In this article, we’ll explain what GDPR is, how it protects your data, and what it means for both individuals and business owners.
What is GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the EU’s framework for protecting personal data. Introduced in May 2018, it enforces stronger privacy rights and tighter controls over how personal data is handled — not just in the EU, but globally.
Whether you’re located inside the EU or outside of it, GDPR can affect you. WPX fully complies with these regulations to ensure your information stays secure, transparent, and in your control.
How does GDPR benefit you?
The changes benefit end-users (that’s you) the most, ensuring greater protection against corporate authority and enhancing your privacy. Your data will be used more responsibly and efficiently, reducing the amount of surplus data that only benefits exploitative people and businesses.
GDPR ensures:
- Stronger personal privacy rights
- Greater transparency about how your data is used
- More control over your personal information
- Accountability from the companies handling your data
Sensitive customer information poses a significant risk if stolen and abused. GDPR helps keep personal information confidential and applies to everyone involved in processing data, regardless of whether they are located inside or outside of the EU.
What changes will GDPR bring?
The primary changes to how data will be managed within the EU are outlined below.
Consent: Companies cannot use indecipherable terms or legal jargon to abuse customers. For customers, consent must be as easy to withdraw as it is to give.
Breach Notification: If data is breached, processors must notify their controllers and customers of any risk within 72 hours.
Right to Access: Data subjects have the right to know if their data is being processed. Data controllers should provide a free electronic copy of data to subjects.
Right to be Forgotten: Subjects can request that their personal data be erased if no longer relevant to its original purpose. This will also cease the dissemination and processing of their old data.
As per local laws, after you submit a request to have your data erased, we are required to wait for a full year before deleting it. During that time your data will be encrypted and no longer visible to anybody, including our teams.
Data Portability: Data subjects may obtain and reuse their personal data for their purposes and transfer it at their discretion.
Privacy by Design: Data protection must be a factor when designing or implementing any new systems or technical infrastructure, rather than an addition.
Data Protection Officers: Public authorities and organizations must appoint a professionally qualified officer to oversee large-scale data processing.
Non-compliance with these terms can bring heavy penalties.
WPX Hosting is glad to cooperate with the new GDPR requirements and provide even stronger protections for our users’ data.
GDPR puts restrictions on commercial data use and safeguards consumer data security rights.
What does GDPR mean for me as a business owner?
If you happen to run a business and deal with customers and data from within the EU, you will be affected by these new regulations.
GDPR applies to any company that offers goods or services to or monitors the behaviour of EU data subjects. It applies to all companies processing and holding the personal data of data subjects residing in the European Union, regardless of the company’s location.
Helpful Resources
Here are some useful resources for more information about GDPR, whether you are a data subject or business owner:
Frequently Asked Questions about GDPR,
A succinct video explaining the new regulations,
What to consider as a US business owner,
and the Top 10 Operational Impacts of GDPR.
Have more questions? Contact the WPX Support Team through the live chat widget in the bottom-right corner, and they’ll assist you promptly, typically within 30 seconds.