Privacy Policy | Studydrive

Thank you for your interest in Studydrive!

On Studydrive, we always strive to offer you the best experience possible for studying online, for connecting with your fellow students and for finding the perfect job offer. To achieve this, we collect, store and use personal data and data that is generated when using our platform.

The security of your data as well as your privacy is very important to us! Therefore, we want to inform you about which data we collect, store and use, how we do this and why. You will find all this information in the following privacy policy.
Have fun reading! We look forward to meeting you on our platform and wish you all the best for your studies.

1. General Information

• Last updated: 09.09.2025
• meinestadt.de GmbH, Jülicher Straße 26, 50674 Köln, Deutschland is responsible for the processing of personal data
• Data Protection Officer: Heiner Tent, E-Mail: legal@stepstone.de

2. Introduction

meinestadt.de GmbH, Jülicher Straße 26, 50674 Köln ("Studydrive") operates the internet platform ("platform") studydrive.net. The Platform can be used on the web page www.studydrive.net and through the Mobile Application Studydrive ("App").

meinestadt.de GmbH is part of the StepStone GmbH group of companies (the "StepStone Group"). The StepStone Group is a global online job board company that operates online job portals to bring candidates and companies together.

Users can use this platform to share study materials with other users and exchange information in discussion forums. In addition, users can get information about potential employers and their career offers as well as apply for a job with these companies through a job exchange platform.

Studydrive collects, processes and uses users’ personal data in accordance with the content of this privacy policy as well as the General Data Protection Regulation ("EU-GDPR") and the applicable German data protection laws, especially the Bundesdatenschutzgesetz ("BDSG") as well as the Telemediengesetz ("TMG").

The following paragraphs present which data are collected, stored and processed by Studydrive via the Studydrive platform.

This data protection declaration applies to the entire service of the Studydrive platform, both for the use of the platform via the website www.studydrive.net and for the use of the platform via the app.

3. Collection and processing of personal data

Studydrive collects and processes personal data of the users of Studydrive. Personal data within the meaning of these data protection regulations are individual details concerning the personal or factual circumstances as well as the user’s behavior.

3.1. Stock data

3.1.1. Registration via E-Mail

As part of the registration, users are asked to provide some personal information. meinestadt.de GmbH stores the following user data which are entered during the registration process.

• First and Last Name
• University
• The main subject and the starting semester of the user’s current studies
• Email address
• A password
• Profile picture (optional)

The legal basis for this processing of personal data is Article 6 (1) b) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

3.1.2. Registration via Facebook Login

Users can register on Studydrive using their Facebook login. This service is provided by Facebook Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland.

If users decide to register with Facebook Connect and click on the "Sign up with Facebook" button, they will be automatically redirected to the Facebook platform. There they can log in with their Facebook username and password. This will link their Facebook profile to Studydrive’s website or services. This link gives Studydrive access to the user’s following data stored on Facebook:

• Facebook ID
• Facebook name
• Facebook profile picture
• Facebook cover picture
• Email address provided to Facebook
• Gender
• Country
• Language

This data will be used to set up, provide, and personalize the user’s account. The Facebook ID is needed so that users can login to their Studydrive account after their initial sign up.

For more information, see Facebook's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. These can be found at https://de-de.facebook.com/about/privacy/ and https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms/.
Users need to complete their registration after using the Facebook Login option with the following data:

• University
• The main subject
• Starting semester of the user’s current studies
• Classes that student is attending.

The legal basis for this processing of personal data is Article 6 (1) b) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

3.2. Usage data / Cookies / Third party applications

Studydrive collects data about the usage of the platform by its users in order to improve the platform’s usability and effectiveness and to be able to offer users a customer-tailored service.

3.2.1. Logfiles

The server logs store information submitted by the browser or by the app as users access the platform. The logfiles contain the following information:

• IP address of the computer or the Device ID of a mobile end device
• Date, time, status, the amount of data transferred, and the web page from which the requested page is accessed (referrer)
• Product and version information for the browser (user agent), operating system, language settings

The storage of information serves to maintain and improve the platform and their security and to identify and prosecute potentially illegal activities of the users. The log files are anonymized.

