Privacy policy

1. An overview of data protection

General information

The following information will provide you with an easy to navigate overview of what will happen with your personal data when you visit this website. The term “personal data” comprises all data that can be used to personally identify you. For detailed information about the subject matter of data protection, please consult our Data Protection Declaration, which we have included beneath this copy.

Data recording on this website

Who is the responsible party for the recording of data on this website (i.e., the “controller”)?

The data on this website is processed by the operator of the website, whose contact information is available under section “Information about the responsible party (referred to as the “controller” in the GDPR)” in this Privacy Policy.

How do we record your data?

We collect your data as a result of your sharing of your data with us. This may, for instance be information you enter into our contact form.

Other data shall be recorded by our IT systems automatically or after you consent to its recording during your website visit. This data comprises primarily technical information (e.g., web browser, operating system, or time the site was accessed). This information is recorded automatically when you access this website.

What are the purposes we use your data for?

A portion of the information is generated to guarantee the error free provision of the website. Other data may be used to analyze your user patterns. If contracts can be concluded or initiated via the website, the transmitted data will also be processed for contract offers, orders or other order enquiries.

What rights do you have as far as your information is concerned?

You have the right to receive information about the source, recipients, and purposes of your archived personal data at any time without having to pay a fee for such disclosures. You also have the right to demand that your data are rectified or eradicated. If you have consented to data processing, you have the option to revoke this consent at any time, which shall affect all future data processing. Moreover, you have the right to demand that the processing of your data be restricted under certain circumstances. Furthermore, you have the right to log a complaint with the competent supervising agency.

Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time if you have questions about this or any other data protection related issues.

Analysis tools and tools provided by third parties

There is a possibility that your browsing patterns will be statistically analyzed when your visit this website. Such analyses are performed primarily with what we refer to as analysis programs.

For detailed information about these analysis programs please consult our Data Protection Declaration below.

2. Hosting

We are hosting the content of our website at the following provider:

Hetzner

The provider is the Hetzner Online GmbH, Industriestr. 25, 91710 Gunzenhausen, Germany (hereinafter referred to as Hetzner).

For details, please view the data privacy policy of Hetzner: https://www.hetzner.com/de/legal/privacy-policy/.

We use Hetzner on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in the most reliable depiction of our website possible. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

Data processing

We have concluded a data processing agreement (DPA) for the use of the above-mentioned service. This is a contract mandated by data privacy laws that guarantees that they process personal data of our website visitors only based on our instructions and in compliance with the GDPR.

3. General information and mandatory information

Data protection

The operators of this website and its pages take the protection of your personal data very seriously. Hence, we handle your personal data as confidential information and in compliance with the statutory data protection regulations and this Data Protection Declaration.

Whenever you use this website, a variety of personal information will be collected. Personal data comprises data that can be used to personally identify you. This Data Protection Declaration explains which data we collect as well as the purposes we use this data for. It also explains how, and for which purpose the information is collected.

We herewith advise you that the transmission of data via the Internet (i.e., through e-mail communications) may be prone to security gaps. It is not possible to completely protect data against third-party access.

Information about the responsible party (referred to as the “controller” in the GDPR)

The data processing controller on this website is:

Jannes Böttcher
Suhrenkamp 25
22335 Hamburg

Phone: +4915563076117
E-mail: info@youpraise.net

The controller is the natural person or legal entity that single-handedly or jointly with others makes decisions as to the purposes of and resources for the processing of personal data (e.g., names, e-mail addresses, etc.).

Storage duration

Unless a more specific storage period has been specified in this privacy policy, your personal data will remain with us until the purpose for which it was collected no longer applies. If you assert a justified request for deletion or revoke your consent to data processing, your data will be deleted, unless we have other legally permissible reasons for storing your personal data (e.g., tax or commercial law retention periods); in the latter case, the deletion will take place after these reasons cease to apply.

General information on the legal basis for the data processing on this website

If you have consented to data processing, we process your personal data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR or Art. 9 (2)(a) GDPR, if special categories of data are processed according to Art. 9 (1) DSGVO. In the case of explicit consent to the transfer of personal data to third countries, the data processing is also based on Art. 49 (1)(a) GDPR. If you have consented to the storage of cookies or to the access to information in your end device (e.g., via device fingerprinting), the data processing is additionally based on § 25 (1) TDDDG. The consent can be revoked at any time. If your data is required for the fulfillment of a contract or for the implementation of pre-contractual measures, we process your data on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Furthermore, if your data is required for the fulfillment of a legal obligation, we process it on the basis of Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. Furthermore, the data processing may be carried out on the basis of our legitimate interest according to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Information on the relevant legal basis in each individual case is provided in the following paragraphs of this privacy policy.

