Privacy Notice

The ZEIT publishing group includes the following companies: Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius GmbH & Co. KG, ZEIT Online GmbH, ZEIT Digital GmbH, ZEIT Sprachen GmbH, ZEIT Akademie GmbH, Studio ZX GmbH, ZEIT Weltkunst Verlag GmbH, academics GmbH, Good Jobs GmbH, and e-fellows.net GmbH & Co. KG.

For example, we offer journalistic content, travel, products, seminars, events, and special offers for subscribers.

Websites have different functions and ways to interact. Sometimes you can view content or use an online form to contact us. On other pages, you can register. Depending on the website, the scope of data processing varies.

When you visit a website, technical usage data (so-called log data) is processed temporarily. This data is transmitted by your browser and includes, among other things, your computer’s IP address, the client request (file name and URL), the HTTP response code, and the website from which you came to our website.

The data processing described is permitted to protect legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). We depend on achieving the greatest possible reach for our companies and content. Operating a website is essential for this. The processing happens automatically and cannot be prevented. It is technically necessary in order to access a website.

The log data is deleted or anonymized as soon as it is no longer needed.

When you access the website, a so-called consent banner appears with information about data processing on your end device. There you will find details about the services we use and the cookies that are set. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your end device when you visit a website. Cookies are used to store information related to a website locally on your computer for a certain period of time and to transmit it back to a server upon request. This can serve different purposes.

Some of the data processing that takes place is legally permitted for providing the website (§ 25(2) TDDDG). This includes setting cookies that are strictly necessary for certain actions to work. Some processing only takes place if you have given your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, § 25(1) TDDDG). In the consent banner, you can agree to or refuse specific types of processing. You are not required to consent to the data processing options offered. However, you cannot prevent the technically necessary processing, as the website’s functionality could otherwise not be ensured.

Detailed information about the services used, the purposes of processing, the storage period, and other conditions can be found in the consent banner and in the following paragraphs.

Um unsere Angebote zu verbessern, analysieren wir die Nutzung unserer Website. Dazu verwenden wir Tools, die jeweils unterschiedliche Daten erheben und für uns auswerten. Dies geschieht teilweise durch auf Ihrem Endgerät abgelegte Cookies und andere Technologien. Anhand der entstehenden Statistiken und Reports können wir sehen, welche Inhalte besonders beliebt sind, welche Unterseiten wann aufgerufen werden und ob es technische Probleme gibt. Welche Tools eingebunden sind, ergibt sich aus dem Consent-Banner.

Die stattfindende Datenverarbeitung ist von Ihrer Einwilligung abhängig (Art. 6 Abs. 1 a) DSGVO). Das gleiche gilt für die Speicherung von Informationen auf Ihrem Endgerät und den Zugriff auf Informationen, die bereits gespeichert sind (§ 25 Abs. 1 TDDDG). Sie können im Consent-Banner auswählen, ob Sie die Verarbeitung für einen bestimmten Zweck insgesamt zulassen oder konkret einzelne Dienste auswählen. Die Bereitstellung Ihrer Daten ist freiwillig und hat keine Auswirkung auf die Nutzung unserer Websites und Produkte.

Informationen zu den einzelnen Tools und der konkreten Verarbeitung (insbesondere Name des Anbieters, Datenkategorien, Zweck, Speicherdauer) finden Sie im Consent-Banner.

We ourselves depend on advertising our services on the internet. We use various forms of personalised advertising to reach you and other potential customers directly. For this purpose, we use different tracking tools to track online activities across different websites and link them together. The processing is carried out using technologies such as cookies, pixels, or scripts and includes information about which pages you visit and for how long, which offers you view, which device and operating system you use, and your approximate geographical location (which can be determined based on the IP address). The data is linked with other information to create a meaningful profile. This helps us better understand who you are and what interests you have. The collected information is used to show you personalised advertising. This means that you may see ads on our websites and on those of other providers that are tailored to your interests, preferences, and previous activities. Personalised advertising increases the likelihood that you click on our ads and use our services. We can also offer our advertising customers better opportunities to present their products or services to a relevant target group.

