With the following privacy policy we would like to inform you which types of your personal data (hereinafter also abbreviated as " data") we process for which purposes and in which scope. The privacy statement applies to all processing of personal data carried out by us, both in the context of providing our services and in particular on our websites and within external online presences, such as our social media profiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as "online services").
The terms used are not gender-specific.
Last Update: 20.04.2023
ELEMENT Insurance AG
Karl-Marx-Allee 3
10178 Berlin
Deutschland
Authorised Representatives: Dr. Astrid Stange (Chairwoman of the Board), Dr. Michael Bongartz, Tilo Finck, Philipp Hartz
E-mail address: info@element.in
ELEMENT Insurance AG
Karl-Marx-Allee 3
10178 Berlin
Germany
datenschutz@element.in
The following table summarises the types of data processed, the purposes for which they are processed and the concerned data subjects.
In the following we inform you about the legal basis of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), on the basis of which we process personal data. Please note that, in addition to the regulations of the GDPR, the national data protection regulations may apply in your country or in our country of residence or domicile. If, in addition, more specific legal bases are applicable in individual cases, we will inform you of these in the data protection declaration.
National data protection regulations in Germany: In addition to the data protection regulations of the General Data Protection Regulation, national regulations apply to data protection in Germany. This includes in particular the Law on Protection against Misuse of Personal Data in Data Processing (Federal Data Protection Act - BDSG). In particular, the BDSG contains special provisions on the right to access, the right to erase, the right to object, the processing of special categories of personal data, processing for other purposes and transmission as well as automated individual decision-making, including profiling. Furthermore, it regulates data processing for the purposes of the employment relationship (§ 26 BDSG), in particular with regard to the establishment, execution or termination of employment relationships as well as the consent of employees. Furthermore, data protection laws of the individual federal states may apply.
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures in accordance with the legal requirements, taking into account the state of the art, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights and freedoms of natural persons, in order to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk.
The measures include, in particular, safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity and availability of data by controlling physical and electronic access to the data as well as access to, input, transmission, securing and separation of the data. In addition, we have established procedures to ensure that data subjects' rights are respected, that data is erased, and that we are prepared to respond to data threats rapidly. Furthermore, we take the protection of personal data into account as early as the development or selection of hardware, software and service providers, in accordance with the principle of privacy by design and privacy by default.
SSL encryption (https): In order to protect your data transmitted via our online services in the best possible way, we use SSL encryption. You can recognize such encrypted connections by the prefix https:// in the address bar of your browser.
To secure the personal information you provide on our website, we use Transport Layer Security (TLS), which encrypts the information you provide.
In the context of our processing of personal data, it may happen that the data is transferred to other places, companies or persons or that it is disclosed to them. Recipients of this data may include, for example, payment institutions within the context of payment transactions, service providers commissioned with IT tasks or providers of services and content that are embedded in a website. In such a case, the legal requirements will be respected and in particular corresponding contracts or agreements, which serve the protection of your data, will be concluded with the recipients of your data.
If we process data in a third country (i.e. outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA)) or the processing takes place in the context of the use of third party services or disclosure or transfer of data to other persons, bodies or companies, this will only take place in accordance with the legal requirements.
Subject to express consent or transfer required by contract or law, we process or have processed the data only in third countries with a recognised level of data protection, on the basis of special guarantees, such as a contractual obligation through so-called standard protection clauses of the EU Commission or if certifications or binding internal data protection regulations justify the processing (Article 44 to 49 GDPR, information page of the EU Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en).
Cookies are text files that contain data from visited websites or domains and are stored by a browser on the user's computer. A cookie is primarily used to store information about a user during or after his visit within an online service. The information stored can include, for example, the language settings on a website, the login status, a shopping basket or the location where a video was viewed. The term "cookies" also includes other technologies that fulfil the same functions as cookies (e.g. if user information is stored using pseudonymous online identifiers, also referred to as "user IDs").
The following types and functions of cookies are distinguished:
Information on legal basis: The legal basis on which we process your personal data with the help of cookies depends on whether we ask you for your consent. If this applies and you consent to the use of cookies, the legal basis for processing your data is your declared consent. Otherwise, the data processed with the help of cookies will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (e.g. in a business operation of our online service and its improvement) or, if the use of cookies is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations.
