If you sell goods in your online stores overseas in the European Union, you may have heard of the EU-US Privacy Shield, a framework meant to help protect the data of EU citizens whenever it’s sent to the US. Your online store must be compliant with this framework, which require you to offer certain protections to your customer’s personal info, as well as swift responses to customer complaints.

What’s the difference between Privacy Shield and GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a law governing the privacy of personal data on the web as it relates to EU residents. Privacy Shield is a framework US businesses must follow in order to meet the regulations detailed in the GDPR. Think of Privacy Shield as the “means” and compliance with GDPR as the “end.”

Who needs to use Privacy Shield?

Any online store that sells products to customers in the EU should leverage the Privacy Shield to ensure they’re compliant with the overseas regulations. Failure to follow these regulations can result in massive fines, with as much as 4% of annual revenue at stake for businesses caught violating the law.

How do you become Privacy Shield certified?

You can refer to the Privacy Sheld Website, https://www.privacyshield.gov/welcome for additional information regarding Privacy Shiuld and how to become Privacy Shield Certified.