The processing described only takes place if you have given your consent via the consent banner (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, Section 25(1) TDDDG). Providing your data for the purpose described is voluntary.

You can find information about the individual tools and the specific processing (in particular the name of the provider, data categories, purpose, storage period) in the consent banner.

Various external media from third-party providers are embedded on our website (e.g. videos, audio recordings, interactive maps, or social media posts). Due to this embedding (e.g. via HTML or JavaScript), your browser is instructed to establish a connection to the server of the respective third-party provider. This results in data being transmitted (at least the IP address, but also the referrer URL) and, where applicable, information being stored on or read from your device. The third-party provider may, under certain circumstances (in particular if you are actively logged in there), link this information with data about you that it has already stored. In this way, it may receive very detailed information about your interests outside its own platform.

If, when accessing the external media and content, the linking described above of personal data takes place, the processing depends on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and Section 25(1) TDDDG). You are free to allow this. However, if you do not agree to the processing, you cannot use the corresponding external media and content (and, for example, cannot watch a video embedded on our site). Not all third-party providers link personal data. If, for the embedding, only usage data that is technically necessary is processed, the processing is permitted to safeguard our legitimate business interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR and Section 25(2) TDDDG).

You can find information about the individual tools and the specific processing (in particular the name of the provider, data categories, purpose, storage period) in the consent banner.

To control data processing on the website in compliance with data protection law, we use a consent banner to obtain consent. We store the settings you have chosen by placing cookies.

The data processing that takes place on your device is permitted or necessary to safeguard our legitimate interests and to provide our service (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, Section 25(2) No. 2 TDDDG). In order to operate our website in compliance with data protection law, we must electronically document whether consent has been given and whether it has been withdrawn. Otherwise, in case of doubt, we may not be able to prove that you have consented to certain processing operations. In this respect, the data processing is necessary in order to use our website.

The cookies used to store your settings are stored until you withdraw your consent.

We offer various ways to contact us (e.g., online contact form, email contact address, feedback form). We process the data and information you provide in order to respond to your request. We use feedback on our products or reports of errors to improve them and to fix errors.

The data processing in a (pre-)contractual context, for communication and for fixing errors is permitted by law (Article 6(1)(b), (f) GDPR, Section 25(2) TDDDG). Providing your personal data is necessary in order to communicate with us and, in the case of feedback, to enable error correction.

We store the data for a period of 6 months. If you register with us or if there is another type of further contact, your data will continue to be stored and will only be deleted after the applicable statutory retention obligations have expired.

Wir nutzen verschiedene Kommunikationskanäle, um mit Ihnen in Verbindung zu treten, Mitteilungen entgegenzunehmen oder Ihnen interessante Angebote und Informationen zukommen zu lassen. Werbliche Ansprache ist wichtig für unser Unternehmen, um wirtschaftlich erfolgreich zu sein. Sie können der Nutzung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten zu werblichen Zwecken jederzeit widersprechen und / oder sich von unseren E-Mail-Newslettern über den Abmelde-Link am Ende jedes Newsletters austragen.

We offer various newsletters that you can subscribe to by providing your email address. You will then receive information about various offers (from us or from third parties).

Using your email address to send our newsletters depends on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR). Providing your data is voluntary and has no effect on any contractual relationship you may have with us. If subscribing to a newsletter is a requirement for participating in a prize draw or receiving editorial content (e.g. in the form of an eBook), failure to provide the data means that you cannot participate or will not receive the content.

Your email address will be stored in our newsletter database for as long as your consent remains in place. As soon as you withdraw your consent, it will be deleted from the relevant database.

We use the email address you provide when you log in, register, place an order, or make a booking to send you advertising for our own similar offers.

The use of email addresses to send our own similar offers is expressly permitted by law and does not depend on consent (Section 7(3) UWG). However, providing your personal data in this context is voluntary, and you can object at any time (either by contacting us or via the link at the end of each advertising email).

