Privacy Policy

In this Privacy Policy, we provide information about the processing of personal data in connection with our activities and operations, including our website at the domain name go-offline-4.ch. In particular, we explain why, how, and where we process which personal data. We also provide information about the rights of individuals whose data we process.

For specific or additional activities and operations, we may publish further privacy policies or other information regarding data protection.

We are subject to Swiss law as well as any applicable foreign law, in particular that of the European Union (EU), including the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

In its decision of July 26, 2000, the European Commission recognized that Swiss data protection law ensures an adequate level of data protection. In a report dated January 15, 2024, the European Commission confirmed this adequacy decision.

 

1. Contact Information

The data controller, as defined by data protection law, is:

City of Uster – Early Childhood Services
Bahnhofstrasse 17
8610 Uster

fruehekindheit@uster.ch

In certain cases, third parties may be responsible for the processing of personal data, or there may be shared responsibility with third parties. Upon request, we are happy to provide data subjects with information regarding the respective responsibility.

 

2. Definitions and Legal Basis

2.1 Definitions

Data Subject: A natural person whose personal data we process.

Personal data: Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

Personal data requiring special protection: Data regarding trade union, political, religious, or ideological views and activities; data regarding health, privacy, or membership in an ethnic or racial group; genetic data; biometric data that uniquely identifies a natural person; data regarding criminal or administrative sanctions or proceedings, and data regarding social assistance measures.

Processing: Any handling of personal data, regardless of the means and methods used, such as retrieving, comparing, modifying, archiving, storing, reading, disclosing, obtaining, collecting, collection, deletion, disclosure, classification, organization, storage, modification, dissemination, linking, destruction, and use of personal data.

European Economic Area (EEA): Member states of the European Union (EU), as well as the Principality of Liechtenstein, Iceland, and Norway.

 

2.2 Legal Basis

We process personal data in accordance with Swiss law, in particular the Federal Act on Data Protection (Data Protection Act, DSG) and the Ordinance on Data Protection (Data Protection Ordinance, DSV).

We process personal data—to the extent that the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies—in accordance with at least one of the following legal bases:

  • Art. 6(1)(b) of the GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary to fulfill a contract with the data subject and to carry out precontractual measures.
  • Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR for the necessary processing of personal data to safeguard legitimate interests—including the legitimate interests of third parties—unless the fundamental freedoms, fundamental rights, and interests of the data subject take precedence. Such interests include, in particular, the sustainable, people-oriented, secure, and reliable conduct of our activities and operations; ensuring information security; protection against misuse, the enforcement of our own legal claims, and compliance with Swiss law.
  • Art. 6(1)(c) of the GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary to comply with a legal obligation to which we are subject under the applicable laws of Member States of the European Economic Area (EEA).
  • Art. 6(1)(e) of the GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary to perform a task carried out in the public interest.
  • Art. 6(1)(a) of the GDPR for the processing of personal data with the consent of the data subject.
  • Art. 6(1)(d) of the GDPR for the processing of personal data necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or another natural person.
  • Art. 9, para. 2 et seq. of the GDPR for the processing of special categories of personal data, in particular with the consent of the data subjects.

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

 

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

We process the personal data necessary to carry out our activities and operations in a sustainable, user-friendly, secure, and reliable manner. The personal data processed may include, in particular, the following categories: browser and device data, content data, communication data, metadata, usage data, master data (including inventory and contact data), location data, transaction data, contract data, and payment data. The personal data may also constitute special-category 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, to the extent that such processing is permitted.

We process personal data, where necessary, with the consent of the individuals concerned. In many cases, we may process personal data without consent, for example, to comply with legal obligations or to protect legitimate interests. We may also ask data subjects for their consent even when their consent is not required.

We process personal data for as long as is necessary for the respective purpose. We anonymize or delete personal data, in particular, in accordance with statutory retention and statute of limitations periods.

 

4. Disclosure of Personal Data

We may disclose personal data to third parties, have it processed by third parties, or process it jointly with third parties. Such third parties may include, for example, specialized service providers whose services we use.

We may disclose personal data in the course of our activities and operations, in particular to banks and other financial service providers, government agencies, educational and research institutions, consultants and attorneys, advocacy groups, IT service providers, cooperation partners, credit and business credit bureaus, logistics and shipping companies, marketing and advertising agencies, media outlets, parent companies, sister companies, and subsidiaries, organizations and associations, social institutions, telecommunications companies, insurance companies, and payment service providers.

 

5. Communication

We process personal data in order to communicate with individuals as well as with government agencies, organizations, and companies. In particular, we process data that a data subject provides to us when contacting us, for example, by mail or email. We may store such data in an address book or using similar tools.

Third parties who provide us with data about other individuals are required to independently ensure the protection of those individuals’ personal data. In particular, they must ensure that such data is accurate and may be disclosed.

