Privacy
Policy
Information about the protection of your personal data
Data Controller
Responsible party under Swiss DSG and GDPR
Ritter Bildungs- und Digitalberatung
Owner: Lars Ritter, Studienflüsterer project
Heldstrasse 41A, CH-9443 Widnau, Switzerland
beratung(at)ritterconsult.ch
Our Privacy Principles
Transparency and protection of your privacy
Full Transparency
We openly inform you about all data collection and tracking measures on this website.
Data Minimization
We only collect data necessary for our service and website optimization.
Your Control
You have the right to access, delete, and object to the processing of your data at any time.
Cookies and Tracking
Which cookies are active, and how you control them
Currently set cookies
| Cookie name | Provider | Purpose | Duration | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cc_cookie | This website | Stores your consent to cookie categories | 6 months | Necessary |
| tidycal_* | TidyCal Inc. | Appointment booking embed (loads only after consent, exception: discount campaign page) | Session | Marketing |
| _fbp | Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. | Meta Pixel, recognition for advertising and reach analysis (loads only after consent, exceptions see Meta Pixel section) | 3 months | Marketing |
| _fbc | Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. | Meta Pixel, stores the click identifier if you arrive via a Meta ad (loads only after consent, exceptions see Meta Pixel section) | 3 months | Marketing |
Note: Reach is measured with Plausible Analytics and Cloudflare Web Analytics. Both work without cookies and store nothing on your device, so they load regardless of the cookie banner (details below). Google Analytics and Matomo are not active, and neither is any advertising tag such as Google Ads. The Meta Pixel has been embedded since 16.08.2026 and generally loads only after your consent to the marketing category. Exceptions are the German-language discount campaign page (/rabattaktion/) and the confirmation page after booking an appointment, where it loads without a cookie banner (details below). The TidyCal appointment booking and the FormRobin partnership form also load only after consent, except the appointment booking on the discount campaign page. Newsletter forms are processed via this domain and only passed on to SendFox server-side, nothing from SendFox loads in your browser. Hero videos are served directly from this domain, no third party. If further services that set cookies or store data on your device are added in the future, they will only be activated based on your explicit consent via the cookie banner (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR or Art. 31(1) revFADP). This privacy policy will be updated before activation.
You can change or revoke your cookie consent at any time via the link in the footer.
TidyCal (appointment booking)
Provider:
TidyCal Inc., AppSumo Inc., 1108 Lavaca St STE 110-489, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Purpose:
Online appointment booking for consulting sessions. The TidyCal embed on /en/book-appointment/ only loads if you have consented to the marketing cookie category. Without consent, you only see a placeholder with a notice and can book via the contact page instead. Exception: on the German-language discount campaign page (/rabattaktion/) the embed loads immediately without a cookie banner, so you can book there without an extra step.
Data in the booking form:
Always name and email address, plus the following depending on the appointment type. First consultation: intended degree, programme code or subject (optional), planned start of studies, highest qualification, how you found the offer. First consultation via the discount campaign: intended degree, planned start of studies, mobile number, programme code (optional). Partnership meeting: company or university, position, type of collaboration, request, website (optional), how you found the offer. Office hours: university, topic, course, module or question (optional). This information is used to prepare the appointment.
Disclosure:
After booking, your name and email address are automatically added to our contact list at SendFox (see “Email marketing to existing customers”). The appointment takes place via Zoom.
Data transfer to third countries:
TidyCal processes data in the USA. There is a risk that US authorities may access this data. Privacy policy: tidycal.com/privacy-policy.
Legal basis:
Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent) or Art. 31(1) revFADP (Swiss law). On the discount campaign page Art. 6(1)(b) and (f) GDPR (carrying out the booking you requested, legitimate interest in a smooth booking process) or Art. 31(1) revFADP.
SendFox (newsletter)
Provider:
SendFox, AppSumo Inc., 1108 Lavaca St STE 110-489, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Purpose:
Sending the newsletter and processing sign-up forms. On the newsletter page, your input (first name, email) is not sent directly to SendFox but to our own server function (Cloudflare Pages), where it is first checked against automated spam sign-ups using Cloudflare Turnstile and only then forwarded to SendFox. Your browser establishes no connection to SendFox on this page. In the 10-Minute Check, the Credit Check and the homepage footer, the SendFox JavaScript still loads only after consent to the marketing category. Without consent, a placeholder with a hint to the cookie settings is shown there.
Bot protection (Cloudflare Turnstile):
On the newsletter page, the sign-up form is protected by Cloudflare Turnstile, a service of Cloudflare, Inc. (USA). Turnstile serves solely to prevent automated spam sign-ups, activates when the form loads, and sets no cookies for advertising or reach-measurement purposes. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR or Art. 31(1) revFADP (legitimate interest in spam prevention). More information: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.
