In 2018, the EU passed strict data protection laws due to rising cybercrime and irresponsible data management. GDPR is a response to consumers becoming more aware of data privacy and wanting organizations to better manage and share their personal data.
Normal business operations collect massive amounts of personal data. This information is usually collected to improve services, target high-value customers, and develop new products. Customers consent to these practices, so companies must respect their rights and protections. These rights are enforced by GDPR.
GDPR noncompliance can result in legal and financial penalties for organizations. This GDPR overview for SaaS businesses will help you understand the risks.
GDPR—What Is It?
The EU’s GDPR applies to companies that handle EU citizens’ personal data. Even non-European companies can be fined for violations. According to CMS law’s enforcement tracker, data protection authorities have issued over 590 fines and penalties since 2018.
Which nations are affected by GDPR?
GDPR covers all EU Member States and their citizens. Service providers and data collectors in the EU must follow the rules. Individual Member States may have additional requirements from country-specific data protection regulations like the UK’s Data Protection Act (DPA).
How Does GDPR and DPA Affect My Business?
EU citizens have more control over their data thanks to GDPR and DPA laws. Companies must collect, store, transmit, and secure personal data under the regulations.
Information like:
- Email addresses bank details photos names social media websites location details
- medical data
- IP address
- Businesses don’t distinguish between individuals and other businesses, including their employees.
Who Implements GDPR?
The supervisory authority in each Member State implements, monitors, and enforces compliance with ObservePoint. If you operate in certain EU countries, you should include stricter controls in your GDPR compliance framework.
To resolve personal data protection issues, businesses should contact supervisory authorities first.
What Does GDPR Require?
The regulations define controllers and processors as responsible entities. Processors store and manage data for controllers, while controllers collect data for internal or outsourced processing.
Regardless of your business entity type, you must:
- Get customer consent before collecting and processing personal data.
- To protect customer privacy, anonymize all collected data and notify the relevant supervising authority quickly of data breaches.
- Establish data protection controls to safeguard personal data.
- Give users the right to be forgotten if they withdraw consent.
- In companies that must comply, appoint a data protection officer.
Can the EU Enforce Laws on U.S. Only Companies?
Any company that handles EU citizens’ personal data must comply with GDPR, but U.S.-only companies are exempt. By 2016, 52% of U.S.-only companies processed EU personal data.
How to Get GDPR Compliance Certification
You can get compliance certification from a “competent supervisory authority” under Article 42 of the GDPR. The EU accredits several certification bodies. Organizations can also certify under ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials.
Is There a GDPR Template?
If they want EU business, SaaS vendors must comply with GDPR. To comply quickly, create a comprehensive data protection framework that meets all GDPR requirements. Compliance depends on your company’s information security policies and procedures, but the EU provides breach notification templates.
