Following parliament’s debate of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, Marijus Briedis, Chief Technology Officer at cybersecurity company NordVPN, has commented.
Marijus Briedis, Chief Technology Officer at NordVPN said: “By seeking to put clear water between itself and Europe over GDPR rules, the Government is putting the personal privacy of UK residents at risk.
“Relaxing some data restrictions may benefit smaller companies but ultimately it has the potential to allow a consolidation of power among tech giants who already hold a huge influence over our lives.
“Companies should be made more accountable when it comes to our information, but instead some of the Government’s proposals reduce the need for transparency and could make it harder for people to find out how their data is being used.
“Large organisations are regularly the focus of cyber attacks, but it’s often their own poor safety practices that leave them vulnerable. Weakening some of the GDPR principles could make it easier for corporations to be negligent and open the door for greater data thefts.
“Millions of consumers are having their details legally collected and traded every day, so it’s vital that our data rights are prioritised. These plans, which tilt the balance in favour of advertisers and data brokers, may risk turning our individual freedoms into an afterthought.”
