General Data Protection Regulation.
Who’s bright idea was it?
In January 2012, the European Commission set out plans for data protection reform across the European Union in order to make Europe ‘fit for the digital age’. Almost four years later, agreement was reached on what that involved and how it will be enforced.
One of the key components of the reforms is the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This new EU framework applies to organizations in all member-states and has implications for businesses and individuals across Europe, and beyond.
“The digital future of Europe can only be built on trust. With solid common standards for data protection, people can be sure they are in control of their personal information,” said Andrus Ansip, vice-president for the Digital Single Market, speaking when the reforms were agreed in December 2015.
What is GDPR?
Basically, GDPR is a new set of rules designed to give EU citizens more control over their personal data. It aims to simplify the regulatory environment for business so both citizens and businesses in the European Union can fully benefit from the digital economy.
The reforms are designed to reflect the world we’re living in now, and brings laws and obligations – including those around personal data, privacy and consent – across Europe up to speed for the internet-connected age.
Fundamentally, almost every aspect of our lives revolves around data. From social media companies, to banks, retailers, and governments — almost every service we use involves the collection and analysis of our personal data. Your name, address, credit card number and more all collected, analyzed and, perhaps most importantly, stored by organizations.
Who does GDPR apply to?
GDPR applies to any organization operating within the EU, as well as any organizations outside of the EU which offer goods or services to customers or businesses in the EU. That ultimately means that almost every major corporation in the world will need to be ready when GDPR comes into effect, and must start working on their GDPR compliance strategy.
But, does it apply to me?
Because this is an EU law, don’t let that make you think it doesn’t apply to you – it does, regardless of where you are in the world (unless you want to prevent the 500 million people in the EU from visiting your site or buying from you).
It’s complex.
It’s full of legalese.
It’s a cash cow for high paid lawyers and compliance companies.
But still…..you cannot ignore it.
I know that you are probably like me… you want to run your business and not spend time in some boring new regulation, so dealing with GDPR is not fun, but it is a necessary evil. (although I know a lot of online friends who are just RISKING it, due to the complexities of complying!)
You’ve probably been getting all sorts of updates from big brands and sites, and this is why – it must be taken seriously.
If you do not comply with it, you can be subject to huge fines, regardless of where you are in the world. If you ignore this, you risk your business – it’s that simple.
Even more importantly, global payment providers like paypal put huge emphasis on compliance with laws where their users operate, and anyone not towing the line could easily find themselves no longer welcome.
So… where does that leave you?
You will have noticed that you had a popup on the bottom left hand side of the page when you reached my site. That popup/consent is part of GDPR My Site. A magic little package that helps make my site compliant.
GDPR My Site is a very inexpensive solution which is so easy to use. After a couple of minutes setting it up, I simply add 1 line of code to any site I wish to use it on and that’s all there was to it – So click the link and find out more about GDPR and how they’re able to help you as well.
