Introduction

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) comes into force across the European Union on 25th May 2018 and brings with it the most significant changes to data protection law in two decades. Based on privacy by design and taking a risk-based approach, GDPR has been designed to meet the requirements of the digital age.

The 21st Century brings with it broader use of technology, new definitions of what constitutes personal data, and a vast increase in cross-border processing. The new Regulation aims to standardise data protection laws and processing across the EU, affording individuals stronger, more consistent rights to access and control their personal information.

Our commitment

Nexia AJ is committed to ensuring the security and protection of the personal information that we process, and to provide a compliant and consistent approach to data protection. We have always had a robust and effective data protection program in place which complies with existing law and abides by the data protection principles. However, we recognise our obligations in updating and expanding this program to meet the demands of the GDPR and its subsequent integration into the UK’s Data Protection Bill.

Nexia AJ is dedicated to safeguarding the personal information under our remit and in developing a data protection regime that is effective, fit for purpose and demonstrates an understanding of, and appreciation for the new Regulation. Our preparation and objectives for GDPR compliance have been summarised in this statement and include the development and implementation of new data protection roles, policies, procedures, controls and measures to ensure maximum and ongoing compliance.

How we are preparing for the GDPR

Nexia AJ aims to be fully compliant with the GDPR by 25th May 2018. Our preparation includes the following actions:

• Obtaining Consent – we are revising our consent mechanisms for obtaining personal data, ensuring that individuals understand what they are providing, why and how we use it and giving clear, defined ways to consent to us processing their information. We have developed stringent processes for recording consent, making sure that we can evidence an affirmative opt-in, along with time and date records; and an easy to see and access way to withdraw consent at any time.
• Information Audit – we have carried out an information audit to identify and assess what personal information we hold, where it comes from, how and why it is processed and if and to whom it is disclosed.
• Policies & Procedures – we are revising our data protection policies and procedures to meet the requirements and standards of the GDPR and any relevant data protection laws, including the following:
  • Data Protection –we are updating our main policy and procedure document for data protection to meet the standards and requirements of the GDPR. Accountability and governance measures are in place to ensure that we understand and adequately disseminate and evidence our obligations and responsibilities, with a dedicated focus on privacy by design and the rights of individuals.
  • Data Retention & Erasure – we are updating our retention policy and schedule to ensure that we meet the ‘data minimisation’ and ‘storage limitation’ principles and that personal information is stored, archived and destroyed compliantly and ethically. We are developing dedicated erasure procedures to meet the new ‘Right to Erasure’ obligation and are aware of when this and other data subject’s rights apply, along with any exemptions, response timeframes and notification responsibilities.
  • Data Breaches – our data breach procedures will ensure that we have safeguards and measures in place to identify, assess, investigate and report any personal data breach at the earliest possible time. Our procedures will be disseminated to all employees, making them aware of the reporting lines and steps to follow.
  • International Data Transfers & Third-Party Disclosures – as an international organization with a presence in numerous countries around the world, we frequently transfer personal information outside the EU and we have robust procedures and safeguarding measures in place to secure, encrypt and maintain the integrity of the data. Our procedures include a continual review of the countries with sufficient adequacy decisions, as well as provisions for binding corporate rules; standard data protection clauses or approved codes of conduct for those countries without. We carry out strict due diligence checks with all recipients of personal data to assess and verify that they have appropriate safeguards in place to protect the information, ensure enforceable data subject rights and have effective legal remedies for data subjects where applicable.
  • Subject Access Request (SAR) – we are revising our SAR procedures to accommodate the revised 30-day timeframe for providing the requested information and for making this provision free of charge. Our procedures will detail how to verify the data subject, what steps to take for processing an access request, what exemptions apply and a suite of response templates to ensure that communications with data subjects are compliant, consistent and adequate.
• Legal Basis for Processing - we have, and continue to, review all processing activities to identify the legal basis for processing and ensuring that each basis is appropriate for the activity it relates to. Where applicable, we also maintain records of our processing activities, ensuring that our obligations under Article 30 of the GDPR and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Bill are met.
• Privacy Notice/Policy – we are revising our Privacy Notices to comply with the GDPR, ensuring that all individuals whose personal information we process have been informed of why we need it, how it is used, what their rights are, who the information is disclosed to and what safeguarding measures are in place to protect their information.
• Direct Marketing – we are revising the wording and processes for direct marketing, including clear opt-in mechanisms for marketing subscriptions; a clear notice and method for opting out and providing unsubscribe features on all subsequent marketing materials.
• Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) – where we process personal information that is considered high risk, involves large scale processing or includes special category/criminal conviction data; we are developing stringent procedures and assessment templates for carrying out impact assessments that comply fully with the GDPR’s Article 35 requirements. We are implementing documentation processes that record each assessment, allow us to rate the risk posed by the processing activity and implement mitigating measures to reduce the risk posed to the data subjects.
• Processor Agreements – where we use any third-party to process personal information on our behalf (i.e. Event Registration, Recruitment, Hosting etc), we have drafted compliant Processor Agreements and due diligence procedures for ensuring that they (as well as we), meet and understand their/our GDPR obligations. These measures include initial and ongoing reviews of the service provided, the necessity of the processing activity, the technical and organisational measures in place and compliance with the GDPR.
• Special Categories Data – we do not generally collect or process data that fall within the definition of Special category data, but where we obtain and process any such information, we do so in compliance with the Article 9 requirements and have high-level encryptions and protections on all such data. Special category data will only be processed where absolutely necessary and is only processed where we have first identified the appropriate Article 9(2) basis or the Data Protection Bill Schedule 1 condition. Where we rely on consent for processing, this will be explicit and verified by a signature, with the right to modify or remove consent being clearly signposted.

