Privacy policy and consent to data use

The following detailed privacy policy explains the data that are collected on our website and the data that we process and use.

Data protection is important to us, and we take it very seriously. We rely on trustworthy cooperation with you and make every effort to fully satisfy you - this naturally also applies to the handling of your personal data. With these data protection provisions, we would like to inform you regarding how your personal data are processed. Therefore, please take the following information into consideration. Our data protection provisions supplement the Terms of Use of B. Braun websites.

During the course of development of our website and implementation of new legal requirements, new technologies, or in order to improve our service for you, modifications to this privacy policy may be required. For that reason, we recommend that you occasionally read through this privacy policy again.

You can print this document by using the normal functionality of your Internet service program (= browser: there mostly “file” > “print”).

1. Responsible controller

The operator of this website and the responsible controller in terms of data protection is:

B. Braun Melsungen AG
Carl-Braun-Straße 1
34212 Melsungen
Germany

2. General information on processing personal information

This privacy policy applies to data about you, including personal data, collected by B. Braun. Personal data are data or a combination of individual data by means of which you can be identified.

We process your personal data in compliance with the data protection laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and the European General Data Protection Regulation. In no case will we forward your personal data to third parties outside of the B. Braun group for advertising or marketing purposes without your consent.

As an international company, we work together with external service providers. To the extent that processed information contains personal content, corresponding contractual agreements and organizational measures have been enacted according to applicable law which ensure the security of your information. Our external service providers are bound by our instructions and are monitored regularly. Our employees are trained to handle personal data and have committed in writing to comply with data protection regulations.

As a general rule, our website can be used without providing personal data. Insofar as personal data (name, address or email addresses, for example) are collected, this is always on a voluntary basis whenever possible.

We draw your attention to the fact that data transmission via the Internet (e.g. when communicating by e-mail) may involve gaps in security. We attempt to protect your data from unauthorized access by third parties by means of precautions such as pseudonymization, data economy, observing deletion periods and in consideration of the current state of the art technology. Despite these protective measures, however, we cannot completely rule out unlawful processing by third parties.

3. Data processing in the case of access from the Internet

When you visit our website, our web servers save each access temporarily to a log file. The following information is captured and processed until automated deletion:

Anonymized IP address of the computer requesting the information
Date and time of access
Time zone difference to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Access status/http status code
Volume of data transferred in each case
Operating system and its interface
Identification data of the browser and operating system used
Language and version of browser software
Name and URL of the data retrieved, content of request
Report of whether the retrieval was successful
Website from which the access takes place
Name of your Internet service provider

When this website is used purely for informational purposes, B. Braun Melsungen AG collects only those personal data that are necessary in technical terms in order to display the website and enable the use thereof (establishment of a connection), for system security and stability, for the technical administration of the network structure and to optimize the website. The legal basis for this is a legitimate interest on the part of B. Braun Melsungen AG (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

You may object to this data processing. Insofar as you object to the use of this data, we hereby inform you that our services may only be usable to limited degree.
This personal information is not processed beyond the cases indicated above, unless you explicitly consent to further processing. (For further information, pleaserefer to “Consent” in this Privacy Policy).

4. Purpose of data processing

In accordance with the principle of data avoidance and data economy set out in the General Data Protection Regulation, we only process personal information on our website when it is either required for your desired purpose, we are obligated to do so due to legal regulations or contracts, if we have a legitimate interest and/or if you voluntarily provide the information to us.

When entering personal or business information (e.g. email address, name, address), the disclosure of your information is performed on an explicitly voluntary basis.

We process your contact and business-related information based on statutory regulations in connection with existing or pending business relationships. In addition, with your input, you declare your consent for the information entered to be processed for the purpose designated by you. We process your provided information only as long as required for the intended purpose and delete it after fulfilling the purpose or after expiration of the respective storage periods. Processing does not occur for any other purpose. Insofar as you object to the processing of this data, we hereby inform you that our services may only be usable to limited degree. To provide you with comprehensive offerings, your data are transferred and used within the B. Braun Group (for information on the B. Braun Group, click here).

