Data Privacy: What It Means and How to Safeguard Data in the Social Sector

Technology and the internet play a significant role in our daily lives, and protecting personal information has become a growing concern. In the social sector, the collection and handling of sensitive information from hundreds and thousands of beneficiaries and stakeholders must be done with the utmost care. As a tech company that creates technology for the social sector, we strive to protect the personal information of individuals and communities we work with every day. One of our priorities during the process of developing systems for different organizations is to ensure that those systems are secure. Let’s dig deep into what data privacy actually means and how we can protect the personal information (PII) of our subjects.

Data privacy revolves around how we collect, store and share our data. Because organisations in the social sector collect data from hundreds and thousands of beneficiaries and stakeholders, it's important to keep data privacy in mind at all times.

Being mindful of what data is being collected? And why?

The moment we decide to collect information on our beneficiaries, stakeholders, volunteers, etc. we have to be vigilant about what kind of data is being collected.

Organizations should always clearly communicate to individuals and communities how their personal information is being collected, used, and shared. Provide them with the opportunity to opt out or provide consent for the collection and use of their personal information. You can look at the following list of questions to keep a check that you are making sure the subject is informed and given consent to data collection:

Limit data collection to what is necessary. Only collect the personal information that is necessary for the specific purpose for which it is intended. Avoid collecting unnecessary information, which increases the risk of a data breach. In general, please try to stay away from KYC data, GPS location, and mobile numbers unless it is required for a specific purpose.

Instead of focusing on data collection formats, start from what you want to analyse for decision-making and then only collect data points which are absolutely important.

Technical and Organizational measures to protect the data being collected!

Organizations that work with vulnerable communities must ensure the security of their beneficiaries’ personal information. Here are some measures that could be taken to ensure the secure storage of data:

It’s important to note that these are just a few examples of measures that can be taken to ensure the secure storage of personal data. Organizations should work with legal and privacy experts to ensure that they are compliant with all applicable laws and regulations related to data protection.