Guideline

GDPR and digital magazines – this is how it works

If you are about to publish your print magazines as responsive, interactive online magazines we guess the new data protection requirements are probably the last thing you feel like thinking about. Who wants to rack their brain and worry about cookie banners, imprint and privacy statements when being in an euphoric mood about revolutionizing marketing. 

It’s worth keeping this topic in mind right from the beginning - because the implementation is not that difficult, but - and this is very important - it is urgently required. Technically speaking, your browser-based magazines are websites and are therefore subject to all rules and regulations according to the GDPR. 

GDPR headaches are not really necessary

As a matter of fact the GDPR has not simplified the handling of information and data, which causes some real headache for many people. But is this really necessary? The GDPR establishes some sensible rules and measures which are supposed to protect the personal data of your readers. 

At the same time, you want to integrate external providers such as YouTube or Facebook into your magazines, evaluate your readers data and hence find out more about the usage of your digital magazine. After all, these are some of the biggest advantages compared to old-fashioned PDFs and print editions.

Therefore it is absolutely essential to implement those requested specifications in the interests of both, readers and editors. But keep in mind: Do so without losing focus on the essentials.


The GDPR has not simplified the handling of information and data, which causes some real headache for many people. But is this really necessary? It’s worth keeping this topic in mind right from the beginning - the implementation is not that difficult, but - and this is very important - it is urgently required. 

What is the GDPR actually? 

Somehow pretty much everyone has heard of the GDPR, at some point. But nobody really wants to go into detail (except maybe your data protection officer, who will probably be happy to share an extended lunch with you while explaining every single GDPR detail).

The General Data Protection Regulation, short: GDPR, provides a common regulation for the protection of personal data all over Europe. In case of neglect or violation of the GDPR sanctioning is to be expected. That’s why everything in your new digital magazine linked with this topic should be considered and waterproof.

GDPR provides a common regulation for the protection of personal data all over Europe.

Everything you need to know. And how to get there in no time. 

Data protection has become a very comprehensive topic and it's always recommended to communicate with your company's data protection officer. Often there is a superordinate concept or even internal company regulations, which might help you to implement your digitization strategy in accordance with the data protection regulations.

Most things can be dealt with by yourself if you only keep a few major points in mind.

Cookie Consent needed  

Whenever you visit a website - or a digital magazine - for the first time, you will probably be shown a popup: "May we ask for your approval?" or "We want to offer you the best possible user experience!" Next to it there is a button "Accept" or "Configure settings" - along with a note on data protection.

Regulated by the GDPR the user - in our case the reader - receives information about type and complexity of the data collection methods applied. (Which happens through those ominous cookies). By doing so the user gets informed about his or her rights and the opportunity to disagree with the collection of their personal data.

A simple hint or a straightforward button to “accept”  is not enough.

Of course you could decide not to use any cookies and abandon the option to collect any personal user data. But at the same time you would miss out on a whole range of possibilities.

Just to name a few: You would no longer be able to integrate a YouTube video or evaluate user data with Google Analytics. Also, thanks to cookies, the online shop shopping cart still remembers any previously stored items and also any content which has been searched for in the past found again in just a few clicks.

Cookies are required for the evaluation.

On the other hand, cookies are also being used as a central technology for individualized advertising. By making use of collected profiles, targeted offers and activities can be presented to users while network activity is being tracked. Your digital magazine becomes part of a comprehensible customer journey. 

At the end of the day you will almost without exceptions include cookies when creating an online offer. This is why we would highly recommend to correctly set up the so-called „Cookie consent“ instead of avoiding the topic entirely.

Therefore, when about to create your online magazine, make sure that options for setting up a cookie banner are sufficient. Depending on whether your company comes up with an individual solution, you should check if you can integrate them into your digital magazine. Also there are specialized providers such as Cookiebot, Cookiehub or Usercentrics which are worth to be taken into consideration.

Webmag allows you to set up your own cookie banner which lists all cookies being used in the magazine according to the GDPR - and it only takes you a few clicks. Also integrating third-party providers: consider it done with a simple click. In addition the navigation bar shows a button which can be used by readers to change their cookie settings at any time.

