Privacy policy

Last update on 19 November 2024

What do we do?

NZZ Connect (Viktoriastrasse 72, 3013 Bern) operates the www.sef-growth.ch website (hereinafter referred to as "we" or "us"). On this website you can find out about our organisation, use our online services and contact us.

The protection of your personal data is very important to us. In this data protection declaration, we inform you in a transparent and comprehensible manner about what data we collect via our website and how we handle it.

For this reason, we use the icons of the PRIVACY ICONS association. They are intended to help you quickly gain an overview of how we process your data.

What do we inform about?

Who is responsible for the data processing;
What data is collected;
For what purpose this data is collected;
Who we share this data with;
How you can object to data processing;
What rights you have and how you can assert them.

Definition of terms

What is personal data?

Personal data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes, for example, name, address, date of birth, e-mail address or telephone number as well as IP address. Data about personal preferences such as leisure activities or memberships also count as personal data.

What are special categories of personal data?

Special categories of personal data are:

Data on religious, ideological, political or trade union views or activities;
Data on health, privacy, racial or ethnic origin, sex life and sexual orientation;
Data on administrative or criminal prosecutions and sanctions, as well as data on social assistance measures;
Genetic data and biometric data that uniquely identify a person.

Where necessary and where you disclose this data to us yourself, we may process data belonging to a special category of personal data. In this case, their processing is subject to stricter confidentiality.

What is the processing of personal data?

Processing is any handling of personal data, regardless of the means and procedures used, in particular the obtaining, storing, keeping, using, altering, disclosing, archiving, deleting or destroying of personal data.

What is the disclosure of personal data?

This is the transmission or making available of personal data, e.g. publication or disclosure to a third party.

Contact

If you have any questions or concerns about the protection of your data by us, you can contact our data protection officer:

NZZ Connect
Christoph Bernhard
Viktoriastrasse 72
3013 Bern
christoph.bernhard@nzz.ch

Data security

We will keep your data secure and take all reasonable steps to protect your data from loss, access, misuse or alteration.

Our contractual partners and employees who have access to your data are obliged to comply with the provisions of data protection law. In some cases, it will be necessary for us to pass on your enquiries to companies affiliated with us within the framework of commissioned processing. In these cases, too, your data will be treated confidentially.

Within our website, we use the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) procedure in conjunction with the highest encryption level supported by your browser.

Data subjects' rights

Right to information

You can request information about the data we hold about you at any time. We ask you to send your request for information together with a credible proof of identity to christoph.bernhard@nzz.ch. The information is provided in writing or in another form, if necessary also electronically. If you so request, we can also provide you with the information orally, provided you prove your identity in another form. If you submit the request for information electronically, we will provide the information in a standard electronic format, unless you specify otherwise.

As a rule, the information is free of charge. If copies are requested in addition, an appropriate fee may be charged.

The right to obtain a copy of the data processed shall not prejudice the rights and freedoms of other persons.

In the event of obviously unfounded or excessive requests for information, we reserve the right to refuse to provide the information within the limits of the law or to demand an appropriate fee for it.

The processing of your request is subject to the statutory period of 30 days. Due to the complexity and the high number of requests, we may extend this deadline by two additional months if necessary. You will be informed of the extension of the deadline within one month of submitting the request for information. At the same time, you will be informed of the reasons for the extension

Deletion and rectification

You have the option of requesting the deletion or correction or completion of your data at any time, provided that there are no legal obligations to retain data or a legal reason for permission to the contrary.

Please note that the exercise of your rights may, under certain circumstances, conflict with contractual agreements and have corresponding effects on the performance of the contract (e.g. premature termination of the contract or cost consequences).

Restriction of editing

You also have the right to request restriction of processing if you dispute the accuracy of this data, the processing is unlawful, the data is no longer needed or you have objected to the processing.

If the processing of the data is restricted, it may only be stored. Further processing may only be carried out with your consent, for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims, to protect the rights of another person or for reasons of important public interest. You will be notified in the event that the restriction is lifted.

Right to data output and transfer

You have the right to receive your data in a commonly used file format or (if technically feasible) to have it transferred to a third party if we process your data automatically and if:

you have given your consent for the processing of that data; or
you have disclosed data in connection with the conclusion or performance of a contract.

Right of objection

You have the right to object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to processing, including profiling, which is carried out on the basis of our legitimate interests. This right also applies to processing for the purpose of direct advertising.

Legal action

If you are affected by the processing of personal data, you have the right to enforce your rights in court or to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. The competent supervisory authority in Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner.

Data processing in general

What data do we process from you and from whom do we receive this data?

