Before considering the use of data gathered from social networks for the project, the developers should have their primary objective clear in mind. It might happen that this use is not compatible with the ethical and legal standards of the EU included in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, for instance. Werethis the case, the project should not be endorsed.On the other hand, if an analysis shows that the processing needed will not be acceptable on the basis of the Developer Policy of the social network, the GDPR and/or the complimentary legal framework, the project should not be endorsed either.Finally, developers shall assess whether the project is acceptable according to ethical standards, despite it being compliant with legal obligations (see “Data Protection by Design and by Default” in the “Main Concepts” sections of the general part of these Guidelines)

In addition, a clear idea of the concrete use of data gathered through social networks will help controllers determine in the early stages of development some important legal issues regarding processing, such ascompliance with the Developer Policy of the social network, possible need of international transfers of data, existence of joint-controllers or processors -which need to be carefully selected-, or the security and organizational measures to minimize risks.