IMPRINT & PRIVACY POLICY
Imprint​​​
Business name: SEA - Services for self-employed e.U.
Owner: Marta Srebrakowska
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Email: hi@self-employed.at
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Registered office and business address: Apollogasse 4/7, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Visits: No walk-in service. Meetings are available by prior appointment only, at a location confirmed with you. Please contact us before visiting.
Contact form: https://www.self-employed.at/contact-form
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Commercial register number: FN 540543t
Commercial register court: Handelsgericht Wien
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Business activity: Operation of an information and community platform for self-employed people in Austria, including educational resources and events.
Trade licence: GISA 32697735
Chamber membership: Wirtschaftskammer Wien, Fachgruppe Werbung und Marktkommunikation
Competent trade authority: Magistratisches Bezirksamt für den 7. Bezirk, Wien
Applicable professional regulations: Gewerbeordnung 1994 (GewO), available at https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/
Disclosure under § 25 Austrian Media Act
Media owner: SEA - Services for self-employed e.U., Apollogasse 4/7, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Basic direction of the website: Information and educational content about self-employment in Austria; presentation of SEA’s services, resources, events and community.
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Privacy Policy
Last updated: 26 September 2026
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1. Who is responsible for your data?
The controller responsible for the processing described in this Privacy Policy is:
Marta Srebrakowska, trading as SEA - Services for self-employed e.U.
Apollogasse 4/7
1070 Vienna
Austria
Email: hi@self-employed.at
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This Privacy Policy explains how SEA processes personal data when you visit www.self-employed.at (https://www.self-employed.at), create an account, use the forum, purchase a membership or digital service, register for an event, contact SEA, subscribe to communications or otherwise use SEA services.
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2. General principles
SEA processes personal data only where there is a lawful basis and only for specified purposes. Depending on the activity, processing is based on:
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Article 6(1)(a) GDPR - your consent;
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Article 6(1)(b) GDPR - steps requested before a contract or performance of a contract;
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Article 6(1)(c) GDPR - compliance with legal obligations, particularly tax and accounting obligations; or
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Article 6(1)(f) GDPR - legitimate interests, such as operating a secure website, preventing misuse, responding to general enquiries and protecting or establishing legal claims, where those interests are not overridden by your rights.
Where data are required to create an account, complete a purchase, register for an event or provide a requested service, SEA cannot provide that service without the required information. Optional profile information, analytics consent, testimonial consent and newsletter consent are voluntary. Refusing or withdrawing those optional consents does not prevent you from using the essential parts of the website or purchasing SEA services.
SEA does not sell or rent personal data.
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3. Website hosting and technical operation through Wix
The website and its main service functions are provided using Wix. The processor is:
Wix.com Ltd., 5 Yunitsman Street, Tel Aviv, Israel. Wix has an EU representative at Wix Online Platforms Limited, 1 Grant's Row, Dublin 2, D02 HX96, Ireland.
When you visit the website, technical information necessary to deliver and secure it may be processed, including:
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IP address;
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date and time of access;
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requested page or file;
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referrer URL;
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browser, device and operating-system information;
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language and display settings;
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security, fraud-prevention and diagnostic information; and
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essential session, login and consent settings.
The purposes are to deliver the website, maintain its security and stability, prevent misuse, diagnose technical faults and provide functions expressly requested by visitors. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR and, where the processing is required for an account, purchase or other requested service, Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.
SEA does not separately retain technical logs longer than necessary for website security, fault diagnosis and the establishment of legal claims. Data retained within Wix are handled according to the retention and deletion settings available to SEA and the Wix data-processing agreement. If a security incident occurs, relevant records may be retained until the incident and any resulting legal matter have been resolved.
Wix may process data in the European Union, Israel and other locations used to provide its services. Israel is recognised by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of data protection. Transfers to other countries are governed by the safeguards described in the Wix data-processing agreement, including applicable adequacy decisions, the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses.
Wix information: https://www.wix.com/about/privacy
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4. Cookies and similar technologies
Essential technologies
SEA and Wix use technologies that are strictly necessary to provide functions requested by you, such as website security, fraud prevention, login sessions, account access, shopping-cart or checkout functions and storage of your cookie choices. These technologies may be used without consent where the conditions of section 165(3) of the Austrian Telecommunications Act 2021 are met. Any related processing of personal data is based on Article 6(1)(b) or Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, depending on the function.
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Optional analytics technologies
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Optional analytics technologies are activated only after you select Accept analytics or Accept all in the cookie banner. The legal basis is your consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR and section 165(3) of the Austrian Telecommunications Act 2021.
