The activities of iq digital are outlined below:
When websites in its marketing portfolio are called up (for portfolio see here), iq digital sets cookies in the browser of the user. To avoid wastage in the serving of ads, iq digital also compares its own cookies with cookies it receives from third-party companies – for the purpose of avoiding duplicated contact with the same user, for example, or to enhance the precision serving of an ad. In some cases, iq digital also permits third-party companies to set their own cookies in the iq digital portfolio based on corresponding agreements or uses cookies to make collected data segments available to third parties for campaign validation.
Cookies only collect pseudonymised data. This does not permit any conclusions as to specific individual persons, but the pseudonymous data permit assumptions based on probability calculations that the user in whose browser session a cookie was set can be assigned to a certain group of persons. These assumptions form the basis for the serving of user-based advertising. If, for example, a user makes multiple visits to a technical page, then this user will in this context receive technology-related advertising instead of other advertising that happens to be available at that point in time.
Users can influence the use of cookies. Most browsers have an option that restricts or completely prevents the storage of cookies. This does not mean that the user receives less advertising. As outlined above, the advertising is merely less relevant for the user following an opt-out. iq digital also provides an option for the blocking or deleting of individual cookies.
Below is a description of the cookies used by iq digital. In order to provide a better overview of the cookies used by iq digital, the links lead to overviews providing general information on the purposes for which cookies are used. In addition, iq digital uses a software tool to provide in-depth information on the general purposes of the cookie for each set cookie (and this information may extend beyond the specific use by iq digital) as well as on the provider and the opt-out options. Of course, not all cookies are always used simultaneously.
The following types of cookies are used by iq digital:
2.1 Cookies for campaign validation:
These are cookies that are used to monitor whether an advertising campaign has been implemented for an advertising client by iq digital in line with the client order. These cookies include:
- Cookies of iq digital and the advertising partners of iq digital that document whether an advertising banner was actually positioned on a website with the agreed frequency
- Cookies of the service provider who technically serves the ads for iq digital. This is for the purpose of compliance with and monitoring of the additional campaign requirements agreed with a client (e.g. agreed time of day at which the ads are served, geographic campaign territory, multiple serving of the same ad to a user, or whether the user has called up an underlying format).
You can find more details on the various cookies for campaign validation further below.
2.2 Cookies to achieve greater accuracy:
Cookies always transmit only pseudonymous data. A cookie does not allow identification based on gender or fields of interest. The cookie does not know which user is calling up the browser at any point in time. Cookies of iq digital are therefore compared with cookies of other service providers in order to increase hit probability in a specific segment (e.g. gender). iq digital uses the following cookies for this kind of comparison:
- Cookies used in the context of user surveys
- Cookies used by service providers on behalf of iq digital to determine motion patterns on the Internet (pages called up by a user)
- Cookies transmitted to iq digital by third parties in order to compare them with own segmentations
- Cookies used by partners of iq digital to achieve greater accuracy and for comparison with own pseudonymous data
You can find more information on the various cookies to achieve greater accuracy here.
We have contractually agreed with iq digital that they may only use your data within the context of handling orders for us and for our services as well as for the services of iq digital.
3. Legal basis
The personally identifiable – pseudonymous – data are processed by iq digital on our behalf based on Art. 6 Para. 1 f GDPR. This "permission to use" allows the processing of personally identifiable data in the context of the "legitimate interest" of the responsible entity, insofar as this interest is not outweighed by the interests of a user. Our legitimate interest consists in financing the functions of our websites and apps – both of which contain intensively researched information, a considerable amount of which we offer free of charge. Marketing of the advertising spaces on our pages enables us to continue to provide access to major parts of these offerings to all users in this form, and thereby to make a significant contribution to sharing knowledge and information with the public and promoting the exchange of opinions. In our user-based serving of ads, our activities are based on the selection models that are also standard in the print media. Here as well, ads are booked based on environment and reader groups, and are also evaluated in reader reach analyses to determine perception levels in the relevant target groups. Unlike in the print segment – where much of the information on reader profiles is available in the form of booked subscriptions – the only available data are pseudonymous data, and the cookies are used to validate the serving segments.
You can object to this processing of your data at any time for reasons arising from your particular situation indicating that data processing is inappropriate. In such cases, it is sufficient to send an e-mail to Datenschutz@handelsblattgroup.com.
4. Duration of data storage
The pseudonymous data are deleted by iq digital based on the requirements of the respective technical provider commissioned to serve usage-based online advertising. As a rule, however, the maximum storage duration does not exceed two years. You can find more information on the various cookies under nos. 2.1 and 2.2 above.
Cookies for campaign validation
Cookies for campaign validation serve to permit performance and billing control. At the same time, they check whether there is unauthorised access by third parties during the serving of a campaign. Both iq digital and the advertising partners referred by iq digital for our websites make use of cookies for campaign validation.
