What is this GDPR anyway?

General Data Protection Regulation (better known as GDPR) is Europe’s new framework for data protection laws
This will replace the 1995 data protection directive in the UK. This legislation is designed to harmonise data privacy laws across Europe and improve protection and rights to individuals.

It includes new rights for people to access the information companies hold about them, obligations for better data management for businesses, and a new regime of fines.

What do businesses need to do differently?

There are new elements and significant improvements to the old legislation so you will have to do some new things, and in some cases change the way you are accustomed to doing other things.

You may have recently received emails from Humphreys Signs asking you to confirm that you are happy for us to retain / keep certain data in order to process orders and enquiries.The reason for this is that, under GDPR, consent must be an active, affirmative action – not the passive acceptance that has preceded it.

In order to operate as a business, and to provide services for our customers it is necessary to store certain information. This information will be stored securely offline, and will be limited to only the absolute necessity in order to carry out business transactions, and / or support.As a result, we are contacting all of our existing customers to provide them with an update on how we hold any personal data we collect as a result of our business activities. We would ask that you read the below paragraphs carefully.
Data Protection
We will keep your data secure and only store it for as long as necessary and only for the purposes of our business activities. Once personal data is no longer needed, we will destroy it securely.

We need your consent to retain company and contact details. It is our priority to keep data safe and treat it as confidential. Information that we currently hold includes but is not limited to;

• Your Name
• Telephone Number/s
• Email Address
• Order Numbers
• Order Details
• Delivery Addresses

This information will be used for business activities such as;

• Enquiries & Quotations
• Orders,
• Invoices & Remittances
• General Communications.
  It will never be passed to a third party.

We will assume that we have your permission to retain and use this information (in the manner listed above), unless you contact us advising otherwise. *Please note that you can withdraw your consent at any time with the exception of information regarding Accounting, VAT, and other legal requirements.Please contact us in writing either by email to accounts@humphreys-signs.co.uk or by post to: Humphreys Signs Ltd, Unit 7 Colomendy Industrial Estate, Denbigh, North Wales, LL16 5TA

For further information relating to this communication please feel free to call us on 01745 814066

In the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) would be able to levy fines of up to £17m (€20m) or four per cent of global turnover.

These penalties are significantly higher than the £500,000 charges the ICO is currently able to dole out.