How can your organization get ready for UK GDPR?
The European Union (EU) introduced the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on May 25, 2018. Under this new legislation, businesses must ensure that they are keeping data safe and secure. They'll also need to be transparent about how they collect personal information and what they do with it. This means that both small and large businesses need to get ready for GDPR by understanding what it means for them.
The regulations tell you how to keep your customers' and employees' data safe and secure.
You may have heard about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but what does it mean, and why is it important?
The GDPR is a set of rules that govern how personal data can be used, processed and stored. It was created by the European Union (EU) in 2016 to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the EU. The regulations give people more control over their personal information, including health records, financial information and digital content like emails or photos.
It’s essential because businesses must comply with these new laws by 25 May 2018 – or face serious consequences. This means they must take steps now, so they are ready when these changes come into effect later this year.
Whom does GDPR affect?
The GDPR will affect any organization that handles the personal data of EU citizens. This includes companies that sell to EU citizens and those who monitor their behavior online via cookies, for example.
Organizations outside the EU should also pay attention as they are likely to have some exposure to this regulation thanks to the rise in cross-border transactions, mainly when dealing with customers based in Europe.
People worldwide are waking up to this new legislation, which will impact your business in many ways.
GDPR is the new EU General Data Protection Regulation, which will come into force on 25 May 2018.
It’s an important legislation designed to give people more control over their personal data. It will affect businesses all over the world, including yours. And there are still many unanswered questions about what it means for you and your organization.
If you’ve been reading up on GDPR and its implications for your business, you may have felt overwhelmed by all this new information—and maybe even a little confused about how it could impact you. I know I was! There’s certainly much misinformation about what GDPR means for business owners like yourself—and how best to prepare yourself and your organization with so much still unknown ahead of May next year when these new regulations come into force across Europe.*
According to the EU, 'personal data can mean many things, including name, photos, email address, bank details, social media posts, and medical information. And it's all potentially at risk.
In the EU, 'personal data' includes any information that can be used to identify a person. This includes your name, photos, email address and bank details, social media posts, and medical information. And according to the EU GDPR rules, personal data is not just restricted to citizens of the European Union. It's applicable worldwide.
This means you could be liable for violations of GDPR if you're collecting or processing personal data about people anywhere in the world who aren't within your organization's physical location (even if they're not EU citizens). If this sounds scary for your business model—it should!
领英推荐
One of the critical concepts behind GDPR is 'privacy by design.' That means companies must respect privacy when they design products or services. In other words, don't put users in a position leading them to fight for privacy rights. Instead, use default settings that give those rights from the get-go. This applies whether you sell online or face-to-face.
One of the critical concepts behind GDPR is 'privacy by design.' That means companies must respect privacy when they design products or services. In other words, don't put users in a position leading them to fight for privacy rights. Instead, use default settings that give those rights from the get-go. This applies whether you sell online or face-to-face.
An excellent example of this is LinkedIn's new feature that asks members if they want to share their email addresses with other members and gives them the option not to do so:
So what does this mean for small businesses?
The regulations apply to all businesses, regardless of size. However, there are exemptions for some small businesses. These are:
What does this mean for large businesses?
Large businesses will also need to be prepared. While the GDPR is not exclusively for small businesses, it can still significantly impact large companies. Because they have more resources and can better devote time and money to data protection, such companies will likely be held to a higher standard than their smaller counterparts. The GDPR requires that all organizations demonstrate how they protect personal information under Article 32: Data Protection by Design and Default (Article 25) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
This means that regardless of whether or not your organization falls under the definition of 'large' in terms of turnover or number of employees, you need to be ready with a plan for compliance before May 2018 arrives.
UK GDPR is come into force in May 2018 for any organisation with a presence in Europe - and we've got your back with advice on getting prepared.
As a business, you should know that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into effect on May 2018. This is important as any organization that has a presence in Europe must comply with the new rules.
The GDPR is an EU regulation that replaces the current UK Data Protection Act 1998. It was created to harmonize European data protection laws with the same standards and requirements for all member states. Organizations can now be fined up to 4% of their annual turnover or €20 million (whichever is higher) if they don't comply with these new regulations - so it's vital you stay up-to-date with what needs to be done before then!
Conclusion
If you're a small business, you must know what GDPR means for your organization. It's also good to understand how you can prepare for the new legislation and ensure compliance when it comes into force.