Already 7,000 complaints about GDPR have been received by the Authority for Personal Data.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been in force throughout Europe since May 2018. The Personal Data Authority (AP), which receives complaints about possible violations in the Netherlands, informs us that seven thousand complaints have already been received.

That’s what newspaper Trouw reports today in a detailed message. The question line set up to deal with questions has already been consulted more than 10 000 times by citizens and organisations who want to know more. The AP is currently looking closely at the complaints that have been received. On the basis of this, it will be determined which complaints often occur, and this will be the main focus of attention in the first instance.

Privacy high on the agenda

The GDPR has been in force since 25 May and regulates how companies within the European Union must deal with citizens’ data. Privacy is high on the agenda thanks to the introduction of the GDPR. However, it is still difficult for users to obtain their rights, says Otto Volgenant, privacy lawyer at Boekx Advocaten.

According to Volgenant, after GDPR came into effect, companies have, above all, dug themselves in deeper legally. Many of the cases dealt with revolve around the right to be forgotten. Customers can ask companies to delete their data. This is especially complicated for smaller companies and organisations.

Small organisations

For example, schools and associations no longer dare to take pictures of the activities they organise, and things can sometimes go wrong if, for example, membership lists are accidentally shared. In the case of Volunteer, GDPR is not intended to frighten associations, but, above all, to protect people from large companies that collect a lot of data. And that business model hasn’t changed.

Fines, by the way, have not yet been handed out. The AP does state, however, that it is possible that large fines will be imposed on companies that commit serious violations. The total amount of this fine can be up to four percent of a company’s worldwide turnover.