EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
If you listen to the stories then you will understand the General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) to be a law that means you cannot store any personal information without consent, you cannot send marketing information without consent and it is a law that prohibits your business. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
In actual fact, the GDPR does not prevent the use of personal information by organisations, it simply controls the use and places the security of this information at the forefront of business activities. It correctly puts the rights in the hands of the person who the data refers to, and provides them various rights to advise organisations on how their data is to be used or whether it can be used at all. It is the latter that has caused the confusion that GDPR inhibits business activities.
Contact us to understand how GDPR applies to you and what you need to do to ensure compliance. A call to us is significantly less expenses than the fines imposed by not being compliant (Up to €10 million, or 2% annual global turnover and Up to €20 million – whichever is higher, or 4% annual – whichever is higher).
Data Protection Act 2018
A new edition of what many know as the Data Protection Act 1998. The Data Protection Act 2018 comes in light of the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), and much of the 1998 edition is now contained within the GDPR and therefore you will note the similarities. However, the latest edition of the Data Protection Act provides some additional rules that is not covered within the GDPR. For example; the GDPR does not detail the rules regarding the processing of information specific to immigration and national security is outside the scope of GDPR. These examples are some of the things that the Data Protection Act 2018 includes.
Contact us for more information on how the Data Protection Act 2018 applies to you.
Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR)
Having been in place for over a decade, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) governs how you can market using email, telephone, text (SMS), emails and faxes. The PECR defines what you should be doing when using these communication channels, when you are allowed to use them and what information you have to provide. PECR also advises on a business security and privacy obligations (particular for network and telecommunications service providers), and PECR is the reason why you must advise, and seek consent, when using cookies on your website.
PECR works together with GDPR, but has caused confusion for some, particularly when it comes to whether businesses can send marketing communications or not.
Contact us to avoid any confusion and understand how the PECR, GDPR and the Data Protection Act work together and what you should be doing.