Read Through Our

Data Processing Addendum

Last Updated: April 26, 2023

This Data Processing Addendum (“DPA”), amends and supplements any existing and currently valid Master Services Agreement or Terms of Use (the “Agreement”) either previously or concurrently made between you (together with subsidiary(ies) and affiliated entities, collectively, “Customer”) and Rocket Whale, Products, LLC, a Delaware limited liability corporation (together with its affiliated entities, collectively “Blissbook”).

All capitalized terms not defined in this DPA shall have the meanings set forth in the Agreement.

This DPA incorporates the terms of the SCCs (as defined below in Appendix 2) as though fully stated herein, and all references to the “Agreement” include the terms of the SCCs and all Annexes thereto.

This DPA is effective the date Blissbook begins to process Personal Data on behalf of Customer (the “Effective Date”).

The parties agree as follows:

1. Definitions

"Control" means an ownership, voting or similar interest representing fifty percent (50%) or more of the total interests then outstanding of the entity in question. The term "Controlled" shall be construed accordingly.

"Customer Data" means any Personal Data that Blissbook processes on behalf of Customer as a Data Processor in the course of providing Services, as more particularly described in this DPA.

"Data Protection Laws" means all data protection and privacy laws applicable to the processing of Personal Data under the Agreement, including, where applicable, EU Data Protection Law.

"Data Controller" means an entity that determines the purposes and means of the processing of Personal Data.

"Data Processor" means an entity that processes Personal Data on behalf of a Data Controller.

"EU Data Protection Law" means Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of Personal Data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation) ("GDPR"); and (ii) Directive 2002/58/EC concerning the processing of Personal Data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector and applicable national implementations of it (as may be amended, superseded or replaced).

"EEA" means, for the purposes of this DPA, the European Economic Area, United Kingdom and Switzerland.

"Group" means any and all Affiliates that are part of an entity's corporate group.

"Personal Data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

"Processing" has the meaning given to it in the GDPR and "process", "processes" and "processed" shall be interpreted accordingly.

“SCCs” means the standard contractual clauses for processors as approved by the European Commission in Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/914 of 4 June 2021 pursuant to the GDPR.

"Security Incident" means any unauthorized or unlawful breach of security that leads to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure of or access to Customer Data.

"Sensitive Data" means (a) social security number, tax file number, passport number, driver's license number, or similar identifier (or any portion thereof); (b) credit or debit card number (other than the truncated (last four digits) of a credit or debit card); (c) financial, credit, genetic, biometric or health information; (d) racial, ethnic, political or religious affiliation, information about sexual life or sexual orientation, or criminal record; (e) account passwords; or (f) other information that falls within the definition of "special categories of data" or "special personal information" under applicable Data Protection Laws.

"Services" means any product or service provided by Blissbook to Customer pursuant to the Agreement.

"Sub-processor" means any Data Processor engaged by Blissbook to assist in fulfilling its obligations with respect to providing the Services pursuant to the Agreement or this DPA.

2. Relationship with the Agreement

2.1 The parties agree that DPA shall replace any existing DPA the parties may have previously entered into in connection with the Services.

2.2 Except for the changes made by this DPA, the Agreement remains unchanged and in full force and effect. If there is any conflict between this DPA and the Agreement, this DPA shall prevail to the extent of that conflict.

2.3 Any claims brought under or in connection with this DPA shall be subject to the terms and conditions, including but not limited to, the exclusions and limitations set forth in the Agreement.

2.4 Any claims against Blissbook under this DPA shall be brought solely against the entity that is a party to the Agreement. In no event shall any party limit its liability with respect to any individual's data protection rights under this DPA or otherwise. Customer further agrees that any regulatory penalties incurred by Blissbook in relation to the Customer Data that arise as a result of, or in connection with, Customer’s failure to comply with its obligations under this DPA or any applicable Data Protection Laws shall count toward and reduce Blissbook’s liability under the Agreement as if it were liability to the Customer under the Agreement.

2.5 No one other than a party to this DPA, its successors and permitted assignees shall have any right to enforce any of its terms.

2.6 This DPA shall be governed by and construed in accordance with governing law and jurisdiction provisions in the Agreement, unless required otherwise by applicable Data Protection Laws.

3. Scope and Applicability of this DPA

This DPA applies where and only to the extent that Blissbook processes Customer Data that originates from the EEA and/or that is otherwise subject to EU Data Protection Law on behalf of Customer as Data Processor in the course of providing Services pursuant to the Agreement.

4. Roles and Scope of Processing

4.1 Role of the Parties. As between Blissbook and Customer, Customer is the Data Controller of Customer Data, and Blissbook shall process Customer Data only as a Data Processor acting on behalf of Customer.

4.2. Customer Processing of Customer Data. Customer agrees that (i) it shall comply with its obligations as a Data Controller under Data Protection Laws in respect of its processing of Customer Data and any processing instructions it issues to Blissbook; and (ii) it has provided notice and obtained (or shall obtain) all consents and rights necessary under Data Protection Laws for Blissbook to process Customer Data and provide the Services pursuant to the Agreement and this DPA.

4.3 Blissbook Processing of Customer Data. Blissbook shall process Customer Data only for the purposes described in this DPA and only in accordance with Customer’s documented lawful instructions. The parties agree that this DPA and the Agreement set out the Customer’s complete and final instructions to Blissbook in relation to the processing of Customer Data and processing outside the scope of these instructions (if any) shall require prior written agreement between Customer and Blissbook.

