Privacy Policy

Welcome to Muted & Modern, available at https://mutedandmodern.de. Your privacy matters to us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with (including advertising partners such as Google AdSense), and what rights you have. By using this website you acknowledge this policy. Where the law requires it, we ask for your consent first.

1. Who is responsible for your data

Website operator (data controller): Alia
Website: mutedandmodern.de
Address: Guentzelstrasse 55, 36145 Hofbieber, Germany
Phone: 06657 10 13 71
Email: admin@mutedandmodern.de

2. Information we collect

a) Information you provide

If you contact us by email, post a comment, use a contact form or subscribe to a newsletter, we process the details you give us (such as your name, email address and message) to respond to you and operate these features.

b) Information collected automatically

When you visit the site, our hosting provider and our software automatically record technical data in server log files, including your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring page, pages visited, and date and time of access. This is needed to deliver, secure and improve the website.

c) Cookies and similar technologies

We and our partners use cookies, local storage, pixels and similar technologies. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. They are used for:

  • Essential: basic site functions, security and remembering your cookie choices.
  • Analytics: understanding how visitors use the site (for example Google Analytics, if enabled).
  • Advertising: showing and measuring ads, and, where permitted, personalising them.

Except for essential cookies, these are only set after you give consent through our cookie banner. You can change or withdraw your choice at any time (see section 8).

3. Advertising and third-party vendors

We display advertising on this website to help cover running costs. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your previous visits to this and other websites.

Google AdSense

  • Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on our site.
  • Google’s use of advertising cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.
  • Where permitted and consented to, ads may be personalised. Otherwise only non-personalised ads (based on context such as page content and general location) are shown.
  • You can opt out of personalised advertising at Google Ads Settings.
  • Learn how Google uses data from sites that use its services: policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. Google’s own Privacy Policy is at policies.google.com/privacy.

Other advertising partners

We may also work with other ad networks, ad exchanges, supply-side platforms and measurement providers. These partners may collect or receive your IP address, device and browser identifiers, approximate location, and information about your interaction with ads, and may place or read their own cookies. We do not control these third-party technologies. A list of the vendors we work with, and their purposes, is available in our consent banner, where you can accept or reject them individually.

Your ad choices

  • Use our cookie banner or the “Privacy settings” link on this site to manage consent.
  • Opt out of interest-based ads from participating companies: youronlinechoices.com (EU), optout.aboutads.info (US), and optout.networkadvertising.org.
  • Block or delete cookies in your browser settings. Note that some features may then not work properly.
  • Use your device’s advertising settings or opt-out controls where available.

4. Analytics

We may use analytics tools such as Google Analytics to understand traffic and improve our content. These tools may collect your IP address (shortened or anonymised where possible), device and browser data, and pages viewed. Analytics cookies are used only with your consent where required. You can opt out by declining analytics cookies in our banner or by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

5. Legal bases for processing (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland, we process your data based on:

  • Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG) for non-essential cookies, advertising and analytics.
  • Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) for operating, securing and improving the website, and for server logs.
  • Contract or pre-contractual steps (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) when you request something from us.
  • Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR) where the law requires us to keep or disclose data.

6. Sharing your data

We do not sell your personal information for money. We share data only with:

  • Hosting, infrastructure and security providers who process data on our behalf.
  • Advertising and analytics partners described above, subject to your consent where required.
  • Authorities or advisers where required by law or to protect our rights.

Note: advertising partners may “share” or process data for targeted advertising, which some laws (for example in US states such as California) treat as a “sale” or “sharing”. See section 9 for your choices.

7. International data transfers

Some of our providers, including Google, may process data outside the EEA, for example in the United States. Where this happens, transfers rely on safeguards such as the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or Standard Contractual Clauses.

8. Managing your consent

When you first visit, a consent banner lets you accept or reject non-essential cookies. You can reopen it at any time via the “Privacy settings” / “Cookie settings” link in the footer to change or withdraw consent. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

9. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

  • access the personal data we hold about you;
  • correct inaccurate data;
  • request deletion of your data;
  • restrict or object to processing, including processing based on legitimate interests and direct marketing;
  • receive your data in a portable format;
  • withdraw consent at any time;
  • opt out of the sale or sharing of personal data and targeted advertising (for example under the CCPA/CPRA), without being discriminated against for doing so;
  • lodge a complaint with a data protection authority. In Germany you can contact the authority of your federal state; a list is available at bfdi.bund.de.

To exercise any right, email admin@mutedandmodern.de. We may need to verify your identity and will respond within the time required by law.

10. Data retention

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes described. Server logs are normally deleted after a short period (typically within 30 days). Comments and messages are kept until you ask us to remove them or they are no longer needed. Cookies expire according to their type; your cookie choice is usually stored for up to 12 months. Data we must keep for legal reasons is retained for the legally required period.

11. Comments, forms and embedded content

If you leave a comment, your name, email address, IP address and comment content are stored. Your email address is not published. Embedded content from other sites (such as videos, maps or social posts) behaves as if you had visited that site and may set cookies or collect data; such embeds are loaded only according to your consent settings.

12. Children’s privacy

This website is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it. Ads on this site are not intentionally targeted at children.

13. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures, including HTTPS encryption, to protect your data. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

14. External links

Our site may link to other websites, including advertisers and affiliate partners. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices. Please read their policies.

15. Affiliate disclosure

Some links on this site may be affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our editorial opinions.

16. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date above shows the latest revision. Material changes will be highlighted on the site where appropriate.

17. Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Contact Alia at admin@mutedandmodern.de, by phone on 06657 10 13 71, or by post at Guentzelstrasse 55, 36145 Hofbieber, Germany.