The European Commission has launched an online tool to help SMEs adhere to GDPR, alongside guidance to ensure businesses are compliant in time.
The organisation says knowledge of the benefits and opportunities of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – due to come into full effect on 25 May – are not evenly spread across businesses, with a particular lack of awareness among SMEs.
Previous research by the DMA found 48% of businesses are not on course to be compliant on time, and in separate research by The Data Compliance Doctors, 39% of small firms admitted they had not even started their preparations to deal with the new legislation.
The commission has also called for EU governments and data protection authorities to provide support as the compliance deadline looms.
Andrus Ansip, European Commission VP for the digital single market, commented on the support: “Our digital future can only be built on trust. Everyone’s privacy has to be protected. Strengthened EU data protection rules will become a reality on 25 May. It’s a major step forward and we are committed to making it a success for everyone.”
The tool can be accessed on the European Commission’s website.
