GDPR Compliance Checklist: Steps and Tools

We’ve all heard about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

It’s a data privacy thing, right? In essence, yes. But, for businesses, it signifies a fundamental shift in how they interact with and stay in touch with their customers and target audience.

For instance, Meta was issued with a hefty fine of 1.3 billion dollars for not adhering to the data privacy parameters defined by GDPR. 😲

So, if you have customers in the EU region, you need to get this thing right and you need to do so asap!

This blog post will equip you with a clear understanding of GDPR compliance, a handy checklist to achieve it, and some helpful tools to automate and streamline the process.

Here we go. 🎢

GDPR Compliance Checklist: Steps and Tools To Conquer Data Privacy

The GDPR is a regulation enforced by the EU to safeguard the data privacy of individuals within the region. It dictates how the personal data of EU citizens are collected, stored, used, and ultimately protected by businesses.

The law was implemented in May 2018 and has significantly impacted how companies interact with customers. This exhaustive guideline was put in place to govern three broad aspects of data protection:

Data privacy: The GDPR grants individuals greater control over their personal data, including the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, data portability, object to processing, and be informed about data processing activities
Data security: It requires companies to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction
Accountability: Companies are responsible for demonstrating compliance with the GDPR. This includes conducting data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) for high-risk processing activities, such as banking, and appointing a data protection officer (DPO) in certain cases

🚦Remember: Any organization collecting or processing the personal data of EU residents, regardless of the company’s location, needs to be GDPR compliant. This includes small businesses, multinational corporations, and even non-profit organizations.

What data are we talking about?

GDPR focuses on personally identifiable information (PII), which is any information that can be used to identify an individual, directly or indirectly. Examples include:

Direct identifiers: Name, address, social security number or equivalent, telephone number, email address
Indirect identifiers: Gender, race, birth date, geographic indicator, occupation, demographic data
Sensitive PII: Driver’s license number, passport number, biometric data, financial information, medical records, electronic and digital account information, employee personnel records, password information, school identification numbers

What does it mean for businesses?

From a GDPR perspective, you’re either a data controller or data processor working with the data of EU citizens. Depending on which category you fall into, the expectations of you as a business could vary.

Data controller: This is the entity that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data. They’re responsible for ensuring compliance with GDPR
Data processor: This is the entity that processes personal data on behalf of the data controller. They must follow the data controller’s instructions

In a real-world example, a data controller could be a hospital, and a data processor could be a cloud storage provider where the hospital stores patient records. As the data controller, the hospital decides what information to store and how to use it. The cloud provider (data processor) simply stores the data securely according to the hospital’s instructions.

🚦Remember: GDPR places more responsibility on data controllers to create and implement privacy by design into all their business processes.

GDPR: A privacy law or an information privacy law?

Privacy and information privacy laws are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct nuances. While both are concerned with protecting individuals’ data, they approach the issue from slightly different angles.

Privacy law, in its broadest sense, concerns protecting individuals from intrusions into their personal lives and physical space, such as unwanted home appointments. Information privacy law, on the other hand, is specifically focused on protecting personal data, like IP addresses or emails.

In practice, a service you signed up for could access your location via your phone’s GPS and send you updates specific to your locality, or a delivery service could be shipping items to your home address. If either of these businesses experiences a data breach, your home location is suddenly out there and could be exploited.

Within this context, while the GDPR primarily protects personal data, it also touches on broader privacy concerns.

The GDPR is not just about data protection. It’s about fundamental rights, including the right to privacy and the right to be forgotten.

Max Schrems, Privacy Activist

Now that we’ve cracked the GDPR code (well, at least the basics!), let’s look at the broad steps you need to include in a GDPR audit checklist to become compliant.

1. Map your data sources

Before you can protect it, you need to understand what data you’re collecting. Conduct an audit to identify all the personal data your business accumulates, where it comes from, and how it’s used.

