Privacy Policy

Name and Contact Information of the Controller According to Article 4(7) GDPR

HCS Hydraulic Control Systems GmbH
Neuffener Strasse 29
D-72636 Frickenhausen
Phone: +49 (0)7025 - 911 007
Fax: +49 (0)7025 - 911 008
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Security and Protection of Your Personal Data

We consider it our primary responsibility to protect the confidentiality of the personal data you provide and to safeguard it from unauthorized access. Therefore, we employ the utmost care and the latest security standards to ensure maximum protection of your personal data.

As a private-sector company, we are subject to the provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG). We have implemented technical and organizational measures to ensure that data protection regulations are observed both by us and by our external service providers.

Definitions

The law requires that personal data be processed lawfully, in good faith, and in a manner transparent to the individual (“lawfulness, fairness, transparency”). To ensure this, we are informing you of the specific legal definitions used—including those referenced in this Privacy Policy:

  1. Personal Data
    “Personal data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (“data subject”). A natural person is considered identifiable if they can be identified directly or indirectly—particularly by means of association with an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier, or one or more special characteristics that reveal the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person.
  2. Processing
    “Processing” means any operation or set of operations that is performed upon personal data—whether or not by automated means—such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination, or otherwise making available, alignment, or combination, restriction, erasure, or destruction.
  3. Restriction of Processing
    “Restriction of processing” means the marking of stored personal data with the aim of limiting its future processing.
  4. Profiling
    “Profiling” means any form of automated processing of personal data consisting of the use of personal data to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, in particular to analyze or predict aspects concerning that natural person’s work performance, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location, or movements.
  5. Pseudonymization
    “Pseudonymization” means the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures that ensure the personal data cannot be assigned to an identified or identifiable natural person.
  6. Filing System
    “Filing system” means any structured set of personal data that is accessible according to specific criteria, whether centralized, decentralized, or organized according to functional or geographical considerations.
  7. Controller
    “Controller” means the natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body which alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data. Where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law.
  8. Processor
    “Processor” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or other body which processes personal data on behalf of the controller.
  9. Recipient
    “Recipient” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or another body to which personal data is disclosed, whether a third party or not. However, public authorities which may receive personal data within the framework of a particular inquiry in accordance with Union or Member State law are not regarded as recipients. The processing of such data by those public authorities must comply with the applicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing.
  10. Third Party
    “Third party” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency, or body other than the data subject, the controller, the processor, and persons authorized to process personal data under the direct authority of the controller or processor.
  11. Consent
    “Consent” of the data subject means any freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which they, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signify agreement to the processing of personal data relating to them.

Lawfulness of Processing

The processing of personal data is lawful only if there is a legal basis for such processing. According to Article 6(1)(a–f) GDPR, the legal basis for processing may be in particular:

  1. The data subject has given consent to the processing of their personal data for one or more specific purposes;
  2. processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract;
  3. processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject;
  4. processing is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person;
  5. processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;
  6. processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data—particularly if the data subject is a child.

Information About the Collection of Personal Data

  1. Below, we provide information on the collection of personal data when you use our website. Personal data can include, for example, your name, address, email address, and user behavior.
  2. If you contact us by email or via a contact form, we will store the data you share with us (your email address, possibly your name and telephone number) in order to answer your questions. We will delete the data arising in this context once storage is no longer necessary, or we will restrict processing if there are statutory retention obligations.

Collection of Personal Data When Visiting Our Website

If you use our website purely for informational purposes—meaning you do not register or otherwise provide us with information—we only collect the personal data that your browser transmits to our server. If you would like to view our website, we collect the following data, which is technically necessary for us to display our website to you and to ensure stability and security (the legal basis is Article 6(1) sentence 1(f) GDPR):

  • IP address
  • Date and time of the request
  • Time zone difference from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
  • Content of the request (specific page)
  • Access status/HTTP status code
  • Amount of data transferred in each case
  • Website from which the request comes
  • Browser
  • Operating system and its interface
  • Language and version of the browser software

