June 7, 2018 12:21 pm by LetsHost

Why The New GDPR Is Good For Consumers

It has been a busy month for inboxes everywhere, with message after message about updated privacy policies – often from companies you didn’t even know you’d subscribed to! While you may be forgiven for having GDPR fatigue already, this has been an important move for consumer rights and protection.

So, what is GDPR? Back in March we outlined the changes of the new GDPR policy in this post, and how it would affect Irish hosting and business’ with Irish domains. In brief, these changes place greater emphasis on the way that companies collect and use data, and call for greater transparency and trust.

 

Some of the key benefits these changes brings to consumers are:

Your Rights

For clarity, the new ruling has outlined individuals rights, working very much in the favour of the public, to ensure greater control on privacy. You now have:

  • The right to be informed
  • The right of access
  • The right to rectification
  • The right to erasure
  • The right to restrict processing
  • The right to data portability
  • The right to object
  • The right not to be subject to automated decision

 

Reflective of 2018

The updated guidelines reflect the current digital era we live in, addressing our needs better than the previous outdated guidelines. With so many individuals and businesses having their own websites, whether hosted by themselves or through WordPress hosting, an overhaul of the outdated law was much overdue

 

Transparency

We have the right to know what personal information is stored, where it came from and who it is shared with. Under the new guidelines, you may request the above, which companies must comply with.

 

Greater Security

Cybercrime is a growing concern, not just for domain names in Ireland but around the world, which the GDPR goes some way to address. For instance, organisations that process high amounts of personal data must now appoint Data Protection Officers. They are responsible for overseeing the way data is securely managed, keeping records of processing activities for auditing, and to ensure compliance across the board.

 

Easier to Opt-in

A big one for consumers is the revised guidelines on how notifications, newsletters and subscriptions are managed. If spam is a bugbear, then this new approach will be  a welcome relief to you. From now on, consent forms must by unambiguous. As such, there must be a positive ‘opt-in’ requiring the user to actively choose to receive such communications.

 

Accountability

The new guidelines require greater accountability for managing and storing data through the use of Data Officers and compliance. The public will have greater control about how their personal data is stored and access.

 

If you’re looking to host your own website, or seeking a unique domains or Irish domain for your company, then visit LetsHost.ie now.