GDPR. You are seeing it pop up everywhere in your feeds and emails. But what is it really and does it affect you as a business owner? Is it something you should be worried about for your website and digital marketing?
In short, GDPR is General Data Protection Regulations and it establishes guidelines to better protect users as they explore the internet. This includes things like notifying users of tracking (often used for things like advertising or analytics), requiring opt-ins for email lists, providing secure data retention, and more. If businesses of all sizes don’t adhere to these regulations, they can face serious fines.
The GDPR is intended for European Union businesses, so if you are based in the United States, you don’t have much to worry about. However, if you are doing business with clients who reside in the EU, it still applies. You should do all you can to make sure you are up to date by May 25th – the deadline before fines will apply.
Although the GDPR only applies to EU businesses, given the recent developments with Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, we wouldn’t be surprised if similar regulations are in the future for the US as well. There are big changes coming for data retention and security for the future of digital marketing.
Bringing your website and marketing efforts into GDPR compliancy can be complicated, but we are diligently making sure our EU clients are ready. If you have questions about how to bring your site up to date or want us to audit your site to make sure you’re in line with the regulations, don’t hesitate to reach out. The GDPR can seem overwhelming, but with our help it will be EZY!