GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) changes

We know that many Members are becoming concerned about the data protection changes that come into force in late May and how those changes will affect their clubs and societies.

The RSGB has been preparing for the new law and explains more about it below.

What is GDPR and why change from the Data Protection Act 1998?

GDPR will give EU citizens more control over how their personal data is used. It will make it clearer for organisations (including both businesses and clubs) to understand their data protection requirements. However, it will also bring significant fines for those who ignore or break the rules. The GDPR is already enshrined in UK law so there won’t be any change after Brexit.

Does it affect clubs and societies?

We know that understanding how the changes affect your club or society can be challenging and we recommend that you look at the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website. This is a good source of information, has checklists that will help you to decide what changes you need to make and a “12 steps to GDPR” document to follow (11-page/539KB PDF).

We are keen to support our Members but as every club and society will store and process data differently the RSGB is unable to offer guidance in response to individual requests. The Society also cannot offer specific legal advice as each club is responsible in law for its own compliance.

However, we encourage you to look at the ICO website, follow the steps it offers and work together within your club to ensure that you are ready when the law changes on 25 May 2018. The Federation of Small Businesses also has a helpful visual checklist that you could use as a guide to the process.

The RSGB and your data

We take your privacy seriously. We have been working hard to prepare for the new Act and, in order to comply with it, we will need you to update your preferences.