Sign up to get full access to all our latest automotive content, reports, webinars, and online events.

Privacy Policy


Last Updated, 5th November, 2019

We look forward to your visit to our website. In the following, we would like to inform you about the handling of your data according to Art. 13 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679.

  • Data Controller

    Responsible for the data processing outlined in the following, is IQPC Gesellschaft für Management Konferenzen mbH, Friedrichstrasse 94, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Phone number: 030 20913 -274, Email address: database@iqpc.com

  • Usage Data

    When you visit our websites, so-called usage data is temporarily stored on our web server for statistical purposes as a protocol. We have a legitimate interest in improving the quality of our websites. This data set consists of

    • the page which is requested from the file,
    • the name of the file,
    • the date and time of query,
    • the amount of data transferred,
    • the access status (file transferred, file not found, etc.),
    • the description of the type of browser used
  • Cookies

    We use cookies on our websites. Cookies are small text files that can be stored and read on your end device. A distinction is made between session cookies, which are deleted again as soon as you close your browser, and permanent cookies, which are stored beyond the individual session. Cookies may contain data that make it possible to recognize the device used. In some cases, however, cookies only contain information on certain settings that cannot be related to individuals.

    We use session cookies and permanent cookies on our websites. Processing is based on Article 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR and in the interest of optimizing or enabling user guidance and adapting the presentation of our website. More detailed information on the use of cookies on our site can be found in our Cookie Policy.

    You can set your browser to notify you before a cookie is saved. This will make their use apparent to you. You can also delete cookies at any time via the corresponding browser setting and prevent the setting of new cookies. Please note our web pages may not be displayed optimally and that some functions may no longer be technically available.

  • Google Analytics

    We create pseudonymous usage profiles using Google Analytics for the demand-oriented design of our websites. Google Analytics uses cookies that can be stored on your device and read by us. Thus doing, we can recognize and count returning visitors. This data is processed on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 (f) GDPR. The mentioned purposes of data processing represent at the same time our legitimate interests.

    As a rule, the cookie-generated data regarding your use of this website will be forwarded to a Google server in the USA and stored there. However, because we have activated IP anonymization on our websites, your IP address will first be shortened by Google within Member States of the European Union. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be sent to a Google server in the USA (by Google's participation in the Privacy Shield, according to Art. 45 para. 1 GDPR, an adequate level of data protection is granted) and only then shortened. With Google Inc. (USA) we have also concluded a contract for order processing in accordance with Art. 28 GDPR. Google will therefore only use all information for strictly specific purposes in order to evaluate the use of our websites for us and compile reports on website activities.

    You can object to the processing at any time. Please use one of the following options:

    You can prevent cookies from being stored by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser; however, we wish to point out that by doing so, you may not be able to enjoy the full functionality of this website.

    Furthermore, you can prevent the collection of data generated by the cookie and related to the usage of the website (incl. your IP address) and the processing of these data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available at the following link http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de

  • Visual Web Optimizer

    We use the Visual Website Optimizer service of Wingify Software Private Limited, 404, Gopal Heights, Netaji Subhash Place, Pitam Pura, Delhi 110034, India on our website. We use the tool to analyze, optimize and operate our online offer, as well as to perform “A/B-Testings”, “Clicktracking” and “Heatmaps”. “A/B-Testings” serve to improve the user-friendliness and performance of our online offer. Based on the behavior of the users, it can be determined which design matches the needs of the users more closely. “Clicktracking” allows to use a cookie to monitor the movements of the users within an entire online offer. With the help of “heatmaps” can be recognized via the user’s mouse movements which website elements users prefer. This data is processed on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 (f) GDPR. The mentioned purposes of data processing represent at the same time our legitimate interests.

    For more information, please refer to Visual Website Optimizer's privacy policy: https://vwo.com/privacy-policy.

    If you do not want your usage behaviour to be tracked by the Visual Website Optimizer, you can opt out here: Opt out.

