VPN Privacy Policy
Preliminary Remarks
Steganos Online Shield is a Virtual-Private-Network-Service (hereafter: service of VPN-Service), that can redirect the internet traffic of computer (so called VPN-Server) into different regions. Through this, the user can conceal their IP address from media services and encrypt their data traffic. The service is made possible by a piece of software (hereafter: software or product), that the user installs on their computer. The service is offered by Steganos Software GmbH, Immanuelkirchstr. 4, 10405 Berlin, (hereafter "Steganos"). The following data protection conditions are valid for the usage of Steganos Online Shield, the components of the general terms and conditions (GTC) are:
§ 1 No Saving of Data in the Usage of the VPN Server
The Steganos Online Shield-Service saves neither the addresses nor contents that the user calls up, nor the IP addresses that Steganos Online Shield has allocated, nor their own IP address that they use on Steganos Online Shield. It is not possible for Steganos to determine what contents Steganos Online Shield calls up. Neither the IP addresses of the users nor the IP addresses of the called server is saved.
§ 2 Pseudonymous User ID Instead of Email Address
The free usage of Steganos Online Shield does not require the entry of personal data (e.g. Email address). Steganos Online Shield records for the purposes of billing and the local distribution, which data volume (thus only the amount of transferred data, however not addresses or content) belongs to which pseudonym. The pseudonymous user ID is derived from the public key of the MAC address of the computer, that Steganos Online Shield thereby uses, and it is not traceable to a certain computer or user.
§ 3 Decoupling of the Payment Information from the Pseudonymous User ID
In booking a premium account through the Ecommerce supplier of Steganos, personal data is required. THE E-COMMERCE-SUPPLIER RECEIVES, EXACTLY LIKE STEGANOS, AT NO POINT ACCESS TO THE ADDRESSES OR CONTENTS THAT THE USER HAS CALLED UP, IN THE CASE THAT THESE WERE DIRECTED OVER A STEGANOS ONLINE SHIELD-VPN-SERVER.
§ 4 Acquisition and Usage of Data by Steganos
(1) The Email address that was provided by the user in the context of free usage will only be used to provide the offers/services described (see AGB). Steganos uses especially the Email address of the user, in order to send the user updates, newsletters, or other current information. The user can cancel the delivery of the newsletter.
(2) Steganos would like to offer the user the best possible service. Therefore the software asks the customer under certain conditions if their email can be sent to Steganos, in order to inform them in the future of new products or special offers. The subscription is optional and happens only with the explicit consent of the customer. In order to save the user from having to enter their address, Steganos-Software tries to determine the Email of the customer under certain conditions. If the customer agrees to the determination of their email address and decides later against a further reference with Steganos information via Email, they can unsubscribe to these emails at anytime without having to provide a reason.
(3) Steganos aims to continually adapt its website and software to customer's needs. Anonymized usage data is therefore being collected (e.g. usage intensity of certain areas and features of website and software). THIS IS NOT THE CASE FOR THE USAGE OF STEGANOS ONLINE SHIELD VPN-SERVERS WHICH DO NOT SAVE ANY DATA OF THIS KIND.
§ 5 Forwarding Data to Third Parties
Steganos does not provide personal information to third parties, unless the user has explicitly and willingly agreed to do so, or there is a legal obligation to do so. One exception is certain carefully selected and technical services that perform certain tasks for us. These are tasks such as sending our newsletter (data processing) or the collection and processing of anonymous data for usage behavior, integration of partner programs or acquisition of information in relation to software errors or in order to improve the Steganos Online Shield-website. NEITHER STEGANOS NOR THE CONTRACTED DATA PROCESSOR GETS ACCESS TO THE ADDRESSES OR CONTENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CALLED BY AN IDENTIFIABLE USER, SO LONG AS THEY HAVE BEEN DIRECTED OVER THE STEGANOS ONLINE SHIELD-VPN-SERVER.
§ 6 Usage of Cookies
Cookies are small data, that can be "placed" from a server onto the users computer (e.g. the server of the Steganos Online Shield-website). This data can contain personal information such as personal setting, in order to improve the user of the internet offer. The Steganos Online Shield website uses cookies to record location information in order to adjust the representation of websites to the user profile. Most browsers are set up to automatically accept cookies. Every user can configure their browser so that all or certain cookies are accepted or rejected or that the acceptance of cookies requires a request for permission. You can figure out how this works from the documentation of the respective browser or from the "help" menu. To use Steganos Online Shield the acceptance of cookies is not necessary. The usage of cookies through inserts and other third parties on Steganos Online Shield underlies the data protection guidelines of the inserts or rather third parties; the data protection guidelines of Steganos Online Shield find so far no usage.
§ 7 Support
When the user uses our support, their request together with the entered data is saved in a data bank. This information is used exclusively by our support team, in order to address questions. The recorded data is pulled up within Steganos also to make statistical evaluations. Neither raw data, nor the results of the evaluation will be made available to third parties.
§ 8 Access to the Steganos Online Shield-VPN-Servers and the Webserver
We save user data on especially protected servers. The access is only made available to a small number of people.
§ 9 Personalized Advertising
The user is in agreement that Steganos user data itself transferred in anonymous forms or pseudonymous forms, in order present, or have presented, directed personalized advertising and/or special offers and services over the Steganos Online Shield-service. NEITHER STEGANOS NOR THE CONTRACTED DATA PROCESSOR GETS ACCESS TO THE ADDRESSES OR CONTENTS THAT HAVE BEEN CALLED BY AN IDENTIFIABLE USER, SO LONG AS THEY HAVE BEEN DIRECTED OVER THE STEGANOS ONLINE SHIELD-VPN-SERVER.
§ 10 Google Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service of Google Inc. (“Google“) Google Analytics uses so called "cookies", text files, that are save on your computer and make possible the analysis of the usage of the website. The information produced by the cookie about your use of this website (including your IP address) is transferred to a Google server in the United States and stored there. Google takes this information in order to evaluate your usage of the website, generate reports about website activity for the operators of websites and in order to provide further services related to website usage and Internet usage. Google may also provide this information to outside parties if this is legally mandated or if such parties process this information for Google. Google will no circumstances bring your IP address into contact with other data from Google. You may prevent the installation of cookies by making appropriate settings in your browser software; however, should you do so, you will not be able to use all of the functions of this website. Through the use of this website, you express your consent to the processing of data collected by Google about you in the manner described above and for the purposes previously mentioned.
GOOGLE HAS NO ACCESS TO OUR USERS CALLED UP ADDRESSES OR CONTENTS, IN THE CASE THAT THESE WERE DIRECTED OVER AN STEGANOS ONLINE SHIELD-VPN-SERVER.
§ 11 Changes and Guidelines
Steganos reserves the right to change data protection guidelines at anytime under the data protection guideline rules.
§ 12 Questions and Comments
When you have questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the protection of your data, send us an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
