Adobe Document Cloud privacy FAQ
Red River College Polytechnic provides all staff (and students in specific Creative Arts programs) with access to the Adobe Document Cloud service as part of their Adobe CC subscription. Although you are welcome to use this service, OneDrive is the College’s preferred cloud‑storage platform because it stores your files in Canada. (You can access OneDrive through the Office 365 app in HUB.)
Storing files in Canada means that only the provincial and federal laws of Canada apply to your files. It also means that the College can provide the expected protections described in the IT2 – Security of Information Technology Resources and G3 – Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy policies below.
By contrast, storing files in the US means that the applicable US state and federal laws apply to your files. The protections the College normally offers to staff and students (described in the IT2 – Security of Information Technology Resources and G3 – Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy policies below) will NOT apply in the US.
IMPORTANT: Any effort to gain protections for files stored under the laws of the US may require US court appearances before a US judge to request protections. Since Adobe stores files in the US, you must understand the cautions in the paragraphs above and below prior to storing files in the Adobe Cloud.
Any files that you store in the cloud are subject to the following College policies:
- IT2 – Security of Information Technology Resources
- G3 – Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy
What is the cloud?
The cloud is a network of servers that allows you to store and access files and programs using the Internet rather than your computer’s hard drive. Cloud computing allows you to access your information from virtually anywhere there is an Internet connection and from practically any device. Operating in the cloud means that the College can implement web‑based software and services that are hosted online rather than in its own data centre. With the Adobe Document Cloud service, software and information are remotely stored and administered on Adobe‑owned servers.
Where will Adobe Document Cloud service store my files?
Your files will be stored in the cloud, which means that it may pass through, or be stored in, any location in the world. Since Adobe is a US company, however, the expectation is that your files will be stored in the US. This means that your files will be subject to the search and monitoring provisions of the US Patriot Act (should authorities decide to use them). Other US state and federal laws also may apply.
IMPORTANT: Your right to any remedy for anything that happens with your identity or files in the US because of a US law can be resolved only in a US court based on any rights you may have under US law.
Additionally, your files may travel through, or be stored in, other countries that may have different (and potentially less stringent) privacy laws than Canada or the US.
What effect does the US Patriot Act have on the privacy of my files?
No file is 100% secure, regardless of where it is stored. Canada has laws similar to the US Patriot Act, and Canada has international agreements with the United States that allow the transmission of information about Canadians (including data) and people in Canada to American authorities. In other words, regardless of whether your files are stored on a local server in Winnipeg or in the cloud, Canadian and American authorities could potentially gain access to your files without your consent or knowledge.
When files are stored in Canada, however, you have the benefit of Canadian laws and courts to provide you with protections and enforce your rights in Canada. You would encounter a different situation when US law applies as described above.
What if I do not want my files stored in the cloud?
Adobe does not provide an option for disabling the Adobe Document Cloud service. You are under no obligation to store your files with Adobe, however, and can choose an alternative storage location.
RRC Polytech campuses are located on the lands of Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dené, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.
We recognize and honour Treaty 3 Territory Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, the source of Winnipeg’s clean drinking water. In addition, we acknowledge Treaty Territories which provide us with access to electricity we use in both our personal and professional lives.