Recipients of personal data

In the scope of our business activities, we cooperate with various external parties. In some cases, this also requires the transfer of personal data to these external parties. We only disclose personal data to external parties if this is required as part of the fulfillment of a contract, if we are legally obligated to do so (e.g., disclosure of data to tax authorities), if we have a legitimate interest in the disclosure pursuant to Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR, or if another legal basis permits the disclosure of this data. When using processors, we only disclose personal data of our customers on the basis of a valid contract on data processing. In the case of joint processing, a joint processing agreement is concluded.

Revocation of your consent to the processing of data

A wide range of data processing transactions are possible only subject to your express consent. You can also revoke at any time any consent you have already given us. This shall be without prejudice to the lawfulness of any data collection that occurred prior to your revocation.

Right to object to the collection of data in special cases; right to object to direct advertising (Art. 21 GDPR)

IN THE EVENT THAT DATA ARE PROCESSED ON THE BASIS OF ART. 6(1)(E) OR (F) GDPR, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO AT ANY TIME OBJECT TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA BASED ON GROUNDS ARISING FROM YOUR UNIQUE SITUATION. THIS ALSO APPLIES TO ANY PROFILING BASED ON THESE PROVISIONS. TO DETERMINE THE LEGAL BASIS, ON WHICH ANY PROCESSING OF DATA IS BASED, PLEASE CONSULT THIS DATA PROTECTION DECLARATION. IF YOU LOG AN OBJECTION, WE WILL NO LONGER PROCESS YOUR AFFECTED PERSONAL DATA, UNLESS WE ARE IN A POSITION TO PRESENT COMPELLING PROTECTION WORTHY GROUNDS FOR THE PROCESSING OF YOUR DATA, THAT OUTWEIGH YOUR INTERESTS, RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OR IF THE PURPOSE OF THE PROCESSING IS THE CLAIMING, EXERCISING OR DEFENCE OF LEGAL ENTITLEMENTS (OBJECTION PURSUANT TO ART. 21(1) GDPR).

IF YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS BEING PROCESSED IN ORDER TO ENGAGE IN DIRECT ADVERTISING, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO OBJECT TO THE PROCESSING OF YOUR AFFECTED PERSONAL DATA FOR THE PURPOSES OF SUCH ADVERTISING AT ANY TIME. THIS ALSO APPLIES TO PROFILING TO THE EXTENT THAT IT IS AFFILIATED WITH SUCH DIRECT ADVERTISING. IF YOU OBJECT, YOUR PERSONAL DATA WILL SUBSEQUENTLY NO LONGER BE USED FOR DIRECT ADVERTISING PURPOSES (OBJECTION PURSUANT TO ART. 21(2) GDPR).

Right to log a complaint with the competent supervisory agency

In the event of violations of the GDPR, data subjects are entitled to log a complaint with a supervisory agency, in particular in the member state where they usually maintain their domicile, place of work or at the place where the alleged violation occurred. The right to log a complaint is in effect regardless of any other administrative or court proceedings available as legal recourses.

Right to data portability

You have the right to have data that we process automatically on the basis of your consent or in fulfillment of a contract handed over to you or to a third party in a common, machine-readable format. If you should demand the direct transfer of the data to another controller, this will be done only if it is technically feasible.

Information about, rectification and eradication of data

Within the scope of the applicable statutory provisions, you have the right to demand information about your archived personal data, their source and recipients as well as the purpose of the processing of your data at any time. You may also have a right to have your data rectified or eradicated. If you have questions about this subject matter or any other questions about personal data, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.

Right to demand processing restrictions

You have the right to demand the imposition of restrictions as far as the processing of your personal data is concerned. To do so, you may contact us at any time. The right to demand restriction of processing applies in the following cases:

In the event that you should dispute the correctness of your data archived by us, we will usually need some time to verify this claim. During the time that this investigation is ongoing, you have the right to demand that we restrict the processing of your personal data.
If the processing of your personal data was/is conducted in an unlawful manner, you have the option to demand the restriction of the processing of your data instead of demanding the eradication of this data.
If we do not need your personal data any longer and you need it to exercise, defend or claim legal entitlements, you have the right to demand the restriction of the processing of your personal data instead of its eradication.
If you have raised an objection pursuant to Art. 21(1) GDPR, your rights and our rights will have to be weighed against each other. As long as it has not been determined whose interests prevail, you have the right to demand a restriction of the processing of your personal data.

