This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we process it, for what purposes, and where, especially in connection with our website and other services. It also informs the individuals whose data we handle about their rights.

 

For specific or additional services and offerings, separate or supplementary privacy policies, along with other legal documents such as general terms and conditions (GTC), terms of use, or participation agreements, may apply.

 

Our services are governed by Swiss data protection laws and, where applicable, foreign data protection laws, such as the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The European Commission recognizes that Swiss data protection laws offer an adequate level of data protection. In its report dated January 15, 2024, the European Commission confirmed this adequacy decision.

 

1. Contact Information
The party responsible in terms of data protection law is:

Peter B. Müller
solique ag
Untere Grabenstrasse 26
CH-4800 Zofingen

info@solique.ch

In some cases, third parties may be responsible for processing personal data, or there may be joint responsibility with third parties. We are happy to provide data subjects with information about the specific responsibility upon request.

1.1 Data Protection Officer

We have designated the following data protection officer as the contact point for data subjects and supervisory authorities regarding data protection matters:

 

René Haymoz
solique ag
Untere Grabenstrasse 26
CH-4800 Zofingen

info@solique.ch

1.2 Data Protection Representative in the European Economic Area (EEA)

We have designated the following data protection representative in accordance with Art. 27 GDPR:

 

VGS Datenschutzpartner GmbH
Am Kaiserkai 69
20457 Hamburg
Germany

info@datenschutzpartner.eu

2. Definitions and Legal Bases
2.1 Definitions

• Data subject: A natural person about whom we process personal data.
• Personal data: Any information related to an identified or identifiable natural person.
• Sensitive personal data: Data related to trade union membership, political, religious, or philosophical beliefs and activities, health information, private life details, ethnic or racial group membership, genetic data, biometric data that uniquely identifies a natural person, criminal and administrative sanctions or prosecutions, and social welfare information.
• Processing: Any operation performed on personal data, no matter the methods or procedures used. This includes querying, matching, adapting, archiving, storing, reading, disclosing, obtaining, recording, collecting, deleting, publishing, organizing, arranging, storing, modifying, distributing, linking, destroying, and using personal data.
• European Economic Area (EEA): Member states of the European Union (EU), along with the Principality of Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway.

2.2 Legal Bases
We handle personal data in accordance with Swiss data protection law, specifically the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and the Ordinance to the Federal Act on Data Protection (OFADP).

When the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, we process personal data based on at least one of the following legal grounds.

• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR covers the processing of personal data necessary for the performance of a contract with the data subject and for implementing pre-contractual measures.
• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR applies to processing personal data necessary to pursue legitimate interests of third parties or us, unless these interests are overridden by the fundamental freedoms and rights of the data subject. Legitimate interests mainly include our efforts to provide our services consistently, securely, and reliably; advertising when necessary; safeguarding information security; preventing misuse and unauthorized access; enforcing our legal rights; and complying with Swiss law.
• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR pertains to processing personal data necessary to fulfill a legal obligation we are subject to under applicable laws of member states in the European Economic Area (EEA).
• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. e GDPR involves processing personal data necessary for performing a task carried out in the public interest.
• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR governs the processing of personal data with the consent of the data subject.
• Art. 6 para. 1 lit. d GDPR relates to processing personal data necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or another natural person.
• Art. 9 para. 2 et seq. GDPR addresses the processing of special categories of personal data, particularly with the consent of the data subjects.

The European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) refers to the processing of personal data as the handling of personal data, and the processing of sensitive personal data as the handling of special categories of personal data (Art. 9 GDPR).

3. Nature, Scope, and Purpose of the Processing of Personal Data

We process only the personal data that is necessary to carry out our activities and operations in a consistent, user-friendly, secure, and reliable manner. The processed personal data may include, but is not limited to, browser and device data, content data, communication data, metadata, usage data, master data such as inventory and contact details, location data, transaction data, contract data, and payment data. Personal data may also include sensitive information.

 

We also process personal data obtained from third parties, publicly available sources, or collected in the course of our activities, provided that such processing complies with applicable laws.

 

We process personal data with the consent of the data subjects when required. In many cases, we may process personal data without consent, for example, to fulfill legal obligations or to protect vital interests. We may also seek consent from data subjects when it is not legally required.

 

We process personal data only for the period necessary to achieve the specific purpose. Personal data are anonymized or deleted, especially in accordance with statutory retention and limitation periods.

