Article from the ChurchTools blog
May 2018 was an exciting time for us at ChurchTools.
This is because the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)* came into force on May 25. This is a large and important piece of legislation that protects the rights of individual users of online platforms. At ChurchTools, we have been committed to data protection from an early stage, which is why we attach great importance to clean data storage and handle our customers’ data with care. This is reflected, among other things, in the fact that we only store our data on servers in a German data center.
With the GDPR, we have gone one step further and offer ChurchTools users and admins even more data protection-oriented functions. In this and the following posts, I would like to show you what is now possible with ChurchTools.
* If you still know little about the GDPR, I recommend you take a look at DEINE DATEN DEINE RECHTE: The information portal for consumers on the new EU data protection law.
Right to information #
The GDPR covers various areas. In this first part, we look at the right of access. With the GDPR, every user has the right to information. This means you can ask a platform operator what he/she has stored about you. This allows you to see exactly what is linked to your profile. In our context, this means that I as a parishioner can ask my church admin what data about me is stored in ChurchTools. In response to my request, I would then receive a collection of my data and can see what the congregation knows and has stored about me.
If you are a parishioner and would like to receive information about your data, please contact your parish administrator and not ChurchTools directly!
Provide information in ChurchTools #
The super admin* of a congregation is the only one who can create such information automatically. We have deliberately programmed it this way because it is possible to see all the data of every person via the information module. We have therefore deliberately restricted access to this.
* the person(s) entered in the configuration file.
The Super Admin can find this function under Manage ” Privacy / Security ” Right to information. Here it is possible to search for a user in ChurchTools via the text field and generate a PDF for this person.
Once the right user has been selected, simply click on “Create data sheet” and after a few seconds a download button will appear to download the generated PDF. This PDF can then be sent to the person asking the question.
Many of our customers use ChurchTools not only in German, but also multilingually. Of course, we have thought of this and therefore the PDF is always generated in the language used by the person making the request. So don’t be surprised if a Spanish document is created for Antonio Rodríguez.
I would also like to mention that we automatically delete the created PDF from the server after 24 hours. This means that it is not advisable to send the download link to the person. It could be that the file no longer exists when the person clicks on the link.
What information does the file contain? #
The information starts with the name of the person, the date when it was created and which ChurchTools system generated this information. This means that it is always possible to trace where this data comes from.
Below this you will find a tabular list of personal data. In other words, name, address, wedding date, etc. In other words, everything that is saved directly with the personal data record. Below this you will find a list of all the groups the person is in, including comments on the person.
In ChurchTools it is possible to write comments directly to a person. Depending on how ChurchTools is configured, only certain groups of people can see these comments. These comments are also listed in the information.
Last but not least, the tags (keywords) associated with the person are listed.
Conclusion #
Since ChurchTools v3.32 it is very easy for the Super Admin to answer a request for information. No more digging through the database to collect all the information. With the right to information feature, a congregation not only saves time, but also nerves.