Data protection statement

The operator of the Economic Promotion Valais website, which is therefore also the data controller responsible for the collection, processing and use of your personal data and for the compliance of the said processing with Swiss law, is CimArk SA (23 Rue de l’Industrie, 1950 Sion, Switzerland), a private company established by law. Data subjects who have any questions or suggestions relating to data protection may contact the data protection officer at any time, at data@cimark.ch.

Your trust is important to us and that is why we take data protection very seriously and ensure that the level of security is appropriate. We of course comply with the new Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP), the Ordinance to the Federal Act on Data Protection (DPO), the Telecommunications Act (TCA) and, where applicable, other legislation relating to data protection, in particular the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

If you wish to know about the type of personal data we collect about you and the purposes for which we use it, please read the following information.

1. General

When you use our website or contact us in any way, your personal data are collected. This happens when you enter the data – your email address, for example. Our system also collects your data automatically, when you visit our website, for example. This process takes place whatever the device or software you are using.

You have a choice as to whether you enter data on our website and a choice not to disclose them will not affect you in any way. However, some specific data is necessary for us to be able to provide services and enter into contracts. We will always inform you about such essential information.

All processing of personal data must comply with the law. When you have not expressly consented to the processing of your personal data (as is the case when you provide it to us by filling in a form or sending us an email), processing of the data is generally justified by one or more of the following reasons: i) performance of a contract with you or processing of your request with a view to entry into a contract (FADP art. 31(2); GDPR art. 6 (1) b), (ii) compliance with a legal obligation (FADP art. 31 (1); GDPR art. 6 (1) c), (iii) or pursuit of an overriding public or private interest (FADP art. 31 (1) and (2); GDPR art. 6 (1) f.

2. Scope and purpose of collection, processing and use of personal data

2.1. The Economic Promotion Valais website

When you browse our website, our servers temporarily store each visit in a log file. The following data are recorded without any action on your part and kept until they are automatically erased:

• the IP address of the computer that makes the request
• the date and time of the visit
• the name and URL of the file consulted
• the website from which you entered our website
• your computer’s operating system and the browser used
• the country from which you connected and the language of your browser
• the name of your internet service supplier

These data are collected and processed to enable you to use our website and to ensure that the system is secure and stable over the long term as well as for our internal statistics. In particular, the IP address makes it possible to register the website visitor’s country of residence and configure the appropriate default language. The IP address is also used in the event of an attack on the Economic Promotion Valais network infrastructure and for statistical purposes.

In addition, for every visit to the website, we use pixels to activate web analytics services. You can find more information on this subject in section 7 and the annexes to this data protection statement.

2.2. Registration for our newsletter

Our website offers you the opportunity to sign up for our newsletter. However, to do this, you have to register. When you register, you must provide your email address and your last and first name. This information is essential for processing of data to send out the newsletter.

By registering, you authorise us to process the data you enter for the purpose of sending a newsletter regularly to the address you have entered, and for statistical analysis of usage patterns, as well as for optimisation of the newsletter as set out in section 8.

You also authorise us to use third parties to undertake the technical processing required to manage the newsletter system. and to transfer data for this purpose (see section 4 below).

There is a link at the end of every newsletter that allows you to unsubscribe at any time. You have the option of telling us why you have made the choice to do so. After you unsubscribe, your personal data will be erased. For subsequent processing, only anonymised data will used, solely for the purpose of optimising our newsletter.

We expressly draw your attention to the analyses of data carried out in connection with sending out the newsletter (see section 8).

3. Processing your data for the purposes of analysis and marketing

We use and analyse your personal data when you visit our website in order to provide you with onsite targeting services. When processing your data, we may also make use of cookies where appropriate (see section 7.2 below). An analysis of your user behaviour may be used to create a “user profile”.

We also use remarketing technologies such as Google Ads on the website. Your user behaviour on our website is analysed so that we are able to improve your experience as our client. Your user behaviour is recorded under a pseudonym. Most remarketing technologies work with cookies.

We use remarketing pixels, particularly those of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, on the website to facilitate targeted marketing on social media.

The creation of pseudonymised user profiles and other data processing set out above undertaken for analysis and marketing based on an overriding interest in the meaning of FADP art. 31 (2)  and GDPR art. 6 (1) f.  The overriding interest is in direct marketing and analysis of the use of our website.

Detailed information on the technologies used and the resulting data processing appears in section 7 and the annexes to this data protection statement.

4. Transfer of data to third parties

We do not transfer your data without your express consent unless there is a legal obligation to do so or it is necessary for us to defend our rights, in particular to exercise such rights in connection with your relationship with Economic Promotion Valais.

We also transfer your data to third parties when this is necessary in connection with the use of this website to deliver services that you wish for, and for the analysis of your user behaviour. If this process becomes necessary by virtue of the above objectives, it may also take place abroad. To the extent that the website contains links to third party websites, once the user has clicked on a link Economic Promotion Valais has no further influence over the collection, processing, safeguarding or use of personal data by such third parties and will not accept any liability in this respect.

5. Transfer of personal data abroad

Economic Promotion Valais has the right to transfer your data to third parties (service providers under contract) abroad if this is necessary for the data processing described in this data protection statement. They undertake to protect your data just as we do. If the level of data protection in another country does not correspond to that in Switzerland or the EU, we enter into contracts that ensure that the protection of your personal data corresponds at all times to that in Switzerland or the EU.

6. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the personal data we store from any interference, partial or total loss, or unauthorised access by third parties. Our security measures are continuously improved as the technology develops.

Protection of internal data is also very important to us. Both our own staff and service suppliers acting as our agents are required to maintain confidentiality and respect for data protection provisions.

