Privacy & Data Protection Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Syed Lab ("we", "us", "our"), a sole proprietorship registered in Geneva, Switzerland, collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit our website fawadhs.dev.

We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (nDSG/nFADP), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA).

2. Data Controller

3. What Data We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

4. How We Collect Data

We collect data when you:

• Visit our website (IP address via server logs, analytics data if you consent)
• Submit the contact form (name, email, message)
• Subscribe to our newsletter (email address)
• Set cookie preferences (consent cookie stored locally)
• Choose a theme preference (stored in your browser's local storage)

5. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Article 6)

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

• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): Analytics cookies (Google Analytics), newsletter subscription. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing your contact form submission to respond to your enquiry.
• Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f)): Server logs for security, website functionality, theme preference storage.
• Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Storing cookie consent records for accountability.

6. How We Use Your Data

• To respond to enquiries submitted through our contact form
• To send newsletters you have subscribed to
• To understand how visitors use our website (aggregated analytics)
• To maintain website security and performance
• To remember your display preferences

7. Data Sharing & Third Parties

We share your data with the following third-party service providers, solely for the purposes described:

We do not sell your personal data to any third party. We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling.

8. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers are located in the United States. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for these transfers, including EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) as approved by the European Commission, and we verify that recipients maintain adequate data protection standards.

9. Data Retention

10. Your Rights (GDPR & Swiss nDSG)

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
• Right to restrict processing: Request that we limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interest.
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time (e.g., via cookie preferences or unsubscribing from our newsletter).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

11. Your Rights (CCPA — California Residents)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA):

• Right to know: What personal information we collect, use, and share.
• Right to delete: Request deletion of your personal information.
• Right to opt-out: Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell your data.
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

We honour the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal as a valid opt-out request. If your browser sends a GPC signal, we will automatically treat it as an opt-out of non-essential data collection.

12. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to provide essential website functionality and, with your consent, to understand how visitors use our website. For detailed information about the cookies we use, please see our Cookie Policy.

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time by clicking "Cookie Preferences" in the website footer.

13. AI-Generated Content

Blog header images on this website are generated using artificial intelligence tools (specifically, AI image generation models). This disclosure is made in accordance with the EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, Article 50).

Text content is written by humans and may be assisted by AI tools for editing and refinement. We do not use AI for automated decision-making that affects your rights or interests.

14. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

15. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• HTTPS encryption (TLS) for all data in transit
• Access controls for administrative systems
• Regular security updates and monitoring
• Minimisation of data collection to what is necessary

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. If we make significant changes, we will notify you through a prominent notice on our website.

17. Contact & Supervisory Authority

If you have questions about this policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights:

If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority:

• Switzerland: Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) — edoeb.admin.ch
• EU: The data protection authority in your country of residence. A list is available at edpb.europa.eu