Does your company or organization have an effective data protection directive in place? If not, this article will help you create one. So, read on.
Data Protection Directive
To begin, the data protection directive refers to a requirement of the European Union’s Data Protection Directive to protect personal data. Personal data is information that can be used to identify a particular person. This includes name, age, phone number, email address, and so on.
The directive also applies to non-EU countries that meet certain criteria.
Then, it is important to note that the this directive is not a law. However, it has become a law in many EU countries and non-EU countries where it applies.
Further, the purpose of this directive is to protect the personal data of individuals from misuse or abuse by organizations and companies. Under the directive, personal data may not be copied or transferred for any unauthorized purpose by any company or individual.
Individuals have a right to know what data is being collected about them. May it be by any company or organization and how the data is being used.
Then, companies are required to notify individuals about their privacy policy in clear terms before collecting any personal data from them. This allows individuals to make an informed decision about how their data will be used.
Importance of Data Protection Directive
The importance of a data protection directive for your company is twofold: it protects both you and your customers/clients/employees. Particularly if you are located in the EU or if your clients/customers/employees come from the EU, you will be required by law to adhere to this regulation.
If you do not have an effective directive in place when requested, fines could result from non-compliance with the law. Also, if your company handles large amounts of customer/client/employee personal information, fines could be substantial.
How to Create Your Directive
A good first step in creating your directive is to review those already created by other companies in your industry sector. Or by organizations such as the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Moreover, the ICO is an independent authority that regulates how personal information is handled within organizations across England and Wales. It should be noted that each industry sector has its own “best practices” guidelines regarding how they handle their customers’ /clients’ / employees’ information. And these need to be reviewed as well before creating your protocol.
Then, once you have reviewed several policies, you’ll have a better idea of what should be included in yours. You can then begin to draft your own. It’s important to keep in mind that every company will have different needs for handling data protection for its customers/clients/employees.
While some will be from EU countries and this will require adherence to the Data Protection Directive, others may not.
Conclusion
So, if you have not already engaged in creating a directive, you should as soon as possible. It is important to be prepared if ever the Data Protection Directive becomes law in your country.