Privacy Policy

Data Protection Declaration

1) Information on the Collection of Personal Data and Contact Details of the Controller

1.1 We are pleased that you are visiting our website and thank you for your interest. In the following, we inform you about the handling of your personal data when using our website. Personal data is all data with which you can be personally identified.

1.2 The controller in charge for data processing on this website within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is Moritz Picot, An der Eiche 5, 50678 Cologne, Germany, Tel.: +49-221-95491738, E-Mail: care@thegrowingleaf.com. The controller in charge of the processing of personal data is the natural or legal person who alone or jointly with others determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.

1.3 This website uses SSL or TLS encryption for security reasons and to protect the transmission of personal data and other confidential content (e.g. orders or inquiries to the controller). You can recognize an encrypted connection by the character string https:// and the lock symbol in your browser line.

2) Data Collection When You Visit Our Website

When using our website for information only, i.e. if you do not register or otherwise provide us with information, we only collect data that your browser transmits to our server (so-called “server log files”). When you visit our website, we collect the following data that is technically necessary for us to display the website to you:

  • Our visited website
  • Date and time at the moment of access
  • Amount of data sent in bytes
  • Source/reference from which you came to the page
  • Browser used
  • Operating system used
  • IP address used (if applicable: in anonymized form)

Data processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving the stability and functionality of our website. The data will not be passed on or used in any other way. However, we reserve the right to check the server log files subsequently, if there are any concrete indications of illegal use.

3) Cookies

In order to make your visit to our website attractive and to enable the use of certain functions, we use so-called cookies on various pages. These are small text files that are stored on your end device. Some of the cookies we use are deleted after the end of the browser session, i.e. after closing your browser (so-called session cookies). Other cookies remain on your terminal and enable us or our partner companies (third-party cookies) to recognize your browser on your next visit (persistent cookies). If cookies are set, they collect and process specific user information such as browser and location data as well as IP address values according to individual requirements. Persistent cookies are automatically deleted after a specified period, which may vary depending on the cookie.

If personal data are also processed by individual cookies set by us, the processing is carried out in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR either for the execution of the contract or in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR to safeguard our legitimate interests in the best possible functionality of the website and a customer-friendly and effective design of the page visit.

We work together with advertising partners who help us to make our website more interesting for you. For this purpose, cookies from partner companies are also stored on your hard drive when you visit our website (third-party cookies). You will be informed individually and separately about the use of such cookies and the scope of the information collected in each case within the following sections.

Please note that you can set your browser in such a way that you are informed about the setting of cookies and you can decide individually about their acceptance or exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or generally. Each browser differs in the way it manages the cookie settings. This is described in the help menu of each browser, which explains how you can change your cookie settings. You will find these for the respective browsers under the following links:

Internet Explorer: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies
Firefox: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/privacy/websites/#cookies
Google: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/61416?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en
Safari: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/safari/manage-cookies-and-website-data-sfri11471/mac
Opera: https://help.opera.com/en/latest/web-preferences/#cookies

Please note that the functionality of our website may be limited if cookies are not accepted.

4) Contacting

In the context of contacting us (e.g. via contact form or e-mail), personal data is collected. Which data is collected in the case of a contact form can be seen from the respective contact form. This data is stored and used exclusively for the purpose of responding to your request or for establishing contact and for the associated technical administration. The legal basis for processing data is our legitimate interest in responding to your request in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR. If your contact is aimed at concluding a contract, the additional legal basis for the processing is Art. 6 (1) point b GDPR. Your data will be deleted after final processing of your enquiry; this is the case if it can be inferred from the circumstances that the facts in question have been finally clarified, provided that there are no legal storage obligations to the contrary.

5) Use of Your Data for Direct Advertising

5.1 If you subscribe to our e-mail newsletter, we will send you regular information about our offers. The only mandatory information for sending the newsletter is your e-mail address. The indication of additional possible data is voluntary and is used to be able to address you personally. We use the so-called double opt-in procedure for sending the newsletter. This means that we will not send you an e-mail newsletter, unless you have expressly confirmed to us that you agree to the sending of the newsletter. We will then send you a confirmation e-mail asking you to confirm that you wish to receive future newsletters by clicking on an appropriate link.

