Datenschutzerklärung: So schützen wir Ihre personenbezogenen Daten bei bildkontakt

1. Introduction and General Provisions

Welcome to bildkontakt. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience on our platform. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you use our service.

By accessing or using bildkontakt, you agree to the terms described in this policy. We process your personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

2. What Data We Collect

To provide our matchmaking services, we collect information that you provide directly, as well as data generated through your use of our platform.

• Account Data: Information you provide during registration, such as your name, email address, date of birth, gender, and location.
• Profile Data: Details you add to your profile, including photos, personal descriptions, interests, lifestyle preferences, and relationship goals.
• Communication Data: Messages you send and receive through our secure internal messaging system.
• Technical Data: Information collected automatically, such as your IP address, device type, browser, operating system, and pages you visit.
• Usage Data: Data about how you interact with our service, including search history, profile views, and feature usage.
• Payment Data: If you purchase a premium membership, our payment processors collect necessary billing information. We do not store full credit card numbers.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for specific, legitimate purposes to operate and improve our service.

• To create and manage your account, and provide our core matchmaking functionality.
• To personalize your experience by suggesting compatible profiles based on your preferences.
• To facilitate communication between members in a safe and controlled environment.
• To process payments and manage your subscription.
• To send you important service-related announcements, updates, and administrative messages.
• To analyze usage trends and improve our website's functionality, security, and user interface.
• To prevent, detect, and address fraud, security issues, or violations of our Terms of Service.

We process your data based on your consent (for optional features), the necessity to perform our contract with you, and our legitimate interests in improving and securing our service.

4. Data Sharing with Third Parties

We treat your data with confidentiality and only share it under the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We engage trusted third-party companies to perform functions on our behalf, such as hosting, payment processing, email delivery, and analytics. These providers access data only to perform their tasks and are contractually obligated to protect it.
• Legal Obligations: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of bildkontakt, our users, or the public.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred as part of the transaction. You will be notified of any such change in ownership or control.
• With Your Consent: We will share your personal data with third parties when you have given us explicit permission to do so.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to advertisers or other third parties for their marketing purposes.

5. Data Protection

We implement robust technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

• Data is transmitted securely using encryption (SSL/TLS).
• Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel who require it to perform their duties.
• We regularly review and update our security practices to address evolving threats.
• While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We encourage you to use strong passwords and keep your login details confidential.

6. Your Rights

You have significant control over your personal data. Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

• Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You can update or correct inaccurate or incomplete data in your profile.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You can request the deletion of your personal data, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to Restriction of Processing: You can request that we limit how we use your data in specific circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: You can request a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable copy of your data for transfer to another service.
• Right to Object: You can object to certain processing activities, such as direct marketing.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

To exercise these rights, please contact us. We will respond to your request within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

7. Cookies (Cookies)

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and personalize content.

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function, such as enabling you to log in and maintain your session.
• Performance Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our site, allowing us to improve performance.
• Functionality Cookies: Remember your preferences (like language) to provide a more personalized experience.
• Advertising Cookies: Used by our advertising partners to deliver relevant ads on other websites. We do not allow third-party advertising on bildkontakt itself.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Your continued use of bildkontakt after any changes signifies your acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please do not hesitate to contact our Data Protection Officer.

Last Updated: January 2025