5 Things That Every Magento Store Owner Needs To Know About GDPR

As General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was enforced on May 25th, 2018, compliance became a necessity for a large number of online businesses across the globe. The data privacy regulations were enacted by the European Union, but its impact is not confined to the countries of the EU. With this, thousands of Magento stores are covered by the regulation and need to take up the challenging task of going compliant. A professional Magento development agency can help you get all the facts right about GDPR compliance. Let's check out all that you need to know about the regulation and its implementation for your Magento store.

1. GDPR may affect stores that are even not in the EU

If you think that you do not need to comply if you are not running your business in the EU, you may be wrong. As GDPR is meant to protect the data of people who reside in the EU, it is applicable for all such organizations that handle EU-oriented data, irrespective of their location. If your Magento store holds data of even a single customer based in the EU, you will require a compliance policy in place.

2. Magento as a platform yields comprehensive support for GDPR compliance

If you have invested in Magento development services for your e-commerce store, then you are in luck. The platform provides extensive support for compliance efforts, with a constant focus on regularizing the processes and policies related to user privacy and data protection.

3. The regulation is aimed to protect the personal data of the users

Primarily, the regulation is meant to protect the personal data of the user. This refers to the information that can identify an individual directly or indirectly. For instance, names, ID numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, photos, and social network posts come under the coverage of personal data.

4. It comes with a stringent set of rules

Another fact that Magento merchants should know about the regulation is the set of rules it lays down. They should explicitly seek the user's permission while storing, processing, and using the personal data of the users. Despite ensuring clarity in communication and permission, there are still some rules they need to follow in terms of time limits for which data may be used. Additionally, they are required to erase the user on request and report a data breach to the regulatory authorities within 72 hours of its discovery.

5. Magento stores need to take adequate measures for ensuring compliance

It is important for merchants to take adequate measures to ensure GDPR compliance. From explicitly asking for user permission to use their personal data to documenting the details of the data they hold, reviewing the privacy policy of the business and having procedures in place for handling data breaches, there are some steps that they absolutely have to take. There are some more technical aspects that require them to avail the help of a professional agency.

Conclusion

Seeing the criticality and complexity of the task, it becomes imperative for every Magento store owner to take it seriously. It is a good idea to partner with a reputed ecommerce app development company that holds expertise in Magento as professionals can come with specialized extensions that cover the needs of GDPR compliance. The sooner that a business gets the task done, the better it is because breach can cause a lot of problems.