The European Union (EU) recently adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which gives EU citizens more control over protecting personal information. If you are a Georgia business owner whose services are available to EU citizens, including your company website, the GDPR affects you.
The new law also impacts government entities with a European presence, such as universities that offer online classes to EU citizens. Whether you represent a government source or a business that collects electronic data in Europe, a Georgia GDPR compliance lawyer could ensure you are doing it right. Call Sparks Law today to learn more from a knowledgeable attorney.
After auditing business procedures, a Georgia company may find that they collect personal data from European residents. In this scenario, business owners should consider a basic compliance checklist to understand what is expected from the GDPR. Some important actions to take are:
A seasoned local attorney could help draft vendor agreements that comply with the GDPR and prevent problems with EU regulatory agencies.
The GDPR defines personal data in a broad way, so Georgia business owners should consult a lawyer about whether their online data collection falls under the EU regulation. There are four elements to personal data: what a natural person is, what any information about a natural person means, if the information is inaccurate, and what constitutes identifiable individuals.
Under American corporate law, chartered companies are often described as legal persons because they have rights and obligations. However, a natural person is a living human being under the GDPR. Personal data does not encompass companies or deceased persons.
Any information collected from an EU resident includes objective and subjective information, both concrete data and opinions. Objective information could be a person’s name, address, height, and weight, while subjective information could be an employment evaluation or psychological records. Personal data can include audio and video recordings.
Inaccurate information could be considered personal data if a person can still be identified by it. For instance, a person’s name may be misspelled but still count as personal data if it identifies a specific EU resident.
When a person is differentiated from other persons (for instance, by their names and addresses), they are considered an individual for GDPR purposes. When a specific individual is identifiable, information, their data is subject to GDPR rules.
Many lawyers are not familiar with European Union rules that may impact American businesses and government entities. However, the lawyers at Sparks Law are well-versed in GDPR compliance rules and can advise Georgia business owners in this legal arena.
You may have global goals for your Georgia business and serve customers all around the world. However, if your website has users from the European Union, you will need to comply with new privacy laws enacted overseas.
To learn how these regulations affect your business, call a Georgia GDPR compliance lawyer. At Sparks Law, our skilled legal team can help ensure your online presence complies with these new transparency laws.
