Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 21, 2026

Who we are

Smart Living in Germany is an English-language newsletter and website for expats and international residents in Germany, covering smart spending, deals, and everyday life topics. It is operated by Anna Mezhova, a sole trader (Gewerbe) based in Berlin, Germany.

Controller under the GDPR:
Anna Mezhova
Pflugstraße 18, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Email: [your existing email]

Full business details, including VAT number, are available in our Impressum.


What data we collect and why

Newsletter subscribers
When you sign up for our newsletter – either via a form on this website, our Beehiiv-hosted landing page, or one of our Carrd-hosted landing pages – we collect your email address and, if provided, your first name. This data is used solely to send you the newsletter and related updates. The legal basis is your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).

Website usage data
We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), implemented via Google Tag Manager, to understand how visitors interact with our site. This may include your IP address (anonymised), browser type, pages visited, and time spent on pages. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in improving the site (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR), subject to your cookie consent where required.

Marketing and advertising data
We use the Meta Pixel to measure the effectiveness of paid advertising campaigns on Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram). We also participate in a number of affiliate networks – including but not limited to AWIN, CommunicationAds, and Amazon Associates – which use tracking cookies to attribute clicks and purchases to our content. The legal basis for this processing is your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), obtained via our cookie banner.


Cookies and tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. These fall into the following categories:

• Necessary cookies – required for the site to function and to remember your cookie consent choice. These are placed by our consent management platform and do not require consent.

• Analytics cookies – placed by Google Analytics 4 to measure traffic and usage patterns.

• Marketing cookies – placed by Meta (Facebook Pixel) and affiliate tracking networks to measure conversions and attribute referrals.

You can manage or withdraw your cookie consent at any time via the cookie settings banner on our website. You can also opt out of Google Analytics across all sites using Google's opt-out browser add-on.


Third-party processors

We share data with the following third-party services, each acting as a data processor or independent controller under their own privacy terms:

• Beehiiv – newsletter platform that stores subscriber data and manages email delivery. As part of this, Beehiiv may collect approximate geolocation data (derived from IP address) for fraud prevention and publisher analytics, track which links you click in emails, and place first-party cookies on our website for visitor analytics and signup attribution. Privacy policy

• Carrd – landing page hosting platform used for some newsletter signup pages. Carrd may collect basic technical data such as IP address and browser information for site operation. Privacy policy

• Google LLC – website analytics via Google Analytics 4 and tag deployment via Google Tag Manager. Data may be transferred to the US under Standard Contractual Clauses. Privacy policy

• Meta Platforms, Inc. – conversion tracking via the Meta Pixel. Data may be transferred to the US. Privacy policy

• Cookie Script and/or CookieYes – consent management platforms that record your cookie consent choices and store a consent log for compliance purposes. Cookie Script privacy policy | CookieYes privacy policy

• Affiliate networks – we work with multiple affiliate tracking networks, including AWIN, CommunicationAds, and Amazon Associates, which may place cookies on your device to attribute referrals. Each network operates under its own privacy policy, available on their respective websites.

Data transfers outside the EU

Some of our third-party processors (Google, Meta, Beehiiv) are based in the United States. Any transfer of personal data to these providers takes place on the basis of Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, or other appropriate safeguards under Chapter V of the GDPR.


How long we keep your data

• Newsletter subscribers – we retain your email address and associated data for as long as your subscription record exists in our system. If you unsubscribe, you will no longer receive emails from us. You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us.

• Analytics data – Google Analytics 4 data is retained for 14 months.

• Meta Pixel data – Meta retains advertising cookies for approximately 90 days and pixel conversion data for approximately 180 days, in accordance with their own retention policies.

• Consent records – cookie consent logs are retained by our consent management provider for compliance purposes, typically up to 12 months.

• Affiliate tracking data – retained by each affiliate network in accordance with their own retention policies.

Your rights

As a data subject under the GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of access

• Right to rectification

• Right to erasure

• Right to restrict processing

• Right to data portability

• Right to object

• Right to withdraw consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. As a controller based in Berlin, our competent supervisory authority is the Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit (BlnBDI).


Affiliate links

Some links on our website and in our newsletter are affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase or sign up for a service after clicking through, at no additional cost to you. Affiliate referrals are tracked via cookies placed by the affiliate networks we work with.


Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. If we make significant changes, we will notify subscribers via email. The date at the top of this page always reflects when the policy was last revised.


Contact

For any questions about this privacy policy, email us and we'll get back to you within 30 days.