4.4 Details of Data Processing

  1. Subject matter: The subject matter of the data processing under this DPA is the Customer Data.
  2. Duration: As between Blissbook and Customer, the duration of the data processing under this DPA is until the termination of the Agreement in accordance with its terms.
  3. Purpose: The purpose of the data processing under this DPA is the provision of the Services to the Customer and the performance of Blissbook's obligations under the Agreement (including this DPA) or as otherwise agreed by the parties.
  4. Nature of the processing: Blissbook provides a policy content management system and other related services, as described in the Agreement.
  5. Categories of data subjects: Any individual accessing and/or using the Services through the Customer's account ("Users"); and any individual: (i) whose email address is included in the Customer's Employee List or otherwise in a Customer’s account as a Contact; or (ii) whose information is stored on or collected via the Services.
  6. Types of Customer Data:

For Customers, Users, and Contacts: identification and contact data (name, date of birth contact details including email address and/or telephone number); financial information (credit card details, account details, payment information); employment details (employer, employee ID, hire date, geographic location, area of responsibility, other metadata as defined by Customer); personal interests or preferences (including purchase history, marketing preferences and publicly available social media profile information); IT information (IP addresses, usage data, cookies data, online navigation data, location data, browser data).

4.5 Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Agreement (including this DPA), Customer acknowledges that Blissbook shall have a right to use and disclose data relating to the operation, support and/or use of the Services for its legitimate business purposes, such as billing, account management, technical support, product development and sales and marketing. To the extent any such data is considered Personal Data under Data Protection Laws, Blissbook is the Data Controller of such data and accordingly shall process such data in accordance with the Blissbook Privacy Policy and Data Protection Laws.

4.6 Tracking Technologies. Customer acknowledges that in connection with the performance of the Services, Blissbook employs the use of cookies, unique identifiers, web beacons and similar tracking technologies ("Tracking Technologies"). Customer shall maintain appropriate notice, consent, opt-in and opt-out mechanisms as are required by Data Protection Laws to enable Blissbook to deploy Tracking Technologies lawfully on, and collect data from, the devices of Subscribers (defined below) in accordance with and as described in the Blissbook Privacy Policy.

5. Sub-processing

5.1 Authorized Sub-processors. Customer agrees that Blissbook may engage Sub-processors to process Customer Data on Customer's behalf. The Sub-processors currently engaged by Blissbook and authorized by Customer are listed in Appendix A.

5.2 Sub-processor Obligations. Blissbook shall: (i) enter into a written agreement with the Sub-processor imposing data protection terms that require the Sub-processor to protect the Customer Data to the standard required by Data Protection Laws; and (ii) remain responsible for its compliance with the obligations of this DPA and for any acts or omissions of the Sub-processor that cause Blissbook to breach any of its obligations under this DPA.

6. Security

6.1 Security Measures. Blissbook will maintain reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for protection of the security, confidentiality and integrity of personal data transferred to Blissbook as described in the Agreement and in the Blissbook Privacy Policy.

6.2 Updates to Security Measures. Customer is responsible for reviewing the information made available by Blissbook relating to data security and making an independent determination as to whether the Services meet Customer’s requirements and legal obligations under Data Protection Laws. Customer acknowledges that the Security Measures are subject to technical progress and development and that Blissbook may update or modify the Security Measures from time to time provided that such updates and modifications do not result in the degradation of the overall security of the Services purchased by the Customer.

6.3 Customer Responsibilities. Notwithstanding the above, Customer agrees that except as provided by this DPA, Customer is responsible for its secure use of the Services, including securing its account authentication credentials, protecting the security of Customer Data when in transit to and from the Services and taking any appropriate steps to securely encrypt or backup any Customer Data uploaded to the Services.

7. Security Reports and Audits

7.1 At the request of the Customer and at the Customer’s cost, Blissbook will submit its data processing facilities for audit of the processing activities covered by the DPA which shall be carried out by the Customer or an inspection body composed of independent members and in possession of the required professional qualifications bound by a duty of confidentiality, selected by the Customer.

7.2 Blissbook shall also provide written responses (on a confidential basis) to all reasonable requests for information made by Customer, including responses to information security and audit questionnaires that are necessary to confirm Blissbook's compliance with this DPA, provided that Customer shall not exercise this right more than once per year.

8. International Transfers

8.1 Data center locations. Blissbook may transfer and process Customer Data anywhere in the world where Blissbook or its Sub-processors maintain data processing operations (including, but not limited to, the United States of America). Blissbook shall at all times provide an adequate level of protection for the Customer Data processed, in accordance with the requirements of Data Protection Laws.

8.2 European Data transfers. If Blissbook received Customer Data protected by EU Data Protection Laws (“EU Personal Data”) in a country outside of the EEA that is not recognized as providing an adequate level of protection for personal data (as described in an applicable EU Data Protection Law), Blissbook agrees to process EU Personal Data in compliance with the SCCs set forth at Appendix 2. For the purposes of the Model Clauses, Blissbook agrees that it is the “data importer” and Customer is the “data exporter” (even if Customer may itself be an entity located outside the EEA).

