Businesses are rapidly working at getting ready for the change in the data landscape under the General Data Protection regulations (GDPR) on 25 May. Unfortunately, this has brought out the worst in business, the ambulance chasers.
Ambulance chasers have a long history in the UK across the business spectrum. Always looking for the next opportunity to make a quick profit. Never caring if the advice they give is correct. They’re crooks. Plain and simple.
It’s all a bit like the Y2K bug and the early stages of the Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) saga. Eventually the market matures and businesses provide sound advice to clients, but at its nascent stages many take advantage of the uncertainty created.
Many businesses will have taken advice in the early stages and think that they’re fine with their systems moving forward. GDPR is somewhat nebulous and open to interpretation, due to the notions of legitimate interest and the balancing test. They could have gone too far or not far enough with their data handling processes.
Henry Ejdelbaum, Managing Director of AIMS Accountants for Business commented; “The great news about GDPR is that, ultimately, it places the power of the data where it should be, in the hands of the person concerned. Moving forward businesses maintaining records of consent, keeping records of all Legitimate Interest Assessments moving forward, and adhere to guidance from the ICO, can only be a good thing.
“Ultimately, the small business sector should embrace the opportunities that GDPR will bring; greater levels of trust, sound business processes, customer power, and sector wide data safety. Always be aware of the law and beware the people selling you scare stories.”