You can contribute significantly to your data security by taking simple precautions. In particular, you should always ensure that your payment information remains secret, and you should close the browser window when you have finished your contact with us, particularly if you share your computer with others.

7. Cookies, web analytics tools, tracking tools and social media plugins

7.1. General

In principal, it is possible to use Economic Promotion Valais website pages without disclosing personal data. However, we use various cookies and other technologies that can lead to the processing of personal data even without active disclosure of information by the user.

On their first visit to our website, users are expressly informed of the use of cookies and technologies by means of a “banner”. The banner refers to this data protection statement, which explains in detail the steps the user needs to take to avoid the use of cookies and other technologies. By continuing to browse our website without making use of the options for blocking cookies described here, the user expressly accepts the use of cookies. The same applies to the use of tracking, marketing and analysis tools and to social media plugins.

7.2. Cookies

Cookies are files containing information that your web browser uploads automatically to your computer hard drive when you visit our website. They do not damage your hard drive or send us users’ personal data. Many cookies contain a unique identifier, known as the “cookie ID”. This is a string of characters that allows website pages and servers to be associated with the specific browser on which the cookie is stored. This enables websites and servers visited to distinguish between the data subject’s individual browser and other internet browsers that send their own cookies. A specific browser can be recognised and identified by means of its unique cookie ID.

Cookies help in more than one way to make your visit to our website, easier, more agreeable and more relevant. For example, we use cookies to adjust the information presented to best reflect your individual interests.

7.3. Web analytics tools

We use web analytics tools to obtain statistical data on your use of our website, and so improve our offer. These tools are usually provided by an external services provider (e.g. Google Analytics). As a general rule, information collected for this purpose is transmitted via cookies to the third party’s server, which may be located abroad (in particular in the United States).

Before the data are transferred, the user’s IP address is truncated, preventing the identification of individual terminals. IP addresses entered for use by third party web analytics tools are not linked to other data held by the third parties.

Detailed information on the web analytics tools used and the related processing of data, and options for preventing them, is presented in the annexes to this data protection statement.

7.4. Tracking tools

We use a variety of tracking tools on our website. They enable us to observe your browsing behaviour, in order to design our site to respond to user requirements and optimise it permanently. Anonymised user profiles are created and cookies used for this purpose.

Detailed information on the tracking tools used and the related processing of data, and options for preventing them, is presented in the annexes to this data protection statement.

7.5. Social media plugins

A variety of social media plugins (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) are used on our website.

If the plugins are activated, your browser establishes a connection to the servers of the relevant social media platform as soon as you visit our website. The plugin is transmitted directly from the social media platform to your browser, which in turn installs it on the website.

If you do not want the personal data collected via our website to be associated with your personal profile by any given social media platform, you should disconnect from it before visiting the website.

You can also completely prevent the installation of plugins by means of specialised optional modules offered by your browser.

Detailed information on the social media plugins used and the related processing of data, and options for preventing them, is presented in the annexes to this data protection statement.

7.6. Prevention and deletion

Most internet browsers automatically accept cookies. However, you can configure your browser so that they are not stored on your computer, or a message appears automatically when a new cookie is received. You can also clear cookies from your computer or mobile devices by using the relevant function on your browser.

You will find a list of the technologies used, together with information on the suppliers, further information provided by the suppliers, the objectives of the respective technologies, and relevant options for preventing or restricting their use in the annexes to this data protection statement.

You will not be able to access all the functionalities of our website if you deactivate cookies.

8. Evaluation of use of the newsletter

We use third party email marketing services to send out our newsletter. Our newsletter may therefore contain a web beacon (pixel tag) or similar technical resources. A web beacon is an invisible 1×1 pixel image associated with the user ID of the newsletter subscriber.

Use of the relevant services enables assessment of whether emails containing our newsletter have been opened. In addition, the behaviour in terms of clicks of those who receive the newsletter can also be recorded and evaluated. We use these data for statistical purposes and to optimise the content and structure of our newsletter. They enable us to adapt the information and offers in our newsletter to the individual interests of each recipient.

To avoid the tracking pixels in our newsletter, you can disable the HTML display in your emails.

These provisions also apply to emails with practical information about events organised by Economic Promotion Valais.

9. Right of access to, rectification or erasure of data, restriction of processing; right to portability of data

You have the right to receive, free and on request, information on the personal data we record about you. You also have the right to have inaccurate data corrected and your personal data erased, provided that there is no legal obligation to retain it or any lawful necessity or grounds permitting us to process the data. If the GDPR applies, you also have the right, under articles 18 and 21, to ask for restriction of processing or object to processing.

If the GDPR applies, you also have the right to require us to return the data you have transmitted to us (right to portability of data). On request, we can also send the data to a third party of your choice. You have the right to receive the data in a standard file format.

You can contact us for the above purposes at data@cimark.ch. We may, at our discretion, require proof of identity in order to act on your requests.

You may also contact us to give instructions about what we should do in the event of your death.

10. Right to complain to a data protection supervisory body

If the GDPR applies to you, you have the right to complain at any time to a data protection supervisory body.

11. Data storage

We retain personal data only for the time necessary, as a general rule for up to six months: 

• to use the above-mentioned tracking and analytics services in pursuit of our legitimate interest;
• to deliver, as mentioned above, services you have ordered or for which you have given consent;
• to comply with our legal obligations.

We will store contractual data for a longer period, as required by legal provisions on retention. The requirements for retention, which oblige us to store data, result from statutory requirements for presentation of accounts and from tax law. These require business communications, contracts entered into and accounting documents to be retained for ten years. When such data are no longer needed for the supply of services, they are in principle locked. This means that they can only be used for accounting and tax purposes.

12. Changes to this data protection statement

We reserve the right to change or add to this statement at any time and entirely at our own discretion. The version in force is that published on our website.