Data Protection Statement of rene-mas.com
Version effective as of 24.08.2023.
With this Data Protection Statement I describe how I collect and further process personal data. This Data Protection Statement is not necessarily a comprehensive description of my data processing. It is possible that other data protection statements [or General Terms and Conditions, Conditions of Participation or similar documents] are applicable to specific circumstances.
The term "personal data" in this Data Protection Statement shall mean any information that identifies, or could reasonably be used to identify, any person.
If you provide me with personal data of other persons (such as family members, work colleagues), please make sure the respective persons are aware of this Data Protection Statement and only provide me with their data if you are allowed to do so and such personal data is correct.
This Privacy Notice is aligned with the EU General Data Protection Regulation («GDPR»), the Swiss Data Protection Act («DPA») and the revised Swiss Data Protection («revDPA»). However, the application of these laws depends on each individual case.
1. Controller / Data Protection Officer / Representative
The Controller of data processing as described in this data protection statement (i.e. the responsible person) is René Mas, Neudorfstr. 18, CH-8050 Zürich, unless I have informed you differently in certain cases. You can notify me of any data protection related concerns, using the following contact details: René Mas, Neudorfstr. 18, CH-8050 Zürich, rene+web@rene-mas.com. If possible, please specify which affiliated website of rene-mas.com you refer to.
You can contact my data protection officer pursuant to art. 37 GDPR using the following contact details René Mas, Neudorfstr. 18, CH-8050 Zürich, rene+web@rene-mas.com, (+41) 79 571 6000, who additionally is my representative in the EEA according to article 27 GDPR (if necessary).
2. Collection and Processing of Personal Data
I primarily process personal data that I obtain from my clients and other business partners as well as other individuals in the context of my business relationships with them or that I collect from users when operating my websites, apps and other applications.
Insofar as it is permitted to me, I obtain certain personal data from publicly accessible sources (e.g., debt registers, land registries, commercial registers, press, internet) or I may receive such information from affiliated companies of rene-mas.com, from authorities or other third parties (such as e.g., credit rating agencies or list brokers). Apart from data you provided to me directly, the categories of data I receive about you from third parties include, but are not limited to, information from public registers, data received in connection with administrative or court proceedings, information in connection with your professional role and activities (e.g., in order to conclude and carry out contracts with your employer), information about you in correspondence and discussions with third parties, credit rating information (if I conduct business activities with you personally), information about you given to me by individuals associated with you (family, consultants, legal representatives, etc.) in order to conclude or process contracts with you or with your involvement (e.g. references, your delivery-address, powers of attorney), information regarding legal regulations such as anti-money laundering and export restrictions, bank details, information regarding insurances, our distributors and other business partners for the purpose of ordering or delivering services to you or by you (e.g., payments made, previous purchases), information about you found in the media or internet (insofar as indicated in the specific case, e.g. in connection with job applications, media reviews, marketing/sales, etc.), your address and any interests and other socio-demographic data (for marketing purposes), data in connection with your use of my websites (e.g., IP address, MAC address of your smartphone or computers, information regarding your device and settings, cookies, date and time of your visit, sites and content retrieved, applications used, referring website, localization data).
3. Purpose of Data Processing and Legal Grounds
I primarily use collected data in order to conclude and process contracts with my clients and business partners, in particular in connection with my business activities to my clients and the procurement of products and services from my suppliers and subcontractors, as well as in order to comply with my domestic and foreign legal obligations. You may be affected by my data processing in your capacity as an employee of such a client or business partner.
In addition, in line with applicable law and where appropriate, I may process your personal data and personal data of third parties for the following purposes, which are in my (or, as the case may be, any third parties') legitimate interest, such as:
providing and developing my products, services and websites, apps and other platforms, on which I am active;
communication with third parties and processing of their requests (e.g., job applications, media inquiries);
review and optimization of procedures regarding needs assessment for the purpose of direct customer approach as well as obtaining personal data from publicly accessible sources for customer acquisition;
advertisement and marketing (including organizing events), provided that you have not objected to the use of your data for this purpose (if you are part of my customer base and you receive my advertisement, you may object at any time and I will place you on a blacklist against further advertising mailings);
market and opinion research, media surveillance;
asserting legal claims and defense in legal disputes and official proceedings;
prevention and investigation of criminal offences and other misconduct (e.g. conducting internal investigations, data analysis to combat fraud);
ensuring my operation, including my IT, my websites, apps and other appliances;
video surveillance to protect my domiciliary rights and other measures to ensure the safety of my premises and facilities as well as protection of my employees and other individuals and assets owner by or entrusted to me (such as e.g. access controls, visitor logs, network and mail scanners, telephone recordings);
acquisition and sale of business divisions, companies or parts of companies and other corporate transactions and the transfer of personal data related thereto as well as measures for business management and compliance with legal and regulatory obligations as well as internal regulations.
