Questions and Answers About Privacy
Below you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions about security and privacy regarding Bonnier AB’s processing of personal data. Bonnier AB is the parent company for the group’s media operations for some 160 businesses. Of these, approximately 20 majority-owned companies in Sweden are part of central data processing at Bonnier AB. For a more extensive explanation, see Bonnier’s Privacy Notice.
What does GDPR mean for me as an individual?
What is Bonnier’s opinion about GDPR?
What data do we save? How do we collect data?
How do we cooperate within Bonnier?
Do we sell or share with other parties?
From which subsidiary companies does Bonnier AB process data?
What data does Bonnier AB have about me?
Why can’t I get all my user data from all Bonnier companies directly from you?
1. ON GDPR
What is GDPR?
The EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is in effect starting May 25, 2018, strengthens individuals’ rights to their personal data, and one of the requirements for those processing personal data is to provide a justification for storing and processing of personal data, and for how the information is processed.
What does GDPR mean for me as an individual?
The key rights granted by GDPR concern what information may be stored, how the information may be used, and the right to access the information. These include:
- You are free to request a registry extract (as defined in the law) and access to a copy of your personal data, request a correction and, in some circumstances, deletion of your personal data
- You are entitled to request limiting or stopping the processing of your personal information that has been collected by us for legitimate interests
- You have the right to file complaints with a data protection authority in your country. Datainspektionen is the authority in Sweden that oversees how we as a company comply with the legislation.
- If the processing of personal data is based on your consent, you are entitled to withdraw your consent for future processing of your personal information at any time
None of these are completely new rights; in fact several of these areas were governed by previous regulations, such as in Sweden by the Personal Data Act (PUL); however GDPR represents a strengthening of your rights to your personal data.
What is Bonnier’s opinion about GDPR?
GDPR is fundamentally a strengthening of the rights of individuals and of the requirements for those who process personal data. It requires transparency and that the information be comprehensible. This means, for example, that extremely complicated user agreements that have previously been used for digital services are likely to be simplified to meet that requirement.
For Bonnier as a prominent long-term parent company, we welcome the demands it makes for everyone involved. We think it’s necessary. For us, efficient and secure handling of customer data is very important, both in order to develop our customer offering, and to maintain good relationships with existing and future customers.
2. ABOUT BONNIER’S DATA PROCESSING
Why do we save data?
Our companies save and process data to reach our customers, in order to create the best possible media products and ad offers. The information involved may be from a postal address required for the delivery of a physical subscription. Or user data that shows where in a television series you as a viewer are. Or data on the use of services in order to personalize the services based on that data, for example by recommending certain titles in an audiobook or video-on-demand service.
Within the Bonnier group, there is no common processing or storage of all data collected by Bonnier companies. However, we do undertake some common analysis and data exchange in cases where we find it worthwhile, but always with caution and proper controls to uphold our customers’ confidence. The main reasons for data processing at Bonnier AB are to:
- Provide our subsidiary companies with a secure customer register where we can ensure centrally that your information and preferences as a Bonnier customer are accurate, up-to-date and used for limited purposes, and that we can also offer you an easy way to access your rights and request your personal information from us at Bonnier
- Support our subsidiary companies with an analysis that ensures your privacy, so that companies can improve existing products for you as a customer and provide personalized customized digital services tailored to you
- Support our subsidiary companies with an analysis that ensures your privacy, so that they can conduct relevant direct marketing and telemarketing campaigns to you for similar goods and services from companies within the Bonnier group
- Support our subsidiary companies with an analysis that ensures your privacy, so they together with their advertisers, where permitted by you or where permitted by law, can direct relevant advertising to you in our services and websites that are supported by advertising.
For the above processing of your personal information, Bonnier AB is personally responsible together with the company within the group in which you are a customer. Where you have a subscription, registration or other relationship with one of our subsidiaries, the subsidiary is responsible for how they handle your personal information.
We do not sell our users’ data to external companies or other entities; rather, it is used exclusively to fulfill our commitments to our customers and to develop our offerings to consumers and advertisers.
What data do we save? How do we collect data?
The user data processed centrally by Bonnier AB is customer data and behavior data.
Customer data is, for example, contact information that customers and other users themselves provide when subscription or other contracts are agreed to with one of our subsidiary companies. This may also be promotional marketing opt-out preferences and additional statistics, for example aggregated information from public records such as address information. This is used, among other things, to ensure that current and accurate information is available for our subsidiary companies, such as requests to be removed from marketing promotions and also for Bonnier AB in matters related to customer rights based on GDPR.
Behavioral data is created when someone uses our company’s digital services. It may apply to articles, movies, products visited, the type of device used, time of day, etc. This can also be supplemented with data from, for example, public records. Using behavioral data allows for the possibility of personalizing the subsidiaries’ digital services, for example, that a user is recommended audiobooks or movies that may be of particular interest.
All of our data processing, of course, meets legal requirements and is done with care to maintain our users’ trust.