The legal basis is provided by Art. 6 Para. 1 f) GDPR. Both we – and iq digital as our marketer – as well as our advertising partners have a legitimate interest in monitoring whether a campaign meets the contractually agreed requirements; whether, for example,
- an ad has been served with the agreed frequency
- an ad has reached the recipients determined on a pseudonymous basis
- an ad has been served at the agreed times (e.g. after 8 pm, at breakfast time, only at the weekend …)
- an ad has appeared in the agreed context (e.g. technology pages, garden page…)
- an ad has been transmitted to a user multiple times – based on identification via the cookie set in his or her browser
- an ad has the required duration of display
- it is possible to allocate a page impression to the geographic level of a federal state/region
Cookies for campaign validation also serve to permit comparison with existing assumptions of iq digital and its advertising partners based on collection of data by cookies to which the user has consented. The cookies used by iq digital and the advertising partners are briefly described below. You can find detailed information and an opt-out option via the various links.
1. iq digital cookies for campaign validation
a) DoubleClick by Google
DoubleClick by Google is a service technology for digital marketing. In order to show you relevant ads, DoubleClick by Google uses cookies that store information on served and called-up ads. In addition, DoubleClick by Google keeps data on the serving of ad campaigns as a server provider of iq digital and merges these data with its own data to achieve improved hit accuracy. Media purchases and sales can therefore be automated and performed in real time. For this purpose, DoubleClick by Google records the advertising environment, thereby permitting programmatic selling of ad spaces and the buying of environment-based ads. According to Google, cookies are deleted at the request of the user.
You can find detailed information on DoubleClick by Google here. There is an opt-out at https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads?hl=de.
2. Cookies of the advertising partners for campaign validation
a) adform, a service of Adform, Widersgade10B, 1408 Copenhagen
During a campaign, adform records the number of clicks on an ad and aggregates this information with the recorded transaction environment to form data segments that permit usage-based online advertising by adform.
You can find detailed information here.There is an opt-out at https://site.adform.com/privacy-policy-opt-out/.
b) GroupM Germany GmbH, Derendorfer Allee 26, 40476 Düsseldorf
A large advertising agency sets cookies to monitor advertising campaigns in order to optimise the serving of ads for its clients as well as to serve user-based online advertising.
You can find more information on GroupM here. There is an opt-out at https://www.groupm.com/privacy-policy/.
c) quisma, a service of Quisma GmbH, Rosenheimer Str. 145 D, 81671 Munich
quisma sets cookies to monitor advertising campaigns for the SEO optimisation of its clients as well as to serve user-based online advertising.
You can find more information on Quisma here. There is an opt-out at https://privacy.quisma.com/datenschutz/quisma-websites/.
d) xaxis, a service of Xaxis LLC, 140 East 45th, New York, NY 10017
xaxis sets cookies during a campaign to record transaction data and then to use these data for the serving of user-based online advertising. xaxis is a company of GroupM, a large media agency.
You can find more information on xaxis here.
There is an opt-out at https://www.xaxis.com/opt-out/.
e) mediascale GmbH & Co. KG, Brienner Straße 45 a-d, 80333 Munich
Operates an ad serving and targeting system for direct clients and clients of agencies under the umbrella of the Serviceplan Group as well as for agencies outside the Serviceplan Group. This permits targeted serving of advertising to Internet users based on their interests. In the case of targeting, the ads are displayed with the help of cookie-based analysis of previous user behaviour. The services of a technology provider are used for the technical aspects of targeting:
Mediascale uses the technology of ADITION technologies AG, Am Gatherhof, 4440472 Düsseldorf.
You can find more information on mediascale here. There is an opt-out at http://www.mediascale.de/datenschutz/.
You can find more information on ADITION technologies AG at https://www.adition.com/datenschutz/
f) criteo, a service of Criteo SA, 32 Rue Blanche, 75009 Paris
By setting cookies, criteo permits the retargeting of a user on another website.
You can find more information on criteo here. There is an opt-out at https://www.criteo.com/de/privacy/.
g) Performance Media Deutschland GmbH, Gorch-Fock-Wall 1a, 20354 Hamburg, Deutschland
Uses cookies to show users more relevant and useful advertising. The collected data are completely anonymous. In other words, no data at all is stored that permit identification of users.
You can find more information on Performance Media here. There is an opt-out at http://www.performance-media.de/opt-out.
h) IP Deutschland GmbH, Picassoplatz 1, 50679 Cologne
a) Basic information
Various companies active in the collection of data as well as in the serving of advertising are involved in the marketing of our websites. These companies play different roles. They may themselves be responsible for data processing (responsible entity) or may act as a service provider bound by instructions only (contract processor). Within the context of advertising marketing,
IP Deutschland GmbH,
Picassoplatz 1, 50679 Cologne,
e-mail: kontakt@ip.de
is the responsible entity and therefore the “joint responsible entity” together with us as defined by Art 26 GDPR with regard to our websites. You can find more information on this process as well as on the respective roles and on responsible entities here.
b) Recording of data in the context of marketing (tracking, profile creation etc.)