By activating the confirmation link, you give us your consent to the use of your personal data in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR. When you register for the newsletter, we store your IP address entered by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) as well as the date and time of registration so that we can trace any possible misuse of your e-mail address at a later time. The data collected by us when registering for the newsletter will be used exclusively for the purpose of advertising by means of the newsletter. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time via the link provided in the newsletter or by sending a message to the responsible person named above. After your cancellation, your e-mail address will immediately be deleted from our newsletter distribution list, unless you have expressly consented to further use of your data or we reserve the right to use data in excess thereof, which is permitted by law and about which we inform you in this declaration.

5.2 Our e-mail newsletters are sent via the technical service provider, The Rocket Science Group, LLC d/b/a MailChimp, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Suite 5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA (https://mailchimp.com), to whom we pass on the data you provided when registering for the newsletter. This disclosure is made in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR and serves our legitimate interest in the use of an effective, secure and user-friendly newsletter system. Please note that your data is usually transferred to a MailChimp server in the USA and stored there.

MailChimp uses this information to send and statistically evaluate the newsletter on our behalf. For evaluation purposes, the e-mails sent contain so-called web beacons or tracking pixels, which represent single-pixel image files stored on our website. This allows us to determine whether a newsletter message has been opened and which links have been clicked on. In addition, technical information is recorded (e.g. time of retrieval, IP address, browser type and operating system). The data are raised exclusively in a pseudonymized format and are not linked with other personal data from you. A direct personal relationship is excluded. This data is used exclusively for statistical analysis of newsletter campaigns. The results of these analyses can be used to better adapt future newsletters to the interests of the recipients.

If you wish to object to the data analysis for statistical evaluation purposes, you must unsubscribe from the newsletter.

Furthermore, MailChimp can use this data according to Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR even on the basis of its own legitimate interest in the demand-oriented design and optimization of the service as well as for market research purposes, for example to determine from which countries recipients come. However, MailChimp does not use the data of our newsletter recipients to address those recipients or pass that data on to third parties.

To protect your data in the USA, we have concluded a data processing agreement (“Data-Processing-Agreement”) with MailChimp on the basis of the standard contractual clauses of the European Commission to enable the transmission of your personal data to MailChimp. If interested, this data processing agreement can be viewed at the following Internet link: https://mailchimp.com/legal/data-processing-addendum/

MailChimp’s privacy policy can be viewed at: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/

6) Use of Videos

Use of Youtube Videos

This website uses the YouTube embedding function for display and playback of videos offered by the provider YouTube, which belongs to Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 ESW5, Ireland (“Google”).

To this end, the extended data protection mode is used to ensure, according to provider information, that user information will only be stored once the playback function of the video is started. When the playback of embedded YouTube videos is started, the provider sets “YouTube” cookies in order to collect information about user behavior. According to indications from YouTube, the use of those cookies is intended, among other things, to record video statistics, to improve user-friendliness and to avoid improper actions. If you are logged in to Google, your information will be directly associated with your account when you click on a video. If you do not wish to be associated with your profile on YouTube, you must log out before activating the button. Google saves your data (even for users who are not logged in) as usage profiles and evaluates them. Such an evaluation takes place in particular according to Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR, on the basis of the legitimate interests of Google in the insertion of personalized advertising, market research and/or demand-oriented design of its website. You have the right to object to the creation of these user profiles, whereby you must contact YouTube to exercise this right. When using YouTube, personal data may also be transmitted to the servers of Google LLC. in the USA.

Regardless of whether the embedded video is played back, a connection to the Google network “double click” is established when visiting this website. This may trigger further data processing beyond our control.

