GDPR makes bureaucrats feel important

WE have had torrential rain over the last few weeks, at least where I’m living. I imagine the rain has been nationwide. On one of those many rainy days I was cycling back to work after lunch when I spotted on the ground near my workplace a plastic card. I stopped, got off the bike. It was a permanent tsb debit card. It looked new, the expiry date was 2023. And what struck me about it was that it was bone-dry, not a drop of water on it and no sign that it had been long on the ground as it was raining heavily when I saw it.

I put it in my pocket. Checked with HR where I work if we had anyone by that name. No. Had it not been raining I would have cycled to the nearest permanent tsb bank, which is approximately a kilometre away. But the torrential rain put that idea out of my head.

I went back to my office, checked the bank website, but could find no phone number. Eventually I found a number in an old telephone book and called. After listening to reams of advertising nonsense I cancel the call. Then I decide to phone the branch, which is one kilometre away, hoping to speak to someone in the bank. Nothing of the sort.

More reams of nonsense but this time I persevere until I hear a human voice. I’m ecstatic, great, talking to someone. I explain the situation and ask him to connect me with the local branch. Now, just to get matters clear, all I wanted was to speak to a member of staff at the branch near me. Wait for it, guess what happens next? He explains, in order to put me through to the branch, he would have to ask me a number of security questions, including my date of birth.

Up to that stage, while I was frustrated and a little annoyed, I was playing along and going through all the nonsensical hoops. But this is the final straw and I explain to the man that this is madness. Imagine, in order to speak to an employee in a bank I am asked my date of birth. I am told it’s all to do with security and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This GDPR. I appreciate the importance of protecting our privacy. I’m aware of the importance of ensuring that data on us be properly secured and minded. Indeed, I’d bet my bottom dollar that so much of our data is not at all being properly protected.

But it seems to me that GDPR is manna from heaven for little bureaucrats to lord it over others. It’s a new tool they have found to give them an importance over ‘ lesser mortals’.

I experience GDPR madness everywhere, at work, in the church, in voluntary organisations. Ask a question, look for advice, make a criticism and all that you have to be told to be closed down is those magic letters, GDPR.

GDPR is now out of control. And as I have already said, it’s all something of a con job because never in the history of mankind has there been such eavesdropping on the ordinary person. I found a bank card, attempted to do what I thought was something simple.

Eventually, I did get through to the branch, gave the number and the card was cancelled. But what a nightmare it was. The time it took. And those frayed nerves. Why bother?