General Data Protection Regulation
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive data privacy and security law enacted by the European Union (EU) that governs the collection, processing, and storage of personal data of individuals within the EU. It aims to give individuals control over their personal data and imposes strict requirements on organizations handling such data, including data protection principles, rights for data subjects, and obligations for data controllers and processors. GDPR applies to any organization, regardless of location, that processes the personal data of EU residents.
Developers should learn GDPR to ensure compliance when building applications that handle personal data of EU users, as non-compliance can result in severe fines up to 4% of global annual turnover or €20 million. It is essential for roles involving data processing, privacy-by-design systems, or software used in regulated industries like healthcare or finance. Understanding GDPR helps in implementing features like data encryption, user consent mechanisms, and data breach notification protocols.