Privacy & Cookies Policy

Effective date: 13 April 2026

Welcome to the website www.gnews.cz (hereinafter referred to as „website“). This Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you visit our website, in accordance with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and the ePrivacy Directive (Directive 2002/58/EC, as amended by Directive 2009/136/EC), often referred to as the „Cookie Law“.

By accessing or using our Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the terms of this Policy. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use our Website.

1. Controller of Your Personal Data

The controller responsible for the processing of your personal data on this Website is:

Česká mediální kancelář z. s. (Czech Media Agency)

Bermanova 1009/12, Prague 9, 196 00, the Czech Republic

generalnews@gnews.cz

We are registered under file number L 79146 with the Municipal Court in Prague, Czech Republic, Company ID No.: 21633100.

If you have any questions, requests, or complaints regarding your personal data or this Policy, please contact us using the details above.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We collect two types of personal data when you use our Website: personal data (information that can identify you directly or indirectly) and non-personal data (information that cannot identify you).

2.1 Personal data

Depending on your interaction with the website, we may collect the following personal information from you:

• Contact Information: Such as your name, email address, phone number, or postal address, if you voluntarily provide it (e.g., when subscribing to our newsletter, contacting our support team, or submitting a comment).

• Browsing and Usage Data: Information about how you use our Website, such as the pages you visit, the time you spend on each page, the links you click, and your IP address (which may be used to identify your approximate location).

• Other Voluntarily Provided Data: Any other personal data you choose to share with us, such as comments, feedback, or information provided in forms on the Website.

2.2 Non-Personal Data

We may collect the following personal data from you, depending on your interactions with the Website:

• Browser type and version

• Operating system

• Device type

• Referral source (how you found our Website)

• Aggregated browsing patterns (e.g., the number of users who visited a specific page)

Non-personal data is used to improve the Website’s performance, analyze trends, and enhance the user experience. It is not linked to any personal data and is processed in accordance with applicable law.

3. Legal Basis for Processing Your Personal Data

Under the GDPR, we only process your personal data if we have a valid legal basis. The legal bases we rely on are as follows:

• Consent: We process your personal data if you have given us explicit consent to do so (e.g., when you agree to receive our newsletter or accept non-essential cookies). You can withdraw your consent at any time (see Section 7 for details).

• Contractual Necessity: We process your personal data to fulfill our obligations under a contract with you (e.g., if you create an account or purchase a service from us, we need to process your contact and payment details to provide the service).

• Legal Obligation: We may process your personal data to comply with a legal requirement (e.g., keeping records for tax or regulatory purposes).

• Legitimate Interests: We process your personal data when it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or the legitimate interests of a third party), provided that your interests and fundamental rights do not override these interests. Our legitimate interests include:

  - Improving and maintaining the Website

  - Analyzing user behavior to enhance the user experience

  - Preventing fraud and ensuring the security of the Website

  - Promoting our services (where this does not conflict with your rights)

For each processing activity, we will ensure that the legal basis is clearly documented and that we only process data to the extent necessary for the stated purpose.

4. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes, based on the legal bases outlined above:

• To Provide and Maintain the Website: To ensure the Website functions properly, resolve technical issues, and provide you with access to our content and services.

• To Communicate with You: To respond to your inquiries, send you updates, newsletters, or marketing communications (if you have consented), and inform you about changes to our services or this Policy.

• To Improve the Website: To analyze user behavior, identify trends, and make improvements to the Website’s design, content, and functionality.

• To Ensure Security: To detect and prevent fraud, unauthorized access, and other security threats, and to protect the Website and our users.

• To Comply with Legal Obligations: To meet our legal, tax, or regulatory requirements (e.g., keeping records of transactions, responding to legal requests).

• To Personalize Your Experience: To tailor the content and services we offer to your preferences (e.g., showing you news articles relevant to your interests, based on your browsing history).

We will not use your personal data for any purpose that is not stated in this Policy without first notifying you and, where required, obtaining your consent.

5. Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (e.g., web beacons, pixels) on our Website to enhance your user experience, analyze usage patterns, and provide personalized content. This section explains what cookies are, how we use them, and how you can control them, in compliance with the ePrivacy Directive and GDPR.

5.1 What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, smartphone, tablet) when you visit a website. They allow the website to recognize your device and remember certain information about your preferences or browsing activity. Cookies can be “session cookies” (which are deleted when you close your browser) or “persistent cookies” (which remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them).

5.2 Types of Cookies We Use

We use the following types of cookies on our Website, categorized by their purpose:

1. Strictly Necessary Cookies (Essential Cookies) These cookies are essential for the Website to function properly. They enable basic features such as page navigation, access to secure areas of the Website, and remembering your preferences for cookie settings. We do not need your consent to use these cookies, as they are necessary for the provision of the service you have requested. Examples include cookies that remember your cookie consent choices or enable you to access logged-in areas of the Website. Legal Basis: Contractual Necessity and Legitimate Interests (ensuring the Website functions as intended).

2. Functional Cookies These cookies allow the Website to remember your preferences and provide enhanced, personalized features. For example, they may remember your language preference, the articles you have saved, or your login details (if you choose to “remember me”). These cookies do not collect personal data for marketing purposes and are only used to improve your user experience. Legal Basis: Consent (unless they are strictly necessary for the service, in which case we rely on Contractual Necessity).

3. Analytical/Performance Cookies These cookies are used to collect information about how you use the Website, such as which pages you visit most often, how long you spend on each page, and whether you encounter any errors. This data is aggregated and anonymized, meaning it cannot be used to identify you. We use this information to analyze trends, improve the Website’s performance, and understand how users interact with our content. We may use third-party analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to collect this data. These tools may set their own cookies on your device. For more information about how third-party analytics tools process your data, please refer to their privacy policies. Legal Basis: Consent (unless the processing is necessary for our Legitimate Interests, such as improving the Website, and your rights do not override these interests).

4. Marketing/Targeting Cookies These cookies are used to deliver personalized marketing content to you, both on our Website and on third-party websites. They may track your browsing activity across multiple websites to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant ads. We may share data collected by these cookies with third-party advertisers or marketing platforms. Legal Basis: Explicit Consent (you must opt in to these cookies before we use them).

5.3 How to Control Cookies

You have the right to control which cookies we use on your device. You can manage your cookie preferences in the following ways:

• Cookie Consent Banner: When you first visit our Website, you will see a cookie consent banner.

• Browser Settings: You can configure your web browser to block or delete cookies. Most browsers allow you to do this by accessing the “Settings” or “Preferences” menu. Please note that blocking strictly necessary cookies may affect the functionality of the Website, and you may not be able to access certain features.

• Third-Party Tools: For marketing cookies, you can also opt out of third-party tracking using tools such as the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) opt-out page or the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) opt-out page. Please note that if you delete or block cookies, some features of the Website may not work properly, and we may not be able to provide you with the full user experience.

Please note that if you delete or block cookies, some features of the Website may not work properly, and we may not be able to provide you with the full user experience.

6. Sharing Your Personal Data with Third Parties

We may share your personal data with third parties in the following circumstances, in compliance with the GDPR:

• Service Providers: We may share your personal data with third-party service providers who help us operate the Website, provide our services, or process data on our behalf. Examples include web hosting providers, analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics), email marketing platforms, and payment processors (if applicable). These service providers are only allowed to process your data in accordance with our instructions and are required to protect your personal data.

• Legal and Regulatory Authorities: We may share your personal data if we are required to do so by law, court order, or regulatory authority (e.g., responding to a request from a data protection authority or law enforcement agency).

• Organizatiion Transfers: If we sell, merge, or transfer all or part of our organization to another company, we may share your personal data with the acquiring company, provided that they agree to protect your data in accordance with this Policy and applicable law.

