This privacy policy explains how we collect, store and use the personal data provided by the participants of the surveys carried out by “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. This policy is related to the surveys held by telephone, by visiting the participants at their homes, enquiring at public places, on internet or at “TNS Latvia” office.

The ‘personal data’ mentioned by the policy mean any information helping to identify the particular person.

We invite you to read carefully the privacy policy for the participants of the surveys.

Who we are

“TNS Latvia”, Ltd., reg. No. 40003162446, the registered address Kronvalda bulvaris 3-2, Riga, LV-1010, is the leading market survey and consultation agency in Latvia with more than 25 years of experience in market, public opinion and media research, and we provide our clients with recommendations for the growth of their business. www.kantar.lv

“TNS Latvia”, Ltd. belongs to “Kantar” group, one of the largest market research companies with experts in more than 90 countries of the world. www.tnsglobal.com/

Kantar group is one of the leading data, recommendation and consultation companies of the world. www.kantar.com

Laws and regulations governing our business

The business of “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. depends on the Latvian inhabitants’ readiness to participate in its surveys, so it is important for us to observe all the laws and regulations applicable to such surveys and to personal data processing to secure the confidentiality of the participants of the surveys and the protection of their personal data.

When carrying out the surveys, “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. observe ICC/ESOMAR (www.esomar.org) and “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. data survey standards, as well as the demands for the personal data protection.

About surveys  

Every year, “TNS Latvia” Ltd. carries out more than 300 research projects on most diverse topics, including socially important, topical issues of Latvia, the measurements of media consumption, the experience in the use of various products and services, evaluations of brands and communication strategies, the measurements of client and staff strategies.

“TNS Latvia”, Ltd. communicate with its survey participants in the following ways:

• A household address is selected for the survey on a random basis, and some of the household members are invited to participate in the survey;
• A randomly generated telephone number included on the survey list – the addressee – is invited to participate in the survey;
• The participant of the survey has participated in other survey carried out by “TNS Latvia”, Ltd., and he/she has agreed to participate in surveys in the future by giving his/her telephone number and/or e-mail address;
• “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. carries out a survey commissioned by the Client, and uses the data basis of the employees, clients or partners provided by the Client (Data Controller). In this case, the Client is the Data Controller, but “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. – the Data processor, and it processes the data only to the extent and in the way as instructed by the Data Controller;
• Your contacts can be found publicly on internet sites (for example, on the home pages of companies and institutions, in the registers of various specialists).

“TNS Latvia”, Ltd. calls the participants of the surveys by telephone, meets them in their places of residence or at public places, or writes e-mails with an aim to:

• invite to participate in a survey;
• to specify the information about the survey the participant has agreed to take part in;
• to contact repeatedly to specify the answers provided in a survey (if the participant of the survey has agreed to this before data anonymization);
• to specify the personal data of the person participating of a survey (in the case of regular survey participant panels);
• to inform about the earned presents and their supply.

The participation in surveys is voluntary, and it is the participant’s opportunity to influence the developments in the Latvian and European companies and institutions by his/her opinions, because the results of the surveys serve to our clients to make strategic decisions.

The answers provided by the participants of the surveys are confidential, and they are used only in a summarized way, except if a participant has not agreed to display his/her identity along with the answers.

Personal data and sensitive information

“TNS Latvia”, Ltd. processes the survey participants’ personal data for the following purposes:

Data category	Aim of processing, cases
Name, surname	If a monetary award is planned for the participation in a survey; Processing of a list of contacts provided by the Data Controller
e-mail	To send an invitation to take part in a survey To send the information about awards and to send awards To send greetings for the participants of TNS Forum
Telephone number	To carry our surveys by telephone To invite to take part in surveys at the office of “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. To control the survey quality For repeated communication in direct interviews to accept/submit the survey materials
Household address	To send awards by “Latvijas Pasts”  In the case, if a survey is held at inhabitants’ residences – to control the survey routes
Gender, age, nationality, education, occupation, amount of income	In order the data from a survey might reflect the opinions of all the inhabitants of Latvia, it is important for us to invite representatives from different groups of residents divided according to various demographic indicators. The data obtained during surveys are analysed along these demographic groups, not at the individual level.
Audio record of the interview	The records of telephone interviews, direct interviews are used to control the quality. The audio records of deep interviews and group discussions are used to listen in the group participants’ opinions repeatedly and to prepare a research report.

