Group GmbH will ensure that the request for deletion is complied with immediately.

If the personal data has been made public by Ruess Group GmbH and our company as the responsible person is obliged to delete the personal data according to article 17 paragraph 1 DS-GVO, Ruess Group GmbH will take reasonable measures, also of a technical nature, taking into account the available technology and the implementation costs, to inform other persons responsible for data processing who process the published personal data that the person concerned has requested from these other persons responsible for data processing the deletion of all links to these personal data or of copies or replications of these personal data, unless the processing is necessary. The employee of the Ruess Group GmbH will take the necessary steps in individual cases.

(e) Right to limit processing
Any person affected by the processing of personal data has the right, granted by the European Directives and Regulations, to request the controller to restrict the processing if one of the following conditions is met:

The accuracy of the personal data is contested by the data subject, for a period of time that allows the controller to verify the accuracy of the personal data.

The processing is unlawful, the data subject refuses to have the personal data deleted and instead requests that the use of the personal data be restricted.

The controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but the data subject needs them in order to exercise or defend his rights.

The data subject has lodged an objection to the processing pursuant to Art. 21 (1) DPA and it is not yet clear whether the legitimate reasons of the controller outweigh those of the data subject.

If one of the above-mentioned conditions is met and a data subject wishes to request the restriction of personal data stored by the Ruess Group GmbH, he/she may contact an employee of the person responsible for processing at any time. The employee of Ruess Group GmbH will arrange for the restriction of processing.

(f) Right to data portability
Every person concerned by the processing of personal data has the right, granted by the European Directives and Regulations, to receive the personal data concerning him/her which have been provided by the data subject to a controller in a structured, common and machine-readable format. It also has the right to transfer these data to another controller without hindrance from the controller to whom the personal data have been made available, provided that the processing is based on the consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) DPA or Art. 9(2)(a) DPA or on a contract pursuant to Art. 6(1)(b) DPA and that the processing is carried out with the aid of automated procedures, unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

Furthermore, when exercising their right to data transferability in accordance with Art. 20 Paragraph 1 of the DPA, the data subject has the right to obtain that personal data be transferred directly from one person responsible to another, insofar as this is technically feasible and provided that this does not affect the rights and freedoms of other persons.

In order to assert the right to data transfer, the person concerned can contact an employee of Ruess Group GmbH at any time.

(g) Right of appeal
Every person concerned by the processing of personal data has the right, granted by the European legislator for directives and regulations, to object at any time, for reasons arising from his or her particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning him or her that is carried out on the basis of Article 6(1)(e) or (f) of the DPA. This also applies to profiling based on these provisions.

In the event of an objection, the Ruess Group GmbH will no longer process the personal data unless we can prove compelling reasons for processing that are worthy of protection and outweigh the interests, rights and freedoms of the person concerned, or the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.

If the Ruess Group GmbH processes personal data for the purpose of direct advertising, the person concerned has the right to object at any time to the processing of personal data for the purpose of such advertising. This also applies to profiling, insofar as it is related to such direct mail. If the person concerned objects to the processing for the purpose of direct marketing vis-à-vis Ruess Group GmbH, Ruess Group GmbH will no longer process the personal data for these purposes.

In addition, the data subject has the right to object, for reasons arising from his or her particular situation, to the processing of personal data concerning him or her carried out at the Ruess Group GmbH for the purposes of scientific or historical research or for statistical purposes in accordance with Art. 89 Par. 1 DS-GVO, unless such processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.

In order to exercise the right to object, the person concerned may directly contact any employee of Ruess Group GmbH or any other employee. The data subject shall also be free to exercise his right of objection in connection with the use of information society services, notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, by means of automated procedures involving technical specifications.

(h) Automated case-by-case decisions including profiling
Every person concerned by the processing of personal data has the right, as granted by the European Directives and Regulations, not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning him or her or significantly affects him or her in a similar way, provided that the decision (1) is not necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract between the data subject and the controller, or (2) is authorised by Union or national legislation to which the controller is subject and that such legislation provides for adequate safeguards of the rights and freedoms and legitimate interests of the data subject, or (3) is taken with the explicit consent of the data subject.

