GDPR Overview
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive European Union law that governs how organizations collect, process, and protect personal data belonging to individuals within the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA).
Enforced since May 2018, GDPR introduced uniform rules across member states, strengthening individuals’ privacy rights and redefining organizational responsibility for data protection.
GDPR is one of the most influential privacy laws in the world, setting the global benchmark for data protection practices and transparency in how personal data is used and shared.
Purpose of the GDPR
The primary objective of GDPR is to protect individuals’ fundamental right to privacy by ensuring that organizations handle personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently.
It gives individuals more control over their data while holding organizations accountable for how that data is collected, stored, and processed.
GDPR aims to:
Ensure lawful and transparent data processing.
Enhance individuals’ control through rights of access, correction, and deletion.
Mandate accountability for controllers and processors.
Require security measures to prevent data breaches and misuse.
Enable consistent enforcement through independent supervisory authorities.
Scope and Applicability
GDPR applies to:
Controllers: Organizations that determine the purpose and means of processing personal data.
Processors: Third parties that process data on behalf of controllers.
Its territorial scope extends beyond the EU. Any organization, regardless of location, that offers goods or services to, or monitors the behavior of, individuals within the EU is subject to GDPR.
Personal data includes any information relating to an identifiable natural person, such as names, email addresses, IP addresses, or location data. GDPR applies to both automated and manual processing activities.
What the Regulation Covers
GDPR defines obligations across several key areas of data protection governance:
Lawfulness, Fairness, and Transparency: Processing must have a lawful basis (such as consent or legitimate interest) and must be communicated clearly to individuals.
Data Minimization and Purpose Limitation: Only collect data necessary for a specific, lawful purpose.
Data Subject Rights: Individuals have the right to access, correct, erase, restrict, and transfer their personal data.
Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs): Required for high-risk processing activities to identify and mitigate privacy risks.
Security of Processing: Controllers and processors must implement technical and organizational safeguards to protect personal data.
Breach Notification: Supervisory authorities must be notified within 72 hours of discovering a data breach that could impact individuals.
Data Transfers: Additional safeguards are required for transferring data outside the EEA, such as adequacy decisions or standard contractual clauses.
Record-Keeping and Accountability: Organizations must maintain documentation of processing activities and demonstrate compliance when requested.
Certification and Enforcement
GDPR does not provide an official global certification program. However, organizations may adopt approved codes of conduct or certification mechanisms recognized by supervisory authorities to demonstrate compliance.
Each EU member state maintains an independent Data Protection Authority (DPA) responsible for supervision and enforcement.
Penalties for non-compliance can reach up to €20 million or 4 percent of annual global turnover, whichever is higher.
Implementation and Continuous Compliance
GDPR compliance is an ongoing operational process rather than a one-time event.
Organizations must:
Appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) when required.
Regularly review and update privacy policies and consent mechanisms.
Conduct DPIAs for new technologies or high-risk processing.
Maintain Records of Processing Activities (RoPA).
Provide employee training on privacy principles.
Monitor and document data flows, vendor agreements, and cross-border transfers.
Periodic audits and policy reviews ensure alignment with both GDPR requirements and national guidance from DPAs.
GDPR in DSALTA
DSALTA supports GDPR readiness by providing a centralized environment to manage controls, evidence, and documentation.
Using DSALTA, organizations can:
Map GDPR Articles to policies and internal controls.
Track processing activities through RoPA-style documentation.
Manage consent records, breach notifications, and DPIA reports.
Assign ownership for privacy controls and monitor readiness across departments.
Generate audit-ready exports to support regulatory inspections.
While DSALTA enables operational compliance and evidence management, organizations should work with their legal teams and Data Protection Officers to interpret jurisdiction-specific obligations and maintain coordination with EU supervisory authorities.