Brexit and Data Protection. What Do You Need To Know
BREXIT AND DATA PROTECTION WHAT NEXT?
Brexit has dominated the news for the last several months, and there's little doubt that it's going to continue to dominate for the next couple of years. While this might be good news for journalists and politicians (depending on their political leanings), the big question is how Brexit is going to affect ordinary people in their daily lives?
From our perspective here at Hayes Connor Solicitors, we've been watching closely so that we can continue to advise you. One area of particular interest is how Brexit might impact your data protection rights.
In the UK, at present, the regulation and protection of personal data is governed primarily by the Data Protection Act 1998. It's a piece of national legislation, and Brexit will not change this.
GDPR DATA PROTECTION
The Government has also confirmed that the General Protection Data Regulation (GPDR), devised by the EU, will be implemented into UK law from May 2018. The regulation is intended to enhance and develop the provisions of the Data Protection Act.
The GDPR is being introduced to establish a single set of rules across Europe. It is hoped that this will make it easier and cheaper for organisations to do business across the EU. There will also be a substantial increase in fines for organisations that do not comply with the new regulation.
You can find out more about GDPR on the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website.
BUT WHAT ABOUT BREXIT?
With most people believing that Brexit will take two years to complete from when the Government starts the formal process, it's unlikely that Brexit will be concluded by the time GPDR becomes law. Therefore, the regulation will form part of UK law, at least for a certain period. However, when Brexi st is finally achieved, the regulation will cease to be part of UK law.
That said, due to the importance of the provisions contained within GDPR, it is in the UK's best interests to preserve the rights of individuals and businesses, as this allows people to supply and receive services across geographical boundaries effectively and securely.
While the future of Brexit may not be clear, the importance of data protection and regulation is so pervasive in our global society, that Brexit is likely to have little or no impact on the rights of businesses and individuals to operate safely and securely in an ever increasing digital world.
If you have been the victim of a data breach, contact Hayes Connor Solicitors today. Our initial evaluation is always free of charge, and there's never any obligation to take things further.
Alternatively, you can find out more about making a data breach compensation claim on our website.
With strict time limits in place for making most compensation claims, if you want to achieve maximum redress in the minimum amount of time, it's important to act now.