If you have restricted the processing of your personal data, these data – with the exception of their archiving – may be processed only subject to your consent or to claim, exercise or defend legal entitlements or to protect the rights of other natural persons or legal entities or for important public interest reasons cited by the European Union or a member state of the EU.

SSL and/or TLS encryption

For security reasons and to protect the transmission of confidential content, such as purchase orders or inquiries you submit to us as the website operator, this website uses either an SSL or a TLS encryption program. You can recognize an encrypted connection by checking whether the address line of the browser switches from “http://” to “https://” and also by the appearance of the lock icon in the browser line.

If the SSL or TLS encryption is activated, data you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

Rejection of unsolicited e-mails

We herewith object to the use of contact information published in conjunction with the mandatory information to be provided in our Site Notice to send us promotional and information material that we have not expressly requested. The operators of this website and its pages reserve the express right to take legal action in the event of the unsolicited sending of promotional information, for instance via SPAM messages.

4. Recording of data on this website

Cookies

Our websites and pages use what the industry refers to as “cookies.” Cookies are small data packages that do not cause any damage to your device. They are either stored temporarily for the duration of a session (session cookies) or they are permanently archived on your device (permanent cookies). Session cookies are automatically deleted once you terminate your visit. Permanent cookies remain archived on your device until you actively delete them, or they are automatically eradicated by your web browser.

Cookies can be issued by us (first-party cookies) or by third-party companies (so-called third-party cookies). Third-party cookies enable the integration of certain services of third-party companies into websites (e.g., cookies for handling payment services).

Cookies have a variety of functions. Many cookies are technically essential since certain website functions would not work in the absence of these cookies (e.g., the shopping cart function or the display of videos). Other cookies may be used to analyze user behavior or for promotional purposes.

Cookies, which are required for the performance of electronic communication transactions, for the provision of certain functions you want to use (e.g., for the shopping cart function) or those that are necessary for the optimization (required cookies) of the website (e.g., cookies that provide measurable insights into the web audience), shall be stored on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, unless a different legal basis is cited. The operator of the website has a legitimate interest in the storage of required cookies to ensure the technically error-free and optimized provision of the operator’s services. If your consent to the storage of the cookies and similar recognition technologies has been requested, the processing occurs exclusively on the basis of the consent obtained (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG); this consent may be revoked at any time.

You have the option to set up your browser in such a manner that you will be notified any time cookies are placed and to permit the acceptance of cookies only in specific cases. You may also exclude the acceptance of cookies in certain cases or in general or activate the delete-function for the automatic eradication of cookies when the browser closes. If cookies are deactivated, the functions of this website may be limited.

If other cookies and services are used on this website, you can find this information in this privacy policy.

Server log files

The provider of this website and its pages automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser communicates to us automatically. The information comprises:

The type and version of browser used
The used operating system
Referrer URL
The hostname of the accessing computer
The time of the server inquiry
The IP address

This data is not merged with other data sources.

This data is recorded on the basis of Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. The operator of the website has a legitimate interest in the technically error free depiction and the optimization of the operator’s website. In order to achieve this, server log files must be recorded.

We delete the web server’s log files after 7 days and those of our application after 14 days.

Request by e-mail, telephone, or fax

If you contact us by e-mail, telephone or fax, your request, including all resulting personal data (name, request) will be stored and processed by us for the purpose of processing your request. We do not pass these data on without your consent.

These data are processed on the basis of Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR if your inquiry is related to the fulfillment of a contract or is required for the performance of pre-contractual measures. In all other cases, the data are processed on the basis of our legitimate interest in the effective handling of inquiries submitted to us (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) or on the basis of your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) if it has been obtained; the consent can be revoked at any time.

The data sent by you to us via contact requests remain with us until you request us to delete, revoke your consent to the storage or the purpose for the data storage lapses (e.g. after completion of your request). Mandatory statutory provisions - in particular statutory retention periods - remain unaffected.

