Privacy Notice for Surveys via Microsoft Forms
Responsible Entity
Adam Hall GmbH
Adam-Hall-Str. 1
D-61267 Neu-Anspach
Phone: +49 6081 9419-0
Fax: +49 6081 9419-1000
E-Mail: [email protected]
Data Protection Officer: gds Gesellschaft für Datenschutz Mittelhessen
Email: [email protected] oder [email protected]
Note: This privacy notice is intended to inform you solely about the processing of your personal data by Adam Hall that occurs when participating in a Microsoft Forms survey.
If you require information about how Microsoft processes your personal data, please refer to Microsoft’s respective privacy statements:
Purpose of Use
Adam Hall uses the tool “Microsoft Forms” to conduct surveys and polls in various areas that support product development, product creation processes, customer relationships and satisfaction, contract fulfillment, employment relationships, and workplace climate. Microsoft Forms is a service provided by Microsoft Corporation. The processing is carried out on behalf of Adam Hall by: Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, One Microsoft Place, South County Business Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18, D18 P521, Ireland.
Legal Basis
The legal basis for this processing is Adam Hall’s legitimate interest in gathering information for service, offer, and product improvements, as well as improving customer and employee satisfaction, under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, and voluntary disclosures under Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.
The legal basis also depends on the specific context of the survey. It may be required for contract fulfillment under Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR or for safeguarding legitimate interests of us or third parties under Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, e.g., ensuring IT security and operations.
If personal data of employees is processed, the legal basis is Art. 88(1) GDPR in conjunction with § 26(1) sentence 1 BDSG, for exercising and fulfilling the employment relationship. In all other cases, the legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, e.g., for optimizing work-related requirements or improving workplace climate.
Participation in surveys/polls is generally voluntary
Processed Data
When you participate in a survey or poll, Microsoft Forms processes various categories of data. The scope depends on the information you provide, especially in open-ended questions. The content is survey-specific. You decide which personal data is transmitted when entering free text.
Personal data processed may include:
IP address
Name (if provided)
Username, display name, email address (if applicable)
Profile picture (optional, if stored in Microsoft 365)
Preferred language
Status (optional, if stored in Microsoft 365)
Date and time of opening the questionnaire
Date and time of submitting the response
Content-related personal information (if provided)
Surveys/polls are generally relevant to us only in anonymized form. Providing your name or contact details is not required. Measures to ensure anonymity: We only evaluate anonymized content, avoid asking for personal data, and design questions to prevent identification of individuals.
In specific cases, e.g., when a license is tied to a person or further contact is needed, we may require your name and contact details.
Storage Duration
Your personal data is stored only as long as necessary for the above-mentioned purposes and is then regularly deleted.
Anonymized log data is stored for up to 30 days for access by Adam Hall, exclusively for identifying system errors, troubleshooting, security issues, and checking for manipulation or misuse. Only M365 platform administrators have access.
Survey data is retained as long as needed for its purpose, typically 90 days. Specific surveys may define their own retention or deletion periods, which will be communicated to participants.
Additionally, data may be retained if required by legal retention obligations.
Data Recipients
At Adam Hall, only authorized departments have access to survey/poll data, such as Marketing, HR, or IT. To conduct surveys via Forms, necessary data is transmitted to Microsoft, including user ID and IP address. Content data is also transmitted and, according to Microsoft, encrypted.
More information on Microsoft’s data processing and encryption can be found in their privacy statement.
Third Country Transfers
Personal data may be transferred to service providers outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in compliance with Chapter V of the GDPR.
Generally, data processing outside the EU does not occur, as we restrict storage to EU data centers. However, routing via servers outside the EU cannot be ruled out, especially if participants are located in third countries during online meetings or surveys. In support or maintenance cases, or for Microsoft’s business purposes, data access from third countries may occur.
Data is encrypted during internet transmission, protecting it from unauthorized access.
Data Subject Rights
If legal conditions are met, you have the following rights under Art. 15 ff. GDPR:
Access
Rectification
Erasure
Restriction of processing
Data portability
Objection: You may object to processing based on your specific situation if it is based on legitimate interests or public interest. Contact: [email protected]
Withdrawal: You may withdraw consent-based data at any time without reason, effective for the future. Contact: [email protected]. Withdrawn data will no longer be processed. Note: You may not benefit from survey results if you withdraw.
In case of complaints, you may contact a supervisory authority. For Adam Hall, the competent authority is the Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.
August 2025