Last Updated Aug 07, 2024

Data Processing Agreement

This Data Processing Agreement and its Annexes (the “DPA”) reflects the parties’ agreement with respect to the Processing of Personal Data by TrueVault, Inc. (“TrueVault”) on behalf of Customer in connection with TrueVault’s services (the “Services”) under the Polaris Master Service Agreement (the “Agreement”) between Customer and TrueVault governing Customer’s use of the Services.

This DPA forms part of, and amends, the Agreement, and is effective upon its incorporation into the Agreement, which may be specified in the Agreement, or an executed amendment to the Agreement. In case of any conflict or inconsistency with the terms of the Agreement, this DPA will take precedence over the terms of the Agreement to the extent of such conflict or inconsistency.

We update these terms from time to time. If you have an active TrueVault Polaris subscription, we will let you know when we do via email. If you do not agree to this DPA, you may discontinue the Services and cancel your account.

The scope and duration, as well as the extent and nature of the Processing and use of Personal Data under this DPA shall be as defined in the Agreement. The term of this DPA will follow the term of the Agreement.

  1. Definitions
    • "CCPA" means California Civil Code §§ 1798.100 et seq. (also known as the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018), as may be amended from time to time, and any rules or regulations implementing the foregoing.
    • "Consumer,” "Business,” “Sell,” "Share," and “Service Provider” have the meanings set forth in the CCPA.
    • Controller means the entity which determines the purposes and means of the processing of Personal Data, including as applicable any “business”' as defined under the CCPA.
    • “Customer,” “you,” “your” means the entity that receives Services from TrueVault pursuant to the Agreement.
    • “Customer Data” means the Personal Data Processed by TrueVault on your behalf in the course of providing the Services to you.
    • “Data Protection Laws” means European Data Protection Laws and U.S. Data Protection Laws applicable to the Processing of Customer Data under this DPA.
    • “Data Subject” means the individual to whom Personal Data relates.
    • “European Data” means Personal Data that is subject to the protection of the European Data Protection Laws.
    • “European Data Protection Laws” means data protection laws applicable in Europe, including Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation) (“GDPR”), as may be amended, superseded or replaced.
    • “Instructions” means the written, documented instructions issued by a Controller to a Processor, and directing the same to perform a specific or general action with regard to Personal Data (including, but not limited to, depersonalizing, blocking, deletion, making available).
    • “Party” or “Parties” refers to TrueVault and/or the Customer, depending on the context.
    • “Processor” means a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which Processes Personal Data on behalf of the Controller.
    • “Personal Data” means any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual where such information is contained within Customer Data.
    • “Personal Data Breach” means a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, Personal Data transmitted, stored or otherwise Processed by us and/or our Sub-Processors in connection with the provision of the Subscription Services. “Personal Data Breach” will not include unsuccessful attempts or activities that do not compromise the security of Personal Data, including unsuccessful log-in attempts, pings, port scans, denial of service attacks, and other network attacks on firewalls or networked systems.
    • “Personal Information” means Personal Data that is subject to protection under the CCPA.
    • “Permitted Affiliates” means any of your Affiliates that (i) are permitted to use the Services pursuant to the Agreement, but have not signed their own separate agreement with us and are not a “Customer” as defined under the Agreement, (ii) qualify as a Controller of Personal Data Processed by us, and (iii) are subject to European Data Protection Laws.
    • “Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed on Personal Data, encompassing the collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction or erasure of Personal Data. The terms “Process,” “Processes” and “Processed” will be construed accordingly.
    • “Sub-Processor” means any Processor engaged by us to assist in fulfilling our obligations with respect to the provision of the Services under the Agreement.
    • “U.S. Data Protection Laws” means privacy laws enforceable in the United States applicable to Customer Personal Data, including the CCPA.
  2. Roles of the Parties
  3. When Processing Personal Data in accordance with your Instructions, the parties acknowledge and agree that you are the Controller of Personal Data and we are the Processor.
  4. Customer Responsibilities
    • Compliance with Laws. Within the scope of the Agreement and your use of the Services, you will be responsible for complying with all requirements that apply to you under applicable Data Protection Laws with respect to your Processing of Personal Data and the Instructions you issue to us.
    • In particular, you acknowledge and agree that you will be solely responsible for: (i) the accuracy, quality, and legality of Personal Data and the means by which you acquired Personal Data; (ii) complying with all necessary transparency and lawfulness requirements under applicable Data Protection Laws for the collection and use of the Personal Data, including obtaining any necessary consents and authorizations; (iii) ensuring you have the right to transfer, or provide access to, the Personal Data to us for Processing in accordance with the terms of the Agreement (including this DPA); (iv) ensuring that your Instructions to us regarding the Processing of Personal Data comply with applicable laws, including Data Protection Laws; and (v) complying with all laws (including Data Protection Laws) applicable to any emails or other content created, sent or managed through the Services, including those relating to obtaining consents (where required) to send emails, the content of the emails and its email deployment practices. You will inform us without undue delay if you are not able to comply with your responsibilities under this subsection or applicable Data Protection Laws.
    • Controller Instructions. The parties agree that the Agreement (including this DPA), together with your use of the Services in accordance with the Agreement, constitute your complete and final Instructions to us in relation to the Processing of Personal Data, and additional instructions outside the scope of the Instructions shall require prior written agreement between us and you.
  5. TrueVault Obligations
    • Compliance with Instructions. We will only Process Personal Data for the purposes described in this DPA or as otherwise agreed within the scope of your lawful Instructions, except where and to the extent otherwise required by applicable law. We are not responsible for compliance with any Data Protection Laws applicable to you or your industry that are not generally applicable to us. If we believe that your Instruction infringes Data Protection Laws (where applicable), we will inform you without delay.
    • Conflict of Laws. If we become aware that we cannot Process Personal Data in accordance with your Instructions due to a legal requirement under any applicable law, we will (i) promptly notify you of that legal requirement to the extent permitted by the applicable law; and (ii) where necessary, cease all Processing (other than merely storing and maintaining the security of the affected Personal Data) until such time as you issue new Instructions with which we are able to comply. If this provision is invoked, we will not be liable to you under the Agreement for any failure to perform the applicable Services until such time as you issue new lawful Instructions with regard to the Processing.
    • Security. We will implement and maintain appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect Personal Data from Personal Data Breaches, as described under Annex 2 to this DPA (“Security Measures”). Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, we may modify or update the Security Measures at our discretion provided that such modification or update does not result in a material degradation in the protection offered by the Security Measures.
    • Confidentiality. We will ensure that any personnel whom we authorize to Process Personal Data on our behalf is subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations (whether a contractual or statutory duty) with respect to that Personal Data.