Registration and user account

To publish artworks, comment, rate, create playlists or write messages, you need a user account. You can register on this website or in our app.

Registration

When you register, we collect your e-mail address, your password, your name and your preferred language. We only store the password as a non-reversible hash. Your name becomes the name of your public artist profile; your e-mail address is not visible to others. To protect against automated registrations, we use Prosopo (see “Prosopo Procaptcha”).

After registration, we send you an e-mail with a confirmation link. You can only sign in once you have confirmed. Accounts that are not confirmed within 48 hours are deleted automatically. Instead of an e-mail address and password, you can also register with Google or Facebook (see “Sign-in and registration with Google” and “… with Facebook”).

Data generated while using YouPraise

While you use YouPraise, we store with your account what you create or set yourself: your profile (profile picture, description, banner image), your artworks with the uploaded files, comments, ratings, favorites, followed artists, playlists, messages, reports and feedback, your notification settings and the last state of the player so that you can continue listening on another device. We also record when you accepted the terms of use.

Publicly visible are your artist profile, your published artworks and materials, and your comments with your name. Ratings, favorites and followers only appear as a count or average. Not public are your e-mail address, your playlists and your messages; messages can only be seen by those involved – in conversations with a band, by all of its members. Reported content, including messages, is seen by our moderators in order to handle the report.

When you publish an artwork, you confirm that you hold the rights to it. We store the time and IP address of this declaration as proof for as long as the artwork exists. We match uploaded audio files against the AcoustID service (https://acoustid.org) to detect known recordings protected by copyright. For this, we only transmit an acoustic fingerprint calculated from the recording and its duration, no information about you.

E-mails and sign-in

For your account, we send you e-mails that are necessary for its use (such as confirmation links or password resets) as well as notifications, e.g. about new comments, messages, followers and new artworks by artists you follow. You can unsubscribe from each notification individually in your account settings. We send these e-mails via our own mail server.

On the website, a session cookie keeps you signed in; if you choose “Remember me”, we also set a cookie that recognises you on your next visit. In the app, a sign-in is valid for 30 days; signing out invalidates it immediately.

Legal basis

The processing is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, as it is necessary to provide your user account and the functions of YouPraise in accordance with our terms of use. We base the proof of the rights declaration, the AcoustID matching and the handling of reports on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest lies in preventing copyright infringements and abuse on our platform and in being able to prove who made which declaration.

Storage period and deletion of your account

We store your data for as long as your user account exists. You can delete your account at any time in the account settings of the website or the app. In doing so, we delete your account data, comments, ratings, favorites, playlists, messages and notifications. You can choose what happens to your artworks: either we delete them with all files, or they remain published under their Creative Commons license on a profile without an account. You also decide whether you continue to be credited by name or appear as “Former member” – including on other people’s artworks that credit you as an author. If others have adapted one of your artworks (e.g. as a cover version), the adaptation keeps a note on the original with its title, license and – depending on your choice – your name, as required by the Creative Commons license. Artworks of bands that still have other members remain with the band. Statutory retention periods remain unaffected.

In addition to your password, you can protect your user account with a second step at sign-in or sign in with a passkey. The second step is mandatory for administrators and moderators and optional for everyone else. You will find the settings on the website and in the app under “Security”.

Two-step verification

After your password – for accounts where it is mandatory, also after signing in with Google or Facebook – we ask for a code. You can receive it either:

by e-mail: We send a six-digit code to your e-mail address. It is valid for ten minutes; we store it only as an irreversible hash.
from an authenticator app (e.g. Google Authenticator): During setup, we generate a secret key that you transfer to the app via QR code or link. The app uses it to calculate the codes on your device; we do not receive any data from the app’s provider. We generate the QR code on our own server without third-party services. We store the key in encrypted form. You also receive ten recovery codes in case you cannot access the app. Each of them can be used only once; we store them only as hashes.

Between password and code, we keep track of the sign-in in progress: when a code was sent, how many wrong codes were entered and whether you chose “Remember me”. The sign-in attempt is valid for ten minutes; we delete it once you are signed in, and incomplete attempts after one day at the latest. After several failed attempts, we lock the sign-in attempt. We also limit the number of attempts per IP address. For this purpose, we keep a counter in our cache that does not contain your IP address, only a hash derived from it using a secret key; the counter expires after one minute. Codes and passwords do not appear in our log files.

