Privacy Information for Whistleblowers

In this section, you will find information on how we handle data from individuals who provide tips (whistleblowers), as well as from affected and involved parties within the framework of our whistleblower procedure. Our aim is to offer a straightforward and secure means of reporting potential misconduct by us, our employees, or service providers, especially for actions that violate laws or ethical guidelines. Furthermore, we ensure appropriate processing and handling of the reports.

Legal Bases (Gemany): To the extent that we process data to fulfil our legal obligations in accordance with the Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG), the legal basis for processing is Article 6(1)(c) GDPR and, in the case of special categories of personal data, Article 9(2)(g) GDPR, § 22 BDSG, in conjunction with § 10 HinSchG. This relates to the obligation to establish and operate an internal whistleblower reporting office, the fulfilment of its legal duties, and, in the case of using data collected in the reporting process, the initiation of further investigations or employment-related steps against individuals found to have committed a violation.

To the extent that we process data (especially in cases of identified misconduct) for the purpose of or in preparation for legal defence, this is done on the basis of our legitimate interests in lawful and ethical conduct in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

To the extent that consent has been given for processing personal data for specific purposes, processing is based on this consent according to Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR and in case of special categories of personal data Article 9(2)(a) of the GDPR. An example would be disclosing a whistleblower's identity or creating a verbatim report during a personal meeting. Given consent can be revoked at any time with effect for the future.

Processed types of data:

In the course of receiving and processing reports, as well as in the subsequent whistleblower procedure, we may collect various data. These particularly include information provided by a whistleblower, such as:

• Name, contact details, and location of the person making the report,
• Names and information about potential witnesses or individuals affected by the report,
• Names and information about the individuals who are the subject of the report,
• Data concerning the alleged misconduct,
• Other relevant details if communicated by the whistleblower.

For the purposes of fact-finding and further proceedings, we also process the following personal data:

• Unique identification of the report,
• Contact details of the reporting individual, if provided,
• Personal data of individuals mentioned in the report, if provided,
• Personal data of individuals indirectly affected by fact-finding, if applicable,
• Personal data from individuals in other involved companies (e.g., within legal counsel), if relevant,
• Additional data related to the circumstances.

Special categories of personal data:

It may occur that we collect special categories of personal data in the course of our activities, especially when they are provided by a whistleblower. These include:

• Health-related data of a person,
• Data on a person's racial or ethnic origin,
• Information about a person's religious or philosophical beliefs,
• Details about a person's sexual orientation.

These data are only processed if they are relevant to the handling of the respective report and have been explicitly provided by the whistleblower.

Use of our online forms: Please note that you have the option to submit tips anonymously. To ensure the security of your data when using our online forms, we recommend accessing them in the so-called 'Incognito Mode' of your browser. Here's how you can open an Incognito window: a) On a Windows PC: Open your browser and press Ctrl+Shift+N; b) On a Mac: Open your browser and press Command+Shift+N; c) On mobile devices: Switch to private mode via the tab menu.

When accessing our website in normal mode, your browser automatically sends certain information to our server, such as browser type and version, date and time of your access. This also includes the IP address of your device. These data are temporarily stored in a log file and automatically deleted after no more than 30 days.

The processing of the IP address serves technical and administrative purposes for establishing a connection to our website. It ensures the security, stability, and functionality of the whistleblower form and is an essential part of our measures to ensure the confidential submission of reports.

The processing of logged data is based on Article 6 (1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest lies in the need for security and the necessity to ensure the technical conditions for a smooth and uninterrupted submission of reports.

Disclosure of names: You have the option to submit reports anonymously. However, unless prohibited by national legislation, we recommend that you provide your name and contact details. This enables us to follow up on the report more effectively and, if necessary, to contact you directly.Should you choose to provide your name and contact information, your identity will be treated with strict confidentiality. Exceptions to this confidentiality exist only if we are legally obliged to disclose your identity. This may be necessary in order to protect or defend our rights or the rights of our employees, customers, suppliers, or business partners. Another exception is if it is determined that the allegations were made with malicious intent.

Disclosure of data to third parties: Data related to the report provided will only be disclosed to third parties under certain circumstances. This occurs either a) if you have given us your explicit consent according to Art. 6 (1)(a) of the GDPR, or b) if there is a legal obligation to disclose the data pursuant to Art. 6 (1)(c) of the GDPR. Possible third parties include public authorities, government, regulatory or tax agencies, if disclosure is necessary for compliance with a legal or regulatory obligation. Furthermore, within the scope of legal provisions, we may engage lawyers and other professional advisers who are authorised to investigate suspected misconduct and take necessary actions following an investigation, such as initiating disciplinary or legal proceedings. Additionally, carefully selected and supervised service providers whom we employ may also receive data for these purposes (such as operators of a web-based reporting tool). However, these providers are contractually bound to comply with the prevailing data protection regulations under a so-called data processing agreement.

Data retention and deletion: Personal data will be processed only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes of processing described above. If the data are no longer needed for these purposes, they will be deleted. However, in certain situations, the data may be retained for longer periods to meet legal requirements, provided this is necessary and proportionate. In such cases, the data will be deleted as soon as they are no longer required for these purposes.

Technical and organisational measures: We have implemented the necessary contractual, technical, and organisational measures to ensure the security of all data processed by us. This data is processed exclusively for the purposes set out. The incoming hints are handled by authorised individuals who gain access to the respective reports and carry out the subsequent examination of the facts. Our employees are specifically trained, educated, and bound to strict confidentiality in the proper execution of these examinations of facts.

• Processed data types: Inventory data (For example, the full name, residential address, contact information, customer number, etc.); Employee Data (Information about employees and other individuals in an employment relationship); Contact data (e.g. postal and email addresses or phone numbers); Content data (e.g. textual or pictorial messages and contributions, as well as information pertaining to them, such as details of authorship or the time of creation.). Usage data (e.g. page views and duration of visit, click paths, intensity and frequency of use, types of devices and operating systems used, interactions with content and features).
• Data subjects: Employees (e.g. employees, job applicants, temporary workers, and other personnel.); Third parties. Whistleblowers.
• Purposes of processing: Whistleblower protection.
• Retention and deletion: Deletion in accordance with the information provided in the section "General Information on Data Retention and Deletion".
• Legal Basis: Consent (Article 6 (1) (a) GDPR); Compliance with a legal obligation (Article 6 (1) (c) GDPR). Legitimate Interests (Article 6 (1) (f) GDPR).