If the decision (1) is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract between the data subject and the responsible person or (2) is made with the explicit consent of the data subject, the Ruess Group GmbH will take reasonable measures to protect the rights and freedoms as well as the legitimate interests of the data subject, which at least include the right to obtain the intervention of a person on the part of the responsible person, to present one's own standpoint and to contest the decision.

If the data subject wishes to exercise rights relating to automated decisions, he or she may at any time contact a member of staff of the controller.

i) Right to revoke a data protection consent
Every person affected by the processing of personal data has the right, granted by the European Directive and Regulation Giver, to revoke his or her consent to the processing of personal data at any time.

If the data subject wishes to exercise his or her right to withdraw consent, he or she may at any time contact an employee of the controller.

The controller collects and processes the personal data of applicants for the purpose of processing the application procedure.

TThe processing may also be carried out by electronic means. This is in particular the case when an applicant submits relevant application documents to the controller by electronic means, such as e-mail or a web form available on the website. If the data controller concludes an employment contract with an applicant, the transmitted data is stored for the purpose of processing the employment relationship in compliance with the statutory provisions. If the controller does not conclude an employment contract with the applicant, the application file shall be automatically deleted two months after notification of the decision to reject the application, unless deletion conflicts with any other legitimate interests of the controller. Other legitimate interests in this sense include, for example, a duty to provide evidence in proceedings under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG).

Art. 6 I lit. a DS-GVO serves our company as a legal basis for processing operations for which we obtain consent for a specific processing purpose. If the processing of personal data is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party, as is the case, for example, with processing operations necessary for the supply of goods or provision of another service or consideration, the processing is based on Art. 6 I lit. b DPA. The same applies to such processing operations which are necessary to carry out pre-contractual measures, for example in cases of enquiries about our products or services. If our company is subject to a legal obligation which makes it necessary to process personal data, for example to fulfil tax obligations, the processing is based on Art. 6 I lit. c DS-GVO. In rare cases, the processing of personal data might be necessary to protect vital interests of the data subject or another natural person. This would be the case, for example, if a visitor to our company were to be injured and his name, age, health insurance details or other vital information were then to be passed on to a doctor, hospital or other third party. Then the processing would be based on Art. 6 I lit. d DS-GVO. Ultimately, processing operations could be based on Art. 6 I lit. f DS-GVO. Processing operations which are not covered by any of the aforementioned legal bases are based on this legal basis if the processing is necessary to safeguard a legitimate interest of our company or of a third party, unless the interests, fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject are overridden. Such processing operations are allowed in particular because they have been specifically mentioned by the European legislator. In this respect, he took the view that a legitimate interest could be assumed if the person concerned is a customer of the person responsible (recital 47 sentence 2 DS-GVO).

If the processing of personal data is based on Article 6 I lit. f DS-GVO, our legitimate interest is to carry out our business activities for the benefit of the well-being of all our employees and our shareholders.

The criterion for the duration of storage of personal data is the respective legal retention period. After expiry of the deadline, the corresponding data is routinely deleted, provided that it is no longer required for the fulfilment of the contract or the initiation of the contract.

We would like to inform you that the provision of personal data is partly required by law (e.g. tax regulations) or can also result from contractual regulations (e.g. information on the contractual partner).

Sometimes it may be necessary for a contract to be concluded that a person concerned provides us with personal data, which must subsequently be processed by us. For example, the person concerned is obliged to provide us with personal data if our company concludes a contract with him/her. Failure to provide the personal data would mean that the contract with the data subject could not be concluded. Before the person concerned provides personal data, he/she must contact one of our employees. Our employee informs the person concerned on a case-by-case basis whether the provision of personal data is required by law or contract or is necessary for the conclusion of the contract, whether there is an obligation to provide the personal data and what the consequences would be if the personal data were not provided.

As a responsible company, we avoid automatic decision making or profiling.