The upcoming GDPR is hot. But what exactly does it mean for insurance companies? We’re meeting with privacy specialists Sander van de Molen and Michel Gielbert from SmartMirrors.
Hi there. We’re here to interrupt your privacy for a moment, if that’s okay. Hi guys. Welcome to SmartMirrors.
The new GDPR, how important is it?
Very important. On the one hand it seems nothing has changed. Companies just have to comply with laws and regulations. But on the other hand the new GDPR really changed a lot. The impact on companies that are processing data is really tremendous.
We’re supporting a company that has a few hundred systems in place. And only for a few of them they actually know what data runs through it. That’s a major risk.
So why is the impact of the GDPR so huge?
Because the new legislation GDPR, or AVG in Dutch, contains a lot of changes. Two of the major changes are, the company has to build and maintain a data register. Secondly, the company is accountable for being able to show compliance. Meaning they have to use a control framework.
What do you encounter in daily practice?
What we see now is that a lot of companies didn’t pay attention to privacy regulation before meaning that now they’re facing a huge gap they have to close before next year.
Let me illustrate this by an example.
When people first used mobile phones in the car, they weren’t calling handsfree. This was clearly dangerous. People were distracted and it caused a lot of accidents. So people needed protection. The result was new legislation. It is now forbidden to use the phone except handsfree. You need a device, a framework or carkit to ensure you’re able to call in a safe way. If you’re caught now or caught in accidents the fines are really high and it can even put you out of business.
So new legislation, more obligations, increased supervising and higher risks.
Is it all about IT?
I think that is one of the most common misunderstandings. Improving your processes and the awareness of your personnel are just as important.
Do you have any final words that could make privacy a bit more sexy?
As we see it, privacy should be seen as a business enabler, not as a showstopper. Therefore our quote is: Data is the new gold, as long as you consider privacy by default.