1. Privacy is a fundamental right
Privacy is a fundamental right. Children, young people and their parents must be able to feel secure that the law is being followed in the processing of their personal data also in hobby activities. The hobby organiser has an important role in ensuring data protection and establishing good practices. When data protection is in order, everyone can focus on the hobby and rest assured that their personal data are in good hands.
Many kinds of personal data, such as names, personal identity codes, addresses, allergy information, bank account numbers, dates of birth, photographs and videos are processed in hobby activities. Personal data processed in hobbies can include the data of participants and their custodians, employees, volunteers, instructors, coaches and Board members. Such processing includes the collection, use, viewing, transfer, disclosure and storage of personal data.
Everyone involved in hobby activities plays an important role in ensuring compliance with data protection requirements, since many stages of hobby activities involve the processing of personal data in one way or another. Depending on the hobby, personal data can be processed in connection with registering for camps, organising competitions, paying licence fees, and informing members about practice schedules. Personal data can be processed in various electronic systems, on paper, or with a variety of technical devices, such as smart phones and computers.
The hobby organiser must take the nature of the activity into account when choosing processing methods. For example, personal data may have to be processed on paper during a scouts’ hike in the woods, when access to electronic personal data is limited, in which case the organiser has to comply with the requirements for processing personal data on paper.
Data protection rights apply to every child and young person too. When a hobby activity is being organised for children, the organiser must remember that it is processing the personal data of children. Children’s personal data must be protected especially carefully, because children are not always aware of the risks and consequences of processing or of their rights and ways of safeguarding their data.
The purpose and rules of the hobby organiser’s (such as a sports club, craft club or scout troop) activities determine which personal data it needs to collect from participants. The hobby organiser must evaluate the necessity of each item of personal data being collected. It must be able to demonstrate that all personal data collected are necessary for its activities. Personal data may not be collected “just in case”, but only in a planned manner and for purposes defined in advance.
