About the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
What is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?
On 25 May 2018, a new data protection law will apply across the EU, including the UK.
The new law called the EU General Data Protection Regulation or ‘GDPR’, is designed to give you more control over your information and increases your data protection rights. The law also introduces stricter standards for how organisations collect and share your personal information, which is anything that relates to, and could be used to identify you, such as your name or email address.
Who does the GDPR affect?
All organisations that use and process personal information will need to comply.
That includes the voluntary sector, and you will start to see a difference in the way organisations communicate with you about how they use your information. The new law also applies to organisations outside the EU that offer goods or services to people living within the region.
How does the new law affect Amnesty International UK?
Among other changes, Amnesty International UK will need to be able to prove we have your explicit permission to send you communications by email and SMS.
This includes any communications that provide information about our latest petitions, human rights campaigns and ways you can donate. The law could have a huge impact on how Amnesty International UK can keep our supporters up-to-date about our work – and in some instances, we may need to ask you for your permission to keep hearing from us before 25 May 2018.
What am I giving my permission for?
By giving us your consent to email or phone you, you are agreeing to future updates from Amnesty International UK
(which includes our charitable arm, company and any commercial subsidiaries) about our work, including information about our latest campaigns, events, volunteering opportunities and fundraising appeals, and how your support can help protect human rights.
By giving us your consent to contact you via text message, you are signing up to our Pocket Protest network, which allows you to quickly take action on urgent petitions and donate to fundraising appeals. You can unsubscribe from the network at any time by texting STOP to 70505 at any time. More info and full terms and conditions for our Pocket Protest network are available at amnesty.org.uk/smsterms.
When you agree to hear from us via any of those channels, we will honour your existing preferences.
I signed up to be a member last year – don’t you already have my consent?
Not necessarily. The GDPR introduces stricter standards for how organisations collect and share your personal information,
so while the consent we gathered last year is compliant with existing data protection rules, this may no longer be the case when the new law comes into force in May. This is why we need to contact many of our supporters ensure we get updated information about how they want to hear from us before 25 May 2018.
Do you need my permission to send me updates via post?
Under the GDPR, we are allowed to contact you by post without asking for your consent.
We do this because we raise vital funds from our mail campaigns. We make it clear on every postal mailing that you can opt-out at any time and include simple instructions on how to do so.
If you’d like to opt out of receiving post from us, please get in touch with our Supporter Communications Team via email at sct@amnesty.org.uk, over the phone on +44 (0) 20 7033 1777 (Monday to Friday – 9am to 6pm) or by writing to Supporter Communications Team, Amnesty International UK, The Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EA.