GDPR. General Data Protection Regulation.
You probably noticed a flurry of emails
relating to data protection before the cut off date of 25th
May. Each were worded slightly
differently. Some urged you to reply or
fill in a form, and others assumed that by reading the information you were
being given, that you consented to hearing from that company or organization. Some pleaded with you and offered freebies
for staying on the mailing list. It
really was both overwhelming and annoying.
It was however a good chance to clear up
any unwanted marketing emails from your inbox and to give a clear indication
about what information you allowed companies to hold about you and how you
wanted to be contacted by them.
What was it all about and why does it
matter? There is now so much data
gathered about us by the websites we visit.
Things were getting out of control and our data wasn’t securely
protected enough, or private enough, and it was being accidentally or
deliberately leaked, so something had to be done. The legislation is very far reaching, and on
the whole a good thing, to bring data protection into the 21st
Century.
We should all now be more secure. But what data are we talking about? This is the sort of thing.
- Name
- Address
- Email address
- Photo
- IP address- eg your computer’s address
- Location data
- Online behaviour (cookies)
- Profiling and analytics data
- Race
- Religion
- Political opinions
- Trade union membership
- Sexual orientation
- Health information
- Biometric data
- Genetic data
So when companies gather information about
you, or you fill in a form and give data, they now have to protect it carefully
and only collect what is strictly necessary.
The type of data must also be carefully
stored and if possible encrypted so others can’t gain access to it.
GDPR also applies to small businesses like
mine. I do keep records of clients – for example
name, address and phone number. I ensure
this is securely stored and never send out mailshots or other marketing
information. If there are clients of
mine who I have seen in the past who are unhappy for me to keep their
information on file, I would urge you to be in touch. There are quite a few people for whom I don’t
have email addresses and was unable to contact about the new regulations.
I keep the information so that I can
recognize that I have seen people in the past, and can therefore offer a better
service. When people need technical
help, I need to give details to Gordon, my technical helper but always ask for
permission to do this. He keeps details
on file, and we are both very careful with the data we store.
The legislation and fines are aimed at
large organisations and a bit of a minefield for small traders. We can only do our best in the circumstances
to interpret the new laws, and comply with the new demands. We would like to reassure you that we have
your data protection in mind and only keep what is strictly necessary.
Just so
that you know…you now have the now have the right to:
- information about the processing of your personal data;
- obtain access to the personal data held about you;
- ask for incorrect, inaccurate or incomplete personal data to be corrected;
- request that personal data be erased when it’s no longer needed or if processing it is unlawful;
- object to the processing of your personal data for marketing purposes or on grounds relating to your particular situation;
- and much more!
Hope that gives you peace of mind. Happy Computing.
