How Emerging Data Regulations Will Affect Your Business

Stringent data regulations can create frustration, additional expense, and create liability if compliance is not consistent. Most of the time, regulations are implemented because of a small number of individuals or organizations who have abused a system that caused harm to innocent and vulnerable people or organizations. Laws are passed, and regulations created.

The need for regulating personal data has continued to grow over the past several years in the attempt to protect against either intentional or careless disregard for the privacy, safety, and wellbeing of others. So how can you and your business navigate these emerging data regulations successfully? Let’s take a look.

Why More Regulations?

With the increase of abusers recklessly using information for their own gain and causing harm to the public, the implementation of even more regulations is on the horizon. Unfortunately, this adds additional work, stress, and increases the risk of potential legal repercussions for data controllers and data processors. A data controller is any organization in possession of personal information, and a data processor is any third party engaged by a data controller to process personal information. Data processors can include shredding services, computer recycling firms, IT asset disposal companies, records storage and data vaulting providers, and document scanning services.

Data Regulation Rules

California has already passed the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and Colorado and Virginia have passed regulations that dramatically limit how data controllers collect, share, and protect personal information. Other states are reviewing similar laws. These laws will control how subjects’ information is collected, stored, shared, and destroyed.

California is already further tightening down the use of personal information by implementing the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) on January 1, 2023, which limits the amount of information that can be collected and making it illegal to retain information beyond what is necessary, and other states are expected to follow suit.

How to Adapt to Constant Regulatory Changes

As the information protection regulations increase in number and rigidity, you will need to be more transparent about collecting and saving customers’ information and responsive to their requests about their information. Here’s how to move forward:

• Stay up to date with current and near-future laws that implement or augment information protection regulations.
• Train your staff informed about what information is appropriate to collect and how to protect it.
• Write a Data Subject Response Policy and appoint a Data Protection Officer.
• Ensure that your staff responds to every customer request regarding their information, whether it be to opt out of information sharing, view your privacy policy, or delete the customer’s personal information. It is illegal to not respond.
• Partner with a locally-owned, NAID AAA Certified shredding and destruction company that is compliant with current regulations so that when your documents and digital information come to the end of their retention periods, you can have it securely shredded.

Protecting Your Business

Be transparent with your customers and clients about their information. As a business owner who collects data, you are also responsible for businesses that have access to this private information. It is vital to choose companies that are knowledgeable and compliant with all laws.

Apex Shredding provides NAID AAA Certified shredding services to businesses throughout Northern Colorado, and we are compliant with all information protection laws. We will protect your personal information from the time we receive it to the time it is securely and completely destroyed. For more information or to set up secure shredding services with us, simply give us a call at 970-532-5007 or complete the form on this page.