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Privacy Policy

Version 1.0 — 07.09.2026

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1. What is this privacy policy about?

 

This Privacy Policy explains how we process personal data in relation with SimplexDNA AG's (“SimplexDNA”, “we”, “us”) website at simplexdna.com and our environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring products and services, including FishMonitor, QuaggaMonitor, and eDNA sampling services. “Personal data” means any information that can be related to a specific individual, and “processing” means any handling of personal data, such as collecting, using, and sharing it.

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If you are interested in the processing of personal data in connection with the LUCA biodiversity data platform, please refer to the Privacy Policy provided at luca.eco/privacy.

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If you would like more information about our data processing, please feel free to contact us (Section 2).

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2. Who is the controller for the data processing?


For each data processing activity, there is a party that is primarily responsible for ensuring compliance, the “controller”. For the processing described in this Privacy Policy, the controller (also referred to as “we”) is SimplexDNA AG.

If you have any questions regarding data protection, please feel free to contact us at the following address:


SimplexDNA AG

Else-Züblin-Strasse 11

8404 Winterthur

Switzerland

+41 52 525 03 32

team@SimplexDNA.com


You may provide us with data about other individuals (for example, when you share information about your coworkers with us). We assume this data is accurate and that you are authorized to share it with us. As we may not directly contact these individuals or inform them about our data processing, we ask you to do so (e.g., by referring them to this Privacy Policy).
 

3. How do we process data in relation with our products and services?
 

When you use our website or our eDNA monitoring products and services (collectively, “services”), we process data for inquiries, quoting and ordering, onboarding, delivering and supporting the services, managing customer and supplier relationships, and operating and improving the services:
 

  • We may advertise our services, for example through newsletters. More details are set out in Section 5.

  • If we are in contact with you in view of an offer, order, sampling engagement, service agreement, or other service-related interaction, we process data that we receive directly from you when you contact us, request information, request a quote, place an order, submit a support query, or otherwise interact with us in connection with our services. This is mostly data you provide to us, such as your name, contact details, location, payment and billing information, project or site details, and correspondence content. We also process details of the services requested and the date of the relevant request or agreement.

  • We may cooperate with third parties, such as laboratory and analysis partners, field-sampling contractors, and other service providers, and may receive personal data from them or share personal data with them to the extent necessary to deliver, support, and secure the services.

  • If we enter into an agreement with you or your organization, we process data from the onboarding process and information on the agreement, such as its date, scope, and content.

  • We process personal data during and after the relevant relationship, including service communications, support interactions, complaints, agreement changes or terminations, and any related disputes. This is necessary to provide, manage, secure, and further develop the services.

  • We also process the above data for statistical and service-improvement purposes, for example to understand which services and features are used most, and how usage develops over time. We may also use this data on an identifiable basis for marketing purposes; see Section 5 for details.

  • If you apply for a job with us, we process the personal data included in your application, such as your CV, cover letter, and any notes taken during the recruitment process, for the purpose of evaluating your application.
     

For organizations and institutional customers, we process limited personal data since data protection law applies only to individuals. However, we handle data of individuals with whom we interact, such as names, contact details, and professional information, as part of the general data relating to the organizations we work with.
 

Sampling records: Where we carry out or support sampling, we process records relating to individual samples. These may include the sampling location and coordinates, the date and time of sampling, and the name of the person who took the sample. We use these records to trace samples through our laboratory workflow, to report results, and to answer questions about a project.
 

Environmental samples and human DNA: Our services analyse DNA recovered from environmental samples such as water and soil in order to identify the non-human species present in them. Environmental samples may contain traces of human DNA that were not deliberately collected. We do not target, isolate, or attempt to identify human DNA, and we do not use it to identify any individual. Sequences assigned to humans are only reported at the species level. The short DNA barcode regions we sequence are not, on their own, suitable for identifying a person.
 

4. How do we process data in relation with the website simplexdna.com?
 

For technical reasons, each time you access simplexdna.com, certain data is temporarily stored in log files, including your device's IP address, information about your internet service provider, operating system, browser, referring URL, date and time of access, and content accessed. We use this data to operate the website, ensure security and stability, optimize the site, and for statistical purposes.


Our website uses cookies—small files stored by your browser on your device. These allow us to distinguish individual visitors, usually without identifying them. Some cookies (“session cookies”) are deleted when you close your browser, while others (“persistent cookies”) remain for a set period to recognize returning visitors. We also use other technologies, such as pixels and browser fingerprints. Pixels are invisible images loaded from a server, transmitting information via a coded link. Fingerprints use your device's configuration to make it distinguishable from others.


You can adjust your browser settings to block or delete cookies and other stored data. For more information, refer to your browser's help pages (usually under “privacy”).

Third parties providing services to us may also use cookies and other technologies on our website, and may use this to serve you advertising for our products based on your prior visits to our site when you visit other sites. These third parties may be located outside Switzerland and the EEA (see Section 9). For example, we use analytics services to optimize our website.


