• Swiss Business Connections Privacy Policy

Disclaimer of liability

This document is provided in English. It is a translation from the German original. By accepting this agreement, you agree to the terms of the German language agreement, which you can find here. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the translation, and it is your responsibility to ensure that you have read and understood the German language agreement.

Privacy Statement

With this data protection declaration, we inform you which personal data we process for what, how and where, especially in connection with our www.swiss-business-connections.com – website and our other offers. With this data protection declaration, we also provide information about the rights of persons whose data we process.

For individual or additional offers and services, special, supplementary, or further data protection declarations, as well as other legal documents such as General Terms and Conditions (GTC), Terms of Use or Conditions of Participation, may apply.

Our offer is subject to Swiss data protection law and any applicable foreign data protection law, in particular, that of the European Union (EU) with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The European Commission acknowledges that the Swiss data protection law guarantees adequate data protection.


1. Contact Addresses

Responsibility for the processing of personal data:

Swiss Business Connections GmbH
 Rüttiweg 6
CH-3047 Bremgarten b. Bern
Switzerland

moc.s1680123835noitc1680123835ennoc1680123835-ssen1680123835isub-1680123835ssiws1680123835@ofni1680123835


2. Processing of Personal Data

2.1 Terms and definitions

Personal data is all information that relates to an identified or identifiable person. A data subject is a person about whom personal data are processed. Processing includes any handling of personal data, irrespective of the means and procedures used, in particular the preserve, disclosure, procurement, collection, deletion, storage, modification, destruction and use of personal data.

The European Economic Area (EEA) comprises the European Union (EU) as well as the Principality of Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) describes the processing of personal data as the processing of personal data.

2.2 Legal basis

We process personal data in accordance with Swiss data protection law, in particular the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and the Ordinance to the Federal Act on Data Protection (OFADP).

We process – if and insofar as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is applicable – personal data in accordance with at least one of the following legal bases:

Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a contract with the data subject and for the implementation of pre-contractual measures.

  • Art. 6 para. 1 letter f GDPR for the necessary processing of personal data in order to safeguard the legitimate interests of third parties or of us, unless the fundamental freedoms and rights and interests of the data subject outweigh these. Legitimate interests include in particular our interest in being able to provide our services permanently, user-friendly, secure and reliable and to advertise them as required, information security and protection against misuse and unauthorised use, the enforcement of our own legal claims and compliance with Swiss law.
  • Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR for the necessary processing of personal data in order to fulfil a legal obligation to which we are subject in accordance with any applicable law of member states of the European Economic Area (EEA).
  • Art. 6 para. 1 letter e GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.
  • Art. 6 para. 1 letter a GDPR for the processing of personal data with the consent of the data subject.
  • Art. 6 para. 1 letter d GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or another natural person.

2.3 Nature, scope and purpose

We process those personal data that are necessary to provide our services in a permanent, user-friendly, secure and reliable manner. Such personal data can fall into the categories of stock and contact data, browser and device data, content data, meta or marginal data and usage data, location data, sales, contract and payment data.

We process personal data for as long as is necessary for the respective purpose or purposes or as required by law. Personal data whose processing is no longer required is made anonymous or deleted. Persons whose data we process have a fundamental right to deletion.

As a matter of principle, we only process personal data with the consent of the data subject, unless the processing is permitted for other legal reasons, for example, to fulfil a contract with the data subject and for appropriate pre-contractual measures to protect our overriding legitimate interests, because the processing is evident from the circumstances or after prior information.

In this context, we process in particular information that a data subject voluntarily and personally provides to us when contacting us – for example by letter post, e-mail, contact form, social media or telephone – or when registering for a user account. We may store such information in an address book, in a customer relationship management system (a CRM system) or with comparable tools. If you transmit personal data about third parties to us, you are obliged to guarantee data protection against such third parties and to ensure the accuracy of such personal data.

In addition, we process personal data that we receive from third parties, obtain from publicly accessible sources or collect when providing our services, if and to the extent that such processing is permitted by law.

2.4 Processing of personal data by third parties, also abroad

We may have personal data processed by commissioned third parties or process it together with third parties or with the help of third parties or transfer it to third parties. Such third parties are in particular providers whose services we use. We also guarantee appropriate data protection for such third parties.

Such third parties are generally located in Switzerland and the European Economic Area (EEA). However, such third parties may also be located in other states and territories on earth and elsewhere in the universe, provided that their data protection law guarantees adequate data protection in the opinion of the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) and – if and insofar as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is applicable – in the opinion of the European Commission, or if adequate data protection is guaranteed for other reasons, such as by a corresponding contractual agreement, in particular on the basis of standard contractual clauses, or by appropriate certification. Exceptionally, such a third party may be located in a country without adequate data protection, provided that the conditions of data protection law are met, such as the explicit consent of the data subject.


3. Rights of Data Subjects

Data subjects whose personal data we process have the rights under Swiss data protection law. These include the right to information and the right to correct, delete or block the processed personal data.

Data subjects whose personal data we process may – if and to the extent that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is applicable – obtain free confirmation as to whether we are processing their personal data and, if so, request information about the processing of their personal data, have the processing of their personal data restricted, exercise their right to data transferability and have their personal data corrected, deleted (“right to forget”), blocked or completed.

Data subjects whose personal data we process may – if and to the extent that the GDPR is applicable – revoke any consent given at any time with effect for the future and object to the processing of their personal data at any time.

Data subjects whose personal data we process have a right of appeal to a competent supervisory authority. The supervisory authority for data protection in Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC).


4. Data Security

We take appropriate and suitable technical and organisational measures to ensure data protection and in particular data security. However, despite such measures, the processing of personal data on the Internet can always have security gaps. We can, therefore, not guarantee absolute data security.

