GDPR EU data protection laws – With the improvement in technology, Individuals are often required to give out sensitive information to service providers, for ease in the availability of these services. The general data protection regulation are laws that have been stipulated to standardize the flow, transfer, and processing of personal information of EU’s citizens.
These laws ensure that these individuals’ personal information is protected by companies, ensuring that their private information is secured and cannot be misused by these companies. It applies to all companies who provide services for European Union citizens like Facebook, Twitter, Google etc. no matter their geographic location. The GDPR was adopted in April 2016 and came into full force on May 25, 2018.
The general data protection regulation is basically about data rights reserved for citizens of the European Union, and they are penalties for companies who breach these laws.
What is GDPR EU Data Protection Laws and How Does it Affect You?
The general data protection regulation has given individuals more power over the use of their data. The power to give consent to companies over the use of their data. And also, the power to delete personal information from any site without the consent of the companies.
The laws are already in application in the operations of various Companies especially technological companies, banks, and Insurance Companies. These companies access lots of personal information during transactions, thus ensuring the protection of EU citizens’ data. For this new law to take full force, individuals are also required to comply with the union by accepting GDPR email.
These are used to ensure that these individuals’ personal identifiable information are kept private by these companies.
Nevertheless, without the compliance of individuals, GDPR still protects the rights of service users using other means to monitor these service providers. GDPR is designed in such a way that individuals are given consents before their personal data is processed or manipulated by companies. The companies have to choose to give explicit consent to individuals before processing their data.
While some companies in another category believe they have a legal interest in your data and just need to notify you but not necessarily wait for your consent. The GDPR is basically about you, and if individuals could embrace the new laws and exercise their rights over the protection and privacy of their Data, it will have a large effect on the data industry.
What are the basic rules of GDPR?
- Protection of privacy of EU citizens’ data: it sets standards for all countries under the European Union in data protection law. Thus, creating a unified data protection law for all 28 countries in EU.
- GDPR does not only affect service providers under the European Union: it also companies who process and handle the data of citizens of EU. It affects service providers of any kind especially insurance companies, banks and tech firms who handle quite a large amount of data.
- GDPR hands over power of personal data control to the service users: The idea is to checkmate the misuse of personal identifiable data by these companies. Therefore the service users reserve the right to delete personal information from any site and are notified if there is any breach in processing or handling their personal data.
- GDPR is a legal framework that sets guidelines for companies in the processing and handling of data of EU citizens: Therefore, these companies are required to protect the personal information of these individuals and also expected to adhere to the privacy policy.
- Heavy penalties accompany these laws to ensure that these companies are compliant.
Sanctions on Violations of GDPR EU data protection laws
The GDPR affects service providers especially technological firms who come in contact with large amounts of data in their daily operation, how does European Union ensure that these companies corporate with the GDPR?
The GDPR has increased its sanctions on violation of these laws and has more authority to enforce compliance on the companies than the previous EU data protection law of 1995. It has stipulated laws for all companies handling data of EU’s citizens no matter their geographic location.
The SAs work under the GDPR as law enforcers, the penalties are heavy and difficult to handle, companies who breach the laws will be required to pay fines, with the maximum fine reaching 4% of the company’s global turnover.
The companies are also required to have data protection officers who build data protection programs as required by the GDPR. Power over personal data belongs to the service users, GDPR ensures that your personal information can stay personal, be aware of your rights over it.