GDPR.

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is the European Union's comprehensive data privacy framework, effective since May 2018. It governs how organisations collect, store, process, and transfer the personal data of EU residents—regardless of where the organisation is based. Violations can result in fines of up to €20 million or 4% of global annual turnover, whichever is higher.

GDPR Principles Relevant to Marketers

Key GDPR principles for digital marketers: Lawful basis (consent, legitimate interest, or contract must justify each data processing activity); Purpose limitation (data collected for one purpose can't be repurposed); Data minimisation (only collect what's necessary); Consent requirements (must be specific, informed, freely given, and as easy to withdraw as to grant); and the Right to erasure (users can request deletion of their data).

GDPR Compliance for Analytics and Marketing

GDPR compliance in marketing requires: valid cookie consent banners before setting non-essential cookies; email list consent with clear opt-in language and unsubscribe mechanisms; data processing agreements with all third-party vendors who process EU user data; privacy policies that disclose all data processing activities; and processes for handling data subject access and erasure requests within the 30-day regulatory timeline.