The following are possible ways we may use the information:

Due to statutory regulations:

Execution of our General Terms and Conditions
Management of our business
Protection from or identification of possible fraudulent transactions

Based on contractual purposes:

Payment processing for purchases and other services
Processing your application documents

Based on our legitimate interest:

Determining the effectiveness of our advertising
Developing new products and services
Analyzing the use of our products, services and websites
Knowledge of how you reached our website

5. Consent

Your personal data are processed solely on the basis of statutory permission or your consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR). Your consent to processing can be revoked at any time with effect for the future. Your consent to the processing of your personal data may be required in various cases:

To receive newsletters (see point 17 for further information)
Sending of samples, bonuses, products and information
Signing up for prize competitions, programs or offers at your request
Delivery of other services which we have offered to you
Surveys on our websites
Development and provision of advertising tailored to your interests
Making contact via the contact form (see point 15 for further information)
etc.

6. Term of storage

Your data are stored by B. Braun Melsungen AG only as long as they are required for certain purposes. Consequently, your data are erased by B. Braun Melsungen AG if and when:

the relevant legal basis for the processing of your data no longer exists,
the purpose of processing of your data no longer exists,
you withdraw your consent to the processing of your data,
a legal obligation makes it necessary to erase them, or
you have objected to the processing of your personal data,

unless storage periods stipulated by law apply. For example, the German Fiscal Code (AO) and Commercial Code (HGB) provide for certain storage periods. B. Braun Melsungen AG cannot erase your data on a final basis until these periods have elapsed.

This does not apply to data whose erasure would involve disproportionate effort. In cases like these, B. Braun is deemed to have a legitimate interest within the meaning of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR in storing your data.

7. Automated decision-making

As a basic principle, we do not use any fully automated decision-making pursuant to Article 22 GDPR to establish and implement the business relationship. Should we utilize these methods in individual cases, we will notify you thereof separately where required by law.

We use automated methods to process your data in part, with the objective of evaluating certain personal aspects (profiling). We use profiling to provide products that may interest you on a targeted basis, for example.

8. Obligation to provide personal data

Within the scope of our business relationship, you are required to provide the personal data that are necessary in order to commence and implement the relevant business relationship and fulfill the contractual obligations associated with it or that we are required by law to collect. Without these data, we will typically not be able to enter into the business relationship with you and fulfill the obligations that arise from it.

9. Links

The website of B. Braun Melsungen AG may contain links to third-party websites over whose content B. Braun Melsungen AG has no influence. After you click a link, you leave the sphere of responsibility of B. Braun Melsungen AG. Processing of data thereafter no longer takes place within the sphere of influence of B. Braun Melsungen AG.

10. Protection of minors

Children and people under the age of 18 normally do not transmit personal data to us without the consent of their parents or legal guardians. We do not request personal data from children and we affirm that we do not collect personal data from children, nor do we use it in any way or disclose it to third parties without authorization.

11. Transmission of data via the Internet

The Internet is a globally open platform. Due to the Internet's inherent mode of operation and the systemic risks involved, any data transmissions are made at your own risk. For your security we exclusively offer our services via the encrypted transmission channel.

12. Transfers of data to third countries (non-EU countries)

We transfer your data to countries outside the European Economic Area (“third countries”) only to the extent that

this is necessary in order to perform your orders,
it is required by law, or
you have given us your consent.

To the extent that we transfer your data to a third country or an international organization, this takes place in accordance with the stipulations of the GDPR as a basic principle. Beyond that, we only transmit the strict minimum amount of data necessary, in line with the principle of data minimization.

In some cases, we utilize the services of service providers whose corporate headquarters, parent company or subcontractors is or are based in a third country. Your data are only transferred if the European Commission has decided that an adequate level of protection exists in the third country (Article 45 GDPR), appropriate safeguards are in place (e.g. standard contractual clauses issued by the European Commission) and you as the data subject have enforceable rights and effective legal remedies at your disposal. We have set out contractual provisions on compliance with the European General Data Protection Regulation and the provisions thereof with the service provider.

13. Use of cookies

Our websites also use so-called "cookies." Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer and that your browser saves. They do not cause damage to your computer and do not contain viruses. They serve to make our offering more user-friendly, effective and secure. Some cookies (so-called "functional cookies," e.g. for language settings and order processes) are those that are required in order to guarantee the essential functions of the website. Without them, the website cannot be used as intended.

The majority of the cookies used by us are so-called “session cookies“. They will be deleted automatically after the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your terminal device until you delete these. These cookies enable us to recognize your browser again on the next visit.

