Course Description

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a landmark data privacy law enacted by the European Union (EU) in May 2018 to strengthen the protection of personal data for individuals within the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA). It applies to any organization worldwide that collects, processes, or stores the personal data of EU citizens, making it one of the most far-reaching data protection laws globally.

GDPR grants individuals greater control over their personal information by enforcing key rights, such as the right to access, rectify, and erase data (also known as the "right to be forgotten"). It mandates organizations to obtain clear and explicit user consent before processing data and to implement stringent security measures to prevent data breaches.

Non-compliance with GDPR can result in heavy penalties, with fines reaching up to €20 million or 4% of annual global revenue, whichever is higher. The regulation also requires companies to appoint Data Protection Officers (DPOs) in certain cases and to report data breaches within 72 hours.

By promoting transparency, accountability, and security, GDPR has set a global standard for data privacy, influencing similar regulations worldwide, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).