Privacy Policy

Beckhoff Automation Limited, New Zealand and Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG, Germany (hereinafter referred to as: "We", “our”, and “us”) are responsible for processing personal data of users of the company website in New Zealand. Our contact details can be found in the legal notice on our company website, while the contacts for questions relating to processing of personal data are listed directly in this Data Privacy Policy.

We take the protection of your privacy and personal data very seriously. We record, save and use your personal data strictly in compliance with the content of this Data Privacy Policy and with the applicable data privacy provisions, in particular the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 (Privacy Act) and, where applicable, will also comply with the data protection laws of other jurisdictions such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This Data Privacy Policy is intended to inform you about the scope and purpose for which personal data is processed in connection with the use of the company website.

Personal data collection

Personal data denotes any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes any information about your identity, such as your name, e-mail address, or postal address. Information that cannot be directly associated with your identity (such as statistical data, for example on the number of users of the online site) is, on the other hand, not considered to be personal data.

In general, you can use our website without disclosing your identity or providing your personal data. We therefore only collect general information about your visit to our website. However, personal data about you will be collected for some of the services offered. We will only process this data for the purpose of using this website, in particular for providing the requested information. When collecting personal data, you will only be required to provide data that is essential. Other information is possible, but is provided on a voluntary basis. We will always indicate whether input fields are mandatory or optional. We will inform you concerning the specific details in the relevant section of this Data Privacy Policy.

When using our company website, no automated decision is made on the basis of your personal data.

How we use your personal data

Your data is stored on specially protected servers within the European Union. Technical and organizational measures are used to protect these servers against the loss or destruction of, access or changes to, or the dissemination of your data by unauthorized persons. Only a limited number of persons will have access to your data. These individuals are responsible for the technical, commercial, or editorial support of the servers. Despite regular controls, complete protection against all risks is not possible however.

Your personal data is transmitted in encrypted form over the Internet. We use TLS/SSL encryption (Transport Layer Security/Secure Socket Layer) for data transmission.

When do we disclose your data

We only disclose your personal data as set out in this Data Protection Policy. We may disclose your personal data to third parties, such as external service providers, they shall also only access the data for the purpose of providing services. We use technical and organizational measures to ensure compliance with privacy laws and also require compliance on the part of our external service providers in this respect.

We shall also not share the data with third parties without your explicit consent, in particular not for advertising purposes. Your personal data shall only be shared if you have given your consent to do so, or if we are entitled or obliged to do so due to legal regulations and/or official or judicial orders. This may especially involve the provision of information for law enforcement purposes, for averting danger, or for enforcing intellectual property rights.

Insofar as we transfer your personal data ourselves or through service providers outside of New Zealand, we will ensure that the relevant third party processes your personal data in accordance with our instructions and in a manner consistent with the Privacy Act (art. 6(1) of the GDPR where applicable).

Legal basis for data processing

Certain data protection laws, such as the GDPR, require us to have a “legal basis” for processing personal data. Where those laws apply, we may process your personal data if you have consented to the processing of your personal data for those purposes; we have a legitimate interest in processing your personal data; we are subject to legal, regulatory or professional obligations; or, the processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

For the purposes of this Data Privacy Policy, we always indicate the legal basis we use to underpin the processing of your personal data.

How we protect your personal data

We understand the importance of protecting your personal data we hold about you. The information you provide us is only made available on a 'need to know' basis and for the purposes outlined above or to third parties as outlined in this Data Privacy Policy who have agreed to treat that information confidentially.

We take steps to ensure your personal data is free from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access or modification by: securing personal data both in physical and electronic form; limiting access to personal data only to those that need access to it for the purpose of providing you with our services; and protecting our systems with appropriate technology solutions.

While we cannot ensure or guarantee that loss, misuse or alteration of personal data will not occur, we use our best efforts to prevent this.

How long we hold your personal data

We will keep your personal data only for as long as necessary to achieve the purpose we collected it for and in all cases for such periods as we are required to in order to comply with any relevant legislation or regulations.

Information on your computer

Every time you visit our website, we collect the following information about your computer regardless of whether or not you have registered with us: the IP address of your computer, the request from your browser, as well as the time this request was made. In addition, the status and volume of data transferred as part of this request is also recorded. We also collect product and version information about the browser used and your computer's operating system. We furthermore record the website from which the online site was accessed. The IP address of your computer is only saved for the time during which the online site was used and the subsequent three months, after which it is deleted or anonymized by shortening it.

