The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is a European regulation with sweeping consequences for virtually any business that operates in Europe, or serves European users or customers in any capacity. Introduced in 2016, and fully implemented in 2018, the GDPR has become a model for data-privacy laws around the world. But understanding and ensuring compliance with the original GDPR remains a significant challenge for businesses.

No matter where you’re based and no matter the size or nature of your business, if you collect any data pertaining to a person based in the European Union—from a customer’s phone number to a website visitor’s IP address—then you need to pay attention to the GDPR.‍

The GDPR is a European regulation, and as you’d expect it affects virtually every business that operates in the European Union. But don’t assume you’re safe just because your business is headquartered outside the EU. If you have any business dealings with people who are based in Europe, you could fall under the purview of the GDPR.

Any company with a physical presence in Europe will almost certainly be subject to the GDPR. Even a company that doesn’t collect data about customers will likely collect data about its employees, and thus need to comply with the GDPR.
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But the GDPR also applies to companies serving European customers, even if the business itself is based elsewhere. If you ship your products to a customer in Belgium, for instance, you’ll need to handle that customer’s data in GDPR-compliant ways.

And don’t assume that you’re safe just because you aren’t selling into European markets. If your digital services or websites are accessible from Europe, you’re likely collecting data about Europeans who browse your online offerings. That alone is enough to trigger the GDPR, even if you never receive a single euro from those digital visitors.

The bottom line: no matter where you’re based, and no matter the size or nature of your business, if you collect any data pertaining to a person based in the European Union—from a customer’s phone number to a website visitor’s IP address—then you need to pay attention to the GDPR.

Don't ignore the cost of non-compliance. Non-compliance with GDPR can result in fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is higher, along with reputational damage.

Don’t assume you’re safe just because your company isn’t a household name. While large multinational firms draw the most regulatory attention, even small businesses are now being hit by enforcement actions and landed with fines totaling thousands of dollars.It’s also important to remember that while European regulators might not have direct jurisdiction over companies that don’t have a physical presence in Europe, that doesn’t mean it’s totally toothless.

For noncompliant businesses, the GDPR has a sting in its tail. These three firms were hit with the steepest GDPR fines to date:

• British Airways: €204.6m
• Marriot International: €110.3m
• Google: €50m

When you partner with Ketch, you don’t need a law degree to ensure your company is fully compliant.

Ketch is easy-to-use data privacy software that makes it simple for businesses and brands to comply with data privacy regulations including GDPR.

With Ketch, you can automate opt-outs, collect consent, enforce consumer privacy choices across your systems. Ketch can also help you with essential privacy program tasks like data mapping, ROPAs, risk assessments, and more. 

Every Ketch plan includes a pre-built, customizable policy template for GDPR (as well as every other major privacy law around the globe). You’ll be able to design on-brand website banners and notices, pre-populated and customizable with the recommended GDPR policy language. Best of all, Ketch automatically recognizes your visitor locations, dynamically serving the right banners to the right visitors. Without any engineering or coding, you’ll be serving GDPR notices to European visitors, CCPA/CPRA notices to California visitors, and more.‍

The cost varies based on business size and complexity, but Ketch data privacy compliance software offers scalable solutions starting with free for businesses that have fewer than 5000 unique monthly visitors.

No, the Ketch platform is designed with keeping non-tech users in mind. With its no-code functionality, intuitive workflows, and dedicated support, non-technical users can easily manage and maintain GDPR compliance without needing advanced technical skills.

Manual checklists are time-consuming and prone to errors. Ketch privacy compliance tool automates GDPR compliance processes—like consent tracking, data subject requests, and cookie management—so you can skip the checklist and ensure compliance seamlessly.