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Privacy policy: Personal data in the Public Purchase Witness Register

Why is personal data processed?

The Public Purchase Witness Register (kaupanvahvistajarekisteri) is maintained to promote property transactions, to collect information related to the transfer of properties (e.g. the sale of residential properties) and to monitor the activities of public purchase witnesses.  

Personal data of persons who can act as public purchase witnesses during the transfer of property on the basis of their position or an order of the National Land Survey of Finland (NLS) is processed in the Public Purchase Witness Register.

What is the basis for the processing of personal data?

The NLS processes personal data to comply with its statutory obligations.  

Whose personal data is processed?

The NLS processes the personal data of public purchase witnesses in the Public Purchase Witness Register. 

What personal data is processed? 

  • Names of public purchase witnesses
  • Official positions of public purchase witnesses acting on the basis of their position
  • Places of employment or other addresses from which public purchase witnesses can be reached
  • Public purchase witness identifiers
  • Starting dates of public purchase witness orders 

The Public Purchase Witness Register also includes the expiry dates of orders on public purchase witness as well as the personal identity codes of the witnesses. However, these are not shown to individuals using the search feature of the Public Purchase Witness Register. 

Is automated decision-making or profiling used?

The processing of personal data does not involve any automated decision-making or profiling.

How long is the personal data retained?

The NLS permanently retains the identifiers of public purchase witnesses. A public purchase witness identifier will be marked as terminated when the public purchase witness order expires. 

Information concerning a public purchase witness will be deleted 5 years after the end of the public purchase witness’s term. 

Where does the personal data come from?  

Agencies and municipalities submit information about public purchase witnesses to the NLS and notify the NLS of any changes. Public purchase witnesses appointed by the NLS submit their personal data to the NLS themselves and notify the NLS of any changes. 

To whom is personal data disclosed?

The Public Purchase Witness Register is a public register.

The NLS may disclose information from the Public Purchase Witness Register via a technical interface or otherwise in electronic format to an authority that employs public purchase witnesses or to an individual who needs the information in their operations (e.g. the sale of a residential property).

The information included in the Public Purchase Witness Register can be viewed in the Find a public purchase witness service maintained by the NLS (except for the personal identity codes and the expiry dates of the orders). 

Personal data is not transferred outside the EU or the EEA.

What are your rights in relation to the processing of your personal data?

You have the right to be informed whether the NLS is processing your personal data and the right of access to this personal data. You may submit a request to view your personal data using our form or submit a free-form request. You can also view your personal data in the Find a public purchase witness service.

You have the right to request that the NLS rectifies any inaccurate personal data without undue delay. You may submit a request for rectification using our form or submit a free-form request. 

Right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Ombudsman

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Ombudsman if you are of the opinion that the NLS has violated legislation on the processing of personal data.

Applicable legislation

Act on Notaries Public (Laki kaupanvahvistajista 573/2009)

Controller

National Land Survey of Finland
Visiting address: Opastinsilta 12 C, 00520 Helsinki
Mailing address: PB 84, 00521 Helsinki
Tel.: +358 29 530 1100 (switchboard)
Email: kirjaamo@nls.fi
maanmittauslaitos.fi/en

Data protection officer

National Land Survey of Finland
Data protection officer
Mailing address: PB 84, 00521 Helsinki
Tel.: +358 29 530 1100 (switchboard)
Email: tietosuojavastaava@maanmittauslaitos.fi