by Michael Garcia
Chief Technology Officer
Why Are We Receiving So Many Emails?
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) may be to blame. GDPR became law in the European Union on May 25. The regulation applies to any business collecting personal data from a citizen of the EU. The GDPR codifies and unifies data privacy laws across all European Union member countries. It is intended to protect the data of citizens and outlines strict penalties for non-compliance for those collecting and using personal data.
The response of many multinational companies has been to apply GDPR principles globally. As a result, a mass of changes to privacy policies from all types of entities that have or currently use your personal data have occurred, possibly creating an influx of emails to you.
This regulation is a huge step in allowing our European counterparts to take control of their digital footprint in an era where abuse of valuable personal data continues to make headlines (e.g., Cambridge Analytica, Facebook). As you may know, Ferguson Wellman and West Bearing never shares any of your personally identifiable information unless necessary to complete business on your behalf. Additionally, we have multiple policies and procedures in place to ensure your data is secure.
Two articles in the New York Times and Wired provide overviews of the principles behind GDPR that will hopefully foreshadow similar protections and rights for U.S. citizens. We hope you find this information useful and as always, please do not hesitate to contact us with questions.