Third-country transfer:
SendFox is a US provider and processes data in the USA. There is a risk that US authorities can access this data. Privacy policy: sendfox.com/privacy.
Legal basis:
Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent) / Art. 31(1) revFADP. Newsletter delivery additionally Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent during sign-up, double-opt-in).
Zoom (initial consultations and appointments)
Provider:
Zoom Communications, Inc., 55 Almaden Boulevard, 6th Floor, San Jose, CA 95113, USA. For users in the EEA and Switzerland, processing is carried out in accordance with the Zoom privacy policy.
Purpose:
Holding initial consultations, advisory and partnership meetings by video. If you book an appointment via the appointment page, you receive the Zoom link by email. When you take part, Zoom processes the data involved (for example name, where applicable audio and video, email address, IP address, and device and connection data). No Zoom script is embedded on this website; you join exclusively via the link sent by email. On request, the meeting can take place by phone.
Third-country transfer:
Zoom is a US provider and also processes data in the USA. There is a risk that US authorities may access this data. Privacy policy: zoom.com/en/trust/privacy.
Legal basis:
Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (pre-contractual measures or performance of the contract you request by booking) / Art. 31(1) revFADP.
Meta Pixel (Facebook and Instagram)
Provider:
Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 X2K5, Ireland. Parent company: Meta Platforms, Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA.
Purpose:
Measuring advertising on Facebook and Instagram. The Meta Pixel records which pages of this website are visited after a click on an ad, and makes it possible to show ads again to visitors of this website at a later point (remarketing) and to build similar audiences. On every page view an event is transmitted to Meta together with your IP address, information about your browser and device, and the address you accessed. The cookies set are _fbp and, if you arrive via an ad, _fbc.
Additional “Lead” event:
If you successfully submit the form in the Credit Check, a “Lead” event is reported to Meta in addition to the page view. This makes it possible to evaluate which ad led to an enquiry. Only the fact that such an event took place is transmitted, together with the information listed above. The content of the form, meaning your first name and email address, is not transmitted to Meta, not even in encrypted form. The event is triggered only if the submission was actually successful, and only if you have previously consented to the marketing category.
Additional “Schedule” event (appointment booking):
After booking an appointment via TidyCal, you are redirected to a confirmation page on this website. There, a “Schedule” event is reported to Meta in addition to the page view. This makes it possible to evaluate which ad led to a booking. Only the fact that a booking took place is transmitted, together with the information listed above. Your booking data (name, email address, appointment, details in the booking form) is not transmitted to Meta, not even in encrypted form.
Generally only after consent:
The pixel is present in the page source but is executed by your browser only after you have consented to the marketing category in the cookie banner. As long as you do not, no connection to Meta is established, no cookies are set and no data is transmitted. If you revoke your consent via the , _fbp and _fbc are deleted and the pixel no longer loads on further page views. A counting pixel for visitors without JavaScript is deliberately omitted, because it could not technically be made dependent on consent.
Exceptions without a cookie banner:
On two pages no cookie banner is shown and the pixel loads immediately when the page is opened: the German-language discount campaign page (/rabattaktion/), which is reached via ads on Facebook and Instagram, and the confirmation page after booking an appointment (/en/appointment-confirmed/, German /termin-bestaetigt/). There, a connection to Meta is established on page load, the cookies _fbp and, where applicable, _fbc are set and the data described above is transmitted. The purpose is to measure the success of the ads up to the appointment booking. You can object at any time by declining the marketing category in the , which deletes the cookies _fbp and _fbc, by blocking cookies in your browser, or by adjusting your ad settings at Meta (link below).
Joint controllership and transfer to third countries:
For the collection and transmission of data by the pixel, joint controllership under Art. 26 GDPR exists between me and Meta Platforms Ireland. Any further processing by Meta is Meta's sole responsibility. Meta also processes data in the USA. There is a risk that US authorities may access this data. Meta Platforms, Inc. is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, and the EU Standard Contractual Clauses apply in addition. Privacy policy: facebook.com/privacy/policy. Information on the pixel: facebook.com/business/help. You can adjust your ad settings at Meta at facebook.com/settings.
Legal basis:
Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent) / Art. 31(1) revFADP. Consent is voluntary and can be revoked at any time with effect for the future. On the two pages without a cookie banner, I base the processing on my legitimate interest in measuring the success of my advertising (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR / Art. 31(1) revFADP).
Reach measurement and advertising
Cookieless reach measurement:
Reach is measured with two services, both of which work without cookies, store nothing on your device and do not build user profiles across websites. Conclusions about individual persons are therefore not possible. For this reason, both load regardless of your choice in the cookie banner.
