DATA PROTECTION ADDENDUM

 

This Data Protection Addendum (“DPA”) is effective as of the effective date of the Principal Agreement (as defined below) (“Effective Date”) and is between Big Huge Games, Inc., a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland, with its principal office at 9515 Deereco, 5th Floor, Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093 (“BHG” or “Controller”), and the company that is a party to the Principal Agreement, as defined below ("Company" or “Processor”).

 

This DPA supplements the service agreement, license agreement, insertion order, or other substantive agreement between BHG and Company (“Principal Agreement”) and sets forth the basic terms and conditions for the use and processing of BHG Personal Information (as defined below) in connection with the Principal Agreement. Further detailed terms and conditions such as the Retention Period (as defined below) and the specific description of the BHG Personal Information are stipulated in Schedule 1 which is incorporated herein as part of this DPA.

 

1. Definitions

 

1.1. “Applicable Privacy Law” means all relevant national, federal, state and other data protection or privacy laws, rules and regulations that apply to the Processing of BHG Personal Information, including but not limited to the requirements and protections of the European Union, the United States of America, and any other countries or territories in which BHG Personal Information is Processed.

 

1.2. “Data Subject” means an identified or identifiable natural person whose Personal Information is Processed by Company.  An identifiable person is one 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 his physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity.

 

1.3. “BHG Personal Information” means Personal Information Processed by Company on BHG’s behalf as specified in Schedule 1 attached to this DPA.

 

1.4. “Personal Information” means any information relating directly or indirectly to the Data Subject. 

 

1.5. “Process” or “Processing” means any operation or set of operations which is performed on Personal Information, whether or not by automated means, including collecting, recording, organizing, structuring, storing, analyzing, adapting, altering, retrieving, consulting, using, disclosing, transmitting, disseminating, otherwise making available, aligning, combining, restricting, erasing, or destroying that Personal Information.

 

1.6. “Security Incident” shall have the definition set forth in Section 8.1 of this DPA.

 

1.7. “Standard Contractual Clauses” means the standard contractual clauses as set out in the European Commission’s Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/914 of June 4, 2021 on standard contractual clauses for the transfer of personal data to third countries pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

 

2. Appointment. 

 

2.1. BHG, in its capacity as a Controller, hereby appoints Company as a Processor to Process the BHG Personal Information in accordance with Schedule 1 attached hereto.  As the Controller, BHG shall determine the purpose and means of Processing the BHG Personal Information by Processor pursuant to Schedule 1.

 

2.2. Each party shall comply with all Applicable Privacy Law in carrying out its obligations under this DPA. 

 

2.3. Unless prohibited by law, Company shall promptly inform BHG if BHG Personal Information becomes subject to a search and seizure, attachment order, confiscation during bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, or similar events or measures by third parties. Company shall promptly notify all pertinent parties in that action that any BHG Personal Information affected thereby is BHG’s sole property and that BHG is the responsible entity for BHG Personal Information.

 

3. Purpose Limitation.

 

3.1. Company shall Process BHG Personal Information as a Processor strictly in accordance with the instructions of BHG (including BHG’s instructions regarding Company’s obligations under Applicable Privacy Law) contained in this DPA and Schedule 1 attached hereto.  If Company is of the opinion that the instructions of BHG may lead to a violation of Applicable Privacy Law, it will inform BHG without undue delay and inform BHG of the nature of the potential violation.

 

3.2. In no event shall Company Process BHG Personal Information for its own purposes or those of any third party.

 

3.3. If Company believes it is no longer able to Process the BHG Personal Information consistently with this DPA and Schedule 1, it shall immediately inform BHG and, if requested by BHG, immediately suspend or take reasonable and appropriate steps to remediate any inconsistent Processing. 

 

3.4. For the avoidance of doubt, this DPA will not apply to the Processing of Personal Information by Company for purposes outside the scope of or unrelated to this DPA (which may overlap with the BHG Personal Information hereunder).  Except for the BHG Personal Information, BHG will have no access to any other Personal Information that may be Processed by Company, and Company will bear sole responsibility for the Processing of all such other Personal Information in accordance with Applicable Privacy Law.

 

4. Location of Processing; International Transfers.

 

4.1. Company shall only Process BHG Personal Information: (i) within a country deemed under Applicable Privacy Law to provide an adequate level of data protection; and/or (ii) in any other country provided Company has implemented appropriate safeguards to ensure an adequate level of data protection as required by Applicable Privacy Law (e.g. such as the appropriate module of the Standard Contractual Clauses). Company shall not otherwise transfer BHG Personal Information (nor permit BHG Personal Information to be transferred) across any countries or borders unless: (i) it has first obtained BHG's prior written consent; and (ii) works with BHG or a third party recipient of the BHG Personal Information to put in place such measures as are necessary to ensure that the transfer is in compliance with Applicable Privacy Law.

 

5. Term and Termination.

 

5.1. This DPA will commence on the Effective Date and continue to be effective during the Retention Period (as set forth in Schedule 1) unless otherwise terminated in accordance with Article 5.2. The term of this DPA will extend automatically for successive one (1)-year periods after the end of the then-current term of this DPA unless the Principal Agreement is terminated between Company and BHG.

 

5.2. BHG may terminate this DPA at any time without cause and in its sole discretion, which termination shall be effective immediately upon ten (10) days prior written notice to Company.  Furthermore, breach of this DPA by either party shall give rise to immediate grounds to terminate this DPA upon written notice to the non-breaching party.

