Technical audit · 26.05.2026

fwf.ac.at

Austrian Science Fund

Austrian Science Fund — 86 requests, 8 domains. The Usercentrics CMP with an autoblocker holds trackers back. Friendly Captcha for forms. No analytics, no advertising in the HAR. Gap: Usercentrics and frcapi are not declared in the policy.

Request timeline

+998 ms · Usercentrics autoblocker

privacy-proxy.usercentrics.eu/latest/uc-block.bundle.js — the tracker blocker loads first among external services.

+1000 ms · Usercentrics loader

app.usercentrics.eu/browser-ui/latest/loader.js — the CMP initializes.

+1910 ms · Friendly Captcha

global.frcapi.com — an anti-bot system for forms. GDPR-compliant, data stays within the EU.

Session total

86 requests. No analytics trackers appear in the HAR — the consent gate holds. 33 requests to Usercentrics infrastructure.

Declared versus actual

+ Usercentrics CMP — not mentioned in the policy — not declared

+ Friendly Captcha (global.frcapi.com) — not mentioned in the policy — not declared

Transfer timings

+998 ms privacy-proxy.usercentrics.eu

Autoblocker — blocks all trackers until consent.

+1910 ms global.frcapi.com

Friendly Captcha. Servers in the EU.

Indicators of GDPR non-compliance

GDPR Art. 13
The Usercentrics CMP (app.usercentrics.eu, api.usercentrics.eu, privacy-proxy.usercentrics.eu) and Friendly Captcha (global.frcapi.com) load before consent and are not mentioned in the privacy policy. Both services transmit data to external servers on every visit.

Context

FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung) is Austria’s principal fund for financing fundamental scientific research. HAR: 86 requests, 8 domains.

Usercentrics holds the line

The Usercentrics CMP is set up with an autoblocker (uc-block.bundle.js) — it loads first among the external services and blocks all trackers until the user makes a choice. There is no Google Analytics, no Matomo, no analytics pings of any kind in the HAR. 33 requests to Usercentrics infrastructure — the CMP system itself. The architecture is correct.

Friendly Captcha instead of reCAPTCHA

Forms use global.frcapi.com — Friendly Captcha, a European alternative to Google reCAPTCHA. Data is processed on servers within the EU, with nothing sent to Google. A good choice for a science fund.

A gap in the policy

The privacy policy (in English) describes the newsletter, grant applications, and personal data in detail — but does not mention Usercentrics as a consent data processor or Friendly Captcha. Both load on every visit and transmit data to external servers.

Conclusion

86 requests, 8 domains, zero analytics trackers. The science fund chose the right tools and configured them correctly. The only gap is the failure to declare the CMP itself and the Captcha in the policy.

Evidence

How to verify: download the file and compute its checksum — sha256sum file.har (Linux, macOS) or certutil -hashfile file.har SHA256 (Windows); it must match the one shown. The conclusions apply to the scope of this measurement — see the limitations of the method.

Original (audit)

HAR file: at/fwf-ac-at-2026-05-26.har

SHA-256: 8977b22a140a3b3c8bb2024a194977b3a64533ac8d6b263c8ff3cf1a9d2d52f7

HAR files are stored on EU infrastructure (Proton Drive). SHA-256 is published for integrity verification.

Want a response from the company about this audit? → Open the tool

Fill in once — it will be inserted into every letter below:

Filing date:

All fields are required to print the document — this is a formal requirement of the letter itself (the particulars of an official submission), not data collection: nothing is sent or saved anywhere, it all stays in your browser and disappears when you close the page. See the methodology for details.

Step 1. Data access request (GDPR Art. 15)

Send this letter directly to the company first — before contacting the regulator it has the right to respond (GDPR Art. 12(3) — 30 days).

Тема: Запрос доступа к персональным данным (ст. 15 GDPR) — fwf.ac.at

Кому: [укажите адрес компании — DPO / поддержка / юридический отдел]
От: [Ваше имя], [контактный email]

Прошу предоставить доступ к моим персональным данным, обрабатываемым в связи с использованием сайта fwf.ac.at.

1. Категории данных и цели обработки (ст. 15(1)(a)-(c))
На основании независимого технического анализа сайта прошу подтвердить и подробно раскрыть следующие категории обработки:

1) Usercentrics CMP (app.usercentrics.eu, api.usercentrics.eu, privacy-proxy.usercentrics.eu) и Friendly Captcha (global.frcapi.com) загружаются до согласия и в политике конфиденциальности не упоминаются. Оба сервиса передают данные на внешние серверы при каждом визите.