9. Additional Security

9.1 Confidentiality of processing. Blissbook shall ensure that any person who is authorized by Blissbook to process Customer Data (including its staff, agents and subcontractors) shall be under an appropriate obligation of confidentiality (whether a contractual or statutory duty).

9.2 Security Incident Response. Upon becoming aware of a Security Incident, Blissbook shall notify Customer without undue delay and shall provide timely information relating to the Security Incident as it becomes known or as is reasonably requested by Customer.

10. Changes to Sub-processors

10.1 Blissbook shall (i) provide an up-to-date list of the Sub-processors it has appointed upon written request from Customer; and (ii) notify any Customers who have requested such list (for which email shall suffice) if it adds or removes Sub-processors at least 10 days prior to any such changes.

10.2 Customer may object in writing to Blissbook’s appointment of a new Sub-processor within five (5) calendar days of such notice, provided that such objection is based on reasonable grounds relating to data protection. In such event, the parties shall discuss such concerns in good faith with a view to achieving a commercially reasonable resolution. If this is not possible, Customer may suspend or terminate the Agreement.

11. Return or Deletion of Data

11.1 Upon termination or expiration of the Agreement, or cancelation of the Services, Blissbook shall (at Customer's election) delete or return to Customer all Customer Data (including copies) in its possession or control, save that this requirement shall not apply to the extent Blissbook is required by applicable law to retain some or all of the Customer Data, or to Customer Data it has archived on back-up systems, which Customer Data Blissbook shall securely isolate and protect from any further processing, except to the extent required by applicable law.

12. Cooperation

12.1 The Services provide Customer with a number of controls that Customer may use to retrieve, correct, delete or restrict Customer Data, which Customer may use to assist it in connection with its obligations under the GDPR, including its obligations relating to responding to requests from data subjects or applicable data protection authorities. To the extent that Customer is unable to independently access the relevant Customer Data within the Services, Blissbook shall (at Customer's expense) provide reasonable cooperation to assist Customer to respond to any requests from individuals or applicable data protection authorities relating to the processing of Personal Data under the Agreement. In the event that any such request is made directly to Blissbook, Blissbook shall not respond to such communication directly without Customer's prior authorization, unless legally compelled to do so. If Blissbook is required to respond to such a request, Blissbook shall promptly notify Customer and provide it with a copy of the request unless legally prohibited from doing so.

12.2 If a law enforcement agency sends Blissbook a demand for Customer Data (for example, through a subpoena or court order), Blissbook shall attempt to redirect the law enforcement agency to request that data directly from Customer. As part of this effort, Blissbook may provide Customer’s basic contact information to the law enforcement agency. If compelled to disclose Customer Data to a law enforcement agency, then Blissbook shall give Customer reasonable notice of the demand to allow Customer to seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy unless Blissbook is legally prohibited from doing so.

12.3 To the extent Blissbook is required under EU Data Protection Law, Blissbook shall (at Customer's expense) provide reasonably requested information regarding the Services to enable the Customer to carry out data protection impact assessments or prior consultations with data protection authorities as required by law.

Appendix 1 - Sub-processors

Blissbook uses its Affiliates and a range of third party Sub-processors to assist it in providing the Services (as described in the Agreement). These Sub-processors set out below provide cloud hosting and storage services; content delivery and review services; assist in providing customer support; as well as incident tracking, response, diagnosis and resolution services.

  • Amazon Web Services; Hosting & storage; VA, USA & WA, USA
  • Postmark; Transactional email; IL, USA
  • Intercom; CRM & helpdesk; CA, USA
  • Pusher; Real-time events; London, UK
  • Google; Email & productivity; CA, USA
  • Stripe; Payment storage & processor; CA, USA
  • Dropbox; Cloud storage; CA, USA
  • AgileBits (1Password); Secure information/file transfer; Toronto, Canada
  • Sentry; Error & Performance Monitoring; CA, USA
  • Twilio; Transactional SMS text; CA, USA

Appendix 2 - Standard Contractual Clauses

Section I

Clause 1

Purpose and Scope

  1. The purpose of these standard contractual clauses (the “Clauses”) is to ensure compliance with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General Data Protection Regulation)1 for the transfer of personal data to a third country.
  2. The Parties:
    1. The Customer identified in the Data Processing Addendum (“DPA”) to which these Clauses are appended and into which these Clauses are incorporated, and which is transferring the personal data (hereinafter, “data exporter”), and
    2. Rocket Whale Products, LLC, a Delaware limited liability corporation, together with its affiliated entities d/b/a Blissbook, located in a third country and receiving the personal data from the data exporter, directly or indirectly via another entity also Party to these Clauses (hereinafter, “data importer”) have agreed to these Clauses.
  3. These Clauses apply with respect to the transfer of personal data as specified in Annex I.
  4. The Appendix to these Clauses containing the Annexes referred to therein forms an integral part of these Clauses.

