Answer guide · Privacy and compliance

Secondary use of customer data: how to answer it in a security questionnaire

Usually asked as: “Do you claim rights to use customer data for your own purposes?”

Updated

What is secondary use of customer data?

Secondary use means using data for a purpose other than the one it was collected for. In a vendor relationship, that usually means the vendor using customer data for its own analytics, product development, or AI model training. Contracts and DPAs often restrict it.

What the buyer is really asking

Buyers want to know whether you use their data for anything besides serving them: analytics, product improvement, or training AI models. Quote the exact rights your terms give you. If you use aggregated or de-identified data, say how it is de-identified.

Other ways buyers ask it

Every one of these wants the same answer:

  • “Do you claim any rights to use customer data for your own purposes?”
  • “Is our data used to train AI or machine learning models?”
  • “Do you use customer data for product improvement or analytics?”
  • “Who owns the data we submit to your service?”

Evidence to have ready

  • The data use and ownership clauses in your terms or DPA
  • Your AI or model training policy, if you have one

How Tyrvar answers this

Tyrvar treats every wording above as one question. You write the answer once, attach the evidence, and revisit it when your setup changes. Each buyer gets that approved answer no matter how their questionnaire words it. If you have not answered it yet, Tyrvar flags the question for you and does not make something up. Try it on your own questionnaire.

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