    • Personal Data Breaches. We will notify you without undue delay after we become aware of any Personal Data Breach and will provide timely information relating to the Personal Data Breach as it becomes known or reasonably requested by you. At your request, we will promptly provide you with such reasonable assistance as necessary to enable you to notify relevant Personal Data Breaches to competent authorities and/or affected Data Subjects, if you are required to do so under Data Protection Laws.
    • Deletion or Return of Personal Data. We will delete or return all Customer Data, including Personal Data (including copies thereof) Processed pursuant to this DPA, on termination or expiration of your Service in accordance with the procedures and timeframes set out in the Agreement, except that this requirement shall not apply to the extent we are required by applicable law to retain some or all of the Customer Data, or to the extent Customer Data we have is archived on back-up systems, which data we will securely isolate and protect from any further Processing and delete in accordance with our deletion practices. You may request the deletion of your TrueVault account after expiration or termination of your subscription by sending a request to help@truevault.com. You may retrieve your Customer Data from your account by emailing help@truevault.com.
  6. Data Subject Request
  7. Through the Services, you have the ability to access, correct, and delete Personal Data. You can use these controls in connection with your obligations under Data Protection Laws, including in responding to requests from Data Subjects under applicable European Data Protection Laws.
  8. In addition, upon your written request, we will provide reasonable assistance to you to respond to any Data Subject Requests or requests from data protection authorities relating to the Processing of Personal Data under the Agreement. You shall reimburse us for the commercially reasonable costs arising from this assistance.
  9. If a Data Subject Request or other communication regarding the Processing of Personal Data under the Agreement is made directly to us, where feasible we will promptly inform you and will advise the Data Subject to submit their request to you. You will be solely responsible for responding substantively.
  10. Sub-Processors.
  11. You agree that we may engage Sub-Processors to Process Personal Data on your behalf. Our current Sub-Processors are listed in Annex 3. You consent to our appointment of the Sub-Processors for the purposes described in this DPA.
  12. We will notify you of any changes to Sub-Processors by updating Annex 3 and will give you the opportunity to object to the engagement of the new Sub-Processor on reasonable grounds relating to the protection of Personal Data within 30 days after updating Annex 3. If you do notify us of such an objection, the parties will discuss your concerns in good faith with a view to achieving a commercially reasonable resolution. If no such resolution can be reached, we will, at our sole discretion, either not appoint the new Sub-Processor, or permit you to suspend or terminate the affected Service in accordance with the termination provisions of the Agreement without liability to either party (but without prejudice to any fees incurred by you prior to suspension or termination).
  13. Data Transfers.
  14. You acknowledge and agree that we may access and Process Personal Data on a global basis as necessary to provide the Service in accordance with the Agreement, and in particular that Personal Data will be transferred to and Processed by TrueVault, Inc. in the United States and to other jurisdictions where our Sub-Processors have operations. We will ensure such transfers are made in compliance with the requirements of Data Protection Laws.
  15. Additional Provisions for California Personal Information.
    • Scope of Section VIII. The “Additional Provisions for California Personal Information” section of the DPA will apply only with respect to Personal Information.
    • Roles of the Parties. When Processing Personal Information in accordance with your Instructions, the parties acknowledge and agree that you are a Business and we are a Service Provider for the purposes of the CCPA.
    • Responsibilities. The parties agree the Personal Information is being disclosed to TrueVault for limited and specific purpose of providing privacy compliance services to you. We will comply with all applicable obligations under the CCPA and provide the same level of protection as is required under that law. You may take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure we are using Personal Information in a manner consistent with your obligations under the CCPA. We will notify you if we make a determination we can no longer meet our obligations under the CCPA. Upon notice to us, you have the right to take reasonable and appropriate steps to stop and remediate any unauthorized use of Personal Information.
    • Prohibitions. We will not:
      1. Sell or Share the Personal Information
      2. Retain, use, or disclose Personal Information for any purpose other than the purpose of providing the privacy compliance services specified in this Agreement.
      3. Retain, use, or disclose Personal Information outside of direct business relationship between the Parties.
      4. Combine Personal Information received from, or on behalf of, the Customer with Personal Information received from, or on behalf of, another person or collected from our own interactions with Consumers, except to the extent such use is allowed by the CCPA and its regulations.
    • Our Service Providers. If we engage another person to assist in Processing Personal Information on your behalf, we will notify you of that engagement and the engagement shall be pursuant to a written contract that provides the same level of protection as these Additional Provisions.
  16. General Provisions.
    • Amendments. We reserve the right to make any updates and changes to this DPA.
    • Severability. If any individual provisions of this DPA are determined to be invalid or unenforceable, the validity and enforceability of the other provisions of this DPA will not be affected.
    • Limitation of Liability. Each party’s liability arising out of or related to this DPA (and any other DPAs between the parties), whether in contract, tort or under any other theory of liability, will be subject to the limitations and exclusions of liability set out in the Agreement.
    • Governing Law. This DPA will be governed by and construed in accordance with governing law and jurisdiction provisions in the Agreement, unless required otherwise by applicable Data Protection Laws.
  17. Parties to this DPA.
    • Permitted Affiliates. By signing the Agreement, you enter into this DPA on behalf of yourself and, to the extent required under applicable Data Protection Laws, in the name and on behalf of your Permitted Affiliates, thereby establishing a separate DPA between us and each such Permitted Affiliate subject to the Agreement and the “General Provisions” and “Parties to this DPA” sections of this DPA. Each Permitted Affiliate agrees to be bound by the obligations under this DPA and, to the extent applicable, the Agreement. For the purposes of this DPA only, and except where indicated otherwise, the terms “Customer”, “you” and “your” will include you and such Permitted Affiliates.
    • Authorization. The legal entity agreeing to this DPA as Customer represents that it is authorized to agree to and enter into this DPA for and on behalf of itself and, as applicable, each of its Permitted Affiliates.
    • Remedies. Except where applicable Data Protection Laws require a Permitted Affiliate to exercise a right or seek any remedy under this DPA against us directly by itself, the parties agree that (i) solely the Customer entity that is the contracting party to the Agreement will exercise any right or seek any remedy any Permitted Affiliate may have under this DPA on behalf of its Affiliates, and (ii) the Customer entity that is the contracting party to the Agreement will exercise any such rights under this DPA not separately for each Permitted Affiliate individually but in a combined manner for itself and all of its Permitted Affiliates together. The Customer entity that is the contracting entity is responsible for coordinating all communication with us under the DPA and will be entitled to make and receive any communication related to this DPA on behalf of its Permitted Affiliates.
    • Other Rights. The parties agree that you will, when reviewing our compliance with this DPA pursuant to the “Demonstration of Compliance” section, take all reasonable measures to limit any impact on us by combining several audit requests carried out on behalf of the Customer entity that is the contracting party to the Agreement and all of its Permitted Affiliates in one single audit.