If you have given me your consent to process your personal data for certain purposes (for example when registering to receive newsletters or carrying out a background check), I will process your personal data within the scope of and based on this consent, unless I have another legal basis, provided that I require one. Consent given can be withdrawn at any time, but this does not affect data processed prior to withdrawal.
4. Cookies / Tracking and Other Techniques Regarding the Use of my Website
I typically use "cookies" and similar techniques on my websites and apps, which allow for an identification of your browser or device. A cookie is a small text file that is sent to your computer and automatically saved by the web browser on your computer or mobile device, when you visit my website or install my app. If you revisit my website or use my app, I may recognize you, even if I do not know your identity. Besides cookies that are only used during a session and deleted after your visit of the website ("session cookies"), I may use cookies in order to save user configurations and other information for a certain time period (e.g., two years) ("permanent cookies"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may configure your browser settings in a way that it rejects cookies, only saves them for one session or deletes them prematurely. Most browsers are preset to accept cookies. I use permanent cookies for the purpose of saving user configuration (e.g., language, automated log in), in order to understand how you use my services and content, to enable to show you customized offers and advertisement (which may also happen on websites of other companies; should your identity be known to me, such companies will not learn your identity from me; they will only know that the same user is visiting their website has previously visited a certain website). Certain cookies are sent to you from me, others from business partners with which I collaborate. If you block cookies, it is possible that certain functions (such as, e.g., language settings, shopping basket, ordering processes) are no longer available to you.
In accordance with applicable law, I may include visible and invisible image files in my newsletters and other marketing e-mails. If such image files are retrieved from my servers, I can determine whether and when you have opened the e-mail, so that I can measure and better understand how you use my offers and customize them. You may disable this in your e-mail program, which will usually be a default setting.
By using my websites, apps and consenting to the receipt of newsletters and other marketing e-mails you agree to my use of such techniques. If you object, you must configure your browser or e-mail program accordingly or uninstall the app, should the respective setting not be available.
I may use Google Analytics or similar services on my website. These are services provided by third parties, which may be located in any country worldwide (in the case of Google Analytics Google Ireland Ltd. (located in Ireland), Google Ireland relies on Google LLC (located in the United States) as its sub-processor (both «Google»), www.google.com) and which allow me to measure and evaluate the use of my website (on an anonymized basis). For this purpose, permanent cookies are used, which are set by the service provider. I have configured the service so that the IP addresses of visitors are truncated by Google in Europe before forwarding them to the United States and then cannot be traced back. I have turned off the «Data sharing» option and the «Signals» option. Although I can assume that the information I share with Google is not personal data for Google, it may be possible that Google may be able to draw conclusions about the identity of visitors based on the data collected, create personal profiles and link this data with the Google accounts of these individuals for its own purposes. If you have registered with the service provider, the service provider will also know your identity. In this case, the processing of your personal data by the service provider will be conducted in accordance with its data protection regulations. The service provider only provides me with data on the use of the respective website (but not any personal information of you).
In addition, I use plug-ins from social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Pinterest or Instagram on my websites. This is visible for you (typically based on the respective symbols). I have configured these elements to be disabled by default. If you activate them (by clicking on them), the operators of the respective social networks may record that you are on my website and where on my website you are exactly and may use this information for their own purposes. This processing of your personal data lays in the responsibility of the respective operator and occurs according to its data protection regulations. I do not receive any information about you from the respective operator.
5. Datatransfer and Transfer of Data Abroad
In the context of my business activities and in line with the purposes of the data processing set out in Section 3, I may transfer data to third parties, insofar as such a transfer is permitted and I deem it appropriate, in order for them to process data for me or, as the case may be, their own purposes. In particular, the following categories of recipients may be concerned:
my service providers (within the ALSEA group or externally, such as e.g. banks, insurances), including processors (such as e.g. IT providers);
dealers, suppliers, subcontractors and other business partners;
clients;
domestic and foreign authorities or courts;
the media;
the public, including users of my websites and social media;
competitors, industry organizations, associations, organizations and other bodies;
acquirers or parties interested in the acquisition of business divisions, companies or other parts of the ALSEA group;
other parties in possible or pending legal proceedings;
affiliates of the ALSEA group;
together Recipients.