Standard cookie banner in Webmag. The cookies used are automatically listed and can be selected and deselected by the user.

Need an example? 

Click here for the online catalog of the Haufe Academy, which has integrated the company-wide used service "Cookiebot". Simply inserted an own Cookiebot ID and all cookie settings can be controlled centrally by the Haufe Academy's data protection officer - for a maximum of control and security. 

Data protection declaration, imprint needed 

A data protection declaration which complies with the GDPR: a must have for every website, including online magazines. If you miss out on following the GDPR you risk fines, warnings and claims for compensation. Be aware: the same applies to incomplete and incorrect implementation.

This is why your privacy policy should be one of the first things you implement when creating your website. 

It all comes down to be very clear, specific and informative about your careful and responsible handling with all the personal data you are collecting. Also you want to make sure these relevant information are being provided in a precise, transparent, easily accessible way, composed in clear and simple language. 

Personal data which can be processed online are, for example: 

  • Name
  • Mail contact
  • Phone number
  • Location information
  • IP address
  • personalized cookies

In order to guarantee transparent processing, you must not only inform about your own data processing (e.g. via contact form and newsletter), but also about the data processing arranged by third parties. This also includes the processing of any integrated services you might use. (e.g. social plugins from Facebook or Twitter, usage analysis and retargeting). 

Also please don’t forget to include any details on processing in data protection-critical states (such as the US), as well as the offer of a legally compliant possibility to object. 

Your data protection declaration must be accessible and clearly recognizable from every page of the website in just one click. It’s not enough to simply integrate the data protection declaration on a hidden page or into the imprint. In addition, there are in some countries requirements for the mentioned imprint, on what it’s supposed to look like. Therefore, make sure your imprint complies with the relevant requirements of your country.

Special features: forms and newsletter registrations

An important part of your digital magazine are options through which your readers are able to interact and get in touch with you: For example entry forms or input masks for newsletter registration.

Since by using the above mentioned, personal data is being transferred it’s important that everything is set up correctly regarding the GDPR regulations. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a contact form or a newsletter registration - the user must be informed of what will happen to his data before submitting. And he must be able to revoke his agreement.

When collecting e-mail addresses, a specific agreement process applies: the double opt-in procedure. It includes at least one confirmation e-mail. Even better would be sending out another welcoming email including the option to unsubscribe, in case someone accidentally subscribed to your newsletter.

In order to meet all these requirements and to be able to process data sensibly, it makes sense to involve specialized providers. Just to mention a few: There is Hubspot for creating forms, Mailchimp for creating newsletter lists or Paperform for multiple choice queries.

By using external providers all data is collected in compliance with data protection regulations and you don’t need to pay any extra attention to further GDPR topics when creating your online magazine. All you have to do: include the cookies set by the external provider in your privacy policy.


   Third-party providers and external services can be easily integrated into Webmag. Many of those mentioned offers, such as Hubspot, Google Forms or Eloqua, are available by default - simply insert an ID and the relevant forms will be displayed in the magazine. Providers which are not integrated by default can be integrated upon request in most cases. All cookies that have been set will be transferred automatically to your created cookie banner.

Conclusion

It’s a matter of opinion whether cookie banners and data protection regulations are reader-friendly or provider-friendly. However, if you want to push things forward in terms of digitisation in your company, it is not worth thinking too much about detailed characteristics of the GDPR. Make sure that you have an overview of what is necessary for publication and  agree with your provider and your data protection officer that you are proceeding in compliance with the GDPR. In most cases it’s not rocket science to create a data protection-compliant digital magazine. And eventually everyone benefits from this - you, as well as your readers.

Webmag has been specialized in making the GDPR-compliant setup of your online magazine as easy as possible. The integrated cookie banner can be activated with a simple click. Now add some links to your imprint and your data protection declaration and you’re good to go. All cookies your magazine sets, for example, because you have integrated YouTube videos, analytics or forms, will be automatically displayed in the cookie banner according to the GDPR. Or you can use your internal company solutions, e.g. Cookiebot. Also this way you can keep it simple and still be safe.

Do you want to convince yourself? Our team is happy to be there for you and answer any open question you might have.

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