By Gail Crawford and Lore Leitner

Today, after more than four years of debate, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, or the Regulation) enters into force. The GDPR will introduce a rigorous, far-reaching privacy framework for businesses that operate, target customers or monitor individuals in the EU. The Regulation sets out a suite of new obligations and substantial fines for noncompliance. Businesses need to act now to ensure that they are ready for when the Regulation becomes enforceable after the expiry of a two-year transition period, i.e., from 25 May 2018.

Will this affect your business? What’s next? For a detailed look at the likely impact of the GDPR, read our client alert: Europe Counts Down to the General Data Protection Regulation