Retention period: Unless we provide you with explicit information on the retention period of permanent cookies (e.g. within the scope of a so-called cookie opt-in), please assume that the retention period can be as long as two years.
General information on Withdrawal of consent and objection (Opt-Out): Respective of whether processing is based on consent or legal permission, you have the option at any time to object to the processing of your data using cookie technologies or to revoke consent (collectively referred to as "opt-out"). You can initially explain your objection using the settings of your browser, e.g. by deactivating the use of cookies (which may also restrict the functionality of our online services). An objection to the use of cookies for online marketing purposes can be raised for a large number of services, especially in the case of tracking, via the websites https://www.aboutads.info/choices/ and https://www.youronlinechoices.com. In addition, you can receive further information on objections in the context of the information on the used service providers and cookies.
Processing Cookie Data on the Basis of Consent: Before we process or have processed data within the context of the usage of cookies, we ask the users for their consent, which can be revoked at any time. Before the consent has not been given, we may use cookies that are necessary for the operation of our online services.
Cookie Settings/ Opt-Out:
This website uses Usercentrics that sets a technically necessary cookie (usercentrics cookie) to store your cookie consent.
Usercentrics does not process any personal data.
Usercentrics stores the consent you gave when you entered the website. If you wish to revoke these consents, simply delete the cookie in your browser. When you enter/reload the website, you will be asked again for your cookie consent.
If you want to change the settings you made previously, you can do so at any time. To do this, open the selection menu via the fingerprint symbol displayed in the lower left corner of your screen.
In order to provide our online services securely and efficiently, we use the services of one or more web hosting providers from whose servers (or servers they manage) the online services can be accessed. For these purposes, we may use infrastructure and platform services, computing capacity, storage space and database services, as well as security and technical maintenance services.
The data processed within the framework of the provision of the hosting services may include all information relating to the users of our online services that is collected in the course of use and communication. This regularly includes the IP address, which is necessary to be able to deliver the contents of online services to browsers, and all entries made within our online services or from websites.
Collection of Access Data and Log Files: We, ourselves or our web hosting provider, collect data on the basis of each access to the server (so-called server log files). Server log files may include the address and name of the web pages and files accessed, the date and time of access, data volumes transferred, notification of successful access, browser type and version, the user's operating system, referrer URL (the previously visited page) and, as a general rule, IP addresses and the requesting provider.
The server log files can be used for security purposes, e.g. to avoid overloading the servers (especially in the case of abusive attacks, so-called DDoS attacks) and to ensure the stability and optimal load balancing of the servers .
We use blogos or comparable means of online communication and publication (hereinafter "publication medium"). Readers' data will only be processed for the purposes of the publication medium to the extent necessary for its presentation and communication between authors and readers or for security reasons. For the rest, we refer to the information on the processing of visitors to our publication medium within the scope of this privacy policy.
Services and service providers being used:
When contacting us (e.g. by contact form, e-mail, telephone or via social media), the data of the inquiring persons are processed insofar as this is necessary to answer the contact enquiries and any requested activities.
The response to contact enquiries within the framework of contractual or pre-contractual relationships is made in order to fulfil our contractual obligations or to respond to (pre)contractual enquiries and otherwise on the basis of the legitimate interests in responding to the enquiries.
Services and service providers being used:
The application process requires applicants to provide us with the data necessary for their assessment and selection. The information required can be found in the job description or, in the case of online forms, in the information contained therein.
In principle, the required information includes personal information such as name, address, a contact option and proof of the qualifications required for a particular employment. Upon request, we will be happy to provide you with additional information.
If made available, applicants can submit their applications via an online form. The data will be transmitted to us encrypted according to the state of the art. Applicants can also send us their applications by e-mail. Please note, however, that e-mails on the Internet are generally not sent in encrypted form. As a rule, e-mails are encrypted during transport, but not on the servers from which they are sent and received. We can therefore accept no responsibility for the transmission path of the application between the sender and the reception on our server. For the purposes of searching for applicants, submitting applications and selecting applicants, we may make use of the applicant management and recruitment software, platforms and services of third-party providers in compliance with legal requirements. Applicants are welcome to contact us about how to submit their application or send it to us by regular mail.
