Data handling and online privacy has never been a hotter topic! The GDPR has caused hysteria and shrugs (and more than a few headaches), but it’s got people talking.
At Performance Foundry, we’re big fans of owning and taking back your data! We just wish things were a bit clearer when it comes to the practical application of the laws. So we’ve tried to bring together some resources to help.
What is the GDPR?
This is the big one: GDPR: changes to the EU regulations around data protection, and what that means for you
Its main aim is to protect the data and privacy of all individuals within the European Economic Area, and extends the scope of the current EU data protection law to all companies that process personal data related to people located within the EU.
Cookies
We’re seeing more questions about cookies than any other area of the GDPR. So settle down with a class of milk and enjoy:
Can you tell me what I need to do to make my site compliant with GDPR?
No, because…
GDPR compliance is not a plugin, it’s a business process
The biggest misconception that we’ve seen around GDPR implementation is that the GDPR can be ‘solved’ by adding or removing plugins. I have bad news for you: no plugin or theme is GDPR compatible because that’s not a thing.
There are plugins that don’t handle data, and plugins that do handle data. It’s not always obvious which is which, and they can change their status at any time. Ongoing business processes to audit and understand the data use on your site is important.
We’re working on a GDPR theme and plugin FAQ for more information.
Resources for bloggers
There are a lot of resources out there to help you become GDPR compliant, but we found this one to be refreshingly clear and helpful.
- GDPR for bloggers (external resource)
Resources for ecommerce stores
- GDPR for ecommerce (external resource)
- If you use Shopify, check out their blog post about this. (external resource)
Got web privacy or GDPR questions?
We are not lawyers and cannot advise on your implementation of GDPR or your level of GDPR compliance. We’re happy to share what we’re learning and what we’re seeing evolve as best practice.
As a specialist WordPress development, hosting and maintenance company, we do talk with quite a few interested partners though! We can also implement your requirements on your WordPress site. Contact hello@performancefoundry.com through the contact form below.