What Is GDPR?
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is the European Union’s data privacy law governing how organizations collect, process, and store personal data of EU residents. Fines can reach 4% of global annual revenue or EUR 20 million, whichever is higher. California’s CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) and its amendment CPRA create parallel rights for California residents: the right to know, delete, and opt out of data sales, with civil penalties up to $7,500 per intentional violation and a private right of action for data breaches.
Why Choose AdVran for GDPR/CCPA?
Data privacy laws now span continents. GDPR, CCPA, and CPRA all require data mapping, consent management, breach notification, and individual rights handling. None of that works without technical controls underneath it. Legal teams can write the policies; IT has to make them actually function.
Here’s the thing most businesses miss: privacy compliance isn’t just a legal project. It’s an IT project that legal reviews. And the technical gaps are usually what cause enforcement exposure.
1. Data Discovery and Mapping
We find where personal data lives across your systems: databases, file shares, cloud services, SaaS applications. Then we map data flows to show what’s being processed, by whom, and where. You can’t manage what you haven’t found.
2. Data Minimization and Retention
We set up technical controls that enforce data minimization principles and automated retention policies. Personal data gets collected only when needed and deleted when it’s no longer required. Manual processes for this don’t work at scale.
3. Breach Notification (72 Hours / 30 Days)
GDPR requires 72-hour supervisory authority notification; CCPA allows 30 days. Our incident response process includes privacy impact assessments that determine what notification obligations apply and prepares the required documentation before the window closes.
4. Individual Rights Infrastructure
We build the technical side of data subject request handling: access, deletion, portability, and opt-out. Your organization can respond within regulatory timeframes because the process is automated, not manual.
5. Cross-Border Data Transfer
For organizations with EU or international operations, we set up appropriate data transfer mechanisms: Standard Contractual Clauses, adequacy decisions, or binding corporate rules. We also make sure infrastructure supports any data localization requirements your EU contracts impose.
Frequently Asked Questions About GDPR Compliance
Does GDPR apply to California businesses?
GDPR applies to any organization that processes personal data of EU residents, regardless of where the organization is located. A California company with EU customers, EU website visitors, or EU employee data is subject to GDPR. Non-compliance penalties can reach 4% of global annual revenue or EUR 20 million, whichever is higher. California businesses with any EU market exposure should evaluate GDPR applicability and set up appropriate technical and organizational measures.
What rights do California residents have under CCPA?
Under CCPA (as amended by CPRA), California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected about them, delete their personal information, correct inaccurate personal information, opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal information, and limit the use of sensitive personal information. Businesses subject to CCPA must respond to verifiable consumer requests within 45 days and can’t discriminate against consumers who exercise their rights.
Which businesses must comply with CCPA?
CCPA applies to for-profit businesses that have annual gross revenue over $25 million, buy or sell personal information of 100,000 or more consumers or households annually, or get 50% or more of annual revenue from selling personal information. Nonprofit organizations and small businesses below these thresholds are exempt, but should check CCPA applicability annually as they grow. California businesses that collect personal information from California residents online should evaluate applicability regardless of revenue.
What is a data breach under GDPR and CCPA, and what are the notification requirements?
Under GDPR, a personal data breach must be reported to the supervisory authority within 72 hours of discovery if it poses a risk to individuals’ rights. CCPA’s private right of action applies to breaches of unencrypted personal information caused by a business’s failure to use reasonable security measures. California Civil Code 1798.82 requires breach notification to affected residents within a reasonable time. AdVran’s incident response service includes privacy breach assessment and regulatory notification support aligned to both frameworks.
How does AdVran help businesses comply with GDPR and CCPA?
AdVran handles the technical side of privacy compliance: data inventory and mapping, encryption and access controls for personal data, data subject request workflows, retention and deletion automation, privacy incident response, and documentation of processing activities for GDPR’s Records of Processing Activities requirement. We work alongside privacy counsel for the legal and policy dimensions.