In the beginning of the year, we came out with an article discussing GDPR- one year since passing. It was clear that GDPR wasn't something to be taken lightly as the fines stacked up for many companies. Now we have the visual proof. 

Happy Birthday GDPR! On May 25^th, internationally we will be “celebrating” the first anniversary of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Nearly one year later, have the stricter rules really made a difference? Consumers are definitely seeing more pop-up privacy notices online, thanks to GDPR, but for now the astronomical fines the new regulations threatened have not yet surfaced.

In a short nine months, there has been hundreds of thousands of cases and millions in fines.

And this is just the start.

What Cyber Laws Apply to Me?

It is becoming ever so clear that compliance isn't an easy task handled by the IT department, but that it's a team effort from all the departments. This makes it more difficult in regards to what's applicable so our VP of Compliance has broken down all the laws into simpler terms to be able to distinguish which law you must abide! 

On May 25^th of 2018, GDPR Became effective, bringing a demanding standard for data protection and privacy rights for individuals from organizations around the world. Privacy International (PI), which is a charity that defends and promotes the right to privacy, accused seven firms of “disregarding data protection principles, including purpose limitation, data minimization and data accuracy”.

To prevent and protect other firms from being in the same situation, Digital Edge would like to state some general reminders about the law.

Last Friday, May 25th, EU’s privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), took effect. The GDPR imposes new rules on companies, government agencies, non-profits, and other organizations that offer goods and services to people in the European Union (EU), or that collect and analyze data tied to the EU residents. The GDPR applies no matter where you are located.

Digital Edge has extensive expertise in protecting data, championing privacy, and complying with complex regulations, and is currently in compliance with GDPR. We are committed to GDPR compliance across our cloud services, in addition to providing GDPR related assurances in our contractual commitments.

However, Digital Edge felt it was necessary to write an open letter to Congress urging NOT to adopt the European Union’s GDPR. While we strongly feel that the United States needs a privacy framework implemented, the GDPR model should not be mirrored. 

To view this letter, which includes our justification of why Digital Edge feels this way, please click here!

"GDPR"

With the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation set to go into effect on May 25th of this year, it’s no surprise that there has been a plethora of questions come our way regarding this data protection regulations. Digital Edge's VP of Compliance answers the most commonly asked questions! 

• What are the key benefits for this regulation? 
• What is meant by ‘personal data’ under this legislation?
• How do I now if my company needs to be GDPR compliant?
• What are the penalties for non-compliance?
• Do data processors need ‘explicit’ or ‘unambiguous’ data subject consent – and what is the difference?
• What about users under the age of 16?
• How do I know if I need to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO)?
• Under GDPR am I required to report a data breach? If so, what is the time frame? 

Digital Edge is always working to stay compliant, which helps make compliance easier for your business.

Author: Danielle Johnsen (VP of Compliance)
Date: 21 May 2018
Version: 1.1

This document defines Digital Edge’s policy on General Data Protection Regulation of European Union and is based and principles.