Summary
In the age of digital technology, the concept of privacy has taken a more important role than ever. With the ability to store, find and share information all around the world, protecting both personal and organizational data from ending up in the wrong hands has become crucial. Different countries have their own standards and approaches to internet privacy, regulating the actions of companies within their jurisdiction. In the case of countries within the European Union, a specific set of regulations and protections apply to every territory equally. One of the first concepts connected to privacy, in this case, is Privacy by Design. Basically, this consideration puts the responsibility of protecting an organization’s data on the organization itself, stating that data protection procedures and technologies must be integrated into the introduction of new technology from the beginning. Privacy must be considered in the design stage of technical implementation and accounted for.
Another important concept would be the right to be forgotten, which relates to the storage and processing of personal data. All information of this type must be erased once it has served its purpose or if the original provider chooses to withdraw their consent for its use. This regulation ensures that the use of personal information is stricter, and people can actively choose if they want their personal information to stay on the internet.
The last concept that should be considered is the right to be informed. When a person’s data is collected or a resource plans to collect user information, they must be directly and transparently informed about the process. Such considerations as the use of data, duration of storage, security, accountability, and an ability to choose should all be included. Regulations provided by the General Data Protection Regulation exist to protect the rights of the users, and they can use legal actions in cases where an organization collects their data without proper disclosure or procedure.
Recommendations
- Ensure that the data is still protected when it leaves the EU region – The GDPR ensures that some data cannot be transferred from the EU region, and proper protections must still apply to the information that does get transferred (European Union – Data Privacy and Protection). This should be taken into account when working internationally and handling the company’s operations.
- Provide proper and open disclosure about instances of data collection, their usage, as well as the duration of the use – Any cases of data collection should be clearly articulated in simple terms, with the ability of the end-user to opt out of the process at any stage (A guide to GDPR data privacy requirements 2019). The withdrawal of consent would mean that all the gathered personal data will be deleted.
- Give users a way to view and access the personal information collected from them – As per the regulations of the GDPR, the company must give its users a direct view and access to the data stored on them, as well as disclose the methods of protection used to store it (A guide to GDPR data privacy requirements 2019).
- Personal data should be stored securely and protected by various means of encryption – To prevent cases of cyber theft or leaks, all personal and sensitive information should be protected by means of encryption and restricted in its accessibility to the general public (Encryption and data storage).
- The company should be transparent and cooperative with users in case of leaks or data breaches – In cases where data does get stolen, the company should be upfront with its users and allow them the capacity to take legal measures (Velasquez, 2019). This would ensure that a company acts in the interest of protecting personal data even when it has been stolen.
References
A guide to GDPR data privacy requirements. GDPR.eu. (2019). Web.
Encryption and data storage. ICO. (n.d.). Web.
European Union – Data Privacy and Protection. Privacy Shield. (n.d.). Web.
Velasquez, E. (2019). Data Breach Transparency and the Plague of Passing the Impact-Buck to Victims. Stay Safe Online. Web.