We use this data to operate the online site, in particular to identify and resolve errors, to determine the utilization level of the online site, and to make adjustments or improvements. These are also the purposes for which we have a legitimate interest in processing data pursuant to Article 6 (1) f) of the GDPR

Use of cookies

As with many other websites, we use cookies for our company website. Cookies are small text files stored on your computer, which save specific settings and data for the purpose of exchange with our website via your browser. A cookie generally contains the name of the domain from which the cookie file was sent as well as information on the age of the cookie and an alphanumeric identifier.

Cookies allow us to identify your computer and make any default settings available immediately. As far as possible we use different cookies to achieve this purpose.

The cookies we use are known as session cookies, which are deleted again automatically at the end of the browser session. In limited cases cookies that are stored for a longer period can also be used occasionally, so that your default settings and preferences can be taken into account the next time you visit our website.

Most browsers are set up to accept cookies automatically. However, you can disable the storage of cookies or set your browser to notify you as soon as cookies are sent. It is also possible to manually delete previously saved cookies via the browser settings. Please note that if you refuse to allow storage of cookies or delete essential cookies then some of the services available on our website may be blocked or restricted or do not work properly or at all.

Privacy settings

Essential cookies allow basic functions to be performed and are required for the website to function properly. This is also the purpose for which we have a legitimate interest in processing data pursuant to Article 6 (1) f) of the GDPR.

In addition, we also use marketing cookies that are used by third-party providers to display personalized advertising, as well as third-party cookies that allow access from content implemented on our page. We use these providers to improve our online site and to offer you a better service that is more tailored to your needs. We only use these cookies if you have given your explicit consent to do so. Our legal basis for using such services in this case is your consent pursuant to Article 6 (1) a) of the GDPR.

Registration

You can register to use our website under “myBeckhoff.” To do this, you must share the data that is requested during the registration process, such as your name, address, and e-mail address. We also record the date and time of registration and the IP address. During the registration process, we obtain your consent to the use of the data. This gives you the advantage of not having to enter this data every time you use the website or place an order.

The legal basis for the processing of data for the purposes of registration is Art. 6(1)(a) of the GDPR when consent is granted. If you register with us for the purposes of the performance or initiation of a contract, the additional legal basis for the processing of data is Art. 6(1)(b) of the GDPR.

The information requested as mandatory fields during the registration process is required for the performance or initiation of a contract with us for specific services. However, you are not under any obligation to register. It is also possible to conclude a contract without registering.

When you register, a customer account is created for you. We store the data in the customer account for as long as an active customer relationship exists. If it is not possible to identify any activity for a period of three years, the status of the customer relationship is set to inactive. You can request that your customer account be erased at any time.

Matomo

We use the open-source software Matomo (formerly Piwik) to statistically analyze the use of our website. This is a web analytics service. The data collected by Matomo is stored in a database for the purpose of analyzing usage, which serves to optimize our website. The data collected includes the shortened IP address, the time, the website visited, the website from which you came to ours (referrer URL), the browser used, the duration of your visit to our website, and the frequency of your visits. The analyses generated by Matomo are fully anonymized and cannot be used to identify individual people. The data stored by Matomo is not linked with other data sources nor is it transferred to third parties. Our legal basis for using Matomo is your consent pursuant to Article 6 (1) a) of the GDPR. You can freely revoke this consent at any time. Any data processing operations that take place prior to revoking your consent are not affected. You can opt out of analysis of your data by Matomo by following this link.

For certain features of our website, we access third-party services. These services are primarily optional features that you need to explicitly select or use. We have concluded contractual agreements with the relevant providers for the provision or integration of their services and we do everything we can to ensure that the third-party providers give transparent information about the extent to which personal data is processed and comply with data protection provisions.

Google Maps

We use Google Maps to create access routes and show the locations of branch offices on maps. This is a service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. (Hereinafter as referred to “Google”).

Whenever our website is accessed, a connection is established to the Google server in the United States in order to display the maps and associated text.

