Privacy policy

The Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) takes the protection of your personal data very seriously, which is why we only process personal data to the extent necessary. The kind of data we collect and process for what purposes largely depends on the type of service you are using or on the task for which we need it.

Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data or an online identifier.

This privacy policy sets out which data we collect, for what purpose and on what basis, how to contact the controller and data protection officer, and your rights in relation to the processing of personal data.

I. Name and Address of the Data Controller

The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation and other EU member states’ national data protection laws as well as other data protection regulations is:

Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen (BMWSB)
Krausenstraße 17 – 18
10117 Berlin
Email: BI4(at)bmwsb.bund.de

II. Name and Address of the Data Protection Officer

The data protection officer of the controller is:

Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen (BMWSB)
– Data protection officer–
Krausenstraße 17 – 18
10117 Berlin
Email: datenschutzbeauftragter(at)bmwsb.bund.de

III. General Information on Data Processing

1. Extent to which personal data is processed

We collect and use our users' personal data only to the extent necessary to provide a functional website and our content and services. We generally only collect and use our users' personal data with their consent. Exceptions are only made in cases where it is not possible to obtain prior consent for practical reasons and the processing of the data is permitted by law.

2. Data erasure and storage period

We delete or block users’ personal data as soon as the purpose for storing it no longer applies. We may also store such data if required by the European or national legislator in EU regulations, laws or other provisions to which the controller is subject. The data will also be blocked or erased if a storage period prescribed by the aforementioned standards expires, unless there is a need for further storage of the data for the conclusion or fulfilment of a contract.

IV. Provision of the Website and Creation of Log Files

1. Description and extent of data processing

Every time our website is accessed, our system automatically collects data and information from the computer system of the accessing computer.

When doing so, it collects the following data:

  1. Information about the browser type and version
  2. User's operating system
  3. User's IP address (which makes it possible to identify the Internet access provider used to access this website))
  4. Date and time of access
  5. Websites from which the user's system accesses our website via a link (so-called referrer websites), insofar as such data is transmitted to our website by the user's browser. If the link to our website via which the user accesses the website contains personal data (e.g. an e-mail address), it would also be possible to identify the user's IP address
  6. Scope of the data transferred
  7. http status code (e.g. signalling the successful transfer of data accessed by a user incl. images)
  8. File names of the content users access on our website

This data will not be stored together with other personal data on the user.

2. Legal basis for data processing

The legal basis for the temporary storage of the data and log files is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

The temporary storage of the IP address by the system is necessary to enable the website to be delivered to the user's computer. In order to do so, the user's IP address has to be stored for the duration of the session.

Data is stored in log files to ensure that the website functions properly. We also use the data to optimise the website and to ensure the security of our IT systems. The data is not analysed for marketing purposes in this context.

These purposes are also in our legitimate interest in data processing in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

3. Storage duration

The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected. When data is collected for the purpose of providing the website, this will be the case when the session is terminated.

If the data is stored in log files, this will be the case after a maximum of seven days. Storage beyond this point in time is possible. In this case, the user's IP address will be deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer be attributed to the accessing client.

4. Right to objection and erasure

The collection of data for the provision of the website and the storage of data in log files is absolutely necessary for the operation of the website. For this reason, it will not be possible for users to object.

5. Encrypted Data Transfer

During data transmission, the connection is encrypted using SSL (https). This protects your data from unauthorised access to the maximum extent technically possible.

V. Use of Cookies

a) Description and extent of data processing

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are text files that are stored on or by browsers on a user's computer system. When a user accesses a website, a cookie may be stored on the user's operating system. This cookie contains a characteristic string of characters that enables the browser to be uniquely identified when the website is called up again.

We use cookies to make our website more user-friendly. Some elements of our website also require the accessing browser to be identified if the user changes from one page to another.

We also use cookies on our website that allow us to analyse users’ browsing behaviour.

These cookies may transmit the following data to our website:

  1. Search terms
  2. File names of the content users access on our website
  3. Use of website features
  4. First and last page accessed when visiting our website

The user data collected in this way is always automatically anonymised. This means that it is not possible to assign the data to users accessing the website. The data is not stored together with other personal user data.

When accessing our website, users are notified about the use of cookies for analysis purposes and they are asked to consent to the processing of their personal data in this context, and are referred to this privacy policy.

b) Legal basis for data processing

The legal basis for processing personal data using technically necessary cookies is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

If users have consented to the same, the legal basis for processing personal data using cookies for analytical purposes is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

c) Purpose of data processing

The purpose of using technically necessary cookies is to simplify the use of the websites for users. Some of our website’s features cannot be provided without the use of cookies. These features also require that the browser is recognised even after a page change.

The user data collected by technically necessary cookies is not used to create user profiles.

d) Storage duration, right to object and right to erasure

Cookies are stored on the user's computer and transmitted by it to our website. As a user, you therefore have full control over the use of cookies. You can disable or restrict the transmission of cookies by changing the settings in your Internet browser. Cookies that have already been saved can be deleted at any time. This can also be done automatically. If cookies are disabled for our website, it may no longer be possible to use all of our website's features to their full extent.

