Outcomes - Selected Case Summaries

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Health Insurance Form Asking About Applicants' Sex Lives

Informal Resolution | 12 October 2020

A complainant made a complaint against a data controller for collecting sensitive personal data concerning the sexual activities of persons seeking to enter into a contract for health insurance.

The application form for medical insurance asked male applicants if they were ever involved in homosexual activities. In the course of our investigation, the data controller admitted that it had no legal basis to process such data and promptly volunteered to remove the question from the form and delete all data previously collected concerning the question, and launched a full review of all other client-facing documents to ensure compliance with the DPL.