GDPR – Countdown to Compliance – Are you Ready?

The fast-approaching General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been on our radar since 2016 but the enforcement date of May 25, 2018 is fast approaching. The implications of the international legislation are far reaching as all Canadian industry stakeholders who come into contact with any European citizen data must comply or face stiff penalties (minimum €20 Million) for infractions.

IAB Canada has been working closely with IAB Europe as they continue to follow developments on the ground in Brussels and spearhead an industry solution that will help organizations comply on a global scale. IAB Canada held a sold-out workshop on February 7th featuring presentations from our IAB Europe office as well as Quantcast, a key member of the European working group that has developed the IAB Europe open source solution to compliance.

The IAB Tech Lab has also announced the establishment of a working group to address GDPR compliance. The group will draw on policy and regulatory analysis and guidance from IAB Europe and others in the global IAB network to develop and support technology and tools to facilitate legal compliance and self-regulation for the industry.

From a timing perspective, we will see rapid adoption and implementation beginning in March once the standards are confirmed at the EU level.