Privacy Policy
Last updated: 22 August 2026
Who we are
Our website address is: https://www.thomasmaurer.ch
This is the personal and non-profit blog of Thomas Maurer, operated as a private, non-commercial project in his own time. You can find more about me at https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/about
The controller responsible for the processing of personal data on this website is Thomas Maurer, Switzerland. You can reach me via the options listed at https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/contact
This privacy policy is written to comply with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP/revDSG) and, where it applies to visitors in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Independence from any employer or organization
This website is operated by Thomas Maurer in a purely personal, private capacity. It is not operated, hosted, sponsored, reviewed, or endorsed by his employer or by any vendor, partner, customer, or other organization he may be associated with.
No personal data collected through this website is shared with, transferred to, or processed on behalf of any employer or any such organization, and no employer or organization is a controller or joint controller of data processed here.
If you contact any organization through this website, or use it to reach a person in their professional capacity, that communication is governed by that organization’s own privacy statement, not this one. This policy is not, and does not replace, the privacy statement of any employer, vendor, or platform referenced on this site.
Our approach to your data
I am not interested in collecting personal data beyond what is necessary to run this blog. Data is processed only to operate the site, enable comments, respond to contact requests, protect against spam and abuse, and understand — in aggregate — how the site is used so the content can be improved.
Your data is never sold, rented, or traded to any third party, and it is never used for profiling, advertising networks, or targeted advertising.
Legal basis for processing
Where the GDPR applies, data is processed on the following bases:
- Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)) — for analytics, non-essential cookies, embedded third-party content, and any optional subscription
- Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)) — for operating and securing the website, spam detection, and responding to messages you send
- Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) — where retention or disclosure is required by law
Under the revFADP, processing is carried out in good faith, proportionately, and for the purposes described in this policy. You may withdraw consent at any time with effect for the future. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Data you choose to provide
Providing personal data through this website is entirely voluntary. There is no legal or contractual obligation to provide any data, and you can read the entire site without submitting any.
You are responsible for the accuracy of any data you submit and for ensuring you have the right to submit it. Please do not submit data about other people without their knowledge, and do not submit confidential, proprietary, employer-owned, customer-owned, NDA-protected, or special-category personal data (such as health, religious, political, or biometric data) through comments, forms, or any other channel on this site.
Any such data submitted may be deleted without notice, and no responsibility is accepted for consequences arising from data you chose to disclose voluntarily and unnecessarily.
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site, the data shown in the comment form is collected, along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string, to help with spam detection.
An anonymized string created from your email address (a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to check whether you are using it. The Gravatar privacy policy is available at https://automattic.com/privacy/. After your comment is approved, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Information about visitors who comment is also processed by the Akismet anti-spam service. This typically includes the commenter’s IP address, user agent, referrer, and site URL, along with information provided directly by the commenter such as name, username, email address, and the comment itself.
Comments are public by nature. Anything you publish in a comment — including your chosen display name and any content within it — can be read, copied, indexed by search engines, and archived by third parties outside my control. No responsibility is accepted for the further use of information you have voluntarily made public.
Contact forms
There are a few forms on this site so you can get in touch. If you use one of them, the data you provide is used to answer your question or process your feedback. Once your request has been handled, the message is archived in the messaging system so the conversation can be referred to later.
Your information is not used to send you anything you did not request, and it is not shared with third parties for their own purposes.
Messages sent through this site are handled on a personal, best-effort basis. Sending a message does not create any advisory, consulting, support, contractual, or confidential relationship, and no guarantee is given that a message will be received, read, or answered. Please do not use this site to report security incidents, submit support requests, or send anything time-critical, confidential, or business-sensitive; use the official channels of the relevant organization instead.
Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract location data from images published on the website.
Cookies and consent
Essential cookies necessary for the site to function are set without consent. Non-essential cookies — including analytics and cookies set by embedded third-party content — are only set once you have given consent through the cookie banner. You can change or withdraw your cookie choices at any time through the cookie settings link on the site, or by clearing cookies in your browser.
- If you leave a comment, you may opt in to saving your name, email address, and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so you do not have to fill in your details again. They last for one year.
- If you have an account and log in, a temporary cookie is set to determine whether your browser accepts cookies. It contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
- When you log in, additional cookies save your login information and screen display choices. Login cookies last two days and screen option cookies last a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login persists for two weeks. Logging out removes the login cookies.
- If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie is saved in your browser. It contains no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you edited. It expires after one day.
