Church of Carinthia informs: News from the parishes and more!

Church of Carinthia informs: News from the parishes and more!

Nowadays, the issue of data protection is becoming more and more present, including in church institutions. The Catholic Church of Carinthia takes its responsibility seriously and has implemented various measures to ensure data protection. According to a current report from the Catholic Church of Carinthia, every parish and church institution is responsible for the content of their respective homepages and compliance with data protection regulations.

The Diocese of Gurk, to which the Catholic Church of Carinthia belongs, has set up a data protection management system that includes a three-person data protection commission and a data protection officer. Nevertheless, this structure raises questions about compliance with European law. According to an article on [Article 91](https://artikel91.eu/2021/12/06/kirchlicher-datenschutz-in-oesterreich-ein- Responsible-fuer-die-ganze-kirche/), the church data protection regulation is only partially implemented in Austria, which could lead to uncertainty.

Responsibility and principles

Responsibility for the content lies not only with the headquarters, but each parish must know and observe the legal framework. This structure is intended to increase church data security and at the same time offer believers a protected space. Catholic institutions also have an obligation to provide information in order to report data processing to the data protection officer.

The goals are clearly defined: socio-political and cultural information should be provided from an ecclesiastical-Catholic perspective, as is the case with Sonntag. Church newspaper. The editorial team specializes in picking up and discussing current topics from the region, be it from the cultural, social or religious areas.

Data protection on the hotel list

With the growing awareness of data protection in society, it is essential for the church to serve as a role model. The use of Google Analytics, for example, should be anonymized in order to protect user privacy. Politically, economically and culturally informed reporting is reinforced by knowledge about the handling of personal data.

To ensure optimal accessibility, the church strives to adhere to the WAI guidelines (WCAG 2.0). This also means taking accessibility measures for both the digital and physical worlds.

The core messages are therefore clear: data protection is not only a legal imperative, but also an ethical responsibility. The Catholic Church of Carinthia has recognized the sign of the times and is actively working to comprehensively design the various areas of data protection.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how church data protection structures develop and whether they meet the requirements placed on modern institutions. The only thing that is certain is that the debate about data protection and church responsibility remains on the agenda.