Brussels, 10 February 2020 - The EU Cloud Code of Conduct General Assembly’s Monitoring Body, SCOPE Europe, officially announced that Epignosis became the first eLearning company to fully comply with version 2.2 of the Code. Epignosis is also the second cloud service provider to meet this standard, and the first small-to-medium sized enterprise to comply.
Article 40 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) suggests the establishment of Codes of Conduct in order to contribute to the proper application of the GDPR regulation, ensuring individuals are given the right to choose how their personal data is used, as well as to properly regulate how businesses handle this personal data once they have acquired it.
In response to Article 40 of GDPR, the EU Cloud Code of Conduct is currently pending the endorsement and official approval by supervisory authorities. Version 2.2 is its most recent rendition, and outlines best practices for cloud service providers to follow in order to secure and protect customer data and privacy. It is the only Code drafted together with authorities of the European Union, as it was developed by the Cloud Select Industry Group (Data Protection Code of Conduct Subgroup) convened by the European Commission under the auspices of DG Connect and with the involvement and advice of DG Justice. Development of the Code was further informed by input from the Article 29 Working Party.
The Code and those who comply with its rigorous conditions demonstrate a commitment to preserving customer privacy. “We have always been, and will continue to be committed to securing and preserving our customers’ privacy,” said Emmanouil Dramitinos, Chief Information Officer of Epignosis. “As the first eLearning cloud service provider to demonstrate GDPR compliance and meet the Code requirements, we show that we are not only pioneers in online learning, but also in protecting the best interests of our customers.”
“The verification of Epignosis’ services shows that the monitoring scheme implemented in the EU Cloud Code of Conduct is accessible for all types of cloud service providers, in particular start-ups and small and medium-sized companies,” said Jörn Wittmann, Managing Director of SCOPE Europe. “When we developed the Code’s monitoring system, it was our goal to take into account the needs of SMEs, pursuant to Article 40 of the GDPR, while at the same time guaranteeing a robust and credible validation of adherent services. Epignosis’ adherence proves the value of the EU Cloud Code of Conduct for small and medium-sized companies.”