 

6. Retention, Rectification, Deletion and/or Return of BHG Personal Information.

 

6.1. Company shall not Process or retain BHG Personal Information for longer than stipulated in Schedule 1 (the “Retention Period”).

 

6.2. If requested in writing by BHG, Company shall without delay rectify BHG Personal Information to ensure it remains accurate, complete, and current.

 

6.3. Upon termination or expiration of  the Retention Period or at BHG’s request, Company shall permanently and irrevocably destroy all BHG Personal Information (including any copies of BHG Personal Information) in its possession or control unless requested by BHG to instead return BHG Personal Information to BHG.

 

6.4. Where Applicable Privacy Law prevents Company from returning and/or destroying all or part of BHG Personal Information, Company shall isolate and protect the BHG Personal Information from any further Processing or access by any entity other than BHG except to the extent required by such law, and shall ensure any such BHG Personal Information continues to remain fully protected in accordance with the requirements of this DPA and Schedule 1.

 

7. Cooperation and Data Subjects' Rights. 

 

7.1. Company shall provide all reasonable and timely notice and assistance (including by appropriate technical and organisational measures) to BHG to enable BHG to promptly respond to: (i) any request from a Data Subject to exercise any of its rights under Applicable Privacy Law (including its rights of access, correction, objection, restriction, erasure and data portability, as applicable); and (ii) any other correspondence, enquiry or complaint received from a Data Subject, regulator, governmental agency, law enforcement authority or other third party requesting BHG Personal Information and/or otherwise in connection with the Processing of BHG Personal Information.  

 

7.2. In the event that any such request, correspondence, enquiry or complaint is made directly to Company, Company shall promptly inform BHG, unless prohibited by applicable law, providing full details in writing of the same within one (1) business day of receipt. Company shall not respond to such requests until authorized in writing by BHG.

 

7.3. If required to do so by a competent regulatory authority, Company and BHG acknowledge and agree that either party may disclose this DPA and Schedule 1 to such regulatory authority and that such disclosure will not constitute a breach of confidence.

 

8. Security.

 

8.1. Company shall implement appropriate administrative, technical and organizational measures, including maintaining and enforcing a written information security program, to protect BHG Personal Information: (i) from accidental or unlawful destruction, and (ii) loss, misuse, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of, or access to, or any other unlawful Processing of BHG Personal Information (a "Security Incident").  Such measures shall take into account the state of the art, the degree of care required under the Applicable Privacy Law, the costs of implementation and the nature, scope, context, purposes and risk of Processing the BHG Personal Information as well as the risk of varying likelihood and severity for the rights and freedoms of natural persons and shall at a minimum comply with Applicable Privacy Law.

 

8.2. If Company becomes aware of an actual or potential Security Incident, Company shall notify BHG of: (i) any potential Security Incident without undue delay and within not more than 72 hours; and (ii) any actual Security Incident immediately and in compliance with all security breach laws.  Company shall work with BHG to assess the Security Incident and determine the required protective and remediation measures. Company shall, at its cost and expense, implement the protective and remediation measures as reasonably instructed by BHG, provided that Company may take appropriate emergency measures which can be taken immediately without separate instruction by BHG.

 

8.3. Company shall indemnify BHG for all Damage related to a Security Incident, including the costs of responding to regulatory investigations, notifying regulators or others as required by law, and/or litigation, assessments, fines, losses, penalties, and the costs of notices to, and credit monitoring for, affected Data Subjects as applicable.

 

9. Sub-Processing.

 

9.1. Company may share BHG Personal Information with those service providers which have been agreed to in writing by BHG in advance of any Processing by such service providers.  If Company wants to add or replace service providers, it shall inform BHG in advance and allow sufficient time for BHG to consider and oppose the proposed addition or change.  BHG shall not unreasonably oppose an addition or change. If BHG opposes an addition or change, the parties shall cooperate in good faith to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution.

 

9.2. Company shall ensure that service providers are subject to the same obligations as those imposed on Company in this DPA, including obligations under the Standard Contractual Clauses where appropriate.  Company remains fully liable to BHG for any failure of service providers to meet their obligations.

 

10. Staff.

 

10.1. Company shall ensure that any person that it authorizes to Process BHG Personal Information (including Company's staff) shall: (i) be subject to a strict duty of confidentiality (whether a contractual duty or a statutory duty); (ii) receive appropriate training on compliance with this DPA and Applicable Privacy Law; and (iii) Process BHG Personal Information only as permitted by this DPA and Applicable Privacy Law.

 

11. Audit.

 

11.1. Company shall permit BHG (or its appointed third party auditors) at BHG’s cost and with reasonable notice to audit Company's compliance with this DPA by making available to BHG all relevant documents and information demonstrating Company’s compliance with this DPA and by allowing inspections of Company’s Processing operations by BHG (or its third party auditors) .

 

11.2. If vulnerabilities or compliance deficiencies are identified during an audit, Company shall promptly: (i) take reasonable and appropriate steps to protect and stop unauthorized Processing of BHG Personal Information until the identified vulnerabilities or deficiencies are remedied and BHG approves in writing resumption of Processing; (ii) document Company’s remediation proposal; (iii) provide BHG with such documentation and reports on the status of modifications to correct such vulnerabilities; (iv) implement such remediation modifications as may be required as a result thereof and as shall have been pre-approved by BHG in writing; and (iv) if requested in writing by BHG, immediately return any and all BHG Personal Information to BHG. 

