General Data Protection Information

Last updated in March 2021

Pepperl+Fuchs is pleased that you have chosen to visit this website and that you are interested in the company and its products.

Data protection is important to us and we would like to inform you about the methods we use to collect personal data during your visit to the website, as well as the scope and purpose of data collection. This information relates to the website www.your-future-automation.com and its sub-pages. To the extent that our website contains links to third-party websites, these are not covered by our privacy policy.

Responsible authority

The responsible authority for this website is Pepperl+Fuchs SE, Lilienthalstraße 200, 68307 Mannheim, Germany (“Pepperl+Fuchs”).

Collection and processing of personal data

To the extent that personal data is requested on our websites (e.g., registration or contact forms, subscribing to a Pepperl+Fuchs newsletter, ordering literature, online orders, comment function in the blog portal), this data is disclosed voluntarily by the user. This data is processed and used by Pepperl+Fuchs to answer your inquiries or to provide you with access to specific information, for example:

Your movements on one of these websites cause the following data to be transmitted to our web server from your Internet browser:

  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system used
  • Referrer URL
  • Host name of the requesting computer
  • The date and time of the server request
  • Full IP address of the requesting computer

This data is stored in a log file. The data is stored to ensure the technical safety of our web server, in particular, to prevent attacks. The data will be deleted automatically at regular intervals.

This data cannot be connected to individuals. This data is not combined with data from any other sources. We reserve the right to check this data retrospectively if we have specific indications of unlawful use.

Transfer of data to third parties and third-party providers

Pepperl+Fuchs will only pass personal data provided by you on to third parties if you have previously consented to the forwarding of such information. We then transfer such information to our subsidiaries, partner companies, or other trusted business partners solely for the purpose of using that personal data on our behalf. The company requires assurances from the recipients of the personal data that this data will be used exclusively according to our instructions and in compliance with this privacy policy and any other industry-standard confidentiality and security measures.

We are of the firm belief that access, use, storage, or disclosure of such information to a reasonable extent is necessary to:

(a) comply with applicable laws and regulations, meet legal requirements or applicable official directives,

(b) enforce the provisions laid down in our legal notices, including pursuing potential violations of these provisions,

(c) identify, prevent, or combat fraud, security concerns, or technical problems, or

(d) protect the rights, property, and security of the company and the public against impending damage, insofar as this is legally required or permitted.

Safety

To secure all of the data we store, we use technical security measures to safeguard your information against damage, loss, and unauthorized access. The security measures are regularly updated and improved in line with technological developments.

Use of cookies

This website uses cookies to record user preferences and to optimize the website design accordingly. When you use our website, you consent to the use and storage of cookies on your device.

“Cookies” are encrypted strings transferred from our web server or a third-party web server to the user’s web browser, where they are stored to be accessed at a later date.

The cookies we use are either “session cookies” or “persistent cookies.”

Session cookies are time-limited and are automatically deleted at the end of the visit to the website. We use session cookies to store information that we would like to use to make our website more user-friendly for you.

Persistent cookies can be stored on your computer after your visit to our website, and our website may access these on each future visit (so-called “ID cookies”). Some cookies stored during your visit to our website can be stored and accessed by other companies.

Using the security settings in your browser, you may control whether any cookies are saved at all. You have the option to either prevent cookie storage altogether, require a prompt each time, or have cookies deleted every time you close your browser. Please note that doing so may limit the usability of certain services or of the website as a whole. Certain services or parts of the website will only function correctly when cookies are permitted.

Use of web analytics tools

For the purpose of pursuing our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization, and economic operation of our website in line with article 6, paragraph 1, clause F of the GDPR), we use a number of different methods to analyze your usage patterns. All methods have in common that data will only be collected, processed, and used in an anonymous or pseudonymous manner. While anonymous data is impossible to match with a specific person, pseudonymous data could theoretically be matched to you personally with some effort. Regardless of this, no procedure will assign any data to a specific person or combine that data with other data held by Pepperl+Fuchs without your explicit consent. More detailed information on the analytical services we employ and your options for revoking consent for them can be found below:

Google Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies,” text files that are stored on your computer and enable your use of the website to be analyzed. The information generated by the cookie relating to your use of this website is generally sent to a Google server in the USA and stored there.

