If your company operates in Europe, you must comply with the European Union's Global Data Protection Regulation. This primer shows how.
updated November 21, 2023 · 3min read
Having completed a two-year transition period, new data privacy regulations went into effect on May 25, 2018, across the European Union. They affect every business that handles consumer data for people in any of the 28 member countries—including small businesses that sell goods or services in Europe.
The new General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is more comprehensive than current U.S. or European privacy laws, and it has stricter penalties for businesses that don't comply.
The GDPR is intended to give individuals in the 28-nation EU greater control over their personal data, and to standardize and simplify data protection across Europe. The reach of the GDPR extends beyond European countries, though—every business, worldwide, that has customers in Europe or collects personal information about Europeans must comply.
For small businesses, some of the most important things to know about the GDPR are:
The GDPR applies to all businesses with European customers and data, and this means you must comply even if you're just a one-person e-commerce store that sometimes sells goods overseas. The good news is that many small businesses outsource a lot of their data collection and retention to third-party services and, in many cases, those service providers will have done a lot of the work for you.
Here are some steps to follow to make sure your business is compliant:
GDPR compliance will take time and attention, but it also will demonstrate that you take your customers' privacy and data security seriously. This can increase your customers' trust in you, helping create loyalty for a long time to come.
by Jane Haskins, Esq.
Jane Haskins is a freelance writer who practiced law for 20 years. Jane has litigated a wide variety of business disp...
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