At this stage of the investigation, what should the data privacy leader review first?

SCENARIO

Please use the following to answer the next QUESTION:

A US-based startup company is selling a new gaming application. One day, the CEO of the company receives an urgent letter from a prominent EU-based retail partner. Triggered by an unresolved complaint lodged by an EU resident, the letter describes an ongoing investigation by a supervisory authority into the retailer’s data handling practices.

The complainant accuses the retailer of improperly disclosing her personal data, without consent, to parties in the United States. Further, the complainant accuses the EU-based retailer of failing to respond to her withdrawal of consent and request for erasure of her personal data. Your organization, the US-based startup company, was never informed of this request for erasure by the EU-based retail partner. The supervisory authority investigating the complaint has threatened the suspension of data flows if the parties involved do not cooperate with the investigation. The letter closes with an urgent request: “Please act immediately by identifying all personal data received from our company.”

This is an important partnership. Company executives know that its biggest fans come from Western Europe; and this retailer is primarily responsible for the startup’s rapid market penetration.

As the Company’s data privacy leader, you are sensitive to the criticality of the relationship with the retailer.

At this stage of the investigation, what should the data privacy leader review first?
A . Available data flow diagrams
B . The text of the original complaint
C . The company’s data privacy policies
D . Prevailing regulation on this subject

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

Data flow diagrams are graphical representations of how data moves within an organization or between different entities. They can help identify the sources, destinations, and processing of personal data, as well as the legal basis, retention periods, and security measures for each data flow. Reviewing the available data flow diagrams can help the data privacy leader to quickly and accurately respond to the urgent request from the EU-based retail partner, as well as to assess the potential risks and compliance gaps in the data transfer process. Data flow diagrams are also a key component of data protection impact assessments (DPIAs), which are required by the GDPR for high-risk processing activities.

Reference: IAPP CIPP/US Body of Knowledge, Section II, A, 2

[IAPP CIPP/US Study Guide, Chapter 2, Section 2.3]

[GDPR, Article 35]