To do this efficiently, you need to look at the following:

Data inventory: Create a detailed inventory of all personal data categories collected, including names, addresses, contact information, financial data, biometric data, and more
Data sources: Identify the sources of this data, such as websites, forms, third-party providers, or physical interactions
Data processing activities: Determine how the data is used, including storage, processing, transmission, and sharing
Data retention: Establish data retention policies (how long the data stays in your system) that align with GDPR principles and minimize the storage of personal data
Data flow: Map the data flow within your organization and to external parties. For example, a third-party delivery service that is executing your shipment order would fall under this category

💡 Pro Tip: ClickUp CRM can be your catch-all data solution here for mapping and storing customer data. From capturing the email addresses in sales leads to staying on top of customer journeys and any additional interactions, it will help you organize all the data in one place.

2. Bring a data protection officer (DPO) onboard

A DPO acts as the single point of contact for data privacy within your organization.

As a data privacy expert, the data protection officer ensures that the organization’s data practices align with GDPR requirements. In their role, a DPO handles data subject requests, responds to data breaches, assists in risk assessments, and serves as a liaison with data protection authorities.

To qualify as a DPO, a candidate must possess expertise in data protection law and be easily accessible to employees and data subjects. By appointing a qualified DPO, you can demonstrate your commitment to data privacy, reduce the risk of non-compliance, and enhance your credibility as a business among customers.

Document everything! Coming up with a data processing policy involves outlining every single process along the way so you can pinpoint where a customer’s data will be stored or how long it will be stored after they’ve canceled their subscription, for example.

Make sure that the process overview and granular details are clearly defined and accessible for all teams that will need to periodically update or refer to them.

Leverage ClickUp Docs to maintain a centralized, easily accessible record of your data processing activities, including the type of data, legal basis for collection, and retention period.

*Compliance documentation doesn’t have to be dull; try ClickUp Docs!*

Create separate documents for different aspects of compliance, such as data mapping, data retention policies, data breach response plans, and risk assessments.

These documents can be organized into a hierarchical structure using nested pages, making them easy to navigate and reference. You can also use ClickUp’s collaboration features like @mentions to involve relevant teams and individuals in the process, ensuring that everyone is aligned and informed.

4. Reassess your data collection processes

Do you really need all that data? GDPR emphasizes the principle of data minimization, which requires organizations to collect and process only the personal data necessary for specific purposes.

To ensure compliance, regularly assess your data collection practices and ensure they are limited to what is necessary and proportionate to your business objectives. Here are some things to consider:

Purpose limitation

Ensure that the data you collect is directly related to your business objectives and is not used for unintended purposes. For example, to process orders, an eCommerce website may collect customer names, addresses, and payment information. This data should not be used for targeted advertising without the customer’s consent.

Data minimization

Identify if any data fields can be eliminated or anonymized without compromising the purpose of data collection. A social media platform might initially collect users’ full names, email addresses, and birth dates. However, if the platform can function adequately with only usernames and email addresses, it should minimize the collection of personal data.

Data retention

Establish appropriate data retention policies to ensure that data is not kept for longer than necessary. For regulatory compliance purposes, a bank might retain credit card application records for a specific period. After the mandated period, this data can be anonymized or deleted.

If you’re relying on consent as a legal basis for processing, ensure that it is freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. A mobile app asks users to consent to collecting location data for personalized recommendations. The consent should be freely given and specific (for example, access location only when using the app).

Legitimate interests

If you’re relying on legitimate interests, carefully assess whether they outweigh the individual’s interests, rights, and freedoms. A news organization might process journalists’ contact information to facilitate communication and collaboration. This can be considered a legitimate interest for journalistic activities.

🌈 Did you know? SOC 2 is a GDPR equivalent framework more closely associated with American businesses. It’s a voluntary standard used by organizations to demonstrate their commitment to data security and privacy.

While GDPR is a legal regulation focused on protecting the personal data of individuals within the European Union, SOC 2 can be seen as a complementary standard. By achieving SOC 2 compliance, you can demonstrate that you’re a data-responsible business entity and maintain adherence to globally recognized data security measures.

5. Watch out for data breaches and act fast

When reporting a data breach under the GDPR, organizations must assess the potential risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms. This involves considering the type of data compromised, the likelihood of unauthorized access, and the potential consequences for affected individuals.

GDPR mandates reporting data breaches within 72 hours if there is a high risk of negatively impacting individuals’ rights and freedoms.

In many cases, organizations must also notify affected individuals directly, providing clear information about the breach, the data involved, and the steps being taken to address it.

Additionally, a thorough investigation is necessary to understand the cause of the breach and implement preventive measures. It’s essential to maintain detailed records of the entire process, including the steps taken to report the breach and mitigate its impact.

Case in point: British Airways Data Breach

In 2018, British Airways experienced a significant data breach that affected approximately 500,000 customers. Hackers were able to gain unauthorized access to the airline’s reservation system, stealing personal information such as names, addresses, payment card details, and travel itineraries.

This breach was a clear violation of the GDPR, as it involved the unauthorized processing of personal data on a large scale. British Airways was fined £20 million by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for the incident.

6. Prioritize transparency in your data collection

Your customers have the right to know precisely what data you’re collecting and how you use it. Here are some steps you can take to ensure transparency in your data collection processes:

Clear and concise privacy policies: Provide easily accessible, understandable privacy policies that clearly outline their data practices. These policies should be written in plain language and avoid legal jargon
Informed consent: Lay out the purposes of data collection, the types of data being collected, and customers’ rights regarding the data during your consent-collecting process
Data subject access requests: Respond to data subject access requests promptly and comprehensively. This means providing individuals with a copy of their personal data and information about how it’s being processed
Third-party data sharing: If personal data is shared with third parties, ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the data and that the third parties are also GDPR-compliant

The GDPR requires businesses to obtain parental or legal guardian consent before processing personal data from children under 16 in most EU countries.

To verify the age of your users, employ reliable methods such as requiring parental consent or using age verification services. If parental consent is obtained, it must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.

Additionally, maintain detailed records of the consent process, including the date, method, and identity of the consenting party. Add additional steps to ensure that no sensitive information is collected from children and that their data is not retained for longer than required.

Case in point: TikTok vs. Irish Data Protection Commission

TikTok was fined $379 million by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) for failing to adequately protect the personal data of children. The DPC found that TikTok had not obtained valid consent from children under the age of 13, as required by the GDPR.

Additionally, the DPC criticized TikTok for not doing enough to prevent children from viewing potentially harmful content. This is one of the largest fines imposed under the GDPR, highlighting the importance of protecting children’s data online.

To facilitate a truly informed consent process, gather explicit consent from customers before processing their data, including their email addresses, for marketing purposes. A double opt-in process is a robust method to ensure that individuals have knowingly and willingly subscribed to an email list.

How does double opt-in work?

Initial subscription: When an individual enters their email address to subscribe to an email list, they receive a confirmation email
Confirmation: The individual must click on a link or button in the confirmation email to complete the subscription process

This two-step verification process helps to prevent spam and ensures that individuals have actively consented to receive emails. By implementing a double opt-in process, you can reduce the risk of being flagged for unsolicited email marketing.

9. Update your privacy policy periodically

Review and update your privacy policy regularly to reflect any changes in your data practices or legal requirements. Focus on the following pointers to keep your privacy policy in top shape:

Accuracy: Ensure that the information in your privacy policy is accurate and up-to-date
Accessibility: Make your privacy policy easily accessible on your website and provide a link to it from other relevant pages
Consistency: Ensure that your privacy policy is consistent with your actual data practices

💈Bonus: Looking for some inspiration? See ClickUp’s privacy policy.

10. Assess third-party risks

As a data-responsible business entity, you are responsible for double-checking whether your third-party associates are GDPR compliant. Easier said than done, we know! But here’s a process overview to help you build a policy for your third-party audits:

Establish an explicit data processing agreement that outlines the scope of work, data shared, security measures, and responsibilities of both parties
Conduct thorough due diligence on these third parties, evaluating their privacy policies, certifications, and references
Assess the risks involved in sharing data with them, considering factors like data sensitivity, processing activities, and their geographical location, whether they’re located inside or outside the EU
Maintain regular oversight by monitoring their compliance and conducting audits

Whew, that’s quite a checklist. Thankfully, you don’t have to navigate this compliance journey on your own.

Several digital GRC tools can streamline the process and make your life easier, and one of them is ClickUp. As an all-in-one project management platform, ClickUp can easily double up as your GDPR compliance headquarters.

When setting up a process as daunting as a GDPR compliance checklist, you need a step-by-step approach, and we’re all about steps here at ClickUp. 🪜

Features like the ClickUp Task Checklists are designed to break down and manage complex processes like these. Think of them as to-do lists within your tasks. By creating checklists, you can clearly define the specific actions required to complete a task, assign them to team members, and track their progress.

*Easily create checklists within each task using ClickUp’s Task Checklists*

To use task checklists in ClickUp, simply create a new task, click the “Checklists” tab in your task, and add your individual steps. You can then organize your compliance checklist into smaller, more manageable subtasks like this:

Create sub tasks in ClickUp — *Creating subtasks in checklists*

Once all the steps are ready in task lists, assign each task to relevant teams, like the legal team, to get the process moving.

You can also use the ClickUp Gantt Chart View to visualize this process on a timeline, see how you’re progressing, and develop clear timeline estimates for project completion.

*Visualize your most important tasks with ClickUp’s Gantt charts*

And it doesn’t end there. Once you have a process, bring in ClickUp Automation to complete specific actions based on your defined rules. For instance, you can set custom automation notifying people to add input, review, and update the privacy policy every three months.

*Create custom automations to move your compliance tasks along the process*

And finally, GDPR policy compliance involves A LOT of documentation.

If you feel stuck at any point in the process, use ClickUp Brain, ClickUp’s built-in AI assistant, to help you draft policies in easy-to-understand, straightforward language or even do some research on industry best practices for GDPR.

Moreover, ClickUp has custom templates to help make your checklist planning process much easier.

ClickUp’s Compliance Project Plan Template

ClickUp’s Compliance Project Plan Template offers a comprehensive solution for managing your GDPR compliance efforts. Its Compliance Requirements View allows you to list all necessary regulations, while the Compliance Status View provides a clear overview of progress and identifies non-compliant areas. The Add Requirements View ensures that you can easily incorporate new regulations as they arise. Overall, this template streamlines the compliance process, helping you stay organized, track progress, and ensure adherence to GDPR standards.

Download This Template

ClickUp’s Project Checklist Template

ClickUp’s Project Checklist Template can help you outline the essential steps for your compliance process. It includes outlines for general subtasks that form the foundation of any project. Use this template to:

Outline the proper sequence of tasks to ensure that each step builds upon the previous one. This will help prevent errors and omissions
Anticipate potential challenges and risks related to GDPR compliance and proactively address these issues
Include deadlines for each task, ensuring that the overall project is completed on time

Download This Template

Compliance Made Easy With ClickUp

A well-structured GDPR compliance checklist is essential for ensuring that your organization is meeting the requirements of this important regulation.

ClickUp’s project management features provide a powerful platform for creating and managing your GDPR compliance checklist. By breaking down this seemingly complex process into smaller, manageable tasks, you can effectively track progress, identify potential issues, and ensure compliance.

From outlining the process to assigning responsibilities, monitoring progress, and collaborating with your team, ClickUp can help keep your compliance project on track.

Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.

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GDPR Compliance Checklist: Steps and Tools To Conquer Data Privacy