General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
GDPR is a robust data protection and privacy law in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA).
Key Rights: 1. Right to Access. 2. Right to Erasure (Forgotten). 3. Right to Rectification. 4. Right to Data Portability. 5. Right to Object. Enforcement: National Data Protection Authorities (DPAs).
graph LR
Center["General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)"]:::main
Rel_elliptic_curve_cryptography_ecc["elliptic-curve-cryptography-ecc"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_elliptic_curve_cryptography_ecc "/terms/elliptic-curve-cryptography-ecc"
Rel_public_key_cryptography["public-key-cryptography"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_public_key_cryptography "/terms/public-key-cryptography"
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🧒 Explain Like I'm 5
Imagine you give a secret to a friend. You expect them to keep it safe. GDPR is a set of rules that says if a company (the friend) loses your secret or tells it to someone else without asking you first, they will get in huge trouble with the principal (the government). It also says you can ask for your secret back whenever you want.
🤓 Expert Deep Dive
Technically, GDPR defines 'Personal Data' extremely broadly—anything that can identify an individual, including location data or online identifiers like Cookies. It introduces the distinction between a 'Data Controller' (the company that decides how and why data is used) and a 'Data Processor' (a third party that handles the data for the controller). Processing is only legal if it meets one of six 'Lawful Bases', with 'Consent' being the most famous but 'Legitimate Interest' being the most controversial. Compliance requires 'Privacy by Design'—building security into the software from day one, not as an afterthought.