Certain Recipients may be within Switzerland but they may be located in any country worldwide. In particular, you must anticipate your data to be transmitted to any country in which the ALSEA Group is represented by affiliates, branches or other offices (as well as to other countries in Europe and the USA where my service providers are located (such as Microsoft, SAP , Amazon, Salesforce.com, Hetzner, Google, Oracle).
If a recipient is located in a country without adequate statutory data protection, I require the recipient to undertake to comply with data protection (for this purpose, I use the revised European Commission’s standard contractual clauses, which can be accessed here: https://eurlex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2021/914/oj?), unless the recipient is subject to a legally accepted set of rules to ensure data protection and unless I cannot rely on an exception. An exception may apply for example in case of legal proceedings abroad, but also in cases of overriding public interest or if the performance of a contract requires disclosure, if you have consented or if data has been made available generally by you and you have not objected against the processing.
6. Retention Periods for your Personal Data
I process and retain your personal data as long as required for the performance of my contractual obligation and compliance with legal obligations or other purposes pursued with the processing, i.e. for the duration of the entire business relationship (from the initiation, during the performance of the contract until it is terminated) as well as beyond this duration in accordance with legal retention and documentation obligations. Personal data may be retained for the period during which claims can be asserted against me or my company or insofar as I am otherwise legally obliged to do so or if legitimate business interests require further retention (e.g., for evidence and documentation purposes). As soon as your personal data are no longer required for the above-mentioned purposes, they will be deleted or anonymized, to the extent possible. In general, shorter retention periods of no more than twelve months apply for operational data (e.g., system logs).
7. Data Security
I have taken appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access and misuse such as internal policies, training, IT and network security solutions, access controls and restrictions, encryption of data carriers and transmissions, pseudonymisation, inspections.
8. Obligation to Provide Personal Data To me
In the context of our business relationship you must provide me with any personal data that is necessary for the conclusion and performance of a business relationship and the performance of our contractual obligations (as a rule, there is no statutory requirement to provide me with data). Without this information, I will usually not be able to enter into or carry out a contract with you (or the entity or person you represent). In addition, the website cannot be used unless certain information is disclosed to enable data traffic (e.g. IP address).
9. Profiling and Automated Individual Decision-Making
I may partially process your personal data automatically with the aim of evaluating certain personal aspects (profiling). In particular, profiling allows me to inform and advise you about products possibly relevant for you more accurately. For this purpose, I may use evaluation tools that enable me to communicate with you and advertise you as required, including market and opinion research.
In establishing and carrying out a business relationship, I generally do not use any fully automated individual decision-making (such as pursuant to article 22 GDPR). Should I use such procedures in certain cases, I will inform you separately on this and advise you of your relevant rights if required by law.
10. Your Rights
In accordance with and as far as provided by applicable law (as is the case where the GDPR is applicable), you have the right to access, rectification and erasure of your personal data, the right to restriction of processing or to object to my data processing, in particular for direct marketing purposes, for profiling carried out for direct marketing purposes and for other legitimate interests in processing in addition to right to receive certain personal data for transfer to another controller (data portability). Please note, however, that I reserve the right to enforce statutory restrictions on my part, for example if I am obliged to retain or process certain data, have an overriding interest (insofar as I may invoke such interests) or need the data for asserting claims. If exercising certain rights will incur costs on you, I will notify you thereof in advance. I have already informed you of the possibility to withdraw consent in Section 3 above. Please further note that the exercise of these rights may be in conflict with your contractual obligations and this may result in consequences such as premature contract termination or involve costs. If this is the case, I will inform you in advance unless it has already been contractually agreed upon.
In general, exercising these rights requires that you are able to prove your identity (e.g., by a copy of identification documents where your identity is not evident otherwise or can be verified in another way). In order to assert these rights, please contact me at the addresses provided in Section 1 above.
In addition, every data subject has the right to enforce his/her rights in court or to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority. The competent data protection authority of Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (http://www.edoeb.admin.ch).
11. Amendments of this Data Protection Statement
I may amend this Data Protection Statement at any time without prior notice. The current version published on my website shall apply. If the Data Protection Statement is part of an agreement with you, I will notify you by e-mail or other appropriate means in case of an amendment.
