The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union regulation governing data privacy, which places new requirements on individuals and businesses offering services from and to the EU.
The aim of the GDPR is to harmonize the existing patchwork of data privacy laws currently in place across most of Europe, including the 27 member countries of the EU and the 3 additional member countries of the EEA.
The GDPR went into effect on May 25, 2018 and gives European individuals more transparency, rights, and control around the way their information is used. It also provides rights for data deletion, access, and portability.