A report from the Capgemini Research Institute has found that 16 months on from the General Data Protection Regulation’s (GDPR) introduction, only 28% of enterprises are complying with it.
In a report titled ‘Championing Data Protection and Privacy – a Source of Competitive Advantage in the Digital Century’, more than 1,000 executives from 10 different countries were surveyed. Researchers compared the number that expected to be GDPR compliant by June 2018 when asked last year, and the number that actually were in June 2019.
Overall, more than three quarters (78%) of last year’s respondents expected to be compliant, so the actual figure of 28% a year on shows enterprises are lagging well behind their own expectations. In Sweden, the proportion of GDPR-compliant firms is as low as 18%.
The UK is performing a little bit than the average, with 33% adhering to the regulation, but this still leaves two thirds at risk of a GDPR breach. The US boasts the best rate of compliance at 35%, which is interesting because the GDPR only affects countries in the European Union, although the US is preparing for the introduction of a similar piece of legislation on January 1, 2020 – the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA).
Excuses given by execs failing to comply included tough IT challenges (38%), complicated GDPR requirements (36%) and the cost of aligning systems with the rule (33%).
However, among those that are in compliance, 81% say it has had a positive effect on the company image and reputation, suggesting that the attraction of meeting GDPR requirements extends beyond simply avoiding punishment.
At Engage Web, we understand that the demands of GDPR are challenging for small businesses, but the risk of a 4% of turnover fine for non-compliance is too serious to ignore. Why not speak to us to find out how we can make your website GDPR compliant?
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