GDPR? Bah, it's made no difference to us, Brits insist

British consumers reckon that GDPR – the biggest shake-up of data protection legislation in a generation – has failed them and that their data is no more or no less secure than it was when the regulation was first implemented nearly a year ago.
So says a new study by Idex Biometrics Asa, which claims 84% of the respondents believe GDPR has not been taken seriously enough. The report argues that businesses should be clearer in stating their security-first approach, as well as in employing new technologies such as biometrics.
However, the level of trust consumers have in different companies and how they handle user data varies widely, depending on the industry sector.
Almost half (45%) feel safe sharing their information with financial services firms, but less so with hospitality companies, with just 15% happy to hand over data to them. The report’s authors argue that consumers tend to have increased trust in businesses which operate in highly regulated markets.
Idex Biometrics senior vice-president David Orme said: “We are now one year into a post-GDPR world and our research clearly shows that consumers don’t feel their data is any safer for it.
“Considering the level of trust consumers put in companies to protect their personal information, businesses across all sectors need to address the distinct lack of belief that personal information is more secure because of GDPR.”
“No matter what the sector, companies need to be more transparent in their approach to data security and embrace techniques such as biometric authentication to improve compliance measures and drive consumer confidence. After all, consumer trust and retention is key to creating a competitive edge for any business.”