Privacy Statement for SoluForce

1. Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is intended to inform you about how SoluForce B.V. (part of the Wienerberger Group) uses personal data, what information about the users of our website(s), online applications or our mobile platforms (“online services”) is collected and evaluated, and subsequently used, passed on to third parties or processed in any other way.

This Privacy Policy applies SoluForce B.V. (part of the Wienerberger Group). It does not apply to online services of other companies of the Wienerberger Group or for online services operated by third parties.

2. Collection of information

2.1. Data provided by you

As a rule, disclosure of personal data is not required for the use of our online services. If personal data (name, postal address or email address) are collected within the framework of our online services, this is done, as far as possible, on a voluntary basis. If, for instance, you wish to receive the Newsletter offered on our website, we require your email address as well as information that enables us to verify that you are the owner of the email address indicated.

2.2. Automatically collected data

For reasons of data security and for the purposes of optimizing user-friendliness, we also collect non-personal data in connection with the use of our online services. For example, the Internet browser used, the operating system, the domain name of the website you last visited before accessing our website, the number of visits and the average time spent on our website, as well as the pages you accessed, are stored.

Such automatically collected data are not associated with data from other sources. However, we reserve the right to retrospectively verify such data, if any concrete indications of unlawful usage are brought to our attention.

2.3. Cookies and web beacons

Our online services use so-called browser cookies and web beacons. Cookies do not cause any harm on your computer. They are small files with configuration settings that help us to make our online services user-friendlier, more effective and more secure. Moreover, cookies serve to implement certain user functions.

Our online services typically use “session cookies”, which are automatically deleted when the browser is closed. Occasionally, they also use “persistent cookies”, which remain on your device until they expire or are manually deleted. The latter enable us to recognize your browser at your next visit. For details on “third party cookies”, i.e. cookies of third-party providers, such as Google Inc., please refer to the privacy rules of such providers.

You can adjust your browser or the privacy settings of your mobile devices to be notified whenever a cookie is sent to your device so that you can decide whether or not to allow a cookie on a case-by-case basis. You can also disable the acceptance of cookies, in certain cases only or by default, and activate the automatic deletion of copies every time you close your browser. However, you should bear in mind that some functions of our online services may not be fully accessible if you deactivate cookies.

Moreover, we use web beacons, also called page tags, to analyze the effectiveness of our website or our newsletters. For example, our Newsletters and HTML emails may contain a web beacon that determines if the email or the links transmitted by email have been opened. Such information helps us to improve our email service and to adjust our contents to user needs. Deletion of the email also deletes the web beacon. It goes without saying that our regular text emails do not contain web beacons.

2.4. Web analysis

For the purposes of continuous functional optimization and maximum user-friendliness, some of our online services use the web analysis services and social plugins listed below. The data used for this purpose are exclusively non-personal.

Google Analytics: Google Analytics of Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043, USA, uses so-called cookies, i.e. text files stored on your computer for an analysis of your usage of our online services. As a rule, the data about your user behavior gathered by the cookie are transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. In case of activation of IP anonymization in the online services, Google will truncate your IP address in Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and truncated there. On behalf of the operator of the online services, Google will use the information to evaluate your usage of the online services, to compile reports on these activities, and to provide other services for the website operator relating to the usage of online services and Internet activity. The IP address transmitted by your browser within the framework of Google Analytics will not be associated with any other data held by Google. You can prevent the storage of cookies by selecting the appropriate setting on your browser. However, in this case you will not be able to make full use of all the functions of our online services. Moreover, you can prevent the collection of data generated by cookies and their use by Google by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en). For detailed information on the terms of use and privacy rules, please refer to
https://www.google.com/analytics/terms/gb.html or https://www.google.com/policies/ /.

Facebook Plugins (“Share button”): You can recognize Plugins of Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA by the Facebook logo or the “share button”. For an overview of Facebook plugins, please click here: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/. When you use our online services, the plugin establishes a direct connection between your browser and the Facebook server. Thus, Facebook is informed that you have been using our online services with your IP address. When you click on the Facebook “share button” while you are logged in at your Facebook account, you can link the contents of our online services to your Facebook profile. Facebook can then associate the use of our online services with your user account. We wish to point out that we, as the provider of the online services, do not obtain any knowledge of the content of the data transmitted and their usage by Facebook. For further information, please refer to Facebook’s privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/policy.php. If you do not want to allow Facebook to associate the usage of our online services with your Facebook user account, please log off from your Facebook user account.

