Laws surrounding data privacy and customer consent are changing in just over a year – get it wrong, and you will pay hefty fines. Time to test your permission statements and check your strategy is flawless.
Shape up or ship out: that’s the warning for those who fail to prepare for the imminent data protection rule. The European Commission’s plan for the first overhaul in data protection legislation in more than 20 years is unrelenting – and fast approaching. Are you ready?
Although the data protection reforms have already been passed, the date has only just been released following the GDPR’s publication in the EU Official Journal.
The move comes as the Information Commissioner’s Office has revealed it will be publishing GDPR compliance guidance in stages over the two-year implementation period – rather than as a single document – with each piece of guidance addressing a specific topic.
DMA group chief executive Chris Combemale (pictured) said: “Data is at the heart of the modern economy, so as an industry we must be responsible for our actions when handling consumer data and create new frameworks that fit with the GDPR over the next 24 months.
“The new legislation will not only help protect the consumer, but also safeguard brands’ own reputations by ensuring their customers are at the heart of everything they do. The starting pistol has now fired and the two-year countdown has begun, but successful businesses will be those that treat this time as a full distance race rather than a last minute sprint.”
The ICO has also confirmed that the EU plans to have conducted its review into the ePrivacy Directive within the two-year implementation period for the GDPR, although many have described this as “ambitious”.
The Commission has launched a consultation on the current text of the Directive, as well as possible changes to the existing legal framework to make sure it is up to date with the new challenges of the digital area.
The Directive was last updated in 2009 to provide clearer rules on customers’ rights to privacy. In particular, new requirements were introduced such as on “cookies” and on personal data breaches.