 

12. Indemnification.

 

12.1. Each party (the "Indemnifying Party") shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the other party and its successors, assigns, officers, directors, shareholders, employees, contractors, suppliers, agents, and affiliates (collectively, the "Indemnified Party") from and against all loss, cost, harm, fine, expense (including reasonable legal fees and disbursements), liabilities or damage ("Damage") suffered or incurred by the Indemnified Party as a result of or relating to the Indemnifying Party's breach of this DPA or by reason of any negligent acts or intentional misconduct of Indemnifying Party  or its agents, servants, or employees in connection with this DPA, and provided that: (i) the Indemnified Party gives the Indemnifying Party prompt notice of any circumstances of which it is aware that give rise to an indemnity claim under this Section (including a copy of any legal pleadings with respect to the claim); and (ii) the Indemnified Party takes reasonable steps and actions to mitigate any ongoing Damage it may suffer as a consequence of the Indemnifying Party's breach. The Indemnified Party shall reasonably cooperate with Indemnifying Party in defending an indemnity claim and the Indemnifying Party has sole control of the defense and settlement of any claims for which it provides indemnification under this DPA, except that the Indemnifying Party shall not enter into any settlement of any claim without the prior written approval of Indemnified Party, such approval not to be unreasonably withheld. The Indemnified Party has the right to retain separate counsel and participate in the defense of the claim at its own expense.

 

13. General Terms.

 

13.1. Limitation of Liability. EXCEPT FOR INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 8.3 AND SECTION 12 OF THIS DPA, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR SPECIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND AND NATURE WHATSOEVER, RELATING TO THIS DPA, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION DAMAGES FOR LOST PROFITS OR LOST GOODWILL AND WHETHER SUCH ACTION IS BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO NEGLIGENCE) OR STRICT LIABILITY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES COULD HAVE BEEN REASONABLY FORESEEN.

 

13.2. Equitable Relief. Company acknowledges and agrees that BHG Personal Information is highly confidential, and that Company’s unauthorized reproduction or disclosure of that information may cause BHG irreparable harm for which its remedies at law may be inadequate. Company hereby agrees that BHG will be entitled, in addition to any other remedies available to it at law or in equity, to injunctive relief to prevent the breach or threatened breach of Company’s obligations under this DPA. 

 

1.1. Precedence; Effect of DPA.  Where the provisions of this DPA diverge from or contradict provisions of the Principal Agreement, the provisions of this DPA shall have precedence over the Principal Agreement. Except as supplemented or amended by this DPA, the Principal Agreement will remain in full force and effect.

 

 

 

 

Schedule 1

 

DETAILS OF PROCESSING OF BHG PERSONAL INFORMATION

 

This Schedule 1 forms part of the DPA and describes the Processing that Company will perform on behalf of Controller during the Retention Period below.

 

1. Categories of Data Subjects to whom BHG Personal Information relates:

 

Data Subjects under this DPA include end users of BHG’s products or services, and other individuals whose personal data is Processed by or on behalf of BHG as part of the Company’s services under the Principal Agreement.

 

2. Types of BHG Personal Information to be Processed:

 

The BHG Personal Information which may be Processed by Company to perform its services under the Principal Agreement includes any Personal Information derived from a user account or user data set that is controlled by BHG and is used for any game, service, advertisement, or other business activity of BHG. This may include, but is not limited to, device identifiers, advertising identifiers, account numbers or IDs, character IDs, email addresses, demographic information, payment information, purchase history, geolocation information, cookie IDs and related information, history of access or other activity, and information about a browser or device such as language settings, country code, pages visited, and date and time of visit.

 

3. Nature and purpose of Processing:

 

BHG is a video game developer whose games are published worldwide. Company is a vendor, service provider, advertising partner, or other type of company that provides or will provide services to BHG under the Principal Agreement. For such purpose, BHG will provide access to the BHG Personal Information to Company, and Company shall Process such BHG Personal Information on behalf of BHG during the Retention Period set forth below.

 

4. Duration of Processing (Retention Period):

 

BHG Personal Information will be Processed and retained by Company for the following duration:

 

Start date:  Effective Date (or any other date specified by BHG)

 

End date: Date of termination of Principal Agreement (or any other date specified by BHG)

 

 

 

 

Schedule 2

 

STANDARD CONTRACTUAL CLAUSES (PROCESSORS)

 

[Please complete with name and place of incorporation OR Refer to entities in Annex I.A] (hereinafter “data exporter”)

and

[Please complete with name and place of incorporation OR Refer to entities in Annex I.A] (hereinafter “data importer”)

 

(each a “party”; together “the parties”)

HAVE AGREED on the following contractual clauses (the “Clauses”) in order to adduce adequate safeguards with respect to the protection of privacy and fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals for the transfer by the data exporter to the data importer of the personal data specified in Annex I.B.

 

SECTION I

 

Clause 1

Purpose and scope

(a)   The purpose of these standard contractual clauses is to ensure compliance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation) for the transfer of personal data to a third country.

(b)   The Parties:

(i)                           the natural or legal person(s), public authority/ies, agency/ies or other body/ies (hereinafter “entity/ies”) transferring the personal data, as listed in Annex I.A. (hereinafter each “data exporter”), and

(ii)                        the entity/ies in a third country receiving the personal data from the data exporter, directly or indirectly via another entity also Party to these Clauses, as listed in Annex I.A. (hereinafter each “data importer”) have agreed to these standard contractual clauses (hereinafter: “Clauses”).

