If your company has a website, it's critical that it adheres to all legal requirements. In recent years, privacy has become a big concern for online interactions, and GDPR is one of the most recent legislation that you should be aware of.
Here's everything website owners in the United States need to know about GDPR, including how to navigate the minefield and strike a balance between legal compliance and commercial goals.
What is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Why Should I Care?
GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation, is a privacy law that took effect on May 25, 2018, and is intended to offer European Union individuals the "digital rights" they deserve when accessing the internet or providing personal information to merchants and online organizations.
The rules apply to any firm or organization intending to hold data provided by EU clients, regardless of where the company is located. Essentially, every business that intends to do business with European customers must guarantee that their processes are GDPR compliant.
Otherwise, there could be serious consequences - we'll get to those shortly.
What Does GDPR Mean When It Comes to Personal Data?
The GDPR laws claim to safeguard customers' and web users' personal data privacy. This personal data can include a wide range of characteristics, such as:
- Name, contact information, and ID numbers are all required for basic identification.
- Cookies, IP addresses, and RFID tags are all part of your web history.
- Sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious data, and political beliefs are all factors to consider.
- Biometric data, health, and medical information
Essentially, any information about a person's background or history can be considered personal data, and this includes images. Organizations have had more than enough time to acclimate after two years of planning following the passage of the bill. Those who haven't have the possibility of being penalized.
What Impact Will GDPR Have on US Websites?
The aforementioned penalties are quite harsh for websites based in the United States. Failure to comply with those orders might result in fines of up to €20 million or 4% of global revenue, depending on whether amount is higher. For this reason, any US website that intends to collect and store data from EU citizens must assume responsibility.
When collecting data from EU visitors, any US website should always seek for permission (this is a good habit in general too). Similarly, all websites should make it clear to consumers exactly what they are signing up for and how their information will be utilized. If people joined up before GDPR, there is a legal duty to contact them now to meet the requirements of the amendments.
Aside from regulatory compliance concerns, US websites should be aware that consumers have higher expectations than they had in the past. Any attraction with the EU market will almost certainly be lost in an instant if your website fails to keep data protection and privacy under control.
