GDPR is here

PostGDPR is here by **Garth** » Fri May 25, 2018 1:38 pm

Google and Facebook accused of breaking GDPR laws

Complaints have been filed against Facebook, Google, Instagram and WhatsApp within hours of the new GDPR data protection law taking effect.

The companies are accused of forcing users to consent to targeted advertising to use the services.

Privacy group noyb.eu led by activist Max Schrems said people were not being given a "free choice".

If the complaints are upheld, the websites may be forced to change how they operate, and they could be fined.

What's the issue?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new EU law that changes how personal data can be collected and used. Even companies based outside the EU must follow the new rules if offering their services in the EU.

In its four complaints, noyb.eu argues that the named companies are in breach of GDPR because they have adopted a "take it or leave it approach".

The activist group says customers must agree to having their data collected, shared and used for targeted advertising, or delete their accounts.

This, the organisation suggests, falls foul of the new rules because forcing people to accept wide-ranging data collection in exchange for using a service is prohibited under GDPR.

"The GDPR explicitly allows any data processing that is strictly necessary for the service - but using the data additionally for advertisement or to sell it on needs the users' free opt-in consent," said noyb.eu in a statement.

"GDPR is very pragmatic on this point: whatever is really necessary for an app is legal without consent, the rest needs a free 'yes' or 'no' option."

Privacy advocate Max Schrems said: "Many users do not know yet that this annoying way of pushing people to consent is actually forbidden under GDPR in most cases."

The complaints were filed by four EU citizens with local regulators in Austria, Belgium, France and Germany.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-44252327

http://www.latimes.com/

US news sites unavailable to EU users over data protection rules

A number of high-profile US news websites are temporarily unavailable in Europe after new European Union rules on data protection came into effect.

The Chicago Tribune and LA Times were among those posting messages saying they were currently unavailable in most European countries.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives EU citizens more rights over how their information is used.

The measure is an effort by EU lawmakers to limit tech firms' powers.

Under the rules, companies working in the EU - or any association or club in the bloc - must get express consent to collect personal information, or face hefty fines.

What is GDPR?

Lawmakers in Brussels passed the new legislation in April 2016, and the full text of the regulation has been published online.

Misusing or carelessly handling personal information will bring fines of up to 20 millions euros ($23.4m;£17.5m), or 4% of a company's global turnover.

In the UK, which is due to leave the EU in 2019, a new Data Protection Act will incorporate the provisions of the GDPR, with some minor changes.

All EU citizens now have the right to see what information companies have about them, and to have that information deleted.

Companies must be more active in gaining consent to collect and use data too, in theory spelling an end to simple "I agree with terms and conditions" tick boxes.

Companies must also tell all affected users about any data breach, and tell the overseeing authority within 72 hours.

Each EU member state must set up a supervisory authority, and these authorities will work together across borders to ensure companies comply.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44248448

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Lagamorph** » Fri May 25, 2018 1:46 pm

I've loved a ton of mobile apps having to ask me if they can serve up targeted ads with a big reject button right there.
And the amount of emails from places that will never be able to contact me again because I don't reply is glorious.

I noticed Elite Dangerous emails were offering free skins/decals if you consented to them still being able to allow to contact you. Not sure how giving incentives like that is treated within the rules though.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Dual** » Fri May 25, 2018 1:47 pm

Can't wait to leave Europe so these companies stop emailing me about gdpr

PostRe: RE: Re: It's GDPR Day by **Death's Head** » Fri May 25, 2018 1:48 pm

Lagamorph wrote:And the amount of emails from places that will never be able to contact me again because I don't reply is glorious.

Very inconsistent though. Shame all didn't have to follow this approach.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Green Gecko** » Fri May 25, 2018 2:00 pm

It is a bit of a pain the huge volume of "oh strawberry float, we can't email you anymore. Do you want updates on offers and reminders about our lowest Shipping in the UK??" type emails, but also kind of great that by just ignoring them I won't get spam I have to decide whether or not to unsubscribe every damn time I get another mostly useless one.

