a&f PRIVACY STATEMENT

We will only process your personal data (e.g. title, name, address, email address. telephone number) in accordance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and, if applicable, the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition to the processing purposes, recipients, legal bases and retention periods, the following provisions also contain information about your rights and the controllers for your data processing. This privacy statement only relates to our websites and our app. If you follow links on our websites to other websites, please check how your data is handled there.

(1) Processing purpose

We will process your personal data provided to us via email, contact form, etc. to answer and carry out your enquiries. You are under no obligation to provide us with your personal data. However, we are unable to respond via email if you do not provide us with your email address.

If you provide us with your postal address, you also consent to receiving direct advertising by post.

(2) Legal bases

a) If you have granted express consent to the processing of your data to us, Art. 6(1) lit. a GDPR shall be the legal basis for this processing activity if this provision is applicable.

b) If we process your data to perform pre-contractual measures, Art. 6(1) lit. b GDPR shall be the legal basis for this processing activity if this provision is applicable.

c) In all other cases (in particular, if a contact forms has been used and for the delivery of direct advertising by post), Art. 6(1) lit. f GDPR shall be the legal basis for this processing activity if this provision is applicable. Our legitimate interest in the processing activity is to enable us to communicate with you quickly and answer your question in a cost-effective manner.

(3) Right of revocation

You have the right to revoke your consent at any time with future effect.

If European data protection legislation is applicable and the data is processed on the basis of Art. 6(1) lit. f GDPR for purposes other than direct advertising, you have the right to object at any time for reasons resulting from your particular situation. You can object to processing for direct advertising at any time without stating reasons.

(4) Categories of recipients

Your data is stored by our hosting provider in the EU. For the dispatch of direct advertising by post, we also disclose your data to our shipping provider in Switzerland.

(5) Retention period

Your data will be erased if the circumstances indicate that your enquiry or the relevant circumstance has been finally clarified, provided that no legal or contractual duty to maintain and retain records or other reasons prescribe a longer retention period.

(1) Processing purpose

We only process your data provided to us for obtaining content offers (whitepaper downloads, etc.) or registering for seminars, webinars or events to provide you with these services.

(2) Legal basis

Art. 6(1) lit. a GDPR shall be the legal basis for this processing activity if this provision is applicable.

(3) Right of revocation

You have the right to revoke your consent at any time with future effect. However, we will then no longer be able to provide you with our services.

(4) Retention period

We process and store your personal data for as long as required to meet our contractual duties or other intended purposes of the processing activity, e.g. the term of the entire business relationship (from initiation through performance to termination of a contract) and hereafter in accordance with the statutory retention and documentation obligations.

(1) Processing purpose

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analysis service of Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, i.e. text files which are stored on your computer and facilitate an analysis of your use of our website.

(2) Legal basis

Art. 6(1) lit. f GDPR shall be the legal basis for this processing activity if this provision is applicable. Our legitimate interest is the statistical analysis of user behaviour for optimisation and marketing purposes. In order to protect your interest in data protection, this website uses Google Analytics with the extension “anonymizeIP()” so that the IP addresses are only processed further in a truncated form to prevent them being linked to a particular individual.

(3) Categories of recipients

Your data is transmitted to Google LLC. Google LLC uses your data to perform analyses of the use of our website.

(4) Transmission to a third-party state

The information about your use of our website created through the cookie is usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there. Google LLC is “Swiss-US Privacy Shield”, as well “EU-US Privacy Shield” certified, which guarantees compliance with the data protection standard applicable in the EU. If IP anonymisation is activated on this website, Google will truncate your IP address within the member states of the European Union or other states which are party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area beforehand. The full IP address will only be transmitted to a Google server in the USA and truncated there in exceptional cases. Google will use this information on behalf of the operator of this website to evaluate your use of the website, compile reports about website activities, and provide other services in connection with the use of the website and the internet to the website operator.

(6) Right of revocation

You can prevent the storage of the cookies by adjusting your browser settings accordingly; however, please note that you may then not be able to use all functions of this website in full. Moreover, you can prevent the collection of the data created by the cookie and in relation to your use of this website (incl. your IP address) for Google, as well as the processing of this data by Google. Click here to fully deactivate tracking by Google Analytics.

This website uses OpenInbound, a web analysis and marketing service of Netnode AG, Neuweg 3, 6003 Lucerne, Switzerland (“OpenInbound”). OpenInbound uses ‘cookies’, i.e. text files which are stored on your computer and facilitate an analysis of your use of our website. The information about your use of our website created through the cookie is usually transmitted to an OpenInbound server in Switzerland and stored there.

OpenInbound will use this information on behalf of us as the operator of this website to evaluate your use of the website, compile reports about website activities, and provide us with other services in connection with the use of the website and the internet. In addition, OpenInbound is used to store the data you enter into the forms on this website in a cookie. Further information on data protection by OpenInbound is available here: http://www.openinbound.com/privacy-policy

Please click the “decline” link below to prevent the creation of a user profile.