  • Usage-based Online Advertising

    At this point, we would like to provide you with comprehensive information on the topic of usage-based online advertising. Our website or the website from which you have just been linked collects and processes your usage behavior on the basis of Article 6 para. 1 (f) GDPR. As a result, you benefit as a user by receiving advertising that is more in line with your interests and by the delivery of less randomly distributed advertising. To record your usage behaviour, a cookie is stored on your device. Cookies are small text files that are stored on the hard disk of your computer and allow the recognition, but do not allow personal identification of your person. To optimize advertising based on your interests, we work with different providers. IQPC has a legitimate interest in displaying interest-based advertising to users of the Website.

    Information is collected about your activities on this website (e.g., browsing behaviour, visited subpages of the internet site). All usage data is stored using a pseudonym. Generally you can prevent cookies from being saved to your hard drive by disabling the cookies function in your browser. You can also set your browser to ask you before placing cookies if you agree. Finally, you can delete cookies at any time. Please refer to your browser's help pages to find out how this works in detail. If you do not accept cookies, in individual cases this can lead to restrictions in the functionality of our website. Please note that in the event of cookies being deleted, you may need to reactivate opt-out cookies that have been set. For the data collection for the delivery of usage-based online advertising, we use the following providers:

     

    Provider

    Privacy Information of the provider

    Opt-out option(Opt-out)

    TradeDesk

    https://bit.ly/2PXiGDi https://bit.ly/2DMb1Rb

    LinkedIn Ads

    http://bit.ly/1ofNU5u http://bit.ly/2kmBVHA

    Oracle Eloqua

    https://bit.ly/2BubNPN https://bit.ly/2EF6wsH

    Google Publisher Tags

    https://bit.ly/1R0VurR https://bit.ly/1y2PSo2

    Picreel

    https://bit.ly/2VGb8CX https://bit.ly/1y2PSo2

    Feathr

    https://bit.ly/2VCsBwc https://bit.ly/2VCsBwc

    Google AdWords

    https://bit.ly/1R0VurR https://bit.ly/1y2PSo2

    Google Retargeting

    https://bit.ly/1R0VurR https://bit.ly/1y2PSo2

    Visit the website www.youronlinechoices.com to learn more about usage-based online advertising and individual providers. There you also have the opportunity to object to the usage-based online advertising by individual or all providers.

  • LinkedIn Analytics

    We use on our websites “LinkedIn Analytics” from LinkedIn. We use LinkedIn Analytics to process information about your user behavior on our web pages in order to facilitate an analysis of your use of our web pages. We also use LinkedIn Analytics for marketing and optimization purposes. This data is processed on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 (f) GDPR. The mentioned purposes of data processing represent at the same time our legitimate interests.

    Each time you visit our website, you will be connected to LinkedIn servers. LinkedIn is informed that you have visited our website from your IP address. By using LinkedIn Analytics, it is also possible to evaluate profiles on LinkedIn (for example, how often downloads of registrations have taken place).

    As a rule, the cookie-generated data regarding your use of this website will be forwarded to a LinkedIn server in the USA and stored there. An appropriate level of data protection is provided by LinkedIn's participation in the Privacy Shield according to Art. 45 (1) GDPR.

    For more information, please see the LinkedIn privacy policy at: http://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy. You can object to the data processing of LinkedIn Analytics by opting out here https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/62931/manage-advertising-preferences.

  • Double Click and Double Click Ad Exchange

    We use DoubleClick and DoubleClick Ad Exchange, services provided by Google LLC, to place advertisements on our website. The information stored in this way can be processed by Google. In addition, so-called “web beacons” are used, which process information about visitors to our site (e.g., browser, operating system, previously visited page, IP address, date/time). The collected data is transmitted to Google's server in the USA and stored there. These data are used by Google for the statistical analysis of user behavior in connection with DoubleClick Ad Exchange advertisements.

    The legal basis for the use of DoubleClick is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. The mentioned purposes of data processing represent at the same time our legitimate interests. You may refuse the saving of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. In addition, you may prevent the collection by Google of the data generated by the cookies and related to your use of the Website, as well as the processing of such data by Google, by visiting the deactivation page for DoubleClick and following the instructions.