Clause 2

Effect and invariability of the Clauses

  1. These Clauses set out appropriate safeguards, including enforceable data subject rights and effective legal remedies, pursuant to Article 46(1), and Article 46 (2)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and, with respect to data transfers from controllers to processors and/or processors to processors, standard contractual clauses pursuant to Article 28(7) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, provided they are not modified, except to select the appropriate Module(s) or to add or update information in the Appendix. This does not prevent the Parties from including the standard contractual clauses laid down in these Clauses in a wider contract and/or to add other clauses or additional safeguards, provided that they do not contradict, directly or indirectly, these Clauses or prejudice the fundamental rights or freedoms of data subjects.
  2. These Clauses are without prejudice to obligations to which the data exporter is subject by virtue of the Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Clause 3

Third-party beneficiaries

  1. Data subjects may invoke and enforce these Clauses, as third-party beneficiaries, against the data exporter and / or data importer, with the following exceptions:
  2. These Clauses are without prejudice to obligations to which the data exporter is subject by virtue of the Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
    1. Clause 1, Cause 2, Clause 3, Clause 6, Clause 7;
    2. Clause 8.1(b), 8.9(a), (c), (d) and (e);
    3. Clause 9(a), (c), (d) and (e);
    4. Clause 12(a), (d) and (f);
    5. Clause 13;
    6. Clause 15.1(c), (d) and (e);
    7. Clause 16(e);
    8. Clause 18(a) and (b).
  3. Paragraph (a) is without prejudice to rights of data subjects under Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Clause 4

Intepretation

  1. Where these Clauses use terms that are defined in Regulation (EU) 2016/679, those terms shall have the same meaning as in that Regulation.
  2. These Clauses shall be read and interpreted in the light of the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
  3. These Clauses shall not be interpreted in a way that conflicts with rights and obligations provided for in Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Clause 5

Hierarchy

In the event of a contradiction between these Clauses and the provisions of related agreements between the Parties, existing at the time these Clauses are agreed or entered into thereafter, these Clauses shall prevail.

Clause 6

Description of the transfer(s)

The details of the transfer(s), and in particular the categories of personal data that are transferred and the purpose(s) for which they are transferred, are specified in Annex I.

Clause 7

Docking clause

  1. An entity that is not a Party to these Clauses may, with the agreement of the Parties, accede to these Clauses at any time, either as a data exporter or as a data importer, by completing the Appendix and signing Annex I.
  2. Once it has completed the Appendix and signed Annex I, the acceding entity shall become a Party to these Clauses and have the rights and obligations of a data exporter or data importer in accordance with its designation in Annex I.
  3. The acceding entity shall have no rights or obligations arising under these Clauses from the period prior to becoming a Party.

Section II - OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES

Clause 8

Data Protection Safeguards

The data exporter warrants that it has used reasonable efforts to determine that the data importer is able, through the implementation of appropriate technical and organisational measures, to satisfy its obligations under these Clauses.

8.1 Instructions
  1. The data importer shall process the personal data only on documented instructions from the data exporter. The data exporter may give such instructions throughout the duration of the contract.
  2. The data importer shall immediately inform the data exporter if it is unable to follow those instructions.
8.2 Purpose limitation

The data importer shall process the personal data only for the specific purpose(s) of the transfer, as set out in Annex I, unless on further instructions from the data exporter.

8.3 Transparency

On request, the data exporter shall make a copy of these Clauses, including the Appendix as completed by the Parties, available to the data subject free of charge. To the extent necessary to protect business secrets or other confidential information, including the measures described in Annex II and personal data, the data exporter may redact part of the text of the Appendix to these Clauses prior to sharing a copy, but shall provide a meaningful summary where the data subject would otherwise not be able to understand its content or exercise his/her rights. On request, the Parties shall provide the data subject with the reasons for the redactions, to the extent possible without revealing the redacted information. This Clause is without prejudice to the obligations of the data exporter under Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

8.4 Accuracy

If the data importer becomes aware that the personal data it has received is inaccurate, or has become outdated, it shall inform the data exporter without undue delay. In this case, the data importer shall cooperate with the data exporter to erase or rectify the data.

8.5 Duration of processing and erasure or return of data

Processing by the data importer shall only take place for the duration specified in Annex I. After the end of the provision of the processing services, the data importer shall, at the choice of the data exporter, delete all personal data processed on behalf of the data exporter and certify to the data exporter that it has done so, or return to the data exporter all personal data processed on its behalf and delete existing copies. Until the data is deleted or returned, the data importer shall continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses. In case of local laws applicable to the data importer that prohibit return or deletion of the personal data, the data importer warrants that it will continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses and will only process it to the extent and for as long as required under that local law. This is without prejudice to Clause 14, in particular the requirement for the data importer under Clause 14(e) to notify the data exporter throughout the duration of the contract if it has reason to believe that it is or has become subject to laws or practices not in line with the requirements under Clause 14(a).