Click here to decline: Deactivate OpenInbound

(1) Processing purpose

Auf dieser Webseite werden technisch notwendige Cookies eingesetzt. Es handelt sich dabei um kleine Textdateien, die im bzw. von Ihrem Internetbrowser auf Ihrem Computersystem gespeichert werden. Die technisch notwendigen Cookies werden im Regelfall mit dem Schliessen des Browsers gelöscht. Dauerhaft gespeicherte Cookies haben eine unterschiedlich lange Lebensdauer von einigen Minuten bis zu mehreren Jahren.

This website uses cookies required for technical reason. These are small text files which are stored in or by your internet browser on your computer Cookies required for technical reason are generally deleted when the browser is closed. The service life of permanently stored cookies varies from a few minutes to several years.

(2) Legal basis

Art. 6(1) lit. f GDPR shall be the legal basis for this processing activity. Our legitimate interest is the proper functioning of our website. The user data collected by cookies required for technical reason are not used to create user profiles. This protects your interest in data protection.

(3) Right of revocation

If you do not want these cookies to be stored, please deactivate acceptance of these cookies in your internet browser. However, this may compromise the function of our website. You can also delete permanently stored cookies via your browser at any time.

(1) We use social plugins from facebook.com, which is operated by Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. The plugins are identified by a Facebook logo or the marking “Facebook social plugin”. If you click the “Like” button or submit a comment – the corresponding information is transmitted from your browser directly to Facebook and saved there. Moreover, Facebook will show your preferences to your Facebook friends. If you are logged in on Facebook, Facebook can directly associate your visit to our website with your Facebook account. Your browser also transmits information (e.g. the website you visited, your IP address) that is stored by Facebook if you are not logged in or have no Facebook account. Please see the Facebook privacy notice for details on how your data is handled by Facebook, as well as your associated rights. If you do not want Facebook to associate the data about you collected via our websites with your Facebook account, you must log out of Facebook before visiting our website. You can also prevent Facebook plugins being loaded altogether by using add-ons for your browser, e.g. the “Facebook Blocker” (Facebook).

(2) We use the social plugins Twitter and re-tweet functions by twitter.com, operated by Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. The plugins are marked with a Twitter logo, such as the blue “Twitter bird”. If you use the re-tweet functions, the websites you visited are disclosed to third parties and associated with your Twitter account. For details on how Twitter handles your data, as well as your rights and setting options for the protection of your personal data, please see the Twitter privacy notice. If you do not want Twitter to directly associate the data about you collected via our websites with your Twitter account, you must log out of Twitter before visiting our website. You can also prevent Twitter plugins being loaded altogether by using add-ons for your browser, e.g. the “Script Blocker” (NoScript).

(3) Privacy policy in relation to the use and utilisation of LinkedIn  
The controller for the processing activity has integrated components from LinkedIn Corporation on this website. LinkedIn is a web-based social network that facilitates users connecting with existing business contacts and making new business contacts. More than 400 million registered persons in more than 200 countries are using LinkedIn. This makes LinkedIn the currently biggest platform for business contacts and one of the most frequently visited websites in the world.  LinkedIn is operated by LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. LinkedIn Ireland, Privacy Policy Issues, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland, is responsible for data protection matters outside of the USA.  Each time you access our website equipped with a LinkedIn component (LinkedIn plugin), this component triggers the download of a corresponding presentation of the LinkedIn component by the browser used by the data subject. Further information on the LinkedIn plugins is available at: https://developer.linkedin.com/plugins. As part of this technical procedure, LinkedIn obtains information about the specific page of our website visited by the data subject.  If the data subject is simultaneously logged into LinkedIn, LinkedIn recognises the specific pages of our website visited by the data subject each time the data subject accesses our website and throughout each visit to our website. The LinkedIn component collects this information and LinkedIn associates it with the corresponding LinkedIn account of the data subject. If the data subject clicks one of the LinkedIn buttons integrated on our website, LinkedIn associates this information with the personal LinkedIn user account of the data subject and stores this personal data.  LinkedIn is always informed about the data subject visiting our website through the LinkedIn component if the data subjects is simultaneously logged into LinkedIn when accessing our website; this applies irrespective of whether or not the data subject clicks the LinkedIn component. If the data subject does not want such transmission of this information to LinkedIn, it can prevent the transmission by logging out of their LinkedIn account before accessing our website.  LinkedIn offers the option to unsubscribe from email messages, text messages and targeted advertising and to manage advertising settings at https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls. Moreover, LinkedIn uses partners, such as Quantcast, Google Analytics, BlueKai, DoubleClick, Nielsen, Comscore, Eloqua and Lotame who might set cookies. You can reject such cookies at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy. The currently valid LinkedIn privacy policy is available at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy. The LinkedIn cookie policy is available at https://www.linkedin.com/legal/cookie-policy.    

