Office of the Privacy Commissioner | Rippl contact tracing app awarded Privacy Trust Mark
Privacy Commissioner John Edwards has awarded a Privacy Trust Mark to the contact tracing app Rippl.
Mr Edwards says Rippl, a free contact tracing app created by the Wellington company Paperkite, has been assessed as meeting his office’s Privacy Trust Mark criteria.
The Privacy Trust Mark is intended to give consumers confidence that such products or services respect and protect personal information. It was launched in 2018 to showcase privacy-friendly products or services that take a Privacy by Design approach.
“Rippl is an excellent example of Privacy by Design with simple and clear communication to users about how their information is handled. Users have full control over their own information and can be assured of their privacy while enjoying the full benefits of a contact tracing solution,” said Mr Edwards.
“I am particularly impressed by Rippl’s approach to information collection which embodies the principle of data minimisation. The information collected is also encrypted on the phone until there’s a need for it to be accessed by Ministry of Health contact tracers.
“We want to help New Zealanders make informed choices about privacy-friendly products and services. The Privacy Trust Mark is not only a recognition of best practice, it is also intended to encourage a culture in which businesses put privacy at their core.”
Three other organisations had previously been awarded the Privacy Trust Mark. The first was given to Trade Me for their excellent Transparency Reports. The second was granted to the Department of Internal Affairs’ RealMe identity verification service. The third was Air New Zealand for its Privacy Centre service.
Find out about how to apply for a Privacy Trust Mark.