Further information on YouTube data protection can be found in the provider’s data protection statement at: www.google.com/policies/privacy/

To the extent required by law, we have obtained your consent to the processing of your data as described in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR. You can withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. In order to exercise your right of withdrawal, please follow the procedure described above.

7) Online-Marketing

7.1 Google AdSense

This website uses Google AdSense, a web ad service of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 ESW5, Ireland (“Google”). Google AdSense uses so-called “DoubleClick DART Cookies”. These are text files are stored on your computer and enable an analysis of your use of the website. In addition, Google AdSense also uses “web beacons” (small invisible graphics) to collect information, which can be used to record, collect and evaluate simple actions such as visitor traffic on the website. The information generated by those cookies and/or web beacons (including your IP address) about your use of this website will normally be transmitted to a server of Google and will be stored there. When using Google AdSense, personal data may also be transmitted to the servers of Google LLC. in the USA.

Google will use the information obtained in this way to analyze your usage of this website with regard to AdSense ads. The IP address transmitted by your browser as part of Google AdSense is not merged with other Google data. The information collected by Google may be transferred to third parties, if this is prescribed by law and/or if third parties process this data by request of Google.

The described processing of data takes place according to Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR, for the purpose of target-oriented advertising to the user by third parties whose advertisements are displayed on this website based on the evaluated user behavior. At the same time, such processing serves our financial interest in exploiting the economic potential of our Internet presence by displaying personalized third-party advertising content for a fee.

For more information about Google’s privacy policy, please visit: https://privacy.google.com/intl/en-GB/take-control.html?categories_activeEl=sign-in

You can permanently deactivate cookies for advertising preferences by blocking them via a respective setting of your browser software or by downloading and installing the browser plug-in, available under the following link:
https://support.google.com/ads/answer/7395996

Please note that certain functions of this website may not be used or may be used only to a limited extent, if you have deactivated the use of cookies.

To the extent required by law, we have obtained your consent to the processing of your data as described in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR. You can withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. In order to exercise your right of withdrawal, please follow the procedure described above.

7.2 Use of Afiiliate Programs

– Amazon Partner Program (AmazonPartnerNet)
We participate in the Amazon EU S.a.r.l., 38 avenue John F. Kennedy, L-1855 Luxembourg (hereinafter “Amazon”) partner program AmazonPartnerNet. In this context, we have placed advertisements on our website as links that lead to offers on various Amazon websites. Amazon uses cookies, which are small text files that are stored on your end device to be able to trace the origin of orders generated via such links. Among other things, Amazon can recognize that you have clicked on the partner link on our website. This information is required for payment processing between us and Amazon. If the information also contains personal data, the described processing is carried out on the basis of our legitimate financial interest in the processing of commission payments with Amazon in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point f GDPR.
Further information on Amazon’s use of data can be found in the Amazon.de Privacy Policy at https://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/display.html?
language=en_GB&nodeId=201644950
If you wish to block the evaluation of user behavior via cookies, you can set your browser so that you are informed about the setting of cookies and decide individually whether to accept them or exclude the acceptance of cookies in certain cases or in general. You can also deactivate interest-based ads on Amazon via the link: https://www.amazon.de/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201645090
To the extent required by law, we have obtained your consent to the processing of your data as described in accordance with Art. 6 (1) point a GDPR. You can withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. In order to exercise your right of withdrawal, please follow the procedure described above.

7.3 Ezoic

This website uses Ezoic, a service provided by Ezoic Inc., 5870 El Camino Real Carlsbad, California 92008, United States.

