You’ve received more than your share of GDPR compliance emails. Like privacy policies, you deleted them without reading them, too.

These emails were important for consumers but especially so for business owners. Failure to comply could see your business fined and penalized.

This article will share what GDPR is and how to comply.

The New EU Regulations and GDPR Compliance

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a data protection standard introduced for EU citizens. GDPR’s intent is providing stronger personal data control in easy-to-understand language.

Personal data may include (but not limited to):

  • Name
  • Address
  • Contact
  • Credit Card
  • Photos
  • Genetic Data

…and any other personal info collected by organizations.

Organizations collecting data (e.g. lead generation) must ensure privacy and protection. This includes the collection method and how its managed.

There are consequences for forgoing compliance if they collect/manage data without permission.

Failure to comply with the GDPR results in:

  • Maximum 20-million Euro fines
  • 4% global income

The breach severity and how data mismanagement determines the fine. GDPR data protection went into effect May 25th, 2018.

In layman’s terms:

  1. Consumers get to know the if/why/how of collected data
  2. Companies must protect data and alert consumers of a breach
  3. Heavy fines are enacted for companies failing GDPR compliance

Does this apply to small to mid-size business? Yes, sort of.

  • Must comply: Businesses with 250+ employees
  • Should respect GDPR: Businesses under 250 employees

Compliance is a good idea to protect your user’s data and brand’s image regardless of size. Compliance isn’t difficult if you follow procedures.

How to Comply with GDPR: A Quick Guide

The GDPR requirements for U.S. companies are simple:

  • Do
  • Don’t

Your business could wholly agree to reject EU users and customers. Several high-profile sites and services shut down to avoid GDPR compliance. This isn’t a smart idea given your business would lose sales opportunities.

Follow this procedure for how to comply to GDPR:

1. Audit Your Data and Collection Procedure

Ask and answer the following:

  • What is the necessary data we need from our audience?
  • What is our collection procedure and how is it handled?
  • Who is in charge of monitoring and managing the data?

Start by understanding the data collection process and where it’s stored. Then, remove collection and data points if obtained without consent. Meet this with a governing body providing information privacy and access upon legal inquiry.

2. Protect Your Data

Choose how you will protect your data.

Encryption and anonymization are the likely candidates. Third-party services likely have GDPR compliance built-in (e.g. email marketing). You may link to third-party privacy policies to inform users.

Create a data breach plan, too.

The breach plan provides a blueprint for handling data mismanagement. This also dictates how your business will alert end-users as per compliance.

3. Update the Users

Do these two:

  • Update the privacy policy
  • Alert visitors of cookie use

Send a GDPR email and join the countless others updating their users.

The Deadline is Here: Are Your GDPR Compliant?

If you’re like many owners then your privacy policy was likely created using a generator. The page received little thought since then. But, you’re having a second look at GDPR compliance now with it in full swing.

Confused? Not sure how to update? Let us help.

Our team of Webmasters will keep your website and its operations compliant. We’ll also fix those common bugs and issues, too. Browse our maintenance services to see how we can help your business thrive.