What’s The Benefit of GDPR Consultancy Services for US Businesses?

Over the next few years, every US business is going to be doing more with AI and other new tech. How will that affect you from a data protection perspective? Lets’ find out.

Why GDPR – and your GDPR services – are relevant to US businesses

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was implemented in 2018. It’s not a US law and it doesn’t directly affect your US customers, but if as part of selling your goods or services to the EU you process the data of EU residents, it affects your US business.

Under Article 27 of GDPR, companies which process the personal information of EU data subjects are required to appoint an EU representative in an EU member state in which they are active. This GDPR rep acts as a bridge between EU authorities, data subjects and your US business.

If you’re wondering ‘do I really need to appoint an EU GDPR representative?’ the answer is yes. The penalties for not doing so can be severe, as several US household names have already discovered.

Yet the real reason to comply with the GDPR isn’t merely to avoid penalties. Make GDPR services part of the way you operate, and the benefits could stretch much further than simply avoiding a fine.

5 ways an EU Representative can benefit your US business

Take full advantage of new technology

There’s a big difference between the number of US businesses currently using AI and the number that expect to be using it in the next few years. According to the Pew Research Center, currently only around 3% of US businesses are using AI. According to Forbes, however, 59% of US businesses believe AI will help save them costs.

AI is coming, and at its core – in fact the thing that makes AI effective – is data. If you want your business to harness the power of AI, you’ll need to harness data too. And if you work with personal data, you’ll need a way of protecting it. Your EU GDPR consultant may be there to ensure you can do that from an EU consumer perspective, but the benefits will apply everywhere. 

Be ahead of the game when laws change

GDPR is a challenging piece of legislation for companies to comply with. In many ways, it’s the gold standard of personal data protection around the world. The US doesn’t have a single, comparable piece of data protection legislation yet, but we can expect things to change.

As technology evolves and people hand over more of their data to bots and machine learning, we can expect even the traditionally legislation-resistant US to increase data protection standards.

When it does, those organisations that have already appointed their GDPR EU representative and which are complying with GDPR will have a much shallower data protection learning curve, which will give them a competitive advantage.

Protect consumer trust at home and overseas

The US will increase its own data protection standards if US citizens feel increasingly unhappy about the way some organizations handle their data.

The evidence suggests sentiment is already shifting in that direction. In 2020, the Pew Research Center found more than half of US adults had decided not to use a product or service because they were worried about how much personal data they would have to hand over to do so.

By working with an EU representative to help you comply with GDPR, you create a data secure organization, you build a reputation for responsibility, and you foster trust and loyalty with consumers.

Tailor your compliance

GDPR compliance isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ deal. Every business is unique, and so are its data processing activities. The right GDPR services can ensure your data protection measures are tailored to your activities.

Not only does that mean they can help you identify and fill gaps in your data practices. They can also ensure you target your efforts at the right goals, which can save you time and money.

Reduce business risk

“I think we may have had a data breach.” If ever there was a phone call to make your blood run cold, it’s that one. Data smart organizations aren’t immune from cyber-attack, but by working with an EU representative to comply with GDPR, they are more likely to have structures in place to mitigate risk. They are also much more likely to have processes in place to react to any breach with speed, transparency and reputation-protecting clarity.   

One way your GDPR rep will help you achieve that risk reduction is with a Data Protection Impact Assessment. DPIAs are essential tools in understanding and mitigating risks associated with data processing activities. Your EU GDPR consultant will help your business conduct comprehensive DPIAs, so it can proactively address privacy concerns, uphold GDPR principles, and reduce risk.

Appoint your EU GDPR Representative

If you process the data of EU residents, you probably need to comply with GDPR. Yet by appointing an EU representative to help you meet your responsibilities, you can achieve so much more than mere compliance.

To reduce risk, build consumer trust, prepare for new technology and get ahead of evolving US (and global) data protection law, talk to GDPR Local.  

Find the right EU GDPR representative for you now, get data protection advice or, for questions about your next steps, call us on +1 303 317 5998.