The new General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR) is the
first major revision of Europe's data protection laws for
almost 20 years, and takes account of the explosion of technology
and social media in that time. The GDPR takes effect on 25 May
2018, and will represent a fundamental change in the relationship
between members of the public and anyone who holds information
about them – whether it is a business, a government
department or a charitable organisation.
Familiar features
Many people are now familiar with the "right to be
forgotten", which will allow people to ask for the erasure of
personal data, the mandatory reporting of "data breaches"
(a term found in the existing Data Protection Directive that refers
to all manner of offences) to regulators within 72 hours of their
discovery, the appointment of qualified data protection officers
and fines of up to €20 million or 4% of global annual turnover
(whichever is greater) for the most serious transgressions.