If you object to the use for advertising purposes, your data will be deleted or blocked for advertising. Deletion is usually not possible because we must continue to store the data collected during a login, registration, order, or booking in order to comply with statutory retention obligations.

For newsletter performance measurement, we process open and click rates and create recipient profiles. We use the resulting data to improve the newsletter and tailor it to your interests and reading habits.

The processing is carried out to safeguard our legitimate interests and is therefore lawful (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). We need to be able to understand whether our marketing measures are successful. Providing your data is voluntary. You can disable performance measurement separately at any time.

The resulting data is pseudonymised or anonymised and stored for an unlimited period.

We use the postal addresses stored by us, as well as addresses provided by contractual partners, to send offers and information by post.

The use of data for sending postal advertising is permitted in order to safeguard legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). From an economic perspective, we rely on offering our services to existing and potential customers. In all areas, it is important to actively approach people and send information.

The retention period for postal addresses depends on whether you are a customer or whether we purchased the address. We must store customer data for up to 8 years to comply with statutory retention obligations. Purchased data is used for advertising mailings and is then deleted.

Due to the close cooperation within the ZEIT publishing group, mutual data exchange as well as the shared use of systems and applications are unavoidable. For this reason, some processing operations take place under joint controllership. The agreement concluded accordingly between the involved ZEIT companies pursuant to Article 26 GDPR regulates in particular who is responsible for complying with the various obligations under the GDPR.

The companies of the ZEIT publishing group use a shared infrastructure and communicate via centrally managed devices. Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius GmbH & Co. KG provides the essential telecommunications services and applications and, together with the other companies, is jointly responsible for the data processing that takes place.

Joint controllers: Zeitverlag Gerd Bucerius GmbH & Co. KG, ZEIT DIGITAL GmbH, ZEIT Akademie GmbH, Studio ZX GmbH, ZEIT Sprachen GmbH, academics GmbH, ZEIT Online GmbH, ZEIT Weltkunst Verlag GmbH

The use of some services takes place jointly with the respective provider, so that an agreement on joint controllership pursuant to Article 26 GDPR must also be concluded here. As a rule, this is an integral part of the terms of use and is provided by the provider in a standardized form. In some cases, the joint controllership also concerns the organization of events or joint projects.

We maintain profiles on various social media platforms in order to present our services and to interact with users. The data processing that takes place when you visit our profiles is partly carried out under joint controllership with the platform operator. Further information on this can be found in the section Social Media Profiles.

We process personal data in various systems and, depending on the processing activity, transfer it to other companies, public authorities or individuals. The location of the processing depends on our registered office as well as the locations of our service providers.

We use various processors, such as software providers, data centre operators, call centres and IT service providers. We have carefully selected these companies and concluded a data processing agreement pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR. If, in addition to the companies listed in the Privacy Center, other processors are involved in the processing of data, they are listed below.

Some activities involve the disclosure of personal data to third parties. These may include providers of website tools, cooperation partners, shipping service providers or suppliers. These companies independently determine the purposes of further processing and must ensure compliance with data protection law. If, in addition to the companies already mentioned elsewhere, other third parties are involved in the processing of data, they are listed below.

As a rule, data processing takes place in the European Union and/or the European Economic Area. However, we also use applications and tools where a transfer of data to third countries cannot be ruled out. In such cases, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to guarantee an adequate level of data protection in these third countries. As a rule, the Standard Contractual Clauses provided by the European Commission have been agreed with the providers, or the provider is certified under the Data Privacy Framework.

Under the GDPR, data subjects generally have a number of rights. You can exercise these at any time. However, we are not always obliged to grant a right. For example, a request for erasure may be refused due to statutory retention obligations. Where processing is carried out under joint controllership, you may exercise your rights against any of the companies involved.

You have the right of access (Art. 15 GDPR), rectification (Art. 16 GDPR), erasure (Art. 17 GDPR), restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR) and data portability (Art. 20 GDPR).

