• by Ray Schultz , May 31, 2018

Not even a week into its life, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is already embroiled in controversy. 

In light of Brexit, the EU has denied the UK a seat on the European Data Protection Board, the body created to regulate GDPR and maintain consistency across member states, according to IT Pro.

"It is the United Kingdom that is leaving the European Union,” said Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, during a speech, the report continues. "The United Kingdom wants to leave. That is its decision. Not ours. And that has consequences."

The UK is set to leave the EU next March, and will lose its right to a seat at that time.  

In another flap, the EU inadvertently leaked data on 700 citizens, including names, addresses, professions and mobile numbers of conference attendees, then denied that is governed by the GDPR, according to published reports.

A commission spokesman said that for legal reasons, the European Union is outside the GDPR, although it will be ruled by a similar law next fall. 

Express also reports that the names and addresses of Britons can be accessed on the EU website by using Google.

Businesses can face millions in fines for similar mishaps, observers point out.