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GDPR Data Processing Addendum

Last Updated: July 28, 2023

If you are a Data Controller (as hereinafter defined) and include Personal Information in Your Content and have specified a region for storage and processing of Your Content which is in Europe or the United Kingdom, execution of the MedStack Customer Agreement (“Agreement”) will incorporate the terms of this GDPR Data Processing Addendum (“DPA”) into that Agreement. 

1. Definitions And Interpretation

1.1 Terms used but not defined herein have the meaning given to them in the Agreement. For the purposes of this DPA, the following words and phrases and the appendices shall have the following meanings, except where the context otherwise requires:

(a) “Applicable Privacy Laws” means, all applicable legislation and regulations governing the collection, use and disclosure of Personal Information in the jurisdictions where Customer has subscribed to use the Services, in particular where applicable, Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act – “PIPEDA”; the Province of Ontario’s Personal Health Information Protection Act – “PHIPA” the EU General Data Protection Regulation – the “GDPR”; the UK Data Protection Act, 2018 – the “UK GDPR”, as well as any other applicable legislation, regulation, recommendation or opinion replacing, adding to or amending, extending, reconstituting or consolidating the Applicable Privacy Laws.

(b) “Data Controller” refers to the Party who (either alone or jointly or in common with other persons) determines the purposes for which and the manner in which any Personal Information is or are to be processed, i.e. you.

(c) “Data Processor” means a person or entity who processes Personal Information on behalf of you on the basis of a formal written contract, but who is not an employee of you, i.e. MedStack.

(d) “Personal Information” information which relates to a living individual who can be identified either directly from that data, or indirectly in conjunction with other data which is likely to come into the legitimate possession of you or Service Provider. 

(e) “Confidentiality Incident” Means any (i) access; (ii) use; (iii) communication not authorized by law of Personal Information; or (iv) loss of Personal Information or any other breach of the protection of such information or any other breach of Personal Information as defined under Applicable Privacy Laws.

2. Capacity Of The Parties

2.1 To the extent MedStack processes Personal Information as a:

(a) Data Processor, it is acting as a Data Processor on behalf of you, acting as a Data Controller under the EU GDPR or UK GDPR, as applicable; and

(b) Data Controller, it has the sole and exclusive authority to determine the purposes and means of processing Personal Information it receives from or through you.

3. Scope Of DPA 

3.1 The purpose of these clauses is to define the conditions under which MedStack undertakes to carry out the Personal Information processing operations defined below on behalf of you. In the context of their contractual relations, the Parties undertake to comply with Applicable Privacy Laws.

3.2 In the event of any inconsistency between this DPA and the Agreement, this DPA shall prevail.

3.3 This DPA may be modified only in writing and must be signed by the Parties.

4. Obligations Of You

4.1 You ensure that Personal Information has been and will continue to be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with Applicable Privacy Laws.

4.2 You shall provide the Personal Information to MedStack together with such other information as MedStack may reasonably require in order for MedStack to provide the Services.

4.3 The instructions given by you to MedStack in respect of the Personal Information shall at all times be in accordance with Applicable Privacy Laws and shall be in a written and duly documented form.

4.4 You shall determine the retention period of Personal Information in relation to the purposes for which they were collected and in accordance with the Applicable Privacy Laws.

4.5 You will retain control and responsibility for all Personal Information and will have immediate access to it at all times.

5. Obligations Of MedStack

5.1 MedStack undertakes that it shall process the Personal Information only in accordance with your instructions for the processing of that Personal Information. If MedStack acts outside your instructions or contrary to these instructions, MedStack will assume all liabilities and consequences, in particular financial liabilities and consequences.

5.2 If MedStack considers that an instruction from you constitutes a violation of the Applicable Privacy Laws, it shall inform you as soon as possible. 

5.3 MedStack will process the Personal Information only for the purposes of the performance of the Services. 

5.4 MedStack will not store Personal Information beyond the retention period in relation to the purposes for which they were collected and, in any event, will not store them after the expiration of the DPA, except in the event of any legislative or regulatory provision or any administrative or judicial decision stating the contrary.

6. Cooperation And Assistance

6.1 MedStack endeavours to collaborate with you, in particular by providing you with the necessary documentation to demonstrate compliance with all of its obligations, in particular the protection impact assessment and the performance of audits, including inspections, subject to at least one month’s written notice prior to the date of the audit and within normal business hours, by you or another auditor (that is independent and not a competitor of MedStack) that you have mandated and contribute to such audits. Any costs relating to such audits shall be borne by you, and MedStack’s reasonable assistance to you in the relation to any such audits may be charged on a time and material basis at the rates provided by MedStack to you prior to commencement of the audit. 

6.2 MedStack will inform, without undue delay, you in case of a request from an administrative or judiciary authority received by MedStack related to the Processing of Personal Information made in respect of Services.

7. Sub-Processors

7.1 MedStack will not disclose the Personal Information to a third party in any circumstances other than at the specific written request of you, unless the disclosure is required by law.

