If the investigator obtains information from the study participant about a third party that is both private and individually identifiable, then the third party is considered a human subject.
IRB approval is required in order to collect data from, or use data about those subjects. In some cases, consent from third parties will be necessary. However, under certain circumstances, the IRB is permitted to grant a waiver of consent.
In order to grant a waiver of the requirement for consent, the IRB must find that all of the following are true:
Contextual information, such as familial or social relationships identified only by that association, age, body build, ethnic or cultural background, marital status, social networks, or occupation, would not be considered private information and would not make a third party a human subject.