You can refuse analytics without losing access to the website's essential functions. You can change or withdraw your choice at any time through the Cookie settings link in the website footer. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that was lawful before withdrawal.
The current providers, purposes, categories and storage periods of cookies and similar technologies are displayed in the website's Cookie settings. No optional category is preselected.
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5. Ahrefs and Google Search Console
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Ahrefs Web Analytics
Subject to your analytics consent, SEA uses Ahrefs Web Analytics, provided by Ahrefs Pte. Ltd., 16 Raffles Quay, #33-03 Hong Leong Building, Singapore 048581.
Ahrefs Web Analytics is cookie-free. According to Ahrefs, it processes page URLs, referrers, user-agent information, approximate city and country, language information, page views, link clicks and form-submission events. The visitor's IP address and user-agent information are used to generate a daily salted hash for counting unique visitors. Raw IP addresses are discarded, the salt is deleted every 24 hours and no persistent cross-day identifier is used.
SEA uses this information only to obtain aggregate website-usage statistics. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR, and the Ahrefs visitor script is not loaded before analytics consent. Transfers to Singapore and other non-EEA locations are governed by the Ahrefs data-processing terms and applicable Standard Contractual Clauses.
Ahrefs information: https://ahrefs.com/legal/privacy-policy
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Google Search Console and Ahrefs SEO tools
SEA uses Google Search Console to monitor how publicly available SEA pages are indexed and displayed in Google Search and to view aggregated search-performance information. Search Console does not place a separate visitor-tracking cookie on the SEA website merely because the site is verified.
SEA uses Ahrefs Site Audit, Site Explorer and an Ahrefs connection to aggregated Google Search Console information for technical SEO and website-performance analysis. These tools analyse public website information and aggregated reports. They are not used by SEA to identify individual visitors.
SEA's legitimate interest under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR is to maintain the technical quality, accessibility and discoverability of its public website.
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Meta advertising measurement
If you consent to marketing technologies in the website's cookie settings, the Wix integration with Meta may use the Meta Pixel and Conversions API to measure advertising interactions and purchases. Data may include browser and device identifiers, page and event activity, and purchase or checkout event information. Depending on the integration settings, contact information supplied at checkout may be used in a protected or hashed form for event matching. The recipient is Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which may process data in other countries under its applicable transfer arrangements.
The legal basis for optional marketing tracking is your consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR and, where device storage or access is involved, the Austrian Telecommunications Act. These technologies must remain inactive until marketing consent is given; you can withdraw that consent through Cookie settings. SEA does not treat ordinary site use as consent.
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6. Contact form, email and human live chat
When you contact SEA through the contact form, email or the website chat, SEA processes the information you provide, which may include your name, email address, account details, message, attachments and related communication history.
The website chat is operated by a human. SEA does not use an AI chatbot and does not submit chat messages to an AI service.
The purpose is to respond to your enquiry, provide support and take requested steps before or during a contract. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR where the communication concerns a requested or existing service. For general questions, support quality, security and the prevention of misuse, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
General enquiries are normally deleted within 12 months after the matter is closed. Contract, payment, complaint or legally relevant correspondence may be retained for the applicable statutory period or while a legal claim can be made or defended.
Messages submitted through the website are processed through Wix. A contractor supporting SEA may receive limited access only where necessary and only under a confidentiality and data-processing agreement.
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7. Accounts, memberships and digital access
When you register or purchase a membership, course, webinar recording or another digital service through the SEA website, SEA may process:
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name and email address;
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login and account identifiers;
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billing address and invoice information;
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membership, subscription and payment status;
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purchases and access entitlements;
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account settings and notification choices;
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optional profile information, photograph, biography, business information and social-media links;
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course or content access and basic progress information; and
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support and account-management history.
Required information is processed to create and manage the account, provide purchased access, administer the subscription, communicate important service information and fulfil the contract. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. Invoice and accounting information is processed under Article 6(1)(c) GDPR.
Optional profile information is provided voluntarily. Before publishing information in a profile, check the visibility settings and do not provide information you do not want other members or the public to see.
Account data are retained while the account or contractual relationship is active. Following account closure, data are deleted or anonymised unless they are required for accounting, legal claims, fraud prevention or another legal obligation. Invoices, transaction records and related business documents are generally retained for seven years from the end of the relevant calendar year and longer where required for pending tax or legal proceedings.
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8. Forum, member directory and community functions
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Registered users may create a profile, write posts and comments, respond to other users and participate in SEA community functions. SEA processes the profile name, optional profile details, posts, comments, reactions, reports, moderation actions and technical account information.