If you launch Google Maps when visiting our website, Google stores a cookie on your device via your browser. Your user data is processed by Google to display the location and to generate directions. It is possible that Google will use servers in the U.S. for this purpose.

The legal basis for this use is your explicit consent in accordance with Article 6 (1) f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest is in optimizing the functionality of our website. You can withdraw your consent at any time, this might affect your future use of this service.

Google can use the data transmitted to it to identify the website from which your request has been sent and the IP address to which the directions are to be transmitted.

If you do not agree to this storage and of your data, you have to prevent the installation of cookies by making the appropriate settings in your browser. We refer you in this respect to the information provided on the topic of cookies.

Use of Google Maps is subject to Google terms of Services as well as general terms and conditions. You can find the Google Data Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Vimeo

We use "Vimeo" to show videos on our website (Vimeo LLC, 555 West 18th Street, New York, New York 10011, USA, hereinafter referred to as "Vimeo"). Some user data is processed on Vimeo servers in the U.S.A. The legal basis for this is Article 6 (1) a) of the GDPR. You give your consent by allowing the integration of external content.

If you give your consent to embed Vimeo videos, a connection is established to Vimeo servers in the U.S.A. in order to show the video. For technical reasons, your IP address is transmitted and processed by Vimeo. In addition, the date and time of your visit to the relevant page is also recorded.

If you are logged into Vimeo when you visit one of our websites on which a Vimeo video is embedded, Vimeo assigns the collected user data to your personal user account. To prevent this from happening, you either have to log out of Vimeo before visiting our websites or configure the account settings in Vimeo accordingly.

Vimeo uses the web analytics service Google Analytics for analysis purposes. Google Analytics stores cookies on your device via your Internet browser and sends information on the use of our websites, in which a Vimeo video is embedded, to Google. It is possible that Google will store and process the information on servers in the U.S.A.

If you do not agree with the recording of your data, you must prevent the installation of cookies by making the appropriate settings in your browser. We refer you in this respect to the information provided on the topic of cookies.

Further information on the collection, use, and processing of data by Vimeo as well as on your rights and options for protecting privacy can be found at http://vimeo.com/privacy.

Retargeting or remarketing refers to technologies that allow targeting of users who previously visited a particular website with appropriate advertising even after they leave this website. To do this, it must be possible to recognize Internet users beyond your own website, which can be done using cookies of the relevant provider; past browsing behavior is also taken into account. For example, when a user views a specific product, this or similar products can be shown to this user later on as advertising on other websites. This is personalized advertising, which is adapted to the needs of the individual user. Apart from recognizing users, they do not have to be identified otherwise for the purpose of personalized advertising. The data used for retargeting or remarketing is therefore also not combined by us with other data.

We use such technologies to place advertisements on the Internet, and do so with the assistance of third-party providers. We use Google services, among others, to automatically display products that are of interest to Internet users. This function is implemented using cookies. The possibility that data may be transmitted to Google in the USA in this process, and that US security agencies may gain access to this data, cannot be ruled out.

Further information on this technology can be found in the Google Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy. You can prevent installation of cookies for Google Remarketing and Google AdWords Conversion Tracking by changing a setting in the relevant browser software; to do this go to http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/ads/ and change the relevant setting.

Our legal basis for using the previously described cookies is your consent. You can freely revoke this consent at any time. Any data processing operations that take place prior to revoking your consent are not affected.

Webinars

You can use various links on our website to take part in webinars that we hold online. If you wish to take part in a webinar, we process personal data that you enter in a registration form, in particular name, e-mail address, and company or organization. We process data transferred via the registration form exclusively for the purpose of conducting the webinar, making contact with you in relation to the event, and providing you with further information in relation to the webinar.

Our legal basis for data processing in connection with hosting the webinars and with regard to the information transmitted by you to us in this context is your consent in accordance with Art. 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. GoTo Technologies Ireland Unlimited Company, The Reflector, 10 Hanover Quay, Dublin 2, D02R573, Ireland. We have no influence on the processing of data at GoToWebinar.

Further information on data processing at GoToWebinar can be found at:

https://www.goto.com/company/legal

https://www.goto.com/company/legal/privacy.

Amazon web services

We use Amazon Web Services to save the data collected by us. This is a web hosting service of Amazon Web Services, Inc., 410 Terry Avenue North, Seattle WA 98109, USA.

