GDPR and AML – a perfect pair?

Louise Delahunty (+44 (0) 20 7556 4341, ldelahunty@cooley.com) and Ann Bevitt (+44 (0) 20 7556 4264, abevitt@cooley.com) are partners and Joanne Elieli (+44 (0) 20 7556 4481, jelieli@cooley.com) an associate at Cooley. 

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been one of the most highly anticipated and talked about changes to the legal sphere in years, affecting the vast majority of businesses and individuals alike, write Louise Delahunty, Ann Bevitt and Joanne Elieli of Cooley. The primary focus to date has been on the implementation deadline of 25 May 2018 and the vast fines (up to €20 million or 4% of a company’s total worldwide turnover) that could follow any failure to comply. However, an area that has flown largely under the radar amidst the flurry to achieve compliance has been the interplay between the GDPR and the EU’s Fourth Money Laundering Directive (4MLD). How will the two new laws be implemented without a conflict arising?