ANNEX I - DETAILS OF PROCESSING

  1. List of Parties
  2. Data exporter:
    • Name: The Customer, as defined in the Polaris Master Service Agreement
    • Address: The Customer’s address, as set out in the Order Form
    • Contact person’s name, position and contact details: The Customer’s contact details, as set out in the Order Form and/or as set out in the Customer’s Polaris Account
    • Activities relevant to the data transferred under these Clauses: Processing of Personal Data in connection with Customer’s use of the the Licensed Software under the Polaris Master Service Agreement
    • Role: Controller
  3. Data importer:
    • Name: TrueVault, Inc.
    • Address: 201 Mission Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
    • Contact person’s name, position and contact details: Jason Wang, CEO, 201 Mission Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
    • Activities relevant to the data transferred under these Clauses: Processing of Personal Data in connection with Customer’s use of the the Licensed Software under the Polaris Master Service Agreement
    • Role: Processor
  4. Description of Transfer
  5. Categories of Data Subjects whose Personal Data is Transferred
  6. You and your customers, prospects and other end users, including your employees and contractors, may submit Personal Data in the course of using the Licensed Software, the extent of which is determined and controlled by them and you.
  7. Categories of Personal Data Transferred
  8. The Personal Data transferred by data subjects to the Licensed Software may include but is not limited to the following categories of Personal Data:
    • Contact Information, including name, email address, and telephone number.
    • Any other Personal Data submitted by, sent to, or received by you, or your customers or end users, via the Licensed Software.
  9. Sensitive Data transferred and applied restrictions or safeguards
  10. The parties do not anticipate the transfer of sensitive data.
  11. Frequency of the transfer
  12. Continuous
  13. Nature of the Processing
  14. Personal Data will be Processed in accordance with the Polaris Master Service Agreement (including this DPA) and may be subject to the following Processing activities:
    • Storage and other Processing necessary to provide, maintain and improve the Licensed Software provided to you; and/or
    • Disclosure in accordance with the Polaris Master Service Agreement (including this DPA) and/or as compelled by applicable laws.
  15. Purpose of the transfer and further processing
  16. We will Process Personal Data as necessary to provide the Licensed Software pursuant to the Polaris Master Service Agreement, as further specified in the Order Form, and as further instructed by you in your use of the Licensed Software.
  17. Period for which Personal Data will be retained
  18. Subject to the 'Deletion or Return of Personal Data' section of this DPA, we will Process Personal Data for the duration of the Agreement, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
  19. Competent Supervisory Authority
  20. For the purposes of the Standard Contractual Clauses, the supervisory authority that shall act as competent supervisory authority is either (i) where Customer is established in an EU Member State, the supervisory authority responsible for ensuring Customer's compliance with the GDPR; (ii) where Customer is not established in an EU Member State but falls within the extra-territorial scope of the GDPR and has appointed a representative, the supervisory authority of the EU Member State in which Customer's representative is established; or (iii) where Customer is not established in an EU Member State but falls within the extra-territorial scope of the GDPR without having to appoint a representative, the supervisory authority of the EU Member State in which the Data Subjects are predominantly located. In relation to Personal Data that is subject to the UK GDPR or Swiss DPA, the competent supervisory authority is the UK Information Commissioner or the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (as applicable).

ANNEX II - TECHNICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL MEASURES INCLUDING TECHNICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL MEASURES TO ENSURE THE SECURITY OF THE DATA

We observe the Security Measures described in this Annex II.

