Your data fuels the accuracy of Google. But it can also be used to track your voice, geolocation, and other things that can be a little creepy. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) passed in Europe on May 25th, what does it change for internet users?
GDPR means tech firms must give Europeans greater control over how their data is gained, processed, stored, and shared. Such informed consent is good practice. To counter the rise in recent digital breaches it ensures companies inform affected clients within 72 hours. It also encourages more transparency because people are unaware how data is recorded. Facebook created an ‘access to information’ tool to centralize collected data so you can choose what to keep public because of this.
Digital privacy advocates at TrustArc surveyed 600 IT and legal professionals about the transition to GDPR standards. They found 27% of European companies currently call themselves compliant while only 12% of US companies currently do. For PR reasons, many tech firms will apply these same terms to their users in the US and UK even if they’re not bound by GDPR regulations.
For the near future this means many new emails. Companies will either be informing you about new data privacy terms or asking for consent to continue using your data. Companies will have to notify platform users every time they use your data for a new purpose.
What does this mean?
- Keep yourself informed. If you live in North America you might have to dig to figure out what information companies can access. You can subscribe to our FixMeStick newsletter here for the latest threat intelligence.
- Choose strong passwords and reset them. Even with GDPR, it’s best to have a preventative approach towards data breaches. Try out Dashlane, our recommended password manager, for free today!
- Protect your computer and devices by installing McAfee Total Protection. This McAfee package encrypts your files, blocks spam, and is valid on up to 5 devices.