We use this service to save our data on Amazon servers. If you transmit data to us or if data is lawfully collected from you, this data is stored in the cloud. As the data is stored on servers in the USA, the possibility that security agencies in the USA may access it cannot be ruled out. Amazon is an active participant in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, which regulates the correct and secure transfer of the personal data of EU citizens to the USA.

The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest is in the provision of a fast and secure website.

Further information about data processing can be found in the Amazon Privacy Notice at https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/.

You can apply for job positions via the job applicant portal. In this respect, we offer you the possibility to complete an application form and to submit the information and documents required for the application to us by means of a file upload. Use of the applicant portal is voluntary; you can also send us your application in other ways, for example via e-mail or post.

When you submit your application via the job applicant portal, your documents are forwarded electronically to the responsible employee in our company. If you have applied for an advertised position, the documents will be automatically deleted three months after the end of the recruitment process, provided deletion is not contrary to other legitimate business interests. If an application relates to an unadvertised position (speculative application), the application is retained for as long as the application may be of interest. You can request the deletion of your application at any stage, even before the scheduled retention periods expire. If an application is successful, the data transferred is stored for the purpose of processing the employment relationship, with due regard for any statutory requirements.

Communicating with us

You can contact us in several ways, including via the contact form on our web page. We will also be happy to send you regular information by e-mail in our newsletter.

Contact form

If you wish to contact our Sales, Technical Support, or Service teams directly, you can use the online contact form. If you wish to use the contact form, we record the personal data that you enter in the contact form, particularly your name and e-mail address. We also save the IP address and the date and time of the request. We process the data transmitted via the contact form solely for the purposes of responding to your request or concern.

You can choose which information to send via the contact form. The legal basis for processing your data is your consent in accordance with Privacy Act and Art. 6(1)(a) of the GDPR.

Once we have processed the matter, the data will initially be saved in case there are any subsequent queries. You can request that the data be erased at any time, otherwise we will erase the data once the matter has been fully resolved; legal retention obligations remain unaffected in each case.

Newsletter

When you register for our e-newsletter, your email address will be used for our own promotional purposes until you unsubscribe. You will regularly receive information via email in this regard on current topics as well as emails for specific events and special promotions. The emails may be personalized and individualized based on the information saved about you.

We use the double-opt-in process when you register for our newsletter, assuming you have not given us your consent in writing. This means that we will only send you a newsletter via email if you have explicitly confirmed to us in advance that we should activate the newsletter mailing. We will then send you a notification email and ask you to confirm by clicking a link in this email that you would like to receive our newsletter. We record the opening of the newsletter and any links that it may contain. In addition, we process the following data in relation to use of the newsletter: the email program you are using, your operating system, the time of access, and your abbreviated IP address.

It may also be possible within the scope of legal requirements that you receive our newsletter from us without your explicit consent, because you have ordered goods or services from us, we have received your e-mail in this respect, and you have not opted out of receiving information by e-mail.

Should you no longer wish to receive newsletters from us in general, you can revoke your consent at any time with effect for the future and object to any further receipt of the newsletter without any costs arising beyond the basic cost of transmission. Simply use the unsubscribed link contained in every newsletter or send notification to us or to our data protection officer.

In addition to our website, we use various social media channels for information transmission and communication. You will find links to these channels on our website, and links to our website on these channels. Specifically, we use the social networks Facebook and Instagram, the career network LinkedIn, as well as the YouTube and Vimeo platforms. The links can be identified by the relevant provider logo. Clicking the links opens the relevant social media websites, which are generally subject to the terms and conditions and privacy policies of the relevant providers. We have provided an overview of the policies from each provider below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/policy.php

Instagram: https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy

YouTube: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-US

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/privacy

No personal data is transmitted to the relevant providers before opening the corresponding links. When you open the linked site, this is also the basis for data processing by the relevant providers.

Please also note that the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) provides general information on the safe use of social networks on its web page at:

https://www.bsi.bund.de/EN/Themen/Verbraucherinnen-und-Verbraucher/Informationen-und-Empfehlungen/Onlinekommunikation/Soziale-Netzwerke/soziale-netzwerke_node.html. Our use of social media channels is also subject to the following notices regarding the associated processing of your personal data.