Ezoic is a Google certified service to provide personalization and analytics services on this website. Ezoic’s data protection declaration in connection with this website as well as information on data use by Ezoic and the cookies used can be found at: https://g.ezoic.net/privacy/thegrowingleaf.com

8) Web Analysis Services

Google Analytics 4
This website uses Google Analytics 4, a service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, 4 Barrow St, Dublin, D04 E5W5, Ireland (“Google”), which can be used to analyze the use of websites.
When using Google Analytics 4, so-called “cookies” are used as standard. Cookies are text files that are stored on your terminal device and enable an analysis of your use of a website. The information collected by cookies about your use of the website (including the IP address transmitted by your terminal device, shortened by the last digits, see below) is usually transmitted to a Google server and stored and processed there. This may also result in the transmission of information to the servers of Google LLC, a company based in the USA, where the information is further processed.
When using Google Analytics 4, the IP address transmitted by your terminal device when you use the website is always collected and processed by default and automatically only in an anonymized manner, so that a direct personal reference of the collected information is excluded. This automatic anonymization is carried out by shortening the IP address transmitted by your terminal device by Google within member states of the European Union (EU) or other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) by the last digits.
On our behalf, Google uses this and other information to evaluate your use of the website, to compile reports (reports) on your website activities or your usage behavior and to provide us with other services related to your website usage and internet usage. In this context, the IP address transmitted and shortened by your terminal device within the scope of Google Analytics 4 will not be merged with other data from Google. The data collected in the context of the use of Google Analytics 4 will be retained for 2 months and then deleted.
Google Analytics 4 also enables the creation of statistics with statements about age, gender and interests of website users on the basis of an evaluation of interest-based advertising and with the involvement of third-party information via a special function, the so-called “demographic characteristics”. This makes it possible to determine and distinguish user groups of the website for the purpose of targeting marketing measures. However, data collected via the “demographic characteristics” cannot be assigned to a specific person and thus not to you personally. This data collected via the “demographic characteristics” function is retained for two months and then deleted.
All processing described above, in particular the setting of Google Analytics cookies for the storage and reading of information on the terminal device used by you for the use of the website, will only take place if you have given us your express consent for this in accordance with Art. 6 (1) lit. a GDPR. Without your consent, Google Analytics 4 will not be used during your use of the website. You can revoke your consent once given at any time with effect for the future. To exercise your revocation, please deactivate this service via the “Cookie Consent Tool” provided on the website.
In connection with this website, the Google Signals service is also used as an extension of Google Analytics 4. With Google Signals, we can have Google generate cross-device reports (so-called “cross-device tracking”). If you have activated “personalized ads” in your Google account settings and linked your Internet-enabled end devices to your Google account, Google can analyze usage behavior across devices and create database models based on this if you have given your consent to the use of Google Analytics 4 in accordance with Art. 6 (1) a GDPR. The logins and device types of all website users who were logged into a Google account and executed a conversion are taken into account. The data shows, among other things, on which device you clicked on an ad for the first time and on which device the relevant conversion took place. We do not receive any personal data from Google in this regard, but only statistics compiled on the basis of Google Signals. You have the option of deactivating the “personalized ads” function in the settings of your Google account and thus turning off the cross-device analysis in connection with Google Signals. To do this, follow the instructions on this page: https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=en
Further information about Google Signals can be found at the following link: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7532985?hl=en
We have concluded a so-called data processing agreement with Google for our use of Google Analytics 4, by which Google is obliged to protect the data of our website users and not to pass it on to third parties.
To ensure compliance with the European level of data protection, even in the event of any transfer of data from the EU or EEA to the USA and possible further processing there, Google refers to the so-called standard contractual clauses of the European Commission, which we have contractually agreed with Google.
Further legal information on Google Analytics 4, including a copy of the aforementioned standard contractual clauses, can be found at the following link: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en
Details on the processing triggered by Google Analytics 4 and Google’s handling of data from websites can be found here: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites

9) Tools and Miscellaneous

Borlabs
This website uses the cookie consent tool Borlabs of the provider Mr. Benjamin A. Bornschein, Georg-Wilhelm-Str. 17, 21107 Hamburg, Germany (“Borlabs”), which sets two technically necessary cookies (“borlabsCookie” and “borlabsCookieUnblockContent”) to store your cookie preferences. The aforementioned processing takes place in accordance with Art. 6 Para. 1 lit. f GDPR on the basis of our legitimate interest in the provision of a cookie preference management system for website visitors.
The “borlabsCookie” does not process any personal data. The “borlabsCookie” stores your selected preference, which you selected upon opening the website. The “borlabsCookieUnblockContent” cookie stores which (external) media/content you always want to have automatically unblocked. If you wish to revoke these settings, simply delete the cookies in your browser. When you reenter/reload the website, you will be asked again for your cookie preferences.

