Can you believe, 1 whole year has passed since GDPR was introduced?!
We still get a lot of questions about it so we thought we’d give our social followers the opportunity to ask us their GDPR questions as part of our latest competition.
And you didn’t let us down! We received some fantastic questions on the subject which we’ve compiled in this handy infographic.
Scroll to the bottom for even more great GDPR Q&As.
More of your GDPR questions answered
Q. What does GDPR stand for? – Jess
The General Data Protection Regulation
Q. Are companies allowed to sell my information under GDPR? – Amy
As a general rule, a company can only sell their marketing list if they have the consent of the listed individuals to do so. Other businesses will only be able to use the list for recorded calls, texts or emails if the people on the list have specifically consented to receive that type of message from that specific company.
Q. What’s the most common mistake businesses make under GPDR? – Kerry
Letting staff use their own computers is one of the biggest mistakes.
Letting staff use their own laptops and devices for work purposes allows unencrypted customer and employee personal data to be stored at home. This article is worth a read for more info.
Q. What happens if GDPR is breached? Are there fines? Can you request your personal data be erased from companies? – Laura
If a company is found guilty of breaching GDPR there are two levels of fines to cover companies of various sizes/turnover…
- Up to €10 million, or 2% annual global turnover – whichever is higher; or
- Up to €20 million, or 4% annual global turnover – whichever is higher.
To answer your second question, yes you can.
you can ask for your personal data to be deleted when, for example, the data the company holds on you is no longer needed or when your data has been used unlawfully.
Q. What happens to data collected before GDPR was introduced? I’m still unsure about that. Also, if someone holds your data are you entitled to ask them to remove it? – Becki
It all depends on how consent to collect your data was handled before GDPR. If it complies with the new regulations, a company can still handle this data and use it (if you gave permission). Otherwise the data would need to be collected again.
To answer your second question, yes you can.
you can ask for your personal data to be deleted when, for example, the data the company holds on you is no longer needed or when your data has been used unlawfully.Q. When will it come to effect or does this now depend on BREXIT?? – Rosie
GDPR came into effect just over a year ago on 25th May 2018, and although the UK will be leaving the EU imminently (we think!), the GDPR will still have an impact. The EU Regulation already reaches beyond the EU. International companies across the globe with any EU citizens as customers will need to be aware of their new legal obligations and comply to avoid fines.
Q. With the new GPDR rules I thought PI and accident calls would stop. How comes these types of cold calls are allowed to continue? – Natalie
Businesses can still cold call and comply with GDPR… as long as their call falls under ‘legitimate interest’. That basically means the company can justify its reason for contacting you. We found this article which explains more.
Q. What can a consumer do if they believe that GDPR rules have been broken? – Cheryl
You have a few different options if you think your data has been breached.
This article sums up your options nicely.
Q. Why should I even be bothered about GDPR… Isn’t it just more red tape? – Claudia
Although GDPR many feel like more red tape, it does benefit all of us ultimately as it gives us back control of our own personal data.
It’s also not to be ignored as any company, big or small, will have to comply with new regulations regarding the secure collection, storage and usage of personal information. What’s more, violations will be met with some pretty hefty fines.
Q. How do I check a company does not breach GDPR? – Eileen
It’s difficult to find a definitive list of companies who have breached GDPR.
But our best advice would be to be aware of your own personal data and if you ever suspect a company is using your data when you haven’t given them the right consent to, you have a few options which you can read up on in this handy article.
Q. Is my information safe with GDPR? – Deborah
Your information should be better protected under the GDPR. At its core, GDPR is designed to give us all more control over our own personal data.
And companies should be complying with the new regulations to better protect your data and only use where the correct consent has been provided.
Q. What information does the GDPR apply to? – Mary
The GDPR applies to ‘personal data’, which means any information relating to an identifiable person.… name, address, email, phone number, gender, to name a few!
If you found this article useful and work in mail marketing, you might want to take a look at our Direct Mail and GDPR FAQs.