Processing of special categories of data: If special categories of personal data within the meaning of Article 9 (1) GDPR (e.g. health data, such as severely handicapped status or ethnic origin) are requested from applicants within the framework of the application procedure, so that the responsible person or the person concerned can exercise his/her rights arising from labour law and social security and social protection law and fulfil his/her duties in this regard, their processing shall be carried out in accordance with Article 9 (1)(b) GDPR, in the case of the protection of vital interests of applicants or other persons pursuant to Article 9 (1)(c) GDPR or for the purposes of preventive health care or occupational medicine, for the assessment of the employee's ability to work, for medical diagnostics, care or treatment in the health or social sector or for the administration of systems and services in the health or social sector in accordance with Article 9 (1)(h) GDPR. In the case of a communication of special categories of data based on voluntary consent, their processing is carried out on the basis of Article 9 (1)(a) GDPR.
Ereasure of data: In the event of a successful application, the data provided by the applicants may be further processed by us for the purposes of the employment relationship. Otherwise, if the application for a job offer is not successful, the applicant's data will be deleted. Applicants' data will also be deleted if an application is withdrawn, to which applicants are entitled at any time. Subject to a justified revocation by the applicant, the deletion will take place at the latest after the expiry of a period of six months, so that we can answer any follow-up questions regarding the application and comply with our duty of proof under the regulations on equal treatment of applicants. Invoices for any reimbursement of travel expenses are archived in accordance with tax regulations.
Admission to a talent pool - Admission to an talent pool, if offered, is based on consent. Applicants are informed that their consent to be included in the talent pool is voluntary, has no influence on the current application process and that they can revoke their consent at any time for the future.
Services and service providers being used:
We send newsletters, e-mails and other electronic communications (hereinafter referred to as "newsletters") only with the consent of the recipient or a legal permission. Insofar as the contents of the newsletter are specifically described within the framework of registration, they are decisive for the consent of the user. Otherwise, our newsletters contain information about our services and us.
In order to subscribe to our newsletters, it is generally sufficient to enter your e-mail address. We may, however, ask you to provide a name for the purpose of contacting you personally in the newsletter or to provide further information if this is required for the purposes of the newsletter.
Double opt-in procedure: The registration to our newsletter takes place in general in a so-called Double-Opt-In procedure. This means that you will receive an e-mail after registration asking you to confirm your registration. This confirmation is necessary so that no one can register with external e-mail addresses.
The registrations for the newsletter are logged in order to be able to prove the registration process according to the legal requirements. This includes storing the login and confirmation times as well as the IP address. Likewise, the changes of your data stored with the dispatch service provider are logged.
Deletion and restriction of processing: We may store the unsubscribed email addresses for up to three years based on our legitimate interests before deleting them to provide evidence of prior consent. The processing of these data is limited to the purpose of a possible defense against claims. An individual deletion request is possible at any time, provided that the former existence of a consent is confirmed at the same time. In the case of an obligation to permanently observe an objection, we reserve the right to store the e-mail address solely for this purpose in a blacklist.
Information on legal bases: The sending of the newsletter is based on the consent of the recipients or, if consent is not required, on the basis of our legitimate interests in direct marketing. Insofar as we engage a service provider for sending e-mails, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests. The registration procedure is recorded on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purpose of demonstrating that it has been conducted in accordance with the law.
Contents: Information about ELEMENT, our services, products, promotions and offers as well as general information from the insurance industry.
Analysis and performance measurement: The newsletters contain a so-called "web-beacon", i.e. a pixel-sized file, which is retrieved from our server when the newsletter is opened or, if we use a mailing service provider, from its server. Within the scope of this retrieval, technical information such as information about the browser and your system, as well as your IP address and time of retrieval are first collected.
This information is used for the technical improvement of our newsletter on the basis of technical data or target groups and their reading behaviour on the basis of their retrieval points (which can be determined with the help of the IP address) or access times. This analysis also includes determining whether newsletters are opened, when they are opened and which links are clicked. For technical reasons, this information can be assigned to the individual newsletter recipients. It is, however, neither our endeavor nor, if used, that of the shipping service provider to observe individual users. The evaluations serve us much more to recognize the reading habits of our users and to adapt our content to them or to send different content according to the interests of our users.
