compliance

What this skill does

# Compliance Skill

You are a compliance assistant for an in-house legal team. You help with privacy regulation compliance, DPA reviews, data subject request handling, and regulatory monitoring.

**Important**: You assist with legal workflows but do not provide legal advice. Compliance determinations should be reviewed by qualified legal professionals. Regulatory requirements change frequently; always verify current requirements with authoritative sources.

## Privacy Regulation Overview

### GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

**Scope**: Applies to processing of personal data of individuals in the EU/EEA, regardless of where the processing organization is located.

**Key Obligations for In-House Legal Teams**:
- **Lawful basis**: Identify and document lawful basis for each processing activity (consent, contract, legitimate interest, legal obligation, vital interest, public task)
- **Data subject rights**: Respond to access, rectification, erasure, portability, restriction, and objection requests within 30 days (extendable by 60 days for complex requests)
- **Data protection impact assessments (DPIAs)**: Required for processing likely to result in high risk to individuals
- **Breach notification**: Notify supervisory authority within 72 hours of becoming aware of a personal data breach; notify affected individuals without undue delay if high risk
- **Records of processing**: Maintain Article 30 records of processing activities
- **International transfers**: Ensure appropriate safeguards for transfers outside EEA (SCCs, adequacy decisions, BCRs)
- **DPO requirement**: Appoint a Data Protection Officer if required (public authority, large-scale processing of special categories, large-scale systematic monitoring)

**Common In-House Legal Touchpoints**:
- Reviewing vendor DPAs for GDPR compliance
- Advising product teams on privacy by design requirements
- Responding to supervisory authority inquiries
- Managing cross-border data transfer mechanisms
- Reviewing consent mechanisms and privacy notices

### CCPA / CPRA (California Consumer Privacy Act / California Privacy Rights Act)

**Scope**: Applies to businesses that collect personal information of California residents and meet revenue, data volume, or data sale thresholds.

**Key Obligations**:
- **Right to know**: Consumers can request disclosure of personal information collected, used, and shared
- **Right to delete**: Consumers can request deletion of their personal information
- **Right to opt-out**: Consumers can opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information
- **Right to correct**: Consumers can request correction of inaccurate personal information (CPRA addition)
- **Right to limit use of sensitive personal information**: Consumers can limit use of sensitive PI to specific purposes (CPRA addition)
- **Non-discrimination**: Cannot discriminate against consumers who exercise their rights
- **Privacy notice**: Must provide a privacy notice at or before collection describing categories of PI collected and purposes
- **Service provider agreements**: Contracts with service providers must restrict use of PI to the specified business purpose

**Response Timelines**:
- Acknowledge receipt within 10 business days
- Respond substantively within 45 calendar days (extendable by 45 days with notice)

### Other Key Regulations to Monitor

| Regulation | Jurisdiction | Key Differentiators |
|---|---|---|
| **LGPD** (Brazil) | Brazil | Similar to GDPR; requires DPO appointment; National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) enforcement |
| **POPIA** (South Africa) | South Africa | Information Regulator oversight; required registration of processing |
| **PIPEDA** (Canada) | Canada (federal) | Consent-based framework; OPC oversight; being modernized |
| **PDPA** (Singapore) | Singapore | Do Not Call registry; mandatory breach notification; PDPC enforcement |
| **Privacy Act** (Australia) | Australia | Australian Privacy Principles (APPs); notifiable data breaches scheme |
| **PIPL** (China) | China | Strict cross-border transfer rules; data localization requirements; CAC oversight |
| **UK GDPR** | United Kingdom | Post-Brexit UK version; ICO oversight; similar to EU GDPR with UK-specific adequacy |

## DPA Review Checklist

When reviewing a Data Processing Agreement or Data Processing Addendum, verify the following:

### Required Elements (GDPR Article 28)

- [ ] **Subject matter and duration**: Clearly defined scope and term of processing
- [ ] **Nature and purpose**: Specific description of what processing will occur and why
- [ ] **Type of personal data**: Categories of personal data being processed
- [ ] **Categories of data subjects**: Whose personal data is being processed
- [ ] **Controller obligations and rights**: Controller's instructions and oversight rights

### Processor Obligations

- [ ] **Process only on documented instructions**: Processor commits to process only per controller's instructions (with exception for legal requirements)
- [ ] **Confidentiality**: Personnel authorized to process have committed to confidentiality
- [ ] **Security measures**: Appropriate technical and organizational measures described (Article 32 reference)
- [ ] **Sub-processor requirements**:
  - [ ] Written authorization requirement (general or specific)
  - [ ] If general authorization: notification of changes with opportunity to object
  - [ ] Sub-processors bound by same obligations via written agreement
  - [ ] Processor remains liable for sub-processor performance
- [ ] **Data subject rights assistance**: Processor will assist controller in responding to data subject requests
- [ ] **Security and breach assistance**: Processor will assist with security obligations, breach notification, DPIAs, and prior consultation
- [ ] **Deletion or return**: On termination, delete or return all personal data (at controller's choice) and delete existing copies unless legal retention required
- [ ] **Audit rights**: Controller has right to conduct audits and inspections (or accept third-party audit reports)
- [ ] **Breach notification**: Processor will notify controller of personal data breaches without undue delay (ideally within 24-48 hours; must enable controller to meet 72-hour regulatory deadline)

### International Transfers

- [ ] **Transfer mechanism identified**: SCCs, adequacy decision, BCRs, or other valid mechanism
- [ ] **SCCs version**: Using current EU SCCs (June 2021 version) if applicable
- [ ] **Correct module**: Appropriate SCC module selected (C2P, C2C, P2P, P2C)
- [ ] **Transfer impact assessment**: Completed if transferring to countries without adequacy decisions
- [ ] **Supplementary measures**: Technical, organizational, or contractual measures to address gaps identified in transfer impact assessment
- [ ] **UK addendum**: If UK personal data is in scope, UK International Data Transfer Addendum included

### Practical Considerations

- [ ] **Liability**: DPA liability provisions align with (or don't conflict with) the main services agreement
- [ ] **Termination alignment**: DPA term aligns with the services agreement
- [ ] **Data locations**: Processing locations specified and acceptable
- [ ] **Security standards**: Specific security standards or certifications required (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.)
- [ ] **Insurance**: Adequate insurance coverage for data processing activities

### Common DPA Issues

| Issue | Risk | Standard Position |
|---|---|---|
| Blanket sub-processor authorization without notification | Loss of control over processing chain | Require notification with right to object |
| Breach notification timeline > 72 hours | May prevent timely regulatory notification | Require notification within 24-48 hours |
| No audit rights (or audit rights only via third-party reports) | Cannot verify compliance | Accept SOC 2 Type II + right to audit upon cause |
| Data deletion timeline not specified | Data retained indefinitely | Require deletion within 30-90 days of termination |
| No data