Use of Cookies

  1. In addition to the data mentioned above, cookies are stored on your computer when you use our website. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your hard drive, assigned to the browser you are using, and provide certain information to the party placing the cookie. Cookies cannot run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. They serve to make the Internet experience more user-friendly and efficient overall.
  2. This website uses the following types of cookies, which are explained below:
    • Transient cookies (see a. below)
    • Persistent cookies (see b. below)
    a. Transient cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser. These include session cookies in particular. They store what is known as a session ID, which allows various requests from your browser to be assigned to the same session. This enables your computer to be recognized if you return to our website. Session cookies are deleted when you log out or close your browser.c. You can configure your browser settings according to your preferences and, for example, refuse the acceptance of third-party cookies or all cookies. Note that disabling cookies may mean you are not able to use all features of this website.
  3. b. Persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a specified period of time, which may differ depending on the cookie. You can delete cookies at any time in your browser’s security settings.

Other Functions and Offers on Our Website

  1. In addition to the purely informational use of our website, we offer various services that you can use if you are interested. As a rule, you will need to provide additional personal data, which we will use to provide the respective service and to which the aforementioned data processing principles apply.
  2. In some cases, we use external service providers to process your data. These providers have been carefully selected and commissioned by us, are bound by our instructions, and are regularly monitored.
  3. Furthermore, we may disclose your personal data to third parties if promotions, competitions, contracts, or similar services are offered jointly by us with partners. You will receive more information about this at the point where you provide your personal data or below in the description of the offer.
  4. If our service providers or partners are based in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we will inform you of the consequences of this in the description of the service offered.

Children

Our services are primarily intended for adults. Persons under 18 years of age should not transmit personal data to us without the permission of their parents or guardians.

Rights of the Data Subject

(1) Right to Withdraw Consent

If the processing of personal data is based on a previously granted consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. The withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out on the basis of the consent before its withdrawal.

You may exercise your right of withdrawal at any time by contacting us.

(2) Right to Confirmation

You have the right to request confirmation from the controller as to whether we are processing personal data concerning you. You can request this confirmation at any time using the above-mentioned contact details.

(3) Right of Access

If personal data concerning you is being processed, you have the right to obtain information at any time about such personal data and about the following details:

a. The purposes of the processing;
b. The categories of personal data being processed;
c. The recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data has been or will be disclosed—particularly recipients in third countries or international organizations;
d. Where possible, the envisaged period for which the personal data will be stored, or, if not possible, the criteria used to determine that period;
e. The existence of a right to request rectification or erasure of personal data concerning you or restriction of processing by the controller, or to object to such processing;
f. The existence of a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority;
g. Where the personal data is not collected from the data subject, any available information as to its source;
h. The existence of automated decision-making, including profiling, referred to in Article 22(1) and (4) of the GDPR, and—at least in those cases—meaningful information about the logic involved as well as the significance and the envisaged consequences of such processing for the data subject.

If personal data has been transferred to a third country or to an international organization, you have the right to be informed of the appropriate safeguards pursuant to Article 46 GDPR in connection with the transfer. Upon request, we will provide you with a copy of the personal data undergoing processing. For any further copies requested, we may charge a reasonable fee based on administrative costs. If you make the request electronically, the information will be provided in a commonly used electronic format, unless otherwise requested. The right to receive a copy under paragraph 3 must not adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

(4) Right to Rectification

You have the right to demand that we correct any inaccurate personal data concerning you without undue delay. Taking into account the purposes of the processing, you have the right to request the completion of incomplete personal data—including by means of providing a supplementary statement.

(5) Right to Erasure (“Right to Be Forgotten”)

You have the right to request that the controller erase any personal data concerning you without undue delay, and we are obligated to erase personal data without undue delay where one of the following grounds applies:

a. The personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed;
b. The data subject withdraws consent on which the processing is based according to Article 6(1)(a) or Article 9(2)(a) GDPR, and there is no other legal ground for the processing;
c. The data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(1) GDPR, and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing, or the data subject objects to the processing pursuant to Article 21(2) GDPR;
d. The personal data has been unlawfully processed;
e. The erasure of personal data is required for compliance with a legal obligation under Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject;
f. The personal data has been collected in relation to the offer of information society services referred to in Article 8(1) GDPR.

