Do you know whether you use unsafe apps or websites in the dance scene?
Where is your students' data stored, and who can access it? What the GDPR asks of your dance school and five points that make an app safe.
Many online tools are unsafe or poorly set up. Do you use them too? A sign-up form that lands in your inbox. A member list in a shared spreadsheet. An app an acquaintance built for you. A WhatsApp group with the phone numbers of all your students. Sound familiar? Then the question is: do you know where that data is right now, and who can access it?
Am I, as a dance school, responsible for my students' data?
Yes. If you decide which data you collect and what for, you are responsible under the GDPR. That stays true when you use someone else's tool. If something goes wrong there, you are the one who has to explain it to your students and to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).
Where do most dance schools go wrong?
Usually not with the technology, but with the paperwork. Three documents are often missing or out of date:
- a data processing agreement with every supplier that stores data for you;
- terms and conditions that match how your classes, subscriptions and cancellations work;
- a privacy statement that explains which data you collect and why.
On Baila you get the data processing agreement and standard terms and conditions that you review and adjust yourself. We also help you if you are unsure what belongs in them.
What should I do if something does go wrong?
You report a data breach to the Dutch Data Protection Authority within 72 hours. If the risk to your students is high, you inform them as well. A stolen laptop with a member list or an email sent to the wrong group also counts.
What makes an application safe and reliable?
Five things, and you don't need to be a tech expert:
- You know where your data is stored, preferably within the EU.
- There are agreements on paper: a data processing agreement with every supplier that stores data for you.
- Only the right people can access it, and you can revoke access again when a teacher leaves.
- You lose nothing if something goes wrong: backups are made, and someone checks that restoring them works.
- Someone keeps it up to date, also a year from now, when the acquaintance who built the app is doing something else.
Who built Baila?
Baila was built by Value Adding, a development agency, with several developers. Since 2020 this has been done together with dance schools and organisers. Every part has been designed, written and tested by people who keep maintaining it.
Was Baila made with AI?
No, not in the sense that an AI tool put the app together. The developers do use AI as an aid to work faster. That is called AI-assisted development. Whatever goes in is reviewed by a developer and checked with tests. With apps that were largely generated by an app builder or AI tool, often nobody can say exactly how the data is secured or what happens when a part fails. At Baila we do know, because we build, test and manage it ourselves.
Why does Baila keep everything in one environment?
At Baila, registrations, payments, classes, tickets and communication are in one environment, with one set of agreements. That way a dance school, organiser or dancer does not have to stitch separate tools together themselves, and the risk stays as small as possible. And if you run into something, we help you out.
How do I know whether my current tools are in order?
Go through the checklist: seven questions you answer with yes or no. You can use it even if you don't choose Baila.
Is something wrong in this article, or do you want to report something? Email us at [email protected].