Google is certified under the Privacy Shield framework and thus guarantees that European data protection laws will be upheld https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active.

Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate use of this website by visitors, to compile reports on website activity, and to provide us with other services in connection with website and internet usage.

We only use Google Analytics with IP-anonymization active, meaning that the IP address of the user is shortened by Google within the Member States of the European Union and other Contracting States that are party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transferred to a Google server in the USA and shortened there.

The IP address transferred from your browser in the context of Google Analytics will not be combined with other data by Google. You may decline cookies by changing a corresponding setting in your browser software. However, we would like to make clear that this may prevent you from using all functions of this website to their fullest extent. You may also prevent Google from using the cookie to collect and process data (incl. your IP address) relating to your use of the website. To do so, click on the following link (http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en) to download and install the browser plugin, or click on the following link to set an opt-out cookie: Deactivate tracking by Google Analytics.

Use of Hotjar

This website uses Hotjar, an analytics software tool from Hotjar Ltd. (“Hotjar”) (https://www.hotjar.com, 3 Lyons Range, 20 Bisazza Street, Sliema SLM 1640, Malta, Europe). With Hotjar we are able to track, measure, and evaluate user behaviors such as clicks, mouse movements, and scroll heights on our website. All information collected by the “tracking code” and cookies during your visit to our website is sent and stored on the Hotjar server in Ireland.

All touchpoints that require or show personal data (from you or third-parties) will be disabled so that no personal information will be visible at any time.

Protecting personal data is crucial. Therefore, automatically collected data is completely anonymized. Personal data will only be stored if you provide it to us directly as part of a survey.

The following information may be delivered and saved based on your device and browsers:

  • IP address of your device (completely anonymized format)
  • your email address incl. first and last name if you entered these on our website
  • screen size
  • device type and browser data
  • geographical position (country only)
  • preferred language
  • log data

The following data is automatically created when Hotjar is activated/in use:

  • referring domain
  • visited pages
  • geographical position (country only)
  • preferred language
  • date and time of website visit

Hotjar will use this information to analyze your visit to our website, to create reports on usage and user behavior, and to evaluate other services offered on the website.

Hotjar also uses the services of third-party companies such as Google Analytics. These third parties may store information that your browser sends when you visit the site, such as cookies or IP requests. For more information on how Google Analytics tracks and processes data, please refer to the respective data protection declaration.

All cookies used by Hotjar have a specified lifetime. Some are available for up to 365 days, others are only valid while you are on the website itself.

At any time, you can prevent data capture by Hotjar. Simply go to this website and follow the instructions: https://www.hotjar.com/opt-out

Apart from that, please feel free to activate the “Do Not Track” setting on your browser. It forbids Hotjar from collecting any data, and nothing will be delivered to Hotjar. This setting is available in the current versions of all common browsers.

Find more on Hotjar’s privacy policy at: https://www.hotjar.com/privacy

User Activity Tracking and Log

This website uses a WordPress plugin called “User Activity Tracking and Log” from Activity Log Team. It helps us to prevent hacking attempts, but also to identify site activities. With your registration, this tracking tool allows analysis of the way you use the website (e.g., which content is clicked on and which is not). A visual representation of a usage profile is generated. It logs logins, logouts, failures, updates, registrations and deletions.

For more information about Activity Log, see https://activitylog.io/.

Conversion Tracking for LinkedIn Ads

This website uses LinkedIn Corporation’s conversion tracking technology.

This technology allows visitors to this site to see personalized advertisements displayed on LinkedIn. It also provides the ability to generate anonymous reports on ad performance and website interaction information. LinkedIn Insight Tag is embedded in this website, which connects to the LinkedIn server when you visit this website and are logged in to your LinkedIn account.

Please refer to the LinkedIn Privacy Policy at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy for more information about data collection and use, and the choices and rights you have to protect your privacy. If you are logged in to LinkedIn, you may opt-out of having your information collected at any time by following this link: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/enhanced-advertising.

