GDPR Compliance

What is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European Union's comprehensive data protection law. Enacted in 2018, it gives individuals control over their personal data and imposes strict obligations on organizations that process it.

GDPR applies globally — if you handle EU residents' data, you must comply regardless of where your business is located.

Key Definitions

Personal Data

Any information relating to an identified or identifiable person:

Names, email addresses, phone numbers
IP addresses, cookie identifiers
Location data, biometric data
Health information, financial data

Data Controller

The organization that determines why and how personal data is processed.

Data Processor

An organization that processes data on behalf of the controller.

The Six Legal Bases

You need a lawful basis to process personal data:

Consent — Freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous
Contract — Processing necessary to fulfill a contract
Legal Obligation — Required by law
Vital Interests — Protecting someone's life
Public Task — Official authority or public interest
Legitimate Interests — Business purposes balanced against rights

Data Subject Rights

GDPR grants individuals powerful rights:

Right	Description
Access	Obtain a copy of their data
Rectification	Correct inaccurate data
Erasure	Request data deletion ("right to be forgotten")
Restriction	Limit how data is used
Portability	Receive data in machine-readable format
Object	Opt out of certain processing
Automated Decision-Making	Challenge automated decisions

You must respond to requests within 30 days.

Key Requirements

Privacy by Design

Build privacy into systems from the start, not as an afterthought.

Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA)

Assess privacy risks for high-risk processing activities.

Records of Processing Activities

Maintain documentation of all data processing operations.

Data Breach Notification

Report breaches to authorities within 72 hours.

Data Protection Officer (DPO)

Required for public authorities and large-scale data processors.

Cross-Border Transfers

Use appropriate safeguards for transfers outside the EU.

Penalties

GDPR has significant fines:

Lower tier: Up to €10 million or 2% of global annual revenue
Upper tier: Up to €20 million or 4% of global annual revenue

Major fines have been issued to companies like Meta (€1.2B), Amazon (€746M), and Google (€90M).

How CyberPolicify Helps

GDPR compliance requires extensive documentation. CyberPolicify streamlines this:

Generate privacy policies that meet Article 13/14 requirements
Create DPIA templates for new processing activities
Document processing records systematically
Map data flows across your organization

Build a defensible privacy program efficiently.