Happy Holidays 2024 from Keepabl

Well, 2024 was interesting to say the least. We just wanted to thank our amazing customers, consultants and contacts who have made this curates-egg year a fun and successful one!

So, what are a few things that happened?

DPDI is dead, long live DUAB!

The, in our view, poorly thought-out and badly planned DPDI Bill (well, at least the data protection parts) died a welcome and ignominious death when the Tories called an election just as it was entering its last phases. The UK was spared yet another long period of uncertainty in the data protection arena.

In its place, the Data (Use and Access) Bill was published and is racing through its stages. Much more tempered, many of the most egregious parts of the DPDI were dropped. Amendments to automated processing are probably the area that will generate most debate, we’ll have to see how it travels through 2025. Though we can expect to see this become law soon.

Legitimate interests is not legal obligation

The Dutch DPA’s crusade to, in practice, nullify the legal basis of legitimate interests finally met is comeuppence with a CJEU decision that legitimate interests could be almost any interest that is not illegal. It doesn’t have to be a legal obligation (why have both bases in Art 6 if it did?) though, of course, you have to pass the balancing test and all the rest of GDPR has to be complied with.

Decisions and Guidelines on GDPR et al

As well as the CJEU on legitimate interests, there’ve been many other helpful CJEU decisions as well as more multi-million fines including on Meta for plain text passwords, and Uber for transfers to the USA.

In terms of guidelines and opinions, the EDPB has some hot potatoes on its hands, issuing guidance on Art 5(3) of the e-Privacy Directive (on cookies and similar technologies), on obligations on processors, issuing an opinion on ‘consent or pay’ in large online platforms and asking for input on more general ‘consent or pay‘ guidelines to some soon.

AI has definitely arrived

In October, the IAPP sold its 10,000th AI Governance Professional Training. The EU AI Act starts taking effect in February 2025.  The EU’s AI Office is up and running.

Track your AI processing in Keepabl and keep an eye out as we expand our AI coverage throughout 2025!

Our Lucky Cat game became a phenomenon!

If you’re on LinkedIn you’ll know our Lucky Cat free draw has been bringing major smiles to Privacy events in 2024, with many winners taking home coveted prizes. It’s amazing how many of the winners said ‘I never win anything’ before having a go! It’s been such fun to see the effect around our stands.

Do visit us in 2025 to have a go and, no, the Lucky Cat is highly coveted but not one of the prizes. Or will that change in 2025….?

Rise above Privacy Stress in 2025 with Keepabl

We’ve had a very busy 2024, expanding languages to Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, adding cover for FOI requests, internationalising our reporting for any regime worldwide, being picked as the Exclusive Approved Privacy Management Software for LOCS:23 the UK ICO-approved UK GDPR certification scheme, sponsoring and exhibiting at 7 major trade shows and conferences in the UK and overseas, and experiencing excellent growth to match our product expansion.

See the benefits our customers are enjoying, and why Keepabl’s growing so fast, by getting your demo booked in for January so you can start 2025 with our no-obligation Free Trial and Rise above Privacy Stress in the new year!