Privacy policy

Last Updated: 11.10.2024

We take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy provides an overview of what happens to your personal data when you visit this website. Personal data refers to all data that can identify you personally. Detailed information on data protection can be found below.

1. Who We Are

Website Owner: Maximilian Malterer, Independent Author (Sole Proprietor)
Location: Anna-Seghers-Strasse 145, 12489 Berlin
Contact Information: If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at maximilian.malterer@gmail.com

2. Data Collection on Our Website

Who is responsible for data collection on this website?

The data processing on this website is carried out by the website operator. The operator’s contact details can be found in the section “Notice Regarding the Responsible Party” in this privacy policy.

How do we collect your data?

  • Direct data: Some data is collected when you provide it to us, such as when you fill out a contact form or email us.

  • Automated data: Other data is collected automatically by our IT systems when you visit the website. This data includes technical information such as the internet browser, operating system, and the time of your visit. This data is collected automatically as soon as you enter the website.

What do we use your data for?

We collect some data to ensure that our website functions correctly and securely. We do not use data to analyze your user behavior unless required for technical troubleshooting or security reasons.

Legal basis for processing:

Data is processed according to the following legal bases under the GDPR:

  • Article 6(1)(b) GDPR: For the performance of a contract or in order to take steps prior to entering into a contract.

  • Article 6(1)(f) GDPR: Based on our legitimate interest in ensuring the secure and error-free operation of the website.

  • Article 6(1)(a) GDPR: Based on consent for specific data processing activities (e.g., the use of cookies).

What rights do you have regarding your data?

You have the following rights under the GDPR:

  • Access: You can request information about the origin, recipients, and purpose of your stored personal data.

  • Correction: You can request the correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.

  • Deletion: You have the right to request deletion of your data unless we have legal grounds for retention (e.g., tax or commercial law requirements).

  • Restriction: You can request the restriction of data processing under certain circumstances.

  • Objection: You have the right to object to the processing of your data where it is based on legitimate interests.

  • Portability: You have the right to request the transfer of your data to another party.

  • Withdraw Consent: If you have given consent, you can revoke it at any time for future processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at maximilian.malterer@gmail.com. We will process your request within two weeks. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, such as the Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit.

3. Hosting

We host the contents of our website with Squarespace, a platform for creating and hosting websites.

Provider: Squarespace Ireland Ltd., Le Pole House, Ship Street Great, Dublin 8, Ireland. (hereafter referred to as Squarespace).

When you visit our website, your data is processed on Squarespace’s servers.The processing of personal data through our hosting provider Squarespace is based on our legitimate interest in providing a secure and reliable website, in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, and is governed by a Data Processing Agreement as required by Article 28 GDPR.

Personal data may also be transferred to the parent company of Squarespace, Squarespace Inc., 8 Clarkson St, New York, NY 10014, USA. This transfer is based on the EU Commission's standard contractual clauses (SCCs). Details can be found here: Squarespace GDPR Info.

The company is also certified under the “EU-US Data Privacy Framework” (DPF). The DPF is an agreement between the European Union and the USA that aims to ensure compliance with European data protection standards for data processing in the USA. Every company certified under the DPF commits to complying with these data protection standards. More information is available from the provider here: Data Privacy Framework.

Data Processing Agreement (DPA): We have a data processing agreement with Squarespace to ensure that it processes personal data according to our instructions and the GDPR.

4. General Information and Mandatory Information

Data Protection: We take the protection of your personal data seriously and treat it confidentially, in accordance with legal requirements and this Privacy Policy. Personal data is any data that can be used to identify you. We want to make you aware that data transmission over the internet (e.g., email communication) may have security vulnerabilities. It is impossible to fully protect data from third-party access.

Notice Regarding the Responsible Party: The responsible party for data processing on this website is:

Maximilian Malterer, Independent Author (Sole Proprietor), Anna-Seghers-Strasse 145, 12489 Berlin, Germany

Email: maximilian.malterer@gmail.com

Phone: +49 (0) 176 6129 4598

Storage Period: Your data will be stored only for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected or until you request its deletion, withdraw your consent, or we are legally obligated to keep it (e.g., retention periods required by tax law).

5. Data Collection on This Website

Cookies: Our website uses cookies. Cookies are small files stored on your device that enhance user experience by ensuring the website works smoothly. These cookies are either:

  • Session cookies, which are deleted when you close your browser.

