Data Protection
This data protection declaration informs you which personal data we process in connection with our activities and operations, including our website theprfactory.ch. In particular, we provide information on what personal data we process, for what purpose, how and where. We also provide information about the rights of persons whose data we process.
Further data protection statements and other legal documents such as general terms and conditions (GTC), terms of use or conditions of participation may apply to individual or additional activities and activities.
We are subject to Swiss data protection law as well as any applicable foreign data protection law such as, in particular, that of the European Union (EU) with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The European Commission recognizes that Swiss data protection law ensures adequate data protection.
1. Contact Adresses
Responsibility for the processing of personal data:
The PR Factory AG
Dolderstrasse 17
CH-8032 Zürich
We point out if there are other persons responsible for the processing of personal data in individual cases.
2. Terms and legal Basis
2.1 Terms
Personal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. A data subject is a person about whom we process personal data.
Processing includes any handling of personal data, irrespective of the means and procedures used, such as querying, matching, adapting, archiving, preserving, reading out, disclosing, procuring, recording, collecting, deleting, disclosing, arranging, organising, storing, changing, disseminating, linking, destroying and using personal data, organising, storing, modifying, disseminating, linking, destroying and using personal data.
The European Economic Area (EEA) comprises the member states of the European Union (EU) as well as the Principality of Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) refers to the processing of personal data as processing of personal data.
2.2 Legal basis
We process personal data in accordance with Swiss data protection law, in particular the Federal Data Protection Act (DPA) and the Data Protection Ordinance (DPO).
We process personal data - if and to the extent that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is applicable - in accordance with at least one of the following legal bases:
- Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b DSGVO for the necessary processing of personal data for the performance of a contract with the data subject as well as for the implementation of pre-contractual measures.
- Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f DSGVO for the necessary processing of personal data to protect the legitimate interests of us or of third parties, unless the fundamental freedoms and rights and interests of the data subject prevail. Legitimate interests are, in particular, our interest in being able to carry out our activities and operations permanently, in a user-friendly, secure and reliable manner, as well as to communicate about them, to ensure information security, to protect against misuse, to enforce our own legal claims and to comply with Swiss law.
- Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c DSGVO for the necessary processing of personal data to comply with a legal obligation to which we are subject under any applicable law of Member States in the European Economic Area (EEA).
- Art. 6 para. 1 lit. e DSGVO for the necessary processing of personal data for the performance of a task that is in the public interest.
- Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a DSGVO for the processing of personal data with the consent of the data subject.
- Art. 6 para. 1 lit. d DSGVO for the necessary processing of personal data to protect vital interests of the data subject or another natural person.
3. Nature, scope and purpose
We process those personal data that are necessary to carry out our activities and operations in a permanent, user-friendly, secure and reliable manner. Such personal data may in particular fall into the categories of inventory and contact data, browser and device data, content data, meta or marginal data and usage data, location data, sales data and contract and payment data.
We process personal data for the duration that is required for the respective purpose(s) or by law. Personal data whose processing is no longer required is anonymized or deleted.
We may have personal data processed by third parties. We may process personal data together with third parties or transfer it to third parties. Such third parties are, in particular, specialized providers whose services we use. We also guarantee data protection for such third parties.
We process personal data only with the consent of the data subject, unless the processing is permitted for other legal reasons. Processing without consent may be permissible, for example, for the performance of a contract with the data subject and for corresponding pre-contractual measures, in order 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 provides to us when contacting us - for example, by letter, e-mail, instant messaging, contact form, social media or telephone - or when registering for a user account. We may store such information, for example, in an address book or with comparable tools. If we receive data transmitted via other persons, the transmitting persons are obligated to ensure data protection with respect to these persons as well as to ensure the accuracy of this personal data.
We also process personal data that we receive from third parties, obtain from publicly available sources or collect in the course of our activities and operations, if and to the extent that such processing is permitted for legal reasons.
4. Personal Data Abroad
We process personal data in Switzerland and in the European Economic Area (EEA). However, we may also export or transfer personal data to other countries, in particular to process it or have it processed there.
We can transfer personal data to all States and territories on earth and elsewhere in the Universum export, provided that the law there according to Assessment of the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (EDÖB) or in accordance with a decision of the Swiss Federal Council, adequate data protection and - if and to the extent that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is applicable - in accordance with Decision of the European Commission ensures adequate data protection.