  1. Access Control
    • Prevent Unauthorized Product Access
    • Outsourced processing: TrueVault hosts its Service with outsourced cloud infrastructure providers. Additionally, TrueVault maintains contractual relationships with vendors in order to provide the Service in accordance with our Data Processing Agreement. TrueVault relies on contractual agreements, privacy policies, and vendor compliance programs in order to protect data processed or stored by these vendors.
    • Physical and environmental security: TrueVault hosts its product infrastructure with multi-tenant, outsourced infrastructure providers. The physical and environmental security controls of these providers are audited for SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 compliance, among other certifications.
    • Authentication: TrueVault implemented a uniform password policy for its customer products. Customers who interact with the product via the user interface must authenticate before accessing non-public customer data.
    • Authorization: Customer data is stored in a multi-tenant storage system accessible to Customers via only application user interfaces and application programming interfaces. Customers are not allowed direct access to the underlying application infrastructure. The authorization model in each of TrueVault’s products is designed to ensure that only the appropriately assigned individuals can access relevant features, views, and customization options. Authorization to data sets is performed through validating the user’s permissions against the attributes associated with each data set.
    • Application Programming Interface (API) access: Public product APIs may be accessed using an API key.
    • Preventing Unauthorized Product Use
    • Access control: Network access control mechanisms are designed to prevent network traffic using unauthorized protocols from reaching the product infrastructure. The technical measures implemented differ between infrastructure providers and include Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) implementations, security group assignment, and traditional firewall rules.
    • Intrusion detection and prevention: TrueVault implemented a Web Application Firewall (WAF) solution to protect hosted customer websites and other internet-accessible applications. The WAF is designed to identify and prevent attacks against publicly available network services.
    • Static code analysis: Security reviews of code stored in TrueVault’s source code repositories is performed, checking for coding best practices and identifiable software flaws.
    • Penetration testing: TrueVault maintains relationships with industry recognized penetration testing service providers for regular penetration tests. The intent of the penetration tests is to identify and resolve foreseeable attack vectors and potential abuse scenarios.
    • Bug bounty: A bug bounty program invites and incentivizes independent security researchers to ethically discover and responsibly disclose security flaws. TrueVault implemented a bug bounty program in an effort to widen the available opportunities to engage with the security community and improve the product defenses against sophisticated attacks.
    • Limitations of Privilege & Authorization Requirements
    • Product access: A subset of TrueVault’s employees have access to the products and to customer data via controlled interfaces. The intent of providing access to a subset of employees is to provide effective customer support, to troubleshoot potential problems, to detect and respond to security incidents and implement data security. Access is enabled through “just in time” requests for access; all such requests are logged. Employees are granted access by role, and reviews of high risk privilege grants are initiated regularly. Employee roles are reviewed at least once every six months.
    • Background checks: All TrueVault employees undergo a third-party background check prior to the start of employment, in accordance with and as permitted by applicable laws. All employees are required to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with company guidelines, non-disclosure requirements, and ethical standards.
  2. Transmission Control
    • In-transit: TrueVault makes HTTPS encryption (also referred to as SSL or TLS) available on every one of its login interfaces and for free on every customer site hosted on the TrueVault products. TrueVault’s HTTPS implementation uses industry standard algorithms and certificates.
    • At-rest: TrueVault stores user passwords following policies that follow industry standard practices for security. TrueVault has implemented technologies to ensure that stored data is encrypted at rest.
  3. Input Control
    • Detection: TrueVault designed its infrastructure to log extensive information about the system behavior, traffic received, system authentication, and other application requests. Internal systems aggregated log data and alert appropriate employees of malicious, unintended, or anomalous activities. TrueVault personnel, including security, operations, and support personnel, are responsive to known incidents.
    • Response and tracking: TrueVault maintains a record of known security incidents that include description, dates and times of relevant activities, and incident disposition. Suspected and confirmed security incidents are investigated by security, operations, or support personnel; and appropriate resolution steps are identified and documented. For and confirmed incidents, TrueVault will take appropriate steps to minimize product and Customer damage or unauthorized disclosure.
    • Communication: If TrueVault becomes aware of unlawful access to Customer data stored within its products, TrueVault will: 1) notify the affected Customers of the incident; 2) provide a description of the steps TrueVault is taking to resolve the incident; and 3) provide status updates to the Customer contact, as TrueVault deems necessary. Notification(s) of incidents, if any, will be delivered to one or more of the Customer’s contacts in a form TrueVault selects, which may include via email or telephone.
  4. Availability Control
    • Infrastructure availability: The infrastructure providers use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure a minimum of 99.95% uptime. The providers maintain a minimum of N+1 redundancy to power, network, and HVAC services.
    • Fault tolerance: Backup and replication strategies are designed to ensure redundancy and fail-over protections during a significant processing failure. Customer data is backed up to multiple durable data stores and replicated across multiple availability zones.
    • Online replicas and backups: Where feasible, production databases are designed to replicate data between no less than 1 primary and 1 secondary database. All databases are backed up and maintained using industry standard methods.
    • TrueVault’s products are designed to ensure redundancy and seamless failover. The server instances that support the products are also architected with a goal to prevent single points of failure. This design assists TrueVault operations in maintaining and updating the product applications and backend while limiting downtime.

ANNEX III – LIST OF SUB-PROCESSORS

The controller has authorized the use of the following sub-processors:

List of Sub-Processors

Amazon Web Services
Purpose:
Infrastructure Hosting
Location: United States
Website: https://aws.amazon.com

HelpScout
Purpose:
Customer Support
Location: United States
Website: https://www.helpscout.com

HotJar
Purpose:
Product Analytics
Location: United States
Website: https://www.hotjar.com

Nylas
Purpose:
Email Service
Location: United States
Website: https://www.nylas.com

Sentry
Purpose:
Bug and Performance Monitoring
Location: United States
Website: https://www.sentry.io

Google Cloud
Purpose:
Cybersecurity
Location: United States
Website: https://cloud.google.com

ANNEX IV – STANDARD CONTRACTUAL CLAUSES

SECTION I

Clause 1

Purpose and scope
  1. The purpose of these standard contractual clauses is to ensure compliance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation)[1] for the transfer of personal data to a third country.
  2. The Parties:
    • the natural or legal person(s), public authority/ies, agency/ies or other body/ies (hereinafter “entity/ies”) transferring the personal data, as listed in Annex I.A. (hereinafter each “data exporter”), and
    • the entity/ies in a third country receiving the personal data from the data exporter, directly or indirectly via another entity also Party to these Clauses, as listed in Annex I.A. (hereinafter each “data importer”)
  3. have agreed to these standard contractual clauses (hereinafter: “Clauses”).
  4. These Clauses apply with respect to the transfer of personal data as specified in Annex I.B.
  5. The Appendix to these Clauses containing the Annexes referred to therein forms an integral part of these Clauses.

Clause 2

Effect and invariability of the Clauses
  1. These Clauses set out appropriate safeguards, including enforceable data subject rights and effective legal remedies, pursuant to Article 46(1) and Article 46 (2)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and, with respect to data transfers from controllers to processors and/or processors to processors, standard contractual clauses pursuant to Article 28(7) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, provided they are not modified, except to select the appropriate Module(s) or to add or update information in the Appendix. This does not prevent the Parties from including the standard contractual clauses laid down in these Clauses in a wider contract and/or to add other clauses or additional safeguards, provided that they do not contradict, directly or indirectly, these Clauses or prejudice the fundamental rights or freedoms of data subjects.
  2. These Clauses are without prejudice to obligations to which the data exporter is subject by virtue of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Clause 3

Third-party beneficiaries
  1. Data subjects may invoke and enforce these Clauses, as third-party beneficiaries, against the data exporter and/or data importer, with the following exceptions:
    • Clause 1, Clause 2, Clause 3, Clause 6, Clause 7;
    • Clause 8 - Clause 8.1(a), (c) and (d) and Clause 8.9(a), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g);
    • Clause 9 - Clause 9(a), (c), (d) and (e);
    • Clause 12 - Clause 12(a), (d) and (f);
    • Clause 13;
    • Clause 15.1(c), (d) and (e);
    • Clause 16(e);
    • Clause 18 - Clause 18(a) and (b);
  2. Paragraph (a) is without prejudice to rights of data subjects under Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Clause 4

Interpretation
  1. Where these Clauses use terms that are defined in Regulation (EU) 2016/679, those terms shall have the same meaning as in that Regulation.
  2. These Clauses shall be read and interpreted in the light of the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
  3. These Clauses shall not be interpreted in a way that conflicts with rights and obligations provided for in Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Clause 5

Hierarchy

In the event of a contradiction between these Clauses and the provisions of related agreements between the Parties, existing at the time these Clauses are agreed or entered into thereafter, these Clauses shall prevail.