 

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure data security commensurate with the respective risk. Through these measures, we ensure, in particular, the confidentiality, availability, traceability, and integrity of the personal data we process; however, we cannot guarantee absolute data security.

Access to our website and our other digital platforms is secured using transport encryption (SSL/TLS, specifically the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, abbreviated as HTTPS). Most browsers issue a warning before visiting a website that does not use transport encryption.

Our digital communications—like all digital communications, in principle —are subject to mass surveillance without cause or suspicion by security agencies in Switzerland, the rest of Europe, the United States of America (USA), and other countries. We have no direct influence over the processing of personal data by intelligence agencies, police departments, and other security agencies. Nor can we rule out the possibility that a data subject may be specifically monitored.

 

7. Personal Data Abroad

As a general rule, we process personal data in Switzerland and within the European Economic Area (EEA). However, we may also export or transfer personal data to other countries, in particular to process it there or have it processed there.

We may export personal data to any country on Earth and elsewhere in the universe, provided that the laws of those jurisdictions, in accordance with a resolution of the Swiss Federal Council and—if and to the extent that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies— —also in accordance with a decision by the European Commission —ensures an adequate level of data protection.

We may transfer personal data to countries whose laws do not guarantee adequate data protection, provided that data protection is ensured for other reasons, in particular on the basis of standard data protection clauses or other appropriate safeguards. In exceptional cases, we may export personal data to countries without adequate or appropriate data protection if the specific legal requirements under data protection law are met, such as the explicit consent of the data subjects or a direct connection to the conclusion or performance of a contract. Upon request, we are happy to provide data subjects with information about any safeguards or to supply a copy of such safeguards.

 

8. Rights of Data Subjects

8.1 Claims Under Data Protection Law

We grant data subjects all rights provided for under applicable law. In particular, data subjects have the following rights:

  • Right of Access: Data subjects may request information regarding whether we process personal data about them and, if so, what personal data is involved. Data subjects will also receive the information necessary to assert their data protection rights and to ensure transparency. This includes the personal data being processed as such, as well as, among other things, details regarding the purpose of processing, the retention period, any disclosure or export of data to other countries, and the origin of the personal data.
  • Correction and Restriction: Data subjects may correct inaccurate personal data, have incomplete data supplemented, and have the processing of their data restricted.
  • Opportunity to express one’s own viewpoint and for human review: Data subjects may, in the case of decisions based solely on automated processing of personal data that result in legal consequences for them or significantly affect them (automated individual decisions), may present their own point of view and request a review by a human.
  • Deletion and Objection: Data subjects may request the deletion of their personal data (“right to be forgotten”) and object to the processing of their data with future effect.
  • Data Disclosure and Data Transfer: Data subjects may request the disclosure of their personal data or the transfer of their data to another data controller.

 

We may defer, restrict, or deny the exercise of data subjects’ rights to the extent permitted by law. We may inform data subjects of any prerequisites that must be met in order to exercise their rights under data protection law. For example, we may refuse to provide information in whole or in part, citing confidentiality obligations, overriding interests, or the protection of other individuals. We may also, for example, refuse to delete personal data in whole or in part, particularly by citing statutory retention obligations.

In exceptional cases, we may charge a fee for the exercise of these rights. We will inform the individuals concerned in advance of any such fees.

We are required to take reasonable measures to identify data subjects who request information or exercise other rights. Data subjects are required to cooperate.

 

8.2 Legal Protection

Data subjects have the right to enforce their data protection rights through legal action or to file a report or complaint with a data protection supervisory authority.

The data protection supervisory authority for private data 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 member states of the European Economic Area (EEA), the data protection supervisory authorities have a federal structure, particularly in Germany.

 

9. Use of the Website

9.1 Cookies

We may use cookies. Cookies—including our own cookies (first-party cookies) and cookies from third parties whose services we use (third-party cookies)—are data stored in the browser. Such stored data is not necessarily limited to traditional text-based cookies.

Cookies can be stored temporarily in the browser as “session cookies” or for a specific period of time as so-called “persistent cookies.” “Session cookies” are automatically deleted when the browser is closed. Persistent cookies have a specific retention period. In particular, cookies make it possible to recognize a browser the next time it visits our website and, for example, to measure the reach of our website. However, persistent cookies can also be used for online marketing, for example.

Cookies can be disabled, restricted, or deleted—either in whole or in part—at any time through your browser settings. Browser settings often also allow for the automatic deletion and other management of cookies. Without cookies, our website may no longer be fully available. We actively seek your explicit consent to the use of cookies—at least to the extent required by applicable law.

For cookies used to measure performance and reach or for advertising, many services offer a general opt-out option through 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).