First and foremost, we process personal data that you submit to us or that we collect when operating our website. We may also receive personal data about you from third parties. This may be in the following categories:

Personal master data (name, address, dates of birth, etc.);
Contact details (mobile phone number, e-mail address, etc.);
Financial data (e.g. account details);
Online identifiers (e.g. cookie identifier, IP addresses);

These data can come from the following sources:

Information from publicly accessible sources (e.g. media, internet);
Information from public registers (e.g. commercial register, debt collection register, land register);
Information in connection with official or judicial proceedings;
Information regarding your professional functions and activities (e.g. professional networks);
Information about you in correspondence and meetings with third parties;
Creditworthiness information (insofar as we conduct personal business with you);
Information about you given to us by people close to you so that we can enter into or process contracts with you;
Data related to the use of the website.

Under what conditions do we process your data?

We process your data in good faith and for the purposes set out in this privacy policy. In doing so, we ensure transparent and proportionate processing.

If, exceptionally, we are unable to comply with these principles, the data processing may still be lawful because there is a justification. A justification ground may be in particular:

Your consent;
the performance of a contract or pre-contractual measures;
the fulfilment of legal requirements;
our legitimate interests, unless your interests are overridden.

You may be required to provide us with certain personal information in order for us to do business with each other. Without such information, we will not normally be able to process a contract. The website also cannot normally be used if certain traffic security information, such as your IP address, is not disclosed.

How can you revoke consent you have given?

If you have given us your consent to process your personal data for certain purposes, we will process your data within the scope of this consent, unless we have another justification or no other permissible circumstance is fulfilled.

You can revoke your consent for the future at any time by sending an e-mail to the address given in the imprint. Data processing that has already taken place is not affected by the revocation and retains its validity.

In which cases do we pass on your data to third parties?

a. Principle

We may need to use the services of third parties or affiliates and commission them to process your data (so-called processors). Categories of recipients are namely:

Accounting, fiduciary and auditing firm;
Consulting firms (legal advice, taxes, etc.);
IT service provider (web hosting, support, cloud services, website design, etc.);
Payment service providers (only with your prior consent);
Provider of tracking, conversion and advertising services.

We ensure that data is only passed on with your express consent, provided that this does not involve commissioned data processing. We also ensure that these third parties and our affiliates comply with data protection requirements and keep your personal data confidential. We may also be obliged to disclose your personal data to authorities.

b. Sharing with partners and cooperating companies

We sometimes work together with various companies and partners who place their offers on our website. It is recognisable for you that it is a third-party offer (marked as "advertising").

If you make use of such an offer, we will transmit your personal data to the corresponding partner or cooperation company (e.g. name, function, communication, etc.) whose offer you wish to take advantage of, provided that you have expressly consented to this beforehand. These partners and cooperation companies are independently responsible for the personal data received. After the transmission of the data, the data protection regulations of the respective partner apply.

c. Transfer abroad

Under certain circumstances, your personal data may be transferred to companies abroad within the scope of commissioned processing. These companies are obligated to data protection to the same extent as we are. The transfer may take place worldwide.

If the level of data protection does not correspond to that in Switzerland, we carry out a prior risk assessment and ensure contractually that the same level of protection is guaranteed as in Switzerland (e.g. by means of the new standard contractual clauses of the EU Commission or other legally prescribed measures). If our risk assessment is negative, we take additional technical measures to protect your data. You can access the EU Commission's standard contractual clauses at the following link.

How long do we keep your data?

We only store personal data for as long as is necessary to fulfil the individual purposes for which the data was collected.

We store contract data for longer because we are obliged to do so by law. In particular, we must retain business communications, concluded contracts and accounting records for up to 10 years. Insofar as we no longer need such data from you to perform the services, the data will be restricted for further processing and we will only use it for accounting and tax purposes

Data processing in detail

Provision of the website and creation of log files

By merely visiting www.sef-growth.ch, i.e. not registering or otherwise disclosing information, only the data that your browser automatically transmits to our server is collected. The data is technically necessary for the operation of the website.

What data do we process?

The following data in particular are processed for the provision of the website and for the creation of log files:

Name of the internet service provider
IP address
Technical information such as browser, operating system or screen resolution
the date and time of access
Referrer URL

This data cannot be assigned to a specific person and it is not merged with other data sources.

For what purpose do we process the data?

The log files are processed to guarantee the functionality of the website and to ensure the security of our information technology systems.

Who do we share the data with?

The forwarding of data by us is governed by our explanations on data forwarding.

How can you prevent data processing?

The data is only stored for as long as is necessary to achieve the purpose for which it was collected. Accordingly, the data is deleted after the end of each session. The storage of the log files is absolutely necessary for the operation of the website, you therefore have no possibility to object to this unless you do not visit our website.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are text files that are stored on the operating system of your device with the help of the browser when you access our website. Cookies do not cause any damage to your computer and do not contain viruses. Cookies are partly technically necessary for the website to function. Most of the cookies we use are so-called "session cookies". They are automatically deleted at the end of your visit. Other cookies remain stored on your end device until you delete them or their term expires.

For what purpose do we process the data?

