Neglecting Data Quality and Accuracy
Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2025 3:28 am
While GDPR emphasizes data minimization and security, it also underscores the importance of data quality and accuracy. A database full of inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated personal data can lead to compliance issues, particularly when data subjects exercise their right to rectification. Using inaccurate data for processing can also lead to incorrect decisions and harm data subjects. A mistake is failing to implement processes for regularly verifying and updating personal data, such as allowing users to update their own profiles or conducting periodic data cleansing initiatives. Ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the data within your database is fundamental to responsible data handling.
Underestimating the Importance of "Privacy by Design"
The concept of "Privacy by Design" (PbD) is a proactive approach to privacy, requiring that data protection considerations are embedded into the design and architecture of systems and business practices from the outset. A common mistake is adding privacy features as an afterthought, trying to retrofit compliance into shop existing systems. This often leads to less effective, more costly, and cumbersome solutions. Instead, when developing new databases, applications, or services that process personal data, privacy principles should be a core consideration from the initial planning stages, ensuring that data protection is built in, not bolted on.
Ignoring Children's Data Protection
If your organization processes personal data of children, neglecting the specific protections afforded to them under GDPR is a critical error. Children are considered more vulnerable, and as such, specific rules apply, particularly regarding consent for online services. For example, parental consent is generally required for children under 16 (though Member States can set a lower age, not below 13). A mistake is not having mechanisms in place to verify the age of users or to obtain parental consent where necessary, especially for online services. Ignoring these specific provisions can lead to significant regulatory scrutiny and penalties.
Underestimating the Importance of "Privacy by Design"
The concept of "Privacy by Design" (PbD) is a proactive approach to privacy, requiring that data protection considerations are embedded into the design and architecture of systems and business practices from the outset. A common mistake is adding privacy features as an afterthought, trying to retrofit compliance into shop existing systems. This often leads to less effective, more costly, and cumbersome solutions. Instead, when developing new databases, applications, or services that process personal data, privacy principles should be a core consideration from the initial planning stages, ensuring that data protection is built in, not bolted on.
Ignoring Children's Data Protection
If your organization processes personal data of children, neglecting the specific protections afforded to them under GDPR is a critical error. Children are considered more vulnerable, and as such, specific rules apply, particularly regarding consent for online services. For example, parental consent is generally required for children under 16 (though Member States can set a lower age, not below 13). A mistake is not having mechanisms in place to verify the age of users or to obtain parental consent where necessary, especially for online services. Ignoring these specific provisions can lead to significant regulatory scrutiny and penalties.