Alma Media > Sustainable Alma > Data protection > Consumers

Consumers

What makes Alma a reliable and responsible partner?

The protection of privacy and the user experience of media users have utmost importance to Alma. We strive to comply with the requirements of legislation applicable from time to time and to comply with high standards of data protection and information security.

Reforming data protection regulation

The starting point of the new data protection regulation is the transparency of activities pertaining to collection and processing of personal data from the side of the entities collecting and processing data.

In order to serve consumers’ expectations, Alma provides clear information on their rights and openly discloses the purposes for which the data is used and to what kinds of recipients the data is disclosed.

Collecting personal data

Alma seeks to understand the needs of the users of its services and to create content that is interesting to them. For this purpose, Alma collects data pertaining to the users of Alma’s services from various sources. The processing of data allows the creation of added value for both the users of Alma’s services as well as the advertiser customers.

Processing of personal data

Alma processes personal data in compliance with the law, usually based on customer relationship or consent. The personal data is mainly collected directly from the users, for example in connection with the registration to Alma’s services.

All activities do not require processing of data in a format where the person is identifiable. If the identification is not necessary, the data may be processed in anonymous format, for example for the purposes of product development. 

In addition to the processing conducted by Alma, the data of the users of Alma’s services may be transferred and assigned to parties that are not part of the Alma group. Alma Media may also submit information to authorities in compliance with legislation in force from time to time. More detailed information on the processing of personal data is available in the privacy policy to be found from the website of each service, Alma Media privacy policy and from the customer service.

Use of cookies and other similar techniques

Alma may collect behavioural data of the users of its digital services and mobile applications for example by using cookies. Cookie is a small file that is saved to the user’s terminal device and by which the digital service may, for example, save the username and password of the user for the next visit, if the user so wishes.

Cookies and other similar techniques do not harm files or terminal device of the user. Cookies cannot be used to distribute viruses and they do not enable analysis of data on the user’s hard drive.

Alma uses information collected with cookies and other techniques to further improve its services, to display better targeted marketing and to tailor the content of services and marketing messages. This way Alma helps its advertiser customers to target their advertising displayed in Alma’s services to such users that are better likely to benefit from it.

Alma has agreed to comply with the self-regulatory program of IAB Europe concerning targeting of online advertising based on browser behaviour when collecting and using behavioural data.

Users have the opportunity to influence

If the user does not want Alma or its affiliates to target advertising or content based on his/her behaviour, the user may prevent this by blocking the cookies of his/her choosing through the settings of his/her browser.

By deleting the cookies on a regular basis, the user changes the identifier based on which he/she has been identified earlier. However, deleting cookies does not fully stop the collection of data, but rather zeroes the profile based on earlier behavioural data. Deleting cookies does not prevent the display of advertising, but the advertising is no longer targeted to the respective user.

A concrete example of the benefits from the targeting of advertising to users is the familiar situation, where the consumer intends to purchase a product, browses websites pertaining to it, and wishes to obtain information on suitable alternatives and general price level. After finding a suitable product, the user decides to wait and consider the final purchase decision, as the user wants to purchase the at as inexpensive price as possible. Few days later he/she notices on the website of some of Alma’s services an advertisement of a new online store, where the product in question is for sale at a price lower than that on other websites visited earlier. And so the targeted advertising serves also as a source of information, making it possible for the user to purchase the desired product at an affordable price from a service provider he/she did not know earlier.

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