UK privacy tsar Elizabeth Denham has welcomed the government’s apparent confirmation that it will be adopting European data protection rules when they come into force in 2018.
Culture secretary Karen Bradley revealed the news in a recent appearance before the Culture, Media and Sports Select Committee, where she said:
“We will be members of the EU in 2018 and therefore it would be expected and quite normal for us to opt into the GDPR and then look later at how best we might be able to help British business with data protection while maintaining high levels of protection for members of the public.”
Denham argued in a blog post that adopting the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) would help to build consumer confidence in the protection of the information that's the lifeblood of the digital economy.
“The major shift with the implementation of the GDPR will be in giving people greater control over their data. This has to be a good thing,” she wrote.
“Today’s consumers understand that they need to share some of their personal data with organizations to get the best service. But they’re right to expect organizations to then keep that information safe, be transparent about its use and for organizations to demonstrate their accountability for their compliance.”
The ICO said it will be publishing a timeline in the next month outlining its priorities regarding GDPR guidance.
The news was also welcomed by Christine Andrews, managing director of risk and compliance firm DQM GRC.
“This might be the wake-up call needed for the 18.4% of organizations who admitted they will require 12-24 months to make the necessary changes the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) demands – but we’re not at all surprised by this news,” she said.
“The UK ICO was active in helping to shape the new EU GDPR, and it’s clear that if UK companies want to trade with Europe they’re going to need to comply with it.”
The new regulation will come into force on 25 May 2018, promising strict penalties for non-compliance of up to €20m, or 4% of annual global turnover – whichever is greater.