Hotjar: For an improved user experience, some of our online services use Hotjar software (http://www.hotjar.com, 3 Lyons Range, 20 Bisazza Street, Sliema SLM 1640, Malta, Europe). Hotjar enables us to measure and evaluate user activities (mouse movements, clicks, scroll height). For this purpose, Hotjar places cookies on the user’s device and can store user data, e.g. browser information, operating system, time spent on the website, etc. For details about data processing by Hotjar, please refer to https://www.hotjar.com/privacy/.

Siteimprove: Siteimprove Analytics, a web analysis service of Siteimprove A/S (Sankt Annæ Plads 28, 1250 Copenhagen, Denmark), uses cookies. i.e. text files that are stored on your computer and analyze the usage of our online services. Information on the usage of our online services (including the encrypted IP address of the user) collected through cookies is transmitted to a Siteimprove server in Denmark and stored there. Siteimprove uses such information to evaluate the usage of online services and to compile reports. Siteimprove does not transmit such information to third parties. Siteimprove stores and processes the data collected in conformity with German data protection rules. The user can prevent the installation of cookies by selecting the appropriate setting of the browser software. In that case, not all functions of the online services may be accessible to the user in their entirety. For further information, please refer to Siteimprove’s privacy policy at: https://siteimprove.com/en/privacy/ 

2.5. Social media and web presence

SoluForce B.V. cooperates with various providers of social media networks. As part of this cooperation, your browser is automatically connected to the selected service provider (e.g. Facebook) when you use the respective service. For example, your IP address, cookies and other information will be transmitted to the respective service provider if you have previously visited their website. This data transfer is prevented by us as far as possible and only takes place if you interact with the social media network. If you are logged in to the appropriate social network platform, it can associate your visit to our website with your user account.

In addition, we use plug-ins (such as the Facebook icon) from various platforms. By clicking on the respective icon you agree to the communication with the respective platform and the transmission of information (e.g. IP address) to the respective service provider. By activating a plugin, the respective social network receives the information that the browser has called up the corresponding page of our website. This also applies if you do not have an account or are not currently logged in. This information (including the IP address) is transmitted directly from the browser to a server of the respective social network and stored there.

If you are logged in to one of the social networks during your visit to our website, the social network can assign the visit to our website directly to your network account with the plugin activated at the same time. If you interact with the plugins, for example by clicking the "I like" button or making a comment, the corresponding information is also transmitted directly to a social network server and stored there. The information may also be published on the social network and displayed to your Facebook friends or Twitter followers.

The purpose and scope of data collection and the further processing and use of the data by the respective social network as well as your relevant rights and setting options for the protection of your privacy can be found in the data protection information of the respective social network.

This SoluForce B.V. website uses so-called social plugins ("plugins") of the following social networks:

Facebook Plugins ("Share button"): You can recognize Plugins of Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA by the Facebook logo or the "share button". For an overview of Facebook plugins, please click here: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/. When you use our online services, the plugin establishes a direct connection between your browser and the Facebook server. Thus, Facebook is informed that you have been using our online services with your IP address. When you click on the Facebook "share button" while you are logged in at your Facebook account, you can link the contents of our online services to your Facebook profile. Facebook can then associate the use of our online services with your user account. We wish to point out that we, as the provider of the online services, do not obtain any knowledge of the content of the data transmitted and their usage by Facebook. For further information, please refer to Facebook's privacy policy at https://www.facebook.com/policy.php. If you do not want to allow Facebook to associate the usage of our online services with your Facebook user account, please log off from your Facebook user account.

Xing: Every time you access one of our online services that uses functions of the Xing network of XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany, a connection to the Xing servers is established. As far as we know, no personal data are stored. In particular, Xing does not store IP addresses or evaluate user activities. For further information, please refer to Xing's privacy policy at https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection.

