Legal Notice

This website is published under two editorial brands: About SXM (English-language version) and Guide Saint-Martin (French-language version). The two domain names about-sxm.com and guidesaintmartin.com point to a single editorial service, managed by a natural-person publisher.

Pursuant to article 6-III-2 of the French LCEN act of 21 June 2004, where the publisher of an online communication service to the public on a non-professional basis chooses to remain anonymous, their full contact details are held by the host (see §3), who is bound by professional secrecy and will disclose them only upon judicial requisition.

Within the meaning of article 93-2 of French law no. 82-652 of 29 July 1982 on audiovisual communication, the publishing director is a natural person. Their contact details are not publicly disclosed, under the anonymity option authorised by article 6-III-2 of the LCEN.

They are held by the host (see §3) and may be disclosed to the competent judicial authorities upon requisition in accordance with article 6-II of the LCEN.

The website is hosted by the following company:

Protected works

All elements making up the website — texts, photographs, illustrations, icons, graphic design, site structure, software architecture, database, source code — are works of the mind protected under the French Intellectual Property Code (articles L. 111-1 et seq.) and applicable international conventions.

They remain the exclusive property of the publisher or their respective rights holders (partners, photographers, contributors) where the content has been licensed to the publisher.

Permitted uses

Browsing the website and temporary reproduction of content for strictly private, non-commercial and non-collective use are permitted in accordance with article L. 122-5 of the French Intellectual Property Code.

Prohibited uses

The following are prohibited without the prior written consent of the publisher:

• reproduction, representation, distribution or making available to the public of all or part of the content;
• substantial or repeated extraction and reuse of the database (articles L. 342-1 and L. 342-2 of the IP Code);
• modification, adaptation, translation, decompilation or disassembly of all or part of the website;
• use of the trademarks, logos, names and distinctive signs appearing on the website.

Any unauthorised use constitutes an infringement, punishable by the civil and criminal penalties provided for in articles L. 335-2 et seq. of the French Intellectual Property Code.

Photo credits

Photographs appearing on the website are sourced from professional photographers, partner contributions (hotels, restaurants, tourist offices) or licensed stock libraries, notably Unsplash and Pexels. Full credits are available on request at contact@about-sxm.com.

The website complies with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 (GDPR) and with the French Data Protection Act no. 78-17 of 6 January 1978, as amended.

Data controller

The data controller is the publisher of the website (see §1). They may be contacted for any question relating to the processing of your data at contact@about-sxm.com.

Data collected and purposes

In the context of the creation and management of a user account, the following data is collected:

• First and last name — for identification in the members' area;
• Email address — for authentication, sending the verification link and password reset;
• Password — stored in hashed form (bcrypt algorithm), never in clear text;
• Account creation and modification dates — for traceability and security purposes;
• Email verification status — to secure account access.

Legal basis

Processing is based on the performance of a service requested by the data subject within the meaning of article 6.1.b of the GDPR (creation and management of a user account), as well as on the publisher's legitimate interest in securing the service (article 6.1.f GDPR).

Recipients

Data is exclusively intended for the publisher. It is neither transferred, rented nor sold to third parties. It may be disclosed to technical subprocessors strictly necessary for the operation of the service (host, email provider), acting under the responsibility and instructions of the publisher.

Retention period

• Active account: data is kept as long as the account is not deleted;
• Inactive account: after prolonged inactivity (3 years), the account is archived and then deleted;
• Email verification tokens: deleted immediately after use or expiry (24 hours);
• Technical logs: kept for a maximum of 1 year, in line with CNIL recommendations.

Your rights

In accordance with articles 15 to 22 of the GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of access: obtain a copy of your data;
• Right to rectification: have inaccurate data corrected;
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): have your data deleted;
• Right to restriction of processing;
• Right to data portability;
• Right to object to processing on legitimate grounds;
• Right to set post-mortem directives regarding the retention, erasure and communication of your data after death.

To exercise these rights, send your request by email to contact@about-sxm.com, together with a copy of a valid identity document if there is any doubt as to your identity. A response will be provided within one month at most, in accordance with article 12.3 of the GDPR.

Right to lodge a complaint

If you consider that the processing of your data does not comply with the regulations, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the French data protection authority (CNIL – www.cnil.fr), 3 Place de Fontenoy, TSA 80715, 75334 Paris Cedex 07.

Security

The publisher implements all appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk (password hashing, HTTPS connections, access control, regular backups).

In accordance with article 82 of the French Data Protection Act and Directive 2002/58/EC (ePrivacy), the publisher informs users about the use of cookies on the website.

Strictly necessary cookies

The website uses only technical cookies necessary for the operation of the service, exempted from prior consent under the CNIL's guidelines:

• Session cookie, set to enable authentication in the members' area. Duration: session (deleted when the browser is closed);
• Language preference cookies, where applicable.

No advertising cookies

The website currently uses no advertising, analytics or third-party tracking cookies (Google Analytics, social pixels, ad networks, etc.). Should this change, a consent banner compliant with article 82 will be implemented prior to the deposit of any non-exempt cookie.

Settings

You may configure your browser at any time to refuse cookies or to be warned of their deposit. However, refusing technical cookies may render certain features of the website (notably authentication) inoperative.

Published information

The website provides editorial content for informational and tourist purposes. The publisher takes the greatest care to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the information published, but cannot guarantee its absolute accuracy, completeness or currency.

Third-party information

Hotel, restaurant, activity and service provider listings are published for informational purposes. They do not constitute a contractual recommendation or a commercial offer by the publisher. Any contractual relationships (bookings, purchases, services) are established directly between the user and the relevant provider, under the latter's terms.

Exclusion of liability

The publisher cannot be held liable for direct or indirect damages resulting from:

• any use of the website not in line with its intended purpose;
• obsolete or inaccurate information, despite diligent verification;
• any interruption, unavailability or technical malfunction of the website;
• the presence of viruses or intrusions on the user's equipment;
• the acts of third-party partners listed on the website.

Outbound links

The website may contain links to third-party sites (partners, institutions, social networks). The publisher exercises no control over these sites and accepts no responsibility for their content, privacy policies or practices.

Inbound links

The creation of hyperlinks to the website is free provided they are not used for commercial or advertising purposes and do not harm the publisher's image. The publisher reserves the right to request the removal of any link deemed non-compliant.

This legal notice is governed by French law, including for users accessing the website from abroad.

In the event of a dispute, the parties shall endeavour to reach an amicable solution before taking any legal action. Failing this, the French courts shall have sole jurisdiction, subject to the mandatory rules of jurisdiction applicable to consumers.