How to Make your WordPress site GDPR Compliant, WP GDPR Fix:- If you are a WordPress site owner and worried about the new General Data Protection Regulations which is also known as GDPR is going to affect the way your website handles the user data. Then you are not only one, every business, individuals and website owners around the globe are maintaining themselves for new data security and privacy protection rules.
The European Parliament has adopted the GDPR in 2016 but the associations were given a time duration of 2 years to comply with GDPR Regulation. On 25th May 2018 GDPR legislation come into effect.
GDPR Compliance is essential and non-compliance may have serious implications including hefty fines.
What is GDPR & How does it apply for Website Owners?
The GDPR leads to new trend of data security & privacy protection. It requires associations to take necessary steps for protection of user data. To become GDPR Compliant , association needs to implement new rules & regulations regarding how to handle user data.
How Does GDPR Apply to WordPress site owners?
Aside from associations, WordPress site owners are also affected by GDPR. If you have a WordPress site then you must have a look on below points.
- How your site gathers data through forms.
- How you handle the collected data.
- How your site gathers analytical/statistical data.
- How you secure user data
- How you share that data with third parties & users
- How the themes & plugin you use affect user privacy.
Contact Forms:-
These are the easiest way of gathering user information. You have to make sure that Contact forms or Contact Forms plugin that you are using must be GDPR Compliant. If your site uses contact form to get the user data then under the GDPR rules you are required to:
- Avoid using pre-checked contact forms for obtaining user consent.
- Obtain explicit consent from your website’s visitors.
- Post a privacy policy agreement that specifically details how you handle user data.
- Let them know who will control the user data
- How long & for what purpose their data will stored & processed.
Ecommerce Data:-
If you have WordPress Ecommerce site, you are most likely collection the financial information of users such as credit card numbers & billing addresses. To Protect the customers data, make sure to follow the below recommendations:
- Get user consent before sending email newsletters or special offers to customers.
- Let your customers know that they can opt out from the services anytime.
- Don’t Collect financial information directly. Instead of this use third party services and payment gateways like stripe & paypal. You must use GDPR Compliant plugins to handle payments.
- In the data breach event, inform the customers & concerned authorities instantly. Give access to the users for their data at all the times with the options to delete their data.