This month, the Data Protection Commission (DPC) will issue a survey questionnaire to a representative sample of sports clubs across the voluntary and professional sport sectors in Ireland. This survey will help the DPC learn about the level of awareness and understanding of data protection in the sports sector.
DPC recognizes the important role of sport in Irish society at all levels. Especially the value for children participating in sports. The purpose of this initiative is to provide support and guidance to sports departments in meeting their data protection compliance obligations. It also aims to help people participating in sporting activities better understand their rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The investigation will focus on the use of technology to collect and analyze player performance data, whether clubs are aware of their data protection obligations and whether players are informed of this processing. The survey also talks about transparency, asking for detailed information on how players will be informed about the processing of their personal data, with a particular focus on children and young people.
The survey will be sent to volunteer and professional clubs in various sports. This includes clubs associated with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA).
Survey responses will help us understand the athletic department's coaching needs and further encourage stakeholder engagement.
