Data Protection

You can find all legally required texts here.

1. Responsible Party

Responsible for the processing of personal data on this website in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is:

Michael Rademacher
Hofheimer Straße 31
97437 Haßfurt
Email: kontakt@gadgettester.de

This privacy policy applies to gadgettester.de and the English version at gadget-tester.com.

2. The Essentials at a Glance

  • I use a self-hosted Matomo without cookies for visitor statistics. There is no ad tracking or advertising banners.
  • Fonts are loaded locally from my server, not from Google.
  • External services such as the comment function (Disqus) and YouTube videos will only be loaded after your consent.
  • Links to Amazon are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
  • You have the right to access, rectify, delete, and object at any time (see Section 14).

3. Legal Bases

I process personal data based on Art. 6 para. 1 GDPR, in particular:

  • Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR, in case of access to your device additionally § 25 para. 1 TDDG),
  • Contract and pre-contractual measures (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR),
  • legal obligation (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR),
  • legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR), for example, in the secure and stable operation of this website.

4. Hosting and Server Log Files

This website is hosted by Serverprofis GmbH, Sonnenstr. 26b, 85622 Feldkirchen, on servers in Germany. The host processes the data exclusively on my behalf (data processing agreement according to Art. 28 GDPR).

Each time you access the website, your browser automatically transmits information that is stored in server log files:

  • IP address
  • Date and time of access
  • requested page or file
  • Referrer URL (the previously visited page)
  • used browser and operating system
  • transferred data volume and HTTP status code

I need this data to deliver the website technically, ensure its stability and security, and analyze errors. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. The log files are automatically deleted after a short period unless they are needed to investigate a security incident.

5. SSL/TLS Encryption

This website uses SSL/TLS encryption for security reasons. You can recognize an encrypted connection by “https://” and the padlock symbol in your browser’s address bar.

6. Cookies and Consent Management (Borlabs Cookie)

To manage your consents, I use the Borlabs Cookie plugin, which runs on my own server. It stores your selection in a technically necessary cookie (“borlabs-cookie”) as well as a randomly generated identifier and your selection in a consent log. This serves as proof of your consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c in conjunction with Art. 7 para. 1 GDPR; § 25 para. 2 no. 2 TDDG).

You can change or withdraw your consent at any time via the link “Cookie Settings” in the footer of the website. The withdrawal applies to the future.

Furthermore, I only use cookies that are technically necessary for the operation of the website. Third-party cookies are only set after your consent.

7. Comments via Disqus

For the comment function under the posts, I use the Disqus service from Disqus, Inc., San Francisco, USA. Until you give your consent, I will only show a placeholder in the comment section; no data will be transmitted to Disqus. Only when you agree in the cookie settings or click on “Load Comments,” will your browser establish a connection to the Disqus servers. In this process, your IP address, the page accessed, device and browser information, as well as cookie identifiers will be transmitted to Disqus. When you comment, Disqus also processes your name, email address, comment, and possibly your account details. Disqus also displays recommendations for additional posts.

The legal basis is your consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR, § 25 para. 1 TDDDG), which you provide through the cookie settings and can revoke at any time. In this context, data may be transferred to the USA; the transfer is based on your consent (Art. 49 para. 1 lit. a GDPR) or appropriate guarantees from the provider such as standard contractual clauses (Art. 46 GDPR).

More information: Disqus Privacy Policy.

8. Contact Form and Email

If you contact me via the contact form or by email, I will process your information (e.g., name, email address, and message) to handle your request. The form will be sent to me via email. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR, insofar as your request is related to a contract; otherwise, it is my legitimate interest in responding to inquiries (Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR). I will delete the data as soon as your request has been completed and there are no legal retention obligations to the contrary.

Spam Protection: The form uses an invisible validation field (Honeypot) to detect automated spam requests. No external services are integrated for this purpose.

9. Embedded YouTube Videos

In some posts, I embed videos from YouTube (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland). The videos are only loaded after you consent through the consent tool. After that, a connection to the YouTube/Google servers is established, during which your IP address may be transmitted and cookies may be set. The legal basis is your consent (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR, § 25 para. 1 TDDG). Google is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (Art. 45 GDPR).

10. Visitor Statistics with Matomo (Cookie-Free)

To understand which posts are being read, I use the open-source software Matomo. Matomo runs on my own server at Serverprofis GmbH in Germany (tracking.rmaker.de); the data is not shared with third parties. Matomo is configured to not set any cookies.

The following data is processed: shortened (anonymized) IP address, accessed pages and timestamps, referrer URL, browser, operating system, device type, and screen resolution, as well as the approximate country of origin. It is not possible to assign this data to a specific individual. The legal basis is my legitimate interest in the statistical evaluation and improvement of my services (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR).

Objection: You can object to the data collection by Matomo here. Your decision will be stored in the consent cookie:

[borlabs-cookie id=”matomo” type=”btn-switch-consent”/]

11. Amazon Affiliate Program (Affiliate Links)

Gadget Tester is a participant in the Amazon Europe Core S.à r.l. affiliate program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links lead to Amazon and are marked with an affiliate identifier. Only when you click on such a link do you reach the Amazon website; there, Amazon may set cookies and recognize that you came from my website. I do not receive any personal data, only anonymous statistics about clicks and sales. My legitimate interest (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR) lies in financing this blog. Amazon is responsible for processing on amazon.de: Amazon’s Privacy Policy.

12. Links to Social Networks

On the website, I link to my profiles on YouTube and Instagram. These are simple links: data is only transmitted when you click a link and access the respective platform. There, the privacy policy of the respective provider applies.

13. Technology, Security, and Fonts

  • Fonts: The fonts used are stored locally on my server. No connection to Google is made when the page is accessed.
  • Security: To protect against attacks (e.g., brute-force attacks on the login), I use security plugins that temporarily store the IP addresses of suspicious accesses and failed login attempts (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR).
  • Caching and Image Optimization: To achieve faster loading times, pages are cached and images are optimized. No personal data from visitors is processed in the process.
  • Backups: Regular backups of the website serve to restore it in case of failure (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR).
  • AI Tools: When creating content, I use AI tools (see AI Transparency). Data from visitors is not processed in this process.

14. Your Rights

You have the following rights under the GDPR:

  • Information about your stored data (Art. 15 GDPR)
  • Correction of inaccurate data (Art. 16 GDPR)
  • Deletion (Art. 17 GDPR)
  • Restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR)
  • Data portability (Art. 20 GDPR)
  • Withdrawal of granted consents with effect for the future (Art. 7 para. 3 GDPR)

Right to Object (Art. 21 GDPR): As far as I process data based on legitimate interests, you can object to this processing at any time on grounds relating to your particular situation.

For all inquiries, simply send an email to kontakt@gadgettester.de.

Right to complain: You can file a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority. The responsible authority for me is the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA), Promenade 18, 91522 Ansbach, www.lda.bayern.de.

15. Storage Duration

I store personal data only as long as it is necessary for the respective purpose or required by legal retention periods. After that, the data will be deleted.

16. Currency of this Privacy Policy

I will adjust this privacy policy if the website or the legal situation changes.

As of October 2026