GDPR is a revolutionary privacy framework that allows EU residents to control their personal information so as to help consumers trust that they can freely and safely use digital technologies around the world.
"Global companies have demonstrated that they can adopt it and have succeeded in implementing new systems to ensure people understand and control their personal data. The regulation inspired a global move for a stronger confidentiality regulation by adopting new laws in Brazil, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and elsewhere, "says Julie Brill, Corporate VP & Deputy General Counsel , Microsoft, in an article published on the Microsoft On the Issues blog.
People are encouraged to manage their information through Microsoft's control panel
At the core of the global move to modernize privacy laws is the new way people understand the right to privacy, as technology changes how they create and share information. Throughout the world, digital technology is expected to provide benefits without losing control over personal information. For this reason, Microsoft was the first company to provide GDPR data control rights to customers around the world, and not just in Europe.
A year later, the growing number of people using the Microsoft Privacy Control Panel is a clear sign that people want to have data control.
Since the GDPR came into force, over 18 million people around the world have used this tool to manage their personal information. The highest level of engagement, both per capita and in absolute figures, continues to come from the United States, where about 6.7 million people have used the privacy control panel. Residents of European countries under GDPR are also a significant percentage of people who have visited the confidentiality control panel - so far, more than 4 million EU customers have logged in to manage data. Japan ranks second in the use of the Privacy Control Panel, and Canada ranks fifth. Other top 10 countries included Brazil, China, Mexico and Australia.
Transforming culture and promoting privacy across the digital economy
In order to increase the importance of confidentiality and to integrate it into their operational systems, companies like Microsoft that have adhered to the GDPR norms have undergone a profound cultural change that begins at the executive level and involves the entire organization. Within Microsoft, the responsibility to protect customer confidentiality is the starting point for each activity, and the commitment to greater control and empowerment of users is stronger than ever.
The results of this cultural transformation can be seen in the company's products and services. For example, new phase have been announced last month to increase transparency about collected data when users use Microsoft products to give them more control over how they are used. The new steps include describing the data collected using clear and easy-to-understand terms, and facilitating user control over their personal information. To increase transparency, a new biannual report on data collection procedures has been introduced.
Microsoft also provides its clients with tools to help them comply with their privacy obligations in accordance with the GDPR rules and provisions. In order for game developers to more easily comply GDPR, tools have been developed to allow players to view or delete the data stored about them.
Features are available that enhance the way companies secure personal data and protect the privacy of their employees and customers.
To help companies protect personal information from mobile devices, Microsoft has announced a number of advanced privacy and security capabilities that enable IT managers of companies to better apply their privacy and security policies.
In April, new Office365 ProPlus privacy tools have been released, which provides greater control over the diagnostic data sent to Microsoft and the optional cloud-based Office features that improve functionality.
A framework for the new Interoperability Laws around the world
It is essential that privacy laws be interoperable so that data can flow efficiently across national boundaries. Interoperability will help smaller companies innovate by reducing costs and compliance complexity, making sure that they do not have to meet different and even contradictory requirements and also offer the strongest protection.
Since its entry into force, GDPR has been an important catalyst for progress in confidentiality. Countries around the world have implemented new laws that reflect the new understanding of privacy in our digital age. Some companies are more successful in managing sensitive personal data and have provided new tools that facilitate the management and control of personal information by people.