The legal basis for this processing of personal data is Article 6 (1) b) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

3.2.2. Cookies and similar technologies

The use of the platform is linked to the use of cookies and similar technologies.

Cookies are text files that are placed on the computer, mobile phone or other device when users visit a website. Cookies serve to make the offer of the platform more user-friendly, more effective and safer. Most of the cookies used by Studydrive are so-called "session cookies". They are automatically deleted at the end of your visit to the site. Other cookies remain stored on your device until you delete them. These cookies enable Studydrive to recognize the your browser the next time you visit.

A similar technology is used for visits to the app, so-called cellular network identifiers. These enable companies to recognize the user device, for example when users call up an app again. For example, an app instance ID is used in the Firebase (see above) SDK library to identify individual app installations. By default, the IDs for mobile devices (e.g. the Android or iOS advertising ID) in the Firebase SDK are recorded using technologies that work in a similar way to cookies.

Studydrive uses cookies and similar technologies to collect important and necessary information for the implementation of relevant processes on the platform. Cookies are used to identify and authenticate users and to store data.
Users can set their browser so that they are informed about the setting of cookies and only allow cookies in individual cases, exclude the acceptance of cookies for certain cases or in general, and activate the automatic deletion of cookies when the browser is closed. When cookies are deactivated, the functionality of this website may be restricted.

Studydrive also makes it easier for users to specifically deactivate cookies via the Cookie Control Center, which can be reached following this link or under the Privacy Settings tab in the footer.

Cookies that are required to carry out the electronic communication process or to provide certain functions desired by users are stored on the basis of Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Letter f) EU GDPR. Studydrive has a legitimate interest in storing cookies for the technically error-free and optimized provision of its services. If other cookies (e.g. cookies for analyzing surfing behavior) are stored, these are treated separately in this data protection declaration.

3.3. Newsletter & email notifications

3.3.1. Mailgun

Studydrive uses the Mailgun service to send e-mails and newsletters. Mailgun is provided by Mailgun Technologies, 535 Mission St., 14th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA. Mailgun is a service with which, among other things, the dispatch of newsletters can be organized and analyzed.

Mailgun receives from Studydrive for the purpose of sending e-mails and the correct salutation within e-mails access to personal data such as First and last name as well as the email address of the user. The data is stored on servers of Mailgun Technologies in the USA.

We have concluded a contract with Mailgun with so-called standard contractual clauses in which the service provider undertakes to comply with the EU data protection level.

With the help of Mailgun, Studydrive can analyze sent mailing campaigns. When users open an e-mail sent with Mailgun, a file contained in the e-mail (so-called web beacon) connects to Mailgun's servers in the USA. In this way it can be determined whether a newsletter message has been opened and which links have been clicked. Technical information is also recorded (e.g. time of access, IP address, browser type and operating system). This information cannot be assigned to the respective newsletter recipient. They are used exclusively for the statistical analysis of newsletter campaigns. The results of these analyzes can be used to better adapt future newsletters to the interests of the recipients.

If users do not want an analysis by Mailgun, they have to unsubscribe from the newsletter. We provide a link for this in every newsletter message. You can also unsubscribe from the newsletter directly on the website. This does not affect data that we have stored for other purposes (e.g. email addresses for the members' area).

Data processing takes place on the basis of Art. 6 Para. 1 Letter b) of the EU GDPR for e-mails that are necessary for the fulfillment of the contract and on the basis of Art. 6 Para. 1 Letter a) of the EU GDPR for newsletters that subscribed to by the user via opt-in on Studydrive.

Users can revoke their consent to receive the newsletter at any time by unsubscribing from the newsletter. Users can find more information about unsubscribing from the newsletter in section 4.1.1 of this data protection declaration. The legality of the data processing operations already carried out remains unaffected by the revocation.

More information can be found in Mailgun's privacy policy at: https://www.mailgun.com/privacy-policy/.

