Get Ready For The New Wave Of Privacy Regulations

by Kristina Podnar, Guest Contributor

You’ve likely been working diligently to comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Now, just as you’ve reached the end of that compliance maze, we need to get ready for January 1, 2020, and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGDP), and, most recently, Maine’s online privacy act.  Welcome to the new privacy world, where personal data regulations and laws come in waves!
​

---

---

The new digital reality can be disruptive, but you can treat it like business as usual and minimize the impact to your online operations by adopting common data privacy policies and practices for all regulations. Your to-do list won’t be long, but it will require some cooperation from leadership and others in your organization. Let me give you the CliffsNotes.

• Clearly define accountability and governance: You must create a plan that respects your end users’ data. Like anything in life you would borrow, you need to ask permission, be transparent about how you will use the data, and treat it respectfully. As long as you adopt and document accountability standards and processes to support these practices, you will meet this fundamental requirement.

 

• Put data privacy at the heart of everything you do: When you design a website, develop a mobile application, or engage in digital advertising, confirm that you only collect as much user information as you need for business purposes. By prioritizing your end users’ privacy rights, you will set the stage for making good data privacy decisions and complying with regulations. Remember that data collection may not be obvious, such as with IP addresses or IoT devices.

 

• Request users’ consent for data collection and handling: Clearly ask users for permission to collect and use their data, and tell them their rights, such as their right to access and delete information you have about them. Make sure you include all users—even children—when writing consent requests.  

 

• Protect data as if it were your own: The golden rule in life also applies to personal data in your organization’s digital world. Protect data carefully, especially if you will use the data outside the country where it was collected. If you choose to partner with another organization or cloud provider, make sure your procurement and contractual requirements include personal data privacy.

 

• Be prepared for the bad stuff: Ensure you have a response plan that accounts for detection, prompt notifications, and actions to mitigate loss so you are well-positioned to work with your users and regulators if a breach occurs.

I guarantee that we will see many more data privacy regulations in the years ahead. By adopting fundamental practices and creating a privacy barrier for your organization, you will be protected from the waves and able to minimize their impact on your digital operations.

KRISTINA PODNAR is a digital policy innovator. For over two decades, she has worked with some of the most high-profile companies in the world and has helped them see policies as opportunities to free the organization from uncertainty, risk, and internal chaos. Podnar’s approach brings in marketing, human resources, IT, legal, compliance, security, and procurement to create digital policies and practices that comply with regulations, unlock opportunity, strengthen the brand and liberate employees.
​
Podnar speaks regularly at industry conferences, contributes articles to publications, and delivers masterclasses on digital policy. Podnar is the Principal of NativeTrust Consulting, LLC. She has a BA in international studies and an MBA in international business from the Dominican University of California and is certified as both a Change Management Practitioner (APMG International) and a Project Management Professional (Project Management Institute).  Her new book, The Power of Digital Policy: A practical guide to minimizing risk and maximizing opportunity for your organization, is available on Amazon and through other fine booksellers. For more information, visit Kristina @ www.kpodnar.com and on LinkedIn and Twitter.

---