What is GDPR?
GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation, is legislation that came into effect on May 25, 2018, and applies to all member states of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA). The purpose of GDPR is to protect citizens' privacy and personal data by regulating how companies and organizations process and protect personal information.
This law introduces a series of rules and requirements that companies and organizations must comply with. For example, companies must obtain consent from individuals before collecting, processing, or sharing their personal data. Individuals also have the right to access their personal data and can request corrections, deletion, or restrictions on the processing of their data.
Additionally, companies must implement appropriate security measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. If a company uses a third party to process personal data on their behalf, a written data processing agreement must be established. Companies must also conduct data protection impact assessments to evaluate and minimize the risks associated with processing personal data in certain activities.
Some companies and organizations even need to appoint a data protection officer who advises them on GDPR compliance and serves as a contact point for supervisory authorities. There are also significant penalties for GDPR violations, including fines of up to 4% of a company's annual global turnover or up to 20 million euros, whichever is higher.
Overall, GDPR has had a significant impact on how companies and organizations collect, process, and protect personal data. It strengthens individuals' rights and control over their own personal data and has obligated companies to take data protection very seriously.
