GDPR, what are my 4 benefits for my personal data?
“Giving citizens back control of their personal data” was, according to the European Council, one of the main objectives of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into force on 25 May 2018.
In order to achieve this, the GDPR imposes a number of obligations on organisations that collect your personal data, and also gives you new rights as a European citizen! Since such a law may seem opaque at first sight, we present you with 4 main benefits it provides you concerning your personal data.
1 – The benefit of being better informed about your personal data
Your right to information means that an organisation that wants to collect your personal data must provide you with easily accessible, concise, and clear information about how it will be used. You also have the right to be informed about the purposes of that use, as well as the means available to you to manage your data and exercise your rights.
Legal language should be avoided to make it as understandable as possible.
2 – Your choices and preferences must be respected
In some cases, an organisation must obtain your consent before using your personal data. Consent is defined as:
“a free, specific, informed and unambiguous expression of will by which the data subject signifies his or her agreement, by means of a declaration or a clear positive act, to personal data relating to him or her being processed”.
Your consent must be freely and clearly given according to the GDPR. It can no longer be tacit (no more pre-checked boxes). The organisation must be able to demonstrate that it has collected your consent in a legally valid manner. It must also inform you of your freedom of choice, and that you will be able to change your decision at any time, which gives you a considerable advantage in managing your preferences. To facilitate the management of your consent and preferences, companies use specialised digital solutions, the Consent Management Platform (CMP), both for data management via cookies (website trackers) and for more specific consent.
3 – More control over your personal data
A set of rights allows you to control your personal data. Right of access, right of rectification, right to erasure (right to be forgotten), right to portability, right to object to the commercial use of your personal data… You now have a set of GDPR rights giving you the advantage of accessing your data and managing it as you see fit.
4 – Practical and simplified data exchange
Eventually, a simple data exchange system will be implemented. It will soon be possible to receive your personal data easily from a company. Digital files will be available to transmit your data to another service you wish to subscribe to. You will save time by exchanging your data easily between different organisations… Such systems are already being tried out and will certainly be democratised within a few years!
While the GDPR gives more importance to your decisions regarding the permissions for companies to collect and process your personal data, it also gives you a greater say in how your data is used. It also gives you a range of passive and active rights to manage your personal data and privacy as you see fit.
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