I have read the Information Commissioner’s Office guidelines for compliance with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules. This page explains how I comply. If you have given me your email address (by emailing me or buying something from my website) you should read this to reassure yourself that I am looking after your data extremely responsibly.
I value the security of your information extremely highly and will never intentionally breach the rules. However, the rules are designed for organisations and most authors are sole traders just doing our best to keep up.
I used the ICO booklet, “Preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation – 12 Steps to Take Now.”.
Awareness
I am a sole trader so there is no one else in my organisation to make aware.
The information I hold
- Email addresses of people who have emailed me and to whom I have replied are automatically saved in email software.
- Email addresses, postal addresses (for physical items) and names of people who have bought something from my website. Orders are saved by default in the background of my website, which is securely password-protected.
I do not share this information with anyone. Ever.
No one else has access to my website data or to any of my passwords.
If someone randomly asks for another person’s email address, unless both are known closely to me, I always check with the other person first.
Communicating privacy information
- I have put this Privacy Policy on my website
- I have added a link to this page from my contact page.
Individuals’ rights
On request, I will delete data.
If someone asked to see their data, I would take a screenshot of their entry/entries.
Subject access requests
I aim to respond to all requests within 24 hours and usually much sooner.
Lawful basis for processing data
If people have emailed me, they have given me their email address. I do not actively add it to a list but my email software will save it. I will not add it to any database or spread sheet unless someone asks me to or gives me explicit and detailed permission.
If people have bought something from my website, their postal and email addresses are saved in my orders folder in two places: an excel spread sheet on my computer and the orders folder behind my website. This is standard practice for purchasing online but I do not use their data for anything other than contacting them about a problem with the order. I will delete their email addresses and postal addresses after one year.
Consent
Once I’ve contacted everyone with a reminder about the T&C of my holding their data, I regard this consent as confirmed for a year, or until the person asks me to remove the data. I have never harvested email addresses, nor would I. Anyone on my lists has contacted me.
Consent is not indefinite, so I will make sure that I remind subscribers that they can unsubscribe or ask for their data to be removed.
Children
Young people sometimes email me but I don’t know their age unless they tell me – and I only have their word for that. I would not deliberately keep their email address (but my email software would save it in my account.) Since I am not “processing” their data, I am not required to ask for parental consent. I reply to the email and don’t contact them again.
Data breaches
I have done everything I can to prevent this, by strongly password-protecting my computer, website login and email account.
Data Protection by Design and Data Protection Impact Assessments
I have familiarised myself with the ICO’s code of practice on Privacy Impact Assessments as well as the latest guidance from the Article 29 Working Party, and believe that I am using best practice.
Data Protection Officers
I have appointed myself, Mandy Stanley, as the Data protection Officer.
International
My lead data protection supervisory authority is the UK’s ICO. And after Brexit? This is unknown at the moment but will be adjusted appropriately once information becomes available.