AlpenLingo Privacy Policy

At AlpenLingo, we are committed to protecting the privacy and security of the personal data of our users and clients. This Privacy Policy outlines the types of information we collect, how it is used, and the measures we take to safeguard it, in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection laws.

1. Information We Collect

We collect various types of information to provide and improve our language education and tutoring services.

• Personal Identification Information: This includes your name, email address, phone number, and postal address. We collect this when you register for a course, sign up for a newsletter, or contact us directly.
• Service-Related Information: Details regarding the language courses, tutoring sessions (German, English, French, Italian), corporate training programs, conversation practice, exam preparation (ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, TELC), and cultural immersion workshops you inquire about or enroll in. This may include your language proficiency level and learning goals.
• Payment Information: For paid services, we collect billing details. Please note that we do not directly store credit card numbers; payment processing is handled by secure third-party payment gateways.
• Communication Data: Records of your correspondence with us, including emails and inquiries sent through our online platform.
• Technical Data: Information about your device and how you interact with our online platform, such as IP address, browser type, operating system, referral source, pages viewed, and access times. This data is primarily collected through cookies and similar technologies.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• To Provide and Manage Services: To deliver personalized language tutoring, corporate training, conversation practice, exam preparation, and cultural workshops, manage your bookings, and process payments.
• To Communicate With You: To respond to your inquiries, send you service updates, important notices, and information related to your courses or bookings.
• For Marketing and Promotional Purposes: With your consent, to send you newsletters, special offers, and information about new services that may be of interest to you. You can opt out of these communications at any time.
• To Improve Our Services: To understand how our online platform is used, analyze trends, and improve the functionality and overall user experience of our services.
• For Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

3. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data (GDPR)

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent for specific processing purposes (e.g., for marketing communications). You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
• Contractual Necessity: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract (e.g., providing language tutoring services).
• Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation (e.g., tax and accounting regulations).
• Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided those interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights and freedoms (e.g., improving our services, preventing fraud, maintaining the security of our online platform).

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• With Service Providers: We may share data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our online platform, conducting our business, or providing services to you (e.g., payment processors, IT support, analytics providers). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and are only permitted to use it for the purposes specified by us.
• For Legal Reasons: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental regulation, or if we believe such action is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our online platform of any such change in ownership or control of your personal data.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include encryption, access controls, and secure server environments. While we strive to protect your personal data, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. When we no longer need your data, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• The Right to Access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data.
• The Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• The Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You have the right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The Right to Object to Processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details provided below. We will respond to your request within one month.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our online platform uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience, analyze site usage, and support our marketing efforts. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

9. Links to Other Websites

Our online platform may contain links to other websites not operated by us. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

AlpenLingo
315 Mozartstraße, Floor 3
Salzburg, 5020
Austria

Should you feel that AlpenLingo has not addressed your concerns or if you have a complaint regarding our processing of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Austrian Data Protection Authority (Datenschutzbehörde).