Data protection is a topic that was in the news some time ago - all because of the enactment of the RODO regulation affecting all business owners. Not only large corporations, but also sole traders. What exactly does RODO consist of in practice? How do you adapt your online shop or other business to the new regulations? We will try to deal with these questions.
Personal data - what do you need to know about it?
New technologies and the rapid growth of the e-commerce sector have changed consumers' approach to shopping. In order to be able to fulfil an order, owners need the necessary customer data: first name, last name, e-mail or home address needed for delivery. Personal data They are therefore a collection of information through which we can easily identify a specific person. Before the European Union decided to start working on establishing new rules for the processing and protection of personal data, it was not clear how to approach this issue. This was because there were no specific regulations and our reality had changed a lot with the Internet. Many companies started to build their business model on the collection of personal data, which became extremely easy to obtain with the help of the web. This process has gained even more momentum with the growing popularity of mobile devices. Tracking consumer behaviour is thus operating on a huge, global scale, and users themselves are often unaware of the risks involved in obtaining their personal data. Each of us is profiled in some way based on the information that apps, search engines, social media or geo-location systems collect about us.
What is the RODO system about?
The theft of sensitive personal data happens frequently. Prior to the establishment of the RODO regulations, this type of situation was actually the order of the day. Adequate safeguards to protect against cyber criminals were also not uncommon - the leakage of consumer information was rather treated as a business risk. Eventually, the European Union decided to do something about it and in 2018, the RODO regulations came into force in Polish legislation. The regulation imposed strict requirements on businesses (online and otherwise) regarding the collection and processing of personal data. It is imperative for every company to comply with them in order to operate in compliance with the law. The most important obligations of business owners related to RODO include:
- The need to train employees on data protection and the provisions of the RODO;
- the replacement of existing clauses and paper forms relating to the storage as well as the processing of personal data - their content has expanded significantly following the introduction of the RODO;
- always obtaining the buyers' consent to process sensitive information - only and only in relation to a specific business process;
- the implementation of a number of special solutions to maximise the security of all transactions for which customers' personal data are needed.
If a business ignores the RODO regulation and fails to make the required changes, it will receive a hefty financial penalty that could even lead to the closure of the business. The main intention behind the introduction of the RODO regulations was to force companies and organisations to be more transparent, accountable for their decisions and more attentive to cyber security.
RODO in practice - essential data security measures
Are you running a business and wondering what to do to best secure your customers' sensitive information? Are you keen to operate in compliance with the current RODO regulation? In order to protect your personal data, you can:
- implement effective IT security;
- train employees well so that they acquire data protection knowledge and are able to apply it in their daily work;
- properly store paper documents and protect them from unauthorised access;
- keep up-to-date records of employees who have access to customers' personal data;
- sign appropriate agreements with partners to whom you entrust buyer information for order fulfilment and beyond.
Important information: The RODO regulations do not explicitly state what steps you must take to bring your business into compliance with the requirements of the legislation. All the steps you take to do so will be entirely up to you, which is good news as you can easily adapt them to the nature of your business and approach the task flexibly. The only thing you need to remember is that they should not conflict with the RODO regulation.
Try to collect as little data as possible about your customers - only ask for information necessary to carry out the transaction. Remember that you must not use the database you collect for marketing purposes without the express consent of each person registered in the database.
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