VI. Email Contact

1. Description and extent of data processing

It is possible to contact us via our website using the email address provided. In this case, we will store the user's personal data that has been transmitted to us through the email.

This data will not be passed on to any third parties and will only be used to process the user’s enquiry.

2. Legal basis for data processing

If users have consented to the same, the legal basis for processing this data is Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

The legal basis for processing data transmitted as part of contacting us by email is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

3. Storage duration

The data will be deleted as soon as it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected. For personal data sent by email, this is the case when the respective conversation with the user has ended. The conversation has ended when circumstances indicate that the matter in question has been resolved.

The additional personal data collected during the transmission process will be deleted after a maximum period of seven days.

4. Right to objection and erasure

Users have the right to revoke their consent to the processing of personal data at any time. When users contacts us by email, they can also object to the storage of their personal data at any time. In this case, we will not be able to continue the relevant conversation.

For either of the above, users can contact the Department of QNG at the following address:

Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR)
im Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung (BBR)
Referat II 5 Nachhaltiges Bauen
Nicolas Kerz
Straße des 17. Juni 112
10623 Berlin
Telephone: +49 30 18 401-3402
Fax: +49 30 18 401-2769
nachhaltiges-bauen(at)bbr.bund.de
www.nachhaltigesbauen.de

In this case, all of the personal data stored as part of the process of contacting us will be deleted.

VII. Your Rights

– Right to information, Art. 15 GDPR
– Right to rectification, Art. 16 GDPR
– Right to rectification and erasure, Art. 17 GDPR
– Right to restriction of processing, Art. 18 GDPR
– Right to object to collection, processing and/or use, Art. 21 GDPR
– Right to data portability, Art. 20 GDPR

If the BMWSB processes any of your personal data, you have the following rights regarding the personal data concerning you:

If the processing of personal data is based on your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR), you can withdraw this consent at any time for the relevant purpose. The lawfulness of the processing based on your consent remains unaffected until receipt of your withdrawal.

You can make use of any of the rights by contacting us at BI48(at)bmwsb.bund.de.

In accordance with Art. 77 GDPR, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority.

In the event of questions or complaints, you can also contact the BMWSB's data protection officer.

VIII. Miscellaneous

1. Changes to the privacy policy

We reserve the right to adapt our website and privacy policy, e.g. in the event of changes to the legal situation and/or the introduction of new features. In this event, the updated privacy policy published on this page at the time of your next visit will then apply.

2. Use by minors under the age of 16 not permitted

Our websites and services are not intended for use by minors under the age of 16 and we do not knowingly collect and store data relating to the same. Persons under the age of 16 may not transmit any personal data to us without the consent of their parents or legal guardians.

IX. Use of the “QNG-Bot” chatbot 

We use the chatbot ‘QNG-Bot’ from Dr Schengber & Friends GmbH, Schorlemerstr. 12-14, D-48143 Münster , Germany (DSaF) on our website to improve accessibility and communication with users and interested parties. 

For information on the privacy policy of DSaF, please see here: https://botcamp.ai/datenschutz/ 

We have entered into an order processing contract with DSAF that provides sufficient guarantees for ensuring that data is processed securely and in compliance with the data protection regulations.

The chatbot software used on this site utilises machine learning to better understand and respond to user input. For this purpose, the input is sent to external servers and analysed there. This is the only way the chatbot can work. When using the chatbot, users will never be requested or required to provide personal data at any point. This means that users are never identifiable as long as they do not enter any personal information. The non-personal data entered is used for learning purposes and stored for training purposes. This constitutes a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. During use of the chatbot, the system will collect your IP address. 

Purpose of data processing 
The use of the chatbot helps us to respond quickly and reliably to user enquiries on our website, thereby increasing its user-friendliness and accessibility. Ultimately, its use also supports our advertising and marketing interests, because it enables us to get in touch with people interested in our services more quickly and effectively. The collection of your IP address allows us to distinguish you from other visitors and users, thus avoiding the need for a user to start several chats at the same time. Any additional information entered into the chat window will be provided voluntary and its purpose will depend on your enquiry. 

Legal basis for data processing 
The legal basis for processing the above data is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest in this case are the purposes set out above and our ability to process your enquiry. 

Storage duration 
The data and content of the chats are stored on the DSaF servers by the system for a maximum of 3 months. In some cases we may also manually delete them earlier. 

We also store the data collected on the basis of a legitimate interest until the legitimate interest ceases to exist, or if, because of uncertainty, a different conclusion is reached or if you have effectively lodged an objection in accordance with Art. 21 GDPR (see the highlighted “Right to object to processing on the basis of legitimate interest” under C.). We regularly, and at least once a year, review whether the legitimate interest still exists. Our legitimate interest no longer exists in particular if the data is no longer sufficiently relevant to us with regard to the analysis and statistics of the website's use due to the passage of time, which is likely to be the case after three years at the latest.

Right to object and erasure 
You have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data by us on grounds that are specific to your particular situation. If we are unable to demonstrate compelling legitimate reasons for continuing to process your data that outweigh your interests, rights and freedoms, we will then cease to process your data (see Art. 21 GDPR). You can let us know of your decision by post or email. However, please note that we will subsequently no longer be able to continue to communicate with you. 

