Businesses urged to act ahead of new privacy laws

A year before new Europe-wide privacy regulations are introduced, a survey by the union for independent businesses has revealed that 84% of local business owners are not fully aware of what the rules involve.

“We have to act urgently to inform businesses and bring them up to speed,” said Unizo director-general Karel Van Eetvelt (pictured).

The rules concern businesses’ responsibilities in managing their customer databases. Most companies now keep records of their customers, manage newsletters and other mailings, keep records of the details of suppliers and in some cases patients.

The new rules set out the way in which records should be managed, the rights of people included in the data and the company’s responsibilities to respect customer privacy and confidentiality.

There will also be penalties for businesses that do not meet their responsibilities, something Van Eetvelt is unhappy about. “Business people are not enemies of privacy; quite the reverse,” he said. “The privacy of businesses themselves is under pressure in this digital economy.

Solid privacy legislation is essential. Our businesses want to play by the rules, but the efforts required are enormous and take up a huge amount of time – and in some cases a good deal of money.”

Meanwhile, Unizo is offering a thorough explanation of the rules on its website, as well as tailored advice for members. http://www.unizo.be/privacy

Photo courtesy Unizo