cookie policy - Roularta

the cookie policy of Roularta Media Group

Roularta Media Group uses online technologies that allow us to improve the user experience for visitors to our websites and applications, so that we can make our online services as interesting as possible for you. These technologies also enable us to learn more about how you use our websites and applications, as well as about your preferences and interests. You can decide for yourself how we are permitted to use this information through the cookie settings available on our websites and applications. For convenience, the online technologies that collect or store data on your device—such as pixels and cookies—are hereafter referred to as “cookies.”

At Roularta Media Group, we believe the privacy of our customers, subscribers, readers, viewers, and online visitors is important. That is why we make every effort to explain in this Cookie Policy (“Cookie Policy”), in clear and understandable language, which cookies we and our partners use, why we or our partners use them, and how you can manage your cookie settings to stay in control.

To provide a wider reach for advertisers, Roularta Media Group also participates in the IAB Europe (Interactive Advertising Bureau) Transparency & Consent Framework (“IAB TCF”), which allows specialized advertising partners to deliver and measure (personalized) ads and content. These advertising partners place their own cookies on Roularta domains and thereby gain access to the audiences managed by Roularta. We share your consent preferences via the IAB TCF so that they are aware of your choices. However, we ensure that these partners do not receive any data that could directly identify you, such as your name or email address.

Roularta Media Group uses a cookie management tool supported by the IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework, called “Consent choices.” Through this tool, you can select for which purposes Roularta Media Group and its partners may place cookies on your device. The list of data controllers we work with is available by clicking on “Consent choices.”

1. Who is responsible for the use of cookies?

2. Where does Roularta use cookies?

3. What are cookies?

When visiting Roularta’s websites or applications, cookies and pixels may be used that store information on your device (PC, laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.) or access information already stored on your device.

Cookies are small text files stored when you visit and use our websites and applications. These cookie files contain unique codes that allow the website or application to recognize your browser and, for example, remember your language preferences for a website or application.
Pixels are (invisible) graphic files embedded in a webpage or an email. They are used to gain insight into the usage of our websites and applications and when opening and reading our information sent by email. Pixels enable us to track from which device specific parts of the website were visited, when this occurred, and from which location (country/city).

When we subsequently use the term “cookies,” we mean both cookies and pixels.

4. Where do these cookies come from?

Roularta uses two types of cookies:

First-party cookies are cookies placed exclusively by the Roularta domain. Roularta primarily uses first-party cookies to enhance the user experience on its websites and applications. They handle technical aspects of the website and remember certain visitor information, such as language preference, pages visited, and the time spent on the website. Only Roularta has access to the information stored in these cookies.
Third-party cookies are cookies placed or managed by a third party on a different domain, not by Roularta itself. The third party that places these cookies has access to the data contained in those cookies. Examples include cookies from advertisers and social media platforms, such as Google and Facebook. Through the cookie settings tool on our websites and applications, you can easily manage your preferences regarding these third-party cookies. You can thus choose which third parties are allowed to place cookies on your device.

5. What cookies do we use and for what purposes?

The cookies placed on our websites and applications can be divided into the following categories:

Essential cookies
Non-essential cookies
- Cookies that store and/or access information on a device
- Personalized content cookies
- Personalized advertising cookies
- Social media cookies

Through the cookie settings tool on our websites and applications, you can easily manage your preferences regarding non-essential cookies. For these non-essential cookies, you can choose which cookies and for what purposes Roularta and its partners are allowed to place cookies on your device. This Cookie Policy also provides a detailed overview of all cookies used within these categories.

1) Essential cookies

Essential cookies are necessary to ensure that our websites and applications function properly and provide access to our online services. Without these cookies, our websites and applications cannot operate correctly. Therefore, these cookies are always placed and do not require your consent. You cannot refuse or disable them in the cookie settings tool.

Examples of essential cookies include those used to:

Store your preferences or your consent to the use of cookies;
Avoid having to repeatedly enter your username, password, or other data;
Remember your browsing preferences so you don’t have to input them each time: your language, your region, your subscription, your preferred themes, search preferences, etc.;
Allow smooth navigation on our websites and applications, load web pages faster, or enable interactivity with our sites;
Detect errors or misuse and ensure security;
Remember your purchases or form inputs across multiple web pages or browsing sessions, such as products added to a shopping cart or fields filled in forms;
Provide functionality to grant or restrict access to paid articles (e.g., a cookie tracking if you are entitled to a free article or access to paid content).

You can consult the list of essential cookies here.

2) Non-essential cookies

2.1) Cookies that store and/or access information on a device

2.2) Personalized content cookies

We use these cookies to collect information about, among other things, your activities, interests, and visits to our websites or applications. This allows us to tailor the content of our websites, applications, and communications to your personal preferences and thereby personalize your user experience. The purpose of these cookies is to provide you with information that is as relevant as possible to you. In this way, we can recommend personalized articles, videos, podcasts, and newsletters based on your interests, determined by what you have previously read or viewed on our websites and applications.

Additionally, these cookies measure the performance and effectiveness of our content.

