May 25, 2022
Protection of Personal and Property Rights
Commercial Lawyer In Christchurch Can Advise On Privacy Laws And Protection Of Data
Under the Privacy Act, companies must uphold a set of rules when collecting and holding their customers' data. Breaches or non-compliance with the Act can lead to unwanted fines.
A commercial lawyer in Christchurch is an expert in company and business law and will be able to offer sound advice on the main principles of the Privacy Act and other areas of the law that are essential to your business.
1) Collection Of Personal Information
The Privacy Act is clear on what information you may collect from your customers, where you may collect it and how you may collect it. Your commercial lawyer in Christchurch will summarise the points as follows:
- Collect only the information you need for a lawful purpose (for example, to provide them with a product or service). Superfluous information is more challenging to keep updated and prone to mishandling.
- Data collection should happen directly from the person - in this way, they supply the information willingly and knowingly.
- State your intention when collecting information - this is done using a privacy statement that indicates why you are collecting, who will have access to the data and how to contact you as holder of the information.
- The method used to collect the data must be lawful, fair and not invasive.
2) Storage Of Personal Information
Your commercial lawyer in Christchurch will tell you that you are legally obligated to store all personal information securely, grant a person access to their own data, and take the necessary steps to correct the data if it is incorrect.
So, for example, physical documents must be stored under lock and key. Digital documents must be password protected. Access to the data should only be granted to suitably authorised persons, who may only use it for the intended purpose.
3) Usage And Sharing Of Personal Information
Before using and sharing personal data, make sure that you abide by the following principles:
- Make sure the data is accurate and up to date.
- Keep the data for only as long as you need it.
- Responsibly dispose of information (e.g. shred physical documents, wipe hard drives and delete backups.
- Use the information only for the intended purpose communicated to the customer on collecting the data, as this is all that you have their permission to use their data for.
- You may only disclose someone’s data if you have their permission to do so, if it is necessary to uphold the law or for other legal proceedings, or if you disclose it in such a way that you do not disclose their identity.
Contact Law Hub today for more information on how a commercial lawyer in Christchurch can help interpret privacy laws and data protection. Our team of highly experienced law professionals will deliver a quality service on a wide range of legal issues.