8.6 Security of processing
  1. The data importer and, during transmission, also the data exporter shall implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security of the data, including protection against a breach of security leading to accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access to that data (hereinafter “personal data breach”). In assessing the appropriate level of security, the Parties shall take due account of the state of the art, the costs of implementation, the nature, scope, context and purpose(s) of processing and the risks involved in the processing for the data subjects. The Parties shall in particular consider having recourse to encryption or pseudonymisation, including during transmission, where the purpose of processing can be fulfilled in that manner. In case of pseudonymisation, the additional information for attributing the personal data to a specific data subject shall where possible remain under the exclusive control of the data exporter. In complying with its obligations under this paragraph, the data importer shall at least implement the technical and organisational measures specified in Annex II. The data importer shall carry out regular checks to ensure that these measures continue to provide an appropriate level of security.
  2. The data importer shall grant access to the personal data to members of its personnel only to the extent strictly necessary for the implementation, management and monitoring of the contract. It shall ensure that persons authorised to process the personal data have committed themselves to confidentiality or are under an appropriate statutory obligation of confidentiality.
  3. In the event of a personal data breach concerning personal data processed by the data importer under these Clauses, the data importer shall take appropriate measures to address the breach, including measures to mitigate its adverse effects. The data importer shall also notify the data exporter without undue delay after having become aware of the breach. Such notification shall contain the details of a contact point where more information can be obtained, a description of the nature of the breach (including, where possible, categories and approximate number of data subjects and personal data records concerned), its likely consequences and the measures taken or proposed to address the breach, including, where appropriate, measures to mitigate its possible adverse effects. Where, and in so far as, it is not possible to provide all information at the same time, the initial notification shall contain the information then available and further information shall, as it becomes available, subsequently be provided without undue delay.
  4. The data importer shall cooperate with and assist the data exporter to enable the data exporter to comply with its obligations under the Regulation (EU) 2016/679, in particular to notify the competent supervisory authority and the affected data subjects, taking into account the nature of processing and the information available to the data importer.
8.7 Sensitive data

Where the transfer involves personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic data, or biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or a person’s sex life or sexual orientation, or data relating to criminal convictions and offences (hereinafter “sensitive data”), the data importer shall apply the specific restrictions and/or additional safeguards described in Annex I.

8.8 Onward transfers

The data importer shall only disclose the personal data to a third party on documented instructions from the data exporter. In addition, the data may only be disclosed to a third party located outside the European Union2 (in the same country as the data importer or in another third country, hereinafter “onward transfer”) if the third party is or agrees to be bound by these Clauses, under the appropriate Module, or if:

  1. the onward transfer is to a country benefitting from an adequacy decision pursuant to Article 45 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 that covers the onward transfer;
  2. the third party otherwise ensures appropriate safeguards pursuant to Articles 46 or 47 Regulation of (EU) 2016/679 with respect to the processing in question;
  3. the onward transfer is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims in the context of specific administrative, regulatory or judicial proceedings; or
  4. the onward transfer is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person.

Any onward transfer is subject to compliance by the data importer with all the other safeguards under these Clauses, in particular purpose limitation.

8.9 Documentation and Compliance
  1. The data importer shall promptly and adequately deal with enquiries from the data exporter that relate to the processing under these Clauses.
  2. The Parties shall be able to demonstrate compliance with these Clauses. In particular, the data importer shall keep appropriate documentation on the processing activities carried out on behalf of the data exporter.
  3. The data importer shall make available to the data exporter all information necessary to demonstrate compliance with the obligations set out in these Clauses and at the data exporter’s request, allow for and contribute to audits of the processing activities covered by these Clauses, at reasonable intervals or if there are indications of non-compliance. In deciding on a review or audit, the data exporter may take into account relevant certifications held by the data importer.
  4. The data exporter may choose to conduct the audit by itself or mandate an independent auditor. Audits may include inspections at the premises or physical facilities of the data importer and shall, where appropriate, be carried out with reasonable notice.
  5. The Parties shall make the information referred to in paragraphs (b) and (c), including the results of any audits, available to the competent supervisory authority on request.

Clause 9

Use of sub-processors

  1. The data importer has the data exporter’s general authorisation for the engagement of sub-processor(s) from an agreed list. The data importer shall specifically inform the data exporter in writing of any intended changes to that list through the addition or replacement of sub-processors at least 30 days in advance, thereby giving the data exporter sufficient time to be able to object to such changes prior to the engagement of the sub-processor(s). The data importer shall provide the data exporter with the information necessary to enable the data exporter to exercise its right to object.
  2. Where the data importer engages a sub-processor to carry out specific processing activities (on behalf of the data exporter), it shall do so by way of a written contract that provides for, in substance, the same data protection obligations as those binding the data importer under these Clauses, including in terms of third-party beneficiary rights for data subjects.3 The Parties agree that, by complying with this Clause, the data importer fulfils its obligations under Clause 8.8. The data importer shall ensure that the sub-processor complies with the obligations to which the data importer is subject pursuant to these Clauses.
  3. The data importer shall provide, at the data exporter’s request, a copy of such a sub-processor agreement and any subsequent amendments to the data exporter. To the extent necessary to protect business secrets or other confidential information, including personal data, the data importer may redact the text of the agreement prior to sharing a copy.
  4. The data importer shall remain fully responsible to the data exporter for the performance of the sub-processor’s obligations under its contract with the data importer. The data importer shall notify the data exporter of any failure by the sub- processor to fulfil its obligations under that contract.
  5. The data importer shall agree a third-party beneficiary clause with the sub-processor whereby—in the event the data importer has factually disappeared, ceased to exist in law or has become insolvent—the data exporter shall have the right to terminate the sub-processor contract and to instruct the sub-processor to erase or return the personal data.

Clause 10

Data subject rights

  1. The data importer shall promptly notify the data exporter of any request it has received from a data subject. It shall not respond to that request itself unless it has been authorised to do so by the data exporter.
  2. The data importer shall assist the data exporter in fulfilling its obligations to respond to data subjects’ requests for the exercise of their rights under Regulation (EU) 2016/679. In this regard, the Parties shall set out in Annex II the appropriate technical and organisational measures, taking into account the nature of the processing, by which the assistance shall be provided, as well as the scope and extent of the assistance required.
  3. In fulfilling its obligations under paragraphs (a) and (b), the data importer shall comply with the instructions from the data exporter.