We may transfer personal data to countries whose laws do not ensure adequate data protection, provided that data protection is ensured for other reasons, in particular on the basis of standard data protection clauses or with other appropriate safeguards. By way of exception, we may export personal data to countries without adequate or appropriate data protection if the specific requirements under data protection law are met, for example the express consent of the data subjects or a direct connection with the conclusion or performance of a contract. We will be happy to provide data subjects with information about any guarantees or provide a copy of any guarantees upon request.
5. Rights of data subjects
5.1 Claims under data protection law
We grant data subjects all claims in accordance with applicable data protection law. Data subjects have the following rights in particular:
- Information: Data subjects may request to be informed as to whether we process personal data about them, and if so, what personal data. Data subjects also receive the information required to assert their claims in accordance with Swiss data protection law. This includes, among others, the processed personal data as such. This also includes, among other things, information on the purpose of processing, the duration of storage, any disclosure or export of data to other countries and the origin of the personal data.
- Correction and restriction: Data subjects may have incorrect personal data corrected and have the processing of their data restricted.
- Erasure and objection: Data subjects can have personal data erased ("right to be forgotten") and object to the processing of their data.
- Disclosure of data and data portability: Data subjects may request the disclosure of personal data or the transfer of their data to another data controller.
We may suspend, limit or deny the exercise of data subjects' rights to the extent permitted by law. We can point out to data subjects any requirements they may have to meet in order to exercise their rights under data protection law. For example, we may refuse to provide information in whole or in part on the grounds of trade secrets or the protection of others. For example, we may also refuse to delete personal data in whole or in part with reference to statutory retention obligations.
We may, by way of exception, cover costs required to exercise the rights. We shall inform data subjects in advance about any costs.
We are required to take reasonable steps to identify data subjects who request information or assert other rights. Data subjects are obliged to cooperate.
5.2 Right to lodge a complaint
Data subjects have the right to enforce their data protection claims through legal channels or to lodge a complaint with a competent data protection supervisory authority.
The data protection supervisory authority for private data controllers and federal bodies in Switzerland is the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (EDÖB).
Data subjects have the right - if and insofar as the GDPR applies - to lodge a complaint with a competent European data protection supervisory authority.
6. Data Security
We take suitable technical and organisational measures to ensure data security that is appropriate to the respective risk. However, we cannot guarantee absolute data security.
Access to our website is via transport encryption (SSL / TLS, in particular with the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, abbreviated to HTTPS). Most browsers mark transport encryption with a padlock in the address bar.
Our digital communications - basically all digital communications - are subject to mass surveillance without cause or suspicion and other monitoring by security authorities in Switzerland, the rest of Europe, the United States of America (USA) and other countries. We cannot directly influence the corresponding processing of personal data by secret services, police agencies and other security authorities.
7. Using our Website
7.1 Cookies
We may use cookies for our websites. Cookies - both our own (first-party cookies) and those of third parties whose services we use (third-party cookies) - consist of data in text form that are saved in your browser. Cookies cannot execute any programmes, nor can they transmit malware such as trojans or viruses.
When you visit one of our websites, cookies as "session cookies" may be saved temporarily in your browser or for a specified period as "permanent cookies". Session cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser. Permanent cookies enable recognition of returning visitors to our websites, thereby also measuring their reach, for example. Permanent cookies may also, for example, be used for online marketing.
You can deactivate or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time fully or partially. Without cookies you may not be able to make full use of our websites. We will proactively ask for your consent for the use of cookies if and insofar as this is necessary.
For cookies used to measure success and reach, or for advertising purposes, an overall "opt out" is possible via AdChoices (Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada), the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), Your AdChoices (Digital Advertising Alliance) or Your Online Choices (European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance, EDAA).
7.2 Server log files
Each time one of our websites is accessed, we may register the following data should they be transmitted to our server infrastructure by your browser or should they be identifiable via our web browsers: data and time including time zone, IP address, HTTP status code, operating system including user interface and version, browser including language and version, individual pages opened on our websites including amount of data transmitted, and website last visited in the current browser window (referrer).
We save such data, which may also constitute personal data, in server log files. These data are necessary to ensure that our websites remain user-friendly and reliable, and to guarantee data security, notably the protection of personal data - also through third parties or with the aid of third parties.
