Facebook - am I allowed to individually message these people asking them if they would like to support us?

QUESTION 

Last year a large number of people ‘liked’ a particular Facebook post of ours. Many obviously have a link to our organisation but are not known to us as members. As part of a membership drive, am I allowed to individually message these people asking them if they would like to support us? (I am not sure whether this falls into the GDPR category particularly...)

SHORT ANSWER

Yes

LONG ANSWER

When people join Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter they do so knowing that there data is “public” and so they have agreed (by signing up to Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter) to offer their data on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Importantly Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter give them the right to accept to reject your link with them. So by all means connect, but if they reject your connection you should respect that.

If you do connect, make sure you get their permission if you do anything else with their data – like adding it to a mailing list!

FURTHER ADVICE AND SUPPORT

If you need more specific support (for example a meeting) I know the Jersey Community Partnership and Association of Jersey Charities are looking to co-ordinate some resources with various local suppliers. Where necessary grant funding may be available.

http://www.jerseycommunitypartnership.org/

http://www.jerseycharities.org/

USEFUL LINKS

Jersey Data Protection Association

https://jdpa.org.je/

There is a list of Jersey Data Protection events here

https://www.eventbrite.com/d/jersey--saint-helier/jersey-data-protection-association/

For a general understanding of GDPR I highly recommend the guidance of Jersey’s Data Protection Authority

https://thinkgdpr.org/

https://thinkgdpr.org/article/gdpr-guidance/