 

4. Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) 
We may process personal data automatically or use artificial intelligence for handling personal information.

We might use profiling to automatically assess certain personal details about data subjects. Profiling is used, for example, to analyze or predict interests, behaviors, or personal preferences.

We provide information, in individual cases, about decisions based solely on automated processing of personal data that have legal consequences for the data subjects or significantly affect them (automated individual decisions).

5. Disclosure of Personal Data
We may share personal data with third parties, have it processed by them, or process it together with them. These third parties can include, for example, specialized service providers whose services we utilize.

During our activities and operations, we might disclose personal data, especially to banks, financial service providers, authorities, educational and research institutions, consultants, attorneys, interest groups, IT service providers, partners, credit and business information agencies, logistics and shipping companies, marketing and advertising agencies, media outlets, parent, sister, and subsidiary companies, organizations, associations, social institutions, telecommunications firms, insurers, and payment service providers.

6. Communication
We process personal data to communicate with individuals as well as with authorities, organizations, and companies. In doing so, we process data that a data subject provides when contacting us, such as via postal mail or email. We may store this data in an address book or similar tools.

Third parties who send us data about other persons are responsible for ensuring the data protection of those data subjects independently. They must especially ensure that the data is accurate and transmittable.

We use selected services from reliable providers to facilitate and improve communication with individuals and other contacts. We may also use these services to manage and process data of data subjects beyond direct communication.

7. Applications
We process personal data about applicants only as necessary to evaluate their suitability for employment or to perform an employment contract later. The personal data needed mainly comes from the information requested, such as in connection with a job posting. We may publish job postings through appropriate third parties, such as electronic and print media or job portals and employment platforms.

We also handle personal data that applicants voluntarily share or publish, especially through cover letters, resumes, and other application materials, as well as online profiles.

 

If the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, we process personal data related to applicants mainly under Art. 9 para. 2 lit. b GDPR.

 

8. Data Security
We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure a level of data security suitable for the specific risk. Our measures primarily ensure the confidentiality, availability, traceability, and integrity of the personal data we process, though we cannot guarantee absolute data security.

Access to our website and other digital platforms is secured with encryption in transit (SSL/TLS, typically via HTTPS). Most browsers will alert users when visiting a site without transport encryption.

Our digital communications, like most online communications, are subject to mass surveillance by security authorities in Switzerland, the rest of Europe, the United States, and other countries, without cause or suspicion. We have no direct control over how intelligence agencies, police, and other security entities process personal data. Additionally, we cannot rule out the possibility that a data subject might be targeted for surveillance.

9. Personal Data Abroad
We generally process personal data in Switzerland and in the European Economic Area (EEA). However, we may also export or transfer personal data to other countries, mainly for processing there.

We may export personal data worldwide, including to other planets, if the law of the respective country guarantees an adequate level of data protection based on a decision by the Swiss Federal Council and, if applicable, a decision by the European Commission under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

 

We may transfer personal data to countries that lack an adequate level of data protection if additional safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or other appropriate measures. In rare cases, we might export personal data to countries without adequate data protection if specific legal requirements are met, such as obtaining clear consent from the data subjects or having a direct link to the formation or execution of a contract.

 

We are happy to provide data subjects with information about the safeguards in place or supply a copy upon request.

 

10. Rights of Data Subjects
10.1 Data Protection Rights
We grant data subjects all rights provided by applicable law. Data subjects specifically have the following rights:

• Access: Data subjects can request information about whether we are processing their personal data and, if so, what data is involved. They also receive necessary information to assert their data protection rights and ensure transparency. This includes the data itself, the purpose of processing, retention period, any disclosure or export to other countries, and the origin of the data.
• Rectification and restriction: Data subjects can have inaccurate personal data corrected, incomplete data completed, and the processing of their data restricted.
• Right to provide their own viewpoint and human review: In cases where decisions are made solely by automated processing of personal data that have legal consequences or significantly impact the data subject (automated individual decisions), data subjects may present their own viewpoint and request human review.
• Erasure and objection: Data subjects can request the erasure of their personal data ("right to be forgotten") and object to the future processing of their data.
• Data portability: Data subjects may request the release of their personal data or its transfer to another controller.

