What is the GDPR?

The GDPR, or the General Data Protection Regulation, is a law regarding data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area. 

The intent of the GDPR is to assure the privacy of EU residents by facilitating the appropriate use and secure transfer of personal data.

Companies with employees based in the EU must fully comply with the GDPR.

The GDPR enhances the prior EU Data Protection Directive by better defining what constitutes personal data, adding breach notification requirements and significant penalties for non-compliance. 

The GDPR requirements are also far broader than the previous legislation and include consent requirements to collect personal data and data protection requirements for cloud service providers.