Russmedia Digital GmbH has published a comprehensive privacy policy outlining how personal data is collected, processed, and protected across its vol.at website and all associated subdomains. The company, headquartered at Gutenbergstraße 1 in Schwarzach, Austria, serves as the data controller under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other national data protection laws.
The privacy policy defines personal data as any information that allows conclusions to be drawn about a user's identity, including names, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers. All data processing activities are conducted exclusively based on legal provisions, including GDPR, the Telecommunications Act 2021, and national data protection laws. The company emphasizes adherence to data minimization and data economy principles, collecting personal information only when necessary for requested purposes or when voluntarily provided by users.
For newsletter services, Russmedia Digital processes user data based on explicit consent under Article 6 of GDPR. Data recipients include major technology companies such as Salesforce in San Francisco, California, T-Mobile Austria GmbH in Vienna, Piano Software LLC in Amsterdam, and Inxmail in Freiburg, Germany. The company ensures appropriate safeguards for third-country transfers, particularly through Salesforce's Data Privacy Framework certification. Personal data for newsletter purposes is processed until users withdraw their consent.
Website registration functionality requires users to agree to vol.at's terms and conditions, with data processing justified under Article 6(1)(b) of GDPR. The company partners with Evolver, located in Chemnitz, Germany, as a data recipient for registration services. Contest and sweepstakes operations are governed by specific competition terms, with data processing limited to the duration of each event and managed through data center operators.
User feedback and communication services operate under legitimate interests provisions of GDPR Article 6(1)(f). The company processes messages related to its services, with data recipients potentially including legal and natural persons mentioned in feedback communications. Survey and competition features are integrated into the platform under vol.at's general terms and conditions, with data processing continuing throughout survey completion and competition duration periods.
The platform offers WhatsApp news services through partnerships with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Sinch in Stockholm, Sweden. These services require explicit user consent and involve the broader Russmedia Group as data recipients. Additionally, Google Ads verification processes for advertisers require consent for identity and company information transmission to Google Ireland Limited, with data processing continuing until consent withdrawal.
Community engagement features include a citizen forum enabling users to access the latest vol.at news updates, a "My Community" section where readers can contribute articles and images about their local areas, and a reader reporter system allowing user-generated content submissions. All these features operate under vol.at's terms and conditions with Russmedia Group as the primary data recipient.
The platform incorporates a loyalty rewards program called "Ländle Points," where users earn points for various activities including browsing, reading articles, commenting, sharing content, and completing quizzes. These points can be exchanged for prizes or exclusive contest participation opportunities. High score displays for the ländlejass.at gaming platform require separate user consent, with the Russmedia Group processing this data until consent withdrawal.
Paywall management systems utilize Piano Software LLC in Amsterdam, Atex Media Limited in Wells, England, and Evolver's single sign-on services. These technical implementations require user consent and involve coordination across multiple international service providers within the Russmedia ecosystem.
The company emphasizes that its privacy policy applies exclusively to the vol.at website and subdomains, advising users to review privacy policies of external websites accessed through links on their platform. Data protection inquiries should be directed to the dedicated email address datenschutz@russmedia.com, though the company responds to requests received through any communication channel.
Users enjoy comprehensive rights under GDPR, including access to information about data processing activities, correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data, and processing restrictions under specific circumstances such as disputed data accuracy or unlawful processing. The right to deletion allows users to request immediate removal of personal data when it's no longer necessary for original purposes, consent is withdrawn, or processing is unlawful.
Data portability rights enable users to receive their personal data in structured, commonly used, machine-readable formats and transfer this information to other controllers without interference. Users can object to data processing based on public interest or legitimate interests, particularly for direct marketing purposes including profiling activities. The company commits to ceasing direct marketing data processing following user objections.
Protection against automated decision-making ensures users are not subject to purely automated processing, including profiling, that produces legal effects or significantly impacts them. Users retain the right to file complaints with supervisory authorities, particularly in their country of residence, workplace, or where alleged violations occurred, if they believe GDPR violations have occurred.
For Austrian users, the Austrian Data Protection Authority serves as the primary supervisory body, located at Barichgasse 40-42 in Vienna, with contact available through dsb@dsb.gv.at or telephone +43 1 521 52-25 69. The company provides online forms for users seeking to exercise their data protection rights and commits to updating privacy notices when procedural changes or technical adjustments occur. The current privacy policy version is dated April 19, 2024, with company contact information available at info@russmedia.com and telephone +43 5572 501-0.