Passkeys

A passkey replaces password and code at sign-in. It consists of a key pair: the private key remains on your device or in your password manager; we store only the public key. To sign in, you unlock the passkey on your device, for example with your fingerprint, face recognition or device PIN. This check takes place exclusively on your device; we do not receive any biometric data.

For each passkey, we store the public key and its identifier, a name (initially that of your password manager, e.g. “iCloud Keychain”; you can change it), technical details on the transport method, a counter that helps detect copied passkeys, and the time it was set up and last used. So that your device can find the right passkey, your account also receives a random identifier that contains no information about you.

Whether a passkey is synchronised between your devices is determined by your password manager (e.g. Apple’s iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager). This processing is not carried out by us but under the terms of the respective provider. So that our app may use passkeys for youpraise.net, Apple and Google retrieve a file with our app’s identifiers from our website; it contains no information about you.

Notification e-mails and signing out on all devices

Whenever your sign-in protection changes – for example when a passkey is added or two-step verification is turned off – we send you a notification e-mail so that you notice unauthorised changes. Under “Security”, you can also sign out on all other devices; for this, we store the time from which older sign-ins are invalid. If you no longer have access to your second step, an administrator can reset the sign-in protection of your account; we will inform you of this by e-mail as well.

Legal basis and storage period

If you set up a second step or a passkey yourself, the processing is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR as part of providing your user account. We base the mandatory second step for administrators and moderators, the limitation of failed attempts and the notification e-mails on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest lies in protecting user accounts – especially those with extended rights – against unauthorised access (cf. Art. 32 GDPR).

We store the authenticator app’s key and the recovery codes until you switch to codes by e-mail or turn off sign-in protection, and a passkey until you remove it. If you delete your user account, we delete all of this information. You remove the passkey on your device and the entry in your authenticator app there yourself.

On this website and – where offered there – in our app, you can register and sign in with your Google account instead of an e-mail address and password. The provider is Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland (hereinafter referred to as “Google”).

No Google scripts are loaded on our pages for this purpose. Only when you click “Sign in with Google” are you redirected to Google. There you sign in and allow Google to transmit to us your Google ID, your name, your e-mail address and whether Google has verified this address. We do not store any further profile details, such as a profile picture. In our app, the app passes the result of the sign-in to our server, which has Google check its authenticity.

We use this information to sign you in to YouPraise. If there is no user account with your e-mail address yet, we create one with your name and e-mail address; as with any registration, your name becomes the name of your public artist profile, and you can change it at any time. If an account with this address already exists, we link your Google account to it, provided Google reports the address as verified. We store the Google ID and the e-mail address held by Google with your user account. We do not receive permanent access to your Google account, do not store any Google access keys and do not publish anything on your behalf.

The processing is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR: it serves to create and use your user account, which you initiate yourself by clicking the button.

We store this information for as long as your user account exists. You can disconnect Google in your account settings at any time, provided you still have another way into your account afterwards (a password or another connected provider). If you delete your user account, this information is deleted as well. You can also revoke our application’s access in your Google account: https://myaccount.google.com/connections.

For information on how Google itself processes your data during sign-in, please refer to Google’s privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy. Google may also process data in the USA. Google LLC is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), for which the European Commission has determined an adequate level of data protection: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

On this website and – where offered there – in our app, you can also register and sign in with your Facebook account. The provider is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland (hereinafter referred to as “Facebook”).

No Facebook scripts are loaded on our pages for this purpose. Only when you click “Sign in with Facebook” are you redirected to Facebook. There you sign in and allow Facebook to transmit to us your Facebook ID for YouPraise, your name and your e-mail address. In our app, the app passes the result of the sign-in to our server, which checks with Facebook that it was issued for YouPraise and retrieves this information there.

We use this information to sign you in to YouPraise. If there is no user account with your e-mail address yet, we create one with your name and e-mail address; as with any registration, your name becomes the name of your public artist profile, and you can change it at any time. If an account with this address already exists, we link your Facebook account to it. We store the Facebook ID and the e-mail address held by Facebook with your user account. We do not receive access to your posts, photos or friends, do not store any Facebook access keys and do not publish anything on your behalf.

The processing is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR: it serves to create and use your user account, which you initiate yourself by clicking the button.

