Another Privacy Policy Update Email…

So, if you are having a similar experience to me, this is not your first Policy Update email. Personally, my In Box has been flooded for the past 2 weeks. It is overwhelming, and for this I am apologetic for yet, one more from me, us, CVAP. However, I am also very understanding from a small business perspective as this new GDPR thing has overtaken many of us. The amount of research, website updates, email reformatting, etc. that is required is crazy.

 

What is GDPR?

A quick rundown on GDPR. If you’re not familiar, GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation. This is a regulation requirement agreed upon by the European Parliament and Council in April of 2016, that is coming to fruition, with the deadline for compliance, landing on us today, May 25, 2018. Although, it is primarily a EU requirement, it literally affects everyone. If you have a website or mailing list that could possibly be visited by someone residing in the EU, you must comply.

Now you could go to measures to ignore the regulation requirements, but then you would have to go through many exercises to block anyone from the EU from reaching your website, joining your mailing list and/or ever purchasing your services or products. However, the amount of work required to do so, well, it just seems silly. Not to mention that eventually, the US and other countries will likely follow in tightening the regulations to the same or similar as GDPR. So, why not just comply now and get it over with?!

 

What are the GDPR Regulations?

What are the regulations? Well, in my very elementary interpretation, it means this: You must very clearly define and notify your visitors and newsletter subscribers how you will collect their email address and/or any other information they choose to share with you. It is all voluntary! If you choose not to share your email address or name, then it is irrelevant. However, if you share your name and email address with CVAP, we just must notify you and share back, how we will collect that data, store it and utilize it. We also must do this including a bunch of legalese.

 

How Will Our Relationship Change?

For us at CVAP, and most legitimate businesses, nothing is changing in how we process your information. We will collect your name and email address (with your permission only) to send you email, updates and newsletters. The storage of this data is just as secure as before and NEVER, EVER is your data shared, sold or used for any intention other than basic communication with you.

So, rest assured that we at CVAP and 99% of the other companies who are reaching out to you with Updated Policies are simply complying with the new regulations and sharing, quite transparently, how all operations are secure and 100% voluntary on your part. You may unsubscribe from any mailing list, at any time, securely and even on a whim if you’re having a bad day!

 

What Do I Need to Do?

Be patient with those smaller businesses your partner with as they have been working diligently behind the scenes to add in the appropriate “language”, update forms, update website pages and jumping through all of the behind-the-scenes hoops required to be compliant.

We are all still here to serve your needs and partner with you in your future endeavors. We are just required to fill your email In Box with the required update notices, and then we can get back to the business we all are meant to be here for.

There is no action needed on your part other than to continue supporting the relationships you have already built. If you want to continue receiving communication from those you interact with, no action is required, though some may be asking your to RE-Confirm your interest in remaining on their mailing list.

If you do not want to remain on a mailing list, simply look for the Unsubscribe link, usually towards the bottom of the email, unsubscribe, and you’re done. No hard feelings and no repercussions. It is always your choice, as it should be.