In this case, all of the personal data we have stored over the course of being in contact with you will be deleted, provided that there are no indications of potential contractual warranty or liability claims and that we have no claims against you. In all other cases, the data will be blocked so that only our management has access to the same and only for statutory retention purposes or for the purpose of defending or asserting actual or potential claims until expiry of the limitation period (please see above for information on storage periods). 

Cookies

cookietest

Publisher
qng.botcamp.ai

Link to privacy policy
https://botcamp.ai/datenschutz/

Purpose of data collection 
The use of the chatbot helps us to respond quickly and reliably to user enquiries on our website, thereby increasing its user-friendliness and accessibility. Ultimately, its use also supports our advertising and marketing interests, because it enables us to get in touch with people interested in our services more quickly and effectively. The collection of your IP address allows us to distinguish you from other visitors and users, thus avoiding the need for a user to start several chats at the same time. Any additional information entered into the chat window will be provided voluntary and its purpose dependent on your enquiry.

Cookies:

NameLifeDescription
cookietestSessionThis cookie checks whether a user has accepted the use of cookies.

Legal basis 
The legal basis for processing the above data is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest in this case are the purposes set out above and our ability to process your enquiry.

Place of processing
Frankfurt a.M., Germany

lhc_per

Publisher
qng.botcamp.ai

Description
Required for the QNG chatbot. Stores information such as the chat ID in a session variable so that the chat can be maintained while users navigate through pages.

Link to privacy policy
https://botcamp.ai/datenschutz/

Purpose of data collection 
The use of the chatbot helps us to respond quickly and reliably to user enquiries on our website, thereby increasing its user-friendliness and accessibility. Ultimately, its use also supports our advertising and marketing interests, because it enables us to get in touch with people interested in our services more quickly and effectively. The collection of your IP address allows us to distinguish you from other visitors and users, thus avoiding the need for a user to start several chats at the same time. Any additional information entered into the chat window will be provided voluntary and its purpose dependent on your enquiry.

Cookies:

NameLifeDescription
lhc_per179 daysRequired for the QNG chatbot. Stores information such as the chat ID in a session variable so that the chat can be maintained while users navigate through pages.

Legal basis 
The legal basis for processing the above data is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest in this case are the purposes set out above and our ability to process your enquiry.

Place of processing
Frankfurt a.M., Germany

lhc_ref

Publisher
qng.botcamp.ai

Description
Required for the QNG chatbot. Stores information such as the chat ID in a session variable so that the chat can be maintained while users navigate through pages.

Link to privacy policy
https://botcamp.ai/datenschutz/

Purpose of data collection 
The use of the chatbot helps us to respond quickly and reliably to user enquiries on our website, thereby increasing its user-friendliness and accessibility. Ultimately, its use also supports our advertising and marketing interests, because it enables us to get in touch with people interested in our services more quickly and effectively. The collection of your IP address allows us to distinguish you from other visitors and users, thus avoiding the need for a user to start several chats at the same time. Any additional information entered into the chat window will be provided voluntary and its purpose dependent on your enquiry.

Session storage:

NameLifeDescription
lhc_refSessionRequired for the QNG chatbot. Stores information such as the chat ID in a session variable so that the chat can be maintained while users navigate through pages.

Legal basis 
The legal basis for processing the above data is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest in this case are the purposes set out above and our ability to process your enquiry.

Place of processing
Frankfurt a.M., Germany

lhc_ws

Publisher
qng.botcamp.ai

Description
Required for the QNG chatbot. Saves the state of the chatbot window (open or closed) in a session variable.

Link to privacy policy
https://botcamp.ai/datenschutz/

Purpose of data collection 
The use of the chatbot helps us to respond quickly and reliably to user enquiries on our website, thereby increasing its user-friendliness and accessibility. Ultimately, its use also supports our advertising and marketing interests, because it enables us to get in touch with people interested in our services more quickly and effectively. The collection of your IP address allows us to distinguish you from other visitors and users, thus avoiding the need for a user to start several chats at the same time. Any additional information entered into the chat window will be provided voluntary and its purpose dependent on your enquiry.

Session storage:

NameLifeDescription
lhc_wsSessionRequired for the QNG chatbot. Saves the state of the chatbot window (open or closed) in a session variable.

Legal basis 
The legal basis for processing the above data is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest in this case are the purposes set out above and our ability to process your enquiry.

Place of processing
Frankfurt a.M., Germany

X. Matomo

Subject to your consent, we will be using the open source software Matomo to analyse and statistically evaluate the use of our website and use cookies to do so. The information about our website’s use obtained in this way will only be transmitted to our servers and summarised in anonymous user profiles. We only use this data to analyse the use of our website and do not pass it on to third parties.

When collecting this data, IP addresses are anonymised (IP masking) so that they cannot be used to identify individual users.

The above data is processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. In processing this data, we are pursuing our legitimate interest in optimising our website’s presentation.

You can revoke your consent at any time by deleting the cookies in your browser or changing your data protection settings.

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