Who Is Responsible
Lars Köhler is responsible for the processing described in this policy. Use the contact form for privacy questions or requests.
Visiting the Website
When your browser requests a page, the hosting provider may process technical records needed to deliver and protect the site. These records can include your IP address, requested URL, request time, browser type, device information, response status, and referring page.
The records are used to serve pages, diagnose faults, prevent abuse, and investigate security incidents. The legal basis is the legitimate interest in operating a secure and reliable website under Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR. Retention follows the hosting provider’s technical settings and applicable legal requirements.
Newsletter Signup with beehiiv
The newsletter form is part of this website. It does not connect your browser directly to beehiiv when the page loads. If you submit the form, the website sends your email address and confirmation request to beehiiv through a protected server-to-server connection. The submission is labeled as coming from the AI with Lars homepage; the site does not use cookies or browser storage to measure newsletter attribution.
beehiiv processes your email address, confirmation status, subscription details, and information needed to deliver and manage the newsletter. beehiiv generally processes subscriber data on behalf of AI with Lars and may also process limited data for purposes described in its own privacy policy.
You must confirm the address through the email beehiiv sends before the subscription is complete. The legal basis for sending the newsletter is your consent under Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. You can withdraw that consent at any time by using the unsubscribe link in an email. Withdrawal does not affect processing that took place before it.
Subscriber information is kept while the subscription is active and is then deleted or restricted when it is no longer needed, subject to legal retention, proof-of-consent, security, and abuse-prevention requirements.
Signup Security
The newsletter form uses a hidden anti-bot field and a short-term rate limit. For rate limiting, the server converts the submitting IP address into a keyed, one-way value and stores recent attempt times temporarily. The raw address is not written into this rate-limit record. These safeguards are used only to prevent automated or excessive submissions and are based on the legitimate interest in protecting the website and newsletter list under Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR.
Contact Form
The contact page asks for your name, email address, message, and confirmation that you have read this policy. The form submits that information to the form endpoint at form.larskoehler.com. Technical anti-abuse information may also be processed when you submit the form.
Your information is used to read your message, reply, investigate a correction, or consider a suggested topic. The legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) of the GDPR when the message concerns a possible agreement and Article 6(1)(f) for general correspondence, editorial suggestions, corrections, and protection against abuse.
Do not include passwords, API keys, confidential company information, medical records, financial details, or personal information about another person unless there is a lawful and necessary reason to do so.
Retention of Messages
Messages are kept for as long as needed to answer the request, maintain a relevant editorial record, protect legal claims, or meet a record-keeping obligation. Messages that have no continuing purpose are deleted during routine mailbox review.
Optional Analytics with Self-Hosted Matomo
With your consent, AI with Lars uses Matomo to understand which pages are visited, how visitors move through the site, which links are used, and which content is useful. The Matomo software is operated by Lars Köhler on his own infrastructure at zone-seven.de. The site ID used for AI with Lars is 7. The analytics data is not sent to Google Analytics or used for third-party advertising.
Matomo may process the page URL and title, the referring page, date and time, approximate technical information about the browser, operating system, device and screen, downloads, outbound links, and an identifier stored in first-party analytics cookies. A request to the analytics server also necessarily transmits the visitor’s IP address. Query parameters commonly associated with names, email addresses, account details, authentication data, payment data and other sensitive information are excluded from analytics before the page view is recorded.
Analytics is disabled by default. No Matomo script is loaded, no request is sent to zone-seven.de, and no Matomo analytics cookie is placed until you select “Accept analytics.” The legal basis is your consent under Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR and, where applicable, the corresponding consent requirement for accessing or storing information on your device.
Cookies and Consent Preference
After analytics consent, Matomo can set first-party cookies on aiwithlars.com. These normally include cookies beginning with _pk_id to recognise a returning browser, _pk_ses for a visit session, and _pk_ref for attribution information. Their exact availability and lifetime depend on the Matomo configuration and browser settings.
Your choice to accept or decline analytics is stored in your browser’s local storage under aiwithlars_analytics_consent for up to 180 days. This preference is strictly used to remember your choice. You can reopen the consent notice at any time through “Privacy settings” in the footer. If you withdraw consent, the stored choice is changed, known Matomo cookies are removed where the browser permits it, and Matomo will not load on the following page view. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out before withdrawal.
Analytics records are retained according to the settings of the self-hosted Matomo installation and are deleted or anonymised when they are no longer needed for understanding and improving the website.
Advertising and External Media
The site does not use advertising pixels, behavioural advertising, fingerprinting, external fonts, or social-media embeds.
Your Rights
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may request access to your personal data, correction, deletion, restriction, or a portable copy. You may object to processing based on legitimate interests. Where consent is the legal basis, you may withdraw it for future processing.
Use the contact form and write “Privacy request” at the start of the message. Enough information may be requested to confirm that the request concerns your data. You may also lodge a complaint with the competent data-protection authority.
Changes to This Policy
The effective date above shows the current version. This policy will be updated when the site’s services or data handling change.