The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on May 25, 2018. It regulates the handling of personal data in a standardised manner across Europe. In this article, you will find out what the GDPR is all about, and what you need to be aware of.

What is personal data?

Personal data is information that relates to an identifiable natural person, such as names, addresses, dates of birth, or email addresses. This data can be used to identify or contact a person, or to find out their personal circumstances. Examples of personal data also include photos, IP addresses, bank details, and health information.

Data protection on the Internet

A website on the Internet cannot be created without personal data, especially since even an IP address is considered personal data. Cookie and user IDs, for example, are also personal data.

The following therefore applies: Personal data is processed as soon as a website is accessed on the internet, and the GDPR must be observed. Therefore, every website is affected by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Further information

In the IONOS Digital Guide The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) you will find a detailed summary of the GDPR.