MY GDPR STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE

I have read the Information Commissioner’s Office guidelines for compliance with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules. This document that follows explains how I comply. If you have given me your email address (by emailing me, or commenting on my website, for example) you should read this to reassure yourself that I am looking after your data responsibly.

Based on the 12 steps to take in the ICO booklet, ‘Preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation – 12 Steps to Take Now’, here are my answers.

  1. Awareness

I am a sole trader so there is no one else in my organisation to make aware.

  1. The information I hold:
  • Email addresses of people who have emailed me and to whom I have replied: automatically saved in iCloud, protected by a strong password and 2-factor authentication.
  • Email addresses of readers who have commented on my website: stored on WordPress protected by a strong password.

I do not ‘process’ or share this information with anyone, except with the explicit permission of the person in question. I never aggregate or sell it.

  1. Communicating privacy information

I have a note on the Contact page of my website, with a link to this information.

  1. Individuals’ rights

On request, I will delete personal information (contact details and any other relevant information) held by me.

If someone asked to see their data, I would take a screenshot of their entry/entries.

  1. Subject access requests

I aim to respond to all requests within 48 hours.

  1. Lawful basis for processing data

I do not ‘process’ data. I hold contact details so that I can reply, and that is all.

  1. Consent

As I only reply on an individual basis to people who have contacted me, and do not use their personal details in any other way, I regard this as consent.

  1. Children

Young people sometimes email me but I do not know their age unless they tell me – and I only have their word for that. Since I am not “processing” their data, I am not required to ask for parental consent. I reply to the email and do not contact them again.

  1. Data breaches

I have done everything I can to prevent these, by strongly password-protecting my computer, WordPress and Blacknight accounts. If either of those organisations were compromised I would take steps to follow their advice immediately.

  • Data Protection by Design and Data Protection Impact Assessments 

I have familiarised myself with the ICO’s code of practice on Privacy Impact Assessments as well as the latest guidance from the Article 29 Working Party, and believe that I am using best practice.

  1. Data Protection Officers

As a sole trader, I do not have a DPO.

  • International

My lead data protection supervisory authority is the UK’s ICO.

As an ex-lobbyist, I observe that authors and other sole traders with small websites could have been better represented during the drafting of the GDPR regulations, but they weren’t, so here we are. I have always tried to respect your privacy and look after your data, as I hope you would for me.

 

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