7.2 You agree that MedStack may engage sub-processors to process Personal Information.  The sub-processors currently engaged by MedStack and authorized by you are listed in Appendix 2 “List of Sub-Processors”.

7.3 MedStack will notify you in writing of any changes to the list of Sub-Processors authorized to process Personal Information (“List of Sub-Processors”), provide you with such information regarding the sub-processor as you may reasonably require, and provide you with a mechanism to obtain notice of any updates to the List of Sub-Processors. Notification of a new sub-processor shall be issued five days prior to such new sub-processor being authorised to process Personal Information in connection with the Agreement. 

7.4 You may object to MedStack’s use of a new sub-processor where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the new sub-processor will be unable to comply with the terms of this DPA or the Agreement. If you object to MedStack’s use of a new sub-processor, you shall notify MedStack promptly in writing within ten business days after notification regarding such sub-processor. Customer’s failure to object in writing within such time period shall constitute approval to use the new sub-processor. If you object to the use of a third party or refuse to grant permission for the use of a third party by MedStack, MedStack shall suggest another third party. If it is not possible, and insofar as the refusal reasonably justifies this, both Parties have the right to terminate the Agreement without being liable to pay any damages to the other Party, in accordance with the termination provision of the Agreement.

7.5 MedStack shall ensure that all of its obligations under the DPA and its appendices are respected by any providers replacing MedStack and any subcontractor, regardless of its rank or method of intervention, by expressly providing for these same obligations in the contract binding MedStack to the said provider or the subcontractor to any subsequent subcontractor, so that they undertake to respect the DPA. MedStack shall be liable for the acts and omissions of any subcontractor to the same extent as if the acts or omissions were performed by MedStack. 

8. International Transfers Of Personal Information 

8.1 MedStack may process Personal Information in, or transfer Personal Information to, a Third Country, i.e. Canada, recognized by an adequacy decision of the European Commission as providing an adequate level of protection for Personal Information or by using adequate safeguards as required under Applicable Privacy Laws governing cross-border data transfers, such as conducting a privacy impact assessment and, where required under Applicable Privacy Laws, entering Standard Contractual Clauses attached in Appendix 4.    

8.2 Where MedStack appoints an affiliate or third party Subcontractor to process Personal Information in a Third Country, MedStack must ensure that such processing takes place in accordance with the requirements of Applicable Privacy Laws. 

9. Confidentiality

9.1 MedStack will make its commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that only such of its employees who need to have access to enable MedStack to meet its obligations under the DPA shall have access to the Personal Information. 

9.2 MedStack endeavours that all such employees have undergone training in the law of data protection, their duty of confidentiality under contract and in the care and handling of the Personal Information.

10. Individuals’ Rights

10.1 You will inform and assist individuals when they have requests, questions, complaints or any other form of announcement. If the individual contacts MedStack, MedStack shall refer the individual to you, unless otherwise provided for in this DPA. 

10.2 MedStack assists you with all individuals’ requests which may be received from individuals to whom the Personal Information refers.

11. Security Measures

11.1 MedStack uses appropriate organizational and technological processes and procedures to guarantee the security of its premises and to keep the Personal Information safe from unauthorized use, disclosure or access, loss, accidental or unlawful destruction, theft, alteration, distortion or any other modification, such as the de-identification and encryption of Personal Information; the ability to ensure the ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of processing systems and services; the ability to restore the availability and access to Personal Information in a timely manner in the event of an incident and a process for regularly testing, assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of technical and organisational measures for ensuring the security of the processing.

12. Confidentiality Incident

12.1 MedStack will notify you of any Confidentiality Incident, or attempted Confidentiality Incident, that may impact the processing of the Personal Information covered by this DPA promptly after becoming aware of any such incident.

12.2 This notification shall be accompanied by all relevant documentation to enable you, if necessary, to notify the Confidentiality Incident to the competent supervisory authority. 

12.3 Where, and in so far as, it is not possible to provide the information at the same time, the information may be provided in phases without undue further delay.

12.4 Only upon your prior approval, MedStack shall, in the name and on behalf of you, communicate the Confidentiality Incident to the Individuals without undue delay, when the Personal Information Incident is likely to result in a serious injury.

12.5 MedStack endeavours to cooperate with you in implementing any required corrective action agreed between the Parties.

13. Nullity

If any provision of this DPA is null and void or otherwise unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force. 

14. Duration And Termination

14.1 At the termination of the Agreement, MedStack will delete or return all the Personal Information to you at your choice, and delete existing copies unless the law requires storage of the Personal Information.

14.2 The provisions in this DPA shall remain in effect as long as MedStack has the instruction of you to process Personal Information on the basis of the Agreement between you and MedStack. 

14.3 The provisions in this DPA relating to the protection of Personal Information shall survive termination of the Agreement.

15. Contact Point

15.1 Each Party undertakes to designate a contact point for privacy and data protection matters, with the skills required to manage the proper performance of the obligations stipulated in this article and to respond to requests from the other Party. This contact person will be the privileged interlocutor of the other Party. The contact point under this DPA shall be the same as that provided by the parties under the Agreement.