Clause 11

Redress

  1. The data importer shall inform data subjects in a transparent and easily accessible format, through individual notice or on its website, of a contact point authorised to handle complaints. It shall deal promptly with any complaints it receives from a data subject.
  2. In case of a dispute between a data subject and one of the Parties as regards compliance with these Clauses, that Party shall use its best efforts to resolve the issue amicably in a timely fashion. The Parties shall shall keep each other informed about such disputes and, where appropriate, cooperate in resolving them.
  3. Where the data subject invokes a third-party beneficiary right pursuant to Clause 3, the data importer shall accept the decision of the data subject to:
    1. lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority in the Member State of his/her habitual residence or place of work, or the competent supervisory pursuant to Clause 13;
    2. refer the dispute to the competent courts within the meaning of Clause 18.
  4. The Parties accept that the data subject may be represented by a not-for-profit body, organisation or association under the conditions set out in Article 80(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679.
  5. The data importer shall abide by a decision that is binding under the applicable EU or Member State law.
  6. The data importer agrees that the choice made by the data subject will not prejudice his / her substantive and procedural rights to seek remedies in accordance with applicable laws.

Clause 12

Liability

  1. Each Party shall be liable to the other Party/ies for any damages it causes the other Party/ies by any breach of these Clauses.
  2. The data importer shall be liable to the data subject, and the data subject shall be entitled to receive compensation, for any material or non-material damages the data importer or its sub-processor causes the data subject by breaching the third-party beneficiary rights under these Clauses.
  3. Notwithstanding paragraph (b), the data exporter shall be liable to the data subject, and the data subject shall be entitled to receive compensation, for any material or non-material damages the data exporter or the data importer (or its sub-processor) causes the data subject by breaching the third-party beneficiary rights under these Clauses. This is without prejudice to the liability of the data exporter and, where the data exporter is a processor acting on behalf of a controller, to the liability of the controller under Regulation (EU) 2016/279 or Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, as applicable.
  4. The Parties agree that if the data exporter is held liable under paragraph (c) for damages caused by the data importer (or its sub-processor), it shall be entitled to claim back from the data importer that part of the compensation corresponding to the data importer’s responsibility for the damage.
  5. Where more than one Party is responsible for any damage caused to the data subject as a result of a breach of these Clauses, all responsible Parties shall be jointly and severally liable and the data subject is entitled to bring an action in court against any of these Parties.
  6. The Parties agree that if one Party is held liable under paragraph (e), it shall be entitled to claim back from the other Party/ies that part of the compensation corresponding to its/their responsibility for the damage.
  7. The data importer may not invoke the conduct of a sub-processor to avoid its own liability.

Clause 13

Supervision

  1. The supervisory authority with responsibility for ensuring compliance by the data exporter with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 as regards the data transfer, as indicated in Annex I, shall act as competent supervisory authority.
  2. The data importer agrees to submit itself to the jurisdiction of and cooperate with the competent supervisory authority in any procedures aimed at ensuring compliance with these Clauses. In particular, the data importer agrees to respond to enquiries, submit to audits and comply with the measures adopted by the supervisory authority, including remedial and compensatory measures. It shall provide the supervisory authority with written confirmation that the necessary actions have been taken.

Section III - LOCAL LAWS AND OBLIGATIONS IN CASE OF ACCESS BY PUBLIC AUTHORITIES

Clause 14

Local laws and practices affecting compliance with the Clauses

  1. The Parties warrant that they have no reason to believe that the laws and practices in the third country of destination applicable to the processing of the personal data by the data importer, including any requirements to disclose personal data or measures authorising access by public authorities, prevent the data importer from fulfilling its obligations under these Clauses. This is based on the understanding that laws and practices that respect the essence of the fundamental rights and freedoms and do not exceed what is necessary and proportionate in a democratic society to safeguard one of the objectives listed in Article 23(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, are not in contradiction with these Clauses.
  2. The Parties declare that in providing the warranty in paragraph (a), they have taken due account in particular of the following elements:
    1. the specific circumstances of the transfer, including the length of the processing chain, the number of actors involved and the transmission channels used; intended onward transfers; the type of recipient; the purpose of processing; the categories and format of the transferred personal data; the economic sector in which the transfer occurs; the storage location of the data transferred;
    2. the laws and practices of the third country of destination—including those requiring the disclosure of data to public authorities or authorising access by such authorities—relevant in light of the specific circumstances of the transfer, and the applicable limitations and safeguards4;
    3. any relevant contractual, technical or organisational safeguards put in place to supplement the safeguards under these Clauses, including measures applied during transmission and to the processing of the personal data in the country of destination.
  3. The data importer warrants that, in carrying out the assessment under paragraph (b), it has made its best efforts to provide the data exporter with relevant information and agrees that it will continue to cooperate with the data exporter in ensuring compliance with these Clauses.
  4. The Parties agree to document the assessment under paragraph (b) and make it available to the competent supervisory authority upon request.
  5. The data importer agrees to notify the data exporter promptly if, after having agreed to these Clauses and for the duration of the contract, it has reason to believe that it is or has become subject to laws or practices not in line with the requirements under paragraph (a), including following a change in the laws of the third country or a measure (such as a disclosure request) indicating an application of such laws in practice that is not in line with the requirements in paragraph (a).
  6. Following a notification pursuant to paragraph (e), or if the data exporter otherwise has reason to believe that the data importer can no longer fulfil its obligations under these Clauses, the data exporter shall promptly identify appropriate measures (e.g. technical or organisational measures to ensure security and confidentiality) to be adopted by the data exporter and / or data importer to address the situation, if appropriate in consultation with the controller. The data exporter shall suspend the data transfer if it considers that no appropriate safeguards for such transfer can be ensured, or if instructed by the controller or the competent supervisory authority to do so. In this case, the data exporter shall be entitled to terminate the contract, insofar as it concerns the processing of personal data under these Clauses. If the contract involves more than two Parties, the data exporter may exercise this right to termination only with respect to the relevant Party, unless the Parties have agreed otherwise. Where the contract is terminated pursuant to this Clause, Clause 16(d) and (e) shall apply.

