The RGPD, what is it?
This is a European regulation whose text has been voted on since 2016. The aim of this law is to safeguard the personal data of European individuals. The RGPD must regulate the processing and circulation of personal data, information that brands and companies exploit (too?) often to offer services or products.
The implementation of this regulation was done, firstly, to be based on a new reference text (the previous directive dated back to 1995...) at a time when digital has exploded and is leading to new uses. The RGPD has a unique framework since it applies in any EU member state: wherever you are in this zone, your data is therefore subject to the same protection rules.
We can detect a triple objective to this law: its implementation ensures the protection of personal data but also the responsibility of those in charge of data processing. Lastly, the RGPD stipulates that the information collected on Internet users must be regulated: for example, it must not contain personal information about the individual (origin, religion, political opinions...).
Privacy protection
Personal data is information that will enable an individual to be identified, directly or indirectly. A photo, a telephone number, an e-mail address, a connection identifier or even a social security number are all akin to personal data. With the implementation of the RGPD, this information cannot be collected without the Internet user's prior, written, clear and explicit consent. Sometimes, this consent must be validated by the CNIL, guarantor of the French Data Protection Act, which monitors the infringement of human identity and human rights on the Internet.
Any organization with access to Europeans' personal data must comply with this legislation. Thus, American, Chinese or Japanese groups must follow the rules imposed by the RGPD.
In the event of a breach, offending organizations will be fined up to 20 million euros or 4% of the responsible organization's worldwide annual sales! The risks of misconduct are greater for smaller structures (SMEs, VSEs, startups or associations), as they don't necessarily have the resources of large companies to assemble a team of legal experts to ensure they comply with the RGPD to the letter.
To get up to speed effectively, here are the steps to follow: list the data, place it in a register then sort it, make sure you respect people's rights and secure the data.
In addition to updating your site in line with RGPD regulations, also think about making it CSR friendly! We tell you more about the CSR approach and its benefits.
The RGPD makes it possible to better protect your personal space on the Internet, but it will create new challenges because of the principle of transparency desired by this regulation. Thus, the relationship between consumers and brands will undoubtedly change, with the latter having to adapt to continue to bind a contract of trust with the public.