    Further information can be found here: http://www.google.com/intl/de/policies/privacy

    You can prevent the storage of cookies on your hard disk and the display of web beacons. To do this, choose “disable cookies” in your browser settings (in Internet Explorer under “extras / internet options / privacy / settings”, in Firefox under “extras / settings / privacy / cookies”).

  • Google Maps

    We use Google Maps from Google LLC to display maps, create directions and optimize our website. This data is processed on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 (f) GDPR. The mentioned purposes of data processing represent at the same time our legitimate interests. The information generated by the use of Google Maps is usually forwarded to a Google server in the United States and processed there. An appropriate level of data protection is provided by Google's participation in the Privacy Shield according to Art. 45 (1) GDPR.

    You can find the Google Maps terms of use at: http://www.google.com/intl/de_de/help/terms_maps.html.

    You can also find detailed information about Google's privacy policy at: http://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy

    If you do not agree to the data processing provided by Google LLC, please do not use the map or deactivate the Java Script function in your browser for a limited view.

  • Google Tag Manager

    We use Google Tag Manager to better understand user behavior based on pseudonymized user data. Google Tag Manager is a solution that allows us to manage web page tags through a single interface.

    Google Tag Manager detects a page load. Depending on the configuration, a Google Analytics Tag may be triggered. The data of this tag are then sent back to the Google Analytics servers for a pseudonymized evaluation of user behavior. This is done by integrating the Google Analytics code and activating the following IP anonymization: Extension of Google Analytics on this website by the code "_gaq.push (['_gat._anonymizeIp']);", in order to ensure an anonymous collection of IP addresses (so-called IP-Masking). This data is processed on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 (f) GDPR. The mentioned purposes of data processing represent at the same time our legitimate interests.

    Further information concerning the terms and conditions of use and data privacy can be found at http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/de.html or at http://www.google.com/intl/de/analytics/privacyoverview.html.

    If you do not want this, you can opt out here: https://mizine.de/html/opt-out-fuer-google-tagmanager

  • Contact Form

    You have the opportunity to contact us by electronic mail, by telephone or via the contact form. Your resulting data will only be processed to answer your request. As part of the contact form, we will respond to your question with your e-mail address and your question. You can voluntarily give us your first and last name. We use this data to address you personally. Disclosure to third parties only takes place if this is necessary for the processing of your request. The legal basis for the use of your resulting data is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. IQPC has a legitimate interest in being in contact with the users of the website and, if necessary, answering questions or sending information.

  • Use of service providers/processing of data in countries outside the European Economic Area

    IQPC uses service providers to provide certain services and to process your data. The service providers process the data exclusively on the instructions of IQPC and have been obliged to comply with the applicable data protection regulations. All contractors have been carefully selected and will only have access to your data to the extent and for the time required to provide the services.

    The servers of some IQPC service providers are located in the US and other countries outside the European Union. Companies in these countries are subject to data protection laws that generally do not protect personal data to the same extent as is the case in the Member States of the European Union. If your data is processed in a country that does not have a recognized high level of data protection such as the European Union, IQPC use contractual regulations or other recognized instruments to ensure that your personal data is adequately protected.

    IQPC GmbH and IQPC Tampa, FL, USA have concluded standard contractual clauses to ensure an adequate level of data protection.

  • Application as Author (Become a Contributor)

    You can apply via e-mail as a contributor to the editorial part of our website. For this we need your name, first name, profession, company, photo, short biography and a work sample. The transmission of your data as well as the attached file attachments takes place via an encrypted connection. After completion of the selection procedure, the information and the documents sent by you for the specific competition will be deleted after six months, unless we have concluded a contract with you. The legal basis of data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR.

  • Restricted area for AUTO IQ members

    Registration, login and profile management

    If you want to access the restricted member area and benefit from the benefits of becoming an AUTO IQ Member, you must first log in using your email address and password. We collect this data on the basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR for verification purposes.

