The General Data Protection Regulation is finally here. Tagged as a landmark data privacy and protection legislation, the much-anticipated GDPR took effect last May 25, 2018, two years after the European Union officially adopted it.

Organisations and companies that fail to comply with regulations are at risk of being slapped with fines amounting to four percent of their annual global revenue or €20 million, whichever is greater. These financial penalties are undoubtedly huge and have the potential to cripple businesses. This is why weeks prior to the implementation of the GDPR, companies were scampering to become compliant. Some even took radical measures, temporarily suspending their services for European clients until they’ve complied with the GDPR requirements. Others went as far as blocking EU users from accessing their sites.

What the GDPR Says About Consent

One of the biggest changes under the GDPR is that organisations like yours can no longer collect their users’ personal data and track their online behaviour without getting their consent. Under this sweeping data privacy regulation, you are mandated to inform users that you are collecting their personally identifiable information and using cookies. Furthermore, you need to let them know the purpose of these actions, i.e., using cookies to personalise content and ads. Most importantly, as mentioned earlier, you are required to obtain their explicit consent.

According to the regulation, data subjects, users or EU citizens in the GDPR parlance, need to give their consent via statement or affirmative action. Pre-ticked boxes are strictly prohibited already. Users need to tick the box or click on the ‘Accept’ button themselves for the consent to be valid. Additionally, under this new law, users have the right to withdraw their consent whenever they want to.

Suffice it to say, old practices with regards to consent and cookie policy need to be abandoned. Your website must abide by these new requirements or you’ll end up facing heavy-handed fines. Moreover, you run the risk of tarnishing your reputation if you are not GDPR-compliant.

How Do You Obtain Consent on Your Website?

Fortunately, there’s a wealth of information and tools available which can help you comply with the GDPR consent requirements. Even Google has produced a site, https://www.cookiechoices.org/intl/en/, that is meant to help organisations comply with the laws when it comes to obtaining user content.

Listed on the Google-produced site are tools which can help you add a consent function to your site. These tools are Cookiebot by Cybot, Cookie Consent by Silktide, OneTrust, Cookie Control by CIVIC and Cookie Consent Kit by the European Commission.

Some of these consent solutions like Cookie Consent are free. Moreover, you can configure them to meet your specifications. Using them is also fairly straightforward. For example, if you have a WordPress website, you can simply add the plugin for your chosen consent tool. Alternatively, you can directly add the consent script to your website.

While adding a consent function to your website may seem easy, it can be tricky, especially if you do not have the technical know-how. Hence, it is imperative that you proceed with caution when using these tools. You may also ask experts to help you add a consent function to your website to ensure that this task is accomplished without blunders.

Lastly, in terms of your content message, please do not simply copy any scripts or samples you see. Keep in mind, your consent message should relay pertinent information like why you are collecting data or using cookies and partners who may have access to these data.

Learn more about how to add a consent function to your website. Call us at 089 466 2000 or 01 960 9023 today.