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All glossary terms

Privacy & data

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union regulation governing the processing of personal data. It establishes a rights and obligations framework for activities within its scope; whether a specific organization or processing operation is covered requires legal analysis.

Also known as GDPR.

Why it matters in practice

The GDPR is a common reference point for privacy programs, but a short summary cannot capture its definitions, territorial scope, exceptions, and interpretive materials. Organizations typically map processing and roles before selecting controls. This entry provides a general description and should not be treated as advice about a particular activity.

Example

A service owner maps a customer-data flow and asks counsel to assess the organization’s role and the GDPR provisions relevant to that processing.

Educational note

This definition is general information, not legal advice. It may omit facts that matter to a specific situation and does not establish or guarantee compliance.