The purposes are to provide the community service, display contributions to the intended audience, maintain discussion threads, enforce the forum rules, prevent spam and abuse and protect other users. The legal bases are Article 6(1)(b) GDPR and SEA's legitimate interests under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR in operating a safe and useful community.
Other forum members can see your first and last name. You can choose whether to add any other information to your profile. Your posts and comments are visible to the forum audience shown in the account settings. Do not publish sensitive personal data, confidential information or another person's personal data unless you have a lawful basis and permission to do so.
You may delete content where the platform permits or request assistance from SEA. When an account is closed, posts may be deleted or anonymised where necessary to preserve the understandable structure of a discussion, unless deletion is legally required. Moderation records may be retained for a reasonable period where necessary to prevent repeated abuse or establish or defend legal claims.
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9. Events, webinars and waiting lists
When you register for an event, webinar or waiting list through the SEA website or an event platform, SEA may process your name, email address, registration status, ticket information, payment status, attendance information, questions submitted for the event and organisational information you voluntarily provide.
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The purposes are to administer registration, provide event information, deliver the event, manage capacity, issue tickets or invoices and follow up on essential organisational matters. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. Accounting data are processed under Article 6(1)(c) GDPR. Free-event registration is also based on Article 6(1)(b) GDPR because SEA processes the data to provide the place requested by the participant.
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Participant data are retained until the event and necessary follow-up are complete. Non-accounting registration information is normally deleted or anonymised within 12 months after the event unless it forms part of an active membership, is needed for a legal claim or the participant separately consented to another use. Accounting records are retained for the statutory period described above.
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If you choose to register through an external event platform such as Eventbrite or Meetup, that platform also processes the details you provide under its own privacy information; SEA receives the registration information needed to run the event. Registration for an event does not automatically subscribe you to marketing. Where an online event uses an external videoconferencing service, the service will be identified before registration or in the event information.
SEA may record webinars for the purpose of creating an edited educational recording for the SEA library. Participants are informed before recording begins. The processing of the webinar recording is based on SEA's legitimate interest under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR in documenting and providing its educational content, taking into account the rights and reasonable expectations of participants.
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The original recording may temporarily contain attendees' names, voices or contributions where they participate during the recorded session. Participants can attend without agreeing to appear in the final published recording.
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SEA does not intentionally include identifiable attendee contributions in the final library version without an appropriate legal basis. Where an attendee's name, image, voice or other identifiable contribution is intended to remain in the published recording, SEA obtains consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.
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Identifying attendee information is removed from the final edited version where consent for its publication has not been obtained. The original recording is stored locally for editing and deleted within 30 days.
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10. Photographs, recordings, testimonials and member stories
SEA does not publish an identifiable testimonial, member story, portrait photograph or individual recording for promotional purposes without an appropriate legal basis. Where publication is optional, SEA requests specific consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR and, where applicable, permission relating to image and personality rights.
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The consent request explains the intended channels and whether publication is time-limited. Consent can be withdrawn for future use by contacting SEA.
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Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
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Where SEA takes general photographs of an event for documentation and reporting purposes, the processing is based on SEA's legitimate interests under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR in documenting and communicating its activities. Participants are informed in advance and provided with a practical way to object to or avoid being photographed. SEA takes the interests and reasonable expectations of participants into account.
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Where SEA takes identifiable close-up portraits, testimonials or photographs primarily for individual promotional use, SEA bases this processing on consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.
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Publication of identifiable photographs is also subject to the applicable Austrian image and personality rights, including Section 78 of the Austrian Copyright Act.
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11. Purchases and payments through the SEA website
For purchases completed through the SEA website, SEA processes order and billing information necessary to perform the contract, administer access, handle payments, prevent fraud and comply with accounting obligations. SEA does not receive or store full payment-card numbers.
Checkout and payment processing are handled through Wix and the payment service displayed during checkout. Depending on the payment method, the payment provider may process payment credentials, transaction information, IP address, device information and anti-fraud information as a processor or independent controller under its own legal obligations.
The SEA website uses Wix Payments. Customers can pay using the methods shown at checkout, which may include credit or debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Payment credentials are handled by Wix Payments and the relevant payment network or wallet provider under their applicable terms. SEA receives the transaction details needed to fulfil and account for the order, not full card numbers.
The legal bases for SEA are Article 6(1)(b) GDPR for the purchase and Article 6(1)(c) GDPR for accounting and tax records. Fraud prevention and the establishment or defence of claims may be based on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
Order and invoice information is generally retained for seven years from the end of the relevant calendar year and longer where required for a pending tax or legal proceeding.
