A Primer On The GDPR: What You Need To Know

Now that it's been approved by the EU Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee, Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (the "GDPR" or the "Regulation") is well on its way to replacing the 20-year-old Data Protection Directive (the "Directive") as the EU's omnibus data protection law. Although it won't officially become law until it receives the approval of the EU Parliament, now is the time to study the most important aspects of the GDPR so you can be prepared for the new regime.

Why replace the Directive?

The technology landscape was very different 20 years ago, when the Directive was first adopted. Today, with the widespread usage of social media, apps, and the Internet generally, personal data is being shared and transferred across borders more than ever before, and many felt that the Directive was due for an overhaul in light of all these changes.