The GDPR is making headlines and gaining a lot of attention as of lately. Just like we saw with CAN-SPAM several years back, any new laws and regulations in reference to email marketing, online transactions, and customer data are going to make shockwaves through the industry. As one of the leading email marketing companies on the internet today, we not only want to make sure you are provided with the latest and best information possible but also making sure your business is compliant in the process.
Much like CAN-SPAM and previous laws, GDPR is all about consumer privacy, data regulations, and transparency. Many businesses and brands are likely compliant already, but if not, they could be looking at some serious fines. Even though GDPR is focused on the EU, fines, and penalties and be awarded to any company around the world.
iContact, another leading email marketing, and the delivery platform have already issued a number of statements and reference guides for their site partners and clients to follow. You can see what they had to say about GDPR below, and also refer to their full report here:
The good news is, if you are already following email marketing best practices and asking your subscribers for permission to join your email lists via a subscription form on your website or requiring the subscriber to tick a box on your ecommerce site (and you can prove this ), you are well on your way to GDPR compliance.
With GDPR still in its infancy, there are going to be a number of questions that brands and marketers still have. Even regulators and legal teams around the world still aren’t sure of many of the restrictions, legalese, and other data points that haven’t been addressed yet. As with all previous internet laws, everything will likely roll out and change over time.
As with all scenarios, it’s always best to make sure your company is compliant beforehand, so you don’t need to come across legal issues after May 25th, when the law goes into effect. Below you will find a list of 12 steps to take right now to make sure you and your brand are safe.
You can see the first five rules highlighted below, then refer to the full PDF report, which covers everything in more detail.
- Awareness
You should make sure that decision-makers and key people in your organization are aware that the law is changing to the GDPR. They need to appreciate the impact this is likely to have. - Information you hold
You should document what personal data you hold, where it came from and who you share it with. You may need to organize an information audit. - Communicating privacy information
You should review your current privacy notices and put a plan in place for making any necessary changes in time for GDPR implementation. - Individuals’ rights
You should check your procedures to ensure they cover all the rights individuals have, including how you would delete personal data or provide data electronically and in a commonly used format. - Subject access requests
You should update your procedures and plan how you will handle requests within the new timescales and provide any additional information.
What You Need to Know About GDPR When It Goes Live on May 25th, 2018
Reading up on the latest rules and regulations can seem quite confusing. The good news is that there are plenty of resources out there to help with understanding it all. Some of the best ways to accomplish this, are through visuals, infographics, and videos released by legal departments or trusted email marketing brands. You can find one such video below, which covers 11 things you need to do to prepare your workplace for GDPR. This is also one of the most popular informational videos on GDPR that is trending across the internet marketing industry right now.
We also recommend you take a look at your existing email hosting provider, as they will likely be issuing statements on how to stay compliant, as customer and client data regulations can fall back on them as well. Names like Aweber, iContact, MailChimp and more are leading the way in GDPR regulations and preparedness.
GDPR: Get Compliant and Stay Up to Date
As mentioned earlier, all legitimate email marketing and online marketing companies will need to be compliant once GDPR goes into effect. This applies to businesses large and small — as long as you are dealing with any type of user data that may include individuals from EU. With that in mind, it’s also important to make sure you work alongside trusted email marketing partners as well.
AfterOffers.com will not only continue to provide you with the most accurate and updates GDPR resources possible, we will also make sure our advertising and platform are compliant at all times. To learn more about how to run a compliant GDPR ad campaign and increase your mailing list in the process, contact us today for a free consultation and get started with your 100% opt-in email marketing campaign.