There are two different types of cookies:

1. Transient cookies: Most of the cookies we use are “transient cookies,” especially “session cookies.” These cookies are automatically deleted after the end of your visit. They enable us to recognize your browser when you return to our website within the same session.

2. Persistent cookies: Other cookies known as “persistent cookies” are automatically erased from your device only after a predetermined period (which varies according to the type of cookie).

You can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in an individual case, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or generally exclude cookies as well as activate the automatic deletion of the cookies when closing the browser. Should you reject the use of cookies (a possible setting in your browser) it is nevertheless (restricted under certain circumstances) possible to use our website. You can find further information with regard to the topic of cookies in our Cookie Policy.

14. Security measures

We have taken extensive precautions to protect the security of your data. The data transmitted to us that you have entered e.g. in HTML websites (contact forms) are transmitted in an encrypted form (SSL - Secure Socket Layer) via the public data network to B. Braun, where they are saved and processed.

This website uses an SSL encryption for reasons of security and for the protection of the transmission of confidential contents, such as for example the inquiries that you send us as the website operator. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from "http://" to "https://" and by the lock symbol in your browser line.

If the SSL encryption is activated the data, which you transmit to us, cannot be read by third parties.

15. Analytics tool Google Analytics

This website uses functions of the web analysis service Google Analytics. The provider is Google Ireland Limited ("Google"), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Google Analytics enables the website operator to analyze the behavior of website visitors. The website operator receives various usage data, such as page views, length of stay, operating systems used and origin of the user. This data may be summarized by Google in a profile that is assigned to the respective user or their device. Google Analytics uses technologies that enable the user to be recognized for the purpose of analyzing user behavior (e.g. cookies or device fingerprinting). The information collected by Google about the use of this website is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. This analysis tool is used on the basis of Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in analyzing user behavior in order to optimize both its website and its advertising. If a corresponding consent was requested (e.g. consent to the storage of cookies), processing takes place exclusively on the basis of Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR; the consent can be revoked at any time. Data transfer to the USA is based on the standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission. Details can be found here: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/controllerterms/mccs/.

We have activated the IP anonymization function on this website. As a result, your IP address will be shortened by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area before it is transmitted to the USA. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be sent to a Google server in the USA and shortened there. On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports on website activity and to provide other services related to website activity and internet usage to the website operator. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google Analytics will not be merged with other Google data.

16. Registration on this website

You can register on this website in order to use additional functions on the site. We use the data entered for this purpose only for the purpose of using the respective offer or service for which you have registered. The mandatory information requested during registration must be provided in full. Otherwise we will reject the registration. For important changes, for example in the scope of the offer or for technically necessary changes, we use the e-mail address provided during registration to inform you in this way. The data entered during registration is processed for the purpose of implementing the user relationship established by registration and, if necessary, for initiating further contracts (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b DSGVO). The data collected during registration will be stored by us for as long as you are registered on this website and will then be deleted. Legal retention periods remain unaffected.

17. Tidio live chat plugin

In order to better communicate with you and to be able to quickly answer questions regarding the online platform, we use the chat function of Tidio Life Chat of the company Tidio LLC, 180 Steuart St, CA 94119, San Francisco, USA (hereinafter: "Tidio Live Chat"). Find more information on: https://www.tidio.com

If you have any questions regarding our products, our online shop, the website or our company, you can reach us via the chat window of Tidio Live Chat an send us a message. You will be informed if someone is online at the moment to answer you immediately. If this is not the case, you can still leave a message.

Tidio Live Chat uses cookies to enable you to personalize your online use of our service. Regarding the explanation of cookies we refer to the point "Cookies" in this privacy policy. The information generated by the cookies of Tidio Live Chat is processed outside the European Union. We have entered into a contract processing agreement with Tidio Live Chat using the "standard contractual clauses" approved by the Commission in order to commit Tidio Live Chat to respect an adequate level of data protection. Furthermore, Tidio LLC is certified under the Privacy Shield. https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt00000008UxvAAE&status=Active

The data will be processed exclusively for the processing of the conversation. We carry out the aforementioned processing for the purpose of customer care and to improve our services. The legal basis is accordingly our predominant legitimate interest in the sense of Art (1) f) DSGVO. We delete the data arising in this connection after the processing is no longer necessary.

Further information on data protection at Tidio can be found at https://www.tidio.com/privacy-policy/.

You have the possibility to object to the processing of your personal data for contact requests at any time. In such a case the processing of the request cannot be continued.