(c)   These Clauses apply with respect to the transfer of personal data as specified in Annex I.B.

(d)   The Appendix to these Clauses containing the Annexes referred to therein forms an integral part of these Clauses.

 

Clause 2

Effect and invariability of the Clauses

(a)                       These Clauses set out appropriate safeguards, including enforceable data subject rights and effective legal remedies, pursuant to Article 46(1) and Article 46 (2)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and, with respect to data transfers from controllers to processors and/or processors to processors, standard contractual clauses pursuant to Article 28(7) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, provided they are not modified, except to add or update information in the Appendix. This does not prevent the Parties from including the standard contractual clauses laid down in these Clauses in a wider contract and/or to add other clauses or additional safeguards, provided that they do not contradict, directly or indirectly, these Clauses or prejudice the fundamental rights or freedoms of data subjects.

(b)                      These Clauses are without prejudice to obligations to which the data exporter is subject by virtue of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

 

Clause 3

Third-party beneficiaries

(a)                        Data subjects may invoke and enforce these Clauses, as third-party beneficiaries, against the data exporter and/or data importer, with the following exceptions:

(i)                           Clause 1, Clause 2, Clause 3, Clause 6, Clause 7;

(ii)                        Clause 8.1(b), 8.9(a), (c), (d) and (e);

(iii)                     Clause 9(a), (c), (d) and (e)

(iv)                     Clause 12(a), (d) and (f);

(v)                        Clause 13;

(vi)                     Clause 15.1(c), (d) and (e);

(vii)                  Clause 16(e);

(viii)               Clause 18(a) and (b).

(b)                        Paragraph (a) is without prejudice to rights of data subjects under Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

 

Clause 4

Interpretation

(a)           Where these Clauses use terms that are defined in Regulation (EU) 2016/679, those terms shall have the same meaning as in that Regulation.

(b)          These Clauses shall be read and interpreted in the light of the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

(c)           These Clauses shall not be interpreted in a way that conflicts with rights and obligations provided for in Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

 

Clause 5

Hierarchy

In the event of a contradiction between these Clauses and the provisions of related agreements between the Parties, existing at the time these Clauses are agreed or entered into thereafter, these Clauses shall prevail.

 

Clause 6

Description of the transfer(s)

The details of the transfer(s), and in particular the categories of personal data that are transferred and the purpose(s) for which they are transferred, are specified in Annex I.B.

 

Clause 7

Docking clause

(a)                        An entity that is not a Party to these Clauses may, with the agreement of the Parties, accede to these Clauses at any time, either as a data exporter or as a data importer, by completing the Appendix and signing Annex I.A.

(b)                       Once it has completed the Appendix and signed Annex I.A, the acceding entity shall become a Party to these Clauses and have the rights and obligations of a data exporter or data importer in accordance with its designation in Annex I.A.

(c)                        The acceding entity shall have no rights or obligations arising under these Clauses from the period prior to becoming a Party.

 

SECTION II – OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES

 

Clause 8

Data protection safeguards

The data exporter warrants that it has used reasonable efforts to determine that the data importer is able, through the implementation of appropriate technical and organisational measures, to satisfy its obligations under these Clauses.

8.1                Instructions

(a)                        The data importer shall process the personal data only on documented instructions from the data exporter. The data exporter may give such instructions throughout the duration of the contract.

(b)                       The data importer shall immediately inform the data exporter if it is unable to follow those instructions.

8.2                Purpose limitation

The data importer shall process the personal data only for the specific purpose(s) of the transfer, as set out in Annex I.B, unless on further instructions from the data exporter.

8.3                Transparency

On request, the data exporter shall make a copy of these Clauses, including the Appendix as completed by the Parties, available to the data subject free of charge. To the extent necessary to protect business secrets or other confidential information, including the measures described in Annex II and personal data, the data exporter may redact part of the text of the Appendix to these Clauses prior to sharing a copy, but shall provide a meaningful summary where the data subject would otherwise not be able to understand the its content or exercise his/her rights. On request, the Parties shall provide the data subject with the reasons for the redactions, to the extent possible without revealing the redacted information. This Clause is without prejudice to the obligations of the data exporter under Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

8.4                Accuracy

If the data importer becomes aware that the personal data it has received is inaccurate, or has become outdated, it shall inform the data exporter without undue delay. In this case, the data importer shall cooperate with the data exporter to erase or rectify the data.

8.5                Duration of processing and erasure or return of data

Processing by the data importer shall only take place for the duration specified in Annex I.B. After the end of the provision of the processing services, the data importer shall, at the choice of the data exporter, delete all personal data processed on behalf of the data exporter and certify to the data exporter that it has done so, or return to the data exporter all personal data processed on its behalf and delete existing copies. Until the data is deleted or returned, the data importer shall continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses. In case of local laws applicable to the data importer that prohibit return or deletion of the personal data, the data importer warrants that it will continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses and will only process it to the extent and for as long as required under that local law. This is without prejudice to Clause 14, in particular the requirement for the data importer under Clause 14(e) to notify the data exporter throughout the duration of the contract if it has reason to believe that it is or has become subject to laws or practices not in line with the requirements under Clause 14(a).

