Data protection is all about the rights of an individual and the systems you need to have in place to comply with the requests that, sooner or later, you will be faced with from the people whose data you may hold or process.
Knowing what those individual rights are will help you to recognise a request when you encounter one. It will also be a big help when putting the policies in place to deal with them within the required time. Familiarity with these eight key rights will also help you record the requests you receive and recognise the importance of handling and transmitting the data safely and securely.
Here is a breakdown of the rights of an individual regarding data:
The right to be informed
The collection of a person’s data and its subsequent use are things they have a right to be informed about. It’s important to provide the following things:
The reasons why you are processing their data
How long you intend to retain it and who you will share it with. (This is privacy information, which has to be provided when you collect the data itself)
The inform you provide must be transparent, easy to understand and no longer or complex than it needs to be
The right of access
Everyone has the right to access their personal data and other supplementary information by making a ‘subject access request’ (SAR). This request can be made to you verbally or in writing by the person themselves or a third party acting on their behalf.
A business usually cannot charge a fee for dealing with a SAR request
They have to be dealt with in a timely way, usually within one month of receiving the request (this can be extended if the request is considered complex)
The data must be disclosed in a secure way
The right to rectification
Sometimes, data held are inaccurate or incomplete; an individual has the right to have it rectified.
This can be done verbally or in writing
Similarly to a SAR request, this must be undertaken in a timely fashion, within one calendar month
The right to erasure
The right to be forgotten is one that everyone has, although there are certain extenuating circumstances when not all data can be deleted. This might be as a result of other legal regulations and reasons.
The right to restrict processing
Whether restricted or suppressed, in certain circumstances, an individual does have the right to allow you to store personal data but not to use it.
The right to data portability
As the name implies, data portability gives a person the right to obtain the personal data you hold about them and reuse it for a different service. That might help them find a better bank, a different GP or a cheaper energy supplier.
The right to data portability applies only to information that has been given to a controller.
The right to object
Everyone has the right to voice objections to their data being used for direct marketing. However, under certain circumstances, companies can continue processing data if a compelling reason to do so can be proven.
You have to inform an individual about their right to object
You can refuse an objection but you need to be aware of the information you have to provide in doing so
Rights around automated decision making and profiling
Automated decision making and profiling eradicates the human element from decision making and evaluating certain things relating to an individual and their data.
Businesses can only carry out automated decision making and profiling under certain contractual, legal and explicitly consensual conditions
The facility to challenge a decision or request human intervention must be in place
Systems must be audited regularly to ensure they are working as they are meant to
For more detailed information relating to the individual’s rights and how you and your business can be fully compliant, visit The Information Commissioner’s Office website, where there is a dedicated breakdown and checklist for each.
Alternatively, reach out via my site for the help and advice of a GDPR specialist.
How to Stay Compliant, Secure Your Data & Build Trust from Day One
Starting a business is exciting—you’re focused on growth, gaining customers, and making an impact. But have you considered how you’re protecting your customer and business data?
Many startups overlook data protection policies, assuming they’re only for larger companies. The reality? Every business that handles personal data must comply with GDPR and data privacy laws—no exceptions.
The good news? Setting up data protection policies isn’t as complicated as you might think. This guide will break it all down, covering:
✅ Why data protection policies matter for startups
✅ The essential policies you need from day one
✅ How to create them without legal jargon or stress
Let’s simplify data protection so you can focus on building your business confidently. 🚀
1. Why Startups Need Data Protection Policies (Even in the Early Stages!)
Think data protection is only for big businesses? Think again.
Collecting customer names, emails, payment details, or employee information legally requires you to protect that data. Without proper policies in place, you could face:
🔹 GDPR fines – The ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) can fine businesses up to £17.5 million or 4% of their turnover for serious data breaches.
🔹 Reputation damage – If a data breach happens and customers lose trust in your business, it can derail your growth before scaling.
🔹 Operational chaos – Without clear policies, your team (even if it’s just you for now!) may not know how to handle data securely, what to do in a breach, or how long to keep customer records.
💡 Real-World Example: A UK-based startup was fined £60,000 for sending marketing emails without proper consent. The ICO ruled they didn’t have clear privacy policies in place. A simple data protection policy could have saved them!
2. The 5 Essential Data Protection Policies Every Startup Needs
To keep your business compliant and secure, here are the top 5 policies you need from the start:
📌 1. Privacy Policy (For internal and external individuals)
A Privacy Policy is legally required if you collect any personal data (even just an email for a newsletter!). It should include:
✅ What personal data do you collect (names, emails, payment info, etc.)
✅ Why you collect it (marketing, service delivery, customer accounts)
✅ How long do you keep it, and who do you share it with (third-party apps, payment providers)
✅ How users can access or delete their data (GDPR rights)
💡 Quick Fix: Add a clear Privacy Policy link for external individuals to your website’s footer.