    To register for our exclusive membership offers (White Paper, Newsletter, Webinars, Network to communicate with other members), we will collect your last name, first name, company, job title, telephone number and country. These data are part of your account profile. We use this data to create an account for you. You can voluntarily add a biography and links to your Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts to complete your profile. This optimizes the communication and networking between the members. For clarity, your event registration will also be managed in your profile. You can change your profile data at any time within the account. The legal basis is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b and f GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the mentioned purposes as well as to offer our members a profile creation and completion within the framework of a network and to present your registered events in a clear manner.

    Your data will be deleted if you cancel your membership and delete your profile.

    Receipt of advertising

    In addition, we will use the details (your last name, first name, company name, job title, telephone number and country) to contact you personally by phone or e-mail and provide you with appropriate advertising. We require your country to identify your time zone and to contact you at an appropriate time. The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is to provide advertising to our AUTO IQ members. You can object to the receipt of advertising at any time, for example by notifying our employees by phone or e-mail.

    Newsletter

    If you have an AUTO IQ account, our newsletter will inform you about articles, agendas, podcasts, webinars, event discounts, and more. We will use your e-mail address provided at registration to send you the newsletter. This is part of the membership. The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is to provide advertising to our members. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time. Simply use the unsubscribe link at the end of each e-mail or send an e-mail to database.iqpc.com. Your e-mail address will then be deleted from the distribution system.

    White Paper

    If you have an account, you have the opportunity to download our white papers and agendas. The white papers are provided by our sponsors. When downloading a white paper, we will send your details (last name, first name, telephone number, e-mail address) to the respective sponsor of the white paper so that they can contact you. The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is to establish the contact between sponsors and interested parties and to generate the leads.

    Webinars

    If you have an account, you have access to our webinar offer. The webinars are provided by our sponsors. When you register for a webinar, we will send your details (last name, first name, telephone number, e-mail address) to the sponsor of the webinar for them to contact you. The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is to establish the contact between sponsors and interested parties and to generate the leads.

    My Network

    AUTO IQ members have the possibility to network, send messages, posts and comment on them. In addition, members will be notified about activities in their network. IQPC processes the content, communications, and other information you provide when you use our products and My Network features. This includes registering, posting, sharing, commenting or liking content, messaging with other members, and the date of the post or other metadata.

    If you are logged in as an AUTO IQ member, you can search for other AUTO IQ members, add them to your network, and manage and sort them there. Your last name, first name, profession and your company can be searched and seen by other members. Your full profile is only visible to the people who connect with you. Based on your job or company details, members will be proposed to you and you will be proposed to other members. This is to optimize networking and communication. We process this data on the legal basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is to provide our members with a network and related functions.

    Members can send messages to each other. The contents of the messages can be seen by the respective recipients. We process the content of the messages as well as the data of the recipients and senders on the legal basis of Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is to enable our members to communicate with each other within the network.

    Additionally, as an AUTO IQ member, you can contribute with posts such as thoughts, ideas, articles or photos. These contributions can be seen in the Activity wall and can be read/unliked, shared and commented by you or other members. The comments posted, shared or liked by you are also visible to other members. The legal basis for this data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is to provide our members with an infrastructure where they can make other members aware of posts and discuss them with members.

    As a member you receive notifications when there are activities, e.g. that another member wants to add you to their network or your post has been commented on. The legal basis for data processing is Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR. Our legitimate interest is to inform our members about the activities that affect them within the network.

    You can delete your profile and associated data such as posts, comments or likes yourself. You can make the deletion by sending an email to database@iqpc.com.

    You can object to the data processing described above at any time. To exercise your right to object, please send an email to database@iqpc.com.

    If you provide information in your profile, in posts, comments, messages or other features of our network, as to which particular categories of personal data are to be assigned (for example, health data, religion or political opinion), the legal basis of the data processing is your consent. Special categories of personal data are especially protected by law. Your consent to processing this information is voluntary and you may revoke it at any time with future effect. You can delete your post, comment and information in your profile, and you can unlike posts you've liked. You can change further options in the settings.

