Guernsey’s Office of the Data Protection Authority (ODPA) is reminding all organisations established in the Bailiwick that work with information about people (personal data) to complete a registration, or renew their existing registration and pay the appropriate fee.
All organisations, regardless of their size or sector, have a legal obligation to complete their registration by the end of February under The Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2017.
The ODPA has directly contacted all organisations who registered during 2021 to remind them to review and renew their existing registration before the registration window closes at the end of February. For any eligible organisations who are not yet registered, they also have until the end of February to complete the simple 5-minute process of setting up a new registration.
The Bailiwick’s Data Protection Commissioner, Emma Martins, confirmed registration is important but also that organisations should engage with data protection as part of their normal ways of working. “After you’ve completed the annual exercise of reviewing and renewing your registration
with us, it’s a good opportunity to review your legal obligations under The Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2017 – as they are what you need to focus on 365 days a year to ensure that you are treating people’s data well. Meeting these duties benefits you directly as it helps build trust and confidence with your customers, service users, staff and any other people whose data you use.”
The ‘processing’ of personal data refers to anything an organisation does with personal data including collecting, storing, organising, using, altering, disclosing, erasing and destroying data. ‘Personal data’ is defined as information (facts or opinions) about, or related to, an identified or
identifiable living person. This can include a huge range of information such as names, addresses, medical records, CCTV footage, social media activity, internet browsing history, emails which include content about individuals, and political views.
The annual levy to be paid to the ODPA is based on the number of employees in each organisation, and is unchanged from last year: £2,000 per year for organisations with 50 or more full-time equivalent staff, and £50 for all other entities. These levies fund the ODPA’s activities as an independent regulator. Charities and non-profit organisations can register free of charge.
Corporate service providers, that currently register a number of entities with the ODPA can become an ODPA Levy Collection Agent (LCA). This allows them to continue registering administered entities with the ODPA and collect the relevant fees from them. LCAs must be registered with or regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission.
Emma added, “The registration process is deliberately straightforward so that organisations can focus their efforts on what data protection legislation seeks to achieve: ensuring all human beings are treated with respect and dignity.”
To register with the ODPA, visit the website by 28 February 2022.
