Whether you are a business, entrepreneur, or simply an online user, you’ve no doubt experience the effects of GDPR over the past week. What started as a flood of emails into everyone’s inbox asking for new subscription confirmations and notifications on privacy policies being updated, everyone has played a small role in GDPR somehow.
For the most part, GDPR is getting all of the attention from businesses and brands of all sizes. This is mainly due to the fact that it’s yet another regulation that has come into play, but also has some of the highest fines we’ve ever seen. No one wants to be made an example of, though they will likely start making a few of them soon.
In fact, Facebook and Google have collectively already been hit with more than $8 billion in associated lawsuits in just one day of GDPR going into effect!
With all of this in mind, and so much discussion about GDPR everywhere you look, let’s cover some finer points on the issue, while also providing you with some useful tools and resources in the process. Before we jump into the next section of the article, be aware that these are simply references from other websites, and that I am in no way providing legal advice. Be sure to get your own legal counsel regarding the safety and legal issues associated with your site or online business.
Emails Flooded with GDPR Notifications
There is no doubt that you were flooded with emails from various companies over the past week — some of which you may have been familiar with, and many you might not have ever seen before. The ones that were asking for you to opt-in again, were either being extremely cautious, or likely didn’t have any registration information to backup that you actually signed up to receive their emails.
In summary, the latest GDPR affects and changes were mostly to data, user rights, and how such information is obtained, used, stored, and ultimately deleted if requested. Many of the emails you received likely laid this information out as follows:
- The types of data that we collect
- The ways in which we use and store it
- The measures we take to keep your data safe
- Your personal information and how you can control its usage
For the most part, many of these emails were just notification mailings, letting you know privacy policies were updated. If you haven’t done so already, you can find more information on how to update your privacy policy here.
For big brands, this could be a big issue. However, even smaller entrepreneurs, site owners, and bloggers will need to adjust to these changes as well — even if they aren’t personally collecting user data.
Why you ask? Simple… if you are using Google Analytics, tracking tools, email sign up forms, or serving ads on your site, you now need to let your audience know.
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Business in the New Era of GDPR
Running a business on the internet has lead way for a whole new world of opportunity — especially for anyone in the affiliate marketing or lead gen space. Pretty much anyone can start a business from anywhere, and start collecting leads and selling them off for a nice profit. The business model is nothing new, but the way GDPR affects these business models is.
Two ways to look at this are that no only will businesses need to adapt with the changes that GDPR put into place, but also how businesses can adjust and cater to these needs as well. With so many businesses and brands in need of GDPR compliance, it only makes sense for services already related to security and data protection to move into this sector as well.
Bulletproof, which has a proven history in penetration testing services to data security, vulnerability assessments and compliance — has already pivoted into this space and helped numerous companies become GDPR compliant in the process. The truth is, with GDPR being so new, there are a lot of questions and more often than not, no one really knows the best answers. This is where legal guidance can really come into play, especially with the regulations now in place and likely to continue to change overtime.
Already with years of experience in penetration testing and keeping data-rich companies safe from hackers and data leaks, Bulletproof understands that the GDPR now leaves companies responsible not just for how they use data, but also how that data is shared or leaked with other companies or threats. It’s not just about being compliant now, it’s also about knowing how to adapt with these changes over time.
To make the most out of a crucial situation, Bulletproof and many other legal consultancy groups are now focused on full GDPR compliance than ever before. We can take a look at the bullet points below to see what is typically offered in this initial review and compliance process:
- Full breakdown on GDPR status within your organization, structured by the individual GDPR Principles
- Review of Privacy Policy and GDPR-related policies and procedures
- Recommendations and reviews based on best practices
- Recommendations for achieving GDPR compliance
As you can imagine, GDPR is serious business — not just for the companies that now have to re-adjust and make sure they are compliant, but also for those associated with regulation, consultancy, and legal counsel.
How to Best Protect Yourself and Your Data
GDPR isn’t the first regulation of it’s kind to affect those who use and do business on the internet, and it surely won’t be the last. While many businesses are terrified of the potential fines and changes that GDPR might bring on, it’s best to adjust your business model and data practices now — not just to be covered for the GDPR, but also for the oncoming wave of regulations that may happen in the coming years.
As always, be sure to make your sure your business and brand are covered at all times by seeking your own legal counsel. There are plenty of resources and guides online to help you get started, but it would be ideal to have a plan of action and expert advice for your exact business model as well.
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