• With Your Consent: We may share your personal data with third parties if you have given us explicit consent to do so (e.g., sharing your contact details with a partner organization for a joint promotion).

We will never sell your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes without your explicit consent. All third parties with whom we share your data are required to comply with the GDPR and other applicable data protection laws, and we take reasonable steps to ensure they protect your data.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data. We will respond to any request to exercise these rights within one month (and up to three months in complex cases, where we will inform you of the delay).

• Right to Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, and information about how we process it.

• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.

• Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You have the right to request that we delete your personal data, where:

  - It is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

  - You withdraw your consent (and there is no other legal basis for processing).

  - You object to the processing (and there are no overriding legitimate interests).

  - The data was processed unlawfully.

  - We are required to delete it to comply with a legal obligation.

• Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data (e.g., if you dispute the accuracy of the data, or if the processing is unlawful but you do not want it deleted).

• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we provide you with your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format, or to transfer it directly to another controller (where technically feasible).

• Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data where we rely on a legitimate interest (or the legitimate interest of a third party) as the legal basis. We will stop processing your data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or if the processing is necessary for legal reasons.

• Right to Withdraw Consent: If we process your data based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before it was withdrawn.

• Right to Lodge a Complaint: If you are not satisfied with how we process your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority. In the Czech Republic, this is the Úřad pro ochranu osobních údajů (Office for Personal Data Protection), whose contact details can be found at https://www.uoou.cz/.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 1. We may ask you to provide proof of identity to verify your request, to ensure that we do not disclose personal data to unauthorized individuals.

8. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, or to comply with legal obligations. The retention period will vary depending on the type of data and the purpose of processing:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Retained for the duration of your browsing session (session cookies) or until you delete them (persistent cookies).

• Functional, Analytical, and Marketing Cookies: Retained for a period of 12 months from your last visit, unless you delete them or withdraw your consent earlier.

• Contact and Account Information: Retained for as long as you have an account with us, or until you request its deletion. After you delete your account, we may retain some data for a reasonable period to comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records) or to prevent fraud.

• Usage and Browsing Data: Retained in aggregated, anonymized form for 24 months to improve the Website, after which it is deleted or anonymized.

When your personal data is no longer needed, we will delete it securely or anonymize it so that it can no longer be used to identify you.

9. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously and have implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit (using HTTPS) and at rest.

• Secure storage of data on password-protected servers.

• Regular security audits and updates to our systems.

• Restricting access to personal data to authorized personnel only.

• Training our staff on data protection and security best practices.

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your personal data, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data, but we will always act in accordance with applicable law to minimize risks.

10. International Data Transfers

If we transfer your personal data to a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we will ensure that the transfer is compliant with the GDPR. This may involve:

• Transferring data to a country that has been deemed to provide an adequate level of data protection by the European Commission (e.g., Canada, Japan, New Zealand).

• Using standard contractual clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, which set out obligations for the receiving party to protect your data.

• Using other legally valid mechanisms for international transfers (e.g., binding corporate rules, if applicable).

If you would like more information about international data transfers, please contact us using the details in Section 1.

11. Children’s Privacy

Our Website is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 16 without the consent of a parent or legal guardian, we will delete that data immediately. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us to request its deletion.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy & Cookies Policy from time to time to reflect changes in applicable law, our processing activities, or the Website’s features. When we make changes, we will update the “Effective Date” at the top of this Policy and notify you by:

• Displaying a notice on the Website’s homepage.

• Sending you an email (if you have provided your email address and consented to marketing communications).

• Updating the Policy on the Website (you can always find the latest version in the footer of the Website).

We encourage you to review this Policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your personal data. Your continued use of the Website after the changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, requests, or complaints regarding this Privacy & Cookies Policy, or the processing of your personal data, please contact us at:

Česká mediální kancelář z. s. (Czech Media Agency)

Bermanova 1009/12, Prague 9, 196 00, the Czech Republic

generalnews@gnews.cz

Last update: 13 April 2026