Privacy policy

1. General Information

1.1. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) describes which personal data is collected and processed by the online platform Happia.Life (“Platform”), and for what purposes.

1.2. The data controller is:
Margarita Martyn
Sole proprietor (Kleinunternehmer, Germany)
Email: info [at] happia.life

1.3. The Platform complies with the provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection laws.

1.4. By using the Platform, you agree to this Policy and consent to the processing of your personal data as described herein.

2. What Data We Collect and Process

2.1. The Platform collects the following categories of personal data provided by users during registration and while using the site:

Profile Data: Username; First and last name; Date of birth; Gender; Country and city of residence; Languages; Short bio ("About me"); Profile photo (avatar); Email address.

Channel Data: Channel name; Country and city; Target languages and currency; Specialization of the channel; Social media links; Channel gallery (images and videos); Academic degree of the owner; Topics of focus; Methods and approaches; Target audience; Formats of work (online, offline); Pricing (if provided).

2.2. When using the Platform, certain technical data is collected automatically, including: IP address, device type and model, browser type and version, operating system, browser language, pages visited, referring source, time spent on the site, and user actions (e.g. clicks, navigation).

2.3. We use the following third-party tools for analytics and marketing purposes. These tools may collect and process personal data:

  • Google Analytics 4: User behavior, traffic sources, device and browser info.
  • Meta Pixel: Conversion tracking, retargeting on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Microsoft Clarity: Click maps, heatmaps, anonymous session recordings.
  • Yandex.Metrica: Web analytics, scrolling heatmaps, traffic source insights.
  • Pinterest Tag: Retargeting and personalized advertising on Pinterest.
  • Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): Email analytics, open and click tracking.

All these tools use cookies and tracking technologies. Data is collected and processed based on the user’s consent, which is requested via the cookie banner shown on first visit.

2.4. The Platform integrates with the following payment services: Stripe (for paid subscriptions); PayPal (as external direct payment links).

2.5. We do not collect or process special categories of personal data (e.g. health data, biometric data) unless you voluntarily choose to share them publicly.

3. Purposes of Data Processing

3.1. We process your personal data strictly for the following purposes:

  • To provide access to Platform functionality
    Creating and managing user profiles;
    Creating and managing channels;
    Publishing content (articles, events, comments);
    Displaying data in directories as configured by the user.
  • To tailor the site experience to each user:
    Setting the appropriate interface language;
    Adapting content to country and currency preferences;
    Saving user preferences.
  • To ensure security and technical stability:
    Preventing abuse, fraud, or violations of Terms of Use;
    Technical logging and debugging;
    Error detection and correction.
  • To analyze usage and improve the Platform:
    Tracking navigation and user interactions;
    Understanding user behavior and interests;
    Optimizing content and interfaces.
  • For marketing and advertising purposes:
    Showing personalized ads via third-party services;
    Retargeting across platforms.
  • For newsletters and notifications:
    Sending informative updates (with user consent);
    Informing about new features and changes.

3.2. We do not sell your personal data or share it with third parties for commercial purposes on behalf of the Platform. However, certain data (e.g., IP address, cookies) may be transferred to technical providers, such as analytics and advertising platforms (e.g., Google, Meta), strictly for functional or marketing purposes and only if you consented via the cookie banner. Such transfers are conducted in compliance with applicable data protection laws.

4. Legal Bases for Processing

4.1. We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds under Article 6 of the GDPR:

Contractual necessity (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR): To provide the Platform’s services, including registration, managing profiles and channels, publishing content, subscriptions, and payments.

Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR): We have a legitimate interest in analyzing user activity, ensuring security, and improving the Platform — while maintaining a fair balance with your rights.

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR): We rely on your explicit consent for certain types of processing (e.g. email newsletters, marketing cookies). You can withdraw your consent at any time.

Legal obligations (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR): We may retain certain data to comply with financial, tax, or regulatory obligations (e.g. invoicing via Stripe).

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

5.1. The Platform uses cookies and similar technologies (such as local storage and tracking pixels) to ensure proper functionality, analyze usage, and personalize content and advertising.

5.2. We use both first-party and third-party cookies, including:

  • Essential cookies – required for login, navigation, and saving settings;
  • Analytics cookies – help us understand how the Platform is used (e.g. Google Analytics, Yandex.Metrica, Microsoft Clarity);
  • Marketing cookies – used for advertising and retargeting (e.g. Meta Pixel, Pinterest Tag).

5.3. Upon first visit, you can choose which categories of cookies you allow, except for strictly necessary ones.

5.4. For a full overview of cookies used, their storage duration, and how to manage them, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

6. Who Has Access to Data and Where It Is Processed

6.1. We do not sell or share personal data with third parties for commercial purposes. However, when using external services (e.g. for analytics or email), certain data may be technically accessible to those providers — strictly within the scope of agreed purposes and only with the user's consent.

6.2. This includes:

  • Hosting and infrastructure providers;
  • Developers and technical support teams;
  • Payment processors (e.g. Stripe);
  • Analytics and marketing service providers (e.g. Google, Meta, Microsoft, Yandex, Pinterest);
  • Email providers (e.g. Brevo).

6.3. Some partners may be located outside the European Economic Area (e.g. in the USA). In such cases, data transfers are based on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) or adequacy decisions approved by the European Commission.

6.4. We make reasonable efforts to ensure all partners meet privacy and security standards equivalent to GDPR.

7. Data Retention

7.1. We retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes stated in this Policy or as required by law.

7.2. Data associated with your profile or channels will be stored until your account is deleted. After deletion, all related data will be erased or anonymized within a reasonable time.

7.3. Some financial or billing-related data may be retained longer in accordance with German tax and legal regulations.

7.4. You may modify or delete your profile data at any time or request full account deletion.

8. Your Rights

8.1. Under the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of access – You may request a copy of the data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – You may update or correct your profile data yourself or request corrections.
Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") – You may request full deletion of your data, subject to legal retention exceptions.
Right to restrict processing – You may request temporary suspension of processing in certain cases.
Right to data portability – You may receive your data in a machine-readable format and transmit it to another controller.
Right to withdraw consent – You may revoke your consent to any data processing based on consent.
Right to lodge a complaint – You may contact your local data protection authority (e.g. the Landesdatenschutzbehörde in Germany).

8.2. To exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the email provided in Section 1 of this Policy.

9. Contact and Final Provisions

9.1. If you have questions regarding the processing of your personal data, you may contact:

Margarita Martyn
Sole proprietor (Kleinunternehmer, Germany)
Tulpenstr. 3A
92442 Wackersdorf
Bavaria, Germany
Email: info [at] happia.life

9.2. We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. In the case of significant changes, we will notify users via the Platform or by email.

9.3. The latest version of this Policy is always available on the [Privacy Policy] page.

9.4. This Policy is governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union.

Last updated: 4 June 2025