1. Who we are

ALT-TEXT ASBL (“ALT-TEXT”, “we”, “us”) is a Belgian non-profit association (ASBL/VZW) registered in Belgium. We operate the website https://alt-text.eu, which provides resources on digital literacy, scam detection, and free and open-source software (FOSS).

As a Belgian ASBL, we are subject to Belgian law and, where applicable, EU law including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – Regulation 2016/679).

Our contact details:

• Organisation: ALT-TEXT ASBL
• Address: 25 Avenue de la Porte de Hal
• Email: hello@alt-text.eu
• Website: https://alt-text.eu

2. Scope of this policy

This policy applies to all personal data collected through alt-text.eu and any related communications. It does not apply to third-party websites we may link to; those sites have their own privacy policies.

3. Data we collect and why

3.1 Server and access logs

When you visit our website, our web server automatically records standard technical information, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, and timestamps. This data is collected on the basis of our legitimate interest in maintaining website security and diagnosing technical problems (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). Logs are retained for a maximum of 30 days unless required longer for an active security investigation.

3.2 Analytics (Matomo or Plausible)

We use a privacy-respecting analytics tool to understand how visitors use our site. We are evaluating Matomo (self-hosted) and Plausible Analytics; in either case:

• No tracking cookies are used
• IP addresses are anonymised before processing
• No data is shared with advertising networks
• Data is processed in the EU

Analytics data is collected on the basis of our legitimate interest in improving our website (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). Because no persistent identifiers or cross-site tracking are used, this processing does not require a prior consent banner under Belgian interpretations of the ePrivacy Directive; however, we will revisit this assessment if our tool or configuration changes.

3.3 Fonts (Google Fonts)

Our website currently loads fonts from Google Fonts, which causes your browser to send your IP address to Google’s servers in the United States. This transfer occurs on the basis of our legitimate interest in presenting the site correctly (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)), with Google acting as a data processor under Google’s standard contractual clauses.

Note: We are aware that this creates a data transfer to the US and have flagged migration to locally hosted fonts as a technical priority. We will update this policy once that change is made.

3.4 Donations (GiveWP)

If you make a donation through our website, we collect the personal data necessary to process your donation and issue a fiscal receipt where applicable. This includes:

• Name and email address
• Billing address
• Payment information (processed by our payment provider; we do not store full card details)
• Donation amount and date

This data is processed on the basis of the performance of a contract (or pre-contractual steps) and our legal obligation to maintain financial records (GDPR Article 6(1)(b) and 6(1)(c)). Donor records are retained for 7 years in accordance with Belgian accounting law. Your email address may be used to send you a receipt and, with your separate consent, updates about ALT-TEXT.

3.5 Contact and correspondence

If you contact us by email or any contact form, we will use the information you provide solely to respond to your enquiry. This processing is based on our legitimate interest in responding to communications (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). Correspondence is retained for as long as necessary to resolve the matter, typically no longer than 2 years.

3.6 Newsletter (planned)

If and when we launch a newsletter, subscription will be based on your explicit consent (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)). You will be able to withdraw consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email. We will update this policy with full details before launching.

4. Cookies

We aim to use as few cookies as possible, consistent with our mission to resist surveillance capitalism.

• Strictly necessary cookies – set by WordPress for logged-in administrators and for session integrity. These cannot be disabled without breaking core site functionality.
• Analytics cookies – none, if we use Plausible. If we use Matomo, we configure it to avoid persistent cookies. We will update this section once our analytics tool is finalised.
• Third-party cookies – Google Fonts may set a cookie; see section 3.3 above.

We will implement a cookie consent mechanism before deploying any non-essential cookies that require prior consent under Belgian law.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@alt-text.eu. We will respond within one month. If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority (Autorité de Protection des Données / Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit):

APD/GBA – www.autoriteprotectiondonnees.be

5. Who we share your data with

We do not sell or rent personal data. We share data only where necessary:

• Hosting provider – our web host processes server logs and website data on our behalf as a data processor.
• Payment processor (GiveWP / payment gateway) – processes donation payments. The payment gateway is subject to its own privacy policy and PCI-DSS obligations.
• Google (Fonts) – receives your IP address when fonts are loaded; see section 3.3.
• Analytics provider – we use self-hosted Matomo for analytics. No third party receives your data and you can opt-out here:

  Opt-out complete; your visits to this website will not be recorded by the Web Analytics tool. Note that if you clear your cookies, delete the opt-out cookie, or if you change computers or Web browsers, you will need to perform the opt-out procedure again.

  You may choose to prevent this website from aggregating and analyzing the actions you take here. Doing so will protect your privacy, but will also prevent the owner from learning from your actions and creating a better experience for you and other users.

  You are not opted out. Uncheck this box to opt-out. You are currently opted out. Check this box to opt-in.

  The tracking opt-out feature requires cookies to be enabled.

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• Legal authorities – we may disclose data where required by Belgian law or a binding court order.

Any processor we engage is bound by a data processing agreement in line with GDPR Article 28.

6. International data transfers

We prefer to keep all data within the EU/EEA. At present, the only transfer outside the EU is to Google (for Fonts), covered by Google’s standard contractual clauses. We will update this section if further transfers arise.

7. Your rights

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Access – request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification – ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure – ask us to delete your data, subject to our legal retention obligations.
• Restriction – ask us to pause processing while a dispute is resolved.
• Portability – receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection – object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

8. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or destruction. These include HTTPS encryption, access controls, and regular software updates. No system is completely secure; if you believe your data has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

9. Children’s data

Our website is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced on this page with an updated version date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.