 

“TNS Latvia”, Ltd. processes the obtained information in good faith and lawfully, and it is used only to carry out surveys:

• The data obtained during the surveys are analysed after summarization of all participants’ opinions. The data are submitted to the clients of “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. in such summarized way without any opportunity to identify the particular participant of the survey;
• The information about the contacts is needed for our collaboration. These data are accessible to a very limited number of “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. employees, who observe in their work the applicable laws regulating personal data protection.

We confirm that the information about the contacts with the participants will be used by “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. only to carry our surveys, and in no case it will used for any other purpose unrelated to surveys.

Surveys involving children

We do never knowingly invite children under the age of 16 to participate in surveys without consent obtained from the persons having the parental liability over the child.

In cases, if it is appropriate and needed to involve children under 16 in a survey, we ask a written consent for data processing from the persons having the parental liability over the child.

Confidentiality and data safety

Confidentiality is very important to “TNS Latvia”, Ltd., so we use relevant technological and organizational actions to protect the personal data of the participants of surveys. Our safety procedures correspond to the applicable laws and regulations about the personal data protection.

All our employees observe the policy of confidentiality, safety and personal data protection.

“TNS Latvia”, Ltd. reacts to the survey participants’ objections about the way the survey is carried out, and it does everything to prevent the survey participants’ objections.

The participants of surveys are entitled to submit claims about the personal data processing to the supervising institution – Data State Inspectorate at: Riga, Blaumaņa iela 11/13-15, telephone: 67223131, E-mail: info@dvi.gov.lv.

Data transfer to third parties

The survey participants’ personal data is confidential information, and it is not passed to third persons without the participant’s consent or on other lawful basis. The clients ordering the surveys receive summarized, anonymized data without a possibility to identify the particular participant of the survey, except the cases, when a survey participant has clearly agreed to display his/her identity.

The survey participants’ personal data can be collected, transferred or processed by the subsidiaries of “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. included in WPP/Kantar group or by third persons providing services related to research, for example, data collection or the supply of awards. All partners are responsible for observing the confidentiality and safety standards corresponding to the demands by “TNS Latvia”, Ltd.

Sometimes, “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. carries out surveys in collaboration with the clients, who have ordered them, and uses questionnaires prepared by such clients. In this case, the client receives direct answers to the questions of questionnaires, but it does not receive the participants’ personal data (e-mail, telephone number, name, surname), except if the participant of the survey has not given a direct consent.

The period of data storage  

We store the data of the surveys in an anonymized way, that is, the information obtained during the survey cannot be related to a particular participant of the survey, except the cases, when a participant of the survey has clearly agreed to display his/her identity.

The personal data are stored only for the period of time needed for the planned and lawful processing, and they are deleted in 12 months after the processing is closed, or by such period as provided by the agreement on personal data processing. The personal data are deleted without threatening their confidentiality.

The rights of the survey participants

According to the applicable laws and regulations regulating the personal data processing, the participants of surveys have rights to be informed about the processing of their personal data. In order to obtain information about the personal data of the survey participant within the possession of “TNS Latvia”, Ltd., to confirm, correct or delete them, you need to submit a written demand to the e-mail or mail address provided under the item “Contact us”. We will answer to the survey participants’ submissions as soon as possible, but no later than in 30 days.

The survey participants have the following rights regarding their personal data:

• to refuse the participation in surveys and to withdraw the consent;
• to access one’s own personal data;
• to correct the data;
• to limit or to refuse data processing;
• to object to personal data processing;
• rights to have one’s data deleted or “right to be forgotten”;
• rights to data transfer.

Cookies and automatically registered information

“TNS Latvia”, Ltd. can use cookies to carry out surveys. Cookies are not used to identify you personally.

Cookies are a small textual data sets stored by an internet site on your computer or mobile device, when you visit a site.

When surveys are carried out online, “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. register the information about the type of web browser and the operating system automatically.

After summarization, the information is used to analyse the trends in the use of equipment and to optimize the tools for surveys.\

Contact us

If you have any questions about the privacy politics for the participants of the surveys carried out by “TNS Latvia”, Ltd. or about the surveys, please, contact us:

SIA “TNS Latvia”

Riga, Kronvalda bulvaris 3-2, LV-1010.
telephone: +371 67096300
web: www.kantar.lv

About surveys: tns@tns.lv

Questions related to personal data: datuaizsardziba@kantar.com

Data Processing Officer Gillie Abbots