In order to personalise advertising, to make sure advertising is aligned to the interests of users, to find suitable target groups, to facilitate billing, to measure reach, to control serving of advertising or to limit it by means of so-called frequency capping, online marketing uses a technique that analyses user behaviour and creates pseudonymised profiles of users which can then be used as “management tools” for the serving of advertising. During this process, such things as visited websites and clicked content etc. are recorded and stored. These data are regularly stored in a database / profile that can be addressed via a cookie or other identification option. No names or personal details of users are stored. The cookie is more of a pseudonym, and the real name/identity of the user is unknown. It is also possible that data from other internal sources are stored – such as parts of profiles from registered areas or technical data relating to the device used, time of day – as well as from external sources. Behavioural patterns of users of our websites are stored in the profiles and evaluated; in some cases, these data are supplemented by sociodemographic data and assumptions on sociodemographic data (so-called statistical twins of profiles with known data aligned on the basis of similar or identical surfing behaviour). This process of profile creation is also a cross-network process; in other words, it may span multiple websites.
c) Legal basis
The marketers and other entities who act as responsible entities serving advertising on the websites and/or collecting data have a justified interest in the marketing and monetisation of their (marketed) websites by means of serving of advertising to specific target groups and the measurement of reach as well as the control of serving activities via frequency capping. The same applies to the creation of user profiles, which permit serving of ads in the first place. It would not be possible to achieve this without data processing. Due to the pseudonymous character of the data, the only parameters that we and our marketers can identify with regard to the users of these websites are the browsers/user devices. Encroachments of the right of the user to informational self-determination are legitimated by the fact that the data of the user are pseudonymised and are only used for relatively short periods of time. The encroachments of the rights of users are minimal and of a type that users can reasonably expect, as transparent information is provided on the techniques used in the data protection declarations and users are given effective options to withdraw their consent. Moreover, no profiles are created that are focused on children. The legal basis for all processing activities within the context of marketing is provided by Art. 6 1f GDPR (“legitimate interests”) and/or Art. 15 Para. 3 German Telemedia Act (TMG).
d) Detailed information and consent revocation options
(i) Marketer information and technology opt-out options
You can find detailed information on the various data processing procedures and the relevant service providers/parties here. This overview contains general and detailed information regarding the name and address of the companies who collect and process personally identifiable data and/or make these data available to third parties, regarding the collected data categories, the purpose of processing and the opt-out options, the recipients of data, transmission to third countries, storage duration and data sources as well as the means of contacting the Data Protection Officer of IP Deutschland GmbH.
(ii) Privacy centre/Settings
The website includes a so-called privacy centre that you can access here. This is where you can make the appropriate settings with regard to this website – independently of the marketer-side/technology-side options.
(iii) Ad codes for mobile apps
Under certain circumstances, technologies that function like cookies are used to ensure that ads can also be served in services without cookie technology. If you want to deactivate personalised advertising on your mobile device, follow the instructions below.
Android
i. Depending on your device, you can find the Google settings in one of the folowing places:
1. In a separate app called Google Settings
2. Scroll down in your main app settings and tap Google
ii. Tap Advertisements
iii. Tap the box next to interested-based advertising to deactivate.
iOS
Devices with iOS use the advertising identifier from Apple. You can find more information on the various options for use of this identifier in the app settings on your device as follows:
i. Select "Settings”
ii. Select "Privacy”
iii. Select “Advertising”
and then you can use a button to make the desired settings.
Cookies to achieve higher hit accuracy
Cookies designed to permit a higher level of accuracy allow for the fact that, in contrast to the situation with conventional ads in media like print publications, it is not possible to perform a user survey in the form of a reader profile or coverage analysis. Similarly, it is not always possible to define the environment of the ad in the case of online advertising, as ad spaces are frequently offered in real time based on availability. In contrast to the situation with traditional forms of marketing, therefore, it is not possible to book an “environment” such as automobile advertising on the technology page.
For this reason, iq digital sets cookies during a browser session to record user behaviour when websites in the portfolio marketed by iq digital are accessed and to compare user behaviour on third-party websites. In all cases, these data are pseudonymous data, and the various transaction parameters permit a plausibility calculation as to the user personality (e.g. age, place of residence or occupation) as well as the user interests (e.g. politics, sports, fashion). As our marketing provider, iq digital thereby caters to the needs of our advertising clients, who also want to avoid wastage in the serving of ads in the online sector. We in turn need ads to be served on our websites so that we can continue to make our websites available largely free of charge. At the same time, we are also able to market interest-based ad spaces at higher prices. This enable us to limit the number of ad spaces that need to be marketed in order to ensure the cost-effectiveness of a freely accessible website. Hence, the services provided by iq digital are provided in keeping with our legitimate interests pursuant to Art. 6 Para. 1 f GDPR in financing the largely cost-free editorial services and in making a contribution towards the freedom of opinion and communication as well as to securing a serious, diverse and independent press landscape.
The cookies used by iq digital for the marketing of the ad spaces of the website providers are outlined below. You receive detailed information on each cookie and an opt-out option. If not stated otherwise, all cookie data are stored for one year and then deleted.