8.6                Security of processing

(a)   The data importer and, during transmission, also the data exporter shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security of the data, including protection against a breach of security leading to accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access to that data (hereinafter “personal data breach”). In assessing the appropriate level of security, the Parties shall take due account of the state of the art, the costs of implementation, the nature, scope, context and purpose(s) of processing and the risks involved in the processing for the data subjects. The Parties shall in particular consider having recourse to encryption or pseudonymisation, including during transmission, where the purpose of processing can be fulfilled in that manner. In case of pseudonymisation, the additional information for attributing the personal data to a specific data subject shall, where possible, remain under the exclusive control of the data exporter. In complying with its obligations under this paragraph, the data importer shall at least implement the technical and organisational measures specified in Annex II. The data importer shall carry out regular checks to ensure that these measures continue to provide an appropriate level of security.

(b)   The data importer shall grant access to the personal data to members of its personnel only to the extent strictly necessary for the implementation, management and monitoring of the contract. It shall ensure that persons authorised to process the personal data have committed themselves to confidentiality or are under an appropriate statutory obligation of confidentiality.

(c)   In the event of a personal data breach concerning personal data processed by the data importer under these Clauses, the data importer shall take appropriate measures to address the breach, including measures to mitigate its adverse effects. The data importer shall also notify the data exporter without undue delay after having become aware of the breach. Such notification shall contain the details of a contact point where more information can be obtained, a description of the nature of the breach (including, where possible, categories and approximate number of data subjects and personal data records concerned), its likely consequences and the measures taken or proposed to address the breach including, where appropriate, measures to mitigate its possible adverse effects. Where, and in so far as, it is not possible to provide all information at the same time, the initial notification shall contain the information then available and further information shall, as it becomes available, subsequently be provided without undue delay.

(d)   The data importer shall cooperate with and assist the data exporter to enable the data exporter to comply with its obligations under Regulation (EU) 2016/679, in particular to notify the competent supervisory authority and the affected data subjects, taking into account the nature of processing and the information available to the data importer.

8.7                Sensitive data

Where the transfer involves personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic data, or biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or a person’s sex life or sexual orientation, or data relating to criminal convictions or offences (hereinafter “sensitive data”), the data importer shall apply specific restrictions and/or additional safeguards adapted to the specific nature of the data and the risks involved. This may include restricting the personnel permitted to access the personal data, additional security measures (such as pseudonymisation) and/or additional restrictions with respect to further disclosure.

8.9                Onward transfers

The data importer shall only disclose the personal data to a third party on documented instructions from the data exporter. In addition, the data may only be disclosed to a third party located outside the European Union^[1] (in the same country as the data importer or in another third country, hereinafter “onward transfer”) if the third party is or agrees to be bound by these Clauses, under the appropriate Module, or if:

(i)            the onward transfer is to a country benefitting from an adequacy decision pursuant to Article 45 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 that covers the onward transfer;

(ii)          the third party otherwise ensures appropriate safeguards pursuant to Articles 46 or 47 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 with respect to the processing in question;

(iii)        the onward transfer is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims in the context of specific administrative, regulatory or judicial proceedings; or

(iv)         the onward transfer is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person.

Any onward transfer is subject to compliance by the data importer with all the other safeguards under these Clauses, in particular purpose limitation.

8.10              Documentation and compliance

(a)                        The data importer shall promptly and adequately deal with enquiries from the data exporter that relate to the processing under these Clauses.

(b)                       The Parties shall be able to demonstrate compliance with these Clauses. In particular, the data importer shall keep appropriate documentation on the processing activities carried out on behalf of the data exporter.

(c)                        The data importer shall make available to the data exporter all information necessary to demonstrate compliance with the obligations set out in these Clauses and at the data exporter’s request, allow for and contribute to audits of the processing activities covered by these Clauses, at reasonable intervals or if there are indications of non-compliance. In deciding on a review or audit, the data exporter may take into account relevant certifications held by the data importer.

(d)                       The data exporter may choose to conduct the audit by itself or mandate an independent auditor. Audits may include inspections at the premises or physical facilities of the data importer and shall, where appropriate, be carried out with reasonable notice.

(e)                        The Parties shall make the information referred to in paragraphs (b) and (c), including the results of any audits, available to the competent supervisory authority on request.

 

Clause 9

Use of sub-processors

(a)   [OPTION 1: SPECIFIC PRIOR AUTHORISATION The data importer shall not sub-contract any of its processing activities performed on behalf of the data exporter under these Clauses to a sub-processor without the data exporter’s prior specific written authorisation. The data importer shall submit the request for specific authorisation at least [Specify time period] prior to the engagement of the sub-processor, together with the information necessary to enable the data exporter to decide on the authorisation. The list of sub-processors already authorised by the data exporter can be found in Annex III. The Parties shall keep Annex III up to date.

OPTION 2: GENERAL WRITTEN AUTHORISATION The data importer has the data exporter’s general authorisation for the engagement of sub-processor(s) from an agreed list. The data importer shall specifically inform the data exporter in writing of any intended changes to that list through the addition or replacement of sub-processors at least [Specify time period] in advance, thereby giving the data exporter sufficient time to be able to object to such changes prior to the engagement of the sub-processor(s). The data importer shall provide the data exporter with the information necessary to enable the data exporter to exercise its right to object.]

