Blog

While most people working in data protection have heard of the GDPR, the CCPA receives much less attention. Passed by the California State Legislature, the CCPA attempts to give consumers more control over their personal data.

When the GDPR came into full effect in May 2018, the United Kingdom (UK) was still a member state of the EU. Though negotiations for the UK's exit from the EU (Brexit) had been ongoing since the referendum in 2016, the UK remained obligated to comply with the GDPR.

Does the GDPR Apply to Companies Outside of the EU?

If you’re a business handling personal data, you’ll know: GDPR has changed everything. No longer can organizations freely collect data on people around the world. Now, no matter the organization location, they’re still expected to treat EU citizen personal data in accordance with the GDPR

GDPR is the farthest-reaching data protection legislation in the world. It governs the collection, storage, and destruction of personal data for all citizens of the EU. Nor are organizations located geographically outside the EU exempt. This overarching regulation covers any personal data from EU citizens.

Following years of data breaches and tech companies’ secretive use of personal data, the EU responded with the GDPR. It governs and regulates the collection and use of personal data for EU citizens. That doesn't just apply to companies based in the EU. It applies to any company to which EU citizens have access – even if the organization does not market to EU citizens directly.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is now the foundation of online data protection legislation. As it governs all EU citizen personal data, the Regulation is not only applicable to EU-based organizations. Indeed, any website an EU citizen may potentially access is required to meet the GDPR standards

If you work in data protection or are just active online, you’ll likely have heard of GDPR. Drafted and passed by the EU, it is the most stringent privacy and security law worldwide. However, GDPR isn’t exclusively related to EU countries. Because GDPR imposes obligations on organisations anywhere in the world if they find themselves in possession of data from EU citizens.

When browsing the internet, it’s highly likely that you’ve encountered countless pop-up windows or banners that state the use of cookies and a request for the end-user to allow cookies. This is because of the privacy protection regulations implemented in recent years (i.e. the EU cookie law-2009 ePrivacy Directive and the GDPR), for the purpose of protecting individuals. These recorded consents serve to protect the marketers and companies from legal ramifications.

Most everyone is familiar with the term “cookie” when it comes to browsing the web, but if you’d like to learn more about the true purpose of a tracking cookie, keep reading.