What is the right of access?
An individual’s right of access varies based on their country of residency or, in some instances, citizenship. Fundamentally, the right of access is a data privacy right allowing individuals to request and receive a copy of the personal data an organization holds about them, along with information about how that data is being processed, and often provides the ability to exercise certain rights, like correction or deletion.
For example, there are a few different aspects to the right of access under Article 15 GDPR, including the right to access certain information about the processing of their personal data, and to receive a copy of certain personal data. Individuals, or “data subjects,” have the right to obtain the following from the data controller:
- Confirmation of whether personal data concerning you is being processed.
- Where personal data concerning you is being processed, a copy of your personal data.
- Moreover, where personal data concerning a data subject is being processed, the individual may obtain other additional information as follows:
- Purpose(s) of the processing.
- Categories of personal data.
- Any recipient(s) of the personal data to whom the personal data has or will be disclosed, in particular recipients in third countries or international organizations and information about appropriate safeguards.
- The retention period or, if that is not possible, the criteria used to determine the retention period.
- The existence of the following rights: Right to rectification; Right to erasure; Right to restrict processing; Right to object; as well as information on how to request these from the controller.
- The right to raise a concern with a supervisory authority (in Ireland this is the Data Protection Commission).
- Where personal data is not collected from the data subject, any available information as to its source.
- The existence of automated decision-making, including profiling and meaningful information about how decisions are made, the significance and the consequences of processing..
If you are an individual who resides in a country that provides the right to a subject access request, please fill out the form below.