Clause 15

Obligations of the data importer in case of access by public authorities

15.1 Notification
  1. The data importer agrees to promptly notify the data exporter and, where possible, the data subject promptly (if necessary with the help of the data exporter) if it:
    1. receives a legally binding request from a public authority, including judicial authorities, under the laws of the country of destination for the disclosure of personal data transferred pursuant to these Clauses; such notification shall include information about the personal data requested, the requesting authority, the legal basis for the request and the response provided; or
    2. becomes aware of any direct access by public authorities to personal data transferred pursuant to these Clauses in accordance with the laws of the country of destination; such notification shall include all information available to the importer.
  2. If the data importer is prohibited from notifying the data exporter and/or the data subject under the laws of the country of destination, the data importer agrees to use its best efforts to obtain a waiver of the prohibition, with a view to communicating as much information as possible, as soon as possible. The data importer agrees to document its best efforts in order to be able to demonstrate them on request of the data exporter.
  3. Where permissible under the laws of the country of destination, the data importer agrees to provide the data exporter, at regular intervals for the duration of the contract, with as much relevant information as possible on the requests received (in particular, number of requests, type of data requested, requesting authority/ies, whether requests have been challenged and the outcome of such challenges, etc.).
  4. The data importer agrees to preserve the information pursuant to paragraphs (a) to (c) for the duration of the contract and make it available to the competent supervisory authority upon request.
  5. Paragraphs (a) to (c) are without prejudice to the obligation of the data importer pursuant to Clause 14(e) and Clause 16 to inform the data exporter promptly where it is unable to comply with these Clauses.
15.2 Review of legality and data minimisation
  1. The data importer agrees to review the legality of the request for disclosure, in particular whether it remains within the powers granted to the requesting public authority, and to challenge the request if, after careful assessment, it concludes that there are reasonable grounds to consider that the request is unlawful under the laws of the country of destination, applicable obligations under international law and principles of international comity. The data importer shall, under the same conditions, pursue possibilities of appeal. When challenging a request, the data importer shall seek interim measures with a view to suspending the effects of the request until the competent judicial authority has decided on its merits. It shall not disclose the personal data requested until required to do so under the applicable procedural rules. These requirements are without prejudice to the obligations of the data importer pursuant under Clause 14(e).
  2. The data importer agrees to document its legal assessment and any challenge to the request for disclosure and, to the extent permissible under the laws of the country of destination, make the documentation available to the data exporter. It shall also make it available to the competent supervisory authority upon request.
  3. The data importer agrees to provide the minimum amount of information permissible when responding to a request for disclosure, based on a reasonable interpretation of the request.

Section IV - FINAL PROVISIONS

Clause 16

Non-compliance with the Clauses and termination

  1. The data importer shall promptly inform the data exporter if it is unable to comply with these Clauses, for whatever reason.
  2. In the event that the data importer is in breach of these Clauses or unable to comply with these Clauses, the data exporter shall suspend the transfer of personal data to the data importer until compliance is again ensured or the contract is terminated. This is without prejudice to Clause 14(f).
  3. The data exporter shall be entitled to terminate the contract, insofar as it concerns the processing of personal data under these Clauses, where:
    1. the data exporter has suspended the transfer of personal data to the data importer pursuant to paragraph (b) and compliance with these Clauses is not restored within a reasonable time and in any event within one month of suspension;
    2. the data importer is in substantial or persistent breach of these Clauses; or
    3. the data importer fails to comply with a binding decision of a competent court or supervisory authority regarding its obligations under these Clauses.
    In these cases, it shall inform the competent supervisory authority of such non-compliance. Where the contract involves more than two Parties, the data exporter may exercise this right to termination only with respect to the relevant Party, unless the Parties have agreed otherwise.
  4. Personal data that has been transferred prior to the termination of the contract pursuant to paragraph (c) shall at the choice of the data exporter immediately be returned to the data exporter or deleted in its entirety. The same shall apply to any copies of the data. The data importer shall certify the deletion of the data to the data exporter. Until the data is deleted or returned, the data importer shall continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses. In case of local laws applicable to the data importer that prohibit the return or deletion of the transferred personal data, the data importer warrants that it will continue to ensure compliance with these Clauses and will only process the data to the extent and for as long as required under that local law.
  5. Either Party may revoke its agreement to be bound by these Clauses where (i) the European Commission adopts a decision pursuant to Article 45(3) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 that covers the transfer of personal data to which these Clauses apply; or (ii) Regulation (EU) 2016/679 becomes part of the legal framework of the country to which the personal data is transferred. This is without prejudice to other obligations applying to the processing in question under Regulation (EU) 2016/679.

