On June 28, 2018, the California State Legislature passed, and Governor Jerry Brown signed, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, bringing to the United States many of the rights and compliance obligations currently being applied by the European Union through its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Effective January 1, 2020, the Act gives California

Businesses are understandably focused this week on the looming effective date for the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For U.S. businesses, however, a proposed law closer to home would raise similar compliance burdens and create potential litigation risks.

This November, voters in California will likely vote on whether to pass a ballot initiative,

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 which comes into force in May 2018, will introduce major changes to the law on the processing of personal data in the European Union. Over the next several months, several European Union law firms we work very closely with will join us in providing you with more information on the GDPR. Different themes will be tackled month by month to help you prepare for the GDPR deadline.

Part 3 of this GDPR Series is brought to you by the German law firm of Graf von Westphalen. Other blog entries in this series will be brought to you by the law firms of Mills & Reeve (UK), FIDAL (France) and VanBenthem & Keulen (Netherlands) as well as Robinson+Cole (United States).

 Consent as a lawful basis for data-processing

Every data processing activity requires a lawful basis. Such lawful basis may be provided directly by law, or by consent granted by the data subject, both according to the statutory requirements set out in the Directive 95/46/EC and, importantly, national data protection laws. This general principle remains unchanged under the GDPR, however, the new Regulation provides for new or additional requirements for such consent to be a lawful basis for processing and transfer of personal data.
Continue Reading General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Series, Part #3: GDPR Consent and Fair Processing

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 which comes into force in May 2018, will introduce major changes to the law on the processing of personal data in the European Union. Over the next twelve (12) months, several European Union law firms we work very closely with will join us in providing you with more information on the GDPR. Different themes will be tackled month by month to help you prepare for the GDPR deadline.

Part #2 of this GDPR Series is brought to you by Mills & Reeve, a United Kingdom law firm. Other blog entries in this series will be brought to you by the law firms of Graf von Westphalen (Germany), FIDAL, (France) and VanBenthem & Keulen (Netherlands) as well as Robinson+Cole (United States).

In any major project there is an analysis phase – involving a careful examination of your organization’s current set-up and what needs to be done to deliver the project successfully. Preparing for the GDPR is no exception. Depending on the structures and practices of your organization, compliance could require a significant allocation of resources to ensure that you are ready by the implementation date: 25 May 2018.

So what can be done to get started?

Perhaps the best first step is to conduct a self-assessment audit. This will help organizations map the likely impacts of the changes in data protection law on their activities.

A few key points are worth looking at in detail:
Continue Reading General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Series Part #2: The Importance of Self-Assessment

In 2016, new privacy, cybersecurity and/or data security legislation passed or became effective in a number of countries, some adopting data security measures for the first time. Several countries adopted cybersecurity focused measures with criminal penalties, hoping to more effectively combat cyber-attacks. Other countries implemented or strengthened regulations on the collection and handling of their

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was recently approved by the 28 member states of the Council of European Union. By plenary vote, the European Parliament approved GDPR on April 14.

The GDPR will take effect two years after publication in the E.U. Official Journal, which is expected to be in May.

The GDPR, which

Big changes are underway in the world of data protection within the European Union. At the end of December, the European Commission approved the final version of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The GDPR will have a significant and wide-ranging impact on businesses, imposing new compliance obligations and threatening significant sanctions for non-compliance. According

The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) outlines a series of amendments to the data protection and data privacy requirements applicable to all companies with European customers, regardless of where the company’s headquarters reside.

Some of the proposed amendments include:

  • penalties of up to €100 million, or 2.5% of annual worldwide turnover, whichever is greater
  • increased