Btw, we have a solution in the works for this. We don't collect personal information apart from the email address people have used to register already, which we need to work, so will just need a new privacy policy. The ads are also NOT targeted based on browsing history, so we don't require consent. In case anyone wonders, I am the data officer. So there you go.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Preezy** » Fri May 25, 2018 2:47 pm

Our Data Protection Officer at my work has gone waaaay too far and is now insisting that ANY email communications (internal as well as external) that contain ANY personal data in have to be password protected. All of our emails have our full names in our signatures, so I guess that means I have to password protect every single email I send :lol:

Such a joke, so overkill and it's pissing everyone in the business off. I'm predicting a massive climbdown and everything returning to normal before too long.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Moggy** » Fri May 25, 2018 2:54 pm

Preezy wrote:Our Data Protection Officer at my work has gone waaaay too far and is now insisting that ANY email communications (internal as well as external) that contain ANY personal data in have to be password protected. All of our emails have our full names in our signatures, so I guess that means I have to password protect every single email I send

Such a joke, so overkill and it's pissing everyone in the business off. I'm predicting a massive climbdown and everything returning to normal before too long.

We have been told something similar, we are allowed to send our own names unprotected though.

They’ve set up our email system now so it will stop the email sending if you try and send unprotected data. So I am mostly ignoring the guidelines, if the system rejects my email, then I will protect it and then send.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **jawafour** » Fri May 25, 2018 2:54 pm

Green Gecko wrote:...so we don't require consent. In case anyone wonders, I am the data officer. So there you go.

I'm very happy with how this is working out here in GR. Since the policy has come in, Ive had two personalised logos in two days :datass:

.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Green Gecko** » Fri May 25, 2018 2:56 pm

Lol, that's technically one measure you could take.. It is more about such email servers being properly secured, policies in place to prevent employees abusing personal data (ie sharing it outside the company or even selling it) with suitable reprimands if caught doing so, and maybe only storing personal information in an encrypted, closed database like some other system.

And all of that stuff has been covered by the DPA and policed by the ICO for decades already. There just wasn't the possibly of a 20 million euro fine, at least I don't think the ICO charged that much.

If people send in personal information by choice or accident, it has to be secured and redacted if it is not secure. It really depends what is and isn't "secure" in the first instance.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Squinty** » Fri May 25, 2018 3:03 pm

Did the compliance training for this. It was interesting, seems to be more aimed at customer protection.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **OrangeRKN** » Fri May 25, 2018 3:07 pm

I'm enjoying watching this go down :toot:

As much as it appears to be a massive headache for almost everyone, I don't have much sympathy for basically any kind of personalised marketing so all is good by me

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **BID0** » Fri May 25, 2018 3:16 pm

I've been CC: in to a few "we take your privacy very seriously" emails over the last few weeks :fp:

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **finish.last** » Fri May 25, 2018 3:30 pm

As a Headteacher of a large school I can tell you this is a freaking nightmare to manage!

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Green Gecko** » Fri May 25, 2018 3:32 pm

Well. To be fair the legislation was introduced 2 years ago. I'm admiring of the organisations that have prepared for it months in advance and are already complaint.

It's a good piece of legalisation.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Squinty** » Fri May 25, 2018 5:02 pm

Green Gecko wrote:Well. To be fair the legislation was introduced 2 years ago. I'm admiring of the organisations that have prepared for it months in advance and are already complaint.

It's a good piece of legalisation.

I agree. I really like the way data holders are unable to stick a fee on if people want access to their data (well, that's what I took from it anyway!)

YouTube · PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Earfolds** » Fri May 25, 2018 6:10 pm

Technically, if you get an email asking for permission and you say "no", then it breaks the GDPR since they never had permission to email you in the first place.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Hypes** » Fri May 25, 2018 6:57 pm

A load of these emails have been entirely unnecessary as well

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Qikz** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:03 pm

GDPR is one of the greatest policies I've ever lived to see. Damn it makes me so happy.

I don't care if I'm getting spammed with privacy policies now. The amount of emails I've seen where people are begging to keep me on 30 marketing email lists are disgusting. strawberry float them all. Freedom from spam!

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Green Gecko** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:21 pm

There's that, but there's also the gazillion illicit spam emails you receive every day, and only really good spam filtering these days is hiding those! They're not gonna care one bit about selling/buying you data on the black market.

PostRe: It's GDPR Day by **Meep** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:35 pm

It is awesome but the deluge of emails from random companies I once bought something from five years ago is starting to annoy me.

Edit: Another just popped up on my notifications as I typed this.

GDPR is here

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