Russmedia Digital GmbH, the responsible entity under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other national data protection laws, has published detailed privacy policies for users of VOL.at and its subdomains. The company, located at Gutenbergstraße 1, 6858 Schwarzach, operates the website www.vol.at and processes personal data exclusively based on legal provisions including GDPR, TKG 2021, and national data protection laws.

The privacy policy outlines that personal data includes all information that allows conclusions about user identity, such as names, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers. The company follows principles of data avoidance and data minimization, collecting personal information only when necessary for the desired purpose or when voluntarily provided by users. Russmedia Digital maintains responsibility for user data even when utilizing third-party processors for contract processing.

For newsletter services, the company processes data based on user consent under Article 6 of GDPR, with recipients including Salesforce in San Francisco, California, Magenta T-Mobile Austria GmbH in Vienna, Piano Software LLC in Amsterdam, and Inxmail in Freiburg, Germany. Data transfers to third countries, particularly to Salesforce, are protected through Data Privacy Framework certification. The processing continues until users withdraw their consent.

Registration services enable certain website functions and operate under VOL.at terms and conditions in conjunction with Article 6 of GDPR. The German company Evolver, located at Leipziger Str. 44, 09113 Chemnitz, serves as a data recipient. Contest and sweepstakes processing involves data center operators as recipients, with data processed for the duration of contest completion under the legal basis of contest terms and GDPR Article 6.

Feedback processing handles messages sent by users regarding services, operating under legitimate interests as defined in Article 6 of GDPR. Recipients may include legal and natural persons mentioned in the feedback, with data processed for the duration necessary to achieve the purpose. Survey and competition processing follows similar protocols under VOL.at terms and conditions, utilizing data center operators as recipients.

The WhatsApp news service operates through user consent under GDPR Article 6, with Meta Platforms Ireland Limited and Sinch in Stockholm, Sweden, serving as data recipients. Google Ads verification processing involves transmitting identity and company information to Google Ireland Limited for advertising campaigns, requiring user consent and involving the Russmedia Group as recipients.

Community features include a citizen forum (Bürgerforum) where users can access the latest news reports through VOL.at. The "My Community" (Meine Gemeinde) feature allows readers to create posts about their communities and provide images for potential publication on VOL.at. The reader reporter (Leserreporter) function similarly enables users to create content and provide images for possible website publication.

The loyalty program called Ländle Points rewards user engagement on VOL.at through various activities including browsing, reading articles, commenting, sharing content, and solving quizzes. Users can exchange accumulated points for prizes or exclusive contest participation opportunities. High score displays for the ländlejass.at game require user consent under GDPR Article 6, with the Russmedia Group serving as data recipients.

Paywall control systems process data through user consent, involving Piano Software LLC in Amsterdam, Atex Media Limited in Wells, Somerset, England, Evolver SSO services, and the Russmedia Group. All processing continues until users withdraw their consent, demonstrating the company's commitment to user control over personal information.

Users possess comprehensive rights under data protection regulations, including the right to information confirmation about personal data processing, correction of inaccurate or incomplete data, restriction of processing under specific circumstances, and deletion of personal data when no longer necessary for original purposes. The company provides dedicated contact channels at datenschutz@russmedia.com for privacy-related inquiries and datenschutz@vol.at for deletion requests.

Additional user rights include notification about data recipients, data portability in structured and machine-readable formats, objection to processing based on public interest or legitimate interests, and withdrawal of consent declarations. Users also have rights regarding automated decision-making including profiling and can file complaints with supervisory authorities, particularly the Austrian Data Protection Authority at Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna.

The privacy policy undergoes regular updates to reflect procedural changes and technical adjustments, with the current version dated April 19, 2024. Users are encouraged to review the most current version of the privacy notice regularly to stay informed about data processing practices and their rights as data subjects.