What do an English radio presenter and the Terminator have in common? You got it: They make the GDPR accessible. We want to give you a different take on the GDPR – one that is more personal in nature. Disclaimer: No data protection rights were harmed in the making of this presentation.
Maybe you think the GDPR is just a lot of hassle and its implementation is way too complex? We offer you some links and tips that might even make you like the General Data Protection Regulation.
1. Trivia: The GDPR in depth
The GDPR is quite a monumental piece: The 99 Articles and eleven Chapters are complemented by 173 so-called Recitals, intended to provide greater depth and a better understanding.
All in all – without the footnotes – the English version features 344,671 characters. Quite an epic? James Joyce’s “Ulysses” probably has well over a million characters. So consider yourself lucky!
2. Configurator – Generator – Terminator? Privacy policy made easy
Do you dread having to check and update your website’s privacy policy? Are you worried about using the correct phrases and what to do with all the privacy notices?
The Internet offers countless privacy policy termin... um ... configurators. This is where you enter your data such as website links, address information and the name of the managing director. Next, describe what you do and offer and explain what tools you use on your homepage. Armed with this and other information, various service providers generate an automated privacy policy just for your company. Hasta la vista, GDPR!
- The Imprint generator by activeMind AG
- The sample privacy policy configurator by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Datenschutz GmbH DGD (German Association for Data Protection)
- The Free Privacy Policy Generator by FreePrivacyPolicy
3. Find out what data protection type you are
Do you enjoy participating in online tests and eagerly await the results? In that case, we have just the right tool for you: Simply click through the 28 questions of the Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision (BayLDA, Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht) self-assessment tool. The BayLDA will also tell you if “you are already on a 'good path' to compliance or if you still must take further action."
4. Discover a new (old) communication solution – the Post Office
Are you worried about your newsletter subscriber base? Are you wondering whether your digital marketing mail is GDPR-compliant? Don’t worry! A Royal Mail MarketReach study revealed that direct mail is still a powerful marketing tool.
According to the “Private life of mail report” by Royal Mail MarketReach, 57 percent of recipients indicated that receiving direct mail makes them feel more appreciated and valued. What’s more, 35 percent of advertising mail is passed on in households and kept on average for 17 days. Moreover, especially younger recipients responded favorably to direct mail.
And the best part? The new data protection regulations don’t require you to obtain opt-in consent from your existing customers for sending direct mail.
5. The GDPR only creates problems and doesn’t reap any benefits? Far from it!
Do you have trouble falling asleep? Then you are really in luck! The UK meditation app provider Calm asked BBC radio announcer Peter Jefferson to narrate parts of the GDPR - designed to help you fall into a peaceful slumber. Just relax and listen to the regulations.
0. Outlook: Return to zero – online data protection, a never-ending story
Just when you think the GDPR is actually easy-peasy and not so bad after all, be advised to not count your chickens before they are hatched! Once we have tackled the many adjustments in implementing the GDPR, we must prepare for the next wave: the ePrivacy Regulation (ePVO). It is designed to repeal and replace the current 2002 European ePrivacy Directive and the 2009 EU Cookie Directive.
Online marketers fear the end of targeted advertising and web personalization is near. Things probably won’t get any easier. Having said that, here is our best advice: Keep calm! Maybe this time around, Calm can get Morgan Freeman to narrate the ePrivacy Regulation for us. And finally, just remember what your grandmother always told you: Regulations are never as bad as they seem. Good luck and carry on!