2. Получатели, сроки хранения и передача за пределы ЕЭЗ (ст. 15(1)(c)-(d), 46)
Прошу также указать полный список третьих лиц-получателей, применимые сроки хранения по каждой категории и правовые основания передачи данных за пределы ЕЭЗ, если таковая происходит. Полный технический разбор с доказательствами (сохранённый сетевой журнал, контрольная сумма SHA-256) опубликован по адресу: https://gdpru.eu/en/audits/at-fwf-ac-at/

3. Автоматизированная обработка и профилирование (ст. 15(1)(h))
Прошу сообщить, применяется ли в отношении меня автоматизированное принятие решений или профилирование, и если да — раскрыть логику такой обработки.

С уважением,

[Ваше имя]
[контактный email]
[Страна]


[Дата]

Subject: Data access request (GDPR Art. 15) — fwf.ac.at

To: [insert the company's address — DPO / support / legal department]
From: [Your name], [contact email]

I request access to my personal data processed in connection with the website fwf.ac.at.

1. Categories of data and purposes of processing (Art. 15(1)(a)-(c))
Based on an independent technical analysis of the site, I request confirmation and detailed disclosure of the following categories of processing:

1) The Usercentrics CMP (app.usercentrics.eu, api.usercentrics.eu, privacy-proxy.usercentrics.eu) and Friendly Captcha (global.frcapi.com) load before consent and are not mentioned in the privacy policy. Both services transmit data to external servers on every visit.

2. Recipients, retention periods, and transfers outside the EEA (Art. 15(1)(c)-(d), 46)
I also request the full list of third-party recipients, the applicable retention period for each category, and the legal basis for any transfer of data outside the EEA. The full technical audit with evidence (saved network log, SHA-256 checksum) is published at: https://gdpru.eu/en/audits/at-fwf-ac-at/

3. Automated processing and profiling (Art. 15(1)(h))
Please state whether I am subject to automated decision-making or profiling, and if so, disclose the logic involved.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[contact email]
[Country]

[Date]

30 days have passed since contacting the company with no response? → Show the regulator complaint letter

Ready-to-send complaint letter

Where to file: Datenschutzbehörde (DSB) — file a complaint online →

The regulator reviews complaints in its national language. There is an officially translated template from the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) — you can use it instead of or alongside this letter: Official EDPB complaint form (PDF, your language)

Тема: Жалоба на обработку персональных данных — fwf.ac.at

1. Предмет жалобы
Я подаю жалобу в отношении обработки моих персональных данных сайтом fwf.ac.at.

2. Обстоятельства
Я посетил сайт fwf.ac.at и обнаружил признаки несоответствия обработки моих персональных данных требованиям GDPR. Технический разбор, опубликованный на gdpru.eu 26.05.2026 (открытая методология, воспроизводимые измерения), документирует следующие признаки:

1) Usercentrics CMP (app.usercentrics.eu, api.usercentrics.eu, privacy-proxy.usercentrics.eu) и Friendly Captcha (global.frcapi.com) загружаются до согласия и в политике конфиденциальности не упоминаются. Оба сервиса передают данные на внешние серверы при каждом визите.

Полная техническая документация опубликована по адресу: https://gdpru.eu/en/audits/at-fwf-ac-at/

3. Положения GDPR, соблюдение которых прошу проверить
GDPR Art. 13

4. Требование
Прошу проверить изложенные обстоятельства и, если несоответствие подтвердится, принять меры, предусмотренные статьёй 58(2) GDPR.

5. Приложения
Полная доказательная база — HAR-файл, контрольная сумма SHA-256 и цитата из политики конфиденциальности сайта, документирующая указанное противоречие — опубликована и проверяема по ссылке в пункте 2 выше.

С уважением,

[Ваше имя]
[контактный email]
[Страна]

[Дата]

Subject: Complaint regarding personal data processing — fwf.ac.at

1. Subject of the complaint
I am filing a complaint regarding the processing of my personal data by the website fwf.ac.at.

2. Circumstances
I visited the website fwf.ac.at and found indications that the processing of my personal data does not comply with the GDPR. The technical analysis published on gdpru.eu on 26 May 2026 (open methodology, reproducible measurements) documents the following indications:

1) The Usercentrics CMP (app.usercentrics.eu, api.usercentrics.eu, privacy-proxy.usercentrics.eu) and Friendly Captcha (global.frcapi.com) load before consent and are not mentioned in the privacy policy. Both services transmit data to external servers on every visit.

Full technical documentation is published at: https://gdpru.eu/en/audits/at-fwf-ac-at/

3. GDPR provisions I ask you to examine
GDPR Art. 13

4. Request
I request that you examine the circumstances described and, if non-compliance is confirmed, apply the measures provided for in Article 58(2) GDPR.

5. Attachments
The full evidence base — the HAR file, its SHA-256 checksum and the quotation from the site's privacy policy documenting the stated contradiction — is published and verifiable at the link in point 2 above.

Sincerely,

[Your name]
[contact email]
[Country]


[Date]