Today 28 January is International Data Privacy Day (also known as Data Protection Day). The purpose of Data Privacy Day is to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices. In addition to its educational initiative, Data Privacy Day promotes events and activities that stimulate the development of technology tools that promote individual control over personally identifiable information; encourage compliance with privacy laws and regulations; and create dialogues among stakeholders interested in advancing data protection and privacy.

Data Privacy Day started in 2007 and commemorates the January 28, 1981, signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection.

According to PwC research, only 25% of consumers believe most companies handle their personal data responsibly. As people become more aware of the loose handling of their data by social networks, tech giants and governments, implementing strong control over handling of personal information is becoming a powerful business advantage. In the near future companies will need to show their clients and customers that they can meet a good transparency standard by ensuring they can explain why they collect and share specific data, as well as prove that they have properly asked clients and customers for permission and notified them about data collection and processing as well as being clear about data holding and deletion policies and processes.

Today seems like a good day to highlight the fact that we as a firm see increasing demand for Data Privacy advice and increasing focus by the regulators on ensuring businesses are taking Data Privacy seriously and living and breathing a Data Privacy culture.

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