Cookies and similar technologies from third-party providers may also enable them to target you with personalized advertising on our websites, other websites, or social networks working with these providers, and to measure ad effectiveness (e.g., tracking whether you arrived at our website via an ad and your subsequent actions).


These providers may record website usage and combine it with data from other websites. They may track user behavior across multiple websites and devices to provide us with statistical insights. Providers may also use this data for their purposes, such as personalized advertising on their platforms or other websites. If a user is registered with the provider, the provider can link the usage data to that individual.

The following third-party services are used on simplexdna.com:
 

Wix (Wix.com Ltd and its group companies): hosting and content management of our website, operation of our contact form, and error monitoring. Information you submit through the website is stored on Wix infrastructure.
 

Usercentrics (Usercentrics GmbH, Munich, Germany): the consent management tool that records and stores your cookie choices.
 

Google Tag Manager, Google Maps and Google reCAPTCHA (Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA, USA, and Google Ireland Ltd, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland): tag management, embedded maps, and protection of our contact form against automated abuse. reCAPTCHA processes your IP address and information about how you interact with the form in order to distinguish human visitors from automated ones.
 

You can change or withdraw your consent for non-essential cookies at any time through the cookie settings on our website via the Usercentrics management tool. Cookies that are strictly necessary for the website to work are not covered by this consent and cannot be switched off.


Our website contains links to websites operated by third parties, such as project partners and funders. We do not control those websites and are not responsible for how they process personal data. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any website you visit.
 

5. How do we process data in relation with advertising?


We also process personal data to advertise our services and services of third parties:

  • Newsletter: We send out electronic information and newsletters, which may include advertising for our services, but also for offerings by organizations with which we cooperate. We will ask for your consent before sending out electronic marketing, except for certain offers to existing customers. In addition to your name and email address, we process data on the services you use, whether you open newsletters, and which links you click. For this, our service provider uses invisible images loaded from a server via a coded link to transmit related information. This common method helps us evaluate and optimize newsletters. You can object by adjusting your email settings (e.g., disabling automatic image loading).

  • Online advertising: We may advertise our services on third-party websites and platforms and may use related technologies to measure and optimize the effectiveness of such advertising. In particular, we may process information to determine whether you reached our website via an advertisement and what actions you take on our website afterwards (conversion tracking). For these purposes, cookies and similar technologies may be used by us and by the relevant advertising partners. These providers may also collect information about your use of our website and other websites and combine such information across websites and devices. This may also enable them to display personalized advertising to you on their own platforms or on other websites. If you have an account with such a provider, the provider may be able to link this information to your profile.

  • Market research: We process data to improve and develop new services, such as information on purchases, reactions to newsletters, customer surveys, polls, social media, media monitoring services, and public sources.
     

Images and video: We take photographs and video during laboratory work, sampling campaigns, and events, and may publish them on our website, on social media, and in other communications. These may show identifiable individuals, such as our employees, project partners, and participants.
 

6. How do we process data via social media?


We maintain presences on social networks and platforms, including LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and Instagram. If you communicate with us, comment on, or share our content there, we collect information for communication, marketing, and statistical purposes (see Sections 4 and 5). Please note that platform providers also collect and use data (e.g., user behavior) independently, potentially combining it with other data they hold. Where joint responsibility with the provider applies, we enter into an agreement, details of which can be obtained from the provider.
 

7. How do we disclose personal data?


We may disclose personal data to various parties within the scope of our activities, including:

  • persons associated with you, e.g., coworkers, and in the case of contact persons of companies or organizations, their employees and the organization itself;

  • offices, authorities, and courts within the scope of our legal obligations and in connection with proceedings in which we are a party or third party;

  • third parties, e.g., in connection with the acquisition or sale of assets by us;

  • service providers, in particular for IT services (such as cloud and hosting providers), laboratory and field-sampling partners, payment processors and financial institutions, delivery and logistics providers, and marketing and advertising service providers. These service providers may process personal data to the extent necessary. For providers used on our website, see Section 4;

  • our professional advisors, including accountants, auditors, lawyers, and certification bodies.
     

8. Are there other processing purposes?


Yes. Typical (though not necessarily frequent) cases are as follows:

  • Communication: When we are in contact with you (e.g., when you communicate with us by email), we process the content as well as information about the nature, time, and location of the communication.

  • Compliance with legal requirements: We may disclose data to authorities as required by law or to meet internal regulations.

  • Prevention: Data is processed to prevent crime or misuse, such as fraud prevention or internal investigations.

  • Legal proceedings: If involved in legal proceedings, we process and disclose data about parties, witnesses, and others involved to courts, authorities, or other relevant entities, including abroad.

  • IT security: We process data to monitor, control, analyze, secure, and assess IT infrastructure and manage backups and archives.

  • Transactions: In asset or company sales or acquisitions, we process data to prepare and execute transactions, including disclosing customer or employee data to potential buyers or sellers.

  • Other purposes: Data is processed for administration (e.g., contract management, accounting, claims management, process improvement), anonymous statistics, or securing other legitimate interests.
     

