In recent years, data protection has become an increasingly contentious issue. More and more companies are concerned about privacy. It will be even more of an issue when General Data Protection Regulation kicks in. The GDPR was agreed to last year after four years of negotiations. It will have a huge impact on the legal landscape both in the EU and outside, as entities outside the EU that target or monitor people in the EU will be subject to the new laws. Fines for noncompliance are at €20 million, which represents 4% of global annual turnover.

The intent of the new laws is clear. Personal data should be taken as seriously as laws on competition and antitrust. All publishers, big or small, will end up being affected. Print-on-paper-only book houses will still have to make some adjustments, while tech-savvy houses with a social media presence will need to make a lot of adjustments. From updating the terms of all sub-contractor contracts to holding a written record of what data is held at a publishing house, there’s a lot of work to be done.

Source: “Keep calm and carry on processing”, Duncan Calow, London Show Daily, P.14