Hotjar privacy policy

In collaboration with the data protection experts from AdSimple

Hotjar privacy policy

We use Hotjar from Hotjar Limited (Level 2, St Julian's Business Centre, 3, Elia Zammit Street, St Julian's STJ 1000, Malta) on our website to statistically evaluate visitor data. Hotjar is a service that analyzes the behavior and feedback of you as a user on our website using a combination of analysis and feedback tools. We receive reports and visual representations from Hotjar that show us where and how you “move” on our site. Personal data is automatically anonymized and never reaches Hotjar's servers. This means that you are not personally identified as a website user and we still learn a lot about your user behavior.

What is Hotjar?

As already mentioned in the section above, Hotjar helps us analyze the behavior of our site visitors. These tools that Hotjar offers include Heatmaps, Conversion Funnels, Visitor Recording, Incoming Feedback, Feedback Polls and Surveys (you can find out more about them at https://www.hotjar.com/). In this way, Hotjar helps us to offer you a better user experience and better service. On the one hand, it offers a good analysis of online behavior, and on the other hand, we also receive good feedback about the quality of our website. In addition to all the analytical aspects, we also simply want to know your opinion about our website. And with the feedback tool, that’s exactly what’s possible.

Why do we use Hotjar on our website?

In recent years, the importance of user experience on websites has increased significantly. And for good reason too. A website should be structured in such a way that you as a visitor feel comfortable and can easily find your way around. Thanks to Hotjar's analysis tools and feedback tool, we can make our website and our offering more attractive. The heatmaps from Hotjar are particularly valuable for us. Heatmaps are a form of representation for visualizing data. For example, Hotjar's heatmaps allow us to see exactly what you like to click, tap and where you scroll.

What data does Hotjar store?

As you surf our website, Hotjar automatically collects information about your user behavior. In order to be able to collect this information, we have installed our own tracking code on our website. The following data can be collected via your computer or browser:

• Your computer's IP address (collected and stored in an anonymous format)
• Screen size
• Browser information (which browser, which version, etc.)
• Your location (but only the country)
• Your preferred language setting
• Websites visited (subpages)
• Date and time of access to one of our subpages (websites)

Cookies also store data that is placed on your computer (usually in your browser). No personal data is collected there. In principle, Hotjar does not pass on collected data to third parties. However, Hotjar expressly points out that it is sometimes necessary to share data with Amazon Web Services. Parts of your information will then be stored on their servers. However, Amazon is bound by a confidentiality obligation not to disclose this data.

Only a limited number of people (Hotjar employees) have access to the stored information. The Hotjar servers are protected by firewalls and IP restrictions (access only to approved IP addresses). Firewalls are security systems that protect computers from unwanted network access. They are intended to serve as a barrier between Hotjar's secure internal network and the Internet. Hotjar also uses third-party companies, such as Google Analytics or Optimizely, for their services. These companies may also store information that your browser sends to our website.

The following cookies are used by Hotjar. Since we refer, among other things, to the cookie list from Hotjar's privacy policy at https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/cookie-information, not every cookie has an exemplary value. The list shows examples of Hotjar cookies used and does not claim to be complete.

Name: ajs_anonymous_id
Value: %2258832463-7cee-48ee-b346-a195f18b06c3%22311246121-5
Purpose: The cookie is usually used for analytical purposes and helps count visitors to our website by tracking whether you have been to this page before.
Expiry date: after one year

Name: ajs_group_id
Value: 0
Purpose: This cookie collects data about user behavior.
This data can then be assigned to a specific group of visitors based on what the website visitors have in common. Expiry date: after one year

Name: _hjid
Value: 699ffb1c-4bfb-483f-bde1-22cfa0b59c6c
Purpose: The cookie is used to maintain a Hotjar user ID that is unique to the website in the browser.
This means that user behavior can be assigned to the same user ID on subsequent visits. Expiry date: after one year

Name: _hjMinimizedPolls
Value: 462568311246121-8
Purpose: Whenever you minimize a Feedback Poll widget, Hotjar sets this cookie.
The cookie ensures that the widget remains minimized when you surf our pages. Expiry date: after one year

Name: _hjIncludedInSample
Value: 1
Purpose: This session cookie is set to inform Hotjar whether you are part of the selected people (sample) that are used to create funnels.
Expiry date: after one year

Name: _hjClosedSurveyInvites
Purpose: This cookie is set when you see an invitation to a feedback survey via a pop-up window.
The cookie is used to ensure that this invitation only appears to you once. Expiry date: after one year

Name: _hjDonePolls
Purpose: As soon as you end a feedback “question session” with the so-called Feedback Poll widget, this cookie is set in your browser.
This way, Hotjar prevents you from receiving the same surveys again in the future. Expiry date: after one year

Name: _hjDoneTestersWidgets
Purpose: This cookie is used as soon as you provide your data in the “Recruit User Tester Widget”.
With this widget we want to hire you as a tester. The cookie is used so that this form does not appear again and again. Expiry date: after one year

Name: _hjMinimizedTestersWidgets
Purpose: To ensure that the “Recruit User Tester” remains minimized on all of our sites, once you have minimized it, this cookie is set.
Expiry date: after one year

Name: _hjShownFeedbackMessage
Purpose: This cookie is set when you have minimized or supplemented the incoming feedback.
This is done so that the incoming feedback will immediately load as minimized when you navigate to another page where you want it to appear. Expiry date: after one year

How long and where is the data stored?
We have installed a tracking code on our website, which is transmitted to the Hotjar servers in Ireland (EU). This tracking code contacts Hotjar's servers and sends a script to your computer or device that you use to access our site. The script collects certain data related to your interaction with our website. This data is then sent to Hotjar's servers for processing. Hotjar has imposed a 365 day data retention period on itself. This means that all data that Hotjar has collected and that is older than one year will be automatically deleted.

How can I delete my data or prevent data storage?
Hotjar does not store any of your personal data for analysis. The company even advertises with the slogan “We track behavior, not individuals”. You also always have the option to prevent the collection of your data. All you have to do is go to the “opt-out page” and click on “Deactivate Hotjar”. Please note that deleting cookies, using your browser's private mode, or using a different browser will result in data being collected again. You can also activate the “Do Not Track” button in your browser. In the Chrome browser, for example, you have to click on the three bars at the top right and go to “Settings”. There you will find the option “Send a “Do Not Track” request with browser access” in the “Privacy” section. Now just activate this button and Hotjar will not collect any data.

More details about the privacy policy and what data is collected and how Hotjar can be found at https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/privacy?tid=311246121 .