This research project processes personal information. This privacy policy statement aims to give you information on what personal information is collected and from where, and how it is processed and used. For more information on your rights, see the end of this statement.
1. Data controller
Åbo Akademi
Tuomikirkontori 2
20500 Turku
Finland
Data protection officer at Åbo Akademi University: Anna-Maria Nordman, dataskydd(a)abo.fi, +358 2 21531
2. Contact person for the research project
Heini Ruohonen (principal investigator)
Faculty of Social Sciences, Economy and Business, and Law
Political Science, Media, and Communication
Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa
heini.ruohonen(a)abo.fi
3. What is the purpose of the research project and processing personal information?
Personal data is collected and processed to do a scientific research project which is a sub-study in the principal investigator’s doctoral dissertation Digital volunteers and their cooperation with authorities in Finland.
The study aims to investigate how digital volunteering has taken form in Finland since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022. The study is realized by analyzing three different Facebook groups/pages. The data consists of posts and comment threads in these Facebook groups/pages and is collected to analyze and understand how digital volunteers communicate and cooperate, but also with actors outside the group such as public authorities, organizations, or associations, to help refugees who come to Finland.
Personal information comes with the data that is collected, and the purpose of processing that information is based on the study’s aims.
4. What personal information is processed?
The data is collected in the form of posts and comment threads on Facebook groups/pages which are saved as PDF files. The data in the PDF files contain personal information such as the name of the user, a photo (profile picture), and other possible identifiable information that is revealed in the comment.
5. What sensitive personal information is processed?
Even though sensitive personal data is not used in this study to reach its aim, it is necessary to process it to be able to analyze the material. The material in the PDF files can contain sensitive information. This includes information on the person’s health, religion, political opinions, sexual orientation, or other similar details.
All sensitive personal data will be processed during the analysis phase and all data that is not relevant for the study will be deleted from the material.
6. What is the legal basis for processing personal information?
The lawful basis for processing is the EU General Data Protection Regulation Article 6 Paragraph 1 and the Data Protection Act (1050/2018) 4 §: processing of data for the purposes of scientific or historical purposes, or statistical purposes. The processing of sensitive personal data is based on Point j, Paragraph 2, Article 9 of the GDPR (processing is necessary for scientific or historical research purposes), with the support of the Finnish Data Protection Act (1050/2018, 6 §)
7. Who collects and processes the personal information?
All raw data (meaning data with personal information) is collected and processed only by the principal investigator. Pseudonymized data (meaning data that has been rinsed from personal information which is kept in a separate document) will also be processed by the principal investigator’s supervisors to ensure the quality of the data analysis.
8. How is the personal information processed and stored?
All raw data will be pseudonymized which means that your personal information cannot be connected to the analyzed material without supplementary information. The PDF files will be cleansed of personal information with relevant software so that the group member’s name, photo, or other identifiable information will not be available. This is done during the analysis phase.
Throughout the project, all data including personal information and copies of the raw data is stored on the protected ÅAU server, and a copy of the material is kept on an encrypted hard drive only the project director has access to. Documents with personal data will be processed and stored so that only persons requiring them for research purposes are granted access. Manual data such as analysis notes written on paper, and hard drives with copies of the material are stored in a locked cabinet only the principal investigator has access to.
When the project is finished, all data will be anonymized. This means that even documents that entail personal information and have been stored during the project will be destroyed.
9. Is personal information transferred outside of ÅAU to third parties or outside EU/EEA countries?
Only the principal investigator will process raw data with personal information. Data with that information will not be transferred to third parties outside of ÅAU or outside EU/EEA countries. When the project is finished, the anonymized data will be archived at Finnish Social Science Data Archive.
10. How long do you keep personal information stored?
Personal data will be stored until the aim of the study has been reached (see point 3). The project is active from 05/2023 to 04/2024.
11. How is personal information processed after the research project is finished?
When the research project is finished in the Spring of 2024, collected material will be anonymized and archived at Finnish Social Science Data Archive for future research, education, and studies. At this point, all personal information has been deleted from the material and the material will be completely anonymized. Material that cannot be anonymized, such as documents containing personal information, will be destroyed.
12. The individual’s rights to their personal data
According to the EU General Data Protection Regulation GDPR, you have the right to
- get transparent information on how your personal data is processed and how you can exercise your rights (Art. 12)
- get access to your personal data at Åbo Akademi University and information on the processing of data (Art. 15)
- have your personal data corrected (Art. 16)
- have your data erased (“the right to be forgotten”) in certain situations (Art. 17)
- restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations (Art. 18)
- have your personal data transferred between systems in certain situations (Art. 20)
- object to the processing of your personal data in certain situations (Art. 21)
- not be subject to automated decision-making, with certain exceptions (Art. 22)
- be informed of a personal data breach involving a high risk (Art. 34)
When the purpose of the processing is scientific research, statistics or archival purposes, the rights may be restricted by the Data Protection Act (1050/2018). Restrictions on rights always require special protective measures.
If you have questions about your rights, you can contact the responsible contact person (see above) or the ÅAU Data Protection Officer (dataskydd@abo.fi). See also the overall information on the processing of personal data on the ÅAU website (www.abo.fi/en/processing-of-personal-data-at-abo-akademi-university).
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the data protection authority if you believe that the processing of your personal data is an infringement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Contact information to the data protection authority
Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman
PL 800
00531 Helsinki
+358 29 566 6700 (switchboard)
tietosuoja@om.fi
tietosuoja.fi
13. Who can I contact for more information?
If you have questions related to your rights or data management, you can contact the principal investigator (see point 2) or contact the data protection officer at Åbo Akademi University (dataskydd(a)abo.fi).