GDPR which stands for “GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION” came into force on 25 May 2018. In January 2012, the European Commission has set out plans for data protection reform across the European Union to make Europe “fit for the digital age”. It took about four years to make the agreement in which what to include and how will it be enforced. The GDPR has designed to give the citizens of Europe rights to control their personal information. It is also applicable to Indian entity if it monitors the behavior of individuals in the European Union. Non-compliance of GDPR can cost companies 20 million euros or four percent of their annual turnover. The EU says that the GDPR is considered as the most important change in data privacy regulation in 20 years. According to the European Commission, this law is applicable to the companies or entities which processes personal data as a part of the activities, regardless where the data is processed. It is also applicable to the companies established outside the EU offering goods and services even for free or paid which monitors the behavior of individuals in the EU.
We have learned that GDPR is designed to control the personal data;
But what comes under the personal data?
The data that is considered as personal data includes name, address, photos, bank information, medical information, also it includes the data like IP addresses and sensitive personal data like genetic data, biometric data that uniquely identifies an individual. To compliant with the regulations of the GDPR, it takes some effort to compliant and understands its benefits.
How does GDPR help in business?
The GDPR builds a greater trust in your customers because your customers will be knowing where their data has been collected and how will it be used.It also improves the marketing experience, allows email engagement, it means the email is sent only to them who are interested in and whom you choose to opt-in into. This benefits the business for the online marketing. The main feature of the GDPR is to allow the personal data for any requirement such as marketing to safely and securely manage in the organization.
What the GDPR means to the Social Media Marketers:
Social media marketers mean those who do marketing using social media platforms. That means handling all the social media accounts and protect the data securely. Not only their account details and data but also their followers and friends data need to be protected. So for this, something needs to provide security even for the marketers along with the customers. This builds a bridge of understanding and trust between you and your customers. If someone does not complaints and violates the regulations of GDPR, it is obvious to be faced with some penalty. For the social media marketers, the GDPR effects in social media marketing and lead generation campaigns.
Here in the GDPR, both you and your customers have to be agreed with the terms and conditions of the tools you use. So for some company or social media marketers to make their company be a part of GDPR, they need to sign up and make strategies to prepare for the GDPR.
For marketers to understand their customers, by monitoring their preferences and tracking their behavior, there are new technologies that allow the marketers to track their customers in real time using MAC address which is similar to IP addresses. But to know their information and data it is illegal to learn them without the customer’s permissions. So it is essential for businesses to learn their data such as MAC addresses, IP addresses, and cookies with their customer’s permission using GDPR.
But that’s not easy to get consent from GDPR in business, but when it comes to social media marketing the GDPR is less likely to have the effect on the social media marketing. Because on every social account, let’s say like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter the consent is automatically present. Even if it is easy to get consent, there is a necessity to have a social media strategy.
- The first step in the strategy have to be is active opt-ins that allow the people may be your followers, friends or other people to newly engage with your content. The opt-ins can be even in the emails other than Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. What the opt-ins helps in more connection of people with the social media an takes their consent through the popups.
- The other strategy is that the marketer must produce a clearer privacy notice in which all of the marketing activities are to be included, so that the customers have an idea on how their data is being used, that gains the trust among customers about your company.
- There must be a clear idea for the social media marketers to what to include and what not to in the policies that are shared with other parties so that there would be no accidental breach.
- Also managing the information on the social media platforms in reference to the children, by asking the consent of their parents and guardians.
The EU has made the GDPR regulation only keeping in consideration of personal data of consumers or the business not being corrupted and used in a bad way. Presently, most of all the companies for collecting the data is depending on digital marketing, but it is also necessary to provide privacy of the data, so there would be trust and confidence in the customers that there is no danger for their identity and in the particular company. It also facilitates the companies to manage the data properly and work based on the rules and regulations. And the work of collecting the data all depends on the social media marketers. This defines how much the GDPR is meant for the social media marketers. It is important for the companies to investigate and work on understanding and change the companies data policies accordingly otherwise the GDPR would fine if they are found in breach.