Apres GDPR, le déluge: 40 per cent of consumers plan subject access requests within six months of GDPR coming in

Almost half of consumers plan to make data privacy requests when GDPR comes into force later this month

Businesses will be flooded with data privacy requests when the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in just 22 days time, according to new research.

And businesses will not only have to find, format and provide the data to consumers for free - and what the Information Commissioner's Office calls "supplementary information" - but must also verify their identity correctly and make it available within one month.

The claims has been made in a survey by storage software vendor Veritas, which claims that two in five (40 per cent) consumers plan to make subject access requests when GDPR becomes law on 25 May.

The aim of GDPR is to give European Union citizens more control over their personal information.

While current laws enable people to make subject access requests to find out the types of personal data that is being stored about them, GDPR ratchets up the pressure by cutting the length of time that organisations have to provide the information and reducing the cost to consumers.

There will also be a much greater threat of fines for non-compliance with GDPR.

Veritas's research involved a survey of 3,000 adults across Europe.

It found that 56 per cent of adults plan to approach financial firms with data privacy requests, followed by social media firms (48 per cent), retailers (46 per cent), employers (24 per cent) and healthcare providers (21 per cent).

Out of the people who are planning to take advantage of their subject-access request rights under GDPR, 65 per cent said they will request access to the data companies are holding about them, while 71 per cent said that they will ask for any data found to be deleted.

As for motivations, 56 per cent of respondents said they are not comfortable with companies storing personal information about them that they cannot currently access.

A further 56 per cent said they want to get a better understanding of the type of personal information companies are storing, while 47 per cent are worried about their data ending up in the wrong hands after a breach.

Many consumers (37 per cent) do not trust companies to protect their personal data, with 27 per cent wanting to test firms about how much they value data rights. A minority of people (8 per cent) simply want revenge.

Mike Palmer, executive vice president and chief product officer of Veritas, said customers have become more aware of data privacy issues in recent times.

"In light of recent events surrounding the use of personal data by social media, and other, companies, consumers are taking much more of an interest in how their data is used and stored by businesses across many industry sectors," he said.

"With a flood of personal data requests coming their way in the months ahead, businesses must retain the trust of consumers by demonstrating they have comprehensive data governance strategies in place to achieve regulatory compliance."

Firms must accept changing consumer attitudes, he said "It's imperative that businesses embrace technology that can help them respond to these requests quickly, with a high degree of accuracy," added Palmer.

"This means having the ability to see, protect and access all of the personal data they hold regardless of where it sits within their organisation."