3.3.2. Braze

For sending mailings and newsletters Studydrive uses the services of Braze, Inc., 318 West 39th Street, 5th Floor New York, NY 10018. Braze is a service that enables us to organize the simultaneous sending of emails to a large number of recipients.For the purpose of sending the mailings and addressing the recipient correctly, Braze receives the email address and the username of the users.

We have concluded a contract with Braze with so-called standard contractual clauses in which the service provider undertakes to comply with the EU data protection level. For more information about data processing by Braze, please see Braze's privacy policy.

Data processing takes place on the basis of Art. 6 Para. 1 Letter b) of the EU GDPR for e-mails that are necessary for the fulfilment of the contract.

3.3.3. Sending newsletters and job notifications

Studydrive can also use the StepStone Engage service to send e-mails and notifications. StepStone Engage is provided by StepStone Deutschland GmbH, Völklinger Strasse 1, 40219 Düsseldorf. StepStone Engage is a service that analyzes and organizes the dispatch of job and internship advertisements.

StepStone Engage receives from Studydrive access to personal data for the purpose of sending e-mails, correct salutation within e-mails and personalization of job and internship offers, such as First and last name, the email address of the user and career aspiration or presumed career aspiration. For this purpose, StepStone uses contract processors who process the data in the United Kingdom. Once the UK leaves the European Union, processing will be based on European Union Standard Contractual Clauses.

With the help of StepStone Engage, Studydrive can analyze sent mailing campaigns. When users open an e-mail sent with StepStone Engage, a file contained in the e-mail (so-called web beacon) connects to the StepStone servers. In this way it can be determined whether a message has been opened and which links have been clicked. Technical information is also recorded (e.g. time of access, IP address, browser type and operating system). This information cannot be assigned to the respective recipient. They are used exclusively for the statistical analysis of mailing campaigns. The results of these analyzes can be used to better tailor future notifications to the interests of the recipients.

If users do not want an analysis by StepStone Engage, they have to object to the receipt of the notifications. A corresponding link is provided in these notifications for this purpose. You can also unsubscribe from these notifications directly on the website. This does not affect data that we have stored for other purposes (e.g. email addresses for the members' area).

3.4. Content data

Content data is data that users post on the platform. These are, for example, the materials that users upload, the comments they leave and the content that they make available to other users or are generally accessible. meinestadt.de GmbH will not pass this data on to third parties. However, the content can be viewed by other users and can be downloaded and copied by them.

4. Use of the data

meinestadt.de GmbH uses the data to offer its services to users via the platforms and to guarantee the functionality of the platforms. The contact details provided by the users are used to contact the users and to manage the user account at meinestadt.de GmbH.

4.1. Inventory data

4.1.1. Use of the inventory data

First name and surname as well as the educational path are visible to all other users. The email address and the password of your choice remain secret.

meinestadt.de GmbH uses the email address to inform users about changes and updates on Studydrive. Users are also informed about jobs, career events, internship offers and employer information from Studydrive partner companies.

Users have the option at any time to unsubscribe from notifications either in the settings of their Studydrive account or by e-mail to info@studydrive.net. Users can find the settings of their Studydrive account here: https://www.studydrive.net/en/settings . You can find the possibility to manage your e-mail notifications in the section "E-mail settings".

The legal basis for this processing of personal data is Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter b) of the EU GDPR.

In an effort to be able to provide users with suitable career offers even after they have started their careers, the salutation, name and email address of the users can be shared with the StepStone Group. Users are informed in advance about the data transfer and have the option to object to the transfer.

The legal basis for this processing of personal data is Article 6 Paragraph 1 Letter b) of the EU GDPR.

4.1.2. Search functions and active feeds

Some of the personal information is accessible and searchable for other users. This information includes the specified name or the specified pseudonym and the college / university. When users search for courses, the names or pseudonyms of other users are visible to them.

