Data protection law is far from a “new thing” and can be traced back to the early 1970s. However, since it was first introduced as a concept, the understanding of it has changed as new acts and regulations have been introduced.
Though keeping up with data protection is often an afterthought for the great majority of business owners, it shouldn’t be. The bottom line is that if your business holds personal data in any capacity – and yes, this includes things like names and contact details – you will need to have an up-to-date privacy notice as a legal requirement.
So, why are privacy policies important?
The Benefits of Having a Robust Privacy Policy
Though the information contained in a privacy notice will vary depending on the nature of your business, it will typically set out what personal data you collect, how you will use it, and your methods for processing it. It is additionally important that they are in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR as a whole – I can’t stress enough the number of times I’ve read a privacy policy only to see that references to these laws are outdated.
Overall, having an up-to-date privacy policy can help you to identify and mitigate potential risks associated with the way you process and retain personal data, it will give your clients peace of mind and can additionally save you time that may otherwise be spent answering client queries.
If you have any questions on data protection – say, you would like to know if your privacy policy is up to date – we at BEB can help. Get in touch with us at 01604 217365 or info@bebconsultancy.co.uk.