In addition to our website, we also operate a fan page on the Facebook social network. The fan page provides information about our activities as well as a communication channel. The operator of the Facebook social network is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland (hereinafter referred to as “Meta”). We therefore access the technical platform and services of Meta.

Delimitation of responsibility

Please note that you use the fan page and its features under your own responsibility, particularly about interactive features such as comments, shares, or ratings. Alternatively, you can access the information provided on the fan page via our homepage.

As far as possible on Facebook, we try to protect your privacy and your personal data. If we process your personal data in connection with your visit to the fan page, the explanations in this Privacy Policy apply without restriction. Please also note that personal data is processed by Meta at the same time due to the integration of the fan page in the Facebook website. When you visit the fan page, Meta records data such as your IP address as well as other information that may be saved on the end device that you are using or in the relevant browser in the form of cookies. We have no influence on the processing of data by Meta; in particular, Facebook does not come under our responsibility as a processor for us. According to information provided by Meta, data processing by Facebook is subject to the Facebook policy, which can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/?entry_point=data_policy_redirect&entry=0. Please note that the data about you collected by Meta in this context may also be transmitted outside the European Union.

From the perspective of data protection law, joint responsibility between Meta and us can be assumed about the operation of the fan page or the evaluation of user data when visiting the fan page. In accordance with requirements under data protection law, we have concluded an agreement internally with Meta regarding the delimitation of responsibility.

Facebook insights

Meta gives operators of fan pages the option to gain an overview of the usage of the fan page and its users via the Page Insights feature. Page Insights can be used to access and evaluate statistical data. We use the data from Page Insights to make the fan page as attractive and efficient as possible. For this purpose, Meta provides us with data that Meta has generated itself. Facebook provides further information on the functionality of the Page Insights feature and the relevant responsibilities at https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/page_controller_addendum.

Messenger

Users who are registered on Facebook also have the option to communicate directly via Facebook Messenger. If you contact us via Messenger, the transmitted data is saved and used by us solely to respond to your request. The legal basis for processing your data is your consent in accordance with Art. 6(1)(a) of the GDPR as well as our legitimate interest in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest is in the recording and processing of customer inquiries, the evaluation of customer inquiries, as well as the monitoring of unfair practices.

The data is erased as soon as it is no longer required to achieve the purpose for which is was collected. For your personal data, this is the case when the relevant conversation has ended. The conversation ends for us when it can be taken from the circumstances that the relevant matter has been fully resolved. You have the option to withdraw your consent to the processing of personal data at any time; in this case, we will erase the data immediately provided that there is no basis for continuing to store it.

Further information on Facebook

If you have any questions about our use of personal data in connection with the use of the fan page on Facebook, you can contact us and our Data Protection Officer at any time. The contact details and communication channels are provided in our Privacy Policy. If you have any questions about data protection at Facebook, please contact Meta directly.

We also have an account on the Instagram social network. The Instagram account provides information in the form of publications about our activities and offers another communication channel with us. The Instagram social network is operated by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland (hereinafter referred to as “Meta”).

Please note that you use Instagram and its features under your own responsibility, particularly about interactive features such as comments, shares, or ratings.

Responsibility under data law protection

As far as possible on Instagram, we try to protect your privacy and your personal data. If we process your personal data in connection with your visit to the Instagram account, the explanations in this Privacy Policy apply without restriction. Please also note that personal data is processed by Meta at the same time due to the integration of the account in Meta services. When you access our Instagram content, Meta records data such as your IP address as well as other information that may be saved on the end device that you are using or in the relevant browser in the form of cookies. We have no influence on the processing of data by Instagram; in particular, Meta does not come under our responsibility as a processor for us. According to information provided by Meta, data processing by Meta is subject to the Facebook policy, which can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/help/instagram/155833707900388. Please note that the data about you collected by Meta in this context may also be transmitted outside the European Union.

From the perspective of data protection law, two separate responsibilities can be assumed for Meta and us regarding the operation of the Instagram account and the associated communication and evaluation options. If we process your data in connection with your visit to our Instagram page and we alone decide the purposes and means of this data processing, we are responsible for this data processing. This is generally the case if you communicate with us directly via the “Instagram Direct Messaging” feature and transmit your data to us in the process. If Meta processes your data and Meta alone decides the purposes and means of this data processing, Meta alone is responsible for this data processing. This applies to the evaluation of user behavior by Meta for its own purposes.

