Data protection at TOMORROW FOCUS AG. TOMORROW FOCUS AG produces and markets the online offerings of focus.de, amica.de, max.de and nachrichten.de.

We take protection of personal data very seriously. What follows is a brief outline of where TOMORROW FOCUS AG stands on data protection, how we protect your data and what it means for you when you use our customizable services. As a matter of principle we feel that protecting your private life is of the greatest importance. That is why we consider observing the statutory provisions on data protection to be a matter of course. In addition, we feel it is important for you to know at all times what data we collect about you, when we collect it and what we do with it.

Personal data is all information about the personal and factual circumstances of a specific or identifiable individual. It includes information and particulars such as your (real) name, your address or other postal contact and telephone number. It also includes your e-mail address if it is so close to your real name that you are identifiable by it. It does not include information by which you cannot be identified, i.e. data that is not linked to your name, such as your height, sex, age, education or income. In our interactive services you can enter data of this kind (without reference to a name) on many occasions. General information such as “15% of our Internet users are aged between 55 and 65” is not personal data either.

TOMORROW FOCUS AG or the above-mentioned online services will only ever ask you for your name, address and other necessary details if, say, you want to take out a subscription or order a product. Personal data of yours is also collected and stored if you make use of one of our customized or interactive services or register for one, such as subscribing to a newsletter, taking part in a competition or downloading paid content. In such cases, the personal data will be requested that is required for the service and to customize it. In individual instances, you may be asked to give your consent in writing to submitting personal health data (FOCUS Online Health Manager).

When you access this website, data that could be used to identify you (IP address) and other information (date, time, page viewed) is stored on our server for purposes of data security. This data is only evaluated for statistical purposes and then only when it has been rendered anonymous by, for example, the IP address being reduced to its domain name. All your personal data is stored at TOMORROW FOCUS AG on a specially protected server and is used only for the purposes for which you disclosed it to us.

In connection with product and subscription orders, TOMORROW FOCUS AG uses your personal data only within the company and passes it on only to companies that are involved in fulfilling the terms of the contracts you have signed. Your personal data is not otherwise passed on to third parties unless you have given us your express approval or we are required by law to divulge it on the basis of, for example, a court or official order.

TOMORROW FOCUS AG collects demographic data, i. e. details of age, sex, place of residence, income, job, education, etc., of users of various services along with information about their Internet usage. This demographic data and the information gained about user behavior are separated from personal data and stored under a pseudonym. A pseudonym is a name that is used in place of the person’s real name or other identifying features so as to rule out identification of the person in question or inferences as to who the person might be.

In collecting information of this kind TOMORROW FOCUS AG pursues two objectives. For one, we would like to be able to offer users of our websites customized online offerings with content and services that are relevant and of interest to them. That enables us to offer more individual (but not individualized) content – both editorial and advertising – and thereby to enhance its personal value to you within the context of our online offerings. For another, we would like to enable our advertising customers to reach the right target group as precisely as possible and without significant wasted coverage. TOMORROW FOCUS AG publishes, for example, generalized user statistics (such as “70% use the XY online offering”) to present and describe our services to prospective partners, advertising customers and others or for other legally permissible purposes.

Pseudonymization and anonymization of the information gathered ensures that your private life is protected at all times, as the information given does not permit inferences to be drawn on the identity of individual persons.

TOMORROW FOCUS also uses cookies to analyze website use, especially the use of online advertising, in order to present you with special offers and services that will interest you, given your personal preferences. In addition, advertising customers are to be enabled to reach their target group as precisely as possible and without significant wasted coverage. For this purpose anonymous user statistics are compiled and the data is used for market research purposes. No advertising customer is supplied with data from which personal identities might be inferred. To analyze results we use cookies that store the user’s general preferences. This data may in some circumstances be enriched in on-site surveys with further demographic data such as age and sex. You will be advised of this separately in on-site surveys. The data is stored in the cookie on your computer. Saving your profile under a pseudonym strengthens your data protection because the data stored in the cookie does not permit any inference to be drawn as to your real name. You are entitled to information at any time about the data that is stored under your pseudonym. You are also entitled at any time to insist that no user profile is drawn up for you in the future.

You are entitled to demand at any time, free of charge and without delay information about all data that is stored about you or about a pseudonym that is allocated to you. In addition, you are entitled at any time to insist that no further use of your personal data is made in the future. To do so you must provide valid proof that the account in question is yours. TOMORROW FOCUS AG reserves the right to provide this information electronically.

E-Mail: kundenbetreuung@tomorrow-focus.de

Subject to statutory requirements, TOMORROW FOCUS AG reserves the right to amend this data protection statement at any time.

Munich, July 2005

Please see also our german General Terms and Conditions.