The evaluation of the newsletter and the measurement of success is carried out, subject to the express consent of the user, on the basis of our legitimate interests for the purposes of using a user-friendly and secure newsletter system which serves both our business interests and the expectations of the user.
A separate objection to the performance measurement is unfortunately not possible, in this case the entire newsletter subscription must be cancelled or objected to.
Services and service providers being used:
Web analysis is used to evaluate the visitor traffic on our website and may include the behaviour, interests or demographic information of users, such as age or gender, as pseudonymous values. With the help of web analysis we can e.g. recognize, at which time our online services or their functions or contents are most frequently used or requested for repeatedly, as well as which areas require optimization.
In addition to web analysis, we can also use test procedures, e.g. to test and optimize different versions of our online services or their components.
For these purposes, so-called user profiles can be created and stored in a file (so-called "cookie") or similar procedures in which the relevant user information for the aforementioned analyses is stored. This information may include, for example, content viewed, web pages visited and elements and technical data used there, such as the browser used, computer system used and information on times of use. If users have consented to the collection of their location data, these may also be processed, depending on the provider.
The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use any existing IP masking procedure (i.e. pseudonymisation by shortening the IP address) to protect the user. In general, within the framework of web analysis, A/B testing and optimisation, no user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) is stored, but pseudonyms. This means that we, as well as the providers of the software used, do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles for the purposes of the respective processes.
Information on legal basis: If we ask the users for their consent to the use of third party providers, the legal basis of the processing is consent. Furthermore, the processing can be a component of our (pre)contractual services, provided that the use of the third party was agreed within this context. Otherwise, user data will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in efficient, economic and recipient friendly services). In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.
Services and service providers being used:
In order to provide our services efficiently and speedily, ELEMENT sometimes uses natural language processing software to process written enquiries. Natural Language Processing (NLP) enables computers to intelligently analyse and understand text-based information and derive meaning from it. In order to use the software in a useful way, it is necessary to train it. For this purpose, historical data from queries are entered into the software and then errors in language processing are manually corrected in order to familiarise the software's algorithm with the specifics of ELEMENT's business operations (so-called machine learning). The software is not used to make automated decisions, such as on insurance applications or claims payments. It is only used to filter certain information from written enquiries so that they are automatically transferred to our systems and can be processed by a customer service representative.
During processing, various technical and organisational measures are taken to ensure that the protection of the data remains guaranteed. Thus, no special categories of data pursuant to Art. 9 DSGVO are processed in this way. As far as possible, only pseudonymised data is processed, and the data is also encrypted during transmission and storage. The service provider used has numerous certifications that prove secure processing of the data and is audited annually.
Services used and service providers:
We process personal data for the purposes of online marketing, which may include in particular the marketing of advertising space or the display of advertising and other content (collectively referred to as "Content") based on the potential interests of users and the measurement of their effectiveness.
For these purposes, so-called user profiles are created and stored in a file (so-called "cookie") or similar procedure in which the relevant user information for the display of the aforementioned content is stored. This information may include, for example, content viewed, websites visited, online networks used, communication partners and technical information such as the browser used, computer system used and information on usage times. If users have consented to the collection of their sideline data, these can also be processed.
The IP addresses of the users are also stored. However, we use provided IP masking procedures (i.e. pseudonymisation by shortening the IP address) to ensure the protection of the user's by using a pseudonym. In general, within the framework of the online marketing process, no clear user data (such as e-mail addresses or names) is secured, but pseudonyms. This means that we, as well as the providers of online marketing procedures, do not know the actual identity of the users, but only the information stored in their profiles.
The information in the profiles is usually stored in the cookies or similar memorizing procedures. These cookies can later, generally also on other websites that use the same online marketing technology, be read and analyzed for purposes of content display, as well as supplemented with other data and stored on the server of the online marketing technology provider.
Exceptionally, clear data can be assigned to the profiles. This is the case, for example, if the users are members of a social network whose online marketing technology we use and the network links the profiles of the users in the aforementioned data. Please note that users may enter into additional agreements with the social network providers or other service providers, e.g. by consenting as part of a registration process.
