Your organization is busy, handling many legal requests, and you take protecting clients’ and email subscribers’ personal details seriously as the owner. Recently, your team has received several DSARs (data subject access requests), and you want to do your due diligence by learning more about what they are, the legal context, and how they apply to your business. Here are the main points to know:
What Exactly is a DSAR?
A DSAR is a formal request from an individual to your business asking to see what personal information you hold about them and how it’s used, shared, and stored. Personal data includes names, email addresses, IP addresses, and more. For example, you may receive a written message via your website’s contact form from a person requesting all data you have on their email address.
If your business collects or processes personal data, you potentially have DSAR responsibilities. You don’t have to be a large tech firm or major retailer to be subject to data privacy laws or receive data subject access requests. Even a basic newsletter list or the use of analytics tools could make you subject to these laws. GDPR and CCPA are two major laws you should learn more about as a business owner.
Types of Requests
An individual can ask for a range of details in a data subject access request. It can range from a raw data file to an explanation of how you track their browsing on your site. They may also request details about who you share data with.
It’s important for business owners to understand that this request is not just an ask. Privacy laws give individuals specific rights, and organizations must respond appropriately or may face penalties under laws like GDPR. Businesses must confirm whether they process the person’s data and provide specific information about it, not simply a generic response.
Managing DSARs
Setting up a DSAR process is a proactive step for business owners to stay compliant and protect against potential issues. There are deadlines to reply; the clock typically starts when the request is received. As DSARs often come during stressful times, such as after a data breach, figuring out your process beforehand is smart.
At its most basic level, your workflow should be documented and include how requests are received, who reviews them, how data is collected, and how responses are sent. Given that responding quickly is essential, especially if you receive several DSARs, handling them slowly can make for compliance issues and stress.
Locating all relevant personal data across systems can be time-consuming, and your team could miss something. DSAR software automates and simplifies the process, ensuring your organization stays compliant and reports accurately to the individual. Data subject access requests (DSARs) software automatically categorizes and filters data to save you from having to comb through thousands of files manually for faster response times. It also makes collaboration easier with team members like HR, legal, and IT, and makes multiple requests more manageable.
A Final Note: Know Your Boundaries
Along with knowing what individuals may ask for and what you must provide by law, business owners should also know what you generally do not have to provide. Protected information you typically do not need to provide includes data about individuals other than the person requesting it and proprietary information. While not responding or providing only a generic reply can put you at risk of non-compliance, over-disclosing can expose sensitive or other people’s details.
