Anyone understand the new data protection law?

[Bennyjames28]

I know these new EU data protection laws come into effect this month and my firm have sent out an email to all staff saying that using company computers for anything personal, even if your not sharing your personal data aka email address or name etc is breaching this new law. Something to do with sharing the company's IP with other sites...

I don't use computers in my job so it makes little difference to me I just want to understand if they are just using the new law to scare people into not using computers for personal use.

Any feedback welcome.

[HTP99]

The small company that I work for has been very hot on the new GDPR rules, however there has been zero mention of using work PC's for personal use and they know it goes on.

[PurpleMoonlight]

Bennyjames28 said:

I know these new EU data protection laws come into effect this month and my firm have sent out an email to all staff saying that using company computers for anything personal, even if your not sharing your personal data aka email address or name etc is breaching this new law. Something to do with sharing the company's IP with other sites...

I don't use computers in my job so it makes little difference to me I just want to understand if they are just using the new law to scare people into not using computers for personal use.

Any feedback welcome.

Your company is mistaken.

By that definition nobody could every use the internet.

[Evolved]

Bennyjames28 said:

I know these new EU data protection laws come into effect this month and my firm have sent out an email to all staff saying that using company computers for anything personal, even if your not sharing your personal data aka email address or name etc is breaching this new law. Something to do with sharing the company's IP with other sites...

I don't use computers in my job so it makes little difference to me I just want to understand if they are just using the new law to scare people into not using computers for personal use.

Any feedback welcome.

That’s the company saying they’re sick of people taking the piss and using the computers to post pics of lunch on FB.
It’s a clamp down to increase productivity, and give them a reason to fire people for breach of their rules.

[anonymous-user]

Bennyjames28 said:

I know these new EU data protection laws come into effect this month and my firm have sent out an email to all staff saying that using company computers for anything personal, even if your not sharing your personal data aka email address or name etc is breaching this new law. Something to do with sharing the company's IP with other sites...

I don't use computers in my job so it makes little difference to me I just want to understand if they are just using the new law to scare people into not using computers for personal use.

Any feedback welcome.

Yep that's gibberish. Sounds to me like they're taking the opportunity to limit personal use.

[Bennyjames28]

There's not a whole lot of chance for people to use computers for personal use at my work. So it's not that people are taking the piss.

[MarcelM6]

The new laws are for personal data - how does your company's IP address fall into the definition of personal?

[Stoofa]

Not a GDPR issue as such, I guess they are claiming that limiting your personal use potentially reduces the chances of leaks.
However "no personal use" is quite a common work clause. Our systems are extremely locked down with the default being "no you cannot access that site" and if there is a work need we will add it to the allowed list.
We've then got different departments able to access different websites.

Sounds archaic to many I'm sure, but I guess it does mean that people aren't wasting time in work time.