Instagram insights

Meta gives operators of Instagram accounts the option to gain an overview of the usage of the account and its users via the “Instagram Insights” feature. Instagram Insights can be used to access and evaluate statistical data. We use the data from Instagram Insights to make the Instagram account as attractive and efficient as possible. For this purpose, Meta provides us with data that Meta has generated itself under its own responsibility. The data that we receive from Meta is mostly anonymized data and statistics. If we receive personal data in this context, we are responsible for our further processing of this data for the purposes of evaluation of the usage of our Instagram account.Meta provides further information about Instagram Insights at https://help.instagram.com/1533933820244654.

Instagram direct Messaging

On Instagram, you have the option to communicate with us directly via the “Instagram Direct Messaging” feature. If you contact us via the Instagram Direct Messaging feature, the transmitted data is saved and used by us solely to respond to your request. The legal basis for processing your data is your consent in accordance with Art. 6(1)(a) of the GDPR as well as our legitimate interest in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest is in the recording and processing of customer inquiries, the evaluation of customer inquiries, as well as the monitoring of unfair practices.

The data is erased as soon as it is no longer required to achieve the purpose for which is was collected. For your personal data, this is the case when the relevant conversation has ended. The conversation ends for us when it can be taken from the circumstances that the relevant matter has been fully resolved. You have the option to withdraw your consent to the processing of personal data at any time; in this case, we will erase the data immediately provided that there is no basis for continuing to store it.

Further Information on Instagram

If you have any questions about our use of personal data in connection with the use of our Instagram account, you can contact us and our Data Protection Officer at any time. The contact details and communication channels are provided in our Privacy Policy. If you have any questions about data protection on the social network Instagram provided by Meta, please contact Meta directly.

In addition to our website, we also operate an account on the LinkedIn career network. The account provides information about our company and activities and offers a communication channel. The LinkedIn career network is operated by LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland (“LinkedIn”).

Please note that you use the career network and its features under your own responsibility. This applies to the use of the interactive features (e.g. likes, shares, comments).

Processing personal data

The data about you collected during use of the service is processed by LinkedIn. It is possible that data may also be transmitted to countries outside the European Union. The processed data includes but is not limited to the data entered voluntarily by you, such as your name, username, e-mail address, telephone number, career information, profile data, content that you create, upload, or receive, as well as comments, your IP address, information on the end device that you use, information on web pages and content accessed, and your location. We have no influence on the type and extent of the data processed by LinkedIn, the type of processing, or the sharing of this data with third parties. You will find information about what types of data are processed by LinkedIn and for what purposes they are used in the LinkedIn Privacy Policy at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

We process the data you enter on LinkedIn to the extent that we like, comment on, or share your posts, or contact you and interact with you. In this way, the information freely published and distributed by you on LinkedIn is integrated by us into our offering.

The general settings for your LinkedIn account offer ways to restrict the processing of your data. In addition, the setting options on mobile devices allow you to restrict access for LinkedIn to contact and calendar information, photos, location information, etc. However, this is dependent on the operating system used. Further information about the data protection settings on LinkedIn can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

Analytics

LinkedIn gives operators of LinkedIn accounts the option to gain an overview of the usage of the account and its users. In particular, the analytics feature can be used to access and evaluate statistical data. We use the data to make our account as attractive and efficient as possible. For this purpose, LinkedIn provides us with data that LinkedIn has generated itself under its own responsibility. The data that we receive from LinkedIn is mostly anonymized data and statistics. If we receive personal data in this context, we are responsible for our further processing of this data for the purposes of evaluation of the usage of our LinkedIn account. Further information can be found in the LinkedIn Privacy Policy at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.

Communication

On LinkedIn, you have the option to communicate with us directly. If you contact us via LinkedIn, the transmitted data is saved and used by us solely to respond to your request. The legal basis for processing your data is your consent in accordance with Art. 6(1)(a) of the GDPR as well as our legitimate interest in accordance with Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Our legitimate interest is in the recording and processing of inquiries, the evaluation of inquiries, as well as the monitoring of unfair practices.