9. Can we disclose data abroad?


SimplexDNA is based in Switzerland, and your data is first and foremost processed in Switzerland. Not all data recipients are located in Switzerland, however — this includes certain service providers, particularly in IT and cloud hosting. These providers may be based in the EU or EEA or in other countries worldwide. We may also share data with foreign authorities if legally required or in connection with asset sales or legal proceedings (see Section 8). Not all these countries offer adequate data protection. To address this, we implement appropriate safeguards, in particular the standard contractual clauses issued by the European Commission. For transfers out of Switzerland, we use these clauses in the version recognised by the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), with the adaptations required under Swiss data protection law. The clauses are available here. In some cases, data may be shared abroad without such safeguards as allowed by applicable law—for instance, with your consent or if necessary to perform a contract, assert or defend legal claims, or serve overriding public interests.
 

10. How do we use artificial intelligence?


New technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning offer significant potential but also present challenges. We ensure these technologies are used in alignment with our values and carefully weigh opportunities and risks in each case. We take responsibility for any content generated or decisions made by AI on our behalf. For decisions with significant impact on individuals, we ensure they can be reviewed by a human. If an AI we use interacts directly with you, we will inform you.


We do not take decisions that produce legal effects concerning you, or that similarly significantly affect you, based solely on automated processing.


We may use AI to improve our products and services, increase the efficiency of internal processes, enhance security, prevent misuse, or for any other purpose outlined above. AI applications may process personal data, but this is not always the case. Possible uses of AI include:

  • Creating and simplifying access to information about our products and services;

  • Assisting in the creation of marketing images, product texts, and similar non-personalized content;

  • Processing customer requests and analyzing customer feedback automatically to address needs more effectively;

  • Improving customer experience through targeted advice and tailored information;

  • Assisting in the creation of programming code and data analysis for our monitoring services.
     

11. How do we protect your data?


We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security of your personal data commensurate with the respective risk. This includes access controls, encryption of data in transit (e.g., SSL/TLS) where appropriate, and restricted-access storage. However, absolute data security cannot be guaranteed, and some residual risks may remain. When personal information is no longer required, we destroy, delete, or de-identify it in a secure manner.


We maintain procedures for handling suspected personal data breaches, and we will notify affected individuals and the competent authority where the law requires us to do so.
 

12. How long do we process personal data?


We process your personal data as long as necessary for the relevant purpose (e.g., for contracts, typically the duration of the contractual relationship), as long as we have a legitimate interest in its retention (e.g., to enforce legal claims, for archiving, or IT security), or as required by statutory retention obligations (e.g., a ten-year retention period for certain accounting data). Once these periods expire, we delete or anonymize your data.
 

13. Anything else to consider?


Depending on the applicable law, data processing is permitted only if explicitly authorized. This restriction does not apply under the Swiss Data Protection Act but does apply under the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), if applicable. In such cases, we rely on the following legal bases for processing your personal data:

  • Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b GDPR for processing necessary to perform a contract with the data subject or to take pre-contractual measures (see Section 3).

  • Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f GDPR for processing necessary to protect our or third parties' legitimate interests, unless overridden by the data subject's fundamental rights and freedoms. This includes compliance with Swiss law, ensuring sustainable, user-friendly, secure, and reliable operations, and the purposes outlined in Section 8.

  • Art. 6 para. 1 lit. c GDPR for processing necessary to comply with a legal obligation under the laws of an EEA Member State.

  • Art. 6 para. 1 lit. a GDPR for processing based on your separate consent.


In general, you are not required to disclose data to us, except in specific cases (e.g., fulfilling contractual obligations that necessitate data disclosure). The use of our website would also not be possible without some data processing (see Section 4).
 

14. What are your rights?


You have certain rights, subject to conditions and restrictions under applicable law:

  • You can request a copy of your personal data and further information about our data processing.

  • You can object to our data processing, especially in relation with direct marketing.

  • You can have incorrect or incomplete personal data corrected or completed.

  • You can request the deletion of your personal data, subject to our statutory retention obligations and to our legitimate interests in retaining it.

  • You can request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances, for example while we verify its accuracy or consider an objection you have raised.

  • You have the right to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, common, and machine-readable format, insofar as the corresponding processing is based on your consent or is necessary for the performance of a contract.

  • To the extent we process data based on your consent, you can withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal is only valid for the future, and we reserve the right to continue processing data on another legal basis after a withdrawal.


If you wish to exercise such a right, please contact us (Section 2). We will usually have to verify your identity. You are also free to file a complaint against our processing of your data with the competent supervisory authority — in Switzerland, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC).


We aim to respond to requests within one month. If a request is particularly complex, or if you have made a number of requests, we may need longer, and we will tell you if that is the case.
 

15. When do we update this policy?


We will change this policy from time to time to ensure it stays up to date with legal requirements and any changes to our data processing practices. When we make changes, we will notify you where required. The latest version of this policy will always be available on this page.

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