Privacy statement
Last updated: 17 August 2026 — English translation of the German original, which prevails.
1. Controller
Swiss Society for Medical Laser Applications (SGML), an association under Art. 60 ff. of the Swiss Civil Code, Maneggstrasse 17, 8041 Zurich. For data protection enquiries, email info@sgml.ch or use the contact form.
2. Principle
We process personal data in accordance with the Swiss Data Protection Act (FADP) and, where applicable, the GDPR. We collect only the data we need for the purposes of the association and do not pass it on for commercial purposes.
3. Member data
We process name, title, speciality, correspondence address, telephone number, email address, dates of joining and leaving, and details of the certificate of proficiency for laser treatments. The purpose is member administration, invoicing of the annual fee and communication with members. The legal basis is the membership relationship. The data is stored in the Webling membership system (Webling AG, Switzerland) as our processor.
4. Public member directory
On /en/members/ we publish name, speciality, practice details, canton and certificate types. Only members who have expressly consented are published. Consent is documented in the membership system and can be withdrawn at any time without giving reasons — a message via the contact form is sufficient.
5. Getting in touch
When you write to us, we process the details you provide in order to answer your enquiry. Professional or legal enquiries are passed on internally to the responsible board member. Enquiries about courses and the congress are forwarded to Hautwerk Akademie, which runs these offerings on behalf of the SGML.
6. Documents submitted with an application
With your application for membership you may upload your CV, a copy of your degree and proof of basic laser training. These files are not stored on the web server; they are forwarded directly to the secretariat as an email attachment and then discarded. We use them solely so that the board can assess your application. If your application is accepted, we store them in the association's protected Microsoft 365/SharePoint filing system; if it is declined or withdrawn, we delete them once the decision is complete and no statutory retention duty applies. Uploading is voluntary — you may also submit the documents later.
7. Website and server logs
This website is static and sets no cookies for analytics or advertising. No tracking services, social media plug-ins or external fonts are embedded. Our hosting provider, hostfactory.ch, a service of OptimaNet Schweiz AG, logs technically necessary access data (IP address, time, file requested, browser identification) to operate the service and to defend against attacks.
8. Service providers and recipients
We use hostfactory.ch (OptimaNet Schweiz AG, Switzerland) for hosting and email, Webling AG (Switzerland) for membership administration, and Microsoft 365/SharePoint (Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited) for the association's protected document filing. These service providers process data for the relevant purpose and on a contractual basis. Depending on the enquiry, the responsible board members or, for course and congress enquiries, Hautwerk Akademie receive the information necessary to deal with it.
9. Processing abroad
Hosting and membership administration take place in Switzerland. In connection with Microsoft 365, personal data may also be processed in the EU or EEA and in the United States. If processing takes place in a country without an adequate level of data protection, we rely on recognised safeguards, in particular standard contractual clauses, and additional protective measures where required.
10. Retention
We keep member data for the duration of the membership and thereafter for as long as the statutory retention obligations for the association's accounts require. Correspondence is kept for as long as it is needed to document the association's affairs. Technical log data is deleted according to the hosting provider's operational and security retention periods.
11. Your rights
Within the limits of applicable law, you have rights including access, rectification, erasure, and receiving or transferring your data. You may withdraw consent at any time for the future; where the GDPR applies, further rights such as restriction or objection may be available. Email info@sgml.ch or use the contact form. You may also contact the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) for information or to make a complaint.
12. Data security
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and unauthorised alteration.
13. Changes
We may amend this statement if the way we process personal data changes. The version published on this page applies.