Step Plan GDPR Implementation

Since entering into force in May 2018, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to all entities in the European Economic Area (EEA) and - due to the extended territorial scope - to a large extent also to entities outside of the EEA. The GDPR has led to a significant rise in data protection compliance duties. In case of violations, companies may face fines of up to 4% of the global annual turnover of the whole company group. Supervisory authorities do not seem to be afraid to push those limits. European supervisory authorities have announced and issued record- breaking fines in the hundreds of million Euros. Even data protection non-compliance in smaller and less important offices of a company group may now lead to significant ramifications. As the preparation for the GDPR requires reorganization of various internal procedures, it is highly recommendable to follow a structured path when initiating a GDPR compliance project.