GDPR is an essential data protection law that has been in place for a year and affects how companies control user data on the Internet. This law seeks to create trust between companies and people. If your WordPress business site is still not GDPR compliant, you may face legal issues or even fines.
The GDPR has changed the way website owners have to handle their users’ information. This includes websites with .
What is the WordPress GDPR?
WordPress GDPR refers to adapting a WordPress site to comply with regulations. The main goal is to protect the personal data of each user using various WordPress features and additional tools.
There are three key terms that you should know to better understand the GDPR, these are:
- Personal information: any information relating to a person, including their name, identification number, location, and cultural and social identity.
- Responsible for the treatment: legal person, public authority, agency or other body that determines the purpose of data collection and processing.
- Treatment Manager: any party that processes personal data on behalf of the data controller.
Let’s take a look at how GDPR will affect website owners and six important methods to make your WordPress site GDPR compliant WordPress.
Who must comply with the WordPress GDPR?
The GDPR applies to all companies and organizations in EU countries, especially those that collect and process personal data of their customers. The law is also applicable to companies outside the EU that offer products and services to customers established in the EU.
This means that almost all international companies and website owners must comply with this regulation. Failure to comply with the GDPR can result in a huge fine.
For example, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) can fine minor breaches up to €10 million either the 2% of the company’s annual global revenue, whichever is greater.
From a monetary point of view alone, it is clear that GDPR compliance is an important aspect to consider when managing a website.
Making your WordPress site GDPR compliant should also be a priority, as customers now value the privacy of their data more than ever. Around the stated that they would stop interacting with a brand if their data was used without their knowledge.
If you work outside the EU, keep in mind that you have to comply with other regulations similar to the GDPR, such as and .
What are the GDPR requirements for WordPress?
Compliance with the GDPR as a privacy and data protection regulation consists of six key principles, namely:
- data minimization: The website must collect only the necessary personal information and use it only for specific, explicit and legitimate purposes.
- Transparency: the collection and processing of data must be explicitly communicated to users. One of the most common ways to be transparent about data collection is to include a data processing agreement, such as a cookie notice.
- Integrity and confidentiality– Website owners have to maintain the security of stored personal data, which includes minimizing the risk of hacking and accidental loss. They also have to quickly send out data breach notifications in the event of an accident.
- Storage limitation: The personal data collected should not be kept longer than necessary, but may be stored for longer as long as it is in the public interest.
- Accuracy: those in charge of the treatment must guarantee the accuracy of the personal data and keep them updated. They must also correct or delete personal data if it is found to be inaccurate.
- Purpose limitation: Website owners must not collect personal data and use it for purposes other than those specified, explicit and legitimate.
GDPR compliant WordPress website owners should practice these principles. Otherwise, they may be held accountable.
The WordPress GDPR and individual rights
The GDPR also specifies the individual rights of site users protected by the regulation, specifically EU citizens. lists, specifies, and divides these rights into six sections, including:
- Right of access of the interested party: Users have the right to know why the website is collecting and processing their data, what exactly is being collected and where it will be distributed. They also have the right to obtain a copy of the data being processed.
- Right of rectification– Visitors can request that their data be corrected if it is inaccurate. They also have the right to add more information depending on the purpose of the treatment.
- Right of deletion: users can request the removal of their personal data from the database.
- Right to restriction of processing: people have the right to deny the processing of their personal data.
- Right to data portability: individuals can receive from a data controller a copy of their data in a commonly used and readable format. You can also distribute this copy without restriction from the website.
- Right of opposition: Users have the right to object to profiling for certain purposes, such as direct marketing.
6 Ways to Be GDPR Compliant with WordPress
In this section, we’ll take a look at six ways to make your WordPress site GDPR compliant. Please note that this is not a step-by-step guide, but rather a list of factors that ensure a WordPress website is GDPR compliant.
1. Update to WordPress 4.9.6
Updating core WordPress software is possibly the easiest method to ensure your website is GDPR compliant. New versions of WordPress offer multiple features to help website owners follow GDPR principles when collecting user data.
Make sure to update your WordPress to version 4.9.6, or newer preferably. This is because this version has some built-in data privacy features, such as:
- Cookie option for comments: Allows users to choose whether the browser should save their information when submitting a comment on your website.
- Export and delete data: this version allows you to track user requests to export or delete their personal information from your database.
- Privacy Policy Page Generator– Site owners can quickly generate a basic template for a dedicated privacy policy page. Having such a page is one of the requirements for a GDPR compliant website. However, we encourage you to create your own privacy page once you have a better understanding of the structure and general subject matter.
Aside from these useful features, updating WordPress core regularly helps you improve data security. Older versions of WordPress can have bugs and security issues that can put sensitive data on your site at risk.
Updating your WordPress website is also important to improve its performance and keep up with new technology and industry standards.
2. Set up a privacy policy page
Legal documents, including a dedicated privacy policy page, are an integral part of creating a GDPR-compliant website.
This page should contain detailed information about how a website collects, stores, processes and uses the personal data of its visitors.
In addition to being one of the GDPR requirements, some third-party services like this also require a privacy policy page. Websites that do not have a valid privacy page will not be able to use these services, as they violate their terms.
Each privacy page must specify the type of information it collects, such as name, date of birth, gender, as well as email and IP addresses.
Make sure you explain why you collect and process personal data. In some cases, websites collect cookies to track users’ online behavior. Owners must also clearly indicate whether they share users’ personal data with third parties.
Explain how you are going to keep your data storage and your system safe. This includes if your website collects payment information such as credit card details or bank accounts.
It is also important to include a procedure to opt out of data collection and processing.
Always include the effective date of your privacy policy to let visitors know if it’s up to date. If you are not sure what other aspects to include or any other details, do not hesitate to contact a legal expert.
Last but not least, specify your contact details, in case website visitors have any questions about the data collection process.
There are two very common ways to create a privacy policy page. WordPress allows its users to create a dedicated privacy policy manually, using a built-in feature in the admin panel. All you have to do is browse through Settings > Privacy.
Click on the button Creates to write a new custom privacy policy page. Once you are done with the public policy, click the button Post and consider including a link to the page in the footer of your website.
Another method of creating a privacy policy page is by using a WordPress plugin like . The process of using this plugin is relatively simple. A new option will appear in the WordPress admin panel.
The free version of WP AutoTerms allows you to create a simple privacy policy, terms and conditions, and a custom legal page. The premium version, on the other hand, starts at $39, offering additional features such as the creation of a GDPR-compliant privacy policy and a cookie notice banner.
3. Enable HTTPS
Cybercrime cases have increased due to the increase in online activities by the general public.
Some of these cybercrime cases are data breaches, a practice in which hackers disrupt the transfer of data between an unsecured website and its users.
Therefore, reducing the risk of cyber attacks must be a priority, considering that data security is one of the key principles of the GDPR. To do this, one of the most common and important methods is to enable the…
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