GDPR Privacy Policy Generator

What Does GDPR Require in a Privacy Policy?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sets specific requirements for what privacy policies must disclose. Unlike many other regulations, GDPR provides a detailed list of information that must be available to data subjects. Your policy must be written in clear, plain language and be easily accessible.

Under Articles 13 and 14, your privacy policy must include information about the data controller, the purposes of processing, the legal basis for processing, data retention periods, and the rights of data subjects.

Who Needs to Comply With GDPR?

GDPR applies more broadly than many businesses realize:

• Businesses in the EU — Any company established in an EU member state, regardless of where data processing occurs.
• Businesses outside the EU — If you offer goods or services to EU residents or monitor their behavior (such as through website analytics), GDPR applies to you.
• Any website with EU visitors — If your website is accessible from the EU and collects personal data through cookies, forms, or analytics, you should comply.

In practice, most businesses with an online presence should treat GDPR compliance as a baseline requirement.

Key Clauses Your GDPR Policy Must Include

A GDPR-compliant privacy policy must address each of these areas:

• Identity and contact details — Your business name, address, and a contact method for privacy inquiries. If applicable, the contact details of your Data Protection Officer (DPO).
• Legal basis for processing — GDPR requires you to specify the legal grounds for each type of data processing: consent, contractual necessity, legal obligation, vital interests, public task, or legitimate interests.
• Data categories and purposes — What personal data you collect and exactly why you collect each type.
• Third-party recipients — Any organizations you share personal data with, including processors like cloud hosting providers, analytics platforms, and payment gateways.
• International transfers — If data is transferred outside the EU, you must disclose this and explain the safeguards in place (Standard Contractual Clauses, adequacy decisions, etc.).
• Retention periods — How long you keep each category of personal data, or the criteria used to determine retention.
• Data subject rights — The right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and the right to object. You must explain how users can exercise these rights.
• Right to withdraw consent — If processing is based on consent, users must be told they can withdraw it at any time.
• Right to lodge a complaint — Users must be informed of their right to complain to a supervisory authority.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

GDPR enforcement is real and carries significant financial consequences:

• Lower tier — Up to 10 million euros or 2% of global annual revenue for violations related to data processing records, security measures, and breach notification.
• Upper tier — Up to 20 million euros or 4% of global annual revenue for violations of data processing principles, data subject rights, and international data transfers.

Regulators have issued substantial fines to companies of all sizes. Small businesses are not exempt from enforcement, and an inadequate or missing privacy policy is one of the easiest violations to identify.

Generate Your GDPR Privacy Policy

Building a GDPR-compliant privacy policy from scratch is time-consuming and easy to get wrong. Our generator asks you the right questions and produces a comprehensive policy that covers all required GDPR disclosures, formatted and ready to publish on your website.