The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Bermuda is pleased to welcome Cha'Von Clarke-Joell to our senior leadership team as Assistant Commissioner.
Starting March 2022, Assistant Commissioner Clarke-Joell will lead the policy and engagement unit for the Office, with varied responsibilities for public-facing community interactions, strategic communications, research and policy development, and general administration.
Mrs. Clarke-Joell possesses a wide range of skills from experience working as a data protection officer and data protection consultant, trainer, and recruitment officer. She brings a wealth of knowledge of and experience with privacy and cybersecurity laws, regulations, and best practices in Bermuda and the Greater Caribbean, Europe, and North America. Most recently, Mrs. Clarke-Joell served as co-CEO and Chief Privacy Officer of The TLC Group, which offered data privacy and cybersecurity services and organised Privacy Officer training and awareness courses.
Mrs. Clarke-Joell holds qualifications in privacy, cybersecurity, risk management, policy management, diversity and inclusion, coaching, and leadership, including a Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). She is a graduate of Temple University (US) and holds a Master of Arts degree from Kingston University (UK).
Assistant Privacy Commissioner Cha'Von Clarke-Joell: "I am honoured and humbled by this opportunity to develop Bermuda’s privacy industry and to support my home island as we strengthen our privacy standards and protections. I am keen to leverage regulatory insight from a variety of jurisdictions, along with knowledge and skills gained in operational efficiency, coaching, policy management, ESG [environmental, social, and governance], and DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion]. We will be engaging Bermuda through community initiatives, timely support for corporate entities, simplified guidance for entrepreneurs and individuals, and responsible leadership on relevant policy matters."
Privacy Commissioner Alexander White: "I am delighted to bring Assistant Commissioner Clarke-Joell on board. Her experience as a privacy officer and trainer will be invaluable as we develop the community's understanding of data privacy, security, and online safety. Her work will help make compliance easy and understandable for organisations of all shapes and sizes. Our team at PrivCom is our most important resource, and Mrs. Clarke-Joell will be instrumental to our long-term success in educating Bermudian organisations on their responsibilities and in developing home-grown expertise in our field."
To reach out to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, please visit our Contact Us page.
Press Background:
Rights and responsibilities relating to data privacy are set out in the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA). Bermuda's PIPA received Royal Assent on 27 July 2016. Sections relating to the appointment of the Privacy Commissioner were enacted on 2 December 2016, including the creation of the Office as well as those duties and powers relevant to its operation in the period leading up to the implementation of the whole Act. The Commissioner works to facilitate the advancement of consequential amendments to other Acts in order to harmonise them with PIPA.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Bermuda (PrivCom) is an independent supervisory authority established in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act 2016 (PIPA).
The mandate of the Privacy Commissioner is to regulate the use of personal information by organisations in a manner which recognizes both the need to protect the rights of individuals in relation to their personal information and the need for organisations to use personal information for legitimate purposes, among other duties.
The Privacy Commissioner's powers and responsibilities include monitoring the processing of personal information by both private- and public-sector organisations, investigating compliance with PIPA, issue guidance and recommendations, liaise with other enforcement agencies, and advise on policies and legislation that affect privacy. PrivCom also works to raise awareness and educate the public about privacy risks, and to protect people’s rights and freedoms when their personal data is used. The general powers of the Privacy Commissioner are outlined in Article 29 of PIPA.
Alexander White (Privacy Commissioner) was appointed by Excellency the Governor, after consultation with the Premier and Opposition Leader, to take office on 20 January 2020.
Privacy is the right of an individual to be left alone and in control of information about oneself. In addition to the protections in PIPA, the right to privacy or private life is enshrined in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 12) and the European Convention of Human Rights (Article 8).
"Personal information" or data is a defined term in PIPA that means any information about an identified or identifiable individual. Examples include names, dates of birth, photographs, video footage, email addresses and telephone numbers. "Sensitive personal information" is a defined term in PIPA that includes information relating to such aspects as place of origin, race, colour, sex, sexual life, health, disabilities, religious beliefs, and biometric and genetic information. (Note: This is not a complete list.)
"Use" of personal information is a defined term in PIPA that means "carrying out any operation on personal information, including collecting, obtaining, recording, holding, storing, organising, adapting, altering, retrieving, transferring, consulting, disclosing, disseminating or otherwise making available, combining, blocking, erasing or destroying it."