News » 275 days until GDPR: 70% of your customers do not trust you with their data. 2017-04-23

This is the first in a series of articles, white papers and webinars Eurocomply will be publishing to help you with GDPR. The aim is to provide clarity, steer free of fear-mongering and give you the information you need to make GDPR work. Balancing data utility with data protection is tricky, but it can be done. Smart companies recognise this. This article covers trust and the importance of transparency. As it is just 275 working days until the GDPR comes into force, it is time to get cracking!

Trust

Individuals are becoming increasingly concerned about how organisations use their data.

"The general population feels very insecure about what is done with their private data. [...] More than 70 per cent of people do not trust the way their data is used."

Said Viviane Reding who previously served as European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship.

You are probably no different. However, we don't always behave accordingly. This is not because we, as consumers, are vacuous. It's simply due to the fact that in order to live efficiently and effectively in 2017, a data transfer is required. Can you imagine the world without online services, a mobile phone and use of apps? Consent has become meaningless to some extent as consumers have no choice in sharing their data when you just look at the situation from a practical perspective. On the other side, it is important to note that organisations are in a similar position. In order to become successful, the use of big data is almost mandatory. If you have no analytics strategy, you are doomed (or so we are taught to believe). Now that we have discussed the problem for both parties, where do we go from here?

Ostrich Politics

It all starts with recognising the problem and being open about its existence. In the Netherlands, we have an interesting analogy called Ostrich politics. It owes its name to a fable about an ostrich that sticks his head in the sand to hide from his enemy. In the story, the ostrich assumes that because he now cannot see his enemy, his enemy also cannot see him. The term gets used to describe a situation in which we are all becoming conscious of a problem, but our actions don't reflect this reality. This is where we now find ourselves.

Internally

Ensure you staff knows about privacy and data protection. They should know what to do when an access request comes in. They should also be diligent in terms of putting away paper files and locking their PC when they leave their desks. These simple steps are more important than you might think. Security is discussed too often without recognition of where the majority of data breaches come from.

Human error is the main cause of data breaches, according to statistics obtained from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Human error accounted for almost two-thirds (62%) of the incidents reported to the ICO – far outstripping other causes, such as insecure webpages and hacking, standing at 9% combined.

Create a culture of compliance within your organisation and you will dramatically reduce the risk of fines and reputational damage. You will sleep at night and customers will flock to your business knowing their data is safe with you.

Externally

It's vital you start communicating openly to your customers that you are using their data and how. Tell them in clear terms what rights they have under the GDPR namely:

Access & receive of copy of data (no charge)
Right to correct errors
Object to the use of their data
Right not to be subjected to fully automated decision making
Right to have their information deleted
Restrict processing
Data Portability

Gone are the days of complex privacy policies containing jargon nobody wants to read. Technology has become commoditised. This was recognised by many and we saw a wave of competing in terms of customer service through online chat and social media. We are now living in a world where being known as a privacy-friendly company will be the next competitive advantage. You have to comply with GDPR, you may as well use it to your advantage.

Don't be an ostrich, get started today!

Eurocomply is software that helps you assess, track & demonstrate compliance with GDPR.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/275-days-until-gdpr-70-your-customers-do-trust-you-emerald