YouTube: YouTube is operated by Google, i.e. by YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Ave., San Bruno, CA 94066, USA. When you are using one of our online services equipped with a YouTube plugin, a connection to the YouTube servers is established and information about the online services you are using is communicated to the YouTube server. When you are logged in to your YouTube account, you allow YouTube to associate your browsing activity directly with your personal profile. You can prevent that by logging off from your YouTube account. For further information about YouTube's usage of user data, please refer to YouTube's privacy policy at https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/.

Twitter: The Twitter service is provided by Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. When you are using Twitter and the "re-tweet" function, the online services used by you are linked with your Twitter account and communicated to other users. At the same time, data are transmitted to Twitter. We wish to point out that we, as the provider of the online services, are not made aware of the content of the data transmitted and their usage by Twitter. For further information, please refer to Twitter's privacy policy at http://twitter.com/privacy. You can change the privacy settings of your Twitter account at: http://twitter.com/account/settings.

Kununu: Operator of the kununu website and responsible party in terms of data protection law: XING SE, Dammtorstraße 30, 20354 Hamburg, Germany. By clicking on the Kununug button, Kununu's Wienberger employer-presentation-page opens. As far as personal data (e.g. e-mail addresses) is collected on their pages, this is always done as far as possible on a voluntary basis. The use of the offers and services is, as far as possible, always possible without providing personal data. For more information, please see Kununu's privacy policy at https://privacy.xing.com/en/privacy-policy

LinkedIn: The provider of the Linkedlin network is LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Every time you access one of our online services containing LinkedIn functions, a connection with LinkedIn servers is established. LinkedIn is informed that you are using our online services with your IP address. When you click on the "recommend button" of LinkedIn while being logged in at LinkedIn, your usage of our online services can be associated with you and your user account. We wish to point out that we, as the provider of our online services, are not made aware of the content of the data transmitted and their usage by LinkedIn. For further information, please refer to LinkedIn's privacy policy at: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

Userlike: On some of our online services we use a chatbox that is provided by Userlike (Userlike UG (haftungsbeschränkt) Probsteigasse 44-46, 50670 Köln). Userlike enables website visitors to get into contact with SoluForce B.V. For details about data processing by Userlike, please refer to https://www.userlike.com/nl/terms#privacy-policy.

MailChimp: To send out newsletters we use a tool provided by MailChimp (The Rocket Science Group, LLC, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Suite 5000, Atlanta, GA 30308 USA). MailChimp enables us to set up mailings and send them out through their website application. For details about data processing by MailChimp, please refer to  https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/?_ga=2.110207884.882295301.1524725301-1677034186.1504683119.

3. Use of personal data

As a matter of principle, personal data provided by you are processed and used by us exclusively for the purposes specified. These include, in particular:

