GDPR e-trade within the EU
The legislation must be followed by all entrepreneurs who operate e-commerce within the EU or process customer data within the EU. This also means that if you sell goods to a customer base within the EU or your website has visitors from the EU, and you must maintain GDPR guidelines and handle personal data legally and correctly. This is important to know and keep track of before you start up your e-commerce. It is also worth mentioning that the GDPR for e-commerce does not only apply to the webshop in particular but the GDPR must be handled correctly within the entire organization.
Does GDPR place the exact requirements on physical stores and e-tailers?
The GDPR imposes the exact requirements on physical stores and e-merchants. According to the GDPR, all companies that process personal data must have transparent processes for protecting the data of their customers and employees. With that said, e-retailers must fulfill and follow the requirements set by GDPR in the same way as physical stores. Mainly if, for example, you use external services and do not manage the processing of the customers’ data yourself. It could, for example, be a collaboration partner who handles the data for you. Then it is also essential to have clear procedures for checking these services before you hire them to work with your business.
What is personal data according to the GDPR?
When you hear the word “personal data,” you usually think of the obvious information about a person l such as full name and social security number. But there is significantly more data than what is defined as personal data. The fact is that personal data is any information that can be linked to a private person.
Examples of other personal data are:
- Where you live
- Phone number
- Location information
- Pictures
- Bank details
If you want to understand better how GDPR works in practice and how you best manage customer privacy, we have a whole post here about GDPR personal data.
GDPR on your e-commerce and along the customer journey
GDPR is for everyone's benefit
We hope that this post has helped you increase your understanding of what is expected of you as an e-retailer and general information about GDPR for businesses. The most important thing is that you ensure a straightforward process regarding how you process personal data through all steps in the customer journey. We know that GDPR can be perceived as complicated, and there is a lot to keep track of, but remember that GDPR is for your and the customer’s benefit.
If you want to delve even more into GDPR, we have more posts on our blog where you can learn more about GDPR.
