Don’t let the GDPR sink you! GDPR Roundup

GDPR. That’s all people seem to be talking about. I guess the promise of hefty fines will create all kinds of emotions.

So, where does that leave WordPress professionals? It is definitely something we should take note of for our clients. One UK developer said he had field almost a dozen calls in a week from clients wanting to know more.

Obviously, since the GDPR is a new law for the European Union, it has more urgency for European developers, but the law is applicable to anyone working with European users. Therefore, we all need to know something about what is happening.

It does seem, however, there are many things left to be decided going forward.

I compiled a list of articles written in the WordPress world about how the GDPR affects our businesses for a very special GDPR Roundup.

Also, I added a few plugins available to help you implement your GDPR website requirements.

First, let me state, this is not legal advice. Neither I or MainWP are lawyers. This is a post with articles to various resources to aid you in your understanding of the new law. You will need to consult with legal advisers or lawyers for official legal advice. Todd

GDPR Roundup

GDPR stands for general data protection regulation. Enforcement begins on May 25, 2018.  The first place you should bookmark, especially if you are a European WordPress developer, is EUGDPR.org. Powered by Trunomi, it contains information in a nice portal on the new regulations.

Worried about WordPress and GDPR? Start Here – Pagely

Published by Pagely, this is a really good round up of information for the GDPR regulations.

Improving privacy and empowering user control over personal data are primary goals of this legislation — accomplishing this aim requires significant changes which impact companies at large, no matter what type of platform they’re using.

The Complete WordPress GDPR Guide: What Does the New Data Regulation Mean for Your Website, Business and Data? – CodeinWP

This article is a pretty exhaustive resource by Shaumik Daityari from CodeinWP. It is certainly worth to bookmark.

An Introduction to GDPR Compliance for WooCommerce Stores – WooCommerce

Are you a WooCommerce customer or user? Well, WooCommerce recognizes the need for more understanding about the GDPR. Hannah Swain breaks it down from that side of things and also talks about how Automatic is implementing the regulation.

GDPR for websites -Angled Crown

Coming from the front lines, Lee Jackson of Angled Crown goes over how it affects WordPress professionals. Angled Crown is a UK development agency. Jackson says,

It is therefore imperative that we provide clear information on what is being collected, and ensuring we have permission from the user to collect that data.

If we are collecting information through cookies, then clear notification needs to be provided, and a break down of what is being collected should be provided along with clear information on our Privacy Policies.

Jackson follows up with a podcast episode about the regulation.

Other Resources

Yes, The GDPR Will Affect Your U.S.-Based Business – Forbes

Automattic and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – WordPress

GDPR Compliance Tools in WordPress – WordPress

What GDPR Means For Your WordPress And WooCommerce Business – A Starter Guide On What’s Important To Know And Do First – Codeable

Wikipedia

Plugins:

WP GDPR Compliance

GDPR

WP GDPR

The GDPR Framework

It is important to note that these plugins do not make you GDPR compliant simply by installing them. You will need to craft a new privacy policy and add a cookie banner. They are designed to walk you through the process and add the proper notifications.

Wrapping it up

Even if you do not operate in Europe, it is worth taking a look and seeing if you have any issues. Context does matter. Some of the changes are probably a good thing because of the requirements of being much more transparent about the data we use.

The bigger task may be assessing all of your customers’ websites. Angled Crown is doing audits for a fee and this is a good idea for WordPress professionals with existing customers, especially if they operate part of their business in Europe. The upfront cost is a great value-add to limit any future fines.

What are you doing to get ready for GDPR?