A Bright Future For Everyone: Less Privilege, More Transparency In Data Management: Me and The General Data Protection Regulations 2018

Above: Image labelled for reuse from Austin Kleon’s book Steal Like An Artist

I work in marketing on an employed and self employed basis and really understand the phrase garbage in, garbage out. The quality of the information you have makes all the difference to the way you market and sell. Your results.

Being employed and self employed, I trust an employer to manage my data fairly and transparently and people trust me when I work for them on a self employed basis to secure their personal information.

Working one to one usually reduces the problems you might have but still I keep historic contact information that before May 2018 when the General Data Protection Act becomes law needs to be refreshed, permission asked to keep details then anonymised or pseudonymised and encrypted.

I also need to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office and register as a Data Controller as I have a third party responsibility with data in my contracts and  I should show I’ve taken adequate steps to protect that data.

The General Data Protection Regulations 2018 replaces the old Data Protection Act 1998.

Nottingham Business Venture champions business start up, development and growth. On 7th February 2018, I was lucky enough to book a free place on a seminar for companies and the self employed on the new General Data Protection Regulations organised with funding from the EU to Nottingham Business Venture and presented by employment solicitor Natalie Thomson and commercial solicitor Louise Taylor from Austin Moore who specialise in Commercial and Property Law. (Blog post to follow)

In my work  I  process and record some personal information such as name, email address and telephone number social media, role and website information for what we agree at the outset of our work are legitimate business and business development purposes.

For me these may include some or all of the following:

• I ask a client for this information and they take information about me as I would like (for example), to write about you, promote you or draw attention to something that may create an opportunity for you.  I respect your right to privacy, so you need to feel you’ve entered into an arrangement freely. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

• If you’ve agreed to be interviewed, engaged with or have asked me to engage in marketing or PR for you, for example I would ensure that you have a copy of that information and agree all further uses. You always have control.
•In my job, keeping up to date with what you’re doing means that good quality information is used to make decisions, so as Natalie and Louise stress in the blog post about GDPR, it’s an opportunity to renew and refresh as much as you can about your business.
• If I undertake direct marketing  to you I will ensure that you agree this and actively opt in, know you can opt out.

I think also that you’re able to opt out from having your information processed and from receiving any direct marketing at any time by emailing opencity design at gmail dot com or writing to me at the address registered with the information commissioner.