The General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR)
The GDPR regulates privacy policy requirements for entities targeting users in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA), regardless of the company’s physical location.
Your business must comply with the GDPR if it targets EU consumers and meets one of the following thresholds:
- It offers goods or services
- It monitors online behavior
Chapter 3, Articles 13 and 14 of the law clarify that users have the right to be fully informed about the collection and use of their personal data.
Linking to a generic privacy policy is not enough under the GDPR; you also need freely given consent from users before collecting their personal information. Under the law, personal data refers to any information relating to an identifiable person, either directly or indirectly.
It’s important to note that different privacy laws use unique definitions for personal information, each with slight variations in meaning.
Your business can communicate all relevant data gathering and processing information in compliance with the GDPR and request user consent by publishing a privacy policy on your website.
The penalties for GDPR non-compliance are fines of up to 4% of your annual global turnover or €24 million ($23 million), whatever is highest.