The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect on May 25, 2018. The legislation will affect online retailers around the world. It is important to educate yourself and prepare your ecommerce business.
The GDPR represents the most important change in data privacy regulation in 20 years. It is designed to unify data privacy laws across Europe, protect the data privacy of all EU citizens, and transform the way organizations treat data privacy. The main thrust of the regulation has to do with “consent” – your ability to prove that consent was given, that you are informing people of their consent, and that you are making it easy for people to opt out.
There is a lot to know, and we by no means consider ourselves expert enough to arm you with everything you need (nor are we in a position to give legal advice). But there are some great resources available, and we would like to share one with you. Internet Retailer has compiled a list of resources covering a variety of issues surrounding GDPR, ranging from what it means to e-retail marketers, the impact on U.S. brands, and a survey to gauge how ready you are. This is a great place to begin digging in to make sure your ecommerce business is ready for GDPR and avoids fines associated with violations.