As a matter of principle, we only gain access to summarised information about the performance of our advertisements. However, within the framework of so-called conversion measurement, we can check which of our online marketing processes have led to a so-called conversion, i.e. to the conclusion of a contract with us. The conversion measurement is used alone for the performance analysis of our marketing activities.
Unless otherwise stated, we kindly ask you to consider that cookies used will be stored for a period of two years.
Information on legal basis: If we ask users for their consent (e.g. in the context of a so-called "cookie banner consent"), the legal basis for processing data for online marketing purposes is this consent. Otherwise, user data will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation and economic operation of our online services. In this context, we would also like to refer you to the information on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.
Services and service providers being used:
We maintain online presences within social networks and process user data in this context in order to communicate with the users active there or to offer information about us.
We would like to point out that user data may be processed outside the European Union. This may entail risks for users, e.g. by making it more difficult to enforce users' rights.
In addition, user data is usually processed within social networks for market research and advertising purposes. For example, user profiles can be created on the basis of user behaviour and the associated interests of users. The user profiles can then be used, for example, to place advertisements within and outside the networks which are presumed to correspond to the interests of the users. For these purposes, cookies are usually stored on the user's computer, in which the user's usage behaviour and interests are stored. Furthermore, data can be stored in the user profiles independently of the devices used by the users (especially if the users are members of the respective networs or will become members later on).
For a detailed description of the respective processing operations and the opt-out options, please refer to the respective data protection declarations and information provided by the providers of the respective networks.
Also in the case of requests for information and the exercise of rights of data subjects, we point out that these can be most effectively pursued with the providers. Only the providers have access to the data of the users and can directly take appropriate measures and provide information. If you still need help, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Services and service providers being used:
Within our online services, we integrate functional and content elements that are obtained from the servers of their respective providers (hereinafter referred to as "third-party providers"). These may, for example, be graphics, videos or social media buttons as well as contributions (hereinafter uniformly referred to as "Content").
The integration always presupposes that the third-party providers of this content process the IP address of the user, since they could not send the content to their browser without the IP address. The IP address is therefore required for the presentation of these contents or functions. We strive to use only those contents, whose respective offerers use the IP address only for the distribution of the contents. Third parties may also use so-called pixel tags (invisible graphics, also known as "web beacons") for statistical or marketing purposes. The "pixel tags" can be used to evaluate information such as visitor traffic on the pages of this website. The pseudonymous information may also be stored in cookies on the user's device and may include technical information about the browser and operating system, referring websites, visit times and other information about the use of our website, as well as may be linked to such information from other sources.
Information on legal basis: If we ask users for their consent (e.g. in the context of a so-called "cookie banner consent"), the legal basis for processing is this consent. Otherwise, user data will be processed on the basis of our legitimate interests (i.e. interest in the analysis, optimisation and economic operation of our online services. We refer you to the note on the use of cookies in this privacy policy.
Services and service providers being used:
The data processed by us will be erased in accordance with the statutory provisions as soon as their processing is revoked or other permissions no longer apply (e.g. if the purpose of processing this data no longer applies or they are not required for the purpose).
If the data is not deleted because they are required for other and legally permissible purposes, their processing is limited to these purposes. This means that the data will be restricted and not processed for other purposes. This applies, for example, to data that must be stored for commercial or tax reasons or for which storage is necessary to assert, exercise or defend legal claims or to protect the rights of another natural or legal person.
Further information on the erasure of personal data can also be found in the individual data protection notices of this privacy policy.
We kindly ask you to inform yourself regularly about the contents of our data protection declaration. We will adjust the privacy policy as changes in our data processing practices make this necessary. We will inform you as soon as the changes require your cooperation (e.g. consent) or other individual notification.
If we provide addresses and contact information of companies and organizations in this privacy policy, we ask you to note that addresses may change over time and to verify the information before contacting us.
As data subject, you are entitled to various rights under the GDPR, which arise in particular from Articles 15 to 21 of the GDPR:
Supervisory authority competent for us:
Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit, Friedrichstr. 219, 10969 Berlin
This section provides an overview of the terms used in this privacy policy. Many of the terms are drawn from the law and defined mainly in Article 4 GDPR. The legal definitions are binding. The following explanations, on the other hand, are intended above all for the purpose of comprehension. The terms are sorted alphabetically.