Update Autumn 2017
The responsible approach to data protection
From the work we are doing with our clients and the column inches devoted to it, we can see that preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation coming into force next May is taking up considerable bandwidth.
Data protection has clearly moved from being a back office function to a board agenda item. As the UK Information Commissioner has said, compliance is about more than just the legal obligation; good data management practices are about building consumer trust and responsible businesses within the digital economy.
Our view is that the law is driving a potential sea-change in terms of attitude. It is trying to put privacy at the heart of data management and trying to give consumers and citizens control over their own data. This will require a similar mind set change in business. It will not be enough to refresh privacy notices and ask for consent. Instead businesses will have to think like their customers – Who has my data? What are they doing with it? Is it correct? How did they get it and am I happy for them to use it?
As part of our own preparations for the GDPR we will also be in touch about consent to receive our newsletter and you will see our updated privacy notice and cookie consent already on our website.
Leo Martin
Are French businesses ready for the challenges of Sapin II?
This was the subject of our fifth business ethics debate in
the Salons France Amériques in Paris. With the new french anti-corruption law placing tough new compliance requirements on companies, we asked if French companies are ready for the challenge and what difficulties they might face?
The debate provoked an interesting discussion as representatives from some of France’s leading companies discussed the practical challenges of implementing a robust compliance programme in a relatively short time. To read the full summary of the debate, in french, click here.
GoodCorporation has worked for many French companies, including six from the CAC 40, since our launch in 2001. To build on that expertise, we have now opened an office in Paris managed by a new member of the GoodCorporation team, Chloé Blais.
Chloé is the former head of the French- African compliance team for Louis Berger and former ethics manager in Total. Chloé has international experience in anti-corruption compliance, human rights, CSR programmes as well as considerable experience in West Africa.
The principles of good data protection
With fewer than 200 days to go, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) clock is ticking ever more loudly.
Protecting data is nothing new and has long been regarded as an important tenet of responsible business management.
While the core principles of the GDPR are similar to those of the Data Protection Act, the obligations and practical applications of the new law require a far more rigorous data management regime.
As a result of these changes, the best organisations are spotting that this is not a job for a legal person, an IT person or a commercial person alone. Instead all three functions needs to be combined to make a GDPR project effective. However clear overall accountability is also key.
Most organisations are embarking on data mapping exercises to ensure they understand what data they collect, where it is held, who uses it and for what purpose. This considerable effort will be wasted if organisations do not have an overall commitment to privacy by design and this is seen as simply a paper-based exercise.
GoodCorporation has been working with clients to help review and assess their existing data protection procedures using our Data Protection Framework. We have worked on data-mapping, policy and procedure reviews, staff awareness assessments as well as designing communication, training and monitoring programmes.
From the work we have carried out to-date, we have identified ten key principles that are essential to GDPR compliance.
Click here to see the principles in full and here to find out more about our data protection compliance services.
In Brief...
Chatham House: Responsible Business 2017
The second annual Chatham House Responsible Business Summit is taking place in London on November 16th.
Michael Littlechild is chairing a session on managing human rights across global supply chains.
The session will focus on business practices and the regulatory and industrial strategies that govern adherence to human rights principles and norms.
Joining Michael for the panel discussion will be Mike Davies, director of Campaigns, Planning & Evaluation, Global Witness; Paula Pyers, Senior Director of Supply Chain Social Responsibility, Apple and Richard Howitt, CEO, International Reporting Council
To register for the event click here.
Business Ethics Debates
GoodCorporation is hosting two debates at the House of Lords in November, beginning with a debate that took place on the Criminal Finances Act on November 2.
Billed by Transparency International as having equal significance with the bribery Act in the global fight against corruption, we asked what impact it will have on the corporate legal landscape and what compliance challenges does it present?
Omar Qureshi, partner and head of corporate crime at Cameron McKenna Nabarro opened the debate by discussing the key tenets of the Act and the procedures companies should be implementing.
Our second debate, being held on November 16, examines whistleblowing. Caroline West, global chief compliance officer for Olympus will lead the debate which poses the question “How can speak-up systems be truly effective in complex global organisations?”
Attendance is by invitation only, but do contact us if this is of interest.
Raising the bar on gambling controls
While the majority of gamblers do so safely, the Gambling Commission estimates that more than two million people in the UK are either problem gamblers or at risk of addiction.
The industry has a duty to protect these individuals, not just from an ethical or corporate responsibility perspective. It is also a condition of the licence to operate.
GoodCorporation has worked with leading companies in the sector so knows that good control schemes really can work.
The government has announced a further consultation on gambling controls. Our blog looks at the changes we think the government could be making.
AMLP Anti-Bribery & Corruption Forum
Gareth Thomas will be speaking at the sixth Anti Money Laundering Professionals Anti-Bribery & Corruption Forum taking place at Exchange House, City of London from 21-22 November.
Representatives from the OECD, SFO, Transparency International, Agence Française Anticorruption (AFA) will be joined by senior executives from leading international companies.
Click here for the full programme and to register. Our Update readers receive a 10% discount by quoting GoodCorporation when booking.