Personal Data Protection in Costa Rica
Personal Data Protection Consultants:
At GoLegal, we are attorneys specializing in personal data protection. Through our legal support, we help you conduct your business in compliance with the requirements of the various data protection regulations in the countries or jurisdictions where your services or products are offered.
If your company or organization collects and processes Personal Data, it must comply with and ensure the principles and rights established in personal data protection regulations. To this end, GoLegal offers legal support in implementing a Data Protection Compliance Program that will enable your organization to comply with the relevant legal framework.
Some of our specialized services in personal data protection:
- Inventory and record of the organization's processing of personal data.
- Risk Assessment of Personal Data Processing.
- Privacy Impact Assessments.
- Drafting of informed consent forms and privacy policies.
- Drafting of contracts for the processing of personal data.
- Privacy Policies.
- In-house training on personal data protection.
- Action Protocols.
OTHER SERVICES:
- Legal Criteria on Personal Data protection.
- Proceedings before the Prodhab Personal Data Protection Agency.
- Consulting services regarding compliance with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- Training and courses on Personal Data protection for companies and public institutions.
Hiring a Data Protection officer or representative.
The Data Protection Officer plays a vital role in implementing the various measures and ensuring compliance with the obligations and duties that Law 8968 imposes on data controllers and processors in Costa Rica, as well as in ensuring the continuity and improvement of the compliance program in this area.
Our attorneys can provide your organization with ongoing support in implementing and maintaining a personal data protection compliance program in accordance with the legal framework. In this article, you will learn more about the role of the Personal Data Protection Officer.
Which companies or institutions are required to comply with personal data protection regulations?
Any public or private organization that processes the personal data of Costa Rican citizens must comply with the provisions of the national law on this matter.
If your company or organization also processes the personal data of European citizens as part of its activities, it must therefore comply with the provisions of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
What types of organizations do we help comply with personal data protection laws?
- Private companies that collect and process the personal data of their customers, suppliers, or employees.
- Academic institutions: universities, schools, and colleges that offer online education.
- Digital marketing agencies.
- Software development companies.
- Companies that develop disruptive technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence.
- Information technology and telecommunications companies.
- Digital or technology startups.
- E-commerce websites and platforms.
- Fintech companies that provide alternative financial services to consumers and, as part of their operations, collect and process consumers’ personal and financial data.
- Clinics and hospitals that process sensitive personal data.
- Public or government institutions.
- Nonprofit organizations that collect and process personal data.
If my company and organization are located in Costa Rica, do I have to comply with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?
If, as part of your business activities, you process the personal data of European citizens, you must comply with the provisions of the GDPR.
Organizations or companies in Costa Rica that may collect personal data from European citizens include the following:
- Universities or educational institutions that host European citizens through exchange programs.
- Clinics or medical centers that offer and provide health services to EU citizens.
- Tourism companies, airlines, tourist transportation services, hotels, and lodging facilities that provide services to European citizens.
- Apps, websites, or e-commerce platforms that collect data from European citizens through their forms, APIs, third-party cookies, or based on their behavior and interaction with the technology platform.
- Digital marketing agencies that run campaigns targeting consumers in the European Union, or that are hired by European companies to carry out this type of work.
- Software development companies that are contracted by European companies to provide services, and as part of this contractual relationship, personal data is transferred.
