In which situation would a data controller most likely be able to justify the processing of the data of a child without parental consent?
Correct Answer:
B
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next question:
You have just been hired by a toy manufacturer based in Hong Kong. The company sells a broad range of dolls, action figures and plush toys that can be found internationally in a wide variety of retail stores. Although the manufacturer has no offices outside Hong Kong and in fact does not employ any staff outside Hong Kong, it has entered into a number of local distribution contracts. The toys produced by the company can be found in all popular toy stores throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. A large portion of the company’s revenue is due to international sales.
The company now wishes to launch a new range of connected toys, ones that can talk and interact with children. The CEO of the company is touting these toys as the next big thing, due to the increased possibilities offered: The figures can answer children’s Questions: on various subjects, such as mathematical calculations or the weather. Each figure is equipped with a microphone and speaker and can connect to any smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. Any mobile device within a 10-meter radius can connect to the toys via Bluetooth as well. The figures can also be associated with other figures (from the same manufacturer) and interact with each other for an enhanced play experience.
When a child asks the toy a question, the request is sent to the cloud for analysis, and the answer is generated on cloud servers and sent back to the figure. The answer is given through the figure’s integrated
speakers, making it appear as though that the toy is actually responding to the child’s question. The packaging of the toy does not provide technical details on how this works, nor does it mention that this feature requires an internet connection. The necessary data processing for this has been outsourced to a data center located in South Africa. However, your company has not yet revised its consumer-facing privacy policy to indicate this.
In parallel, the company is planning to introduce a new range of game systems through which consumers can play the characters they acquire in the course of playing the game. The system will come bundled with a portal that includes a Near-Field Communications (NFC) reader. This device will read an RFID tag in the action figure, making the figure come to life onscreen. Each character has its own stock features and abilities, but it is also possible to earn additional ones by accomplishing game goals. The only information stored in the tag relates to the figures’ abilities. It is easy to switch characters during the game, and it is possible to bring the figure to locations outside of the home and have the character’s abilities remain intact.
What presents the BIGGEST potential privacy issue with the company’s practices?
Correct Answer:
B
What is the consequence if a processor makes an independent decision regarding the purposes and means of processing it carries out on behalf of a controller?
Correct Answer:
B
What must a data controller do in order to make personal data pseudonymous?
Correct Answer:
A
SCENARIO
Please use the following to answer the next question:
Joe is the new privacy manager for Who-R-U, a Canadian business that provides DNA analysis. The company is headquartered in Montreal, and all of its employees are located there. The company offers its services to Canadians only: Its website is in English and French, it accepts only Canadian currency, and it blocks internet traffic from outside of Canada (although this solution doesn’t prevent all non-Canadian traffic). It also declines to process orders that request the DNA report to be sent outside of Canada, and returns orders that show a non-Canadian return address.
Bob, the President of Who-R-U, thinks there is a lot of interest for the product in the EU, and the company is exploring a number of plans to expand its customer base.
The first plan, collegially called We-Track-U, will use an app to collect information about its current Canadian customer base. The expansion will allow its Canadian customers to use the app while traveling abroad. He suggests that the company use this app to gather location information. If the plan shows promise, Bob proposes to use push notifications and text messages to encourage existing customers to pre-register for an EU version of the service. Bob calls this work plan, We-Text-U. Once the company has gathered enough pre- registrations, it will develop EU-specific content and services.
Another plan is called Customer for Life. The idea is to offer additional services through the company’s app, like storage and sharing of DNA information with other applications and medical providers. The company’s contract says that it can keep customer DNA indefinitely, and use it to offer new services and market them to customers. It also says that customers agree not to withdraw direct marketing consent. Paul, the marketing director, suggests that the company should fully exploit these provisions, and that it can work around customers’ attempts to withdraw consent because the contract invalidates them.
The final plan is to develop a brand presence in the EU. The company has already begun this process. It is in the process of purchasing the naming rights for a building in Germany, which would come with a few offices that Who-R-U executives can use while traveling internationally. The office doesn’t include any technology or infrastructure; rather, it’s simply a room with a desk and some chairs.
On a recent trip concerning the naming-rights deal, Bob’s laptop is stolen. The laptop held unencrypted DNA reports on 5,000 Who-R-U customers, all of whom are residents of Canada. The reports include customer name, birthdate, ethnicity, racial background, names of relatives, gender, and occasionally health information.
Who-R-U is NOT required to notify the local German DPA about the laptop theft because?
Correct Answer:
A
