The law is designed to strengthen individual rights, such as the
power to demand companies reveal or delete what data they have
on you. It will also see regulators working closer together in an
attempt to improve law enforcement ability, while the maximum
fine that regulators can dish out has increased to £17.5m.
You may have noticed apps such as Facebook and Whatsapp
pleading with you to read and consent to updated terms, many of
which are created to comply with GDPR, as the new regulation is
mostly concerned with companies that deal heavily in consumer
data.
Brexit will have no effect on Britain's adoption of the regulation,
the government has continuously voiced its support for GDPR.
Although an EU law, many companies based outside of the EU will
adopt GDPR in order to trade freely in an important market.
It remains to be seen how big an impact GDPR will have on
data-hungry tech giants such as Facebook and Google, and some
have argued it will only consolidate their power as new startups
struggle to adapt, but the increased control on personal data
for the individual is welcome, as is the hefty fine handed out to
disobedient companies.
GUESTLIST
2018 / ISSUE 110
17
TECHNOLOGY
After multiple delays and a seven-year
wait, GDPR was finally passed into law on
the 25th of May. The regulation will see
changes in tech, advertising, medicine and
banking among other things.
WHAT IS GENERAL
DATA PROTECTION
REGULATION? HERE'S
A BRIEF BREAKDOWN