We may defer, restrict, or deny the exercise of data subjects' rights as permitted by law. We may notify data subjects of any requirements they must meet to exercise their data protection rights. For instance, we might deny access partially or completely based on confidentiality obligations, overriding interests, or the protection of others.

We may also deny the erasure of personal data, in whole or in part, especially when statutory retention obligations apply. In exceptional cases, we might charge costs related to exercising rights. We will inform data subjects in advance of any applicable fees.

We are required to identify data subjects who request access or other rights through appropriate measures. Data subjects are responsible for cooperating.

10.2 Legal Recourse
Data subjects have the right to exercise their data protection rights through legal channels or to file a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority.

The data protection supervisory authority for private controllers and federal agencies in Switzerland is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC).

European data protection supervisory authorities are organized as members of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). In some European Economic Area (EEA) member states, data protection authorities are organized at the federal level, especially in Germany.

11. Use of the Website
11.1 Cookies
We may use cookies. Cookies — both our own (first-party cookies) and those from third parties whose services we utilize (third-party cookies) — are data stored in the browser. This stored data isn't limited to traditional text-based cookies.

Cookies can be stored temporarily in the browser as "session cookies" or for a set period as so-called permanent cookies. "Session cookies" are automatically deleted when the browser is closed. Permanent cookies have a defined storage duration. Cookies enable a browser to recognize visitors on future visits to our website and can be used, for example, to measure our site's reach. They may also be used for online marketing purposes.

Cookies can be turned off, restricted, or deleted completely or partially through the browser settings at any time. These settings often also allow for automated deletion and management of cookies. Without cookies, our website might not function fully. We actively seek – at least as required by applicable law – explicit consent for using cookies.

For cookies used for performance measurement or advertising, a general opt-out is available through services like AdChoices (Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada), the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), YourAdChoices (Digital Advertising Alliance), or Your Online Choices (European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance, EDAA).

11.2 Log Files
For every access to our website and other digital platforms, we may log at least the following information, provided that it is determined or transmitted as standard during such access: date and time including time zone, IP address, access status (HTTP status code), operating system including user interface and version, browser including language and version, specific sub-page of our website accessed including data volume transferred, and the last webpage accessed in the same browser window (referrer).

We store this information, which may also be considered personal data, in log files. The information is necessary to maintain our digital presence in a consistent, user-friendly, and reliable manner. It is also required to ensure data security—possibly with the help of third parties.

11.3 Tracking Pixels
We might add tracking pixels to our digital presence. Tracking pixels, also called web beacons, are usually small, invisible images or JavaScript-based scripts—sometimes from third parties we use—that automatically load when our site is accessed. These pixels can collect at least as much information as log files do.

12. Notifications and Messages
12.1 Success and Reach Measurement
Notifications and messages may include web links or tracking pixels that detect whether a message has been opened and which links have been clicked. These links and pixels can also track individual usage of notifications and messages. We require this statistical data to measure success and reach, so we can send notifications and messages effectively, securely, and reliably, tailored to recipients' needs and reading habits.

12.2 Consent and Objection
Generally, you must give consent for the use of your email address and other contact details unless there are other legal reasons that justify the use. When necessary, we may implement a "double opt-in" process, which involves sending you a message with instructions to confirm your consent twice. We might record the consents obtained, including your IP address and the timestamp, for proof and security reasons.

Usually, you can opt out of receiving notifications and messages, such as email newsletters, at any time. Doing so may also mean you object to the tracking of usage data for measuring success and reach. However, this does not apply to essential notifications related to our activities and operations.

12.3 Service Providers for Notifications and Messages
We send notifications and messages through specialized service providers.

We use in particular:
Brevo: Building and maintaining relationships with customers and users, especially through email and instant messaging; provider: Sendinblue GmbH (Germany); data protection information: Data Protection and Data Security, Privacy Policy, Security, and Data Protection.

13. Social Media
We maintain a presence on social media platforms and other online services to communicate with interested individuals and provide information about our activities and operations. Personal data may also be processed outside of Switzerland and the European Economic Area (EEA) in connection with these platforms.

The general terms and conditions (GTC), terms of use, privacy policies, and other provisions of each platform operator also apply. These provisions inform users about their rights, such as the right of access, directly against the respective platform.

