On May 25, 2018, the General Data Protection Rules went into effect in the European Union. This requires websites in Europe and abroad to comply with strict rules that govern how you collect and store customer data.
Many companies are still behind the times and aren’t fully compliant. Enforcement has been light early on, but that is changing as more organizations are facing fines for not having their sites and data set up properly.
How can you avoid the same fate? Keep reading for this handy GDPR compliance checklist that will help your business be organized around GDPR rules.
GDPR Requirements
If you were to read all of the GDPR rules and regulations, you can get overwhelmed and confused. Let’s break down the most important parts of the law instead.
Why You Collect Data
You need to let people know what data you’re collecting and how it’s used. You also have to disclose if that information is shared with third-parties or not.
For example, you may use a third-party mailing list that stores data or use analytics for website traffic. Those things have to be disclosed.
How You Disclose Data Usage
Before GDPR sites would have privacy policies that were written in legalese that would make it hard for consumers to know what’s collected and how it’s used.
With GDPR, you have to have a privacy policy written in plain language. In other words, if you need an attorney to understand it, you need to rewrite it.
Document Your Compliance
It’s not enough to say that you’re trying to be compliant with these regulations. You have to show that you are taking the right steps to make sure your company complies.
A good rule of thumb is to document everything you do regarding data collection and storage.
Provide Information When Asked
This is probably the most important part of GDPR compliance. It can be the most challenging, too. People in the European Union have the right to ask to see the data that you have about them.
They can have that information deleted or corrected. You have 30 days to respond. If you don’t provide the information, you could be reported and fined.
How to Comply with GDPR
The first step in compliance is to assess the types of data you collect and how it’s used. You’ll want to look at things like your newsletter lists, tracking cookies for ads, and payment information. Note what’s collected, how you use it, and where the data is stored.
The second step is to update your privacy policy to make it clear as to how you collect and use customer data.
You’ll also want to invest in tools for making compliance easier. There are plenty of tools that can help you to comply with these requests.
GDPR Compliance Checklist for Your Business
On the surface, GDPR can seem scary and intimidating. When you look at the basic information and use a GDPR compliance checklist, it’s much easier to understand. You can then adjust your privacy standards, which will help your business avoid fines.
Want more tips for your business? Check out our Business section for more great articles.
