bigdatalaw-Internet Lawyers London

The General Data Protection Regulation comes into force tomorrow. Despite what you may have heard, GDPR is not only about getting consent to process the personal information of those people your company interacts with. In the last few days, as the implementation date approaches, you may have been forgiven for believing this to be the case. A degree of panic among businesses appears to have set in regarding the consent issue. Stories of unnecessary GDPR consent emails clogging up inboxes have been widely reported. And the Information Commissioner’s website that contains detailed  GDPR compliance guidance  has crashed . Whether this is due to the sheer volume of traffic following relentless media pressure is unclear. At Big Data Law we have been advising on and  writing about GDPR implementation  for some time. Granted, it represents a big change for businesses that handle personal data with heavy fines a possibility. But it’s important not to overreac...

  Facebook’s PR nightmare following the recent Cambridge Analytica scandal shows no signs of abating. The EU Security Commissioner has just indicated that  Brussels is prepared to regulate  social media companies if they don’t quickly tackle head-on the mishandling of personal data that the Cambridge Analytica story appears to have exposed. We have already discussed why the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica story matters in  the context of GDPR .  Crucially it has moved the whole issue of data protection to the top of the political and media agenda.  Most of the commentary has centred on the issue of consent. But as we watch the story develop we think it also raises important points about another key data protection rule: the principle of purpose limitation. WHAT IS PURPOSE LIMITATION? Article 5(b) of the GDPR reaffirms the principle of the existing rules on purpose limitation. It also introduces a few minor additional safeguards for further...

IS YOUR BUSINESS GDPR-READY? GDPR IMPLEMENTATION DATE 25 MAY 2018 With GDPR imminent, the chances are you’ve been bombarded with offers to get your business ready for the new data protection landscape. With so many GDPR compliance providers out there, it’s hard to choose the right adviser for your organisation. Remember, GDPR compliance means different things to different companies. What type of personal data do you handle in the course of your work? Is there a legitimate interest in processing information? Or a legal obligation to do so? These are some of the issues you need to consider before developing new data protection policies. PEACE OF MIND FROM PROFESSIONALS QUALIFIED TO ADVISE ON GDPR Smart businesses understand that having a qualified legal team behind them is the best way to ensure they are doing what they need to. And instructing a specialist solicitor is not always the most expensive way of getting the best advice. Unqualified advisers may well offer ...

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg  has broken his silence to comment on the unfolding Cambridge Analytica data scandal. He has announced steps his organisation will take to deal with the fallout that has resulted from Cambridge Analytica’s acquisition of the personal data of up to 50 million Facebook users. As the hashtag #deleteFacebook gains momentum it remains to be seen whether Facebook’s actions will be enough to stem the slide in the company’s share price or to restore the credibility of the social media platform. But as we ready ourselves for GDPR, the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica debacle is sure to have repercussions for any company that holds personal data belonging to EU consumers. 3 REASONS WHY GDPR COMPLIANCE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER We believe the Cambridge Analytica story makes GDPR compliance more critical than ever for three reasons: ·       The furore has propelled the subject of data protection to the forefront of the politic...

Defamation can cause devastating damage to personal and professional reputations. In today’s digital world, no one is exempt, and businesses and individuals can be defamed in social media, emails, and blogs at the stroke of a key. Unfortunately, once a statement appears in cyber-space, it is very difficult to remove it permanently. We understand the need to act quickly in defamation cases, especially if there is risk of a viral spread. As a niche practice with years of experience, we can act swiftly, obtaining court injunctions, and assessing whether a claim for damages can be made. What is defamation? Defamation is the publication of false material about a person which attempts to discredit that person’s character, reputation, or creditworthiness or reflects on a person’s reputation so as to lower that person in the estimation of other members of society, or which would cause that person to be shunned or avoided. The Defamation Act 2013 Under the Defamat...

Novelist Martin Amis told Radio 4 recently that he doesn’t ‘do’ social media. Most of us however can’t avoid it. For businesses certainly, it seems the most effective way to promote a brand is through social media tools like Linked In, Facebook and Twitter. But what happens when employees cross the line and post material that is defamatory in some way? It’s well established that someone can be libelled online – on Twitter and elsewhere. Back in 2012 in the first ‘Twitter libel’ case in England, the New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns was awarded £90,000 after false allegations that he was involved in match-fixing. So whether content is damaging to a third party, for example a commercial competitor or whether an individual employee posts material that defames his or her employer, it’s clear that unfettered access to social media channels presents a risk. At Big Data Law we help businesses reduce their legal exposure through carefully planned and  tailor-made advice . ...