What is GDPR?

The impact of GDPR on email marketing and how to comply

GDPR (The General Data Protection Regulation) is a set of rules that went into effect in 2018 to regulate how companies collect, use, and process the personal data of individuals in the European Union (EU). For email marketers, this means that if you have any contacts on your email list who are located in the EU, you need to be sure that you are complying with the GDPR’s requirements.

One of the key requirements of the GDPR is that individuals must give their explicit consent for their personal data to be collected and used. This means that if you want to send marketing emails to contacts in the EU, you need to obtain their consent in a clear and affirmative way. This might involve using a checkbox on a sign-up form or using double opt-in to confirm that a person wants to receive emails from you.

Another important aspect of the GDPR is that it gives individuals the right to access, rectify, erase, or restrict the processing of their personal data. This means that if an individual contacts you and asks to see what personal data you have collected about them, or if they want you to delete their data from your email list, you must comply with their request.

In a nutshell, GDPR is designed to give individuals more control over their personal data and to protect their privacy. As an email marketer, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the requirements of the GDPR and to make sure that you are complying with them in order to avoid potential fines and penalties.

Four (4) principles of GDPR

• 1. Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency: The processing of personal data must be lawful, fair, and transparent. This means that individuals must be informed about how their data will be used, and their consent must be obtained before their data is collected and processed.
• 2. Purpose limitation: Personal data must be collected and processed for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes. This means that companies must have a clear reason for collecting and using personal data, and this reason must be communicated to individuals.
• 3. Data minimization: Personal data must be adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which it is processed. This means that companies should only collect and process the minimum amount of personal data necessary to achieve their stated purposes.
• 4. Accuracy: Personal data must be accurate and kept up to date. This means that companies must take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal data they collect and process is accurate and up-to-date. They must also allow individuals to rectify any inaccurate personal data that is held about them.

Who does GDPR not apply to?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to any company that processes the personal data of individuals in the European Union (EU), regardless of the company’s location. However, there are some exceptions to this.

The GDPR does not apply to personal data that is processed by individuals for purely personal or household purposes. For example, if an individual keeps a personal diary or contacts list, the GDPR would not apply to this data.

GDPR does not apply to certain types of organizations, such as public authorities and bodies that are involved in activities of a public nature. For example, the GDPR would not apply to the personal data of individuals that is processed by a government department or a state-run hospital.

If you are not sure about GDPR laws, here’s a link to the website. Click here to read more on their website.