Humber/Ontario Real Estate Course 1 Exam Practice

According to privacy legislation, what can be said about the address and phone number provided by a prospective buyer if these details are related to his company?

1. This information must always be shared with other potential clients.

2. This information is not considered personal information.

3. It needs to be stored in a secure database accessible to authorized personnel only.

4. This information should be encrypted before storing.

5. This information is deemed to be personal information.

6. It can only be kept if consent is given by the prospective buyer.

The correct answer is: This information is not considered personal information.

The reasoning behind the choice that this information is not considered personal information is grounded in privacy legislation, which differentiates between personal and corporate data. When a prospective buyer provides contact details that are associated with their company, those details are regarded as corporate information rather than personal information. This distinction is crucial because personal information encompasses data tied to an individual rather than a business entity. In this scenario, since the address and phone number are linked to a company, they do not fall under the same privacy protections as an individual's personal data. This means that these corporate details may have different guidelines concerning their use, storage, and distribution. Understanding this distinction is vital for real estate professionals when handling buyer information, as it informs how they manage and share that data in compliance with privacy laws.