Member firm commitment

We ask you to provide necessary information relating to your staff for the purposes of running the network. This information is solely used to facilitate communications and processes approved by the international board of directors. Please ensure that you adhere to local regulations pertaining to providing this information about your people for processes by Nexia. Member firms are responsible for obtaining the consent and recording such consent for each employee that is represented on the Nexia AJ website and for ensuring that their details are removed from the Nexia AJ website when they are no longer employed by the member firm.

Data subject rights

In addition to the policies and procedures mentioned above that ensure individuals can enforce their data protection rights, we provide easy to access information, via the Secretariat, of an individual’s right to access any personal information that Nexia AJ processes about them and to request information about:

• What personal data we hold about them
• The purposes of the processing
• The categories of personal data concerned
• The recipients to whom the personal data has/will be disclosed
• How long we intend to store personal data for
• If we did not collect the data directly from them, information about the source
• The right to have incomplete or inaccurate data about them corrected or completed and the process for requesting this
• The right to request erasure of personal data (where applicable) or to restrict processing in accordance with data protection laws, as well as to object to any direct marketing from us and to be informed about any automated decision-making that we use
• The right to lodge a complaint or seek judicial remedy and who to contact in such instances

Information security & technical and organisational measures

Nexia AJ takes the privacy and security of individuals and their personal information seriously and takes every reasonable measure and precaution to protect and secure the personal data that we process.

GDPR roles and employees

Nexia AJ has designated the Executive Manager as our Appointed Data Protection Person for the development of the data privacy and implementation our roadmap for complying with the new data protection Regulation. Everyone in the Secretariat is responsible for promoting awareness of the GDPR across the organisation, assessing our GDPR readiness, identifying any gap areas and implementing the new policies, procedures and measures.

Nexia AJ understands that continuous employee awareness and understanding is vital to the continued compliance of the GDPR and we have involved our employees in our preparation plans. We have implemented an employee training program specific to GDPR which will be provided to all employees prior to May 25th, 2018, and forms part of our induction and annual training program.

If you have any questions about our preparation for the GDPR, please contact the Executive Manager via email at info@nexia.com or at the Global Office in London.

Jayaram K

Director/Partner

Nexia AJ

26 Jun 2019