For our social media presence on Facebook, including the so-called Page Insights, we are—where the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies—jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland). Meta Platforms Ireland Limited is part of the Meta family of companies (including those in the USA). Page Insights provide details on how visitors interact with our Facebook presence. We use Page Insights to run our Facebook presence effectively and in a user-friendly manner.

Additional information about the nature, scope, and purpose of data processing, as well as details about data subjects' rights and contact information for Facebook and its data protection officer, can be found in the Facebook Privacy Policy. We have entered into the so-called "Controller Addendum" with Facebook, agreeing, in particular, that Facebook is responsible for ensuring data subjects' rights. The relevant information for Page Insights is available on the "Page Insights Information" page, including the "Page Insights Data Information."

14. Third-Party Services
We utilize services from specialized third parties to support our activities and maintain a consistent, user-friendly, secure, and reliable operation. These services allow us to embed features and content into our website. When embedding, the services used may temporarily collect users' IP addresses for technical reasons.

For essential security, statistical, and technical purposes, third parties providing these services may process data related to our activities in an aggregated, anonymized, or pseudonymized form. This can include performance or usage data necessary to deliver the respective service.

We use in particular:
Google services: Providers: Google LLC (USA) / Google Ireland Limited (Ireland), partly for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and in Switzerland; general data protection information: "How Google Handles Privacy & Safeguards", Privacy Policy, "More information on how Google uses personal data", "Google is committed to complying with applicable data protection laws", "A guide to privacy in Google products", "How we use data from sites or apps that use our services", Cookie Policy, "Ads that include your preferences" (settings for personalized advertising).

Microsoft services: Providers: Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited (Ireland) for users in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom / Microsoft Corporation (USA) for users in the rest of the world; general data protection information: "Privacy at Microsoft", "Data Protection and Privacy", Privacy Statement, "Data and Privacy Settings".

14.1 Digital Infrastructure
We use services from specialized third-party providers to acquire the digital infrastructure necessary for our activities and operations. This includes, for example, hosting and storage services from selected vendors.

We use in particular:
Cyon: Hosting; provider: cyon GmbH (Switzerland); data protection information: "Data Protection", Privacy Policy.

14.2 Appointment Scheduling
We use specialized third-party services to schedule online appointments, such as meetings. In addition to this Privacy Policy, any visible conditions for the services used, such as terms of use or privacy policies, also apply.

We use in particular:
Calendly: Appointment automation platform; provider: Calendly LLC (USA); data protection information: Privacy Policy, "Security".

14.3 Audio and Video Conferencing
We use specialized audio and video conferencing services to communicate online. These services are used for virtual meetings, online classes, webinars, and more. The legal documents for each service, such as privacy policies and terms of use, also apply to participation in audio and video conferences.

Depending on your situation, we suggest muting your microphone by default during audio or video conferences and either blurring your background or using a virtual background.

We use in particular:
Google Meet: Video conferencing; provider: Google; Google Meet-specific information: "Google Meet security and privacy for users".

GoToMeeting: Video conferencing; provider: GoTo Technologies Ireland Unlimited Company. Information about the nature, scope, and purpose of data processing can be found in particular in the GoTo Privacy Policy.

14.4 Online Collaboration
We use third-party services to facilitate online collaboration. In addition to this Privacy Policy, any directly visible terms of use or privacy policies for the services also apply.

We use in particular:
Microsoft Teams: Platform for productive collaboration, especially with audio and video conferencing; provider: Microsoft; Teams-specific information: "Security and Compliance in Microsoft Teams", in particular "Privacy".

14.5 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 on social media and other channels.

We use in particular:
Facebook (Social Plugins): Embedding Facebook functions and content, such as "Like" or "Share"; providers: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland) and other Meta companies (including in the USA); data protection information: Privacy Policy.

LinkedIn Consumer Solutions Platform: Embedding functions and content from LinkedIn, such as the "Share Plugin"; provider: Microsoft; LinkedIn-specific information: "Privacy", Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Cookie management / opt-out of email and SMS communications from LinkedIn, opt-out of interest-based advertising.

X for Websites: Integration of functions and content from X, such as posts or "Follow" buttons; providers: X Internet Unlimited Company (Ireland) for users in the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom / X Corp. (USA) for users worldwide; data protection information: Privacy Policy, "Additional information on data processing", "Personalization based on inferred identity", "Privacy controls for tailored ads", Cookie Policy.

