The following information covers legal aspects relating to the use of PH Zurich’s website and newsletters (hereinafter referred to as PH Zurich’s website). In particular, you can find out more about the nature, scope and purpose of the processing of personal data. We have also included information about your rights as a data subject when using PH Zurich’s website. You can also read about the measures we take to protect your data. We take great care to protect your privacy and your personal data. PH Zurich does everything in its power to provide this protection within the scope of the applicable data protection provisions.

1. General terms and conditions of use

1.1 Validity

We recommend that you refer back to our terms and conditions of use and our privacy policy regularly.

We do our best to keep our terms and conditions of use and our privacy policy up to date and ensure that we make changes to reflect any new technology or changes to legislation. We last updated these terms and conditions in September 2024.

1.2 Ownership and rights to the online presence

PH Zurich owns and operates this website. All the content on PH Zurich’s website (including content on PH Zurich’s social media channels), in particular the images and PH Zurich logo, is protected by copyright and trademark law. The use of the content of the online presence for personal use is permitted. It may not be used for commercial or other public purposes without the prior written consent of the PH Zurich.

Most importantly, the website content must not be reproduced in digital or printed form. Integrating content from PH Zurich’s website into third-party websites (via iFrame) without clearly linking to the website is only permitted if PH Zurich has explicitly granted permission.

PH Zurich explicitly grants permission for people to refer to the website – provided the correct source is included – and to link to specific pages on the website until PH Zurich withdraws that permission. PH Zurich retains all rights.

As a general rule, caching is permitted for the purpose of speeding up access to the website.

1.3 Use of PH Zurich contact details

The contact details for PH Zurich and its staff that are available on the website may not be used for advertising purposes. Any communications for such purposes shall be subject to the written consent of the relevant departments and people.

1.4 Disclaimer

The content on the website provides information of a non-binding nature. PH Zurich cannot guarantee that the information is up to date, correct or complete at all times. You use our website at your own risk. PH Zurich accepts no liability for damage or incidental damage of a material or immaterial nature caused by accessing, using or not using the information provided or as a result of misuse or technical issues. PH Zurich reserves the right to update or delete the information provided at any time and without prior notice.

PH Zurich links to external web pages on its website that are not on its servers and over which it has no control. PH Zurich does not check these web pages and assumes no responsibility for the content on them. Visitors to PH Zurich’s website click on links at their own risk.

2. Privacy policy

2.1 Scope of data protection

Data protection is in place to protect privacy and privacy rights. It prevents data from being misused, requires people processing data to act in accordance with legal provisions in place, and provides data subjects with enforceable rights with regard to the processing of their personal data. Personal data refers to all information relating to an identified or identifiable individual (Section 3 of the Law on Information and Data Protection in the Canton of Zurich, IDG). Examples include name, address, telephone number, email address and IP address.

2.2 Data processing at PH Zurich

We process data that is collected automatically about people as they use our website and personal data that people provide to us by subscribing to our newsletters or filling out our contact forms.

If you visit our website solely to browse and do not actively provide us with any of your data, we will collect the following access data (log data) and store it in a web server log file on PH Zurich servers:

• The IP address of the computer making the request (e.g. 123.456.97.36)
• The web page/address (URL) the PH Zurich website is being accessed from
• The path and name of the PH Zurich web page being accessed
• The date and time the website is being accessed (e.g. [12/Apr/2016:00:00:01 +0200])
• The response status code
• The web browser and operating system being used

This data is processed for the following purposes:

• To detect and track unauthorised attempts to access the website
• To detect and track issues

When you use certain features of PH Zurich’s website (e.g. to subscribe to our newsletters, fill out our contact forms and create a user account), your personal data including your name, address and/or email address needs to be collected, processed and stored for longer. By entering and transmitting this data yourself, you consent to the processing of this personal data for the intended purpose. We treat your personal data as confidential and, generally speaking, do not share it with third parties outside of PH Zurich (see Sections 2.3 and 2.5 for exceptions). In addition, your personal data will only be processed as little as necessary and only stored for as long as necessary.