(b)   Where the data importer engages a sub-processor to carry out specific processing activities (on behalf of the data exporter), it shall do so by way of a written contract that provides for, in substance, the same data protection obligations as those binding the data importer under these Clauses, including in terms of third-party beneficiary rights for data subjects.^[2] The Parties agree that, by complying with this Clause, the data importer fulfils its obligations under Clause 8.8. The data importer shall ensure that the sub-processor complies with the obligations to which the data importer is subject pursuant to these Clauses.

(c)   The data importer shall provide, at the data exporter’s request, a copy of such a sub-processor agreement and any subsequent amendments to the data exporter. To the extent necessary to protect business secrets or other confidential information, including personal data, the data importer may redact the text of the agreement prior to sharing a copy.

(d)   The data importer shall remain fully responsible to the data exporter for the performance of the sub-processor’s obligations under its contract with the data importer. The data importer shall notify the data exporter of any failure by the sub-processor to fulfil its obligations under that contract.

(e)   The data importer shall agree a third-party beneficiary clause with the sub-processor whereby - in the event the data importer has factually disappeared, ceased to exist in sub-processor contract and to instruct the sub-processor to erase or return the personal data.

 

Clause 10

Data subject rights

(a)   The data importer shall promptly notify the data exporter of any request it has received from a data subject. It shall not respond to that request itself unless it has been authorised to do so by the data exporter.

(b)   The data importer shall assist the data exporter in fulfilling its obligations to respond to data subjects’ requests for the exercise of their rights under Regulation (EU) 2016/679. In this regard, the Parties shall set out in Annex II the appropriate technical and organisational measures, taking into account the nature of the processing, by which the assistance shall be provided, as well as the scope and the extent of the assistance required.

(c)   In fulfilling its obligations under paragraphs (a) and (b), the data importer shall comply with the instructions from the data exporter.

 

Clause 11

Redress

(a)   The data importer shall inform data subjects in a transparent and easily accessible format, through individual notice or on its website, of a contact point authorised to handle complaints. It shall deal promptly with any complaints it receives from a data subject.

The data importer agrees that data subjects may also lodge a complaint with an independent dispute resolution body^[3] at no cost to the data subject. It shall inform the data subjects, in the manner set out in paragraph (a), of such redress mechanism and that they are not required to use it, or follow a particular sequence in seeking redress.

(b)   In case of a dispute between a data subject and one of the Parties as regards compliance with these Clauses, that Party shall use its best efforts to resolve the issue amicably in a timely fashion. The Parties shall keep each other informed about such disputes and, where appropriate, cooperate in resolving them.

(c)   Where the data subject invokes a third-party beneficiary right pursuant to Clause 3, the data importer shall accept the decision of the data subject to:

(i)                           lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority in the Member State of his/her habitual residence or place of work, or the competent supervisory authority pursuant to Clause 13;

(ii)                        refer the dispute to the competent courts within the meaning of Clause 18.

(d)   The Parties accept that the data subject may be represented by a not-for-profit body, organisation or association under the conditions set out in Article 80(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

(e)   The data importer shall abide by a decision that is binding under the applicable EU or Member State law.

(f)   The data importer agrees that the choice made by the data subject will not prejudice his/her substantive and procedural rights to seek remedies in accordance with applicable laws.

 

Clause 12

Liability

(a)                        Each Party shall be liable to the other Party/ies for any damages it causes the other Party/ies by any breach of these Clauses.

(b)                       The data importer shall be liable to the data subject, and the data subject shall be entitled to receive compensation, for any material or non-material damages the data importer or its sub-processor causes the data subject by breaching the third-party beneficiary rights under these Clauses.

(c)                        Notwithstanding paragraph (b), the data exporter shall be liable to the data subject, and the data subject shall be entitled to receive compensation, for any material or non-material damages the data exporter or the data importer (or its sub-processor) causes the data subject by breaching the third-party beneficiary rights under these Clauses. This is without prejudice to the liability of the data exporter and, where the data exporter is a processor acting on behalf of a controller, to the liability of the controller under Regulation (EU) 2016/679 or Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as applicable.

(d)                       The Parties agree that if the data exporter is held liable under paragraph (c) for damages caused by the data importer (or its sub-processor), it shall be entitled to claim back from the data importer that part of the compensation corresponding to the data importer’s responsibility for the damage.

(e)                        Where more than one Party is responsible for any damage caused to the data subject as a result of a breach of these Clauses, all responsible Parties shall be jointly and severally liable and the data subject is entitled to bring an action in court against any of these Parties.

(f)                         The Parties agree that if one Party is held liable under paragraph (e), it shall be entitled to claim back from the other Party/ies that part of the compensation corresponding to its / their responsibility for the damage.

(g)                       The data importer may not invoke the conduct of a sub-processor to avoid its own liability.

 

Clause 13

Supervision

(a)   [Where the data exporter is established in an EU Member State:] The supervisory authority with responsibility for ensuring compliance by the data exporter with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 as regards the data transfer, as indicated in Annex I.C, shall act as competent supervisory authority.]

[Where the data exporter is not established in an EU Member State, but falls within the territorial scope of application of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 in accordance with its Article 3(2) and has appointed a representative pursuant to Article 27(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679:] The supervisory authority of the Member State in which the representative within the meaning of Article 27(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 is established, as indicated in Annex I.C, shall act as competent supervisory authority.]