Access to our online offer is carried out by means of transport encryption (SSL / TLS, especially with the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, abbreviated HTTPS). Most browsers mark transport encryption with a padlock in the address bar.

Access to our online offer is subject – as is basically the case with any use of the Internet – to mass surveillance without cause or suspicion and other monitoring by security authorities in Switzerland, in the European Union (EU), in the United States of America (USA) and in other countries. We cannot directly influence the corresponding processing of personal data by secret services, police forces and other security authorities.


5. Use of the Website

5.1 Cookies

We may use cookies for our website. Cookies – both our own cookies (first-party cookies) and cookies from third parties whose services we use (third-party cookies or third-party cookies) – are data that are stored in your browser. Such stored data need not be limited to traditional cookies in text form. Cookies cannot execute programs or transmit malware such as Trojans and viruses.

When you visit our website, cookies can be stored temporarily in your browser as “session cookies” or for a certain period of time as so-called permanent cookies. “Session cookies” are automatically deleted when you close your browser. Permanent cookies have a certain storage period. In particular, they make it possible to recognise your browser the next time you visit our website and thus to measure the range of our website, for example. Permanent cookies can also be used for online marketing, for example.

You can deactivate or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time, either wholly or in part. Without cookies, our website may no longer be fully available. We actively ask you – if and to the extent necessary – for your express consent to the use of cookies.

In the case of cookies used for measuring success and reach or for advertising, a general objection (“opt-out”) is possible for numerous services via the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), YourAdChoices (Digital Advertising Alliance) or Your Online Choices (European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance, EDAA).

5.2 Server log files

We may collect the following information for each access to our website, provided that this information is transmitted by your browser to our server infrastructure or can be determined by our web server: Date and time including time zone, Internet Protocol (IP) address, access status (HTTP status code), the operating system including user interface and version, browser including language and version, an individual sub-page of our website called up including the amount of data transferred, last website called up in the same browser window (referrer).

We store such information, which may also represent personal data, in server log files. This information is necessary to provide our online service in a permanent, user-friendly and reliable manner and to ensure data security and thus, in particular, the protection of personal data – also by third parties or with the help of third parties.

5.3 Counting pixels

We may use tracking pixels on our website. Tracking pixels are also known as web beacons. Web beacons – also from third parties whose services we use – are small, usually invisible images that are automatically called up when you visit our website. Counting pixels can be used to record the same information as in server log files.


6. Social Media

We are present on social media platforms and other online platforms in order to communicate with interested people and to inform them about our offer. Personal data may also be processed outside Switzerland and the European Economic Area (EEA).

The General Terms and Conditions (GTC) and Conditions of Use, as well as data protection declarations and other provisions of the individual operators of such online platforms, also apply in each case. These provisions provide information in particular about the rights of data subjects, which includes, in particular, the right to information.


7. Success and Reach Measurement

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to analyse how our website is used. We can also measure the reach of our website and the success of links from third parties to our website, for example. This is a service of the American Google LLC. The Irish Google Ireland Limited is responsible for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

Google also attempts to track individual visitors to our website when they use different browsers or devices (cross-device tracking). Cookies are also used for this purpose. Your Internet Protocol (IP) address is required for Google Analytics but is not combined with other data from Google.

In any case, we will have your Internet Protocol (IP) address anonymised by Google before the analysis. As a result, your complete IP address is not transmitted to Google in the USA.

Further information about the type, scope and purpose of data processing can be found in the principles for data protection and security and in the data protection declaration of Google in each case, in the guide to data protection in Google products (including Google Analytics), in the information how Google uses data from websites on which Google services are used and in the information about cookies at Google. Furthermore, it is possible to use the “Browser Add-on to deactivate Google Analytics” and to object to personalised advertising.


8. Services from Third Parties

We use third-party services to provide our services in a durable, user-friendly, secure and reliable manner. Such services are also used to embed content into our website. Such services – such as hosting and storage services, video services and payment services – require your Internet Protocol (IP) address; otherwise, such services cannot transmit the relevant content. Such services may be located outside Switzerland and the European Economic Area (EEA), provided that adequate data protection is guaranteed.

For their own security-related, statistical and technical purposes, third parties whose services we use may also process data in connection with our offer and from other sources – including cookies, log files and counting pixels – in aggregated, anonymised or pseudonymised form.

8.1 Digital infrastructure

We use the services of third parties in order to be able to use the digital infrastructure required for our services. These include in particular hosting and storage services from specialised providers. Such providers process – usually exclusively on our behalf – the data required to operate this infrastructure. This includes, in particular your Internet Protocol (IP) address. We also guarantee appropriate data protection with such providers.

8.2 Entertainment

We use YouTube to embed videos on our website. Cookies are also used for this purpose. YouTube is a service of the American Google LLC. The Irish Google Ireland Limited is responsible for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. Further information about the nature, extent and purpose of data processing can be found in the privacy and security principles and privacy policy of Google, in the guide to privacy in Google products (including YouTube), in the information about how Google uses data from websites on which Google services are used and in the information about cookies at Google. In addition, you have the opportunity to object to personalised advertising.


9. Additions to the Website

We use Akismet to differentiate wanted comments that come from people from unwanted comments from bots and other spam. Cookies are also used in this process. Akismet is a service provided by Aut O’Mattic A8C Ireland Ltd. in Ireland and Automattic Inc. in the United States, which is known for its WordPress.com service, among other things. For more information about the nature, extent and purpose of data processing, please see Automattic’s Website Privacy Policy and Automattic’s general privacy policy.


10. Final Provisions

We may amend and supplement this data protection declaration at any time. We will provide information about such adaptations and additions in a suitable form, in particular by publishing the respective current data protection declaration on our website.