XING Plugins: Embedding of the "Share" and "Log in with XING" functions; provider: New Work SE (Germany); data protection information: "Privacy at XING", Privacy Policy (short version with relevant topics), Privacy Policy (full version on one page), "Security".

14.6 Maps
We utilize 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 information: "How Google uses location information".

14.7 Digital Content
We utilize services from specialized third parties to embed digital content on our website. Digital content specifically includes images, videos, music, and podcasts.

We use in particular:
YouTube: Video platform; provider: Google; YouTube-specific information: "Privacy and Safety Center", "My data in YouTube".

14.8 Advertising
We use the option to display targeted advertising to third parties, such as social media platforms and search engines, for our activities and operations.

With this advertising, we specifically aim to reach people who are already interested in, or could become interested in, our activities and operations (through remarketing and targeting). To do this, we may share relevant – possibly personal – information with third parties to enable such advertising. We may also track the effectiveness of our advertising, especially when it leads to visits to our website (conversion tracking).

Third parties we advertise with, and with whom you may be registered as a user, could potentially link your use of our website to your profile there.

We use in particular:
Google Ads: Search engine advertising; provider: Google; Google Ads-specific information: advertising based on search queries, involving various domain names — particularly doubleclick.net, googleadservices.com, and googlesyndication.com — used for Google Ads, Advertising Privacy Policy, "Manage displayed ads directly via ads".

LinkedIn Ads: Social media advertising; providers: LinkedIn Corporation (USA) / LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company (Ireland); data protection information: remarketing and targeting, especially with the LinkedIn Insight Tag, "Privacy", Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, opt-out of personalized advertising.

Meta Ads: Social media advertising on Facebook and Instagram; providers: Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland) and other Meta companies (including in the USA); data protection information: targeting, including retargeting, especially with the Meta Pixel and Custom Audiences, such as Lookalike Audiences, Privacy Policy, "Ad Preferences" (login as user required).

15. Website Extensions
We use extensions on our website to enable additional functions. We might use selected services from appropriate providers or run such extensions on our own digital infrastructure.

We use in particular:
Google reCAPTCHA: Bot protection (differentiating between legitimate human activity and unwanted bot activity); provider: Google; Google reCAPTCHA-specific information: "What is reCAPTCHA?".

Poptin: We use this extension to draw website users' attention — based on their behavior — to website content, products, promotions, and more through pop-ups. For proper operation, Poptin sets cookies. Information about the nature, scope, and purpose of data processing is available in the Poptin Privacy Policy and the GDPR Statement.

16. Success and Reach Measurement
We aim to measure the success and reach of our activities and operations. In this context, we may also assess the effect of referrals from third parties or analyze how different parts or versions of our digital presence are used, such as through "A/B testing". Based on the results of success and reach measurement, we can identify errors, enhance popular content, or implement improvements.

For success and reach measurement, individual users' IP addresses are usually collected. These IP addresses are typically truncated, or "IP masked," to follow the principle of data minimization through pseudonymization.

Cookies may be used, and user profiles may be created for measuring success and reach. Any user profiles created may include details such as the pages visited or content viewed on our digital platforms, information about screen or browser window size, and approximate location. Generally, these user profiles are created solely in pseudonymized form and are not used to identify individual users. However, individual third-party services with which users are registered may link your use of our online offerings to your user account or profile on those services.

We use in particular:
Clarity: Recording and analyzing user behavior on websites; provider: Microsoft; Clarity-specific data protection information: "What data does Clarity collect?", "Data Retention", Cookie Policy. Google Marketing Platform: Measuring success and reach, especially with Google Analytics; provider: Google; Google Marketing Platform-specific information: measurement across different browsers and devices (cross-device tracking) using pseudonymized IP addresses, which are only fully transferred to Google in the USA in rare cases, Google Analytics Privacy Policy, "Browser Add-on to Deactivate Google Analytics".

Google Tag Manager: Handling and managing services from Google and third parties, especially for success and reach measurement; provider: Google; Google Tag Manager-specific information: Google Tag Manager Privacy Policy; additional data protection details can be found for the individual integrated and managed services.

17. Final Notes on this Privacy Policy
We created this Privacy Policy using the Privacy Policy Generator by Datenschutzpartner.

We may update this Privacy Policy at any time. We will notify you of any changes appropriately, especially by posting the current version of the Privacy Policy on our website.