Laura Koulet
Vice President, Legal, Tapad

Preparing for GDPR? In this TechBytes, Laura Koulet, Vice President of Legal at Tapad, provides her insights on the link between the technology industry and GDPR and how to prepare for a post-GDPR era in Martech.

Tell us about your role at Tapad and the team/ technology you handle.

As Tapad’s VP of Legal, I lead the company’s legal team and work closely across all teams in Tapad, primarily focusing on commercial and privacy needs.

Are marketing strategies safe with the introduction of GDPR?

GDPR actually has the potential to strengthen marketers’ strategies, as it’s an opportunity to remind consumers of their commitment to privacy and highlight any specific processes or safeguards that are unique to their business.

How should one connect the link between technology industry and GDPR?

GDPR acknowledges the power of data and that data subjects (the person whom the data is about) should have more control over their data. Technology will be integral in that process and ensuring companies are GDPR compliant.

How is Tapad preparing for the post-GDPR era? What major actions are you taking to ensure that Customer interests are protected?

Since Tapad’s beginnings in 2010, privacy has been a top priority. We provide clear notice to consumers and easy opt-out choices, maintain membership to self-regulatory organizations such as the NAI, DAA, eDAA, and IAB EU and do not collect data when there is no present commercial need. We also make sure our communications are straightforward and transparent to consumers.

Preparing for GDPR has required extensive amounts of planning, resource allocation, and investment both by Tapad and Telenor alike. In particular, significant preparation has included corporate governance, legal analysis, data flow documentation, completing exhaustive privacy impact assessments, and increasing partner diligence. This has been a two-year project, and the increased investment in privacy will continue to be a cornerstone of Tapad today and even after the GDPR compliance date.

How would GDPR impact the way marketing automation and advertising technologies fetch customer data?

Consumers will have more control over which data they wish to share with marketers and both advertisers and technology providers will need to provide more robust choice and opt-out mechanisms for consumers. Tapad will continue to ensure that the rights of the data subject are duly respected during the data processing activities.

What does GDPR mean for Email Marketing, Audience Data, and Location Data companies?

The implications of GDPR on these types of companies depends on their specific business model and how they are collecting and processing data.

Would CDP and Cross-Device data markets improve with GDPR? What other regulations are in place, apart from GDPR, that businesses have to comply with?

GDPR is calling for companies to set a new standard for privacy, and we will see improvements across the industry as a result. Brands around the world will look to GDPR compliance as an indicator of a company’s commitment to privacy, and at Tapad, we see this as an opportunity to renew consumer trust and further prove our dedication to privacy.

As far as other regulations that are in place — that depends on the market. However, the EMEA region is currently in the spotlight since GDPR and ePrivacy are very timely topics. However, in the US, there are many industry-specific and self-regulatory requirements that businesses must comply with, as well as various laws through APAC and other commerce-centric regions of the world.

What are your predictions for the post-GDPR market? What suggestions do you have for the EU to ensure businesses don’t suffer heavily due to their lack of awareness/sluggishness in implementation?

Overall, we predict that GDPR will issue in a new era of privacy-focused thinking among brands and advertisers, and any company processing data. As GDPR comes into effect, and with any pending laws, the EU should consider the implications of overbearing regulations and their effect on the free internet, and ensure that all legal requirements are well balanced with the need for commerce and the interest of the consumer in new technologies.

Thanks for chatting with us, Laura.
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