GDPR Is Coming - Don't Panic!
The implementation of GDPR is now less than 2 weeks away. Our inboxes at Manage My Website HQ are a buzz with emails, newsletters and warnings. And of course, advice from the ubiquitous ‘experts’ who purport to have all the answers and are happy to help us navigate the waters in exchange for a, not always small, king’s ransom…
None of this is to say that we’re resting on our laurels. Make no mistake, things are changing, and we understand the frisson of anxiety and the genuine concern that we, as a business community, get it right. But in all honesty, unless you operate in a shady or grey area of business, process a lot of sensitive information or operate in a highly complex environment, you shouldn’t need to upend everything you do to comply with the new legislation.
Let’s remember the changes are all about protecting us as citizens, they’re about giving us more control over our personal information – they are not about punishing small businesses or trying to catch anybody out or generating revenue through the imposition of fines.
Whenever we have a question about any data protection issue, our go to place is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website. We can’t recommend the ICO enough – they really should be your first port of call on all matters relating to GDPR. Their website is bursting to the seams with handy guides and myth busting blogs. We particularly appreciated the most recent blog which deals with the issue of consent and email newsletters, which we know has caused some of our clients a great deal of angst in recent weeks.
If you are still struggling to understand what you need or don’t need to do, or don't know where to start with it all, here are some links to our most used resources from the ICO:
The ICO has also set up a dedicated telephone helpline for small businesses.
One of the key things we are doing, common to all businesses, is updating our privacy notice. Here’s a link to the ICO Privacy Notice Code of Practice and more specifically privacy notices under the GDPR.
Finally, the one thing we all have in common, we’re assuming, is a Squarespace website. So, as an additional checklist, this is what Squarespace are saying about GDPR.
We also know that, like us, many of our clients use MailChimp to issue newsletters and they too have issued some guidance and supporting advice. Here are some handy links to their resources:
Finally, finally, the Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, herself recently said “don’t panic” and we really couldn’t put it better ourselves. We are aware though that there is a lot of information out there and deciding what’s relevant to an individual business and what isn’t, can seem overwhelming. Whilst we are not legal experts, we are offering a consultation service to support clients through the process, both to understand the requirements and what changes, if any, you need to make to the way you operate, and make any necessary website updates. To find out more about how we can help you, please get in touch.