📌 2. Data Retention & Deletion Policy
Startups often keep too much data for too long, which increases security risks. A Data Retention Policy sets clear rules on:
✅ How long do you keep customer and employee data
✅ When and how to delete old data securely
✅ The legal basis for storing information
💡 Best Practice: Set up automatic deletion schedules for old emails, customer records, and unused data to reduce risks.
📌 3. Data Incident Management Plan
No system is 100% secure—even startups need a plan for potential data breaches. Your response plan should cover:
✅ How to identify and contain a breach
✅ Who to notify (customers, ICO, affected parties)
✅ Steps to mitigate risks and prevent future incidents
💡 Pro Tip: If you suffer a data breach, you may need to report it to the ICO within 72 hours—having a transparent process in place ensures you act fast.
📌 4. Employee & Contractor Data Handling Policy
If you have a team or work with freelancers, they must understand how to securely handle personal data.
✅ Who has access to sensitive data?
✅ What security measures should be in place (passwords, MFA, encryption)?
✅ How should customer or employee data be shared (secure systems only!)?
💡 Startup Hack: Use restricted access settings on cloud storage and project management tools to limit exposure to only those who need it.
📌 5. IT Security & Acceptable Use Policy
With startups using a mix of cloud apps, AI tools, and third-party platforms, security risks can creep in unnoticed.
✅ Clear password policies (Use a password manager!)
✅ Device security (Personal vs. business devices)
✅ Rules for using AI tools and automation responsibly
💡 Pro Tip: Train your team (even if it’s just you and a VA) on phishing scams and online threats—these are some of the most significant startup cyber risks.
3. How to Set Up These Policies (Without the Overwhelm)
Not sure where to start? Follow these simple steps to create your policies:
Step 1: Map Out Your Data
🔹 What data do you collect?
🔹 Where is it stored (Google Drive, CRM, spreadsheets)?
🔹 Who has access to it?
Step 2: Use Templates & Expert Guidance
You don’t have to start from scratch—ICO provides free GDPR templates for privacy policies and data retention.
🔹 Share your data policies with employees & contractors
🔹 Regularly review and update them as your startup grows
💡 Bonus Tip: As your business scales, a Data Protection Officer (DPO) or consultant can help you stay on top of compliance changes.
Final Thoughts: Protect Your Startup from the Start
Ignoring data protection won’t just cost you in fines—it could damage your startup’s reputation before you even get off the ground.
A few simple policies can help you stay compliant, build customer trust, and keep your data secure.
Do you need help setting up your startup’s data protection policies? We can help! We help startups navigate GDPR and data security without being overwhelmed.
Consent is a cornerstone of data protection, often seen as a legal formality. Still, the conversation at the Data Protection Practitioners’ Conference 2024 (DPPC24) made it clear that consent needs to go beyond mere compliance. It should empower individuals, foster trust, and align with ethical data practices. In this blog, we’ll delve into the insights shared at DPPC24 about the complexities of consent and explore how organisations can make consent meaningful, transparent, and fair.
The Challenges of Obtaining Consent
The DPPC24 session on consent began with a powerful story that illustrated individuals’ social and emotional pressures when asked to provide consent. The example involved a child being asked to provide her fingerprint data for school purposes despite her family’s decision not to consent. The session highlighted how such situations can alienate individuals and make them uncomfortable, especially when alternatives are not clearly communicated.
This story exemplifies a broader issue: while consent is intended to give individuals control over their data, it often becomes a checkbox exercise in practice. Many people feel pressured to agree because they fear missing out on services or are not fully informed about their choices.
Key Barriers to Meaningful Consent
At DPPC24, several challenges to effective consent were discussed, including:
1. Lack of Awareness: Individuals often lack the knowledge needed to understand the implications of their consent in a complex data ecosystem.
2. Limited Alternatives: When refusing consent is not a realistic option, consent ceases to be truly voluntary.
3. Social Pressures: Situations where individuals feel pressured to conform, especially in public or group settings, can undermine the authenticity of consent.
4. Coercion and Obscurity: Hidden terms, confusing interfaces, and unclear language can prevent individuals from making informed decisions.
Reframing Consent: Key Takeaways from DPPC24
The DPPC24 speakers provided a framework for rethinking consent, focusing on making it a genuine engagement process rather than a compliance checkbox. Here are the key takeaways:
1. Engage Throughout the Process
Consent should not be a one-time event. Organisations must engage individuals at every stage of the data journey, from collection to deletion. This includes regularly updating them about how their data is being used and seeking renewed consent if the purpose of data use changes.