We use cookies so that we can use the data collected to make our website more user-friendly, effective and secure. In particular, we use cookies to store your preferences (for example, language and location settings), to provide website content quickly and attractively (for example, through the use of fonts and content delivery networks), and to analyse the use of this website for statistical evaluation and continuous improvement (usually through third-party cookies). The individual purposes for which we use the (technically unnecessary) cookies can be seen from the following explanations in this data protection declaration.

Who do we share the data with?

The forwarding of data by us is governed by our explanations on data forwarding. In addition, the following explanations on individual data processing in this data protection declaration must be observed.

How can you prevent data processing?

Cookies are stored on your computer. You can delete them completely or deactivate or restrict their transmission by changing the settings in your browser. If you deactivate cookies for our website, it may no longer be possible to use all the functions of the website to their full extent.

Instructions for the most common browsers can be found here:

For Chrome from Google
For Safari from Apple
For Edge from Microsoft
For Firefox from Mozilla

For cookies used for performance and reach measurement or for advertising, a general objection ("opt-out") is possible for many services via the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), YourAdChoices (Digital Advertising Alliance) or Your Online Choices (European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance, EDAA).

Tracking pixel

We may use tracking pixels on our website or in our emails. Tracking pixels are also known as web beacons. Tracking pixels are small, usually invisible images that are automatically retrieved when you visit our website or open our emails.

What data do we process?

Counting pixels can be used to collect the same information as log files. In addition, movement profiles of the entire session can be collected. In particular, tracking pixels are used by third parties whose services we use. Information about these third-party services is provided in detail below in this declaration.

For what purpose do we process the data?

Tracking pixels are used by various tracking services to analyse the use of this website and for statistical evaluation and continuous improvement. In addition, tracking pixels may be used for email tracking.

Who do we share the data with?

The passing on of data by us is governed by our explanations on data passing on. Please also note the explanations in this data protection declaration on the individual tracking services.

How can you prevent data processing?

To prevent data processing using counting pixels, you can install suitable browser extensions such as uBlockOrigin and block external graphics in your e-mail programme.

Vimeo

We embed videos from Vimeo on our website.

How does the integration work?

The integration takes place via a plug-in. As soon as you visit one of our pages equipped with a plug-in, a connection to the Vimeo servers is established. The servers are informed which of our sub-pages you have visited. For more information, see the privacy policy of Vimeo: https://vimeo.zendesk.com/hc/de/sections/203915088-Datenschutz.

Why are we allowed to embed this content?

We include content via Vimeo in order to make our offer accessible to a wider audience. This is our legitimate interest.

What information do you share with providers?

If you are logged into a user account of a provider, you would enable this provider to assign your surfing behavior directly to your personal profile. We would like to point out that we have no knowledge of the specific content of the transmitted data or its use.

If you do not want these providers to be able to assign the visit to our pages to your user account, please log out of your respective user account before using our website.

LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn Ads can be used to promote your business, products, services, or website on LinkedIn. It’s a great way to reach a highly-targeted audience of professionals and decision makers, allowing you to build brand awareness, generate leads, and increase sales.

Linkedin Insight Tag

LinkedIn Insight Tag is a small piece of code that is placed on a website to track and measure the performance of LinkedIn ad campaigns. This tag allows businesses to track website visits, conversions, and other actions made by LinkedIn users who have interacted with their ads. It also provides demographic and interest-based insights about the website visitors, which can help businesses better target their LinkedIn ad campaigns. Overall, the LinkedIn Insight Tag helps businesses optimize their LinkedIn ad campaigns and improve their return on investment.

Hubspot

Hubspot is a powerful marketing and sales software platform that helps businesses grow better. It can be used to create, manage, and optimize marketing campaigns, track leads and sales, host and manage website content, create landing pages, generate and nurture leads, analyze website performance, and much more.

PrivacyBee

We use PrivacyBee on our website, a service provided by PrivacyBee AG, Laupenstrasse 1, 3008 Bern, Switzerland. PrivacyBee is used to recognize all data protection-relevant services and to generate an individual privacy policy for the website.

What data do we process?
PrivacyBee is a service for generating data protection declarations, which are then integrated into our website via JavaScript. The following data is processed for the provision of this service:

IP address
Browser type and version
Operating system
Date and time of access to our privacy policy

For what purpose do we process the data? The collection of this data enables us to display the privacy policy correctly on your end device configuration and to ensure that the content is correct and up to date.

Who do we share the data with?
The transfer of data by us is based on our statements on data transfer. The data collected through the use of PrivacyBee remains with PrivacyBee.

How can you prevent the processing of your data?
To prevent PrivacyBee from processing your data, you can disable JavaScript in your browser. Please note, however, that if you deactivate JavaScript, you may not be able to use all the functions of our website to their full extent. We do not offer a specific opt-out option for the PrivacyBee service itself, as the service is essential for the provision of our privacy policy.

Does our privacy policy always remain the same?

We may change this privacy policy at any time. The changes will be published on www.sef-growth.ch. You will not be informed separately.