7.3 Tracking pixels
We may use tracking pixels on our websites. Tracking pixels are also referred to as web beacons. Tracking pixels - also those from third parties whose services we are using - are small, generally invisible images that are automatically opened when a user visits our website. Tracking pixels can record the same data as server log files.
8. Social media
We use social media platforms and other online platforms to communicate with interested parties and to inform them about our services. This may involve data processing outside Switzerland and the EEA.
Moreover, the general terms and conditions (GTCs), terms of use and other provisions of the individual operators of such online platforms apply. In particular, these provisions provide information regarding the rights of affected persons, notably their right to information.
We bear joint responsibility for our social media presence on Facebook, incl. so-called page insights, together with Facebook Ireland Limited in Ireland, if and insofar the GDPR applies. Meta Platforms Ireland Limited is part of the Meta companies (including in the USA). Page Insights provides information about how visitors interact with our Facebook presence. We use Page Insights to help us deliver our social media presence on Facebook in an effective and user-friendly way.
Further information on the nature, scope and purpose of data processing as well as on the rights of affected persons and contact data for Facebook can be found in the Facebook privacy policy ("Data Policy"). We have signed the so-called "Controller Addendum" with Facebook, in which we agree, in particular, that Facebook shall be responsible for guaranteeing the rights of affected persons. Information relevant to the page insights can be found in the "Information about Page Insights" including the "Information about Page Insights Data" of Facebook.
9. Third-party services
We use services of specialized third parties to perform our activities and operations in a durable, user-friendly, secure and reliable manner. With such services, we can, among other things, embed functions and content in our website. In the case of such embedding, the services used record the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the users at least temporarily for technically compelling reasons.
For necessary security-related, statistical and technical purposes, third parties whose services we use may process data in connection with our activities and operations in aggregated, anonymized or pseudonymized form. This is, for example, performance or usage data in order to be able to offer the respective service.
We use in particular:
Google services: Providers: Google LLC (USA) / Google Ireland Limited (Ireland) for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland; General information on data protection: "Privacy and security principles", Privacy policy, "Google is committed to compliance with applicable privacy laws", "Guide to Privacy in Google Products", "How we use data from websites or apps on or in which our services are used" (Google disclosures)., "Types of cookies and other technologies used by Google", "Personalized advertising" (activation / deactivation / settings).
Microsoft services: Providers: Microsoft Corporation (USA) / Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited (Ireland) for users in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom and Switzerland; General information on data protection: "Privacy at Microsoft", "Data Protection(Trust Center)", Privacy Policy, Data Policy Dashboard.
9.1 Digital infrastructure
We use services from specialized third parties to make use of required digital infrastructure in connection with our activities and operations. These include, for example, hosting and storage services from selected providers.
We use in particular:
Hostpoint: Hosting; Provider: Hostpoint AG (Schweiz); Data protection information: "Privacy", Privacy policy.
9.2 Audio and video conferencing
We use specialized audio and video conferencing services to communicate online. We can use them, for example, to hold virtual meetings or conduct online lessons and webinars. For participation in audio and video conferences, the legal texts of the individual services such as data protection declarations and terms of use apply in addition.
Depending on the life situation, we recommend muting the microphone by default when participating in audio or video conferences, as well as blurring the background or fading in a virtual background.
We use in particular:
Microsoft Teams: Platform for audio and video conferencing, among other things; provider: Microsoft; Teams-specific data: "Privacy and Microsoft Teams".
9.3 Social media functions and social media content
We use third-party services and plugins to embed features and content from social media platforms and to enable sharing of content on social media platforms and through other means.
We use in particular:
Facebook (social plugins): Embedding Facebook functions and Facebook content, for example "Like" or "Share"; providers: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland) and other Meta companies (including in the USA); data protection information: privacy policy.
Instagram Platform: Embedding Instagram content; Providers: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland) and other Meta companies(including in the USA); privacy information: privacy policy (Instagram), privacy policy (Facebook).
LinkedIn Consumer Solutions Platform: Embedding features and content from LinkedIn, for example with plugins such as the "Share Plugin"; Provider: Microsoft; LinkedIn-specific details: "Privacy" ("Privacy"), Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, cookie management /objection to email and SMS communications from LinkedIn, objection to interest-based advertising.