2. Respect the Decision to Withhold consent
It’s just as important to respect when consent is not given. Organisations should offer meaningful alternatives and ensure individuals are not excluded or penalised for refusing consent.
3. Design for Inclusion
Avoid processes that isolate individuals who refuse consent. For example, in the story of the child refusing fingerprinting, the school could have provided clear, accessible alternatives to ensure she didn’t feel singled out.
4. Transparency is Key
Simplify consent forms and use clear, non-technical language to explain what individuals agree to. Avoid using dark patterns or obscure language that might mislead users.
5. Empower Through Knowledge
Educate users about their rights and the consequences of their choices. Knowledgeable individuals are more likely to feel confident in their decisions, fostering trust between organisations and their stakeholders.
Practical Steps for Organisations
Based on the DPPC24 insights, here are some actionable steps organisations can take to improve their consent processes:
1. Simplify Consent Requests: Use plain language, avoid legal jargon, and clarify the purpose of data collection.
2. Offer Genuine Alternatives: Ensure individuals who refuse consent have access to alternative services whenever possible.
3. Regularly Review Consent Practices: Consent processes should be reviewed periodically to ensure they remain relevant, fair, and user-friendly.
4. Engage Stakeholders: Collaborate with users, community groups, and industry experts to develop inclusive and respectful consent practices.
5. Monitor for Bias: Regularly assess whether your consent processes are fair and free from unintended bias, ensuring no group is unfairly disadvantaged.
Why Meaningful Consent Matters
Consent is not just a compliance mechanism—it’s a way to build trust and empower individuals. As the DPPC24 session highlighted, data protection should always centre around people. By refining consent practices, organisations can create a culture of transparency and respect, ultimately strengthening their relationships with users.
Closing Thoughts
Consent is more than just a checkbox. It’s a conversation, a commitment, and an opportunity to engage meaningfully with the individuals whose data you collect and process. The insights from DPPC24 remind us that genuinely empowering individuals requires organisations to rethink their approach to consent, moving away from compliance-focused methods and towards practices that prioritise trust and transparency.
Stay tuned for our next blog in this DPPC24 series, where we’ll explore the human impact of data breaches and how organisations can adopt a more compassionate, trauma-informed approach to incident response.
A hot topic is AI and how it can help a small business. There is no doubt about its uses. In this article, I wanted to look at how it can be used to its full potential AND within the regulations. Data protection laws are designed to protect individuals’ personal information, ensuring it is used responsibly and securely. I will not say I don’t use AI; that would be a lie. I use it for ideas and brainstorming.
I was recently reading an article from Forbes.com on how small businesses use AI, and it got me thinking about the benefits of using AI and ensuring we are using it compliantly. Any use of AI must comply with data protection regulations, regardless of business size. The regulations do not stop you from using it; they direct its use and ensure you meet the GDPR principles.
Let’s explore how data protection impacts AI in several key areas:
Accountability and Governance
Accountability is a cornerstone of data protection laws. For AI systems, this means:
Documentation: Keeping detailed records of AI systems, including their design, development, and deployment processes.
Audits and Reviews: Regularly auditing AI systems to ensure they comply with data protection laws and make necessary adjustments based on audit findings.
Ensuring Transparency
Transparency is essential to build user trust and comply with data protection regulations. This involves:
Clear Explanations: Providing understandable explanations of how AI systems make decisions.
User Communication: Informing users when interacting with an AI system and explaining how their data will be used.
Updating privacy notices: Informing people how you use it concerning processing personal data.
Lawfulness
Lawfulness requires that all data processing activities, including those involving AI, have a legal basis:
Data Processing Grounds: Ensuring a lawful basis for data processing, such as obtaining user consent or demonstrating a legitimate interest.
Compliance Monitoring: Continuously monitor AI systems to ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
Accuracy and Statistical Accuracy
Accuracy is vital to ensure AI systems produce reliable and trustworthy results:
Data Quality: Using high-quality and relevant data for training AI models.
Regular Validation: Continuously validating AI outputs to maintain accuracy and reliability.
Ensuring Fairness
Fairness in AI means preventing discrimination and bias in automated decision-making:
Bias Detection and Mitigation: Implementing measures to identify and reduce biases within AI systems.
Equal Treatment: Ensuring AI systems treat all individuals fairly and do not discriminate based on protected characteristics.
Security and Data Minimisation
Security involves protecting personal data from unauthorised access and breaches, while data minimisation means only collecting data necessary for specific purposes:
Robust Security Measures: Implementing strong security protocols to protect data processed by AI systems.
Minimal Data Collection: Limiting data collection to what is necessary for the AI system to function effectively.
EnsuringIndividuals’’ Rights
Respecting individuals’’ rights under data protection laws is crucial when using AI:
Data Access and Control: Providing individuals with access to their data and the ability to correct or delete it.
