Data protection - GDPR

The introduction of the GDPR data protection regulation has had a significant impact on businesses and imposed new burdens. Taking into account data protection obligations is now unavoidable for a serious business enterprise.

What does GDPR mean?

GDPR stands for general data protection regulation, the european unions general data protection regulation. It has been mandatory and directly applicable in member states, including hungary, since may 25, 2018. It sets strict requirements for the processing of personal data for all domestic data controllers and processors.

Who does the law apply to?

Practically every business.

• any organization providing services to or contracting with natural persons residing within the european union or
• processing personal data within the eu (i.e., acquiring, recording, collecting, organizing, storing, transforming, altering, transmitting, accessing, or simply interacting with them, etc.)

Why is data protection important?

The provisions of the GDPR are particularly important for company executives for the following reasons:

• To avoid data protection penalties: violating the GDPR can result in significant fines. Data protection authorities are authorized to impose fines of up to €20 million or 4% of the annual global turnover (whichever is higher). This can impose a substantial financial burden on a business that mishandles personal data.
• For maintaining reliability and customer trust: it is crucial for customers and partners to trust that their data is secure. Non-compliance with GDPR can negatively impact a businesss reputation and customer trust. Compliance with GDPR ensures the reliability of businesses and can provide a competitive advantage in the market.
• To increase employee commitment: commitment plays a key role in a companys business success. Company leaders need to ensure that not only customer rights but also employee rights are respected. This includes secure data storage within the company, providing data protection information to employees, and restricting access to data (e.g., salary data).
• For international trade: multinational companies and those involved in e-commerce must adhere to GDPR rules as part of their daily operations. GDPR regulates the transfer of data to third countries, ensuring compliance with data protection requirements.

What are the responsibilities of a company executive?

• Ensure compliance with GDPR rules and conduct audits: to ensure compliance with GDPR regulations, it is essential to conduct regular audits. Company executives must routinely review the validity of data protection policies and information notices. If not already in place, these should be prepared. Additionally, it is crucial for executives to have a deep understanding of the fundamental principles and requirements of GDPR and their impact on the business.
• Appointment of a data protection officer (dpo): in certain cases, company executives may be obligated to appoint a data protection officer, especially if the companys main activities involve regular and large-scale monitoring of data or processing of sensitive data.
• Handle data protection incidents: ensure that the company has procedures for handling data protection incidents, including identification, documentation, and timely reporting to the supervisory authority if the incident poses a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals.
• Training employees and protecting their personal data: provide the company with adequate technical and organizational measures for data protection, including implementing data security measures, complying with data protection rules, and providing data protection training to employees.

How can we help?

Our law firm, through GDPR consultancy, collaborates with our data protection and it experts to carry out necessary tasks for compliance. We offer comprehensive knowledge of GDPR, as well as positions developed by the hungarian data protection authority (naih) and eu working groups, the information act, and various sectoral or industry regulations.

A) full data protection assessment for the entire business:

• Survey: assist in assessing clients data processing processes from both it and legal perspectives.
• Discovery: identify data processing operations, activities, and documents that do not comply with GDPR requirements.
• Action plan: contribute to creating GDPR compliance by defining necessary actions in an action plan.
• Execution: provide assistance in implementing and creating the necessary legal and it environment.

B) advice on partial tasks or perform necessary tasks:

• Prepare data processing policies, notices, and statements.
• Prepare contracts related to data processing and review and modify existing contracts.
• Provide legal representation related to infringements of personal data of natural persons.
• Assist clients in various activities such as marketing, advertisements, operation of online stores, and websites by creating necessary data protection policies, notices, and terms and conditions.
• Provide advice on workplace data processing for employers and employees.
• Assess the data protection legal compliance of camera and access control systems.
• Specialize in providing a compliant environment for sports organizations, hospitality units, hotels, etc.
• Maintain contact with the data protection authority (naih).
• Serve as a data protection officer (dpo) on a permanent or occasional basis if required.
• Provide various data protection training and education to ensure that leaders and employees are adequately prepared for personal data protection.

Can we assist you in GDPR compliance and data protection tasks? We look forward to your inquiry!