08 Aug Digital Minister States British Citizens Have Right to Erase Online Data
London, England — British citizens may demand tech companies like Facebook to erase information as well as remove data that’s published in the past.
The law was confirmed by digital minister Matt Hancock, which is in line with the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ordered by the European Union (EU). He stated that citizens will gain greater control of their private information under the ‘right to be forgotten.’
Moreover, the new laws will require companies to ask individuals for consent before gathering personal details. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) can also issue greater penalties of up to 17 million pounds or $22.2 million for incidents involving severe data breaches.
The EU plans to implement the GDPR by May 2018. Even after Brexit in 2019, tech enterprise experts suggest British companies must still comply with GDPR regulations to ensure smooth international business relations.
Source: Reuters