Right to Object: Allowing individuals to object to automated decision-making and profiling processes.
Practical Applications of AI in Compliance
Chatbots and Virtual Assistants
Many small businesses are adopting AI-powered chatbots to improve customer service. These tools must also comply with data protection laws by:
Encrypting Conversations: Ensuring all data shared via chatbot is encrypted and secure.
Providing Information: Offering instant responses to customer queries about data protection policies and practices.
Automation Tools
AI can automate routine tasks, enhancing efficiency and ensuring compliance:
Data Entry: Automating data input reduces human error and ensures data accuracy.
Monitoring and Alerts: Using AI to monitor for data breaches and promptly alert relevant parties when suspicious activity is detected.
Addressing Data Protection Challenges
What is Scraping?
Scraping refers to the automated extraction of data from websites. While useful, it poses data protection challenges. Businesses must ensure:
Compliance: They have the right to collect data and avoid scraping sensitive information without explicit consent.
What Can Be Automated?
AI can automate various data protection processes, such as:
Data Anonymisation: Automatically anonymising personal data to protect privacy.
Consent Management: Tracking and managing customer consents to ensure compliance.
Data Retention: Automatically deleting data according to retention policies.
Helpful Resources
To help you navigate the intersection of AI and data protection, here are some helpful links and tools:
Data protection laws significantly impact how AI can be used in small businesses. By understanding these regulations and implementing the right practices, you can harness the power of AI while ensuring compliance and protecting your customers’ privacy. Stay informed, choose reputable tools, and consult with experts to navigate this evolving landscape confidently.
If you have any questions or need further guidance, feel free to reach out or explore our additional resources.
In today’s tech-savvy world, protecting data has become important, especially for small businesses looking to build their teams. And guess what? It’s not all about the scary laws and penalties. It’s about keeping your business, customers, team members, and future safe and sound.
So, Why Should You Care About Data Protection?
You might think data protection is all about ticking boxes for legal compliance.
I have been told on more than one occasion that there is way too much compliance, too many rules and regulations and that they do not believe in it.
I will be honest, and maybe it is because of my background in education, health, and social care, but I was a bit shocked.
Maybe I approach legislation and regulations from a different perspective. They are so much more! I view them as there to build foundations and keep our clients and businesses safe.
It’s about building trust with your clients. When you show them you’re serious about keeping their info safe, you’re telling them you value them and their trust in your business. And that’s a big deal! It can boost your business reputation, keep your customers loyal, and even set you on the growth path.
Let’s look at it from a customer view for a minute. You buy something and get it home, but it doesn’t work. Or even worse, it goes kaboom after a couple of weeks. What do you? Usually, after triple-checking it, a few choice words, and a lot of grumbling, it is either on the phone or back to the shop to complain and get a replacement. As a customer, how they deal with this complaint is crucial. If dealt with badly, you definitely will not return to them. But without the Consumer Rights Act, as customers, we would not have that protection and the rights that go with it.
Loss of Trust
Let’s not forget—protecting your business’s sensitive data is super important. Your business data is precious, and losing it could be a nightmare, causing all sorts of problems like disrupting operations, losing money, or even facing legal issues. So, a solid data protection strategy is a must-have for your business’s smooth sailing and success.
Data protection laws might seem tough to crack, but they’re your friend. They’re not out to get you – they’re here to help protect and reduce the risk to your business and clients from the increased risk of data breaches, which could lead to significant losses and a damaged reputation. These laws give you a roadmap to understand what you must do to protect your data.
Following the guidelines can reduce your risk and create a safer digital space for your business. Plus, staying compliant can boost your business’s image as a trustworthy and responsible organisation.
Data Protection: It’s A Must-Have!
Data protection isn’t just an extra in our digital world – it’s a necessity. Small businesses are just as vulnerable to cyber threats or data breaches. They’re often targeted because they’re seen as having weaker security. That’s why investing in solid data protection measures is key and does not have to break the bank.
Doing some simple changes can shield your business, your clients, and your future growth. Good data protection can lower the risk of financial loss, protect your business reputation, and lay a strong foundation for growth. Plus, it can give you a competitive edge, as customers are increasingly drawn to businesses that take data protection seriously.
Wrapping Up
So, data protection isn’t just about dodging legal penalties. It’s about doing what’s suitable for your business and your clients, protecting your business’s most valuable assets, and ensuring its long-term success. By seeing data protection as an essential business need rather than just a legal requirement, small businesses can create a secure digital space that builds trust, promotes growth, and keeps the future safe.
Ready to take action? Prioritise data protection in your business today. Start by evaluating your current data security measures, identifying potential risks, and developing a robust data protection strategy. Remember, it’s not just about compliance; it’s about safeguarding your business’s future. The time to act is now!
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