On 25th May, an update to the 1993 Data Protection Act will come into force. This is known as the GDPR. You have probably heard of it as most of the websites, apps and services that we all use on a day-to-day basis are updating their privacy policies and sending out notices like this one.
COPE collects the personal details of people in association with a journal or publisher becoming a member journal of COPE. We need to collect personal data to allow us to carry out our duties to your members and to allow us to process and maintain membership.
Our current privacy policy. Before the 25th May, this page will be updated and expanded to include specific details of how we handle your personal data, where it is stored, how it is processed, with which services the data is shared and when we delete personal data. COPE will also add specific consent sections to the individual pages where we collect personal data to make users aware that we are collecting and storing their data and, if applicable, to allow them to opt out. We will also be sending out a specific consent request to all members informing them of their new, expanded rights and asking them to give their consent to us to use their personal data.
We are busy making the necessary changes to our site and an update will be posted with the June issue of COPE Digest.
If you have any questions or concerns about the changes brought about by the GDPR or how COPE handles your personal data, you may send an email to the COPE Web Manager, Dom Mitchell.