From the moment you picked up your first phone or computer, big businesses have been collecting, hoarding and selling your personal data.
But new laws passed last year mean that you finally have the legal right to take back control of your own data. The EU General Data Protection Act, which came into force on May 25th 2018, gives all EU citizens several powerful legal rights around their personal data. And don’t worry about Brexit — all UK citizens are still fully entitled to use these powers too.
Breaking it Down
Don’t fancy trawling through hundreds of pages of legal documents to find out how the GDPR works? Here are the most important things to know:
- Right to restrict processing — You have the right to request the restriction or suppression of your personal data, which means a company can continue to store it but may not use it without further permission.
- Right to data portability — This means you can ask for a company to send you a copy of any data they have on you and allows you to move, copy or transfer your information from one place to another. For example, you might want to submit your personal data to select companies for comparison services or incentive rewards. Companies must provide your data within one calendar month.
- The right to erasure — Finally, perhaps the most powerful right is the ‘right to be forgotten’. You can demand that any company deletes any, or all, of the information it holds about you.
EU citizens can make these demands to any company in the world that might have their data, either in writing or over the phone. As soon as you submit your request, the clock starts ticking. In most cases a company must respond to your request within one calendar month, although may request up to three months for more complex requests. Any company that fails to comply risks being hit with huge fines.
But Where Do You Begin?
While this sounds good on paper, the reality is not so simple. Putting together even one request can be a complicated and longwinded process. Trying to complete the process with the hundreds, even thousands, of companies that use your data isn’t exactly anyone’s idea of fun.
And then we have the biggest snag — you won’t even have heard of most of the companies that collect your personal information. For every well-known retailer and social media platform, there are dozens of brokers and processors that are invisible to you. How can you go about getting data from a company that you don’t even know exists?
Don’t Worry. That’s Where We Come in
myGaru’s unique app is your one-stop-shop for all your digital rights. We can become your data champion, with the legal right to act on your behalf and get back control of your data.
Once you’re on board, our platform will make certain that any company with your data transfers it back to you, and updates or deletes it, if that’s what you want.
More importantly, we can also ensure that those thousands of invisible data brokers must give up your information too, so they can’t trade it around without your knowledge.
We have your back.
And we’re not alone — myGaru has friends in high places, with strong alliances with some of the world’s most prominent law firms. If any company refuses to cooperate, we’ll pursue them to the full extent of the law on your behalf to get your data back.
Sign up to our waitlist today on https://mygaru.com/ to be amongst the first to test the beta version of the app, or follow our socials to stay up to date.
