BriefLink Data Processing Agreement (Operator Agreement)
Version: 2026-06-07
Last updated: 7 June 2026
Contact: info.brieflink@gmail.com
Draft for counsel review. This DPA forms part of the BriefLink Terms of Service.
1. Parties and roles
- Responsible party: The subscribing law firm or practice ("Firm", "you")
- Operator: BriefLink ("we", "us")
This agreement governs BriefLink's processing of personal information on behalf of the Firm under POPIA.
2. Subject matter and duration
BriefLink processes personal information to provide legal practice management services for the duration of the Firm's subscription and as needed for termination assistance.
3. Nature and purpose of processing
| Processing activity | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Billing and time entries | Fee recording and invoicing |
| Document metadata and Drive integration | Document management in Firm's Google Drive |
| Calendar sync | Scheduling |
| Correspondence capture (optional) | Matter correspondence logging (metadata, snippets, deep links) |
| Audit logging | Security, accountability, and POPIA compliance |
4. Types of personal information
Names, contact details, identity numbers or registration numbers (where entered by Firm), matter details, billing information, correspondence metadata and snippets, document metadata, and user account information.
5. Categories of data subjects
Firm personnel, clients, counterparties, witnesses, and other individuals whose data the Firm enters or causes to be ingested.
6. Google Drive — firm-owned storage
This section is critical to our integration posture:
1. Documents uploaded through BriefLink are stored in the Firm's Google Drive (Shared Drive or firm-designated folder structure).
2. The Firm remains the responsible party for those documents and controls access via Google Workspace permissions.
3. BriefLink accesses Drive using the `drive.file` scope only — files created or opened by BriefLink, without permission to access the Firm's entire Drive.
4. BriefLink must not call Drive APIs to share files externally or broaden ACLs beyond the Firm's existing folder permissions.
5. On client or matter deletion, BriefLink best-effort trashes the corresponding Drive folder; the Firm retains ultimate control in Google Admin.
7. Correspondence capture
When the Firm enables communications capture:
1. BriefLink processes email/WhatsApp metadata and snippets only (max 500 characters), plus deep links to originals.
2. Full message bodies are not stored in BriefLink by default.
3. The Firm is responsible for lawful basis and client notification.
4. BriefLink provides erasure tools and per-client exclusion controls.
8. Firm instructions
BriefLink will process personal information only on documented instructions from the Firm, including configuration of features, user permissions, and integrations. The Firm instructs processing by using the service and enabling optional features.
9. Sub-processors
The Firm authorises BriefLink to engage sub-processors listed at /sub-processors. BriefLink will notify the Firm of material changes before new sub-processors process Firm data.
Current sub-processors: Google LLC (Drive, Calendar, Gmail), Microsoft Corporation (Outlook/M365 Mail), and WhatsApp BSP (when enabled).
10. Security measures
BriefLink implements appropriate technical and organisational measures including:
- Multi-tenant isolation and role-based access control
- AES-256-GCM encryption for sensitive client fields at rest
- Encrypted storage of OAuth refresh tokens
- Rate limiting on authentication and sensitive endpoints
- Structured logging without PII payloads (see logging standards)
- Security headers at the application boundary
11. Breach notification
BriefLink will notify the Firm without undue delay after becoming aware of a personal information breach affecting Firm data, with information reasonably available to assist the Firm's POPIA breach obligations.
12. Data subject requests
The Firm is responsible for responding to data subject requests. BriefLink will assist by:
- Providing correspondence erasure for captured entries (in-app)
- Supporting client/matter deletion workflows
- Providing reasonable information about processing on request
Erasure of correspondence in BriefLink does not delete originals in Gmail, Outlook, or WhatsApp — that remains the Firm's responsibility.
13. Audit logs
BriefLink maintains audit logs of sensitive actions (creation, deletion, erasure, integration connect/disconnect). Audit entries use entity identifiers, not message content. Audit logs are retained after data deletion events to support accountability (recommended retention: as required by applicable law, typically up to 7 years for legal practice records — Firm to confirm with counsel).
Erasure of correspondence creates an audit entry (`correspondence.erased`) that is not itself deleted.
14. Deletion and return
On termination or written request, BriefLink will delete Firm data from production systems within a reasonable period, except where retention is required by law or for audit integrity. Drive files remain in the Firm's Google account.
15. International transfers
Sub-processors may process data outside South Africa. The Firm acknowledges this by enabling integrations.
16. POPIA compliance
Both parties will comply with POPIA. The Firm warrants it has lawful authority to provide instructions and personal information to BriefLink.
17. Contact
BriefLink — Data Protection
info.brieflink@gmail.com