YouTube

In order to stream and provide videos, this websites uses Google YouTube. The videos were embedded in the Privacy Enhanced Mode.

YouTube’s website uses cookies to collect information about the users of its website. YouTube uses them to collect video statistics, prevent fraud and improve user experience, among other things.

By using YouTube, you will be connected to the Google DoubleClick network. If you start the video, this could trigger further data processing operations. We have no influence on this.

For more information about YouTube’s privacy policy, please see their privacy policy at: http://www.youtube.com/t/privacy_at_youtube

YouKu

This website uses the embedding function of the video platform youku.com to display and play videos of the provider. Youku.com is operated by Youku Tudou Inc. in Beijing, China.

When playing embedded videos, a connection is established to youku.com’s servers in China and technical data is transmitted from the playback device to these servers. This data may include IP address, browser and operating system, and settings and details. This data is required by youku.com to play the video requested by the user in the correct format as well as according to the preferred settings. Youku Tudou Inc. may also use the data to analyze the use of its services and improve the user experience. For more information about youku.com’s use of personal data, please visit the youku.com website.

Use of social plugins

For the purpose of pursuing our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization, and economic operation of our website in line with article 6, paragraph 1, clause F of the GDPR), plugins from the following social networks are integrated:

  • LinkedIn (LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland),
  • Xing (XING AG, Dammtorstraße 30, 20354 Hamburg, Germany),
  • Twitter (Twitter Inc., 1355 Market St, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA) and
  • Facebook (Facebook Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, California, 94025, USA).

If you visit one of our websites, a direct connection may be established between your browser and the social network’s server via these plug-ins. Through this, the social network receives the information that you have visited our site with your IP address. If you click on the respective social network button while you are logged in to your account on that network, it may be possible for you to connect the content of our websites with your social network profile, depending on the provider. As a result, the social network can link your visit to our sites with your user account.

We would like to indicate that we, as providers of these websites, have no knowledge of the content of the transmitted data or of its use by the social network providers. For more information on the purpose and scope of data collection by Twitter, Facebook, etc., as well as information on the processing and use of this data, and details of your rights and options in terms of protecting your privacy, please refer to the respective provider’s data privacy policy.

To prevent the immediate undesired transfer of your usage data (e.g., the address of the website you are currently visiting) to these services, our website uses “Shariff.” The “Shariff” project from the computing magazine c’t replaces the usual social network share buttons and only establishes direct contact between social networks and the user once the user actively clicks on the share button. However, a single click on the button to share information with others is sufficient. You need take no further action.

If you do not want the provider of the social network to be able to associate your visit to our pages with your user account on the network, please log out of your social network user account.

Deletion of data

The data we store will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required for its intended purpose and no statutory retention obligations prevent its deletion. If the data cannot be deleted because it is required for other legally permissible purposes, its processing will be restricted. This means the data is locked and cannot be used for other purposes. This applies to data from users that must be stored for commercial or tax reasons, for example.

Your Rights and Opportunities for Further Information and Contact

Where the processing of your personal data is based on your consent, you can revoke this consent at any time in accordance with Article 7(3) GDPR. This has the consequence that, in the future, we are no longer permitted to continue the data processing based on this consent.

In accordance with the general provisions stipulated in Article 12 GDPR, you have right of access in accordance with Article 15 GDPR, the right to rectification in accordance with Article 16 GDPR, the right to erasure in accordance with Article 17 GDPR, the right to restriction of processing in accordance with Article 18 GDPR, as well as the right to data portability in accordance with Article 20 GDPR.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in accordance with Article 77 GDPR.

For information, explanation, or to exercise the rights mentioned above, please contact our Data Protection Officer by email:

Christian Beckers
– Data Protection Officer –
dsb@de.pepperl-fuchs.com

or in writing:

Pepperl+Fuchs SE
Data Protection Officer
Lilienthalstrasse 200
68307 Mannheim, Germany

Changes to the privacy policy

Pepperl+Fuchs reserves the right to amend this privacy policy and will announce any changes in this location.