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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 17, 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how SME Group (“we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, processes, and protects your personal data when you visit our website, use our contact forms, or interact with our online services. This policy covers data collected via our use of Google Analytics™ as well as any data you voluntarily provide. Please read this document carefully.


1. Data Processing via Google Analytics™

1.1 Service Overview

This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google Ireland Limited. When data processing takes place outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, it is carried out by Google LLC. Google Ireland Limited and Google LLC (collectively “Google”) process data on our behalf. The technical implementation of Google Analytics is provided by Jimdo. For details on Jimdo’s data practices, please refer to the Jimdo Privacy Policy. Jimdo GmbH (Stresemannstrasse 375, 22761 Hamburg; [email protected]) and we share joint responsibility for the processing of personal data via Google Analytics on this website.

1.2 Cookie Usage and IP Anonymization

Google Analytics uses “cookies” - small text files stored on your device—to help analyze how the website is used. Information generated by the cookie, including a truncated IP address, is transmitted to and stored by Google. On this website, Google Analytics is exclusively used with the extension _anonymizeIp(), which truncates and anonymizes your IP address within EU or EEA member states. This ensures that your IP address cannot be directly associated with you.

1.3 Legal Basis and Data Retention

  • Legal Basis: The processing of data through Google Analytics is based on our legitimate interest (Art. 6 (1)(f) GDPR) to optimize and analyze our website’s performance.
  • Data Retention: Data linked to Google Analytics cookies—such as user IDs or advertising IDs—is automatically deleted after 50 months. Deletion is performed automatically on a monthly basis for any data that has exceeded its retention period.

1.4 Opt-Out and Cookie Management

  • Refusing Cookies: You may refuse the use of cookies by adjusting your browser settings.
  • Opt-Out Options: To prevent further data collection via Google Analytics on this website, you can click here to set an “Opt-out Cookie” or download and install the browser plugin available at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.


2. Data Provided Through Contact Forms and Other Channels

2.1 Purpose and Legal Basis

When you submit your personal information (such as your name, email address, and contact details) via our contact forms or other channels, we process this data to:

  • Respond to your inquiries.
  • Inform you about our products and services.
  • Provide ongoing customer support.
  • Legal Basis: We process this data either based on your consent (when you voluntarily provide your information) or on our legitimate interest in communicating with you and fulfilling your requests (Art. 6 (1)(a) and (f) GDPR).

2.2 Data Sharing

We may share your personal data with trusted partners who assist in communications and service delivery. These partners are contractually bound to:

  • Process your data only on our behalf.
  • Ensure appropriate protection of your data.
  • Comply with applicable data protection laws.

2.3 Data Retention

Personal data provided through our contact forms is retained only as long as necessary to:

  • Fulfill the purposes for which it was collected.
  • Comply with legal obligations. When your data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted.

2.4 Unsubscribe and Opt-Out

You have the right to unsubscribe from our communications at any time. An unsubscribe link is provided in all our communications, or you may contact us directly at [email protected]. Upon opting out, we will cease sending you marketing communications while still retaining data necessary to manage your inquiry, as permitted by law.


3. Your Rights Under Data Protection Law

Under applicable data protection legislation, including the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access: The right to know what personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification: The right to have incorrect or incomplete data corrected.
  • Erasure: The right to request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”), subject to certain exceptions.
  • Restriction: The right to restrict processing of your personal data.
  • Data Portability: The right to receive your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
  • Objection: The right to object to the processing of your data based on our legitimate interests.
  • Withdrawal of Consent: Where processing is based on your consent, the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. For data processed via Google Analytics, you may also contact Jimdo GmbH at [email protected].


4. Further Information

For more comprehensive information on our data processing practices or to address any concerns regarding your personal data, please contact the website operator at [email protected]. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency in how we handle your data.


By using this website, you agree to the collection and processing of your data as described in this Privacy Policy.