Electronic by Default
Where the person made the request by electronic means, the response is provided in a commonly used electronic form, unless the person asked for another form.
Intent
A person who asked by email expects an answer they can open on the device they asked from. Paper posted to them is slower, harder to search, and easier to lose.
How to test it
An assessor scores the criterion against a single response:
- Score 2
- The response arrived in a commonly used electronic form.
- Score 1
- The response arrived electronically, but in a file type that is not in common use.
- Score 0
- The response arrived on paper, or in no electronic form, though the person had asked electronically and requested nothing else.
- Not applicable
- The person did not make the request by electronic means, or asked for the response in another form.
The law it reflects
This criterion reflects Article 15(3) of the UK GDPR. That mapping is a guide, not a legal test: conformance is judged against the criterion, not the article.
See G2 in context in the full standard.