Deletion of your data: We store this information for as long as your user account exists. To have it deleted, disconnect Facebook in your account settings (possible if you still have another way into your account afterwards) or delete your user account in the account settings of the website or the app. Alternatively, an e-mail to the address given above under “Information about the responsible party” is sufficient. If you only remove YouPraise in your Facebook settings under “Apps and Websites” (https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=applications), our application’s access ends, but your YouPraise account remains.

For information on how Facebook itself processes your data during sign-in, please refer to Meta’s privacy policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy/. Facebook may also process data in the USA. Meta Platforms, Inc. is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF), for which the European Commission has determined an adequate level of data protection: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/4452.

Comment function

Signed-in users can comment on artworks and reply to comments. For each comment, we store the text, the time, the artwork commented on and your user account. The comment appears publicly with your name; your e-mail address is not visible, and we do not store an IP address with comments. We notify the owners of an artwork about new comments on it.

Comments remain stored until you delete them, the artwork is deleted or you delete your user account. Our moderators can hide or delete comments that violate our terms of use.

The processing is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, as the comment function is part of the services we provide to you with your user account in accordance with our terms of use.

Push notifications in our app

If you allow it in our app, we send you push notifications, for example about new messages, comments, followers or new artworks by artists you follow. You decide which notifications you receive in the notification settings; you can withdraw the permission itself at any time in your device settings.

For delivery, the app registers a device token of your operating system’s push service with our server. We store this token together with your user account, the platform (iOS or Android) and the time the device last registered. Notifications are delivered via the Apple Push Notification Service (Apple Distribution International Ltd., Hollyhill Industrial Estate, Hollyhill, Cork, Ireland) or via Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland). These services receive the device token as well as the title and text of the notification – for messages, the sender’s name and the beginning of the message – and may also process data in the USA. For more information, please see the privacy policies of Apple (https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/) and Google (https://policies.google.com/privacy). Google LLC is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF): https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

The processing is based on the consent you give by allowing notifications (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG). We delete the device token when you sign out of the app, when the push service reports it as invalid or when you delete your user account.

Supporting YouPraise

On the “Support” page, you can voluntarily support YouPraise with an amount of your choice by bank transfer. We generate the GiroCode for the bank transfer on our own server without third-party services. If you transfer an amount to us, we receive your name, your IBAN, the amount and the payment reference via our bank. We use this information only to assign the payment.

The processing is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, as it is necessary to handle your payment, and – insofar as statutory retention obligations exist – on Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR. The details of your payment remain stored with our bank for as long as statutory retention periods (e.g. under tax and commercial law) require.

5. Analysis tools

Matomo

This website and our app use the open-source web analytics service Matomo. It tells us how often our public pages are viewed and from which countries and regions the views come.

We use Matomo without a script in the browser and without cookies: your browser or our app does not load anything from Matomo, and nothing is stored on or read from your device for this purpose. Instead, our server reports a view to Matomo. Only public pages are counted (e.g. artworks, artists, albums, legal texts) and, in the app, starting the app and opening artworks, artists and albums – not your messages, playlists, account pages or search terms. We transmit the address and title of the page viewed (without search parameters), the time, on the website the page you came from, the identifier of your browser or of the app, your language setting and your IP address in shortened form. We do not transmit a user ID or your e-mail address; your views can therefore neither be linked to your user account nor across several days.

If your browser sends the “Do Not Track” or “Global Privacy Control” signal, we do not report your views to Matomo.

The use is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in knowing the reach of our service and improving it. As nothing is stored on or read from your device, no consent under § 25 TDDDG is required. You can object to the processing at any time (see “Right to object”).

IP anonymization

Before your IP address leaves our server, we shorten it (for IPv4 by the last block, for IPv6 to the first 48 bits). Matomo uses it to determine the country and region and stores the address only in further shortened form. It can therefore no longer be clearly assigned to you.

Analysis without cookies

Matomo does not store cookies in your browser and does not place an identifier on your device.

Hosting

We host Matomo exclusively on our own servers so that all analysis data remains with us and is not passed on.

6. Plug-ins and Tools

YouTube with expanded data protection integration

This website integrates videos from the YouTube website. The operator of the website is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.

We only load YouTube videos when you click the “Load and play video from YouTube” button – on the website as well as in our app. Before that, no connection to YouTube is established and no preview image is loaded. Only when you click is a connection to the YouTube servers established. This tells the YouTube server which of our pages you have visited, and YouTube receives your IP address. If you are logged into your YouTube account, you enable YouTube to assign your surfing behavior directly to your personal profile. You can prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account.

