What’s the Matter With GDPR and Your Online Privacy?
You may have heard someone mention GDPR in passing, but were too embarrassed to ask what these letters actually mean. Or maybe your friend posted something online about what GDPR stands for for online data protection. At the very least, you’ve probably received dozens of emails from various companies about how the updated privacy policies are in line with the new law.
But if you’re wondering what that thing really is, you’re not alone. Public interest in pending regulations has grown steadily over the past few months. Now that it has finally arrived, here’s what you need to know about the GDPR and how you can make these new internet rules work for you.
So what is it?
The General Data Protection Regulation is a new set of rules and regulations governing how Internet companies should behave in Europe. The focus is on data protection and privacy. The law became official in 2016 with a two-year period for companies to comply with. Now, as of Friday, May 25th, that deadline has come up.
The GDPR was developed by the European Union and therefore only legally applies to EU member states. However, its impact will continue to be felt throughout the world. After all, almost all of the largest tech giants have millions of customers in Europe.
The biggest change (and one that you may have already noticed) is that tech companies need to disclose the user data they collect. Europeans will be allowed to request access to this data, learn how it is used, and require companies to remove or correct it where possible. With GDPR, companies will also need to identify any data breaches within 72 hours.
To enforce these laws, EU regulators can fine companies that do not comply with the rules up to four percent of their global income. It may not sound like much, but for a company like Amazon, that’s just over $ 7 billion .
Does the term matter?
Short answer: probably not. Despite this two-year period, about 60 percent of companies are not GDPR ready. In addition, the law is extremely complex, especially when it comes to the way in which personal data is determined. So it is possible that some companies may never be fully compliant.
However, don’t expect a bunch of tech giants and startups to get fined right away. EU regulators are expected to spend the first few years figuring out exactly how to enforce GDPR. So it may take a year or two before the repressions start.
What the new law means to you
In the meantime, there is a lot you can do to take advantage of the GDPR, even if you are not a EU resident.
With GDPR, companies are introducing new services to accurately reveal what they know about you. You can already request your details from Facebook , Google , Apple , Instagram and Microsoft . If you’re not in Europe, you won’t have as much control over how this information is used, but it’s still useful (and interesting) to know exactly what these tech giants know about you.
Some companies are also adding new privacy features that you should look out for. Facebook has an updated privacy check buried deep within its website. Twitter also introduced a new “Your Twitter data” option in the settings menu that shows how it targets you with different ads based on your interests.
As for all those emails you received with “GDPR” in the subject line, these are just all the online services you’ve ever used while updating your privacy policy to reflect the new law. You might be tempted to massively delete them all at once, but if you have enough time, it’s worth reading the updates to see what’s changing. Watch out for website pop-ups and banner ads as some companies use them to deliver news.
At the very least, these GDPR emails clogging up your inbox are a useful reminder of all the websites and apps that you registered many years ago and then forgot. Use the new European privacy law as an opportunity to enhance your online privacy by ditching services you no longer use.