Clause 6

Description of the transfer(s)

The details of the transfer(s), and in particular the categories of personal data that are transferred and the purpose(s) for which they are transferred, are specified in Annex I.

Clause 7

Docking clause
  1. An entity that is not a Party to these Clauses may, with the agreement of the Parties, accede to these Clauses at any time, either as a data exporter or as a data importer, by completing the Appendix and signing Annex I.A.
  2. Once it has completed the Appendix and signed Annex I.A, the acceding entity shall become a Party to these Clauses and have the rights and obligations of a data exporter or data importer in accordance with its designation in Annex I.A
  3. The acceding entity shall have no rights or obligations arising under these Clauses from the period prior to becoming a Party.

SECTION II – OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES

Clause 8

Data protection safeguards

The data exporter warrants that it has used reasonable efforts to determine that the data importer is able, through the implementation of appropriate technical and organizational measures, to satisfy its obligations under these Clauses.

  1. Instructions
    • The data importer shall process the personal data only on documented instructions from the data exporter. The data exporter may give such instructions throughout the duration of the contract.
    • The data importer shall immediately inform the data exporter if it is unable to follow those instructions.
  2. Purpose limitation
  3. The data importer shall process the personal data only for the specific purpose(s) of the transfer, as set out in Annex I.B, unless on further instructions from the data exporter.
  4. Transparency
  5. On request, the data exporter shall make a copy of these Clauses, including the Appendix as completed by the Parties, available to the data subject free of charge. To the extent necessary to protect business secrets or other confidential information, including the measures described in Annex II and personal data, the data exporter may redact part of the text of the Appendix to these Clauses prior to sharing a copy, but shall provide a meaningful summary where the data subject would otherwise not be able to understand the its content or exercise his/her rights. On request, the Parties shall provide the data subject with the reasons for the redactions, to the extent possible without revealing the redacted information. This Clause is without prejudice to the obligations of the data exporter under Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
  6. Accuracy
  7. If the data importer becomes aware that the personal data it has received is inaccurate, or has become outdated, it shall inform the data exporter without undue delay. In this case, the data importer shall cooperate with the data exporter to erase or rectify the data.
  8. Duration of processing and erasure or return of data
  9. Processing by the data importer shall only take place for the duration specified in Annex I.B. After the end of the provision of the processing services, the data importer shall, at the choice of the data exporter, delete all personal data processed on behalf of the data exporter and certify to the data exporter that it has done so, or return to the data exporter all personal data processed on its behalf and delete existing copies. Until the data is deleted or returned, the data importer shall continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses. In case of local laws applicable to the data importer that prohibit return or deletion of the personal data, the data importer warrants that it will continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses and will only process it to the extent and for as long as required under that local law. This is without prejudice to Clause 14, in particular the requirement for the data importer under Clause 14(e) to notify the data exporter throughout the duration of the contract if it has reason to believe that it is or has become subject to laws or practices not in line with the requirements under Clause 14(a).
  10. Security of processing
    • The data importer and, during transmission, also the data exporter shall implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security of the data, including protection against a breach of security leading to accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access to that data (hereinafter “personal data breach”). In assessing the appropriate level of security, the Parties shall take due account of the state of the art, the costs of implementation, the nature, scope, context and purpose(s) of processing and the risks involved in the processing for the data subjects. The Parties shall in particular consider having recourse to encryption or pseudonymisation, including during transmission, where the purpose of processing can be fulfilled in that manner. In case of pseudonymisation, the additional information for attributing the personal data to a specific data subject shall, where possible, remain under the exclusive control of the data exporter. In complying with its obligations under this paragraph, the data importer shall at least implement the technical and organizational measures specified in Annex II. The data importer shall carry out regular checks to ensure that these measures continue to provide an appropriate level of security.
    • The data importer shall grant access to the personal data to members of its personnel only to the extent strictly necessary for the implementation, management and monitoring of the contract. It shall ensure that persons authorized to process the personal data have committed themselves to confidentiality or are under an appropriate statutory obligation of confidentiality.
    • In the event of a personal data breach concerning personal data processed by the data importer under these Clauses, the data importer shall take appropriate measures to address the breach, including measures to mitigate its adverse effects. The data importer shall also notify the data exporter without undue delay after having become aware of the breach. Such notification shall contain the details of a contact point where more information can be obtained, a description of the nature of the breach (including, where possible, categories and approximate number of data subjects and personal data records concerned), its likely consequences and the measures taken or proposed to address the breach including, where appropriate, measures to mitigate its possible adverse effects. Where, and in so far as, it is not possible to provide all information at the same time, the initial notification shall contain the information then available and further information shall, as it becomes available, subsequently be provided without undue delay.
    • The data importer shall cooperate with and assist the data exporter to enable the data exporter to comply with its obligations under Regulation (EU) 2016/679, in particular to notify the competent supervisory authority and the affected data subjects, taking into account the nature of processing and the information available to the data importer.
  11. Sensitive data
  12. Where the transfer involves personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic data, or biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or a person’s sex life or sexual orientation, or data relating to criminal convictions and offences (hereinafter “sensitive data”), the data importer shall apply the specific restrictions and/or additional safeguards described in Annex I.B.
  13. Onward transfers
  14. The data importer shall only disclose the personal data to a third party on documented instructions from the data exporter. In addition, the data may only be disclosed to a third party located outside the European Union[4] (in the same country as the data importer or in another third country, hereinafter “onward transfer”) if the third party is or agrees to be bound by these Clauses, under the appropriate Module, or if:
    • the onward transfer is to a country benefiting from an adequacy decision pursuant to Article 45 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 that covers the onward transfer;
    • the third party otherwise ensures appropriate safeguards pursuant to Articles 46 or 47 Regulation of (EU) 2016/679 with respect to the processing in question;
    • the onward transfer is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims in the context of specific administrative, regulatory or judicial proceedings; or
    • the onward transfer is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person.
  15. Any onward transfer is subject to compliance by the data importer with all the other safeguards under these Clauses, in particular purpose limitation.
  16. Documentation and compliance
    • The data importer shall promptly and adequately deal with enquiries from the data exporter that relate to the processing under these Clauses.
    • The Parties shall be able to demonstrate compliance with these Clauses. In particular, the data importer shall keep appropriate documentation on the processing activities carried out on behalf of the data exporter.
    • The data importer shall make available to the data exporter all information necessary to demonstrate compliance with the obligations set out in these Clauses and at the data exporter’s request, allow for and contribute to audits of the processing activities covered by these Clauses, at reasonable intervals or if there are indications of non-compliance. In deciding on a review or audit, the data exporter may take into account relevant certifications held by the data importer.
    • The data exporter may choose to conduct the audit by itself or mandate an independent auditor. Audits may include inspections at the premises or physical facilities of the data importer and shall, where appropriate, be carried out with reasonable notice.
    • The Parties shall make the information referred to in paragraphs (b) and (c), including the results of any audits, available to the competent supervisory authority on request.

