GDPR Compliance Checklist

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) significantly reshaped how organizations collect, process, and protect personal data. Designed to give individuals greater control over their information, GDPR applies to far more organizations than many realize—and noncompliance can carry substantial financial and reputational consequences.

GDPR compliance is an ongoing process that requires continuous attention, regular audits, and adaptation as data practices and regulations evolve.

Use this guide as a GDPR compliance checklist, complete with principles and requirements, to help your organization understand your obligations and build sustainable, defensible data protection practices. In some cases, organizations may need to seek particular legal understanding to address complex or industry-specific GDPR challenges.

What Is GDPR and Who Must Comply?

GDPR is a European Union regulation that governs the processing of personal data belonging to individuals in the EU. Its reach extends beyond Europe. Any organization that collects, processes, or stores personal data of EU residents may be subject to GDPR—even if the organization itself is based outside the EU. Organizations must collect data in accordance with GDPR requirements, ensuring that all data collection and processing activities are lawful and properly documented.

This expanded jurisdiction means GDPR applies to companies of all sizes across industries, from multinational enterprises to smaller organizations with international customers or employees. Organizations must establish a legal basis (also referred to as a lawful basis) for any data processing activities, and the data controller is responsible for ensuring compliance with these requirements.

Data Protection Principles

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is grounded in a set of fundamental data protection principles that guide how organizations collect, use, and store personal data. These principles are not just theoretical—they are actionable rules that every organization must follow to ensure the rights of data subjects are respected and personal data is safeguarded throughout its lifecycle.

The key data protection principles under the GDPR include:

• Lawfulness, Fairness, and Transparency: Organizations must process personal data in a lawful and fair manner, ensuring data subjects are informed about how their data is being used through clear and plain language.
• Purpose Limitation: Personal data should only be collected for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes, and not further processed in ways that are incompatible with those purposes.
• Data Minimization: Only the personal data that is necessary for the intended purpose should be collected and processed, reducing the risk of unnecessary data exposure.
• Accuracy: Organizations are responsible for keeping personal data accurate and up to date, taking every reasonable step to correct or erase inaccurate information without delay.
• Storage Limitation: Personal data should not be kept longer than necessary. Organizations must define and adhere to appropriate retention periods, securely deleting data when it is no longer needed.
• Integrity and Confidentiality: Appropriate security measures must be in place to protect personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or damage. This includes both technical and organizational safeguards.
• Accountability: Organizations must be able to demonstrate compliance with all data protection principles, documenting their data processing activities and regularly reviewing their data protection strategies.

By embedding these data protection principles into every aspect of their data practices, organizations can not only meet the requirements of the data protection regulation GDPR, but also build a culture of trust and responsibility around personal data. Adhering to these principles is essential for protecting data subjects, reducing data protection risks, and ensuring ongoing GDPR compliance.

If you would like to learn more or need assistance with your GDPR compliance, contact our team.

Understanding Individual Rights Under GDPR

A core goal of GDPR is empowering individuals with greater transparency and control over their personal data. Organizations must be prepared to respond to requests related to how data is collected, used, and shared. Organizations must support all data subject rights, including the right to withdraw consent at any time and the right to be informed when their personal data is shared with third parties.

Individuals have the right to access their personal data, understand why it is being processed, and know where it is stored and with whom it is shared. They also have the right to lodge complaints with supervisory authorities if they believe their data rights have been violated.

The Right to Erasure and Data Portability

GDPR introduced the right to erasure, often referred to as the “right to be forgotten.” When certain conditions are met—such as withdrawn consent or data no longer being necessary—individuals may request that their personal data be deleted.

In addition, GDPR grants individuals the right to data portability. This allows them to move, copy, or transfer their personal data between organizations in a secure and accessible format, without undue obstacles from the original data holder.

GDPR also provides individuals with rights related to automated decision making, including the right to request human intervention and to contest automated decisions in certain cases.

Privacy by Design and Default

GDPR requires organizations to embed data protection into their processes from the outset. Privacy by design and default means organizations should limit data collection to what is strictly necessary, restrict access to personal data, and define appropriate data retention periods.

Organizations should conduct data protection impact assessments, especially when engaging in large scale processing or introducing new technologies, and should implement systematic monitoring to ensure ongoing compliance.

Rather than treating privacy as an afterthought, GDPR expects organizations to proactively integrate security and data minimization into system design and daily operations.

Explicit and Informed Consent

Consent under GDPR must be clear, explicit, and easy to understand. When organizations collect personal data, they must be transparent by providing clear information about why the data is being collected and the legal basis for processing. Individuals must actively agree to the processing of their data, and organizations must avoid vague or overly complex language.

Just as important, individuals must be able to withdraw consent at any time, and the process to do so should be straightforward. Organizations should have processes in place to manage consent changes efficiently and must document the legal basis for all processing activities to ensure ongoing compliance.

Breach Notification Requirements

GDPR imposes strict breach notification timelines. Organizations must report data breaches to the relevant supervisory authority without undue delay, and where feasible, within 72 hours of becoming aware of a data breach, unless the breach is unlikely to result in a risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms.

In certain high-risk situations, affected individuals must also be informed. Clear incident response procedures and documentation are critical to meeting these requirements. Having documented breach notification procedures is essential to ensure timely and compliant reporting.

Appointing a Data Protection Officer (DPO)

Organizations that process or store large volumes of personal data—or engage in certain high-risk processing activities—may be required to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to oversee data protection strategies across the organization.

The DPO plays a key role in educating staff, monitoring compliance, conducting audits, and serving as a point of contact for regulators. Under GDPR, public authorities are specifically required to appoint a Data Protection Officer to ensure dedicated data protection oversight. Even when not legally required, some organizations choose to appoint a DPO to strengthen governance and accountability.

The Cost of Noncompliance

GDPR penalties are among the most severe in data protection law. Organizations found in violation may face fines of up to 4% of total global annual revenue or €20 million, whichever is higher. Data protection authorities are responsible for enforcing GDPR and other data protection laws, including investigating violations and imposing fines on organizations that fail to comply.

Beyond financial penalties, noncompliance can result in regulatory scrutiny, operational disruption, and long-term reputational damage.

How Case IQ Helps Organizations Support GDPR Compliance

GDPR compliance requires visibility, documentation, and consistent handling of privacy-related concerns. Case IQ’s case management platform helps organizations manage GDPR obligations by centralizing reporting, investigations, and compliance workflows.

Case IQ enables organizations to manage data processing agreements with third-party vendors and implement data security measures, including technical security measures and appropriate safeguards, to meet GDPR requirements. With Case IQ, organizations can document data privacy incidents, track response timelines, manage investigations, and maintain audit-ready records. Centralized oversight also supports trend analysis and helps identify recurring risks that may require policy or process improvements.

By supporting accountability and transparency, Case IQ helps organizations move from reactive compliance to proactive data protection.

Frequently Asked Questions About GDPR Compliance

What does GDPR stand for?

GDPR stands for the General Data Protection Regulation, a European Union law governing personal data protection.

Does GDPR apply to organizations outside the EU?

Yes. GDPR applies to any organization that processes personal data of individuals in the EU, regardless of where the organization is located.

What is the right to erasure?

The right to erasure allows individuals to request deletion of their personal data under certain conditions.

How quickly must data breaches be reported under GDPR?

Most breaches must be reported to a supervisory authority within 72 hours of discovery.

What are the penalties for GDPR noncompliance?

Penalties can reach up to 4% of global annual revenue or €20 million, whichever is higher.