BUSINESSES and consumers in Knutsford are being warned about a change in data regulation by a Canute Place-based businessman.

In May 2016, the European Union announced a change in General Data Protection Regulation.

The main gist will mean consumers will be able to request data that is held by companies, while firms could face huge fines if they do not comply with the new regulation.

Mark Dexter, managing director of KDR Recruitment, told the Guardian that every business would have to take some sort of action.

“Big companies are storing vast amounts of data at the moment, it is called ‘Big Data’, and that is classed as everything that is owned by someone, so IP addresses for example,” he said.

“Companies know exactly where a customer is going through their technology.

“Now the EU has said that people have a right to know what is happening with their data.

“They believe that every business will have to have a data protection officer in place.

“That probably won’t be a dedicated role in small businesses but they will have to have someone trained to make sure that the company is complying with the law.”

Mark added that there were a range of questions that businesses would have to ask themselves, such as where is data located and who has access to it.

“It is about people understanding their rights and if they don’t want a company holding information then you will be able to ask them to delete it,” he said.

“I’m not being alarmist but I’m trying to make small businesses aware of it and aware they could face massive fines if they don’t comply.

“A £1million turnover business could be fined £40,000 and that’s a lot of money.”

Businesses have until May 2018 to make sure they are complying and if they are not they will then be fined.

Although GDPR is an EU regulation, the ICO has decided that the UK’s own replacement will be based on GDPR post-Brexit.