Smartsheet · Smartsheet Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Controller vs. Processor Distinction for Service Data

Medium severity High confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Rare · 1 of 343 platforms
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Recent governance activity Smartsheet recorded 2 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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Document Record

What it is

If you use Smartsheet because your employer or another organization set it up, that organization controls your data inside the platform, not Smartsheet. Your privacy rights for that data must be directed to your employer, not Smartsheet.

This analysis describes what Smartsheet's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

Many employees who use Smartsheet at work assume they can ask Smartsheet to delete or access their data, but this clause means Smartsheet may redirect those requests to the employer, potentially limiting practical privacy recourse.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Jun 5, 2026

The updated privacy policy states that only Smartsheet's U.S.-based affiliates participate in the EU-U.S., UK Extension, and Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. Previously, the policy referenced participation by Smartsheet and its affiliates without geographic qualification. This narrowed scope may affect the data transfer mechanisms available for processing personal data from EU, UK, and Swiss users if non-U.S. affiliates are involved in data handling. The policy does not explicitly describe alternative transfer mechanisms for non-U.S. affiliates.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Individual employees using Smartsheet through a workplace account may not be able to exercise GDPR or CCPA rights directly with Smartsheet for data submitted into the platform; they must contact their employer instead, which could complicate or delay privacy right fulfillment.

How other platforms handle this

Ledger Medium

At Ledger, earning and maintaining our users' trust is a top priority. That's why we are deeply committed not only to protecting your privacy and securing your personal data, but also to being fully transparent about how we handle it.

Garmin Medium

If you are located in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, you have the right to access, correct, or erase your personal data; the right to restrict or object to our processing of your personal data; the right to data portability; and, where our processing is based on your...

Strava Medium

We use information to enhance the quality, reliability, and/or accuracy of our AI Features by creating, developing, training, testing, improving, and maintaining AI and ML models run by Strava or our service providers. We use aggregated, de-identified data for this purpose. We also use personal info...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
When we provide the Service to our customers, we act as a data processor on behalf of those customers. Our customers are the data controllers, meaning that they determine the purposes and means of the processing of personal data that is submitted into the Service. If you are an end user of a customer's implementation of the Service and you have questions about how your personal data is processed in that context, please contact the relevant customer directly.

— Excerpt from Smartsheet's Smartsheet Privacy Policy

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly engages GDPR Article 28, which requires a written Data Processing Agreement between controller and processor, and CCPA service provider designation requirements. The relevant enforcement authorities are data protection authorities in EU member states and the UK ICO for GDPR, and the California Attorney General and California Privacy Protection Agency for CCPA. Where enterprise customers have not executed a compliant DPA with Smartsheet, they may face regulatory exposure as controllers. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. Enterprise customers who deploy Smartsheet must ensure a GDPR-compliant DPA is in place. Failure to do so could result in enforcement action against the customer organization as controller. The provision also affects data subject rights response workflows, as Smartsheet asserts it will not fulfill end-user rights requests for processor data. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU, EEA, and UK organizations face the highest exposure given GDPR's mandatory DPA requirements. California-based organizations must ensure Smartsheet is designated as a service provider under CCPA to restrict onward data use. Organizations in other jurisdictions with omnibus privacy laws (e.g., Brazil LGPD, Canada PIPEDA) should evaluate whether equivalent processor agreement requirements apply. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Procurement teams should confirm a Smartsheet DPA is executed before deploying the service for any processing of personal data subject to GDPR or CCPA. The provision asserts that individual end-user rights requests for service data will be redirected to the customer, which aligns with standard processor practice but requires customers to have an operational process for receiving and responding to such requests. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Enterprise compliance teams should map which categories of personal data are submitted into Smartsheet sheets, confirm DPA coverage, and establish internal procedures for handling data subject rights requests that Smartsheet redirects to them. Organizations in regulated sectors should assess whether sector-specific data handling obligations (e.g., HIPAA, FERPA) are addressed in supplemental agreements with Smartsheet.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has jurisdiction over unfair or deceptive data practices by US companies, including misrepresentation of data controller responsibilities
    File a complaint →
  • State AG
    California's Attorney General and Privacy Protection Agency enforce CCPA service provider designation requirements relevant to this controller-processor distinction
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Colorado AI Act
US-CO
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US
VPPA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Smartsheet Privacy Policy
Entity
Smartsheet
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 7, 2026
Last verified
May 10, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-008057
Document ID
CA-D-00712
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
aa3e2b37314e800adf6f92513bffd0a54c2369282b4a03c0788838ef681cf41e
Analysis generated
May 7, 2026 16:22 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Smartsheet
Document: Smartsheet Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-008057
Captured: 2026-05-07 16:22:45 UTC
SHA-256: aa3e2b37314e800a…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/smartsheet/smartsheet-privacy-policy/controller-vs-processor-distinction-for-service-data/
Accessed: June 27, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

Other risks in this policy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Smartsheet's Controller vs. Processor Distinction for Service Data clause do?

Many employees who use Smartsheet at work assume they can ask Smartsheet to delete or access their data, but this clause means Smartsheet may redirect those requests to the employer, potentially limiting practical privacy recourse.

How does this clause affect you?

Individual employees using Smartsheet through a workplace account may not be able to exercise GDPR or CCPA rights directly with Smartsheet for data submitted into the platform; they must contact their employer instead, which could complicate or delay privacy right fulfillment.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 1 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Smartsheet?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Smartsheet.