Clause 9

Use of sub-processors
  1. The data importer has the data exporter’s general authorisation for the engagement of sub-processor(s) from an agreed list. The data importer shall specifically inform the data exporter in writing of any intended changes to that list through the addition or replacement of sub-processors at least 30 days in advance, thereby giving the data exporter sufficient time to be able to object to such changes prior to the engagement of the sub-processor(s). The data importer shall provide the data exporter with the information necessary to enable the data exporter to exercise its right to object.
  2. Where the data importer engages a sub-processor to carry out specific processing activities (on behalf of the data exporter), it shall do so by way of a written contract that provides for, in substance, the same data protection obligations as those binding the data importer under these Clauses, including in terms of third-party beneficiary rights for data subjects.[8] The Parties agree that, by complying with this Clause, the data importer fulfills its obligations under Clause 8.8. The data importer shall ensure that the sub-processor complies with the obligations to which the data importer is subject pursuant to these Clauses.
  3. The data importer shall provide, at the data exporter’s request, a copy of such a sub-processor agreement and any subsequent amendments to the data exporter. To the extent necessary to protect business secrets or other confidential information, including personal data, the data importer may redact the text of the agreement prior to sharing a copy.
  4. The data importer shall remain fully responsible to the data exporter for the performance of the sub-processor’s obligations under its contract with the data importer. The data importer shall notify the data exporter of any failure by the sub-processor to fulfill its obligations under that contract.
  5. The data importer shall agree a third-party beneficiary clause with the sub-processor whereby - in the event the data importer has factually disappeared, ceased to exist in law or has become insolvent - the data exporter shall have the right to terminate the sub-processor contract and to instruct the sub-processor to erase or return the personal data.

Clause 10

Data subject rights
  1. The data importer shall promptly notify the data exporter of any request it has received from a data subject. It shall not respond to that request itself unless it has been authorized to do so by the data exporter.
  2. The data importer shall assist the data exporter in fulfilling its obligations to respond to data subjects’ requests for the exercise of their rights under Regulation (EU) 2016/679. In this regard, the Parties shall set out in Annex II the appropriate technical and organizational measures, taking into account the nature of the processing, by which the assistance shall be provided, as well as the scope and the extent of the assistance required.
  3. In fulfilling its obligations under paragraphs (a) and (b), the data importer shall comply with the instructions from the data exporter.

Clause 11

Redress
  1. The data importer shall inform data subjects in a transparent and easily accessible format, through individual notice or on its website, of a contact point authorized to handle complaints. It shall deal promptly with any complaints it receives from a data subject.
  2. In case of a dispute between a data subject and one of the Parties as regards compliance with these Clauses, that Party shall use its best efforts to resolve the issue amicably in a timely fashion. The Parties shall keep each other informed about such disputes and, where appropriate, cooperate in resolving them.
  3. Where the data subject invokes a third-party beneficiary right pursuant to Clause 3, the data importer shall accept the decision of the data subject to:
  4. lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority in the Member State of his/her habitual residence or place of work, or the competent supervisory authority pursuant to Clause 13;
  5. refer the dispute to the competent courts within the meaning of Clause 18.
  6. The Parties accept that the data subject may be represented by a not-for-profit body, organization or association under the conditions set out in Article 80(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
  7. The data importer shall abide by a decision that is binding under the applicable EU or Member State law.
  8. The data importer agrees that the choice made by the data subject will not prejudice his/her substantive and procedural rights to seek remedies in accordance with applicable laws.

Clause 12

Liability
  1. Each Party shall be liable to the other Party/ies for any damages it causes the other Party/ies by any breach of these Clauses.
  2. The data importer shall be liable to the data subject, and the data subject shall be entitled to receive compensation, for any material or non-material damages the data importer or its sub-processor causes the data subject by breaching the third-party beneficiary rights under these Clauses.
  3. Notwithstanding paragraph (b), the data exporter shall be liable to the data subject, and the data subject shall be entitled to receive compensation, for any material or non-material damages the data exporter or the data importer (or its sub-processor) causes the data subject by breaching the third-party beneficiary rights under these Clauses. This is without prejudice to the liability of the data exporter and, where the data exporter is a processor acting on behalf of a controller, to the liability of the controller under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 or Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as applicable.
  4. The Parties agree that if the data exporter is held liable under paragraph (c) for damages caused by the data importer (or its sub-processor), it shall be entitled to claim back from the data importer that part of the compensation corresponding to the data importer’s responsibility for the damage.
  5. Where more than one Party is responsible for any damage caused to the data subject as a result of a breach of these Clauses, all responsible Parties shall be jointly and severally liable and the data subject is entitled to bring an action in court against any of these Parties.
  6. The Parties agree that if one Party is held liable under paragraph (e), it shall be entitled to claim back from the other Party/ies that part of the compensation corresponding to its / their responsibility for the damage.
  7. The data importer may not invoke the conduct of a sub-processor to avoid its own liability.

