GDPR compliance

What does GDPR compliance mean?

Understanding GDPR Compliance: What you need to know

Data privacy is a critical concern for individuals and organizations around the world. One of the most significant regulations addressing this issue is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

What is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive data privacy and security law that was enacted by the European Union (EU) in 2018.

Its primary goal is to give individuals more control over their data and to harmonize data protection laws across EU member states. While GDPR was created in the EU, it has global implications, affecting any organization that processes the personal data of EU citizens, regardless of where that organization is located.

Key principles of GDPR

To understand GDPR compliance, it's essential to grasp its core principles:

• Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency: Organizations must process personal data lawfully, fairly, and in a transparent manner. This means they must inform individuals about how their data will be used and obtain their consent for processing.

• Purpose limitation: Data should only be collected for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes. It should not be used for any other purposes that are incompatible with the original intent.

• Data minimization: Organizations should collect only the data that is necessary for the purpose for which it is being processed. They must also ensure that the data is accurate and up to date.

• Storage limitation: Personal data should not be kept for longer than necessary. Organizations must establish retention policies to determine how long data will be stored.

• Integrity and confidentiality: Organizations must implement security measures to protect personal data from breaches and unauthorized access.

• Accountability and governance: Organizations are responsible for complying with GDPR. They must appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) if necessary and maintain records of data processing activities.

GDPR compliance: What it means

GDPR compliance entails adhering to the regulations and principles outlined in the GDPR. For organizations, this means taking a series of steps to protect personal data:

• Consent: Obtaining clear and explicit consent from individuals before collecting their data. Individuals must be informed about how their data will be used and have the option to withdraw consent at any time.

• Data protection impact assessments (DPIAs): Conducting DPIAs to assess and mitigate risks associated with data processing activities, especially those that involve high risks to individuals' rights and freedoms.

• Data subject rights: Respect individuals' rights, such as the right to access, rectify, or delete their data. Organizations must also provide a simple way for individuals to exercise these rights.

• Security measures: Implementing appropriate security measures, including encryption, access controls, and regular security assessments, to protect personal data from breaches.

• Data breach notification: Reporting data breaches to the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach. Individuals affected by the breach must also be informed promptly if it poses a high risk to their rights and freedoms.