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The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) is a federal law that regulates the privacy of wire, oral, and electronic communications. The ECPA prohibits the intentional interception, use, or disclosure of such communications, unless authorized by law or by the consent of one of the parties to the communication12. The ECPA also provides exceptions for certain types of communications, such as those made in the normal course of business, those made for law enforcement purposes, or those made for foreign intelligence purposes12.

One of the exceptions to the ECPA ban on interception is where one of the parties has given consent. This means that if a person who is a party to a communication agrees to have it intercepted, the interception is lawful under the ECPA. Consent can be express or implied, depending on the circumstances and the expectations of the parties3. For example, if a person calls a customer service line and hears a recorded message that the call may be monitored or recorded, the person has impliedly consented to the interception of the call. However, if a person calls a friend and does not know that the friend has a third party listening in on the call, the person has not consented to the interception of the call.

References: 1: Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2523 2: [IAPP CIPP/US Study Guide], Chapter 8, Section 8.2.1. 3: [Searching and Seizing Computers and Obtaining Electronic Evidence in Criminal Investigations], pp. 77-78.

 In order for a court to hear a case, it must have both personal jurisdiction and subject matter jurisdiction. Personal jurisdiction refers to the authority of a court over the parties to a case, while subject matter jurisdiction refers to the authority of a court to hear a particular type of case. For example, a federal court may have subject matter jurisdiction over a case involving a federal law, but it may not have personal jurisdiction over a defendant who has no contacts with the state where the court is located. Similarly, a state court may have personal jurisdiction over a resident of the state, but it may not have subject matter jurisdiction over a case involving a foreign treaty. References: [IAPP CIPP/US Study Guide], Chapter 2: Introduction to U.S. Law, p. 25-26; Wex Legal Dictionary, Subject Matter Jurisdiction and Personal Jurisdiction.

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

• IAPP CIPP/US Body of Knowledge, Section II, A, 2
• [IAPP CIPP/US Study Guide, Chapter 2, Section 2.3]
• [GDPR, Article 35]

Under the GDPR, the complainant’s request regarding her personal information is known as the right to be forgotten, also known as the right to erasure. This right allows individuals to ask organizations to delete their personal data in certain circumstances, such as when the data is no longer necessary, the consent is withdrawn, or the processing is unlawful. The right to be forgotten is not absolute and may not apply if the processing is necessary for legal, public interest, or legitimate purposes. The right to be forgotten also requires organizations to inform any recipients of the data about the erasure request, unless it is impossible or involves disproportionate effort. References:

• Everything you need to know about the “Right to be forgotten”
• Right to erasure | ICO
• Art. 17 GDPR – Right to erasure (‘right to be forgotten’) - General …
• [IAPP CIPP/US Certified Information Privacy Professional Study Guide], Chapter 6, page 213.