(b)   [Where the data exporter is not established in an EU Member State, but falls within the territorial scope of application of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 in accordance with its Article 3(2) without however having to appoint a representative pursuant to Article 27(2) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679:] The supervisory authority of one of the Member States in which the data subjects whose personal data is transferred under these Clauses in relation to the offering of goods or services to them, or whose behavior is monitored, are located, as indicated in Annex I.C, shall act as competent supervisory authority

(c)   The data importer agrees to submit itself to the jurisdiction of and cooperate with the competent supervisory authority in any procedures aimed at ensuring compliance with these Clauses. In particular, the data importer agrees to respond to enquiries, submit to audits and comply with the measures adopted by the supervisory authority, including remedial and compensatory measures. It shall provide the supervisory authority with written confirmation that the necessary actions have been taken.

 

SECTION III – LOCAL LAWS AND OBLIGATIONS IN CASE OF ACCESS BY PUBLIC AUTHORITIES

 

Clause 14

Local laws and practices affecting compliance with the Clauses

(a)   The Parties warrant that they have no reason to believe that the laws and practices in the third country of destination applicable to the processing of the personal data by the data importer, including any requirements to disclose personal data or measures authorising access by public authorities, prevent the data importer from fulfilling its obligations under these Clauses. This is based on the understanding that laws and practices that respect the essence of the fundamental rights and freedoms and do not exceed what is necessary and proportionate in a democratic society to safeguard one of the objectives listed in Article 23(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, are not in contradiction with these Clauses.

(b)   The Parties declare that in providing the warranty in paragraph (a), they have taken due account in particular of the following elements:

(i)                           the specific circumstances of the transfer, including the length of the processing chain, the number of actors involved and the transmission channels used; intended onward transfers; the type of recipient; the purpose of processing; the categories and format of the transferred personal data; the economic sector in which the transfer occurs; the storage location of the data transferred;

(ii)                        the laws and practices of the third country of destination– including those requiring the disclosure of data to public authorities or authorising access by such authorities – relevant in light of the specific circumstances of the transfer, and the applicable limitations and safeguards^[4];

(iii)                     any relevant contractual, technical or organisational safeguards put in place to supplement the safeguards under these Clauses, including measures applied during transmission and to the processing of the personal data in the country of destination.

(c)   The data importer warrants that, in carrying out the assessment under paragraph (b), it has made its best efforts to provide the data exporter with relevant information and agrees that it will continue to cooperate with the data exporter in ensuring compliance with these Clauses.

(d)   The Parties agree to document the assessment under paragraph (b) and make it available to the competent supervisory authority on request.

(e)   The data importer agrees to notify the data exporter promptly if, after having agreed to these Clauses and for the duration of the contract, it has reason to believe that it is or has become subject to laws or practices not in line with the requirements under paragraph (a), including following a change in the laws of the third country or a measure (such as a disclosure request) indicating an application of such laws in practice that is not in line with the requirements in paragraph (a).

(f)   Following a notification pursuant to paragraph (e), or if the data exporter otherwise has reason to believe that the data importer can no longer fulfil its obligations under these Clauses, the data exporter shall promptly identify appropriate measures (e.g. technical or organisational measures to ensure security and confidentiality) to be adopted by the data exporter and/or data importer to address the situation. The data exporter shall suspend the data transfer if it considers that no appropriate safeguards for such transfer can be ensured, or if instructed by the competent supervisory authority to do so. In this case, the data exporter shall be entitled to terminate the contract, insofar as it concerns the processing of personal data under these Clauses. If the contract involves more than two Parties, the data exporter may exercise this right to termination only with respect to the relevant Party, unless the Parties have agreed otherwise. Where the contract is terminated pursuant to this Clause, Clause 16(d) and (e) shall apply.

 

Clause 15

Obligations of the data importer in case of access by public authorities

15.1           Notification

(a)   The data importer agrees to notify the data exporter and, where possible, the data subject promptly (if necessary with the help of the data exporter) if it:

(i)   receives a legally binding request from a public authority, including judicial authorities, under the laws of the country of destination for the disclosure of personal data transferred pursuant to these Clauses; such notification shall include information about the personal data requested, the requesting authority, the legal basis for the request and the response provided; or

(ii)   becomes aware of any direct access by public authorities to personal data transferred pursuant to these Clauses in accordance with the laws of the country of destination; such notification shall include all information available to the importer.

(b)   If the data importer is prohibited from notifying the data exporter and/or the data subject under the laws of the country of destination, the data importer agrees to use its best efforts to obtain a waiver of the prohibition, with a view to communicating as much information as possible, as soon as possible. The data importer agrees to document its best efforts in order to be able to demonstrate them on request of the data exporter.

(c)   Where permissible under the laws of the country of destination, the data importer agrees to provide the data exporter, at regular intervals for the duration of the contract, with as much relevant information as possible on the requests received (in particular, number of requests, type of data requested, requesting authority/ies, whether requests have been challenged and the outcome of such challenges, etc.).

(d)   The data importer agrees to preserve the information pursuant to paragraphs (a) to (c) for the duration of the contract and make it available to the competent supervisory authority on request.

(e)   Paragraphs (a) to (c) are without prejudice to the obligation of the data importer pursuant to Clause 14(e) and Clause 16 to inform the data exporter promptly where it is unable to comply with these Clauses.