How do we cooperate within Bonnier?
Bonnier does not keep all customer data in one place; rather, responsibility for data privacy of a Bonnier-owned company’s processing of data rests with the individual subsidiary. However, certain common data processing is done centrally with data from some of Bonnier’s Swedish companies. This is primarily in order to:
- Provide a secure customer register to our companies within the group, where we are centrally assured that your information and preferences as a Bonnier customer are accurate, up to date and limited to what they are supposed to be used for, and where we can also offer you an easy way to access your rights and request your personal information from us at Bonnier
- Support our companies within the group with analysis that ensures your privacy so that companies can improve existing products for you as a customer and provide personalized customized digital services tailored to you
- Support our companies within the group with analysis that ensures your privacy so that they can conduct relevant direct marketing and telemarketing campaigns to you of similar goods and services from companies within the Bonnier group
- Support our subsidiary companies with an analysis that ensures your privacy, so they together with their advertisers, where permitted by you or where permitted by law, can direct relevant advertising to you in our services and websites that are supported by advertising.
Naturally, this is always carried out according to law, which usually means that the individual has given his or her consent or that the processing is necessary to fulfill our obligations towards the individual. All data processing within Bonnier should be done with the utmost care to maintain our customers’ trust in Bonnier and our companies.
Do we sell or share with other parties?
Bonnier AB does not sell user data to third parties. We use our user data to create the best possible media services and offers to our own users and advertisers, not to sell to third parties.
From which subsidiary companies does Bonnier AB process data?
Bonnier AB only processes data from some of its Swedish companies, and only companies in which Bonnier AB is the majority shareholder.
How long is the data saved?
Bonnier retains personal information as long as it is necessary to provide the products and services, fulfill the transactions you have requested and approved, or for other necessary purposes, such as complying with our legal obligations, resolving disputes and enforcing our agreements. As these needs may vary for different types of data and for different types of products, services and contexts, actual retention periods may vary.
For example, for data of a sensitive nature, a shorter retention period is applied. For the websites and digital services of companies within Bonnier, online-behavior data is stored for 30 days before it is anonymized.
What is Bonnier Insights?
Bonnier Insights is the name of a core department within Bonnier AB which, among other things, owns and manages the systems that enable data processing in cases where the data is shared with Bonnier AB. This data is then used by the subsidiaries in a responsible manner to create value. Bonnier Insights is responsible for our common customer register and assists Swedish companies within Bonnier with analysis and development of products through, for example, personalization.
3. CONTACT US ABOUT YOUR DATA
What data does Bonnier AB have about me?
Bonnier AB is the parent company of a large number of subsidiary companies. We do not aggregate our subsidiary companies’ customer data collectively. The respective Bonnier companies, such as Adlibris or TV4, have personal responsibility for their users’ data. The reason not all data from companies within Bonnier is processed centrally is simply that we do not share user data in this way across the group. Our subsidiary companies in Sweden that share data with Bonnier AB do so very selectively and carefully, and far from all data processed by our companies is actually shared.
If your request for your data concerns a specific Bonnier company, then you should contact that company directly. Here you will find relevant contact information for a number of our largest businesses. You can review, edit and delete your personal information online for many of the products and services our subsidiaries provide through your user account for the particular product or service.
However, if you have a request for personal information from data that Bonnier AB is responsible for, go to this form. There you will need to register as a user in order for us to verify your identity in order to ensure we don’t send your personal information to the wrong person. Note that we can only handle requests in Swedish for those majority-owned Swedish companies that are part of the central processing of data.
Why can’t I get all my user data from all Bonnier companies directly from you?
The reason not all data from companies within Bonnier is processed centrally is simply that we do not share user data in that way within the group. Bonnier has a decentralized structure with a large number of subsidiary companies, each responsible for the customer data it manages. While between companies certain data is sometimes shared for specific purposes, this is done selectively and carefully, and far from all data processed by our companies is actually shared. Therefore, far from all Bonnier-owned companies’ customer data is collected centrally.
Send a request to Bonnier AB here. There you will need to register as a user in order for us to verify your identity in order to ensure we don’t send your personal information to the wrong person. Note that we can only handle requests in Swedish for those majority-owned Swedish companies that are part of the central processing of data.
If your request concerns a specific Swedish company owned by Bonnier that is part of central data processing, please see our contact list here.
As a consumer, how can I access/review/edit/delete personal information that Bonnier AB has about me?
All requests regarding Bonnier AB’s handling of your personal information can be made via this web form. There you will need to register as a user in order for us to verify your identity in order to ensure we don’t send your personal information to the wrong person. Note that we can only handle requests in Swedish for those majority-owned Swedish companies that are part of the central processing of data.
As a consumer, how can I access/review/edit/delete personal information that a specific subsidiary company of Bonnier has about me?
Make your request directly to that company. Here you can find links to Bonnier’s subsidiary companies.