The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European regulation across Europe from 25 May 2018. As a result, it replaces the existing law on data protection in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and gives individuals more rights and protection in how their personal data is used by organisations. GDPR therefore simply builds on what we are already required to do in respect of data protection but recognises the extraordinary developments over the past 20 years in technology and social media, and the need for greater transparency and accountability from organisations in respect of how personal data is processed.
Just like any other charity or organization, Indian Orthodox Church (St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church) must comply with the GDPR requirements. We are now working on ways to compliant with this new law. It is a work in progress and over the next few months, we will keep you informed through the parish website and in the newsletter as policies are put in place. If you have any questions about this please do not hesitate to contact the parish office.
What is GDPR about?
GDPR is focused on looking after the privacy and rights of the individual and based on the principle that consumers and data subjects should have knowledge of:
- What personal data is held about them.
- How it is held.
- How it is used.
Personal data is information, held electronically or physically, about a living individual, which is capable of identifying that individual.
Indian Orthodox Church (St. Thomas Indian Orthodox Church) will be developing a number of resources to comply with the legislation. In addition, presentation sessions will be scheduled to provide an overview of GPDR.
For the Republic of Ireland, the lead authority is the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
Further information, guidance and resource can be found by visiting their websites: Data Protection Commissioner
Information, guidance and resources from the European Union are available here.