How has GDPR affected the running of your department?

How has GDPR affected the running of your department?

The popularity and easy accessibility of the internet has contributed to change the way we communicate. We are now able to send thousands of emails in minutes, pay bills and have goods delivered right to our doorstep.

These processes involve divulging certain personal information about yourself. It includes your name, phone number, email address, location data, religion and more. The introduction of GDPR was to help improve the protection of data rights for EU consumers. As well as clarifying what companies with access to consumer personal data must do to safeguard said information.

You would no doubt have heard about the implementation of GDPR earlier this year. Businesses that collect or handle any form of consumer information should be well aware. But what exactly is GDPR and how can it affect the effective running or a business or department?

What is GDPR?

General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR as it is more commonly referred to, is a new set of rules designed to give EU citizens more control over their personal data. Its aim is to be mutually beneficial to both businesses and citizens by simplifying the regulatory environment.

The regulation applies to all businesses established in the EU. It also targets businesses that weren’t established in the EU, but offer goods or services to its citizens. If you’re not sure if you’re the new regulations apply to your business, you should consider HR consultants with GDPR knowledge because the penalties for not complying could be up to 4% of your annual global revenue or 20 million Euro (whichever is greater).

Rights of GDPR

Under GDPR, individuals have the right:

• To request access to their personal data which companies must provide free of charge.
• To withdraw consent for their personal information held by organisations.
• To data portability, which allows individuals to transfer their information over from one service provider to another.
• To get informed of data gathering. This rule prevents organisations from passing on their client information on to third parties.
• To have information corrected which ensures that individuals can update their personal information if its incorrect or out of date.
• To refuse processing so their information is on file, but not used.
• To object to the processing of their personal information for marketing. Organisations must make this rule clear to customers at the start of any communication.
• To be notified of data breaches that could compromise their personal information. Businesses must notify individuals no more than 72 hours after becoming aware of the breach.

How is GDPR affecting industries?

The introduction of GDPR affects businesses from all services. Including social media, banks, retailers and even governments and much more. They all involve the collection of personal information like consumers’ names, credit card numbers or addresses. This information is then analysed and stored for years after business might have concluded.

GDPR puts the consumers in the driver seat, they are now able to control what information you hold about them and what you can do with it. The first implication for businesses is the need for a data protection officer or controller. They’ll be in charge of complying with the new regulations.

To address these compliances, business apps that manage subscribers and mailing lists like Microsoft’s Office 365 are now introducing features that cover the GDPR requirements for consumer consent.

Communication – The most noticeable impact on businesses the way businesses engage with consumers. There are now stricter conditions for obtaining consent from consumers as they can now withdraw their consent at any stage.

Lead Gen – If you buy leads, you’ll have to get the potential consumer’s consent again.

Disclaimer

All of the information we provide is to our best understanding at the time of writing, however, this blog does not offer legal advice. If you require advice on your specific business we recommend that you seek independent legal advice.

Jesse Lawrence

Jesse is our marketing manager, keeping an eye on the latest news in the market as well as having worked on the GDPR legislation.