 

9.2 Logging

For every visit to our website and our other digital platforms, we may log at least the following information, provided that it is transmitted to our digital infrastructure during such visits: 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 subpages of our website accessed, including the amount of data transferred; and the last webpage accessed in the same browser window (referrer).

We record such information—which may also constitute personal data—in log files. This information is necessary to ensure that our digital presence is available on a long-term basis, in a user-friendly and reliable manner. This information is also necessary to ensure data security—including through third parties or with the assistance of third parties.

 

9.3 Pixel Count

We can incorporate tracking pixels into our digital presence. Tracking pixels are also known as web beacons. Tracking pixels—including those from third parties whose services we use—are typically small, invisible images or JavaScript scripts that are automatically loaded when you access our digital presence. Tracking pixels can be used to collect at least the same information as is recorded in log files.

 

10. Social Media

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

The General Terms and Conditions (GTC), Terms of Use, privacy policies, and other provisions of the individual operators of such platforms also apply in each case. These provisions provide information, in particular, about the rights of data subjects directly vis-à-vis the respective platform, including, for example, the right of access.

We are jointly responsible with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland) for our social media presence on Facebook, including what are known as Page Insights—to the extent that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies. Meta Platforms Ireland Limited is part of the Meta group of companies (including those in the U.S.). Page Insights provide information about how visitors interact with our Facebook presence. We use Page Insights to ensure that our social media presence on Facebook is effective and user-friendly.

Further information regarding the nature, scope, and purpose of data processing, details on the rights of data subjects, and the contact information for Facebook and Facebook’s Data Protection Officer can be found in Facebook’s Privacy Policy. We have entered into the so-called “Addendum for Data Controllers” with Facebook and have thereby specifically agreed that Facebook is responsible for ensuring the rights of data subjects. For “Page Insights, ” the relevant information can be found on the “About Page Insights” page, including “About Page Insights Data.”

 

11. Third-Party Services

We use services provided by specialized third parties to ensure that we can carry out our activities and operations in a sustainable, user-friendly, secure, and reliable manner. These services allow us, among other things, to embed features and content into our website. When such embedding occurs, the services used collect users’ IP addresses —at least temporarily—for technically necessary reasons.

For necessary security-related, statistical, and technical purposes, third parties whose services we use may process data related to our activities and operations in an aggregated, anonymized, or pseudonymized form. This includes, for example, performance or usage data necessary to provide the respective service.

 

In particular, we use:

 

11.1 Digital Infrastructure

We use services provided by specialized third parties to access the digital infrastructure we need in connection with our activities and operations. These include, for example, hosting and storage services from selected providers.

 

In particular, we use:

 

11.2 Advertising

We take advantage of the opportunity to display targeted advertisements for our activities and operations on third-party platforms, such as social media platforms and search engines.

With this type of advertising, we aim in particular to reach people who are already interested in our activities and operations or who might be interested in them (remarketing and targeting). To this end, we may share relevant information—including, where applicable, personal data—with third parties that enable such advertising. We can also determine whether our advertising is successful—specifically, whether it leads to visits to our website (conversion tracking).

Third parties with whom we advertise and with whom you, as a user, have an account may, in some cases, associate your use of our website with your profile on their platform.

 

In particular, we use:

 

12. Website Extensions

We use extensions on our website to provide additional functionality. We may use selected services from appropriate providers or deploy such extensions on our own digital infrastructure.

 

In particular, we use:

  • Google reCAPTCHA: Spam protection (distinguishing between desired content from humans and unwanted content from bots and spam); Provider: Google; Google reCAPTCHA-specific information: “What is reCAPTCHA?”

 

13. Measuring Success and Reach

We strive to measure the success and reach of our activities and operations. In this context, we may also measure the impact of third-party content or test how different parts or versions of our digital presence are used (the “A/B testing” method). Based on the results of our performance and reach measurements, we can, in particular, fix errors, enhance popular content, or make improvements.

In most cases, the IP addresses of individual users are collected for the purpose of measuring success and reach. In this case, IP addresses are always truncated (“IP masking”) in order to comply with the principle of data minimization through the corresponding pseudonymization.

Cookies may be used to measure success and reach, and user profiles may be created. Any user profiles created may include, for example, the individual pages visited or content viewed on our digital platform, information about the size of the screen or browser window, and the user’s location (at least approximately). As a general rule, any user profiles created are exclusively pseudonymized and are not used to identify individual users. Certain third-party services with which users are registered may, in some cases, associate the use of our online offering with the user’s account or profile on the respective service.

 

In particular, we use:

 

14. Final Notes on the Privacy Policy

We created this privacy policy using the privacy policy generator from Datenschutzpartner created.

We may update this Privacy Policy at any time. We will notify you of any updates in an appropriate manner, specifically by publishing the most current version of the Privacy Policy on our website.