Glossary

Administration Transparency

Biometrics

Computer Application

Computer Information System

Controller of the data file

Data

Data Destruction

Data File

Data Protection and Transparency Commissioner for the Geneva Canton

Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner

Geolocation

Information

Information System

Official Documents

Personal Data

Principles as far as data protection is concerned

Processing of personal data

Recommendation

Sensitive data

Video surveillance

Administration Transparency

Public information on the mission, organisation and activities of the administration, guaranteed by access to official documents [1]. See also Official Documents.

Biometrics

Analysis of the physiological and behavioural characteristics of a person such as the voice, face shape, iris, fingerprints, and signature ... in principle unique and unforgeable (Greek etymology: bios - "life") and metron - "measure"). These can be expressed differently depending on the context, the most common are defined below [1]

Computer Application

A tool which allows to perform a number of tasks on the data.

Computer System

Computer and telecommunication means that allows for the storage, the processing, the transportation and destruction of data.

Controller of the data file

A private person or federal or cantonal bodies who decide on the purpose and contents of the data file, and who is responsible.

Data

Conventional representation of information (fact, notion, work order) in the form of (analogue or digital) for automatic processing. A basic element which, when added to others or the process applied to it, biometric information, is obtained. See Biometrics.

Data destruction

For data entered or captured (see video surveillance) and saved in a computer system, all  technical action making the data completely and permanently inaccessible (deleting, overwriting, ...). The physical destruction of data deletes the data from the hard disk where they are found while the logical destruction makes them inaccessible.

Data File

Any system designed to bring together, on any medium whatsoever, personal data structured in such a way that the data is accessible by data subject. See Controller of the data file.

Data Protection and Transparency Commissioner for the Geneva Canton

Responsible for the monitoring of the application of the Geneva law on public information, access to documents and protection of personal data (LIPAD) by cantonal and local public and para-public institutions, as well as private organisations linked by a service contract to one or another of these.

Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner

Responsible for the monitoring of the application by private individuals and federal bodies of the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and other federal provisions concerning data protection, and for the monitoring of the application by federal bodies of the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) [2].

Geolocation

Location from an object space located on the surface of the Earth. GPS: location system which allows to know the position of a mobile by means of a signal receiver transmitted by a network of satellites, this receiver also .

Information

Information about something or someone. Result of a request of one or more information systems that is intelligible, coherent and usable by others.

Information System

Organized set of resources (human, information, data, procedures, tools) to acquire, store, organize and communicate information from a public operating range in the form of digital data or text, images and sound data.

Official Document

All data information mediums owned by a public authority with information concerning the completion of a public task. These include, in particular, the messages (for emails, printing), reports, studies, approved minutes, statistics, records, correspondence, instructions, notices, decisions. Personal notes, rough drafts and other uncompleted texts, unapproved minutes are excluded.

Personal Data

Any information relating to a natural or legal person, identified or identifiable.

Principles with regards to Protection of data [3]

Processing of personal data

Any operation with personal data, irrespective of the means applied and the procedure, and in particular the collection, storage, use, revision, disclosure, archiving or destruction of data.

Recommendation

In this tool, the recommendations contained at the bottom of scenarios are tips on the steps to take, or the behaviour to adopt to comply with the rules of data protection and transparency.

Sensitive data

Personal data on religious, philosophical, political, trade-union or cultural opinions or activities, health, intimate sphere, on ethnicity or race, on welfare measures, on prosecution or penal or administrative sanctions.

Video surveillance

A collection, whether open or not, using cameras of pictures and information about people, in the form of video recordings.


 

[1] Federal Act on Freedom of Information in the Administration (Freedom of Information Act, FoIA) http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/152_3/index.html

[2] Federal legal framework on Data Protection and Information http://www.edoeb.admin.ch/org/00828/index.html?lang=en

[3] Federal Act on Data Protection (DPA) http://www.admin.ch/ch/e/rs/c235_1.html

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