We use YouTube in extended data protection mode. According to YouTube, videos that are played in extended data protection mode are not used to personalize browsing on YouTube. Ads that are played in extended data protection mode are also not personalized. No cookies are set in extended data protection mode. Instead, so-called local storage elements are stored in the user's browser, which contain personal data similar to cookies and can be used for recognition. Details on the extended data protection mode can be found here: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/171780.

After activating a YouTube video, further data processing operations may be triggered over which we have no influence.

The use of YouTube is based on our interest in presenting our online content in an appealing manner. Pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, this is a legitimate interest. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

For more information on how YouTube handles user data, please consult the YouTube Data Privacy Policy under: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

The company is certified in accordance with the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the US, which is intended to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the US. Every company certified under the DPF is obliged to comply with these data protection standards. For more information, please contact the provider under the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780.

Vimeo Without Tracking (Do-Not-Track)

This website uses plugins of the Vimeo video portal. The provider is Vimeo Inc., 555 West 18th Street, New York, New York 10011, USA.

We only load Vimeo videos when you click the “Load and play video from Vimeo” button – on the website as well as in our app. Before that, no connection to Vimeo is established. Only when you click is a connection to the Vimeo servers established. In conjunction with this, the Vimeo server receives information about which of our pages you have visited. Vimeo also receives your IP address. However, we have set up Vimeo in such a way that Vimeo cannot track your user activities and does not place any cookies.

We use Vimeo to make our online presentation attractive for you. This is a legitimate interest on our part pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. If a respective declaration of consent was requested (e.g. concerning the storage of cookies), processing shall occur exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR; the given consent may be revoked at any time.

Data transmission to the US is based on the Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) of the European Commission and, according to Vimeo, on “legitimate business interests”. Details can be found here: https://vimeo.com/privacy.

For more information on the handling of user data, please consult Vimeo’s data privacy policy at: https://vimeo.com/privacy

Odysee

This website and our app also embed videos from the Odysee platform that users add to their artworks. According to its own information, the provider is Space Odysee Inc., 171 Madison Avenue, Room 601, New York, NY 10016, USA.

We only load Odysee videos when you click the “Load and play video from Odysee” button; before that, no connection to Odysee is established. Only when you click is a connection to the Odysee servers established. Odysee receives your IP address and the information which of our pages you have visited. In the player, Odysee may process further data and use cookies or similar technologies; we have no influence on this.

The processing is based on the consent you give by clicking (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG). Odysee processes data in the USA. We are not aware of any certification of Odysee under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework; the transfer is therefore based on your explicit consent (Art. 49(1)(a) GDPR). There is a risk that US authorities access the data and that you have no effective legal remedies against this. You can withdraw your consent for the future by not loading any further Odysee videos.

For more information, please see Odysee’s privacy policy: https://odysee.com/$/privacypolicy.

Prosopo Procaptcha

We use “Procaptcha” (hereinafter referred to as “Prosopo”) on this website and in our app. The provider is Prosopo Limited, 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX, United Kingdom.

Prosopo is used to check whether a registration, a request for a new password or a request to resend the confirmation e-mail was made by a human or by an automated program (bot). Prosopo is only loaded when you open one of these forms. For this purpose, Prosopo processes your IP address, technical characteristics of your device and browser as well as your interaction with the check box; you may be asked to solve a short task. According to Prosopo, no cookies are set and no data is stored in your browser’s storage. The data is not used for advertising purposes and is not combined into a usage profile. Our server then confirms the result of the check with Prosopo; no further personal data is transmitted in the process.

The processing is based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We have a legitimate interest in protecting our platform and its users from abusively created accounts, spam and the mass sending of e-mails to third-party addresses. If appropriate consent has been obtained, the processing is carried out exclusively on the basis of Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25 (1) TDDDG, insofar the consent includes the storage of cookies or the access to information in the user’s end device (e.g., device fingerprinting) within the meaning of the TDDDG. This consent can be revoked at any time.

Where data is processed outside the EU, according to Prosopo this only takes place in countries with an adequate level of data protection or on the basis of the EU Standard Contractual Clauses. For the United Kingdom, where Prosopo is based, there is an adequacy decision of the European Commission.

For more information, please refer to Prosopo’s privacy policy: https://prosopo.io/privacy-policy-end-users/.

Last updated: October 25, 2026