Cookies Guidelines
What are cookies and why do websites use them?
To ensure the most efficient use and presentation of a website, so-called cookies are used when the website is visited. Cookies are small data packages that are sent to the user’s browser and saved there during visits of the website. When the website is visited again, this information can be sent back to the web server.Cookies are used to save personal page settings because websites themselves cannot store data. They are also used to identify users and to analyse their usage behaviour. Cookies serve many different purposes and are therefore differentiated according to their function, life span and source. There are for example temporary and permanent cookies. Temporary cookies are deleted either after a certain time defined in the cookie or at the end of a browser session. Permanent cookies are p ermanently stored in the browser.
How to delete and block cookies:
All common web browsers offer functions to prevent the general storage of cookies or third-party cookies (e.g. advertising partners) and to delete cookies anytime. The following links to browser manufacturers give information and instructions to manage cookies.
Internet Explorer version 7 and later
Internet Explorer Cookies
Google Chrome
Goolge Chrome Cookies
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox Cookies
Opera
Opera Cookies
Apple Safari
Apple Safari Cookies
Please note that when cookies are blocked, this can limit the usage of the website.
Third-party cookies:
Moreover, third-party cookies (incl. Google) are used to place ads based on prior visits by users on the website. In this process, advertising partners do not collect any personal information such as names, e-mail addresses, post addresses or phone numbers. Users of the website can deactivate the use of cookies via Google by clicking the link Interest-based advertising on websites beyond Google and deactivate the feature. In addition, users can deactivate the use of third-party cookies by visiting the deactivation page by “Network Advertising Initiative” http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ and http://www.youronlinechoices.com/ and adjust the settings for the opt-out. These settings make sure that no interest-based advertising is shown, but does not generally restrict the display of ads.
The following types of cookies are used on websites
Technical cookies:
In order to show a modern and user-friendly website, technical cookies are indispensable. Without these cookies, data which is entered during the visit of a website cannot be cached and processed (typical examples are products in a shopping basket or prior selections of products/services when the user goes back during a session).
Functional cookies:
Functional cookies can be used to improve the usability of a website. These cookies are not essential for the function of a website but improve the usability during the visit of the website. They are used to save settings like the preferred language or interests so that they do not have to be entered again during future visits.
Analytical cookies:
Analytical cookies are used to get information on the users’ usage of the website, which topics led them on the website or which topics or articles are particularly interesting and relevant to steadily improve the services provided. Not only visited pages, referring pages and exit pages, but also information on the length of stay and clicks can be stored.
Commercial cookies:
Moreover, cookies can be used during marketing campaigns to show advertisements on other websites. For this purpose cookies and retargeting tags are used for interest-based advertising by online advertising providers on one’s own website.
Cookies by social networks:
In order to like and share elements such as pages, pictures and videos in social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram etc., social plug-ins are integrated on a website. Cookies by these platforms cannot be influenced because they and their content are managed exclusively by these third-party providers. In order to avoid any association between the visit of a website and personal profiles, the visitor must be logged out on the third-party websites when visiting other websites.
Use of yandex metrica:
This website uses Yandex services for website optimization. You can find more information about the privacy policies and cookie policies at https://legal.yandex.com/privacy/.
Use of facebook social plugin
Our website uses social plugins (“plugins”) provided by the social network facebook.com, operated by Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA (“Facebook”). The plugins are identifiable by a Facebook logo (white letter f on blue background or a thumb up icon) or the notice “Facebook Social Plugin”. For a full list of all social Plugins please see http://developers.facebook.com/plugins.
When you visit a page of our website that contains a social plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to Facebook servers. Facebook directly transfers the plugin content to your browser which embeds the latter into the website, enabling Facebook to receive information about your having accessed the respective page of our website. Thus we have no influence on the data gathered by the plugin and inform you according to our state of knowledge:
The embedded plugins provide Facebook with the information that you have accessed the corresponding page of our website. If you are logged into Facebook, your visit can be assigned to your Facebook account. If you interact with the plugins, for example by clicking “Like”, or entering a comment, the corresponding information is transmitted from your browser directly to Facebook and stored by it. Even if you are not logged into Facebook, there is possibility that the plugins transmits your IP-address to Facebook.
For the information on the purpose and scope of data collection and procession by Facebook, as well as your rights in this respect and settings options for protecting your privacy please visit Facebook’s privacy policy: http://www.facebook.com/policy.php.
If you are a Facebook member and do not want Facebook to connect the data concerning your visit to our website with your member data already stored by Facebook, please log off Facebook before entering our website. Further you can block Facebook social Plugins by using add-ons for your browser, like the “ Facebook Blocker“.
Use of Google "+1"-button
Our website uses the “+1″-button provided by the social network Google Plus, operated by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States (“Google”). The plugins are identifiable by the “+1″-sign on white or coloured background.
When you visit a page of our website that contains a social plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to Google servers. Google directly transfers the plugin content to your browser which embeds the latter into the website, enabling Google to receive information about your having accessed the respective page of our website. Thus we have no influence on the data gathered by the Google plugin, but we assume that your IP address is being included.
For the information on the purpose and scope of data collection and procession by Google, as well as your rights in this respect and settings options for protecting your privacy please visit Google’s “+1″-button privacy policy: http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/policy/+1button.html
If you are a Google plus member and do not want Google to connect the data concerning your visit to our website with your member data already stored by Google, please log off Google Plus before entering our website.
Use of tweet-button by twitter
Our website uses the “Tweet″-button provided by the social network Twitter, operated by Twitter Inc., 750 Folsom Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States (“Twitter”). The plugins are identifiable by the dark blue bird and the word “Tweet” on light blue background.
When you visit a page of our website that contains a social plugin, your browser establishes a direct connection to Twitter servers. Twitter directly transfers the plugin content to your browser which embeds the latter into your tweet (twitter-message), enabling Twitter to receive information about your having accessed the respective page of our website. Thus we have no influence on the data gathered by the Twitter plugin, but we assume that your IP address is being included.
For the information on the purpose and scope of data collection and procession by Twitter, as well as your rights in this respect and settings options for protecting your privacy please visit Twitter’s privacy policy: http://twitter.com/privacy
If you are a Twitter member and do not want Twitter to connect the data concerning your visit to our website with your member data already stored by Google, please log off Twitter before entering our website.
Use of Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website (including your IP address truncated by the last octet prior to its storage using the “_anonymizeIp()” method) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States . Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above. You can opt-out from being tracked by Google Analytics with effect for the future by downloading and installing Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Addon for your current web browser: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.