4.1.3. Comments

Users can take part in discussions on Studydrive and leave comments. You have the option to participate anonymously or with your name or pseudonym. If the user decides to do so, the name or the specified pseudonym will be visible to other users on the platform.

4.2. Usage data

meinestadt.de GmbH is always trying to improve the platform for its users. It therefore determines how the platform is being used to identify usage patterns, peak times and the popularity of certain offers and features.
The data thus determined are used to implement technical adjustments and functional improvements for the user. The use of analytical tools and cookies is therefore crucial in order to offer users an excellent service. The information collected can help improve the platforms for users.

4.3. Content data

4.3.1. Accessibility of the content

Solely the users have control over their content, which they want to upload and make available to other users. This includes all types of files, comments and personal data. meinestadt.de GmbH only provides the technical requirements and is not responsible for the actions of users. Should a user decide to upload material or information from third parties, he/she is solely responsible. The extent to which information is shared on Studydrive is not influenced by meinestadt.de GmbH. Therefore, the users alone decide which content they make accessible.

4.3.2. Course proposals, group proposals and data comparison

With Studydrive, users have the opportunity to join different courses and groups. Studydrive compares the content of the following courses and groups with others in order to provide users with various suggestions for further courses and groups.

5. Rewardstore

5.1. Registered users can collect ‘Credits’ by performing various activities on the Studydrive’s platform. These Credits can be swapped for Rewards listed in the Rewardstore. Users can choose from different rewards that match their amount of collected credits and need to fill out a form to collect their reward.

5.2. Studydrive is responsible for the collection, processing and use of personal data for transactions in the Rewardstore. Service providers who process data on behalf of Studydrive in order to initiate the transfer of the reward are contractually or legally obligated to comply with data protection for the processing of the reward transfer.

5.3. In order to process the transfer of rewards, personal data will be transferred to the partners participating in the rewards program to provide or send the rewards. Studydrive has concluded contracts with these partners for data processing, where applicable. In individual cases, Studyydrive may be legally obligated to transfer personal data to public authorities.

5.4. Depending on the reward, different personal data of the users are collected and used. This may include, among other things, the name, postal address, e-mail address or clothing size of users (when selecting items of clothing). Users enter the data necessary for processing themselves.

6. Taking surveys

6.1. Registered users

To give Studydrive feedback on products, registered users have the opportunity to take part in surveys. Registered users who have consented to being contacted for this purpose will be informed about upcoming surveys and can choose whether they want to take part in the current survey or not. Participation is voluntary and is not remunerated.

Depending on the type of survey, surveys can be recorded by video interview and / or carried out by filling out an online questionnaire. A link to the survey will be sent to participants via email. Studydrive uses the provider Mailgun to send the e-mails.

For further processing and storage of the users’ data and to enable the structured presentation of the collected data, we use the tool Dovetail. For this purpose, data is transferred to our partner Dovetail. Dovetail is an Australian company and can be reached at the following business address: Dovetail, Level 1, 276 Devonshire St, Surry Hills, NSW 2010 Australia. There is no European Union adequacy decision for Australia. We have concluded the European Union standard contractual clauses with Dovetail for this case, the wording of which is available here.

A transfer to countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area also takes place by using Microsoft Teams, a service of Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA as a video interview platform. There is no European Union adequacy decision for the USA; we have concluded the European Union standard contractual clauses with Microsoft for this case, the wording of which is available here.

To select suitable participants for surveys with registered users, inventory data of the participants are processed in accordance with section 3. Depending on the type of survey and its survey method, surveys can either be anonymous or be assigned to the respective user profile of the participants. Before taking part, participants will be shown whether the survey is anonymous. Personal data collected during a survey will be deleted as soon as the survey is evaluated. This also includes the reference to the user profile.

Data processing takes place on the basis of Art. 6 Paragraph 1 Letter a) of the EU GDPR (consent) for the selection of participants, communication with them and the implementation of the surveys.

Users can revoke their consent to participate in surveys at any time. The legality of the data processing operations already carried out remains unaffected by the revocation.

