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If you are new to the fraught world of online privacy, you may wonder what is a GDPR data subject. Many of the best websites and online shopping platforms have adopted various practices that impact consumer privacy, which is where the GDPR and its suite of consumer protections come into play. So why do we need consumer privacy laws, what is a GDPR data subject, and how do these laws help average consumers? Keep reading to find out.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
This one is a no-brainer, even before learning all about the GDPR DPA. Companies regularly sell our private data to data brokers at a profit, giving the GDPR a legal basis for processing, among other entities. Without consumer protection laws, we would have little or no legal recourse to such nefarious activities. This is why privacy laws have popped up in various states like California, Virginia, and Colorado.
Insider Tip
You can request that companies delete any private data, and they have a set number of days to reply or comply.
The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR DPA, is a comprehensive suite of consumer privacy laws developed for residents of the European Union (EU.) These rulings pertain to any information about natural persons within the region, so this law does not protect anonymous accounts. Just like California’s CCPA law, this ruling allows consumers to request that companies refrain from selling personal data and allows them to issue deletion requests. There is no GDPR for the entire US market, though certain states have their own versions.
That leads us to the topic of data subjects within the European Union’s GDPR regulations. Simply put, a data subject is just a person. So when you read or hear the term GDPR data subject, it is referring to a consumer in the EU. While a data subject refers to a consumer, “personal data” refers to any information related to that data subject. This includes names, ID numbers, location data, financial information, biometric data, and various online identifiers.
STAT: GDPR defines “data subjects” as “identified or identifiable natural person[s].” In other words, data subjects are just people—human beings from whom or about whom you collect information in connection with your business and its operations. (source)
In this context, online identifiers refer to social identity, cultural identity, ethnic identity, physiological identity, and much more. Companies can sell this information right along with personal data, which leads to an increase in spam emails, target marketing ads while surfing online and even spam phone calls.
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