Clause 13

Supervision
  1. [Where the data exporter is established in an EU Member State:] The supervisory authority with responsibility for ensuring compliance by the data exporter with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 as regards the data transfer, as indicated in Annex I.C, shall act as competent supervisory authority.
  2. [Where the data exporter is not established in an EU Member State, but falls within the territorial scope of application of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 in accordance with its Article 3(2) and has appointed a representative pursuant to Article 27(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679:] The supervisory authority of the Member State in which the representative within the meaning of Article 27(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 is established, as indicated in Annex I.C, shall act as competent supervisory authority.
  3. [Where the data exporter is not established in an EU Member State, but falls within the territorial scope of application of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 in accordance with its Article 3(2) without however having to appoint a representative pursuant to Article 27(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679:] The supervisory authority of one of the Member States in which the data subjects whose personal data is transferred under these Clauses in relation to the offering of goods or services to them, or whose behavior is monitored, are located, as indicated in Annex I.C, shall act as competent supervisory authority.
  4. The data importer agrees to submit itself to the jurisdiction of and cooperate with the competent supervisory authority in any procedures aimed at ensuring compliance with these Clauses. In particular, the data importer agrees to respond to enquiries, submit to audits and comply with the measures adopted by the supervisory authority, including remedial and compensatory measures. It shall provide the supervisory authority with written confirmation that the necessary actions have been taken.

SECTION III – LOCAL LAWS AND OBLIGATIONS IN CASE OF ACCESS BY PUBLIC AUTHORITIES

Clause 14

Local laws and practices affecting compliance with the Clauses
  1. The Parties warrant that they have no reason to believe that the laws and practices in the third country of destination applicable to the processing of the personal data by the data importer, including any requirements to disclose personal data or measures authorizing access by public authorities, prevent the data importer from fulfilling its obligations under these Clauses. This is based on the understanding that laws and practices that respect the essence of the fundamental rights and freedoms and do not exceed what is necessary and proportionate in a democratic society to safeguard one of the objectives listed in Article 23(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, are not in contradiction with these Clauses.
  2. The Parties declare that in providing the warranty in paragraph (a), they have taken due account in particular of the following elements:
    • the specific circumstances of the transfer, including the length of the processing chain, the number of actors involved and the transmission channels used; intended onward transfers; the type of recipient; the purpose of processing; the categories and format of the transferred personal data; the economic sector in which the transfer occurs; the storage location of the data transferred;
    • the laws and practices of the third country of destination– including those requiring the disclosure of data to public authorities or authorizing access by such authorities – relevant in light of the specific circumstances of the transfer, and the applicable limitations and safeguards[12];
    • any relevant contractual, technical or organizational safeguards put in place to supplement the safeguards under these Clauses, including measures applied during transmission and to the processing of the personal data in the country of destination.
  3. The data importer warrants that, in carrying out the assessment under paragraph (b), it has made its best efforts to provide the data exporter with relevant information and agrees that it will continue to cooperate with the data exporter in ensuring compliance with these Clauses.
  4. The Parties agree to document the assessment under paragraph (b) and make it available to the competent supervisory authority on request.
  5. The data importer agrees to notify the data exporter promptly if, after having agreed to these Clauses and for the duration of the contract, it has reason to believe that it is or has become subject to laws or practices not in line with the requirements under paragraph (a), including following a change in the laws of the third country or a measure (such as a disclosure request) indicating an application of such laws in practice that is not in line with the requirements in paragraph (a).
  6. Following a notification pursuant to paragraph (e), or if the data exporter otherwise has reason to believe that the data importer can no longer fulfill its obligations under these Clauses, the data exporter shall promptly identify appropriate measures (e.g. technical or organizational measures to ensure security and confidentiality) to be adopted by the data exporter and/or data importer to address the situation [for Module Three: , if appropriate in consultation with the controller]. The data exporter shall suspend the data transfer if it considers that no appropriate safeguards for such transfer can be ensured, or if instructed by [for Module Three: the controller or] the competent supervisory authority to do so. In this case, the data exporter shall be entitled to terminate the contract, insofar as it concerns the processing of personal data under these Clauses. If the contract involves more than two Parties, the data exporter may exercise this right to termination only with respect to the relevant Party, unless the Parties have agreed otherwise. Where the contract is terminated pursuant to this Clause, Clause 16(d) and (e) shall apply.

Clause 15

Obligations of the data importer in case of access by public authorities
  1. Notification
    • The data importer agrees to notify the data exporter and, where possible, the data subject promptly (if necessary with the help of the data exporter) if it:
      1. receives a legally binding request from a public authority, including judicial authorities, under the laws of the country of destination for the disclosure of personal data transferred pursuant to these Clauses; such notification shall include information about the personal data requested, the requesting authority, the legal basis for the request and the response provided; or
      2. becomes aware of any direct access by public authorities to personal data transferred pursuant to these Clauses in accordance with the laws of the country of destination; such notification shall include all information available to the importer.
    • If the data importer is prohibited from notifying the data exporter and/or the data subject under the laws of the country of destination, the data importer agrees to use its best efforts to obtain a waiver of the prohibition, with a view to communicating as much information as possible, as soon as possible. The data importer agrees to document its best efforts in order to be able to demonstrate them on request of the data exporter.
    • Where permissible under the laws of the country of destination, the data importer agrees to provide the data exporter, at regular intervals for the duration of the contract, with as much relevant information as possible on the requests received (in particular, number of requests, type of data requested, requesting authority/ies, whether requests have been challenged and the outcome of such challenges, etc.).
    • The data importer agrees to preserve the information pursuant to paragraphs (a) to (c) for the duration of the contract and make it available to the competent supervisory authority on request.
    • Paragraphs (a) to (c) are without prejudice to the obligation of the data importer pursuant to Clause 14(e) and Clause 16 to inform the data exporter promptly where it is unable to comply with these Clauses.
  2. Review of legality and data minimisation
    • The data importer agrees to review the legality of the request for disclosure, in particular whether it remains within the powers granted to the requesting public authority, and to challenge the request if, after careful assessment, it concludes that there are reasonable grounds to consider that the request is unlawful under the laws of the country of destination, applicable obligations under international law and principles of international comity. The data importer shall, under the same conditions, pursue possibilities of appeal. When challenging a request, the data importer shall seek interim measures with a view to suspending the effects of the request until the competent judicial authority has decided on its merits. It shall not disclose the personal data requested until required to do so under the applicable procedural rules. These requirements are without prejudice to the obligations of the data importer under Clause 14(e).
    • The data importer agrees to document its legal assessment and any challenge to the request for disclosure and, to the extent permissible under the laws of the country of destination, make the documentation available to the data exporter. It shall also make it available to the competent supervisory authority on request.
    • The data importer agrees to provide the minimum amount of information permissible when responding to a request for disclosure, based on a reasonable interpretation of the request.

