Top 15+ GDPR Requirements You Must Know

The modern-day organisation must comply with several essential GDPR Requirements. These requirements aim to give individuals more control over their personal data and ensure that organisations are accountable for how they process and protect that data.  

In this blog, we will discuss the list of GDPR Requirements, or the measures an enterprise must take to comply with general Data Protection laws.  

Table of Contents 

1) Understanding the requirements of GDPR  

2) What are GDPR Requirements?  

    a) Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency  

    b) Limitation of purpose  

    c) Data minimisation  

    d) 72-hour breach notification  

    e) Accuracy  

    f) Storage limitation 

    g) Consent 

    h) Personal data breaches 

    i) Privacy by design 

    j) Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA’s) 

3) GDPR Requirements: Individual rights 

4) Conclusion  

Understanding the requirements of GDPR 

The General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), a comprehensive Data Privacy law passed by the European Union (EU), established a set of guidelines and obligations known as GDPR Requirements. No matter where the organisation is located, it must comply with the GDPR regulations if the Personal data of EU citizens or residents is processed or used. The Benefits of GDPR include several provisions designed to safeguard people's right to privacy, including the right to access, correct, and erase Personal data. 

The GDPR Principles also mandates that businesses put organisational and technical safeguards in place to guarantee personal data security and promptly notify the appropriate authorities and any people who may have been impacted by data breaches. In ensuring compliance with these mandates, businesses often conduct thorough GDPR audits to assess and enhance their data protection measures.

In general, the requirements of GDPR are meant to strengthen Personal Data Protection, make data processing operations more transparent, and hold businesses responsible for managing customers' personal information.

What are GDPR Requirements?

We have talked about the essential requirements of GDPR below to guide organisations to comply with them: 

 

Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency 

Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency are GDPR's primary requirements. Lawfulness means that organisations must have a valid legal basis for processing Personal data, while fairness means that organisations must process Personal data in a way that is not discriminatory, misleading, or otherwise unfair to individuals. Transparency means that organisations must be open and honest with individuals about how their data is being used. 

Overall, the lawfulness, fairness, and transparency requirements of GDPR ensure that organisations process Personal data legally, fairly, and transparently to individuals. By doing so, organisations can build trust with individuals and demonstrate their commitment to protecting individuals' privacy rights.   

Limitation of purpose 

The second key requirement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is purpose limitation, which specifies that Personal data must only be collected and processed for clearly stated and legal objectives and cannot be used for purposes that are incompatible with them. 

In other words, organisations must clearly express their justifications for collecting personal information and only gather the information required for those reasons. The purpose limitation principle is intended to protect individuals' privacy rights by ensuring that their data is not used in ways they did not consent to or expect. 

Data minimisation 

Data minimisation requires businesses only to collect, process, and store the minimum amount of Personal data necessary to fulfil a given purpose. In other words, data minimisation aims to reduce the volume of Personal data that businesses acquire and analyse. Organisations must only collect and treat Personal data for explicit, lawful, and specified reasons under the GDPR.   

Additionally, they must ensure that the personal information they gather is sufficient, pertinent, and kept to a minimum required for processing. Data minimisation helps protect individuals' privacy and Personal data by limiting the amount of data that organisations collect and process. 

72-hour breach notification 

GDPR requires organisations to notify relevant authorities and concerned individuals within 72 hours of experincing a Personal data breach that could result in a risk to the rights and freedom of individuals. This breach notification requirement aims to enable prompt and efficient data breach responses, as well as to encourage responsibility and transparency in data processing activities. The notification must include a thorough explanation of the breach, the types of individuals affected and their approximate numbers, the expected effects of the breach, and the steps taken or ideas put out to rectify the breach.   

Businesses who violate the breach notification regulations risk heavy fines, reputational injury, and legal repercussions for any harm done to individuals because of the breach. As a result, it's critical for businesses to have solid data breach response strategies in place that cover how to quickly and effectively discover, investigate, and disclose data breaches. 

Register in our Certified EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) Practitioner course immediately to learn about Data Protection principles and how they relate to personal data. 

Accuracy 

According to the GDPR's accuracy requirement, Personal data must be accurate and, when needed, kept current. Organisations must take reasonable measures to guarantee that the Personal data they process is accurate, comprehensive, and not misleading. They must also make sure that any errors are quickly fixed or removed.

Storage Limitation 

Storage Limitation is a fundamental principle of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that governs how organisations in the United Kingdom and the European Union should handle Personal data. This principle states that Personal data should be kept in a form that allows the identification of individuals for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it is processed. 

Consent 

Under General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), consent means that a person has given permission for their personal information to be collected, processed, and shared. This permission must be freely given, specific, and informed, and the person must have taken action, such as clicking buttons or checking boxes, to indicate their agreement. Consent is considered to be one of the six lawful bases and should be used only in certain circumstances. 

Personal data breaches 

This is an essential requirement of GDPR as data breaches are the most important element of GDPR. The most important aspect of understanding what is a GDPR breach Under Article 4, a Personal data breach is defined as any such event that causes an accident or any unlawful destruction, loss, or unauthorised access to Personal data, private data transmission or storage or illegal data processing.   

 

 

Privacy by design 

Privacy by design is a crucial requirement to know why gdpr is important is that requires organisations to incorporate privacy and Data Protection into their products, services, and systems from the beginning. This means that privacy and Data Protection should be considered as the primary factor rather than being added as an afterthought. This requirement includes data minimisation, purpose limitation, transparency, security, and user control. By implementing privacy by design, organisations can ensure GDPR compliance while also protecting the privacy and Data Protection rights of individuals.

Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIAs) 

DPIAs under Article 35 assist organisations in assessing the potential risks and impacts of their data processing activities on individuals' privacy and Data Protection rights. A DPIA is required when: 

a) Processing sensitive Personal data 

b) Large-scale processing of Personal data 

c) Using new technologies such as biometric or facial recognition 

With our Certified EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) Foundation course, you can learn about subject access requests and how to respond to them immediately.

Data transfers 

Data transfers refer to the movement of Personal data across borders, particularly outside the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK). GDPR requires that when such transfers occur, organisations must ensure that the Personal data is adequately protected.  

This can be achieved by using mechanisms like Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs), or obtaining explicit consent from Data Subjects. Additionally, organisations should assess the Data Protection laws and practices of the recipient country to ensure an adequate level of protection. 

Accountability for Processors 

Under GDPR, Data Processors are entities or individuals that process Personal data on behalf of Data Controllers. Accountability for Processors means that processors share in the responsibility for ensuring GDPR compliance. They must only process data in accordance with the controller's instructions, implement appropriate security measures, and assist the controller in meeting its obligations, such as responding to Data Subject requests and cooperating with supervisory authorities. Processors also have their own compliance requirements and should maintain records of their processing activities. 

Records of processing activities 

Records of processing activities are detailed documentation maintained by Data Controllers and processors to demubject categories, data retention periods, security measures, and any international data transfers.  

Maintaining these records is a fundamental aspect of GDPR accountability and transparency. They provide a clear overview of an organisation's data processing activities, helping supervisory authorities and Data Subjects understand how Personal data is handled. 

Cooperation with supervisory authorities 

Cooperation with supervisory authorities is a key requirement of GDPR, emphasising the importance of working with Data Protection regulators. Organisations should be ready to provide information and assistance to supervisory authorities when requested.  

This cooperation includes responding to inquiries, providing access to relevant documents, and notifying authorities of data breaches within 72 hours. Cooperation ensures that regulators can effectively oversee compliance and enforce GDPR Requirements. Timely and transparent communication with supervisory authorities is crucial in demonstrating commitment to Data Protection and resolving potential issues. 

Data Protection Officer (DPO) 

The GDPR mandates that certain organisations hire a DPO. The DPO is in charge of managing a company's Data Protection plan and making sure that it complies with GDPR regulations.   

Article 39 lists the prerequisites for a DPO, which include the following:  

a) Spreading awareness regarding Data Protection to inform the staff regarding the same 

b) Observing the organisation's Data Protection policies and practices 

c) Advising management as to the necessity of Data Protection Impact Assessments 

d) Acting as the organisation's point of contact with its supervisory authority 

e) Working as a point of contact for people regarding privacy issues 

Train the employees 

An essential element in ensuring GDPR compliance is training staff on the regulation's requirements and duties. Employees who handle Personal data need to be aware of their GDPR responsibilities and how to incorporate Data Protection practices into their regular work. 

Follow the steps below to train the employees on specific requirements of GDPR: 

a) Conduct GDPR awareness training 

b) Provide job-specific training 

c) Develop GDPR policies and procedures 

d) Conduct regular refresher training 

e) Provide ongoing support and resources  

Organisations can reduce the risk of data breaches and non-compliance, preserve individual privacy rights, and help ensure that Personal data is processed in accordance with the rule by training staff about its GDPR Requirements and their obligations. 

With our Certified Data Protection Officer (CDPO) training, you may learn how to handle issues and the art of handling Personal data right away. 

GDPR Requirements: Individual rights 

Individual rights are a fundamental aspect of GDPR, designed to empower individuals in the UK and the EU with control over their Personal data. Below are the GDPR Requirements pertaining to Individual rights: 

Right to be informed 

Individuals have the right to be informed about how their Personal data is collected, processed, and for what purposes. Organisations must provide clear and concise privacy notices that explain these details. 

Right to access 

Individuals can request  access to their Personal data that an organisation holds. Upon request, organisations must provide a copy of the data and information about its processing within a month. 

Right to rectification 

Data subjects have the right to possess inaccurate or incomplete Personal data corrected by the Data Controller. This ensures that their data is up-to-date and accurate. 

Right to erasure 

Individuals can request the deletion of their Personal data in certain circumstances, such as when it is no longer necessary for the original purpose of processing. 

Right to restrict processing 

In specific situations, individuals can request that the processing of their Personal data be restricted. During this period, data may only be stored and not processed further. 

Right to data portability 

Individuals have the right to receive their data in a structured and machine-readable format, allowing them to transfer it to another organisation when applicable. 

Right to object 

Individuals are allowed to object to the processing of their data, particularly for direct marketing purposes. Upon receiving an objection, the organisation must cease processing the data. 

Rights related to automated decision-making, including profiling 

GDPR provides protection against solely automated decisions, including profiling, that have significant legal or similarly significant effects on individuals. In such cases, individuals have the right to challenge these decisions and seek human intervention.

Conclusion 

GDPR Requirements help you to ensure GDPR compliance, including conducting regular Data Protection Impact Assessments, appointing a Data Protection Officer, and implementing Data Protection policies and procedures. By doing so, organisations can help to protect the Personal data of EU citizens and build trust with their customers and stakeholders. 

Want to stay updated with the Data Protection procedures? Sign up for our GDPR training courses now!