We have checked whether we are allowed to process your personal data. This applies in particular to all processing carried out for the purposes of legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). If you believe that a specific processing activity is not permissible, you can let us know. If, in your individual case, we come to the conclusion that we are indeed not permitted to process your data, we will stop doing so. If your objection relates to advertising messages, we will of course implement it immediately.

Some processing activities are based on consent you have given. You can withdraw this consent at any time with effect for the future. However, this does not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out up to that point.

To exercise your data protection rights and for questions and complaints about data protection, please use only the email address datenschutz@studiozx.de or our postal address.

You can contact our external Data Protection Officer by post at Herting Oberbeck Datenschutz GmbH, Hallerstr. 76, 20146 Hamburg, or by email at dsb@zeit.de. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority at any time.

We maintain profiles on social networks in order to publish our content and to get in touch with users. Like you, we have created an account for this purpose and have agreed to the terms of use of the respective social network.

Responsibility for data processing differs from network to network. It may be separate controllership or joint controllership pursuant to Art. 26 GDPR and, in some cases, even processing on behalf pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR. The assessment results from the terms of use and integrated agreements of the platform providers, which we use (and must use) as the basis for our information.

The data processing that takes place when you access the social networks is specified by the providers. We can only provide information about the activities that are within our sphere of influence and that can be controlled by us.

LinkedIn account and communication with users

We maintain various LinkedIn accounts in order to network with companies and individuals. There we present ourselves, share posts and interact with other LinkedIn users. In doing so, we can see the content published on your profile and use it to communicate with you. For example, we share and comment on posts, tag LinkedIn users or use the messaging function.

The data processing carried out directly by us is for the purposes of our legitimate business interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). We rely on the widest possible reach and therefore on professional networks such as LinkedIn. Making contact is facilitated by ongoing interaction with users and the information available in profiles. Communication with us and interaction with our profile is voluntary.

If you would like to learn more about data processing when using LinkedIn, please read the provider’s LinkedIn Privacy Policy (LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland).

Page Insights

When you visit our LinkedIn profile, follow the page or engage with it, LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company processes personal data in order to provide us with statistics and insights in anonymised form. This gives us insights into the types of actions people take on our page (so-called Page Insights). For this purpose, the social network processes in particular data that you have made available in your profile (e.g. job function, country, industry, seniority, company size and employment status). In addition, information is processed about how you interact with our LinkedIn company page. The processing serves our legitimate interest in analysing the types of actions taken on our LinkedIn company page and improving our company page based on these insights (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

With Page Insights, LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company does not provide us with any of your personal data. We only have access to aggregated and anonymised Page Insights. Nor is it possible for us to draw conclusions about individual members via Page Insights. The processing described is carried out by LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company and us as joint controllers. For this reason, there is a joint controllership agreement pursuant to Art. 26 GDPR with the provider, which stipulates the following:

LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company is responsible for enabling you to exercise your rights under the GDPR. You can contact the company online or reach it via the contact details provided in the privacy policy. You can contact the Data Protection Officer via an online form. You can also contact us regarding the exercise of your rights in connection with the processing of personal data as part of Page Insights. In such a case, we will forward your request to the social network.

LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company and we have agreed that the Irish Data Protection Commission is the lead supervisory authority for monitoring the processing of data via Page Insights. You always have the right to lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission (see www.dataprotection.ie) or with any other supervisory authority.

Recipients of data

We use LinkedIn only as a platform and comply with the provider’s terms of use. We ourselves have no influence on which data is processed when our profile is accessed or who can see your profile. In this respect, like you, we are only a user.

However, we have employees who take care of our LinkedIn profiles. Incoming messages are viewed and processed by them. Depending on how you interact with our content, your profile and your publications may be seen by other users. When using LinkedIn, data is transferred to third countries outside the European Union and the European Economic Area. According to the provider, this is legitimised by Standard Contractual Clauses.

Storage period

If you leave a comment, it will be stored on our profile for an unlimited period of time (until you delete it). The same applies to using the like function. Direct messages to us are also stored, but are deleted at regular intervals.