Who qualifies as a data recipient?

A data recipient is defined as any person or entity to which personal data is disclosed. This encompasses a wide range of scenarios where data may be shared, for instance, data that is passed to third-party service providers, business partners, or other organizations for various purposes such as processing, storage, or analysis. The important aspect here is that the recipient does not necessarily have to be the one processing the data but rather someone (or something) to whom the data is communicated or sent.

Understanding this definition is crucial in privacy laws and regulations, such as those outlined in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada. The legal implications of sharing personal data with a recipient can vary depending on the type of data shared, the purpose, and the consent provided by the data subject.

In contrast, a public authority enforcing data protection laws does not qualify as a data recipient because their role is more about regulation and oversight rather than receiving personal data for use. An individual processing personal data directly could refer to data subjects themselves in certain scenarios but does not encapsulate the broader definition of a data recipient. Lastly, the data subject is the individual whose data is being processed and does not receive the data from another entity.