What we need to know about GDPR?

Almost immediately after Facebook's data abuse scandal, many of us had questions about personal security, legality, and regulation. Facebook, like many other large companies on the internet are no longer bound by geographical locations.

The European Union (EU) had a field day with this particular scandal and is releasing legislation called the General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR). Regulations like GDPR could have far-reaching consequences for individuals and companies all around the world.

What is GDPR?

The GDPR is a piece legislation created by the EU requiring stronger data protection and digital privacy laws for EU citizens. This replaces the 1995 Data Protection Directive, thereby giving internet users more of a say in how their data is used and mandating companies to adhere to strict guidelines on how it is collected, stored, and leveraged. There are three primary objectives of the GDPR: 

1. This Regulation lays down rules relating to the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and rules relating to the free movement of personal data.

2. This Regulation protects fundamental rights and freedoms of natural persons and in particular their right to the protection of personal data.

3. The free movement of personal data within the Union shall be neither restricted nor prohibited for reasons connected with the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data.

Slated to come into law on May 25 2018, GDPR stands to make a dramatic impact on a variety of international companies and services. 

How can I learn more about the GDPR?

A complete version of the EU General Data Protection Regulation, formatted for easy reading, is available, and every enterprise that collects personal data from customers should become familiar with its provisions.