GDPR Checker
Assess GDPR compliance for your website including privacy policy, cookie consent, and data processing practices
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What Is GDPR Compliance Checking
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European Union's comprehensive data protection law that governs how organizations collect, process, store, and share personal data of EU and EEA residents. A GDPR compliance check evaluates an organization's data processing practices against the regulation's requirements, identifying gaps that could result in penalties of up to EUR 20 million or 4% of global annual revenue.
GDPR applies to any organization worldwide that processes personal data of EU residents, regardless of where the organization is based. This extraterritorial scope means that U.S. companies, Asian businesses, and any entity with EU customers or website visitors must comply.
GDPR Core Principles
| Principle | Article | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Lawfulness, fairness, transparency | Art. 5(1)(a) | Process data lawfully with a valid legal basis and transparent privacy notices |
| Purpose limitation | Art. 5(1)(b) | Collect data for specified, explicit, legitimate purposes only |
| Data minimization | Art. 5(1)(c) | Collect only the data that is adequate, relevant, and necessary |
| Accuracy | Art. 5(1)(d) | Keep personal data accurate and up to date |
| Storage limitation | Art. 5(1)(e) | Retain data no longer than necessary for its purpose |
| Integrity and confidentiality | Art. 5(1)(f) | Protect data with appropriate security measures |
| Accountability | Art. 5(2) | Demonstrate compliance with all principles |
Common Use Cases
- Website compliance audit: Check whether your website's cookie consent, privacy policy, data collection forms, and analytics setup comply with GDPR requirements
- Pre-launch assessment: Evaluate a new product or service for GDPR compliance before launch, identifying required privacy features and documentation
- Vendor due diligence: Assess whether third-party vendors and data processors meet GDPR requirements before sharing personal data
- Annual compliance review: Conduct periodic assessments to ensure ongoing compliance as your data processing activities evolve
- Data subject request readiness: Verify that your organization can fulfill data subject rights (access, deletion, portability, objection) within the required 30-day timeframe
Best Practices
- Identify your legal basis — Every data processing activity must have a valid legal basis: consent, contract, legal obligation, vital interests, public task, or legitimate interests. Document the basis for each activity.
- Implement privacy by design — Build data protection into new systems from the start rather than retrofitting. GDPR Article 25 requires this approach.
- Maintain Records of Processing Activities — Article 30 requires documented records of all processing activities, including purposes, data categories, recipients, and retention periods.
- Prepare for data subject requests — Implement automated processes to handle access, deletion, portability, and objection requests within 30 days. Manual processes break down at scale.
- Conduct DPIAs for high-risk processing — Data Protection Impact Assessments are required for processing that is likely to result in high risk to individuals (profiling, large-scale processing of sensitive data, public monitoring).
References & Citations
- European Commission. (2024). General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Retrieved from https://gdpr.eu/ (accessed January 2025)
- European Data Protection Board. (2020). Guidelines on consent under Regulation 2016/679. Retrieved from https://edpb.europa.eu/our-work-tools/documents/public-consultations/2020/guidelines-052020-consent-under-regulation_en (accessed January 2025)
- UK Information Commissioner's Office. (2024). ICO Guide to GDPR. Retrieved from https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/ (accessed January 2025)
Note: These citations are provided for informational and educational purposes. Always verify information with the original sources and consult with qualified professionals for specific advice related to your situation.
Key Security Terms
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the GDPR Checker
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is EU law regulating personal data processing. Applies to: EU organizations, non-EU organizations processing EU residents data. Key requirements: lawful basis for processing, consent for non-essential cookies, privacy policy, data subject rights (access, deletion, portability), breach notification (72 hours), Data Protection Officer (if required), data processing agreements. Penalties: up to 4% global revenue or €20M. Enforcement: EU Data Protection Authorities. Applies since May 2018.