6.2. Listed users

In order to give Studydrive feedback on products, users have the opportunity to take part in surveys by subscribing to a survey mailing list. Registered users will be informed about upcoming surveys and can choose whether they want to participate in the current survey or not. Participation is voluntary and is not remunerated.

The username and email address of the participants are processed in order to carry out surveys and the preceding communication. Depending on the type of survey and its survey method, surveys can be assigned anonymously or to the respective email address of the participants. Before taking part, participants will be shown whether the survey is anonymous.

Personal data collected during a survey will be deleted as soon as the survey is evaluated. If a participant no longer wishes to take part in surveys and informs Studydrive of this, their personal data will be deleted from the survey mailing list.
The data processing takes place on the basis of Art. 6 Para. 1 Letter a) of the EU-DSGVO (consent) for notifications about surveys, as well as for carrying out the surveys.

Users can revoke their consent to participate in surveys at any time by unsubscribing from the survey mailing list. The legality of the data processing operations already carried out remains unaffected by the revocation.

7. Lotteries

7.1. Responsible for the organization of the lottery in the sense of data protection law is the
meinestadt.de GmbH
Jülicher Straße 26, 50674 Köln
Phone: +49 (030) 555 794 64
E-Mail-Adresse: info@studydrive.net

7.2. For the participation in a lottery the provision of personal data is necessary. These may vary depending on the competition, but usually include personal details, in particular first name, surname and e-mail address. The data processing is based on Art. 6. para. 1 lit. b) GDPR (contract) for the organization of the lottery. The data will be deleted within four weeks after the lottery has ended.

7.3. In the event of a win, the winners will be notified of their win in writing or via telephone. In the event of notification of a win, we may ask for further personal data, which, however, will only be used to send the prize. If the winner does not provide this data, the prize cannot be sent. The data processing is based on Art. 6. para. 1 lit. b) GDPR (contract) for the implementation of the competition. In addition, the name of the winners will be published on Studydrive's platforms. This includes the announcement of the winners on Studydrive's website and its social media channels. The publication of the name on the Internet is based on Art. 6. para. 1 lit. c) GDPR (legal obligation).

7.4. Participants may terminate their participation in the competition at any time and with immediate effect until the winner is determined. Cancellation of participation must be made in writing to the contact details of the organizer provided in the imprint section of the competition. After the termination of participation, the personal data of the participant collected and stored as part of the competition will be deleted immediately.

7.5. If, in addition to participating in the competition, participants have given their consent to be contacted for advertising purposes, the data processing shall be governed by section 3.3. The legal basis for contacting a participant for advertising purposes is based on Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a GDPR (consent). You can revoke your consent at any time and without giving reasons with effect for the future.

8. Information on user rights

8.1. Right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority

In the event of violations of data protection law, the person concerned has the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. The competent supervisory authority for data protection issues is the state data protection officer of the federal state in which meinestadt.de GmbH is based. A list of data protection officers and their contact details can be found at the following link: https://www.bfdi.bund.de/DE/Service/Anschriften/anschriften_table.html

8.2. Right to data portability

Users have the right to have data that Studydrive processes automatically on the basis of their consent or in fulfillment of a contract handed over to themselves or to a third party in a common, machine-readable format. If you request the direct transfer of the data to another responsible person, this will only be done if it is technically feasible.

8.3. Requests for information, deletion of an account

Users have the right to request information about stored data. In addition, users can edit, block or delete their personal data at any time. You can send an email request to info@studydrive.net or contact meinestadt.de GmbH by post. Users are asked to provide the following information in written inquiries: surname, first name, e-mail address, address, identification by means of a copy of the ID (valid ID).

For technical reasons, after personal data has been deleted, it may still be visible for a few days. meinestadt.de GmbH is obliged to guarantee the availability of data. It is therefore possible that deleted data will remain in the backup system for a limited period of time. However, the information will not be publicly available.

Thank you for reading our privacy policy! If you have any questions about our privacy policy, please send us an email at any time at info@studydrive.net.

See you soon on Studydrive and good luck with your studies!