The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has opened a new helpline to help small businesses and charities get to grips with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), which will come into force in May.
The GDPR will apply to all organisations that are currently affected by the Data Protection Act – this is likely to include most out of school clubs.
The ICO will also be revising its ’12 steps to take now’ guidance and its ‘SME toolkit’ so that they are more targeted to small and micro businesses.
This dedicated advice line offers help to small organisations preparing for the new data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation.
The phone service is aimed at people running small businesses or charities. To access the new service dial the ICO helpline on 0303 123 1113 and select option 4 to be diverted to staff who can offer support.
As well as advice on preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation, callers can also ask questions about current data protection rules and other legislation regulated by the ICO including electronic marketing and Freedom of Information.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has produced practical advice on how to comply with data protection law and how to improve data protection practices in your business, including how to keep employees’ and customers’ personal information secure and how to get ready for the data protection reforms.