(4) Privacy policy in relation to the use and utilisation of Xing  
The controller for the processing activity has integrated components from Xing on this website. Xing is a web-based social network that facilitates users connecting with existing business contacts and making new business contacts. Individual users can create their personal profile on Xing. Companies can, for example, create company profiles or publish vacancies on Xing.  Xing is operated by XING SE, Dammtorstr. 30, 20354 Hamburg, Germany.  Each time an individual page of this website for which the processing activity is performed by the controller and on which a Xing component (Xing plugin) is integrated is accessed, the respective Xing component triggers the automatic download of a presentation of the corresponding Xing component by the web browser on the data subject’s IT system. Further information on the Xing plugins is available at: https://dev.xing.com/plugins. As part of this technical procedure, Xing obtains information about the specific page of our website visited by the data subject. If the data subject is simultaneously logged into Xing, Xing recognises the specific pages of our website visited by the data subject each time the data subject accesses our website and throughout each visit to our website. The Xing component collects this information and Xing associates it with the corresponding Xing account of the data subject. If the data subject clicks one of the Xing buttons integrated on our website, e.g. the “Share” button, Xing associates this information with the personal Xing user account of the data subject and stores this personal data.   Xing is always informed about the data subject visiting our website through the Xing component if the data subjects is simultaneously logged into Xing when accessing our website; this applies irrespective of whether or not the data subject clicks the Xing component. If the data subject does not want such transmission of this information to Xing, it can prevent the transmission by logging out of their Xing account before accessing our website.  The Xing privacy policy available at https://www.xing.com/privacy clarifies the collection, processing and use of personal data by Xing. In addition, Xing has published a privacy notice for the Xing Share Button at https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection. 

(1) Processing purpose

If you subscribe to the newsletter, your email address is used for advertising purposes, i.e. as part of the newsletter, we will especially inform you about products from our range. You can revoke your consent at any time with future effect by clicking the unsubscribe link in the newsletter. 

In order to analyse user behaviour for optimisation and marketing purposes, we can evaluate which links in the newsletter you click.

(2) Legal basis

Art. 6(1) lit. a GDPR shall be the legal basis for this processing activity if this provision is applicable.

(3) Categories of recipients

The provider of the newsletter tool processes your data in the USA for the purpose of sending out the newsletter.

We process and store your personal data for as long as required to meet our contractual and statutory duties or other intended purposes of the processing activity, e.g. the term of the entire business relationship (from initiation through performance to termination of a contract) and hereafter in accordance with the statutory retention and documentation obligations. In this context, it is possible that personal data is stored for the period in which claims might be asserted against our company, and insofar as we are otherwise under legal obligation to store it or such storage is required for legitimate business interests (e.g. purposes of proof and documentation). Once your personal data is no longer needed for the aforementioned purposes, it is always erased or anonymised insofar as possible.

(1) General

You have the right to information about your data, correction and erasure thereof, restriction of data processing and otherwise right to object to our data processing and the release of certain personal data for transfer to another office (“data portability”) in accordance with the data protection legislation applicable to you and insofar as provided for in this legislation (e.g. GDPR). 

However, please note that we reserve the right to assert restrictions provided for in law, e.g. if we are under obligation to store or process certain data, hold an overriding interest (insofar as we are permitted to invoke this), or require it to assert claims. If you incur costs, we will inform you thereof in advance. 
In general, such rights can only be exercised if you clearly proof your identity (e.g. by providing a copy of your passport if your identity is otherwise unclear or cannot be verified). To assert your rights, you can contact us at datenschutz@a-f.ch at any time.

Moreover, every data subject has the right to judicially enforce their claims or file a complaint with the competent data protection authority.  The competent data protection authority in Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (http://www.edoeb.admin.ch). If European data protection legislation is applicable, you have the right to complain to a supervisory authority notwithstanding any other regulatory or judicial remedy – in particular, in the member state of your residence, workplace or location of the alleged violation – if you believe that the processing of the personal data relating to you violates the GDPR.

(2) Automated decision in individual cases, including profiling

Some of our processing activities for your personal data are automated with the objective of evaluating certain personal aspects (profiling). In particular, we use profiling to provide you with targeted information and consultations about products. You have the right to not be subjected to a decision based exclusively on automated processing – including profiling – that may have a legal effect for you or compromise in a similar manner. If so, you can demand presentation of your perspective and have the decision reviewed by a natural person. To assert your rights, you can contact us at datenschutz@a-f.ch at any time.

This shall not apply if the automated decision

(1) is required for the conclusion or performance of a contract between yourself and us, or

(2) has been made with your express consent.

(3) Right to object

You have the right to object to the processing of your data including profiling at any time. Moreover, you have the right to revoke your data privacy consent at any time. The legitimacy of the processing activity performed until the time of revocation based on the consent shall remain unaffected by the revocation of consent.

We will cease processing your personal data from this point, unless we can prove compelling legitimate grounds for the processing activity that override your interests, rights and freedoms, or the processing activity serves the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims.

If the relevant personal data is processed for direct advertising purposes, you have the right to object to the processing of the personal data relating to you for the purposes of such advertising; this also applies to profiling insofar as it is related to such direct advertising. If you object to the processing activity for purposes of direct advertising, the personal data relating to you will no longer be processed for these purposes. To assert your rights, you can contact us at datenschutz@a-f.ch.

Controller for the processing activity
a&f systems ag
Grenzstrasse 3b
6214 Schenkon
Phone +41 41 925 71 11
info@a-f.ch