Data Protection
Do I need a Privacy Policy?
Since the GDPR rules were brought into force in the UK, through the Data Protection Act 2018, it’s become mandatory for pretty much all businesses to have a privacy policy.
If you’re collecting personal data from individuals, (which means information by which you can identify someone, such as their name, address or email address), then you will need to have a privacy policy.
Most businesses with an online presence will need to make their privacy policies available online. Although in the past it was possible to take a very basic privacy policy, and use it for all types of business, these days it’s not really possible to do this. The reason is that the new GDPR rules require a business to give a lot more information about how they will be using the data that they are collecting from their users or customers.
Does GDPR still apply after Brexit?
The short answer is yes. Although the UK left the European Union on 31st January 2020, the UK government confirmed that it will continue to abide by the GDPR regulations and will, in due course, amend the Data Protection Act to ensure all relevant GDPR requirements are included in English law.
What are the basic rules of data protection?
Although the new rules introduced by the European Union have made data protection laws quite a lot more complicated than they used to be, it is still possible to boil down a large portion of the rules and regulations into just two basic principles.
These are:
- You’re allowed to use the personal information you collect from your customers, if your use of the data is necessary for the purposes of carrying out the services you’re providing them. In such a case, you don’t need to ask the user for their specific consent to use their information for that purpose.
- If you want to use your customer’s personal information for any other reason (which is not necessary for the service you are providing) then you will need to get their specific consent in advance.
What about sending marketing emails to my customers?
A common application of these principles is that businesses are entitled to send email messages to their customers to tell them about new products or services they’re offering that might be of interest to them. However, they can no longer send the same customers the same type of information regarding products or services being offered by third parties, unless they first get their customer’s consent.
Do I need to get ‘explicit consent’ or can I just put it in my Terms and Conditions?
Under the GDPR rules, consent must now be ‘explicit consent’. That means the individual must tick a box, or move a slider, or give some other explicit confirmation for their data to be used in a certain way. It’s no longer enough to rely on the passive acceptance of terms and conditions which simply state that the customers’ information could be used in this fashion. Now consent has to be actively given.
Sectors we work with
We provide services for a number of different sectors including start-ups, property developments, small businesses and more.
Get in touch today
We’re always happy to discuss any new ideas or legal questions you may have. So, feel free to get in touch with us today. Just complete the form below and hit ‘Submit’ or click on the ‘Request Callback’ button and we’ll be delighted to speak with you.
| 020 3695 8920 | |
| ray@raylevylaw.com |
 |
| Ray has been a fantastic attribute to my business. He is knowledgable, fast and precise. Highly recommended to any business whom require legal services. Thank you for your assitance Ray, I look forward to working with you again in the near future. |
| Shiraz | 26th May, 2020 |
|
|
We needed a document reviewed on a very tight timescale in the days before Christmas (when many lawyers had already gone on holiday!) and Ray really delivered for us. |
| Felix | 6th Feb, 2020 |
|
|
Very Good service received from Ray . Very helpful and sorted my Problem out which I was having . if you need a decent Lawyer Ray is the Man to go with. |
| Mark | 16th November, 2019 |
|
| Ray was very helpful and offered sound advice. It took a little longer on our side, but Ray was patient and very responsive whenever we moved things forwards. We would highly recommend Ray. |
| Dom | 2nd July, 2020 |
|
|
Ray was fantastic and drew up an agreement that was perfect for our needs. He gave great advice and was very patient when there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing! Would highly recommend. |
| Laura | 19th March, 2019 |
Why we’re different?
Ray Levy Law Offices is a specialist business law practice.
We don’t do other areas of law (like wills or divorces), we just focus on being experts in our field. That means you get the best business law advice from more than 20 years of experience.
To get this level of specialist legal advice, you would usually have to go to one of those unpleasantly large city law firms (those that have hundreds of lawyers, charge you for breathing and don’t remember your name).
We’re different. We prefer smaller clients, we give you a direct, personal service that’s relevant to you, and we don’t fob you off with a junior lawyer who just came out of law school.
Finally, and quite importantly, we don’t charge you an arm and a leg either. We’re also a small business at the end of the day, and we know what’s reasonable to pay for legal services.
So, get in touch with us today. Just click on the ‘Request Callback’ button below and we’ll be delighted to speak with you.