Privacy policy

This is a courtesy translation. The German version (Datenschutzerklärung) is legally binding.

1. Controller

Agentur 404Media, owner Stefan Pingel, Am Jungfernsee 21, 14469 Potsdam, Germany. E-mail: info@404media.de, phone: +49 38791 80926. A data protection officer is not required under Art. 37 GDPR and § 38 BDSG.

2. Principles

This is a static website. It sets no cookies and uses no ad trackers or third-party tracking services. Fonts, videos and maps are not embedded from third parties. For audience measurement we use two cookie-free tools that both run under our own control on servers in Germany: Matomo on this website’s server (section 6) and an analytics pixel of our own service CATAMA Software (section 7). No data is transmitted to advertising networks or other third parties. We process personal data only where necessary to provide the website, to answer your enquiries, to measure audience reach or to meet legal obligations. No cookie banner is required because no consent-based technologies are used.

3. Hosting and server logs

The website is hosted by WebhostOne GmbH, Rheinvogtstraße 17, 79713 Bad Säckingen, Germany, on servers located in Germany. A data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is in place with the hosting provider.

When you access the website, the server automatically records information sent by your browser in log files: IP address, date and time, requested page or file, transferred data volume, HTTP status code, browser type and operating system, and the referring page. These data serve security, error analysis and stable operation. They are not merged with other data and are deleted after 14 days at the latest, unless needed longer to investigate an attack. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in secure and stable operation).

4. Contact by e-mail or telephone

If you contact us by e-mail or telephone, we process the data you provide (name, contact details, content of the enquiry) to handle the enquiry and for follow-up questions. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR where the enquiry relates to a contract, otherwise Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. We delete the data once the enquiry is closed and no statutory retention periods apply.

5. Contact form

The contact form processes the data you enter: name, e-mail address, optionally phone number and company, your message, and the date and time of submission. The form is handled by a script on our own server and delivered to us by e-mail. No data is transmitted to third parties and no cookies are set. To prevent automated abuse, the form uses an invisible check field (honeypot) and a rate limit based on a truncated IP address, which is deleted within 24 hours. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) or (f) GDPR. We delete the data once the enquiry is closed and no retention periods apply.

6. Web analytics with Matomo (cookie-free)

We use the open-source analytics software Matomo, which runs exclusively on our own server in Germany. No data is transmitted to third parties. Matomo is configured not to set cookies and not to store or read any information on your device. The IP address is truncated by the last two bytes before storage and can no longer be linked to a person. Processed data: truncated IP address, pages visited, date and time, time on site, referring website, browser type, operating system, screen resolution and language setting. From these data we create anonymous usage statistics.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in evaluating and improving our website). As no information is stored on or read from your device, no consent under § 25 TDDDG is required. You can object by enabling the “Do Not Track” setting in your browser, which Matomo respects. Statistics are deleted after 24 months.

7. Audience measurement with the CATAMA Software analytics pixel (cookie-free)

In addition to Matomo, every page loads a small analytics script (“pixel”) from webservice.catama-software.de. CATAMA Software is our own service; we operate the analytics server ourselves, hosted by a German hosting provider in Nuremberg. It is not a third-party service and not an advertising network. No data is passed on to third parties.

The script sets no cookies and does not store or read any information on your device. When a page loads, your browser sends to the analytics server: the page visited (address and path), the referring website, campaign parameters in the address (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign), the screen resolution and, as with any request, the IP address and the browser identification (browser type, operating system, device type). From the IP address only the approximate country or region is derived; the IP address itself is not stored in plain text. From these data we create anonymous statistics on visits, page views and visitor origin.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest in evaluating and improving our website). As no information is stored on or read from your device, no consent under § 25 TDDDG is required. You can object by enabling the “Do Not Track” setting in your browser; the script checks this setting and then sends no data. Statistics are deleted after 24 months.

8. Linked websites and external services

This website links to third-party websites, for example our software products or reference projects. When you click such a link, you leave our website. The respective provider is responsible for data processing there. We do not embed third-party content (videos, maps, social media elements, fonts) directly in our pages. The only script loaded from another address is the analytics pixel of our own service CATAMA Software (section 7).

9. Disclosure of data

We disclose personal data only where necessary to perform a contract (for example to our hosting provider as a processor), where you have consented, or where a legal obligation exists. No data is transferred to countries outside the EU or EEA.

10. Retention

We keep personal data only as long as required for the respective purpose or by statutory retention periods. Server logs: up to 14 days. Enquiry data: until the enquiry is closed, or six to ten years under commercial and tax law if a contract is concluded. Matomo and analytics pixel statistics: 24 months.

11. Your rights

You have the right to access (Art. 15 GDPR), rectification (Art. 16), erasure (Art. 17), restriction of processing (Art. 18), data portability (Art. 20), objection (Art. 21), and withdrawal of consent with effect for the future (Art. 7(3)). An e-mail to info@404media.de is sufficient. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (Art. 77 GDPR). The authority responsible for us is the State Commissioner for Data Protection and the Right to Access Information of Brandenburg, Stahnsdorfer Damm 77, 14532 Kleinmachnow, Germany.

12. Data security

The website is delivered exclusively over an encrypted connection (HTTPS, TLS). The server is protected by current security measures. Because the site is delivered statically and operates no database with user data, the attack surface is small.

13. Changes to this policy

We update this policy when the legal situation or our processing changes. The current version is always available on this page. Last updated: October 2026.