Plausible Analytics: a service provided by Plausible Insights OÜ, Västriku tn 2, 50403 Tartu, Estonia. Data is processed exclusively on servers in the EU (Germany), there is no transfer to third countries. Collected are pages viewed, referring website, country, browser, operating system and device type. Plausible also records individual actions, without any link to your person: clicks on appointment, contact, programme and study finder links, the start and end of videos, successful sign-ups (only which form, never your name or email address), the result level in the credit check and, in the study finder, the selected level, the number of results and the search term you entered. Please therefore enter only a subject in the search field and no personal details. Your IP address is not stored: Plausible derives a checksum from IP address and browser identifier, generated with a new random value every day and not reversible, and discards the raw data immediately. A data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is in place with Plausible. Provider privacy policy: plausible.io/privacy, details on data processing: plausible.io/data-policy.
Cloudflare Web Analytics: a service provided by Cloudflare, Inc. (USA), which also delivers this website. Only aggregated information is collected, such as pages viewed, referring website, approximate region of origin, device type and loading times. Further information: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy.
Legal basis for both: legitimate interest in privacy-friendly reach measurement, to understand which content is used (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR, Art. 31(1) revFADP). You can object at any time, for example by email to the address above or by using a content blocker in your browser. Beyond that, there is no Google Analytics, no Matomo and no comparable service. There is also no Google Ads conversion tracking.
Advertising:
To measure advertising on Facebook and Instagram, the Meta Pixel has been embedded since 16.08.2026. It generally loads only after your consent to the marketing category, and only then sets cookies and transmits data to Meta. Exceptions are the discount campaign page and the confirmation page after booking an appointment. The details are in the section “Meta Pixel (Facebook and Instagram)” above.
What is used for search visibility:
Search visibility is monitored exclusively via Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. Both only evaluate what search engines already know through their own systems (for example, how often a search result was shown and clicked). No code runs on this website for this purpose, and no visitor data is collected.
Data Processing When Contacting Us
When and what data we process
When do we process data?
Data processing only occurs when you actively contact us or use our services:
Email: beratung(at)studienfluesterer.com
WhatsApp message
LinkedIn message
Appointment booking (TidyCal)
Newsletter signup (SendFox)
Partnership inquiry (Formrobin)
What data do we process?
Processed Data:
Name, email address, phone number (if provided), message content, and for appointment bookings the details in the booking form (see “TidyCal (appointment booking)”)
Legal Basis:
Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR (consent) or Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (pre-contractual measures); for Swiss users additionally Art. 31 revFADP
Purpose:
Processing your inquiry and communication within the scope of study consulting
Email marketing to existing customers
Tips and guidance after a booking or mandate
What this means
If you book an appointment (e.g. via the online appointment booking) or start a consulting mandate, the Ritter Bildungs- und Digitalberatung is entitled under § 7 para. 3 UWG (Germany), § 107 para. 3 TKG (Austria) and Art. 3 lit. o UWG (Switzerland) to send you emails with tips and guidance on studies, credit transfer and career, even without a separate newsletter consent.
Conditions: It must concern its own similar services, you must have been informed at the time of first contact and reminded in every follow-up email, and you must not have objected. This practice is well-established and transparently regulated across the DACH region.
Your right to object: You may object to email marketing at any time, informally. Clicking the unsubscribe link in any email is sufficient. No costs arise apart from base-rate transmission costs.
Further Privacy Details
Storage, security, and external services
Data Storage and Deletion
Your data is not permanently stored. After processing your inquiry and completing communication, data is deleted unless statutory retention periods apply.
Disclosure to Third Parties
Your personal data is not disclosed to third parties, except to fulfill legal obligations.
Hosting and Server Log Files
This website is operated on Cloudflare Pages, a service of Cloudflare, Inc., 101 Townsend Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. Content is delivered via a global server network, which involves transferring data to the USA. Cloudflare is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the Swiss-US Data Privacy Framework, and the EU Standard Contractual Clauses apply in addition. When the website is accessed, information is automatically collected and stored in so-called server log files:
- Anonymised IP address
- Date and time of access
- File requested and volume of data transferred
- Notification of successful retrieval
- Browser and operating system used (user agent)
- Referrer URL (the previously visited page)
This data is evaluated exclusively to ensure trouble-free operation and to defend against attacks, and it is not merged with other data sources. Legal basis: Art. 31(1) revFADP or Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest). The data is deleted after a maximum of 30 days.
External Services and Third-Party Providers
This website uses the following external services. Their respective privacy policies apply when you use them:
Note: These services are only activated when you use the corresponding functions (e.g. submitting a form, booking an appointment, subscribing to the newsletter). Simply viewing the website does not transmit data to these services.
SSL Encryption
This website uses SSL encryption for security purposes and to protect the transmission of confidential content.
Your Rights
Your rights under Swiss DSG and GDPR
You have the following rights regarding your personal data. EU users may invoke the GDPR; Swiss users may additionally invoke the revFADP (revised Federal Act on Data Protection):
Contact to exercise your rights: beratung(at)ritterconsult.ch
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC): edoeb.admin.ch. Persons resident in the EU may also contact the competent national data protection authority.
