What do you know about data privacy? While Wisconsin doesn’t have a comprehensive privacy law, data privacy is still important at UW–Madison, and you don’t need a law to practice data privacy in meaningful ways! Here are 7 privacy principles (based on the EU’s General Data Privacy Regulation) and ways to implement them.
Lawfulness, fairness and transparency
Be informed! UW–Madison collects and uses student data in ways that are lawful, fair, and transparent. We follow data protection laws, use data in ways that are reasonable and expected, and provide a clear Privacy Notice.
Purpose limitation
Know FERPA! We collect and use student data consistent with FERPA, the federal law that governs student record privacy. Read our FERPA for Students page to learn more about your data rights and responsibilities.
Data minimization
Plan for privacy! Be mindful of the data that you collect as well as the data that you give out. Avoid unnecessary sharing of personal data, and don’t ask for or collect any data that you don’t need, either. When planning a learning project or research task, talk to your group about data privacy from the beginning.
Accuracy
Check that the data UW–Madison has about you is correct! Read about the personal information in UW–Madison records. Then, review and manage your personal identity information by going to UW–Madison Profile. You can see how your name appears in various campus systems as well as verify that your addresses, phone numbers, emails, and birthdate are presented correctly. If you find a discrepancy, related resources are available for making quick corrections. You can also find details on how to to set your pronouns, photos, and name pronunciation to ensure you’re represented exactly how you’d like.
Storage limitation
Clear it out! Regularly clear your browsers cookies and history to prevent accumulating data, or even adjust your browser to block website cookies. Find out more in section 4 of our Cookies and Tracking Notice. Conduct a regular “digital inventory audit” and delete old accounts for services you no longer use.
Integrity and confidentiality
Learn about how UW–Madison controls data access! UW–Madison has a data governance structure that supports high standards in data quality, stewardship, and privacy. This maintains data integrity and confidentiality while allowing appropriate access to facilitate data use and learning.
Accountability
Learn! The more you know, the more you can do to protect yourself and others. Take UW–Madison’s https://registrar.wisc.edu/ferpa-training/.