Data Protection

FOI & GDPR

• Protect the privacy of others: Respect people's privacy – do not disclose the private email addresses or contact details of our staff or students. Consider setting up a mailing list or using the BCC function when emailing groups to avoid releasing long lists of university email addresses into the public.
• Private emails can quickly become public: Emails sent outside the university should not be regarded as private or secure. Emails sent bearing an NUI Galway email address are equivalent to sending letter-headed university correspondence. They reflect on the reputation of the university and should be written accordingly.
• Freedom of Information: Email is an official record and property of the university. It is, therefore, discoverable under the Freedom of Information  Act 2014. Avoid using defamatory statements, and take care in the choice of language and opinions expressed in email about all issues. Moreover, staff and students are instructed to in accordance with University policies and procedures avoid accessing or distributing offensive, obscene, abusive or threatening material.
• General Data Protection Regulation 2016: The sharing of data in university emails must comply with the EU’s directive on good data protection. We must pay particular attention not to share private personal data on our students and staff via email in ways that could be widely accessed, shared or hacked. To share very large size files or for especially sensitive files use the HeaNet FileSender service.  For more information, visit:  https://www.nuigalway.ie/data-protection/