You may also refuse or delete cookies through your browser settings, though some parts of the site may then not work as intended. Managing cookies through your own browser or device settings is your responsibility, and no liability is accepted for cookies set by third-party services after you have consented to them.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content — for example videos, images, social media posts, or articles. Embedded content from other websites behaves exactly as if the visitor had visited that other website.
These websites may collect data about you, set cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction if you have an account and are logged in to that website. This applies in particular to embedded YouTube videos, X (formerly Twitter) posts, LinkedIn content, and GitHub content.
Where technically available, privacy-enhanced embedding is used, and embeds are loaded only after you have given consent.
Links to third-party websites
This site contains links to third-party websites, tools, repositories, documentation, and services. These links are provided for convenience and reference only.
Once you follow such a link, you leave this website, and this privacy policy no longer applies. No control is exercised over, and no responsibility or liability is accepted for, the content, data collection, cookie use, security, or privacy practices of any third-party site — including sites that were compliant when the link was created but have since changed. A link does not imply endorsement or affiliation. Please review the privacy policy of any site you visit.
Analytics
This website uses Google Analytics 4, a web analytics service provided by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, and Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA (“Google”).
Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to help analyze how visitors use the site. Analytics is only activated after you consent through the cookie banner. IP addresses are truncated/anonymized before any further processing, and IP data is not associated with other data held by Google. Advertising features, ad personalization, and Google Signals are not enabled.
Analytics is used solely to produce aggregated, anonymous statistics that help improve the website and its content. Google’s privacy policy is available at https://policies.google.com/privacy. You can also install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Social media plugins and buttons
This website may include sharing buttons and social plugins for platforms including X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook (Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd.), and others.
Where such plugins establish a direct connection to the provider’s servers, the provider receives the information that you accessed the corresponding page on this website, and — if you are logged in to that platform — may associate the visit with your account. If you interact with such a plugin, that information is sent from your browser directly to the provider and stored there.
To limit this, sharing functionality is implemented as simple links or consent-gated embeds wherever possible, so no connection is made until you actively click. If you do not want these providers to collect data about you through this website, log out of the respective platform before visiting, or decline non-essential cookies.
Relevant provider policies:
- Meta/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/policy.php
- X: https://x.com/en/privacy
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
Any profile, page, or channel operated on an external social media platform is subject to that platform’s own terms and privacy policy, over which no control is exercised.
Newsletter and subscriptions
If a subscription option is offered, your email address is used solely to send you the notifications you signed up for. Subscriptions are opt-in, and every message includes an unsubscribe link. Your address is not used for any other purpose and is deleted upon unsubscription, subject to any minimal record needed to honour your opt-out.
Server log files
The hosting provider automatically collects and stores standard server log data transmitted by your browser, including IP address, date and time of the request, the page requested, referrer URL, browser type and version, and operating system. This data is processed to ensure the secure, stable, and functional operation of the website and is not merged with other data sources. It is retained only for a short period and then deleted or anonymized.
Who we share your data with
Data is never sold to any third-party vendor. However, third-party services are used for hosting, statistics, spam protection, and site functionality. These providers act as processors or, where applicable, as independent controllers under their own privacy policies:
- Hostpoint AG — hosting (https://www.hostpoint.ch/en/legal/privacy-policy.html)
- Automattic Inc. — WordPress.com services, Jetpack, Akismet, Gravatar (https://automattic.com/privacy/)
- Google — analytics and embedded content (https://policies.google.com/privacy)
- Meta Platforms — social plugins (https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy)
- X Corp. — embedded content and sharing (https://x.com/en/privacy)
- LinkedIn — embedded content and sharing (https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy)
Providers are selected with due care and, where required, engaged under data processing agreements. However, where a provider acts as an independent controller or processes data under its own terms, that processing is governed by its policies, and no liability is accepted for a provider’s own acts or omissions.
Data may also be disclosed where required by applicable law, court order, or regulatory or law enforcement request, or where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims, or to protect the rights, security, or property of the website and its users.
International data transfers
Some of the providers listed above process data outside Switzerland and the EEA, including in the United States. Such transfers are based on appropriate safeguards, including the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses, the Swiss Federal Council’s recognition decisions, the EU–US and Swiss–US Data Privacy Framework where the recipient is certified, and supplementary technical and organizational measures where required.
Please note that data protection standards in some countries may differ from those in Switzerland or the EEA, and that authorities in those countries may have access rights that cannot be fully excluded. By using this website and consenting to the relevant services, you acknowledge this residual risk.