    Please note that information provided on the internet, such as the network features described above, is accessible to recipients or globally and can be found by search engines and linked to other information. Information retrievable via the internet can be copied and redistributed.

  • Use of service providers/processing of data in countries outside the European Economic Area

    IQPC uses service providers to provide certain services and to process your data. The service providers process the data exclusively on the instructions of IQPC and have been obliged to comply with the applicable data protection regulations. All contractors have been carefully selected and will only have access to your data to the extent and for the time required to provide the services.

    The servers of some IQPC service providers are located in the US and other countries outside the European Union. Companies in these countries are subject to data protection laws that generally do not protect personal data to the same extent as is the case in the Member States of the European Union. If your data is processed in a country that does not have a recognized high level of data protection such as the European Union, IQPC use contractual regulations or other recognized instruments to ensure that your personal data is adequately protected.

    IQPC GmbH and IQPC Tampa, FL, USA have concluded standard contractual clauses to ensure an adequate level of data protection.

  • Duration of Data Storage

    We only store your data for as long as they are necessary for the provision of our services and deletion does not conflict with any retention periods.

  • Requirement to provide personal data?

    The provision of your data is not required by law and is voluntary. However, the provision of the personal information requested is required for the use of the Automotive IQ Services and the use of the features. We will inform you when you enter data if it is necessary for providing the service or feature. These data are marked as mandatory fields. In the case of required data, non-provisioning means that the service or function concerned cannot be provided. In the case of optional data, non-provisioning may mean that you cannot use the functions in the same form and to the same extent.

  • Data security

    In order to protect your data from unwanted access as comprehensively as possible, we implement technical and organizational measures. We use an encryption method on our pages. Your information is transmitted from your computer to our server and vice versa via the Internet using TLS encryption. You can recognize this by the fact that the lock symbol in the status bar of your browser is closed and the address line starts with https://

  • Your rights as a user

    When processing your personal data, the GDPR grants you certain rights as a website user:

    1. Right to information (Article 15 GDPR):

      You have the right to request information about your personal data processed by us.

    2. The right to correction and deletion (Article 16 GDPR):

      You have the right to immediately request the correction of incorrect personal data and, if necessary, the completion of incomplete personal data

    3. Right to deletion (Article 17 GDPR):

      You also have the right to request that your personal data be deleted immediately if one of the reasons listed in Article 17 GDPR applies in detail, e.g. if the data are no longer required for the purposes pursued.

    4. Right to restriction of processing (Article 18 GDPR):

      You have the right to request the restriction of processing if one of the conditions listed in Article 18 GDPR is fulfilled, e.g., if you have lodged an objection against the processing pursuant to Article 21 GDPR or for the duration of any inquiry as to whether our legitimate interests outweigh your interests as data subject.

    5. Right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR):

      In certain cases, which are detailed in Article 20 GDPR, you have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, common and machine-readable format or to request the transmission of these data to a third party.

    6. Right of objection (Article 21 GDPR):

      If data based on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. f (data processing to protect legitimate interests) are collected, you have the right to object to processing at any time for reasons caused by your particular situation. We will then no longer process the personal data unless there are demonstrably compelling reasons for processing which outweigh the interests, rights and freedoms of the data subject, or the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.

    7. The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority:

      Pursuant and in accordance with Article 77 of the GDPR, you have the right of appeal to a supervisory authority if you believe that the processing of data concerning you violates data protection regulations. The right of appeal may be exercised in particular before a supervisory authority in the Member State in which you are staying or working, or in which the suspected violation took place.

    8. Contact details for the data protection officer

      Our data protection officer will be happy to provide you with information or suggestions on the subject of data protection:

      data protection nord GmbH
      Konsul-Smidt-Straße 88
      28217 Bremen
      Web: www.datenschutz-nord-gruppe.de
      Email: office@datenschutz-nord.de