GDPR

The latest in data privacy frameworks have come in the form of the EU US privacy shield. This framework has come about as a response to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The framework has been decided to meet the adequacy determination of the European commission, and now the transfer of personal data from the EU to the US can be made easier if US organizations choose to join the privacy shield framework.

More customers are becoming aware of data privacy when engaging with businesses online. With data breaches on the increase, many customers face issues regarding the adequate protection of personal data, especially following the event of a data breach or cyberattack. In a report given by RAND corporation, it was found that 11 percent of customers would change organization, and 23 percent would give the existing organization less business. These realities have spawned an ecosystem of regulation and data privacy awareness.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect last year giving pressure to data brokers and tech firms to adequately protect, process and store customer information. Developed by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, the new EU data regulation laws threaten businesses with hefty fines of roughly 20 million euros or four percent of their turnover should they fail to adhere to the new legislation geared towards giving people more control over their personal information.

Roughly 57% of the global population now have access to the internet. While being connected to the largest database in the world does bring a host of advantages, it does come at a price. Recent statistics revealed that about 53% of online users are currently more concerned about their online privacy compared to a year ago.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that website users must give active consent for cookies to be stored on their equipment. 

 

The European Union’s Ruling

The European Union Court Rules that Active Consent is Required for Storing Cookies.

Big changes with regard to privacy are coming out of the EU. A press announcement from the Court of Justice of the European Union reveals that active consent is required by internet users for strong cookies to be placed on their equipment. The court ruled that active consent is not a pre-checked box that the user must deselect in order to refuse his or her consent.

This ruling was the judgment in Case C-673/17, Bundesverband der Verbraucherzentralen und Verbraucherverbände ? Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband eV v Planet49 GmbH.

Cookies, of course, are files that websites store on the site user’s computer that the website provider can access when the user visits the website again. The purpose is to facilitate transactions or navigation of the site or to access information about the user’s behavior.

Whether or not the information stored or accessed on the user’s equipment is personal data does not affect the decision.

The Court stated that consent must be specific. Therefore, a user selecting a button to participate in, say, some sort of promotion does NOT mean that the user gave his or her consent to the storage of cookies.

In addition, the Court decided that website service providers must inform users of the duration of the operation of cookies and whether or not third parties may have access to those cookies.

Want to learn more about compliance with EU regulations like GDPR? Contact RSI Security today.

 

 

Since the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was enforced on May 25, 2018, many have complied with it lest they face unprecedented non-compliance fines and other consequences. GDPR, at its core, is the new set of rules designed for EU individuals to give them more control over their data. Its objective is to make the regulatory environment simple so that both businesses and their customers in the EU can ultimately benefit from the digital economy. 

In this article, we’ll be tackling the top industries affected by GDPR, the challenges that they face since the regulation has come into effect over a year ago, and the benefits they receive from this data privacy law. These industries are the following: social media, online retail, digital banking, cloud computing, and healthcare.