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Can an individual get a GDPR fine?

Worried about being personally liable for 20 million euro fine?  (errr, do you guys take card?) We’ve got good news, it’s highly unlikely, unless your side hustle is a one-employee Facebook clone. But it’s not totally straightforward.  It is quite easy to find yourself liable for some smaller fines. So in this article we’ll explore … Read more

GDPR & Recaptcha: How to stay compliant with GDPR

ReCaptcha I am not a robot pattern

Google Recaptcha is a great tool for preventing spam and abuse of your website. It’s easy to integrate, effective and free. What’s not to like? Well, while this tool is great for preventing spam, it can create another set of problems for you in terms of GDPR compliance.  In this article we will explore how … Read more

GDPR & Google Analytics 4: What you need to know

Google Analytics on a Laptop

Thinking of switching to the new Google Analytics 4? Stay GDPR compliant by reading our short guide where we’ll outline the areas you should pay the most attention to when making the switch. Switching to Google Analytics 4 gives marketers & site managers a wide range benefits: Machine learning: access to automatic insights and improved … Read more

ICO fines protein e-commerce company Muscle Foods Limited for sending millions of marketing messages without valid consent

Salmon and High Protein Foods on a Table

Over seven months, the ICO estimates that protein retailing e-commerce company Muscle Food sent 135,651,627 marketing emails and 6,354,426 marketing SMS messages without valid consent. The ICO have issued Muscle Foods Limited, trading as Muscle Food, a monetary penalty notice and enforcement notice imposing a fine of £50,000 for sending approximately 135,651,627 marketing emails and … Read more

ICO fines “Digital Growth Experts Ltd” £60,000 for sending thousands of nuisance marketing texts during coronavirus pandemic

Handgel Applied to Woman's Hand

The ICO have recently fined “Digital Growth Experts Ltd”, formerly “Motorhome Brokers Ltd” for sending thousands of marketing text messages without consent.  This brazen breach of PECR occured between 29 February and 30 April 2020. Reportedly, 16,190 messages were received, promoting a hand sanitising gel. During their investigation the ICO found that Digital Growth Experts … Read more

The most common cookie banner mistakes and how to fix them

Is your cookie banner breaking the law? Probably. Most website owners will remember the rush many years ago, to comply with the “EU Cookie Law”. The original 2011 directive made cookie notices a part of internet life. But it didn’t really do much for people’s privacy. Compliance was at best — patchy. Some of us … Read more

Security firm fined under GDPR after employee used WhatsApp to transfer personal information

WhatsApp on Phone

On the 10th July 2020, the AEPD – Spain’s data protection authority initiated a sanctioning procedure to fine the Barcelona Airport Security Guard Association (AVSAB) under the GDPR. The case found that a member of the AVSAB security group had used WhatsApp to send messages to private phone numbers containing personal information about employees.  The … Read more

Spanish Data Authority (AEPD) fines e-commerce website €3,000 for unlawful cookie practices

Phone & Earphones

On 6 August 2020, the AEPD (Spain’s data authority) decided to fine Grow Beats SL, an e-commerce company that targets a young audience to sell audio equipment like earphones and speakers, €3,000 for unlawful cookie practices. The fine relates to their unlawful use of cookies on the website. Specifically, that there mechanism was established to … Read more