Examples of the use of these cookies include:

Displaying relevant articles on the homepage considering the region you are in;
Sending newsletters tailored to your interests;
Suggesting an article, video, or podcast on our websites, applications, or newsletters based on articles, videos, or podcasts you have previously read, viewed, or listened to;
Measuring whether content personalization works properly and is effective.

If you do not accept these cookies, it does not mean you will receive less content. However, the displayed content will no longer be tailored to your personal preferences and characteristics and may thus be less relevant.

You can consult the list of personalized content cookies here.

2.3) Personalized advertising cookies

Advertisements are shown on our websites and applications. These advertisements are placed by Roularta and/or third parties and constitute a necessary source of revenue.

We use these cookies to collect information about, among other things, your activities, interests, and visits to our websites or applications. This allows us to tailor the content of our advertisements to your personal preferences and interests. Based on this, we can segment you into groups such as woman, age category 30-40 years, etc.

Additionally, these cookies measure the performance and effectiveness of advertisements (for example, whether the ad was fully visible and if you clicked on it). We also conduct market research to better understand the audience that visits our websites and applications and views our advertisements.

We may use the data collected by these cookies to improve our systems and software as well as those of our partners, and to develop new online services.

Examples of these advertising cookies include:

Advertising cookies that allow us to track how many times an advertisement was shown and help ensure that you do not see ads unnecessarily repeatedly;
Advertising cookies that track how many visitors click on an ad and share this information with the advertiser;
Targeted advertising cookies: these ensure that the content of advertising messages and ads are adapted to your registered data (e.g., age, gender, region, marital status) and/or your previous browsing behavior, possibly combined with information from other sources;
Roularta works with specialized advertising partners to reach a broader range of advertisers. These partners place their own cookies on Roularta domains and gain access to the audiences managed by Roularta. However, Roularta ensures that these partners do not receive any data that could directly identify you, such as your name or email address;
Facebook Conversion Pixel (records purchase behavior after viewing an ad on Facebook. This information is added to the user’s Facebook profile).

If you do not accept these cookies, it does not mean you will see fewer ads. However, the ads shown will no longer be tailored to your personal preferences and characteristics and may therefore be less relevant.

You can consult the list of personalized advertising cookies here.

2.4) Social media cookies

6. How long are cookies retained?

The storage period varies from cookie to cookie, but broadly speaking, cookies can be categorized into the following two types based on their storage period:

Temporary cookies (“session cookies”): these cookies are temporary and are deleted as soon as you close your browser or application;
Persistent cookies (“persistent cookies”): these cookies remain on your device even after you have closed your browser or (mobile) application. Persistent cookies allow us to recognize you during your next visit to our websites or applications. Persistent cookies stay on your device until a predetermined expiration date is reached or until you delete them via your browser, (mobile) application, or mobile device settings.

You can check the storage periods for each cookie in the list of cookies (see link below each category).

7. How can I manage the use of cookies?

We want to give you as much control as possible over the use of cookies through our online services.

Therefore, you can manage the use of cookies both via our online services and through your browser.

Through Roularta online services:
When you visit our online services (on our websites or applications) for the first time, you will be given the option via the cookie settings tool to accept or reject specific categories of non-essential cookies. You can also adjust these preferences at any time via our cookie settings tool, Consent choices. You will notice that during your next visit, we will apply these new cookie settings. You can find the link to this tool at the bottom of every page on our websites and applications.

You will see that you cannot change the essential cookies. Without these cookies, our websites and applications cannot function properly. Therefore, these cookies are always placed and do not require your consent. You cannot refuse or disable them via the cookie settings tool.

Through your browser:
You can also manage or refuse the installation of cookies via your browser settings. Cookies already installed on your device can be deleted at any time. More information on how to do this can be found through the links below:

If you use a different browser, it is best to check whether your browser’s cookie management procedure is listed on the website www.allaboutcookies.org/manage-cookies. Please note this website is only available in English.

8. Rights

You can exercise your rights at any time regarding access to, correction, deletion, or portability of the personal data we process, as well as, under certain circumstances, your right to restriction or objection, and, where applicable, your right to withdraw consent.

All these rights are detailed in our privacy policy. We strive to respond to your request as quickly as reasonably possible, and always within the deadlines prescribed by the GDPR.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about our privacy policy, which personal data we collect from you, why we collect it, how we use it, or about your privacy rights, you can consult our privacy policy for the website. Our Cookie Policy is an integral part of our privacy policy. Please read both carefully.

9. Questions or complaints?

If you have any questions or comments about this Cookie Policy, or if you have any complaints, you can contact us by email at privacy@roularta.be or by post at:

Roularta Media Group (Privacy Office)
Meiboomlaan 33
8800 Roeselare
Belgium

You also have the right to file a complaint at any time with the competent supervisory authority. In Belgium, this is the Data Protection Authority (Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit):

Data Protection Authority
Drukpersstraat 35
1000 Brussels
Email: contact@apd-gba.be
Phone: +32 2 274 48 00