2.3 Use of data by third-party applications

a) Matomo Analytics (tracking) and cookies

The PH Zurich uses the Matomo Analytics service to optimize the content and navigation structures of its websites and adapt them to the needs of users. Matomo Analytics uses so-called cookies, i.e. text files that are stored on your computer and help analyze your use of the website in question. Your IP address is anonymised before any data is stored or processed.

You can disable cookies by changing your browser settings. You can also clear cookies from your browser and other software. Please be aware, however, that doing so may restrict your use of some of the features on the PH Zurich websites.

You can also enable a “Do Not Track” request on your browser. This will stop Matomo Analytics from analysing your use of PH Zurich’s website.

The PH Zurich has connected Matomo Analytics to the Google Search Console in order to evaluate Google ads for the content of her websites and make them more relevant for users. If users access PH Zurich’s websites from a Google ad, the Search Console sends what is known as a click ID to Matomo Analytics. These click IDs are unique, but do not allow any further conclusions to be drawn about users. If you have enabled “Do not track” mode (see above), no information will be forwarded from the Google Search Console to Matomo Analytics; this also applies to the click ID.

b) Social media plug-ins

Recommendation buttons for the social media platforms LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp are offered for selected content on the PH Zurich websites. You can click on these buttons to share the content with other users on those platforms or add the content to your own profile there. If you choose to use these buttons, the corresponding information will be sent to your chosen social media platform and stored there in line with the applicable privacy policy.

Videos and podcasts that appear on PH Zurich’s websites are integrated via YouTube and Podigee APIs. If you click on a video or podcast on the websites, you will be asked to confirm that you agree to being connected to Youtube or Podigee before the video or podcast starts playing (two-click solution).

You can find out more about how your data is collected and used in the privacy policies for each of the social media platforms:

• https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
• https://facebook.com/policy
• https://twitter.com/en/privacy
• https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy-eea
• https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/protecting-user-data/
• https://www.podigee.com/en/about/privacy

c) External search providers

Google is used as the main search provider on PH Zurich’s website. The integrated search feature allows you to perform a full-text search to find specific content on PH Zurich’s website. You can access the search function via the integrated search link at the top of the website. By performing a full-text search and accessing the search results generated, you are agreeing to the use of Google’s search feature and consenting to your data being disclosed to Google. You can find out more about how Google processes your data in its own privacy policy at https://policies.google/privacy.

d) Newsletters and emails

The PH Zurich uses the software Clickdimensions to send newsletters and emails. You need to provide your email address if you want to subscribe to PH Zurich’s newsletters. The PH Zurich uses the double opt-in method for newsletter subscriptions. This means that you receive an email containing a link that you have to click on to confirm that you wish to subscribe. You can unsubscribe from PH Zurich’s newsletters and emails at any time – either by clicking on the link included in every newsletter and email or by logging into your user account on the PH Zurich website.

PH Zurich uses a service called Renteria to send out its press releases. All media contacts stored in renteria are verified and approved on an ongoing basis.

2.4 Data security

PH Zurich takes technical and organisational security measures to ensure that the data collected and processed through its own website remains confidential and is protected so that it cannot be accessed by unauthorised parties intentionally or accidentally, altered, disclosed, lost or destroyed. All data transferred to and from our website is encrypted.

2.5 Disclosure of personal data

Within PH Zurich, personal data can only be accessed by people who need to access it in order to perform the tasks they have been contractually assigned by PH Zurich. External parties who have been commissioned to perform specific tasks may also be given access to personal data for this purpose. These third-party service providers are required by PH Zurich to take statutory, technical and organisational measures to comply with data protection regulations when processing data on PH Zurich’s behalf.

Personal data will only ever be shared with third parties (such as other authorities) when it is a legal requirement (for example, in response to criminal offences, official requests and court orders) or when it is necessary in order to exercise PH Zurich’s rights (for example, in response to attacks on the PHZH network infrastructure). Personal data will not be shared with third parties for any other purposes without the consent of the data subject.

3. Right of access

Please contact the Data Protection Officer of the PH Zurich to find out more about the personal data PH Zurich collects and processes or to request the rectification or erasure of your personal data or the restriction of processing of your personal data. Here are the contact details for the Data Protection Officer:

Staff at PH Zurich can contact the HR department, while students and participants in continuing education courses can contact their head of department for further information.