Clause 17

Governing law

These Clauses shall be governed by the law of the EU Member State in which the data exporter is established. Where such law does not allow for third-party beneficiary rights, they shall be governed by the law of another EU Member State that does allow for third-party beneficiary rights. The Parties agree that this shall be the law of Belgium.

Clause 18

Choice of forum and jurisdiction

  1. Any dispute arising from these Clauses shall be resolved by the courts of an EU Member State.
  2. The Parties agree that those shall be the courts of Belgium.
  3. A data subject may also bring legal proceedings against the data exporter and / or data importer before the courts of the Member State in which he / she has his / her habitual residence.
  4. The Parties agree to submit themselves to the jurisdiction of such courts.

1 Where the data exporter is a processor subject to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 acting on behalf of a Union institution or body as controller, reliance on these Clauses when engaging another processor (sub-processing) not subject to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 also ensures compliance with Article 29(4) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39), to the extent these Clauses and the data protection obligations as set out in the contract or other legal act between the controller and the processor pursuant to Article 29(3) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 are aligned. This will in particular be the case where the controller and processor rely on the standard contractual clauses included in Decision 2021/915.

2 The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) provides for the extension of the European Union’s internal market to the three EEA States Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The Union data protection legislation, including Regulation (EU) 2016/679, is covered by the EEA Agreement and has been incorporated into Annex XI thereto. Therefore, any disclosure by the data importer to a third party located in the EEA does not qualify as an onward transfer for the purpose of these Clauses.

3 This requirement may be satisfied by the sub-processor acceding to these Clauses under the appropriate Module, in accordance with Clause 7.

4 As regards the impact of such laws and practices on compliance with these Clauses, different elements may be considered as part of an overall assessment. Such elements may include relevant and documented practical experience with prior instances of requests for disclosure from public authorities, or the absence of such requests, covering a sufficiently representative time-frame. This refers in particular to internal records or other documentation, drawn up on a continuous basis in accordance with due diligence and certified at senior management level, provided that this information can be lawfully shared with third parties. Where this practical experience is relied upon to conclude that the data importer will not be prevented from complying with these Clauses, it needs to be supported by other relevant, objective elements, and it is for the Parties to consider carefully whether these elements together carry sufficient weight, in terms of their reliability and representativeness, to support this conclusion. In particular, the Parties have to take into account whether their practical experience is corroborated and not contradicted by publicly available or otherwise accessible, reliable information on the existence or absence of requests within the same sector and/or the application of the law in practice, such as case law and reports by independent oversight bodies.

ANNEX I - Details of Data Processing

Controller / Data Exporter: Customer, being a Blissbook Customer (as defined in Blissbook's Privacy Policy) that has engaged Blissbook to provide the Service under the Agreement.

Processor / Data Importer: Blissbook, a Delaware limited liability company, whose legal name is Rocket Whale Products, LLC.

Subject Matter: The subject matter of the data processing under this DPA is the Customer Data.

Duration of processing: Blissbook will process Customer Data as outlined in Section 11 (Return or Deletion of Data) of this DPA.

Purpose of processing: Blissbook shall only process Customer Data for the Permitted Purposes, which shall include: (i) processing as necessary to provide the Service in accordance with the Agreement; (ii) processing initiated by Customer in its use of the Service; and (iii) processing to comply with any other reasonable instructions provided by Customer (e.g., via email or support tickets) that are consistent with the terms of the Agreement.

Nature of the processing: Blissbook provides a document creation and sharing service, automated email, electronic signature, and other related services, as more particularly described in the Agreement.

Categories of data subjects: (i) Customers and (ii) Contacts, each as defined in Blissbook's Privacy Policy.

Types of Customer Data: Customer may upload, submit or otherwise provide certain personal data to the Service, the extent of which is typically determined and controlled by Customer in its sole discretion, and may include, but is not limited to, the following types of personal data:

  • Customers: Identification and contact data (name, address, contact details); financial information (credit card details, account details, payment information); employment details (employer);
  • Contacts: Identification and contact data (name, date of birth, geographic location, contact details including email address and phone number); IT information (IP addresses, usage data, cookies data, online navigation data, location data, browser data); employment details (employer name, manager status, job title, other demographic information including status, department, division, date of hire, area of responsibility, or other related information).

Sensitive Data: Blissbook does not want to, nor does it intentionally, collect or process any Sensitive Data in connection with the provision of the Service.

Processing Operations: Customer Data will be processed in accordance with the Agreement (including this DPA) and may be subject to the following processing activities: Storage and other processing necessary to provide, maintain, and improve the Service provided to Customer pursuant to the Agreement; and/or disclosures in accordance with the Agreement and/or as compelled by applicable law.

Competent Supervisory Authority: Supervisory authority in Belgium.

ANNEX II - Security Measures

The Security Measures applicable to the Service are described here (as updated from time to time in accordance with Section 6.2 of this DPA). Additional information about the technical and organizational security measures Blissbook has in place to protect Customer Data are available upon request.

ANNEX III - List of Sub-Processors

See Appendix 1 above.