9.4 Maps
We use third-party services to embed maps on our website.
We use in particular:
Google Maps including Google Maps Platform: map service; provider: Google; Google Maps-specific claims: "How Google uses location information"
9.5 Digital audio and video content
We use services from specialised third parties to enable the direct playback of digital audio and video content such as music or podcasts.
In particular, we use:
Vimeo: Video platform; provider: Vimeo Inc. (USA); data protection information: Privacy policy, "Data protection".
YouTube: Video platform; provider: Google; YouTube-specific information: "Data Protection and Security Centre", "My data on YouTube".
9.6 Advertising
We use the option of displaying targeted advertisements for our activities and operations with third parties such as social media platforms and search engines.
With such advertising, we particularly want to reach people who are already interested in our activities and operations or who might be interested in them (remarketing and targeting). For this purpose, we may transmit corresponding - possibly also personal - information to third parties that enable such advertising. We can also determine whether our advertising is successful, i.e. in particular whether it leads to visits to our website (conversion tracking).
Third parties with whom we advertise and where you are registered as a user may be able to assign the use of our online services to your profile there.
In particular, we use:
Facebook Ads: Social media advertising; providers: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland) and other Meta companies (including in the USA); data protection information: Remarketing and targeting, in particular with the Facebook Pixel and Custom Audiences including Lookalike Audiences, Privacy policy, "Advertising preferences” (user login required).
Google Ads: Search engine advertising; provider: Google; Google Ads-specific information: Advertising based on search queries, among other things, using various domain names - in particular doubleclick.net, googleadservices.com and googlesyndication.com - for Google Ads, "Advertising" (Google), "Why do I see a certain advertisement?".
Instagram Ads: Social media advertising; providers: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland) and other Meta companies (including in the USA); data protection information: Remarketing and targeting in particular with Facebook-Pixel and Custom Audiences including Lookalike Audiences, Privacy policy (Instagram), Privacy policy (Facebook), "Advertising preferences" (Instagram) (user login required), "Advertising preferences" (Facebook) (user login required).
LinkedIn Ads: Social media advertising; providers: LinkedIn Corporation (USA) / LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company (Ireland); data protection information: Remarketing and targeting in particular with LinkedIn Insight Tag, "Data protection", Privacy policy, Cookie policy, Objection to personalised advertising.
10. Performance and reach measurement
We use services and programmes to determine how our online offering is used. Within this framework, we can, for example, measure the success and reach of our activities and operations as well as the effect of third-party links to our website. However, we can also, for example, try out and compare how different versions of our online offer or parts of our online offer are used ("A/B test" method). Based on the results of the performance and reach measurement, we can in particular correct errors, strengthen popular content or make improvements to our online offer.
When using services and programmes for performance and reach measurement, the internet protocol (IP) addresses of individual users must be stored. IP addresses are always shortened ("IP masking") in order to follow the principle of data economy through the corresponding pseudonymisation and thus to improve the data protection of users.
When using services and programmes for performance and reach measurement, cookies may be used and user profiles may be created. User profiles include, for example, the pages visited or content viewed on our website, information on the size of the screen or browser window and the (at least approximate) location. Fundamentally, user profiles are only created pseudonymously. We do not use user profiles to identify individual users. Individual services of third parties with which users are registered can, at most, assign the use of our online offer to the user account or user profile with the respective service.
In particular, we use:
Google Analytics: Performance and reach measurement; provider: Google; Google Analytics-specific information: Measurement also across different browsers and devices (cross-device tracking) as well as with pseudonymised internet protocol (IP) addresses, which are only transmitted in full to Google in the USA in exceptional cases, "Data protection", "Browser add-on to deactivate Google Analytics".
Google Tag Manager: Integration and administration of other services for performance and reach measurement as well as other services from Google and third parties; provider: Google; Google Tag Manager-specific information: "Data collected with Google Tag Manager"; further data protection information can be found in the individual integrated and managed services.
11. Final provisions
We have created this privacy policy using the Data Protection Generator by Datenschutzpartner. This is only a translation of the German version. In case of differences between the German and English version or in other cases of doubt, the German version applies.
We can amend and add to this privacy policy at any time. We will provide information about such amendments and additions in an appropriate form, in particular by publishing the respective current privacy policy on our website.