Understanding GDPR: A Non-Technical Guide to Protecting Personal Data

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive law that governs how the personal data of EU citizens is collected, processed, stored and transferred by companies and organizations. The GDPR was implemented on May 25, 2018, and affects every organization that collects or processes the personal data of EU citizens, regardless of whether the organization is located within the EU or not.

The GDPR has been designed to protect the privacy and personal data of individuals within the EU. The regulation provides individuals with more control over their personal data and sets out clear rules for how organizations should handle personal data. The GDPR applies to all organizations, including companies, non-profits, and government agencies, that collect or process personal data.

Personal data is any information that can be used to identify an individual, either directly or indirectly. This can include names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, financial information, and other sensitive information such as health records.

Under the GDPR, organizations must obtain explicit and informed consent from individuals before collecting and processing their personal data. Organizations must also provide individuals with the right to access their personal data, and the right to request that their data be deleted or corrected if it is inaccurate.

The GDPR also requires organizations to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access.

If an organization violates the GDPR, it may be subject to significant fines. The maximum fine for non-compliance is up to 4% of an organization's global annual revenue or 20 million euros, whichever is greater.

In conclusion, the GDPR is a regulation designed to protect the privacy and personal data of individuals within the EU. The regulation requires organizations to obtain explicit consent before collecting and processing personal data and to implement appropriate measures to protect personal data from unauthorized access, disclosure or alteration. If organizations fail to comply with the GDPR, they may face significant fines. All organizations need to understand and comply with the GDPR to protect the privacy and personal data of EU citizens.