The data is erased as soon as it is no longer required to achieve the purpose for which is was collected. For your personal data, this is the case when the relevant conversation has ended. The conversation ends for us when it can be taken from the circumstances that the relevant matter has been fully resolved. You have the option to withdraw your consent to the processing of personal data at any time; in this case, we will erase the data immediately provided that there is no basis for continuing to store it.

Further information on LinkedIn

If you have any questions about our use of personal data in connection with the use of our LinkedIn account, you can contact us and our Data Protection Officer at any time. The contact details and communication channels are provided in our Privacy Policy. If you have any questions about data protection at LinkedIn, please contact LinkedIn directly.

YouTube Channel

We also operate a channel on the YouTube video platform. The channel provides information about our activities as well as a communication channel. The YouTube video platform is operated by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (hereinafter referred to as “Google”).

Please note that you use the video platform and its features under your own responsibility. This applies in particular to the use of the interactive features (e.g. discussions, comments).

We take great care to ensure that the processing of your personal data is explained as transparently as possible and that you are also informed about your rights. Should you require more detailed information or want to exercise the rights to which you are entitled, you can contact us at any time so that we can take care of your request.

Rights of the data subject

You have rights available to you in relation to processing your personal data. First of all, you have a right of access and can request to have your personal data corrected and/or deleted, or blocked if necessary.

If you would like to assert one of your rights and/or receive more detailed information in this regard, please contact our customer service department. Alternatively, you can also consult our data protection officer.

Revocation of consent and objection

You can freely revoke your consent again at any time with effect for the future. By revoking your consent, the legality of processing carried out on the basis of the consent up to the time of revocation shall not be affected. Your contacts in this respect are again our customer service department and our data protection officer.

If your personal data is not processed based on consent, rather on a different legal basis, you can object to this data processing. Your objection results in evaluation and, if necessary, termination of the data processing. You will be informed of the outcome of the evaluation and – if the data processing is to be continued nonetheless – you will receive more detailed information from us as to why data processing is permitted.

Data protection/privacy officer and contact

We have appointed a data protection/privacy officer to support us in relation to data privacy issues and with whom you can also make contact directly. Our data protection officer is available to you to deal with queries relating to our handling of personal data or to provide other information on data privacy issues:

Mr. Hans-Peter Jakobfeuerborn
Phone: +49 (0) 52 46 / 9 63 - 0
E-mail: datenschutz@beckhoff.de

Complaints

If you are of the opinion that the processing of your personal data by us is not in compliance with this Data Privacy Policy or the applicable data protection regulations, you have the right to make a complaint to our data protection/privacy officer. The data protection/privacy officer will then check the matter and inform you about the outcome of the investigation.

For more information you can visit their website https://www.privacy.org.nz/your-rights/making-a-complaint-to-the-privacy-commissioner/

Some common reasons we won’t investigate are:

1. You haven't contacted the organisation first:
You should give the business or organisation a chance to resolve your problem first and should wait at least 30 working days for a response before contacting us.

2. Your complaint is about an old issue:
If your complaint is about something that happened more than 12 months ago, we probably won’t investigate it unless there’s a good reason why you didn’t contact us earlier.

3. The issue hasn’t caused you harm:
We’ll only investigate a breach of your privacy if it caused you harm:

4. The agency has taken appropriate steps to resolve the issue:
If an agency has already acted, changing its systems, and apologising to the person concerned, we’d likely consider those actions that would resolve the complaint. An investigation isn’t likely to achieve a different outcome.

Section 74 of the Privacy Act has a full list of reasons we might not investigate your complaint and includes things like the complaint being a breach of someone else’s privacy, or there being a better way to sort it out.

Links to other websites

Our online site may contain links to other websites. These links are generally identified as such. We have no influence on the extent to which the applicable data protection regulations are observed on the linked websites. We therefore recommend that you also familiarize yourself with the respective data privacy policies on the other websites.

Changes to this Data Privacy Policy

The status of this Data Privacy Policy is indicated by the date (below). We reserve the right to change this Data Privacy Policy at any time with effect for the future. Changes may arise especially in the case of technical modifications to the website or revisions to data protection regulations. The up-to-date version of the Data Privacy Policy can be accessed directly via the website at all times. We recommend that you familiarize yourself regularly with any changes to this Data Privacy Policy.

Version of Data Privacy Policy: February 2024