January 8, 2016,  data protection, EU General Data Protection Regulation, Legal update, News  No comments

One of the biggest changes in data protection and privacy to usher in the New Year with a bang is publication of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) later this month. And it’s really important that all companies take the necessary steps to protect themselves from becoming liable for personal data breaches under this EU Regulation.

As reported extensively in this blog over the last 12 months, the GDPR will force all organisations to re-wire their thinking as well as their data protection policies and procedures for handling personal data under a fundamental change in European law.

Experience to date shows that effective training is the first line of defence and ...

December 25, 2015,  News  No comments

This is an interesting look at how Parsees are facing extinction before the end of the Century and what the Indian Government is trying to get the smallest community in the world to survive.

To listen: http://bbc.in/1ScPJfF

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December 16, 2015,  EU General Data Protection Regulation, News  No comments

It’s here: after years and years of debate, the negotiating parties to the trilogue are reported finally to have agreed the text of the European Union’s successor privacy legislation: the General Data Protection Regulation.

Jan Albrecht, the German MEP leading up the European Parliament’s negotiations on the GDPR, even tweeted this picture of the negotiators who struck today’s deal – somehow a fitting use of social media technology, given that the key driver behind this legislative change is to bring Europe’s aging data privacy rules up to date for the modern technological era.

This isn’t the formal end of the legislative process though – while the text of t...

December 15, 2015,  EU General Data Protection Regulation, News  No comments

Reuters reports this evening (Tuesday 15 December 2015) that the long awaited EU General Data Protection Regulation has reached agreement among the European Commission, European Parliament and Council of Ministers.

A second reading will now follow in the European Parliament and the publication of the GDPR now seems highly likely mid-January 2016.

Thereafter, transition arrangements will need to be in place across the whole of the EU so that Member States can adopt the new EU Regulation.

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December 7, 2015,  EU General Data Protection Regulation, Martin Hickley, News, Thought Leadership  No comments

Research on the increase in secondary costs as a result of new regulatory burdens imposed on organisations as a result of the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has exposed a hidden danger.

The costs of insuring against a breach of contract, litigation costs incurred as a result of cyber-attacks and compensation claims made by millions of customers for breach of their personal data records is set to escalate insurance premiums by as much as 150%, warns Martin Hickley, Director of Data Protection at GO DPO® EU Compliance, a specialist executive training company.

Hickley says: “It’s well known that most organisations impacted by the GDPR are dangerousl...

November 30, 2015,  data protection, EU General Data Protection Regulation, News  No comments

At this time of year parents all over the world are busy working out what the latest electronic gadget they need to buy for their children before the Christmas rush makes these highly-prized toys out of stock. One of the biggest manufacturers is Chinese consumer giant VTECH that owns the Learning Lodge app store.

But this story doesn’t have a happy ending.

The customers’ secrets stored on the company’s data base have been hacked and according to security experts this amounts to 4.8m unique customer email addresses as well as names and download history.

According to reports, the company database was compromised on 14 November but it took a good 10 days before HKT (the ow...

November 20, 2015,  EU General Data Protection Regulation  No comments

Nike has been collecting too much personal information from customers without correctly obtaining their permission first.

The world’s largest sportswear company has now been issued with a warning to stop this by the Dutch DPA (CBP).

The Nike+ Running app combines GPS information about distance covered with body characteristics such as height and weight to calculate calories and ‘Fuel Points’ for the Nike rankings. Storage of these details for a longer period constitutes handling of sensitive personal health information, CBP found.

Under the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a key principle is purpose limitation, designed to establish the boundaries...

November 15, 2015,  News  No comments

Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian and European Religious Leaders of all traditions stand united in grief and anger about the terrible attacks in Paris.

Upon witnessing the unfolding violence in Paris the Moderator of the European Council of Religious Leaders (ECRL) Revd. Dr. Thomas Wipf stated: “We, people of all religious traditions
in Europe are united in our grief and anger about the terrible terrorist attacks in Paris.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and all those affected. We strongly condemn all acts of violence and terrorism which can never be just justified on religious grounds...

November 15, 2015,  News, Sponsorship News  No comments

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November 7, 2015,  Council of Ministers, Data Protection Act 1998, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Data Protection Supervisor, European Parliament, Martin Hickley, Thought Leadership  No comments

It’s not as easy as it looks, is it? And that goes for the differences between the Data Protection Act (DPA) 1998 and the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on course to gain consent from the European Commission, European Parliament and European Council of Ministers in early January2016.

That means it will be fully implemented at the end of 2017 after the 2-year transition period expires.

Once GDPR has achieved agreement, the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC is repealed and the basis for the DPA 1998 has effectively been removed.

The legal position as to what happens during the transition period is still to be worked out but by far the safest course ...