As per the GDPR, which legal basis would be the most appropriate for an online shop that wishes to process personal data for the purpose of fraud prevention?
Correct Answer: C
According to the GDPR, legitimate interest is one of the possible legal bases for processing personal data, which means that the data controller has a valid reason to process the data that is not overridden by the interests or rights of the data subject1. The GDPR specifically mentions fraud prevention as a potential legitimate interest of the data controller, as it serves both the interests of the online shop and the data subjects who may be victims of fraud1. However, the data controller must conduct a balancing test to ensure that the legitimate interest is not outweighed by the potential harm or intrusion to the data subject's privacy1. The data controller must also provide clear and transparent information to the data subject about the processing of their data for fraud prevention purposes, and respect their right to object to such processing1. The other options are incorrect because: A) Protection of the interests of the data subjects is not a legal basis for processing personal data, but rather a condition for processing special categories of personal data under Article 9 of the GDPR2. Moreover, fraud prevention does not necessarily protect the interests of the data subjects, but rather the interests of the online shop and the general public. B) Performance of a contract is a legal basis for processing personal data that is necessary for the execution or fulfilment of a contract between the data controller and the data subject2. However, fraud prevention is not strictly necessary for the performance of a contract, as it is not directly related to the delivery of goods or services that the data subject has purchased from the online shop. D) Consent is a legal basis for processing personal data that requires the data subject to give their informed, specific, and freely given agreement to the processing of their data for one or more purposes2. However, consent is not the most appropriate legal basis for fraud prevention, as it may not be freely given by the data subject, who may feel pressured to agree to the processing of their data in order to complete their purchase. Moreover, consent may not be reliable or effective for fraud prevention, as it can be withdrawn by the data subject at any time, or may be given by a fraudster who is not the legitimate owner of the data.
Question 2
Which of the following is an example of direct marketing that would be subject to European data protection laws?
Correct Answer: C
Question 3
SCENARIO Please use the following to answer the next question: Sandy recently joined Market4U, an advertising technology company founded in 2016, as their VP of Privacy and Data Governance. Through her first initiative in conducting a data inventory, Sandy learned that Market4U maintains a list of 19 million global contacts that were collected throughout the course of Market4U's existence. Knowing the risk of having such a large amount of data, Sandy wanted to purge all contacts that were entered into Market4U's systems prior to May 2018, unless such contacts had a more recent interaction with Market4U content. However, Dan, the VP of Sales, informed Sandy that all of the contacts provide useful information regarding successful marketing campaigns and trends in industry verticals for Market4U's clients. Dan also informed Sandy that he had wanted to focus on gaining more customers within the sports and entertainment industry. To assist with this behavior, Market4U's marketing team decided to add several new fields to Market4U's website forms, including forms for downloading white papers, creating accounts to participate in Market4U's forum, and attending events. Such fields include birth date and salary. What is the best way that Sandy can gain the insights that Dan seeks while still minimizing risks for Market4U?
Correct Answer: B
According to the GDPR, pseudonymization is a technique that replaces or removes information in a data set that identifies an individual. Pseudonymized data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, which is kept separately and subject to technical and organizational measures to ensure non-attribution1. Pseudonymization is not a method of anonymization, which means that the data is irreversibly altered in such a way that a data subject can no longer be identified2. Pseudonymized data is still considered personal data and subject to the GDPR, but it benefits from some relaxations of the rules, such as the possibility of further processing for compatible purposes, the exemption from some data subject rights, and the facilitation of data transfers3. In this scenario, Market4U is an advertising technology company that collects and processes a large amount of personal data from its contacts, including sensitive data such as birth date and salary. This data can be used to gain insights into the preferences and behavior of its potential customers, as well as to identify trends and opportunities in different industry verticals. However, this data also poses significant risks for Market4U, such as data breaches, non-compliance, reputational damage, and legal liability. Therefore, Market4U needs to apply the principle of data minimization, which means that it should only collect and process the data that is necessary and relevant for its purposes, and delete the data that is no longer needed4. One of the ways that Market4U can achieve data minimization is by pseudonymizing the personal data that it uses for analysis. By doing so, Market4U can reduce the risks associated with the processing of personal data, while still retaining the utility and value of the data for its purposes. Pseudonymization can also help Market4U to comply with other GDPR principles, such as purpose limitation, storage limitation, and integrity and confidentiality5. Pseudonymization can also enable Market4U to rely on legitimate interests as a legal basis for the processing of personal data for analysis, as long as it conducts a balancing test and respects the rights and interests of the data subjects6. Therefore, the best way that Sandy can gain the insights that Dan seeks while still minimizing risks for Market4U is to conduct analysis only on pseudonymized personal data. This option would allow Market4U to use the data for its legitimate business purposes, without compromising the privacy and security of the data subjects. The other options are incorrect because: A) Conducting analysis only on anonymized personal data would not be feasible or effective for Market4U, as anonymization is a very difficult and complex process that requires the removal or alteration of any information that can identify an individual, directly or indirectly. Anonymization may also result in the loss of accuracy, quality, and utility of the data, which would undermine the value and purpose of the analysis. Moreover, anonymization is irreversible, which means that Market4U would not be able to restore the original data if needed2. C) Deleting all data collected prior to May 2018 after conducting the trend analysis would not be compliant with the GDPR, as it would violate the principle of storage limitation, which requires that personal data should be kept only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it is processed. Market4U cannot justify the retention of the data for longer than needed, especially if the data is outdated, irrelevant, or excessive. Moreover, deleting the data after the analysis would not eliminate the risks associated with the processing of the data, such as data breaches or unauthorized access4. D) Procuring a third party to conduct the analysis and delete the data from Market4U's systems would not be a good solution for Market4U, as it would involve the transfer of personal data to another data controller or processor, which would require additional safeguards and obligations under the GDPR. Market4U would still be responsible for ensuring the compliance and security of the data, and would have to enter into a data processing agreement with the third party, as well as inform and obtain the consent of the data subjects, if applicable. Furthermore, procuring a third party would entail additional costs and risks for Market4U, such as losing control and visibility over the data, or exposing the data to unauthorized or unlawful processing by the third party7.
Question 4
The GDPR requires controllers to supply data subjects with detailed information about the processing of their dat a. Where a controller obtains data directly from data subjects, which of the following items of information does NOT legally have to be supplied?
Correct Answer: B
Question 5
Articles 13 and 14 of the GDPR provide details on the obligation of data controllers to inform data subjects when collecting personal dat a. However, both articles specify an exemption for situations in which the data subject already has the information. Which other situation would also exempt the data controller from this obligation under Article 14?
Correct Answer: B
According to Article 14 of the GDPR, the data controller must provide the data subject with certain information when collecting personal data from a source other than the data subject1. However, there are some exceptions to this obligation, such as when the data subject already has the information, or when the provision of such information proves impossible or would involve a disproportionate effort2. The latter exception may apply, for example, when the personal data are collected from a large number of sources, or when the personal data are processed for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes3. The data controller must take appropriate measures to protect the data subject's rights and interests, and make the information publicly available2. Reference: 1: Art. 14 GDPR - Information to be provided where personal data have not been obtained from the data subject2: Article 14(5)(b) of the GDPR3: Recital 62 of the GDPR.
