The purpose of this statement is to inform you of the data relating to you that we collect and use in connection with your use of the Law Directory mobile application (the “App”) on your mobile device and the uses we make of such data.

When you use the App on a mobile device, you are at times using a third party to access the internet and/or the App. All requests must be sent through your mobile carrier’s network, and the carrier may have access to it. For information about how the carrier treats your information, you must review your carrier’s privacy policies. The Law Society has no control over the policies that may be applied by your carrier.

If you have any questions about our use of your personal data, please contact dataprivacy@lawsociety.ie.

Personal data that we collect and process

In order to access the App, you will be asked to enter your Law Society username and password. This is used to authenticate your identity against the Law Society’s database. These details are stored in the secure application storage area on your device.  The information will not be stored in a format in which you could be personally identified by the Law Society.

Collection and use of technical information

The Law Society will make no attempt to identify individual users of the App and the App does not monitor your personal use of the App. 

However, the App collects unidentifiable and non-personal statistical data to help the Law Society improve the quality of the App, and to improve support processes.

The statistical data includes information about:

• the device you are using (including, for example, the make and model);
• the carrier or mobile software used;
• general patterns of use (not user specific); and
• specific events, like software crashes and errors.

Purposes of processing and legal basis

We will use personal data relating to you for the purpose of:

• installing the App on your device;
• authenticating your identity against the Law Society’s database to enable you to access the App;
• facilitating your use of the App in accordance with our Terms and Conditions; and
• generating and analysing statistics regarding usage of the App. Where possible, personal data will be anonymised before being used for this purpose.

The legal basis on which we process your personal data is that this is necessary for our legitimate interests in regulating the solicitors’ profession in Ireland and ensuring the proper management and functioning of the Law Society. We will not process your personal data for these purposes if to do so would constitute an unwarranted interference with your own interests, rights and freedoms.

Recipients of data

We may disclose your personal data to other organisations in connection with the above purposes, including:

• to third parties who we engage to provide services to us in connection with the App, such as outsourced service providers, IT service providers, professional advisors and auditors;
• to public authorities and bodies where required or permitted by law, such as the Gardaí or other law enforcement authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation or detection of crime.

Transfers Abroad

In connection with the above, we might transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area by enabling remote access to your personal data by our service providers for support services, including to a jurisdiction which is not recognised by the European Commission as providing for an equivalent level of protection for personal data as is provided for in the European Union. If and to the extent that we do so, we will ensure that appropriate measures are in place to comply with our obligations under applicable law governing such transfers. These may include entering into a contract governing the transfer that contains the ‘standard contractual clauses’ approved for this purpose by the European Commission. If you would like to receive further details of the measures that we have taken in this regard, please contact dataprivacy@lawsociety.ie.

Retention

We not hold your personal data for longer than is necessary.  We retain your personal data for as long as we need it for the purposes described in this statement, or to comply with our obligations under applicable law and, if relevant, to deal with any claim or dispute that might arise between you and us.

Requirement to provide personal data

You are not under a statutory or contractual obligation to provide us with any personal data, except where you download and use the App and we need it for this purpose.  If you do not provide us with the information required, you may not be able to use the App.

Your rights

You have the following rights, in certain circumstances and subject to certain restrictions, in relation to your personal data:

• Right to access the data – You have the right to request a copy of the personal data that we hold about you, together with other information about our processing of that personal data;
• Right to rectification – You have the right to request that any inaccurate data that is held about you is corrected, or if we have incomplete information you may request that we update the information such that it is complete;
• Right to erasure – You have the right to request us to delete personal data that we hold about you. This is sometimes referred to as the right to be forgotten; and
• Right to restriction of processing – You have the right to request that we no longer process your personal data for particular purposes.

If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us at dataprivacy@lawsociety.ie.

Updates

We may occasionally update this policy. We encourage you to periodically review this policy for the latest information on our privacy practices.

Complaints

If you are not happy with the way we are using your personal data or how we facilitate your rights or comply with our obligations under applicable data protection law, you have the right to make a complaint to the Data Protection Commission (“DPC”). Details of how to lodge a complaint with the DPC can be found at (https://www.dataprotection.ie/docs/Contact-us/11.htm).

Last updated: November 2020