How long we retain your data
- Comments and their metadata are retained indefinitely so that follow-up comments can be recognized and approved automatically rather than held in a moderation queue. You may request deletion at any time.
- Contact form messages are archived so the conversation can be referred to later, and are deleted when no longer needed for that purpose or on request.
- Server log data is retained for a short period for security and stability purposes, then deleted or anonymized.
- Analytics data is retained for the shortest retention period offered by the service and is aggregated and anonymized.
- Registered user profile data, where accounts exist, is retained for as long as the account is active. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time, except their username. Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
Data may be retained beyond these periods where necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent abuse, or establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
What rights you have over your data
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:
- Request confirmation of whether your personal data is processed, and access a copy of it
- Request an exported file of the personal data held about you, including data you provided
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Request erasure of personal data held about you
- Request restriction of processing, or object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Request data portability where applicable
- Withdraw consent at any time, with effect for the future
- Not be subject to automated decision-making producing legal or similarly significant effects — no such processing takes place on this website
These rights are not absolute. They do not extend to data that must be kept for administrative, legal, security, or evidentiary purposes, and requests may be declined or restricted where permitted by law — for example where they are manifestly unfounded, excessive, repetitive, or would adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.
To exercise any of these rights, get in touch via https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/contact. Requests are handled free of charge and without undue delay, normally within one month. Verification of your identity may be requested where necessary, and requests cannot be fulfilled where identity cannot reasonably be established.
If you believe your data has been handled unlawfully, you may lodge a complaint with the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC, https://www.edoeb.admin.ch) or, if you are in the EEA or UK, with your local supervisory authority. You are encouraged to get in touch first so the matter can be resolved directly.
Data protection officer
Given the personal, non-commercial nature and limited scale of this website, there is no statutory obligation to appoint a data protection officer or an EU/UK representative, and none has been appointed. All privacy enquiries are handled directly by the controller named above.
Where we send your data
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service. Data may also be transmitted to the hosting, analytics, and embedded content providers listed above, under the conditions described in this policy.
Children’s data
This website is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 16. If you believe a child has provided personal data through this site, please get in touch and it will be deleted promptly. No responsibility is accepted where a user has misrepresented their age.
How we protect your data
The site is operated together with the hosting provider in a secure manner, with systems and software kept up to date. Measures include TLS/HTTPS encryption for all connections, restricted administrative access with strong authentication, regular updates and backups, and ongoing investment in keeping data and systems secure.
No method of transmission or storage over the internet is entirely secure, and no system can be guaranteed to be free from unauthorized access, malware, interception, or failure. Absolute security therefore cannot be guaranteed, and no warranty of security is given. Transmitting data to this website is at your own risk. You are responsible for protecting your own devices, network, browser, and account credentials.
Abuse, security, and misuse of this website
Access may be restricted, comments removed, and technical measures applied without notice where necessary to protect the website, its visitors, or third parties against spam, abuse, scraping, automated access, attempted intrusion, or other misuse. Relevant data may be retained and, where appropriate, disclosed to competent authorities for those purposes.
Limitation of liability
This privacy policy describes how personal data is handled on this website. It is provided in good faith and to the best of my knowledge, but no warranty is given that it is complete, error-free, or up to date at every moment, particularly following changes to third-party services or applicable law.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, no liability is accepted for any loss or damage arising from the use of this website, from data processing by third-party providers or linked websites, from unauthorized third-party access outside my control, or from information you voluntarily disclose publicly on this site. Liability that cannot be excluded under mandatory law remains unaffected and is limited to the minimum extent permitted.
Relationship to the site disclaimer
This privacy policy applies alongside the disclaimer published on this website. In the event of a conflict, this privacy policy prevails for matters concerning the processing of personal data, and the disclaimer prevails for all other matters.
Applicable law
This privacy policy and any dispute arising from it or from the use of this website are governed by Swiss law, to the extent permitted by mandatory law, with the place of jurisdiction in Switzerland. Mandatory consumer protection and data protection rights available to you in your country of residence remain unaffected.
If any provision of this policy is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force and effect.
Your contact information
For contact information, see https://www.thomasmaurer.ch/contact
Changes to this privacy policy
This privacy policy may be updated at any time and without prior notice to reflect changes to the website, the services used, or applicable law. The version published on this page at the time of your visit is the version that applies. Please review it periodically. Continued use of the website after changes are published constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Last modified: August 22, 2026