According to a survey of over 1,000 UK consumers carried out by independent media agency the7Stars, a third have said that they plan to make use of the right to be forgotten (officially known as the right to erasure when GDPR kicks in this May).

Distrustful of how their personal data is being used by companies, consumers said they would like to be digitally erased. The desire to be forgotten highlights the public’s concern over privacy and data protection. 58% of respondents said they welcomed new regulations agreeing that it is a positive step towards protecting their data and privacy. 32% said that they would trust brands more with their data after GDPR passes into law, a boost to this trust could ultimately benefit businesses.

Martin Sloan, Partner in IP, Technology and Outsourcing at Brodies LLP warned: “In reality, the right to be forgotten is heavily qualified. This is likely to lead to a mismatch in expectations between individuals thinking that they can order any organisation to delete information held about them, and the rights of businesses and other organisations to retain that data for legitimate purposes.”

Confusion Over GDPR

As businesses scramble to be GDPR compliant for Implementation Day businesses and the public alike are still unclear about what it will mean in practice, so much so that GDPR prep courses have become synonymous with companies looking to exploit the not so well informed.

Analysis of the results shows that although the public welcome GDPR many still do not really understand what it means and, moreover, they feel it is the job of the UK government to clarify it.

The survey shows that just under a third ( 27%) of UK consumers believe that they have an understanding of what GDPR is and how it affects them. 75% of respondents felt that the UK government ought to explain what GDPR is and how it will affect the British public.

Matthew Rice, Scotland Director at Open Rights Group commented that: “GDPR could be a sharp cliff for many. Take two thirds of the British public preparing to exercise their right to be forgotten and compare that to 25% of London businesses lacking awareness of GDPR and you are looking at a very steep learning curve – and possibly some steep fines.”

“Businesses, charities, and public bodies need to be prepared for these new responsibilities; its clear the majority of the public expect them to be.”

Time is Running Out

With less than 100 days till implementation day Frances Revel, Associate Director – Insight at 7stars said: “Time is running out fast for brands, advertisers and marketers to get their data ducks in a row.”

“Given the importance of data to business operations, the fact that over a third of people are looking to exercise their right to be forgotten represents a real threat that cannot be ignored.”

“However, there is still time for the government and brands to come together to tackle consumer concerns around data protection and privacy head on.”