This policy explains what personal data we collect on aliena.me, why we collect it, and what rights you have. We keep it in plain language on purpose.

1. Who is responsible

Aliena Strobel
Säntisstraße 8
78464 Konstanz
Germany
Email: aliena@aliena.info

As we are based in Germany, this website is governed by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), wherever in the world you are reading this.

2. General

We process personal data only where it is necessary to provide a working website, our content and our products. Unless stated otherwise below, the legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (our legitimate interest in running this site securely and efficiently).

3. Hosting and server log files

This website is hosted by Hosting.com, a brand of A2 Hosting, LLC, 1201 North Market Street, Suite 111-N73, Wilmington, DE 19801, USA. A data processing agreement under Art. 28 GDPR is in place. When you visit the site, the server automatically records information in what are called log files: your IP address, the date and time of access, the page requested, the amount of data transferred, your browser type and your operating system. We use this data to keep the site running and secure (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) and delete it once it is no longer needed for that purpose, at the latest after 30 days.

3a. Transfers outside the EU

The provider’s representative in the EU under Art. 27 GDPR is Hosting Holding Germany BidCo GmbH, Kennedy-Ufer 11, 50679 Cologne, Germany.

Our hosting provider is based in the United States, which is a third country under Art. 44 GDPR. Our servers are located in the United States (US East data centre). Where personal data is transferred to, or can be accessed from, the United States, that transfer is based on the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses (Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/914, Module Two: controller to processor) under Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR. These clauses form part of the data processing agreement we have concluded with the provider.

We would like to be transparent about the residual risk: US authorities may, under US law, be able to request access to data held by US providers. You can avoid this entirely by not using the site.

3b. Fonts

The fonts on this site are served from our own server. No connection is made to Google Fonts or any other font provider.

4. Cookies

We use cookies that are technically necessary to operate the site and the shopping cart. These do not require consent (Section 25(2) TDDDG), so no consent banner is shown.

We do not use any web analytics, tracking or advertising services. There is no reach measurement, no profiling and no sharing of data for advertising purposes.

5. Newsletter and your free Audio Guide

What we collect. To sign up, we ask for your first name and your email address. Nothing else.

Double opt-in. After you submit the form, we send you an email with a confirmation link. You are only added to our list once you click it. This makes sure nobody can sign you up with your address without your knowledge.

What we send. Access to your free Audio Guide, plus occasional emails about new Audio Guides, offers and thoughts on the topics we cover. The legal basis is your consent under Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

Proof of consent. We record when you signed up, when you confirmed, and the IP address used, so we can demonstrate that consent was given.

Our email provider. Emails are sent through Brevo, a service of Brevo GmbH, Köpenicker Straße 126, 10179 Berlin, Germany. Brevo processes your data solely on our behalf under a data processing agreement pursuant to Art. 28 GDPR. Brevo records whether an email was delivered and opened and whether links in it were clicked. We use this to understand which topics are useful and to send fewer, better emails. Brevo’s privacy notice: brevo.com/legal/privacypolicy

Unsubscribing. You can withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future. Use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email, or simply write to us. Withdrawing does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out beforehand. Once you unsubscribe, we remove you from the list; we keep the consent records until any potential claims have lapsed.

6. Buying Audio Guides

When you purchase a digital product, we collect the data needed to fulfil the contract, in particular your name, email address and billing details. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of a contract). We retain invoice data for as long as German tax and commercial law requires (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR).

Payments are processed through WooPayments, a service of Automattic Inc., 60 29th Street #343, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA, built in partnership with and technically handled by Stripe Payments Europe, Limited, 1 Grand Canal Street Lower, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin, D02 H210, Ireland. Payment details you enter go directly to the payment provider; we never receive your full card number. The payment providers process this data partly on our behalf and partly as independent controllers, where they are required to do so by law – for example for fraud prevention, anti-money-laundering checks and regulatory reporting.

Privacy notices: automattic.com/privacy · stripe.com/privacy

7. Delivering your files

After a purchase, you receive your Audio Guides as a download link by email or through your customer account. Processing your email address for this purpose is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

8. Contacting us

If you email us, we process what you send in order to answer your message and any follow-up questions (Art. 6(1)(b) or (f) GDPR). We do not pass this on to anyone without your consent.

9. Who receives your data

We share data only with the service providers named in this policy, each acting as a processor on our behalf: Hosting.com / A2 Hosting, LLC (hosting, USA), Brevo GmbH (email), Automattic Inc. and Stripe Payments Europe, Limited (payments). We do not sell your data and do not share it for any other purpose.

10. Your rights

You have the right to access your data (Art. 15 GDPR), to have it corrected (Art. 16), erased (Art. 17) or restricted (Art. 18), to data portability (Art. 20) and to object to processing (Art. 21 GDPR). Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time with effect for the future. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority; ours is the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

To exercise any of these rights, just email us at the address above.

11. Last updated

This privacy policy was last updated in September 2026. We may need to adjust it as the site develops.