The European Union is Moving at a Faster Pace in Defining Individual Privacy Rights

Companies like Microsoft now issue versions of software to meet compliance requirements for national and global governing bodies – for example, Microsoft version N.

The European community has a strong commitment to informing citizens of how to know and exercise their rights of protection to their own personal information.

This is also causing our software vendors to create multiple versions of software, for U.S. customers and European customers. For example, Microsoft has Windows-N or KN available for download with an open license account, but it is the incorrect version to work in the United States.

We work with a firm, Sequel Law, who advises about legal governance technology globally. Melise Blakeslee, Managing Partner, informs us that:

“General Data Protection Regulation’s (GDPR) transparency requirements has been released from Europe. The Article 29 Working Party, an advisory body that oversees data protection in the EU, issued a paper that provides practical guidance and clarity about the obligations of data controllers with respect to informing individuals about the collection, use, and protection of their data. The GDPR requires that notices must:

• Be concise, transparent, intelligible and easily accessible.
• Use clear and plain language.
  • The requirement for clear and plain language is of particular importance when providing information to children.
• Be provided in writing “or by other means, including where appropriate, by electronic means”.
• Be provided verbally where requested by the data subject.
• Be provided free of charge.

If the United States follows the lead taken by this European model, privacy notices will be simple and use clear, straightforward vocabulary, unambiguous language, and words that are readily understood by the target audience (e.g., children, vulnerable populations)”.

Notices on websites are recommended to appear as “layered notices” with small amounts of the most important information that can be expanded in digestible bites, clearly found, and not intermixed with general terms and conditions. In addition, companies are required to be current and honest in describing its information management protection activities.

We are happy to recommend Melise and her team for legal compliance achievement.