If the controller has made the personal data public and is obliged pursuant to the above paragraph to erase the personal data, the controller—taking account of available technology and the cost of implementation—shall take reasonable steps, including technical measures, to inform controllers which are processing the personal data that the data subject has requested the erasure by such controllers of any links to, or copies or replications of, that personal data.

The right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) does not apply to the extent that processing is necessary:

  • For exercising the right of freedom of expression and information;
  • For compliance with a legal obligation which requires processing by Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject, or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller;
  • For reasons of public interest in the area of public health in accordance with Article 9(2)(h) and (i) and Article 9(3) GDPR;
  • For archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes, or statistical purposes in accordance with Article 89(1) GDPR, insofar as the right referred to above is likely to render impossible or seriously impair the achievement of the objectives of that processing; or
  • For the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.

(6) Right to Restriction of Processing

You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data where one of the following applies:

  1. The accuracy of the personal data is contested by the data subject, for a period enabling the controller to verify the accuracy of the personal data;
  2. The processing is unlawful, and the data subject opposes the erasure of the personal data and requests the restriction of its use instead;
  3. The controller no longer needs the personal data for the purposes of the processing, but they are required by the data subject for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims; or
  4. The data subject has objected to processing pursuant to Article 21(1) GDPR pending the verification of whether the legitimate grounds of the controller override those of the data subject.

Where processing has been restricted under the conditions mentioned above, such personal data shall—except for storage—only be processed with the data subject’s consent or for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims, or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person, or for reasons of important public interest of the Union or of a Member State.

To exercise the right to restriction of processing, the data subject may contact us at any time using the contact details provided above.

(7) Right to Data Portability

You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and you have the right to transmit this data to another controller without hindrance from the controller to which the personal data has been provided, where:

a. The processing is based on consent pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) or Article 9(2)(a) or on a contract pursuant to Article 6(1)(b) GDPR; and
b. The processing is carried out by automated means.

When exercising the right to data portability pursuant to paragraph 1, you have the right to have the personal data transmitted directly from one controller to another, where technically feasible. The exercise of the right to data portability does not affect the right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”). That right does not apply to processing necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

(8) Right to Object

You have the right, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to object at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you which is based on Article 6(1)(e) or (f) GDPR. This also applies to profiling based on those provisions. The controller shall no longer process the personal data unless the controller demonstrates compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override the interests, rights, and freedoms of the data subject, or for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.

Where personal data is processed for direct marketing purposes, you have the right at any time to object to the processing of personal data concerning you for such marketing; this also includes profiling to the extent that it is related to such direct marketing. If you object to processing for direct marketing purposes, the personal data will no longer be processed for those purposes.

In the context of the use of information society services, and notwithstanding Directive 2002/58/EC, you may exercise your right to object by automated means using technical specifications.

You also have the right, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to object to the processing of personal data concerning you for scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes pursuant to Article 89(1), unless the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.

You can exercise your right to object at any time by contacting the controller.

(9) Automated Individual Decision-Making, Including Profiling

You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing—including profiling—that produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you. This does not apply if the decision:

a. Is necessary for entering into, or the performance of, a contract between the data subject and the controller;
b. Is authorized by Union or Member State law to which the controller is subject and which also lays down suitable measures to safeguard the data subject’s rights and freedoms and legitimate interests; or
c. Is based on the data subject’s explicit consent.

The controller shall implement suitable measures to safeguard the data subject’s rights and freedoms and legitimate interests, which include at least the right to obtain human intervention on the part of the controller, to express their point of view, and to contest the decision.

You may exercise this right at any time by contacting the controller.

(10) Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority

Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority—particularly in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement—if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR.

(11) Right to an Effective Judicial Remedy

Without prejudice to any available administrative or non-judicial remedy—including the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority pursuant to Article 77 GDPR, you have the right to an effective judicial remedy if you consider that your rights under the GDPR have been infringed as a result of the processing of your personal data in non-compliance with the Regulation.

HCS Hydraulic Control Systems GmbH
Last updated: 29.01.2025

Disclaimer: This English translation and adaptation is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal questions, please consult a qualified attorney or a data protection specialist.