Data protection laws like GDPR, protect your data from misuse by third parties. Here’s how you can comply with GDPR if you deal with the personal data of customers.
Personal data is any information that can be used to identify an individual. This includes, but is not limited to: name, address, phone number(s), email address(es), and social security numbers. For the purpose of protecting the personal data of customers, countries have several laws. GDPR is the General Data Protection Regulation that applies to all companies that offer goods and services to people in the European Union, regardless of whether they are based in the EU or not.The GDPR does not apply only to businesses but also includes any organisation or individual who processes personal data for commercial purposes.
What is GDPR?
GDPR is the General Data Protection Regulation, which was passed by the European Parliament in April 2016 and enforced in 2018. This means that any company or organisation must be compliant with this new regulation after its enforcement. If they are not compliant, they may face severe penalties from their national authorities and/or fines from companies outside of Europe as well. GDPR implies that every organization must take care of the privacy issues related to users. The main goal of this regulation is to protect the personal data of European citizens and give them more rights over their information. The GDPR protection also aims at improving the protection of personal data by giving people more control over how it can be used and shared by companies.
On April 27, 2016, the European Council and the European Parliament adopted the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Businesses were given a two-year preparation period by the authorities. It was the biggest major shift in European data protection legislation since 1998.
Importance of Data Protection
Data protection is the process of ensuring that personal information collected by an organisation or its agents is used for specified purposes only, and not disclosed to others without consent. It also ensures that organizations are accountable for their actions in relation to the collection, storage, maintenance, and use of personal information.The importance of data protection is that it protects the privacy of information and its confidentiality. It also protects the identity of an individual or organization. Data protection is a major concern for all organizations because they have to handle large volumes of sensitive information in their day-to-day operations. The data that they collect, store, process and transmit can be used by unauthorized individuals or third party companies to harm them in many ways such as theft, fraud, financial loss, etc.
What is GDPR Compliance?
GDPR is a regulation that will be applicable to all companies that are established in the EU. This means that if you have an office or a branch in the EU, you must comply with GDPR rules. In order to comply with GDPR regulations, you need to know what your customers’ rights are regarding their personal data. You also have to take precautions so that your business does not violate GDPR regulations. If you do not follow these rules and laws, then you will face penalties from the EU Commission (European Union Data Protection Authority).
GDPR: Rules and Principles
GDPR sets out a single set of rules for all 28 EU member states to ensure that personal data is protected in line with European standards. For example, it requires companies to be transparent about how they handle your information and gives you more control over what they do with it. The GDPR also requires businesses to get explicit consent before they can use or share someone’s personal data for specific purposes. If a company fails to comply with these rules, it could face penalties up to 4% of its annual global turnover, or €20 million.
GDPR Checklist
Here’s a checklist for you, to make sure that your company abides by The GDPR Regulations:
- Have knowledge about the data that you’re collecting:
Have a clear vision of the flow of data and its use. You should have a complete life cycle of all the data you manage.
- A DPO should be assigned if necessary:
Data Protection Officer (DPO) is an individual appointed by an organization who has been designated as responsible for ensuring that data protection principles and practices are followed within the organization.
- Making a list of processing activities:
Create a list of all current processing activities, each of which clearly refers to a specific lawful purpose as defined by the GDPR.
- Implement measures to make sure that your customer’s consent to relinquish their data: Be transparent about the data collection and usage. Allow customers/visitors to withdraw their consent or update their preferences when they want to.
- Pay attention to Personal data transfer: Analyze which data is being transferred outside of the company and where, and make sure third-party agreements are proper before transferring any data.
- Define how to deal with data breaches: It is a strict regulation that data breaches should be instantly informed to DPA. The Data Protection Authority (DPA) makes sure that GDPR regulations are enforced.
Data Protection Laws in India
Data protection laws in India are governed by the Information Technology Act, 2000 (ITA). The ITA regulates the collection, storage, and processing of personal data. It also provides for penalties and remedies to be levied against those who violate these provisions. The data protection rules in India are governed by the Indian Data Protection Act, 2000 (DPA). The DPA applies to all private sector organizations that process personal information in India as well as to public bodies such as the Government of India. The DPA also applies to foreign companies operating in India if they collect or hold any personal information from individuals within the country. These regulations were introduced to ensure that personal data is treated as confidential and protected from misuse or loss, unauthorized access, or disclosure. This law has been implemented by the Indian Government through various amendments over the last few years. The most recent amendment was made on 11th December 2016.
Conclusion
GDPR is a set of laws applicable to companies that have customers within Europe. The GDPR aims at giving individuals more control over their personal data when it is collected by businesses, and it requires those businesses to be more transparent about how they handle personal data. The companies must now take consent from users before they can collect or use their personal information. Companies must also be able to prove that they have done with the data collected. This gives the customers more control over their personal information. As a business or as an individual who deals with personal data, it is very important to comply with the rules of GDPR to avoid fines and other severe legal penalties. If you also want your business to be completely GDPR compliant, our best legal experts at Vakilsearch can help you get the entire end-to-end process done within just a few clicks!
Also Read:
