GDPR Considerations

Overview

GDPR requires organizations handling EU personal data to implement lawful processing, minimization, and strong data protection practices.

Key Areas

• Data minimization and purpose limitation
• Lawful basis for processing
• Data subject rights handling
• Breach notification obligations

flowchart LR
    A[Personal Data Collection] --> B[Lawful Processing]
    B --> C[Secure Storage]
    C --> D[Retention and Deletion]

Practical Example

A customer profile service should support data export and deletion workflows to satisfy access and erasure requests.

Production Example

Many platforms maintain data maps and processing inventories to identify where personal data is stored and how retention policies apply.

Common Pitfalls

• Collecting more personal data than required
• No documented retention and deletion schedule
• Incomplete incident response plan for personal data breaches

Key Takeaways

• GDPR impacts architecture, operations, and governance.
• Data lifecycle controls are central to compliance.
• Privacy-by-design reduces long-term regulatory risk.