What impact does the General Data Protection Regulation have on social media activities?
June 25, 2022 | 55,00 EUR | answered by Tobias Helbig
Dear Data Protection Lawyer,
My name is Claudia Nitsche and I have been running a small physiotherapy practice for some time now. In order to promote my services and attract new clients, I actively use social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. I regularly post content about my work, experiences from satisfied customers, and information about current offers.
However, with the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), I am unsure about how this will affect my social media activities. I have read some articles and attended workshops, but there are still some unanswered questions.
My main concern is how to ensure that I comply with data protection regulations, especially in terms of using personal data in my posts and comments. Additionally, I am wondering if I can still publish certain information about my clients without obtaining their explicit consent.
I want to make sure that I do not violate the GDPR and do not have to worry about legal consequences. At the same time, I want to continue using my social media channels successfully to promote my practice and stay in touch with my clients.
Could you please explain to me the specific implications of the GDPR on my social media activities? Are there specific measures or guidelines that I, as a physiotherapist, must follow to act in compliance with data protection regulations? I would be very grateful for your professional advice and support in this matter.
Sincerely,
Claudia Nitsche
Dear Ms. Nitsche,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on your social media activities as a physiotherapist. It is understandable that you are unsure about how to comply with data protection policies, especially when it comes to using personal data in your posts and comments. I would like to help you and explain some important points that you should consider in order to act in compliance with data protection regulations.
The GDPR states that personal data can only be processed lawfully and transparently. This means that you must ensure that you have the consent of your customers before publishing their personal data on your social media channels. This applies to both images and information that can identify your customers.
To ensure that you comply with data protection policies, I recommend obtaining clear consent from your customers before publishing their data. This consent should be transparent and voluntary, and customers should be informed about which data will be used for what purpose. Furthermore, you should ensure that you securely store your customers' data and protect it from unauthorized access.
Additionally, make sure not to publish sensitive personal data of your customers on your social media channels. This includes health data or information about religious beliefs, for example. These data are particularly sensitive and should only be published with the explicit consent of the individual concerned.
It is also important to respect the rights of your customers, such as the right to access, rectify, or delete their data. If a customer requests to remove their data from your social media channels, you should promptly comply with this request.
In summary, ensure that you obtain consent from your customers, do not publish sensitive data, securely store the data, and respect the rights of your customers. By following these guidelines, you can continue to successfully use your social media channels to promote your practice and stay in touch with your customers without violating the GDPR.
I hope this information is helpful to you and I am available for any further questions.
Sincerely,
Tobias Helbig - Data Protection Lawyer