10) Rights of the Data Subject

10.1 The applicable data protection law grants you the following comprehensive rights of data subjects (rights of information and intervention) vis-à-vis the data controller with regard to the processing of your personal data:

– Right of access by the data subject pursuant to Art. 15 GDPR: You shall have the right to receive the following information: The personal data processed by us; the purposes of the processing; the categories of processed personal data; the recipients or categories of recipients to whom the personal data have been or will be disclosed; the envisaged period for which the personal data will be stored, or, if not possible, the criteria used to determine that period; the existence of the right to request from the controller rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing personal data concerning the data subject or to object to such processing; the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority; where the personal are not collected from the data subject, any available information as to their source; the existence of automated decision-making, including profiling and at least in those cases, meaningful information about the logic involved, as well as the significance and envisaged consequences of such processing for the data subject; the appropriate safeguards pursuant to Article 46 when personal data is transferred to a third country.

– Right to rectification pursuant to Art. 16 GDPR: You have the right to obtain from the controller without undue delay the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you and/or the right to have incomplete personal data completed which are stored by us.

– Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) pursuant to Art. 17 GDPR: You have the right to obtain from the controller the erasure of personal data concerning you if the conditions of Art. 17 (2) GDPR are fulfilled. However, this right will not apply for exercising the freedom of expression and information, for compliance with a legal obligation, for reasons of public interest or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.

– Right to restriction of processing pursuant to Art. 18 GDPR: You have the right to obtain from the controller restriction of processing your personal data for the following reasons: As long as the accuracy of your personal data contested by you will be verified. If you oppose the erasure of your personal data because of unlawful processing and you request the restriction of their use instead. If you require the personal data for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims, once we no longer need those data for the purposes of the processing. If you have objected to processing on grounds relating to your personal situation pending the verification whether our legitimate grounds override your grounds.

– Right to be informed pursuant to Art. 19 GDPR: If you have asserted the right of rectification, erasure or restriction of processing against the controller, he is obliged to communicate to each recipient to whom the personal date has been disclosed any rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing, unless this proves impossible or involves disproportionate effort. You have the right to be informed about those recipients.

– Right to data portability pursuant to Art. 20 GDPR: You shall 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 or to require that those data be transmitted to another controller, where technically feasible.

– Right to withdraw a given consent pursuant to Art. 7 (3) GDPR: You have the right to withdraw your consent for the processing of personal data at any time with effect for the future. In the event of withdrawal, we will immediately erase the data concerned, unless further processing can be based on a legal basis for processing without consent. The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

– Right to lodge a complaint pursuant to Art. 77 GDPR: Without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular 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.

10.2 Right to Object

If, within the framework of a consideration of interests, we process your personal data on the basis of our predominant legitimate interest, you have the right at any time to object to this processing with effect for the future on the grounds that arise from your particular situation.

If you exercise your right to object, we will stop processing the data concerned. However, we reserve the right to further processing if we can prove compelling reasons worthy of protection for processing which outweigh your interests, fundamental rights and freedoms, or if the processing serves to assert, exercise or defend legal claims.

If we process your personal data for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data which are used for direct marketing purposes. You may exercise the objection as described above.

If you exercise your right to object, we will stop processing the data concerned for direct advertising purposes.

11) Duration of Storage of Personal Data

The duration of the storage of personal data is determined by the respective legal retention period (e.g. commercial and tax retention periods). After expiry of this period, the corresponding data will be routinely deleted, provided they are no longer necessary for the performance or initiation of the contract and/or there is no longer any legitimate interest on our part in the further storage.