Is GDPR more of a reputation issue than regulatory?

UK businesses should focus on GDPR as a reputational issue rather than a regulatory one, according to Ardi Kolah, an Executive Fellow and Director of the GDPR Transition Programme at Henley Business School.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be enforceable from 25 May 2018 - at which time those organisations who fail to comply may face heavy fines. 

Speaking at Unleash, a HR technology conference in London, Kolah warned that viewing GDPR as a series of rules that must be strictly followed is the wrong approach. Instead, firms should be approaching it from the perspective of those that are impacted by data handling. “That means your customers, your clients, and most importantly your employees,” he said.

He added that while some firms might be waiting to understand best practice, it is far better to start implementing the spirit of the legislation right away. “This is a principle driven regulation,” he explained. “It doesn’t lay out in absolute detail what you need to do. It asks that you apply the principles. You can’t wait to be told what to do.”