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12. Guidebook purchases through Payhip
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SEA guidebook pages may link to a separate shop operated on Payhip. Clicking a Payhip link takes you away from the SEA website. No SEA account or contact-form data are automatically sent to Payhip merely because you visit the SEA website.
If you purchase through the Payhip shop, you provide your data directly to Payhip Limited, 1st Floor, 2 Woodberry Grove, London, N12 0DR, United Kingdom, and to the payment provider offered at checkout. Payhip processes the checkout and delivery information under its own privacy information. SEA may receive or access the order information needed to fulfil the sale, provide support, keep accounting records and protect the guidebook against unauthorised distribution. This may include your name, email address, country, product, purchase date and transaction reference. SEA does not receive full payment-card information.
Where an individualised digital copy contains the purchaser's email address as a watermark, the purpose is to deter unauthorised distribution and protect SEA's intellectual property. The legal basis is SEA's legitimate interest under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. The watermark is limited to the purchaser's email address and is not used for tracking.
The legal bases for order fulfilment are Article 6(1)(b) GDPR and Article 6(1)(c) GDPR for accounting and tax obligations. Purchase information is not added to SEA marketing lists unless the buyer separately opts in.
Payhip information: https://payhip.com/privacy
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13. Consultations, expert introductions and external booking links
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SEA presents services, benefits and booking links relating to independent experts and partner businesses. An ordinary link does not automatically give the expert the personal information held in your SEA account.
If you open an external booking page, such as a page operated by Calendly, Microsoft or the selected professional, the external provider processes the information you enter under its own privacy notice.
If you ask SEA to arrange a consultation, introduction or membership benefit, SEA may share only the information necessary to fulfil that request, such as your name, contact details, membership eligibility and the general subject of the request, with the expert you selected. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. The receiving professional normally acts as an independent controller for the professional service and must provide their own privacy information.
SEA does not automatically provide the forum, account, purchase or contact data of customers to experts for their own marketing.
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14. Newsletter and optional marketing communications
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If you subscribe to the SEA newsletter through a signup form, SEA processes your email address, optional name, subscription choice and information needed to document your consent. We use MailerLite to provide the signup form, manage subscriptions and send the newsletter.
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The purpose is to send the SEA newsletter and the content described at the point of subscription. The processing is based on your consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR and, for the sending of electronic marketing communications, Section 174 TKG 2021.
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We also use MailerLite to measure how our newsletters are used. This includes whether a newsletter was opened and which links were clicked. For this purpose, MailerLite may use tracking pixels, individually assigned links and related technical information, such as the time of an interaction, IP address and information about the browser or email client used. This information may be associated with your subscriber profile.
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Where a newsletter contains a survey or other interactive content, we also process the answers that you voluntarily submit. We use newsletter engagement information and survey responses to understand subscriber interests, evaluate newsletter performance and improve our communications.
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This processing is based on your consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.
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Where double opt-in is enabled, you receive an email asking you to confirm the subscription. You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link contained in every newsletter or by emailing hi@self-employed.at. Withdrawal applies to future processing and does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Subscriber data are retained while the subscription is active. After you unsubscribe, you will no longer receive the newsletter. Limited information concerning your consent and unsubscribe request may be retained where necessary to demonstrate compliance with legal requirements and to ensure that no further marketing communications are sent to you
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Event registration, membership purchase, forum registration or guidebook purchase does not automatically subscribe a person to the newsletter.
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15. WhatsApp community and social-media pages
SEA maintains a WhatsApp community and pages or groups on services such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Participation is voluntary. SEA does not automatically add a member's telephone number or account data to WhatsApp or another social network.
If you join or interact through one of these services, SEA may see the profile information, telephone number, username, message, comment or other information made available through that platform. SEA uses this information to administer the community, respond to messages, moderate discussions and communicate with people who choose that channel. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR where the channel is part of a requested membership benefit and Article 6(1)(f) GDPR for community administration and communication.
The relevant platform provider also processes personal data under its own privacy policy. Depending on the particular processing activity, the platform provider may act as an independent controller or, in certain cases, jointly with SEA. In particular, SEA and Meta Platforms Ireland Limited may act as joint controllers in relation to the processing of Page Insights data for SEA's Facebook and Instagram presence. Further information about the allocation of responsibilities is available in Meta's Page Insights Controller Addendum.
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For Page Insights relating to SEA's LinkedIn Page, SEA and LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company act as joint controllers under LinkedIn's Page Insights Joint Controller Addendum.