SECTION IV – FINAL PROVISIONS

Clause 16

Non-compliance with the Clauses and termination
  1. The data importer shall promptly inform the data exporter if it is unable to comply with these Clauses, for whatever reason.
  2. In the event that the data importer is in breach of these Clauses or unable to comply with these Clauses, the data exporter shall suspend the transfer of personal data to the data importer until compliance is again ensured or the contract is terminated. This is without prejudice to Clause 14(f).
  3. The data exporter shall be entitled to terminate the contract, insofar as it concerns the processing of personal data under these Clauses, where:
    • the data exporter has suspended the transfer of personal data to the data importer pursuant to paragraph (b) and compliance with these Clauses is not restored within a reasonable time and in any event within one month of suspension;
    • the data importer is in substantial or persistent breach of these Clauses; or
    • the data importer fails to comply with a binding decision of a competent court or supervisory authority regarding its obligations under these Clauses.
  4. In these cases, it shall inform the competent supervisory authority of such non-compliance. Where the contract involves more than two Parties, the data exporter may exercise this right to termination only with respect to the relevant Party, unless the Parties have agreed otherwise.
  5. Personal data that has been transferred prior to the termination of the contract pursuant to paragraph (c) shall at the choice of the data exporter immediately be returned to the data exporter or deleted in its entirety. The same shall apply to any copies of the data. The data importer shall certify the deletion of the data to the data exporter. Until the data is deleted or returned, the data importer shall continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses. In case of local laws applicable to the data importer that prohibit the return or deletion of the transferred personal data, the data importer warrants that it will continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses and will only process the data to the extent and for as long as required under that local law.
  6. Either Party may revoke its agreement to be bound by these Clauses where (i) the European Commission adopts a decision pursuant to Article 45(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 that covers the transfer of personal data to which these Clauses apply; or (ii) Regulation (EU) 2016/679 becomes part of the legal framework of the country to which the personal data is transferred. This is without prejudice to other obligations applying to the processing in question under Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Clause 17

Governing law

These Clauses shall be governed by the law of the EU Member State in which the data exporter is established. Where such law does not allow for third-party beneficiary rights, they shall be governed by the law of another EU Member State that does allow for third-party beneficiary rights. The Parties agree that this shall be the law of the Member State in which the data exporter is established.

Clause 18

Choice of forum and jurisdiction
  1. Any dispute arising from these Clauses shall be resolved by the courts of an EU Member State.
  2. The Parties agree that those shall be the courts of the jurisdiction specified in Clause 17.
  3. A data subject may also bring legal proceedings against the data exporter and/or data importer before the courts of the Member State in which he/she has his/her habitual residence.
  4. The Parties agree to submit themselves to the jurisdiction of such courts.
  5. Where the data exporter is a processor subject to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 acting on behalf of a Union institution or body as controller, reliance on these Clauses when engaging another processor (sub-processing) not subject to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 also ensures compliance with Article 29(4) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295 of 21.11.2018, p. 39), to the extent these Clauses and the data protection obligations as set out in the contract or other legal act between the controller and the processor pursuant to Article 29(3) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 are aligned. This will in particular be the case where the controller and processor rely on the standard contractual clauses included in Decision […].
  6. This requires rendering the data anonymous in such a way that the individual is no longer identifiable by anyone, in line with recital 26 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, and that this process is irreversible.
  7. The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) provides for the extension of the European Union's internal market to the three EEA States Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Union data protection legislation, including Regulation (EU) 2016/679, is covered by the EEA Agreement and has been incorporated into Annex XI thereto. Therefore, any disclosure by the data importer to a third party located in the EEA does not qualify as an onward transfer for the purpose of these Clauses.
  8. The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) provides for the extension of the European Union's internal market to the three EEA States Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Union data protection legislation, including Regulation (EU) 2016/679, is covered by the EEA Agreement and has been incorporated into Annex XI thereto. Therefore, any disclosure by the data importer to a third party located in the EEA does not qualify as an onward transfer for the purpose of these Clauses.
  9. See Article 28(4) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and, where the controller is an EU institution or body, Article 29(4) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.
  10. The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) provides for the extension of the European Union's internal market to the three EEA States Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Union data protection legislation, including Regulation (EU) 2016/679, is covered by the EEA Agreement and has been incorporated into Annex XI thereto. Therefore, any disclosure by the data importer to a third party located in the EEA does not qualify as an onward transfer for the purposes of these Clauses.
  11. This includes whether the transfer and further processing involves personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic data or biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or a person’s sex life or sexual orientation, or data relating to criminal convictions or offences.
  12. This requirement may be satisfied by the sub-processor acceding to these Clauses under the appropriate Module, in accordance with Clause 7.
  13. This requirement may be satisfied by the sub-processor acceding to these Clauses under the appropriate Module, in accordance with Clause 7.
  14. That period may be extended by a maximum of two more months, to the extent necessary taking into account the complexity and number of requests. The data importer shall duly and promptly inform the data subject of any such extension.
  15. The data importer may offer independent dispute resolution through an arbitration body only if it is established in a country that has ratified the New York Convention on Enforcement of Arbitration Awards.
  16. As regards the impact of such laws and practices on compliance with these Clauses, different elements may be considered as part of an overall assessment. Such elements may include relevant and documented practical experience with prior instances of requests for disclosure from public authorities, or the absence of such requests, covering a sufficiently representative time-frame. This refers in particular to internal records or other documentation, drawn up on a continuous basis in accordance with due diligence and certified at senior management level, provided that this information can be lawfully shared with third parties. Where this practical experience is relied upon to conclude that the data importer will not be prevented from complying with these Clauses, it needs to be supported by other relevant, objective elements, and it is for the Parties to consider carefully whether these elements together carry sufficient weight, in terms of their reliability and representativeness, to support this conclusion. In particular, the Parties have to take into account whether their practical experience is corroborated and not contradicted by publicly available or otherwise accessible, reliable information on the existence or absence of requests within the same sector and/or the application of the law in practice, such as case law and reports by independent oversight bodies.