1 in 4 – consumers will exercise their data privacy rights under GDPR

Data is an essential element of running a business, useful for everything from financial forecasting to marketing but, the upcoming GDPR legislation could change how data is used, accessed and stored.

The legislation, which will become law later this month on 25 May 2018, ushers in new requirements for organisations holding data, including amended rights to be forgotten for consumers. As an app business owner, data is likely a crucial part of your day-to-day activities; you might use app user data to pinpoint popular features, report back on install rates, make engagement predictions or to remarket with in-app advertising.

You’ll also need your data to market to sales leads and will probably want to re-contact old clients and those who enquired about an app but didn’t go ahead at periodic intervals.

You should know then that according to a new survey, four in ten (40%) of UK consumers say they will exercise their new data privacy rights under GDPR within six months. The survey of 1000 people, conducted by Veritas concluded that 56% of respondents were not comfortable with the thought that of their personal information being stored on systems they couldn’t control.  The same percentage said they also wanted a better understanding of what data was being stored about them.

Unsurprisingly, survey respondents confirmed they were likely to request their personal data if the company holding it suffered a breach with 47% saying they’d request it be deleted. Around three in ten (27%) of those surveyed said they’d use GDPR as a test of their consumer rights before deciding whether to continue doing business with the organisation concerned, with 8% saying they would exercise their right against a business that had irritated them previously.