15.2 In the event of a change in its contact point, each Party undertakes to inform the other Party without delay in accordance with the notice provisions set out in the Agreement, and is responsible for the continuity of contact during the transition between the new point of contact and its predecessor.

16. Applicable Laws

This DPA shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the applicable laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws applicable therein and each Party hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the appropriate courts.

 

APPENDIX 1

PROCESSING OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

LIST OF PARTIES

Data exporter(s):

Name and Address: You as set out in the Agreement or an applicable ordering document

Activities related to the data transferred under these Clauses: as set out in this Appendix under “Personal Information and Purposes”

Signature and date: Date of the Agreement

Role: Controller

Data importer(s):

Name: MedStack Inc.

Address: 14 Sevenoaks Avenue, Toronto, ON M8Z 3P8 Canada

Contact person’s name, position and contact details: Simon Woodside, Privacy Officer, privacy@medstack.co

Signature and date: date of the Agreement

Role: Processor

PERSONAL INFORMATION AND PURPOSES

You task MedStack with the processing of the following Personal Information:

  • any data or information contained in any database, template or other similar document submitted by you through the Services or provided by you to MedStack as part of the Services, including Your Content.


ACCESS

MedStack will store and process all Personal Information strictly separate from Personal Information that it processes on its own behalf or on behalf of third parties.

Only the following group of people will have access to the Personal Information:

  • The system developer, account manager, support service engineer, administrators, IT experts of the Sub-Service Provider engaged by MedStack, exclusively on a ‘need-to-know’ basis to support the technical operation, hosting and, if necessary, development of the Services.


DURATION

The Personal Information processed by MedStack will be kept for the following duration:

  • for as long as needed in order to provide the Services to you. 


INDIVIDUALS

The Personal Information processed by MedStack concerns the following categories of Individuals: 

  • Your end users, customers and employees
  • Any other individuals that you have, on your own accord, elected to incorporate into the datasets uploaded by way of our Services

 

 

APPENDIX 2

SUB-PROCESSORS

The following Sub-processors have already been engaged by MedStack at the time of the conclusion of the DPA. 

By entering into this DPA, you have given permission for the engagement of these Sub-processors.

Subprocessor

Processing location and MedStack region

Processing purpose

Amazon Web Services, Inc.

AWS regions in United States of America, Canada, UK

Cloud infrastructure provider where Customer Data is hosted

Amplitude, Inc.

United States of America

Product analytics

Azure (Microsoft Corporation)

Azure regions in United States of America, Canada, UK

Cloud infrastructure provider where Customer Data is hosted

Custify SRL

Romania

Customer Relationship Management platform

F5, Inc.

United States of America

Processes logs for all nodes for Security Information Event Management (SIEM) and outsourced Security Operations Center (SOC)

Google LLC

United States of America

Cloud-based Email Service Provider, meetings, customer feedback forms

HubSpot, Inc.

United States of America

Sales marketing platform

Intercom, Inc.

United States of America

Cloud based customer support services

PagerDuty, Inc.

United States of America

Processes triggered customer incidents, incident responses, and coordination

Sentry (Functional Software, Inc.)

United States of America

Processes application analytics for debugging and troubleshooting, and system logging

Slack Technologies, LLC (Salesforce)

United States of America

Cloud-based team chat services

Stripe, Inc.

United States of America

Facilitates payment transactions with customers

Twilio Inc.

United States of America

Segment: Customer Data Platform tool and event streams; Sendgrid: transactional email services

Zendesk, Inc.

United States of America

Customer support

 


APPENDIX 3

STANDARD CONTRACTUAL CLAUSES 

TRANSFERS FROM DATA CONTROLLER TO DATA PROCESSOR 

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 Appendix 1 (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 Appendix 1 (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 Appendix 1.

(d) The Appendix to this DPA 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 select the appropriate Module(s) or 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 –Clause 8.1(b), 8.9(a), (c), (d) and (e); 

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

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

(v) Clause 13;

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

(vii) Clause 16(e);

(viii) Clause 18 – 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 Appendix 1.

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.

(b) Once it has completed the Appendix, 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 Appendix 1.

(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 Appendix 1, 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 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 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 Appendix 1. 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. 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 and offences (hereinafter ‘sensitive data’), the data importer shall apply the specific restrictions and/or additional safeguards described in Appendix 1.

8.8   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 (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 Regulation of (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.

8.9   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) 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 five (5) days 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. 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 law or has become insolvent – the data exporter shall have the right to terminate the 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. 

(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.

(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) 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 Appendix 1, shall act as competent supervisory authority.

(b) 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;

(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)m 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 the EU Member State in which the data exporter is established. Where such law does not allow for third-party beneficiary rights, they shall be governed by the law of another EU Member State that does allow for third-party beneficiary rights. The Parties agree that this shall be the law of the Member State mutually agreed upon by the Parties.

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 the EU Member State mutually agreed upon by the Parties.

(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.

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