• Provision, improvement and support of our online services: This includes data analyses, the identification of usage trends, as well as calculations and statistics on user access patterns.
• Marketing: Your personal data will only be used for marketing purposes, such as surveys, raffles or other advertising campaigns, if you have agreed to such uses. In this case, your data will be stored for the duration of 36 months/ 3 years after the latest marketing activity, unless longer storage is legally permissible for other reasons. Your consent to use your personal data for marketing purposes can be withdrawn at any time. For details, see item 5.
• Mailing of the Newsletter: If you fill in the web form to register for our Newsletter, we exclusively use the data provided by you to verify that you are the owner of the email address indicated and wish to receive the Newsletter, to compile a mailing list, and to analyze the usage of our Newsletter. In this case, your data will be stored for the duration of 36 months/ 3 years after termination of subscription, unless longer storage is legally permissible for other reasons. Your data will only be used by us for further purposes, if you have agreed to such uses.
• Ordering of reports or other information materials: If you order reports or other information materials from us, the personal information provided by you is used exclusively for processing your order and will subsequently be stored for a maximum period of 36 months/ 3 years after the last consignment. For the execution of orders, we may use the services of third parties to whom we transmit your data exclusively for the purpose of executing your order. For further purposes, we only use the personal data provided by you, if you have given us your consent.
• Use of contact form: If you use the contact form for enquiries, the information provided by you in the contact form, including your contact data, is used to process the enquiry and stored for later use in case follow-up questions arise. If necessary for the purpose of processing your enquiry we can also transmit your personal data to other companies of the Wienerberger group (see item 4) or to third parties involved. Your personal data will be stored for the duration of processing the enquiry and a maximum period of 36 months/ 3 years after completion of processing, unless longer storage is legally permissible for other reasons.
• Job exchange: Job applications contain personal data (e.g. curriculum vitae, contact data, etc.). We can use such personal data within the Wienerberger Group (see item 4) to decide on whether to offer the applicant a position or to reply to the letter of application. Only if you explicitly agree, we will keep the data on record for a maximum period of three years after the last contact (unless longer storage is legally permissible for other reasons) for possible consideration at a later point in time.
• Execution and administration of contracts: For the execution of incoming orders (especially orders for materials) we use the services of third parties to whom we transmit your data exclusively for the purpose of executing your order. In connection with such transactions, you may be contacted within the framework of customer satisfaction surveys or for market research purposes. If you ask us not to use your data for further contacts, we will certainly respect your wish.
• Protection of rights and property: If we have reason to believe that the rights and the property of SoluForce B.V. (part of the Wienerberger Group), its suppliers and customers or third parties have been or could be impaired, we can use and transmit your personal data in order to protect such rights and/or such property. Moreover, we reserve the right to disclose your personal data, provided such disclosure is required by law or by order of competent authorities, to safeguard due process in accordance with the procedure indicated on our website(s), and to protect the aforementioned rights.
• Cleansing and consolidation of data: From time to time, the personal data provided by you can be cross-checked against or consolidated with (i) data from our existing registers (online and offline), (ii) data taken over from a legal predecessor, or (iii) data from other sources.

4. Transmission and disclosure of your personal information

Depending on the type of interaction you requested (e.g. call to be returned, placement of an order, request for services, information, etc.), your data may be exchanged with third parties involved in order execution (e.g. mail order companies, banks, etc.) or other companies of the Wienerberger Group. We may also be required to disclose personal data in order to meet legal requirements or to enforce rights and agreements.

• Transmission of data to third parties: For the execution of certain orders and for the provision of certain services we work with external providers (e.g. forwarding agents). Such providers are allowed to use or transmit the data collected and processed by us for no other purpose but execution of the order placed by SoluForce B.V. (part of the Wienerberger Group).
• Usage of data within the Group: SoluForce B.V. is part of the Wienerberger Group, an international group of companies with cross-border internal operational processes, structures and technical systems. We may use your personal data within the Wienerberger Group and, if need arises, transmit them to our sites in other countries for the purposes indicated under Item 3 and in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Our Group-wide data protection guidelines and procedures are designed in such a way as to ensure an equally high level of data protection in all countries we operate in. For a complete list of the companies of our Group, please click https://www.wienerberger.com/contact or https://www.wienerberger.com/en/about/locations.html.
• Compliance with laws and similar obligations: We will transmit your personal data in order to (i) enforce or comply with a law, a regulation, an order issued by a public authority or compulsory measures, (ii) detect and prevent security threats, fraud or other malicious activities, (iii) protect and/or enforce the rights and the property of SoluForce B.V. (part of the Wienerberger Group) or of third parties, and (iv) protect the rights and the personal security of our employees and of third persons.

5. Right to information, right of withdrawal and deletion of your personal data

You have the right to request information in writing about your personal data stored by us. Moreover, in connection with the use of your personal data, you have the right to correction, deletion, suppression or restriction of processing as well as the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection authority. Please address such requests as well as any other questions to the contact point indicated under item 7.

If you have subscribed to our Newsletter, you can cancel your subscription by clicking on the “Opt Out” or cancellation link in the Newsletter or by sending an email to info@soluforce.com in which you clearly state that you do not wish to receive newsletters. If you wish to withdraw your consent to the storage or use of your data, you can, of course, also send us an email to the address indicated under item 7.

6. Data security

SoluForce B.V. (part of the Wienerberger Group) employs a large variety of data security measures to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your personal information. However, given the nature of the Internet, we wish to draw your attention to the fact that there may be security gaps in data transmission via the Internet (e.g. communication by email) and that complete protection of data from access by third parties is not possible.

7. Contact

For any questions relating to this Privacy Policy or the processing of your data, please contact: