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Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 2022

GfW Gesellschaft für Weiterbildung mbH (hereinafter referred to as "GfW" or "we") operates an educational holding, including the website accessible at www.gfw.education and its subdirectories (hereinafter the "Website").

With this privacy policy, we explain which personal data we collect and how we process it when you visit our Website or contact us via our contact form. This also serves to fulfill our duty to inform you under Article 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

I. Controller and Contact Details of the Data Protection Officer

The controller responsible for data processing on our Website is:

  • GfW Gesellschaft für Weiterbildung mbH
  • Warschauer Str. 34-38, 10243 Berlin
  • Phone: +49 30 609541491
  • Email: contact@gfw.education

II. Personal Data, Purposes, and Legal Basis for Processing

1. What is Personal Data?

Under the GDPR, personal data refers to any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person ("data subject"). This includes data such as names, identification numbers, location data, online identifiers, or information about the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of a person.

a) Use of the Website

We do not collect or store any personal data during your general use of our Website.

However, our hosting provider's web server automatically logs access data, including your IP address. Log files are created to ensure system security and contain:

  • Date and time of access
  • URL
  • Content accessed
  • Amount of data transferred
  • Your IP address

This data remains anonymous to us and cannot be attributed to a specific person.

Processing your IP address is necessary to display our Website and is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, with our legitimate interest being system security and functionality.

b) Contact Form

When contacting us via the form on our Website, you must provide an email address. Optionally, you may also provide your name, subject, and message.

If you email us directly, we will process the personal data you include, such as your email address and any other details.

Processing your data is necessary to handle your inquiry and is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest).

2. Other Legal Bases

If we process data to meet legal obligations, such as accounting or tax retention, this is done under Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR in conjunction with §§ 257 HGB and 147 AO.

III. Data Recipients

Internally, only departments involved in handling your request have access to your data. We also use external service providers—primarily IT and telecommunications providers—where required.

Some providers, particularly those used for communication and data processing, are based in the USA. These providers are either certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield (or equivalent frameworks) or bound by Standard Contractual Clauses issued by the European Commission to ensure adequate data protection.

Data is only transferred to third countries if required by law, necessary for contract performance, or you have given consent.

IV. Data Retention

Log files are stored for 14 days.

Emails and inquiries are retained as long as needed to process your request, and afterward for up to 3 years, in case of follow-up.

Documents subject to legal retention under commercial or tax law are stored for:

  • 10 years for accounting records (§ 257 HGB, § 147 AO)
  • 6 years for business correspondence

Retention periods begin at the end of the relevant calendar year. After expiration, the data is securely deleted.

V. Data Provision Obligations

You are not legally or contractually obliged to provide personal data. However, certain data is necessary to provide our services.

VI. Automated Decision-Making / Profiling

We do not use automated decision-making processes or profiling that would have legal or similar significant effects on you.

VII. Website-Specific Processing

a) Cookies

Our Website uses cookies—small text files stored on your device—to improve usability, security, and performance.

You can configure your browser to inform you about the use of cookies or to block them entirely. Please note that blocking cookies may limit website functionality.

b) Google Analytics

This Website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service by Google Inc. (1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA). Google Analytics uses cookies to analyze Website usage. The information is usually transmitted to and stored on a Google server in the USA.

IP Anonymization

We use IP anonymization, so your IP address is shortened before transmission. Only in exceptional cases is the full IP sent to a Google server in the USA. Google uses the data on our behalf to analyze Website usage and compile reports. Your IP address is not merged with other Google data. Data is deleted after 26 months.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in usage analysis).

Demographic Features

We use the "demographics" feature of Google Analytics to generate anonymized reports on age, gender, and interests—based on Google advertising and third-party data. You can deactivate this in your Google Ads settings.

c) Adroll

We use Adroll, a retargeting service. It stores cookies during your visit, enabling Adroll to display GfW ads to you across other websites and social media.

VIII. Your Rights

You have the following rights under the GDPR:

  • Art. 15 – Right of access: Know whether and which personal data we process.
  • Art. 16 – Right to rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Art. 17 – Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data.
  • Art. 18 – Right to restrict processing: Limit how we use your data.
  • Art. 20 – Right to data portability: Receive your data in a portable format.
  • Art. 21 – Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate or public interest, or for direct marketing.
  • Art. 77 GDPR / § 19 BDSG – Right to lodge a complaint: File a complaint with a supervisory authority if you believe your data rights are violated.

IX. Questions or Comments

We take your data protection seriously and welcome your questions. Please email us at:

bewerbungen@gfw.education

Berlin, January 2022