4 Things to Look for in a GDPR Consent Solution

General Data Protection Regulation

The GDPR places significant emphasis on accountability and a requirement for auditable consent. Though non-compliance is punishable by notable fines, obtaining consent for some businesses can be considered not a measure to avoid penalty but an opportunity to build trust and better relationships with customers.

The problem for a lot of businesses is that their legacy systems usually don’t document the level of data to help demonstrate that a valid, unambiguous consent or contractual acceptance was obtained. Manual processes and paper plague the most common transactions and may introduce friction in the moments that matter most to their business.

Third-party tools can help businesses obtain valid, verifiable, unambiguous consents from individuals. It’s important to choose the right one to not only comply with the GDPR but to align with a business’ needs as it relates to the variety of processing activities it may be involved in.

So, what are some key factors in choosing a consent solution?

1. International Security Standards

Data protection is the foundation of the GDPR, so the privacy and security of customers’ data are necessarily a priority of companies and their technology partners. 

Certifications based on comprehensive assessments and audits and rigorous standards, such as ISO 27001:2013, help assure global information security and often the case to apply across data centres, digital platforms, and operations. Providers should also be able to offer confirmation of information security controls. This might include controls such as SOC 1 Type 2, which requires a third-party service auditor, and SOC 2 Type 2, which validates that the provider’s technology meets the criteria for security, availability, and confidentiality.

2. Global Operations that Match Global Needs

As the GDPR often applies to companies with global operations, a reputable solution can enable businesses to automate and manage entire digital workflows while staying compliant with local and industry standards. To that extent, a technology provider with offices and data centres across the world can thus be positioned to meet global needs in complying with these local and industry standards.

DocuSign, for example, offers all of the signature types defined under the eIDAS regulation, including EU Advanced and EU Qualified electronic signatures.

3. Flexibility

Each business has unique consent requirements, so another key factor for a desirable solution may involve the flexibility to plug into a company’s current environment by using pre-built integrations with existing software, or custom connections. In the latter case, highly-configurable REST and SOAP APIs may be preferred or even necessary to capture, store, and manage data for certain businesses.

4. Streamlined User Experience

Robust workflows with easy-to-use document templates can help automate the process for businesses sending consent forms. For end users, an ideal solution for some businesses may have the ability to capture data and a signature simultaneously, anytime, anywhere from any device, so consent can be provided quickly and without hassle.

By ensuring you have the right digital tools in place to manage the process, consent can be readily obtained for all processing activities. Customers can opt-in from their mobile devices, wherever they are, and businesses have an audit trail to demonstrate they’ve taken the appropriate measures to comply with the GDPR. Not only can customers feel assured you are compliant as a business, they can provide consent without having to undergo a complex, burdensome experience to do so.

Sign up for a free trial of the DocuSign eSignature platform and see how to bring more operational efficiency to your business in a manner which supports your GDPR compliance. 

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Author
Mangesh Bhandarkar
GVP, Product Management
Published
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