When I’m not busy helping Cardonet’s customers with proactive IT support, I study philosophy, and in my philosophy class last week we explored the topic of organ donation. Along with learning about the Victorian’s macabre obsession with death and the origin of the phrase “saved by the bell”, I had another interesting revelation.
To my surprise, I noticed that the words and phrases used to describe the process of opting in or out of organ donation looks very much like the wording marketers use when they want you to opt into email lists or newsletters.
We are all now very familiar with phrases like “opt in” “opt out” “deemed consent” etc. because of the tidal wave of communications about GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) but I’m sure that – like me – many of you were unaware about the possible changes to organ donation consent.
Proposed change to regulation: deemed consent
The House of Commons is at the early stages of considering a bill, which – if passed – means that at death all UK citizens will be donors unless they have actively registered their decision to ‘opt out’. This ‘deemed consent’ system is already in use in Wales.
The purpose of the change is to address the fact that at any one time there are around 6,400 people on the transplant waiting list and on average three people die each day in the UK in need of an organ transplant.
Now I want to be clear that I’m not against organ donation and I do not plan on opting out. But I am slightly concerned that I – my family, my team and my customers – have all heard an awful lot more about GDPR than we have about the possibility of organ donation in the UK changing from “opt in” to “deemed consent” unless we proactively “opt out”.
Essentially, unless we intervene the UK government will have decided for us that we will donate our organs after death. Whereas, once GDPR comes into force at the end of May 2018, we will each wield much more power and choice with our personal data (email address, postal address, ethnicity, political beliefs) as standard.
So why is it I have heard so much more about GDPR? Is my personal data more important than my kidneys or corneas?
Is GDPR just another money-making scheme for cynical businesses?
As an IT business owner I understand that there is a need to educate businesses and individuals about cyber security and for data controllers and processers to be more transparent about how they use personal data.
However I can’t help but think at least some (and I’m being generous there) of the “noise” around GDPR is a cynical attempt to generate revenue out of others’ ignorance. I can’t be alone in noticing the number of data protection experts that have emerged in the last 12 months?
It seems we’ve lost all sense of proportion when it comes to data protection.
How will GDPR impact on charities?
I’m especially concerned about the charity sector and the double opt-in issue. People (donors, fun runners, volunteers) are likely to ignore or miss requests to re-confirm consent for communications, which means the charities will lose the ability to communicate with their hard-won supporters.
So – I urge you – if you are a charity supporter look out for emails from your chosen charities asking you to “opt in” to continued communication so that they do not become victim to what feels to me like over-zealous regulation on the part of the EU.
What is GDPR anyway?
According to the ICO “The General Data Protection Regulation is a new, European-wide law that replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 in the UK. It places greater obligations on how organisations handle personal data.”
GDPR comes into effect on 25 May 2018 and it will continue to be relevant in the UK post Brexit.
If you are confused about the General Data Protection Regulation, I recommend first having a listen to this introductory GDPR webinar and discover how we help you achieve compliance.
Then delve into the plethora of information on the ICO website.
And finally, make sure you opt-in to keep hearing from the businesses and charities you support.
You must be logged in to post a comment.