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Social-media providers may process personal data outside the EEA under their applicable international-transfer mechanisms. You can review the privacy and account settings of the relevant platform before using it. If you do not want to communicate through a third-party social platform, you can contact SEA by email instead.
Ordinary social-media links on the SEA website do not activate a social-media plug-in merely because the SEA page is opened. Any embedded social feed, video or similar external media is blocked until the visitor gives the required consent.
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16. Service providers, contractors and recipients
SEA may disclose personal data only where necessary to:
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Wix and its subprocessors for website hosting, accounts, communications, checkout, security and support;
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analytics providers after valid analytics consent;
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Meta for advertising measurement after valid marketing consent;
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Eventbrite or Meetup where you register for an SEA event through those services;
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MailerLite for newsletter signup forms, subscription management, consent records and delivery, if you choose to subscribe;
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the payment provider selected during checkout;
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Payhip and its payment providers when a person uses the separate Payhip shop;
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a specifically selected independent expert when a person asks SEA to arrange a service or introduction;
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a professional adviser, accountant or public authority where required by law or necessary for legal claims; or
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a carefully selected IT, security or administrative contractor working for SEA under a written contract, confidentiality duties, limited access and, where applicable, an Article 28 GDPR data-processing agreement.
Contractors may access only the information required for their assigned task and may not use it for their own purposes.
SEA does not automatically disclose customer information to business partners for their independent marketing.
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17. International transfers
Some service providers process personal data outside the EEA. The applicable transfer mechanism is identified in the relevant sections of this Privacy Policy where appropriate. Depending on the provider and destination country, transfers are based on an adequacy decision of the European Commission, participation in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.
You may contact SEA for further information about the applicable safeguards and how to obtain a copy, subject to the protection of confidential information.
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18. Retention and deletion
SEA keeps personal data only for as long as needed for the purpose for which it was collected and for any applicable legal obligation. The more specific periods stated in the sections above take priority.
In summary:
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active account and membership data are kept for the duration of the account or contract;
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ordinary closed enquiries and non-accounting event information are normally deleted within 12 months;
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active newsletter data are kept until withdrawal or unsubscribe;
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optional published stories, portraits and testimonials are kept until withdrawal or the end of the stated publication period;
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invoices, transaction records and relevant business documents are generally kept for seven years from the end of the relevant calendar year;
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information necessary for legal claims, security incidents or abuse prevention may be kept until the relevant limitation period or proceeding ends; and
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processor backups and technical records expire according to the provider's documented deletion cycle.
Where complete deletion is not legally possible, SEA restricts the data to the required purpose. Data may be anonymised so that they no longer relate to an identifiable person.
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19. Security
SEA uses appropriate technical and organisational measures proportionate to the size and nature of the business. These include access controls, strong authentication, restricted contractor access, software and account updates, confidentiality obligations, backups where appropriate and procedures for handling data-subject requests and security incidents.
No internet transmission or online storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure. If you believe your SEA account or information has been compromised, contact hi@self-employed.at promptly.
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20. No AI decision-making or automated legal decisions
SEA does not use personal data for decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal effects or similarly significant effects. SEA currently does not operate a visitor-facing Wix AI agent or AI chatbot. Website chat is handled by a human.
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21. Your GDPR rights
Subject to the legal conditions, you have the right to:
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obtain confirmation and access to your personal data;
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receive a copy of your data;
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correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
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request deletion;
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request restriction of processing;
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receive data you provided in a portable format where the right applies;
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object to processing based on legitimate interests;
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object at any time to processing for direct marketing;
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withdraw consent at any time for the future; and
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lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
The first copy and the exercise of these rights are generally free of charge. A reasonable fee or refusal is possible only where permitted by law, such as for manifestly unfounded or excessive requests.
To exercise a right, contact hi@self-employed.at. SEA may request information necessary to verify your identity. SEA normally responds within one month. Where the GDPR permits an extension because a request is complex or numerous requests have been received, SEA will inform you within the first month.
You may lodge a complaint with:
Austrian Data Protection Authority
Barichgasse 40-42
1030 Vienna
Austria
Email: dsb@dsb.gv.at
Website: https://dsb.gv.at/
22. Changes to this Privacy Policy
SEA reviews this Privacy Policy when services, providers or legal requirements change. The current version and update date are published on this page.
If a change materially affects how SEA processes existing customer, member or subscriber data, SEA will actively inform the affected people through an appropriate channel before the new processing begins. Where consent is required, SEA will request it separately. Continued use of the website is not treated as consent.