  • Permanent cookies, which remain on your device until they are deleted or expire.

You can configure your browser to prevent the storage of cookies, but this may affect the functionality of the website.

Our website uses only necessary cookies, which are required for the basic functioning of the site (such as session cookies, security cookies, and cookies required by our hosting provider). These cookies are essential for ensuring the website operates correctly and securely, and thus their use is based on our legitimate interest in ensuring the functionality and security of the website, as per Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

No tracking or analytics cookies are used on our website, and therefore, no user consent is required under GDPR and TTDSG.

For information about viewing the specific cookies dropped on your device, visit the following overview of the cookies Squarespace uses.

While we have disabled non-essential cookies in Squarespace, third-party services mentioned below in section 6 (like Amazon and Substack) may still place cookies on users’ devices when you visit their websites even if we don’t. Make sure to check their privacy policies for more details.

Server Log Files: Our website is hosted by Squarespace. Squarespace automatically collects and stores information in so-called server log files, which your browser automatically transmits to us. These include:

  • Browser type and version

  • Device and operating system used

  • Referrer URL

  • Hostname of the accessing computer

  • Time of the server request

  • IP address

  • Web pages you visited prior to coming to this website

  • Web pages you view while on this website

This data is necessary to operate the website and to protect it from security threats. Squarespace analyzes the data in a de-personalized form. This data is not merged with other data sources. The collection of this data is based on Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. The website operator has a legitimate interest in the technically error-free display and optimization of its website – the server log files must be recorded for this purpose.

Request by Email or Phone: If you contact us via email or phone, the personal data provided (e.g., name, contact details, message content) will be used solely for processing your inquiry. The legal basis for this is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. For non-contractual inquiries, the data is processed based on our legitimate interest in responding to communication requests, per Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

6. Third-Party Services and External Links

Our website contains links to external websites, including Amazon, Substack, Instagram, Goodreads, and LinkedIn. We do not share any personal data with these third parties, nor transfer any when visitors click on third-party links. However, once you click on these links and leave our website, please be aware that these third-party websites may process your data in accordance with their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing the respective privacy policies of these services for further information on how your data is processed.

  • Amazon – Where you can purchase our book. See Amazon’s Privacy Policy.

  • Substack – Where you can read and sign up to my Substack, Max’s Writing Studio. See Substack’s Privacy Policy.

  • Instagram – We link to our Instagram profile. Please refer to Instagram’s Privacy Policy.

  • Goodreads – We link to our Goodreads profile. Please refer to Goodread’s Privacy Policy.

  • LinkedIn – We link to our LinkedIn profile. Review LinkedIn’s Privacy Policy.

If you wish to exercise any of your GDPR rights in connection with data processed by Substack, Amazon, Instagram, Goodreads, or LinkedIn, you should contact them directly via their privacy policies linked above.

7. Google and Adobe Fonts

This site uses Google and Adobe Fonts, provided by Google and Adobe, for the uniform display of fonts. When you access a page, your browser loads the necessary fonts into its browser cache to display texts and fonts correctly. For this purpose, your browser needs to establish a connection to Google's or Adobe’s servers, transmitting your IP address. The use of Google and Adobe Fonts is based on our legitimate interest in ensuring a consistent and visually appealing presentation of our website, in accordance with Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.

If your browser does not support Google or Adobe Fonts, a standard font from your computer will be used.

Further information about Google Fonts can be found at https://developers.google.com/fonts/faq and in Google's Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en.

Further information about Adobe Fonts can be found at https://fonts.adobe.com and in Adobe's Privacy Policy: https://www.adobe.com/privacy/policy.html.

Both companies are certified under the "EU-US Data Privacy Framework" (DPF). More information can be found from Google at the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/5780 , from Adobe at the following link: https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/participant/Adobe-Systems-Incorporated-9189

8. Data Security

We use HTTPS encryption to ensure secure data transmission. Despite these measures, internet data transmission (e.g., via email) is inherently vulnerable. While we do our best to protect your data, complete security cannot be guaranteed.

9. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use any automated decision-making or profiling technologies.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be reflected on this page with the “Last Updated” date at the top. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any updates.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or if you would like further information on how your personal data is handled by third-party services linked from our website, please contact us at maximilian.malterer@gmail.com.