Guest post by Ben Abbott.
We live in an age where almost everything we do is recorded in one way or another, especially on the Internet. This reality is disconcerting for large numbers of people, with over 90% of online customers stating that they’re worried about their online security and privacy to some extent. This stems from the fact that customers really don’t have any sort of insight into how their data is being manipulated, so GDPR is here to fix all that.
As of May 25th, 2018, a new set of laws in the EU started to take effect, and these laws are forcing marketers to significantly alter their disclosure practices (and in some cases, their business ethics) in order to avoid some pretty hefty fines. Under the regulation, companies now have to request customers’ permission to use even the smallest piece of their data and keep that usage documented. They’re also required to be transparent about any potential data breaches, and let the customer know if their information has been compromised.
Who is Affected By GDPR?
The main purpose of GDPR is to force businesses to take better care of their customers’ data, and this means the regulation will have the most profound effect on those that are tasked with handling customers’ information the most—marketers. GDPR is definitely something worth talking to a legal specialist about, but if you just want the gist of it, read on:
The first point is obvious: you can no longer simply assume that a person wants to be contacted and give them the option to opt out of your notifications. After GDPR, such practices count as a violation you will have to pay a fine for.