 

15.2           Review of legality and data minimisation

(a)                        The data importer agrees to review the legality of the request for disclosure, in particular whether it remains within the powers granted to the requesting public authority, and to challenge the request if, after careful assessment, it concludes that there are reasonable grounds to consider that the request is unlawful under the laws of the country of destination, applicable obligations under international law and principles of international comity. The data importer shall, under the same conditions, pursue possibilities of appeal. When challenging a request, the data importer shall seek interim measures with a view to suspending the effects of the request until the competent judicial authority has decided on its merits. It shall not disclose the personal data requested until required to do so under the applicable procedural rules. These requirements are without prejudice to the obligations of the data importer under Clause 14(e).

(b)                       The data importer agrees to document its legal assessment and any challenge to the request for disclosure and, to the extent permissible under the laws of the country of destination, make the documentation available to the data exporter. It shall also make it available to the competent supervisory authority on request.

(c)                        The data importer agrees to provide the minimum amount of information permissible when responding to a request for disclosure, based on a reasonable interpretation of the request.

 

SECTION IV – FINAL PROVISIONS

 

Clause 16

Non-compliance with the Clauses and termination

(a)                        The data importer shall promptly inform the data exporter if it is unable to comply with these Clauses, for whatever reason.

(b)                       In the event that the data importer is in breach of these Clauses or unable to comply with these Clauses, the data exporter shall suspend the transfer of personal data to the data importer until compliance is again ensured or the contract is terminated. This is without prejudice to Clause 14(f).

(c)                        The data exporter shall be entitled to terminate the contract, insofar as it concerns the processing of personal data under these Clauses, where:

(i)   the data exporter has suspended the transfer of personal data to the data importer pursuant to paragraph (b) and compliance with these Clauses is not restored within a reasonable time and in any event within one month of suspension;

(ii)   the data importer is in substantial or persistent breach of these Clauses; or

(iii)   the data importer fails to comply with a binding decision of a competent court or supervisory authority regarding its obligations under these Clauses.

In these cases, it shall inform the competent supervisory authority of such non-compliance. Where the contract involves more than two Parties, the data exporter may exercise this right to termination only with respect to the relevant Party, unless the Parties have agreed otherwise.

(d)                       Personal data that has been transferred prior to the termination of the contract pursuant to paragraph (c) shall at the choice of the data exporter immediately be returned to the data exporter or deleted in its entirety. The same shall apply to any copies of the data. The data importer shall certify the deletion of the data to the data exporter. Until the data is deleted or returned, the data importer shall continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses. In case of local laws applicable to the data importer that prohibit the return or deletion of the transferred personal data, the data importer warrants that it will continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses and will only process the data to the extent and for as long as required under that local law.

(e)                        Either Party may revoke its agreement to be bound by these Clauses where (i) the European Commission adopts a decision pursuant to Article 45(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 that covers the transfer of personal data to which these Clauses apply; or (ii) Regulation (EU) 2016/679 becomes part of the legal framework of the country to which the personal data is transferred. This is without prejudice to other obligations applying to the processing in question under Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

 

Clause 17

Governing law

These Clauses shall be governed by the law of one of the EU Member States, provided such law allows for third-party beneficiary rights. The Parties agree that this shall be the law of Ireland.

Clause 18

Choice of forum and jurisdiction

(a)   Any dispute arising from these Clauses shall be resolved by the courts of an EU Member State.

(b)   The Parties agree that those shall be the courts of Ireland.

(c)   A data subject may also bring legal proceedings against the data exporter and/or data importer before the courts of the Member State in which he/she has his/her habitual residence.

(d)   The Parties agree to submit themselves to the jurisdiction of such courts.

APPENDIX

ANNEX I

 

A.            LIST OF PARTIES

 

Data exporter(s): [Identity and contact details of the data exporter(s) and, where applicable, of its/their data protection officer and/or representative in the European Union.]

1. Name: [Please complete.] Address: [Please complete.]

Contact person’s name, position and contact details: [Please complete.] Activities relevant to the data transferred under these Clauses: [Please complete.] Signature and date: [Please complete.]

Role (controller/processor): [Please complete.]

 

2. [Please complete.]

 

Data importer(s): [Identity and contact details of the data importer(s), including any contact person with responsibility for data protection]

1. Name: [Please complete.] Address: [Please complete.]

Contact person’s name, position and contact details: [Please complete.]

Activities relevant to the data transferred under these Clauses: [Please complete.] Signature and date: [Please complete.]

Role (controller/processor): [Please complete.]

 

2. [Please complete.]

B.            DESCRIPTION OF TRANSFER

 

Categories of data subjects whose personal data is transferred

[Please complete.]

Categories of personal data transferred

[Please complete.]

Sensitive data transferred (if applicable) and applied restrictions or safeguards that fully take into consideration the nature of the data and the risks involved, such as for instance strict purpose limitation, access restrictions (including access only for staff having followed specialised training), keeping a record of access to the data, restrictions for onward transfers or additional security measures.

[Please complete.]

The frequency of the transfer (e.g. whether the data is transferred on a one-off or continuous basis).

[Please complete.]

Nature of the processing

[Please complete.]

Purpose(s) of the data transfer and further processing

[Please complete.]

The period for which the personal data will be retained, or, if that is not possible, the criteria used to determine that period

[Please complete.]

For transfers to (sub-) processors, also specify subject matter, nature and duration of the processing

[Please complete.].

C.            COMPETENT SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY

 

Identify the competent supervisory authority/ies in accordance with Clause 13

[Please complete.]