The following definitions of terms used in this document are drawn from Article 4 of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation:
Personal Data: Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (“Data Subject“) who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
Sensitive Personal Data: Personal data which are, by their nature, particularly sensitive in relation to fundamental rights and freedoms merit specific protection as the context of their processing could create significant risks to the fundamental rights and freedoms. Those personal data include personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.
Data Controller: The natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body, which alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data.
Data Processor: A natural or legal person, public authority, agency or any other body which processes personal data on behalf of a Data Controller.
Processing: An operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction of the data.
Anonymization: Irreversibly de-identifying personal data such that the person cannot be identified by using reasonable time, cost, and technology either by the controller or by any other person to identify that individual. The personal data processing principles do not apply to anonymized data as it is no longer personal data.
Pseudonymization: The processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organizational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person. Pseudonymization reduces, but does not completely eliminate, the ability to link personal data to a data subject. Because pseudonymized data is still personal data, the processing of pseudonymized data should comply with the Personal Data Processing principles.
Cross-border processing of personal data: Processing of personal data which takes place in the context of the activities of establishments in more than one Member State of a controller or processor in the European Union where the controller or processor is established in more than one Member State; or processing of personal data which takes place in the context of the activities of a single establishment of a controller or processor in the Union but which substantially affects or is likely to substantially affect data subjects in more than one Member State;
Supervisory Authority: An independent public authority which is established by a Member State pursuant to Article 51 of the EU GDPR;
Lead supervisory authority: The supervisory authority with the primary responsibility for dealing with a cross-border data processing activity, for example when a data subject makes a complaint about the processing of his or her personal data; it is responsible, among others, for receiving the data breach notifications, to be notified on risky processing activity and will have full authority as regards to its duties to ensure compliance with the provisions of the EU GDPR;
Each “local supervisory authority” will still maintain in its own territory, and will monitor any local data processing that affects data subjects or that is carried out by an EU or non-EU controller or processor when their processing targets data subjects residing on its territory. Their tasks and powers includes conducting investigations and applying administrative measures and fines, promoting public awareness of the risks, rules, security, and rights in relation to the processing of personal data, as well as obtaining access to any premises of the controller and the processor, including any data processing equipment and means.
“Main establishment as regards a controller” with establishments in more than one Member State, the place of its central administration in the Union, unless the decisions on the purposes and means of the processing of personal data are taken in another establishment of the controller in the Union and the latter establishment has the power to have such decisions implemented, in which case the establishment having taken such decisions is to be considered to be the main establishment;
“Main establishment as regards a processor” with establishments in more than one Member State, the place of its central administration in the Union, or, if the processor has no central administration in the Union, the establishment of the processor in the Union where the main processing activities in the context of the activities of an establishment of the processor take place to the extent that the processor is subject to specific obligations under this Regulation;
Group Undertaking: Any holding company together with its subsidiary.