GDPR and How it effects your business

Everyone knows the Data Protection Act; it’s been around since 1998, was introduced by UK Parliament and is now completely out of date and incapable of handling the way information is circulated.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is its replacement and covers citizens within the European Union. The GDPR is a move by The Council of the European Union, European Parliament, and European Commission to provide citizens with a greater level of control over their personal data. So you get to say who can and cannot store your personal details.

The GDPR covers any information that can identify you. Parental consent will be required to process any data relating to children ages 16 and under.

Does it affect me?

Almost definitely, yes! The GDPR has far-reaching implications for businesses operating within the EU, regardless of physical location. If businesses hope to offer goods or services to anyone in the EU, they will have to comply with GDPR or face the penalties. In addition, any business that holds personal data of EU citizens can be held accountable under the GDPR.

So what sort of data are we talking about?

• Name

• Photo

• Email address

• Social media posts

• Personal medical information

• IP addresses

• Bank details

If your company records any of the above, you will have to comply with GDPR or risk being penalised after May 2018.

What kind of penalties are we talking about?

Businesses that fail to comply with GDPR will be subject to fines starting in May of 2018. The penalty will depend on the level of infraction. On the high end, businesses may be required to pay up to 4% of their global turnover, or 20 million Euro, whichever is highest. Companies may also be fined 2% for not taking appropriate measures to keep records in order. Ultimately, the fine will depend on the nature of the infraction.

How can we help you with GDPR?

We have invested a significant amount of money, time and effort into understanding how to get a business compliant with these new regulations ahead of it going live next year.

We are working with all our clients to assess them, help them put in place the correct procedures and finally become fully and safely compliant with these new regulations.

It’s not a quick process so don’t leave it to the last minute. It can take months of work to get you compliant.

If you would like a consultation with our resident GDPR expert, then get in touch today.