GDPR Data Handling
Practical implementation guide for GDPR-compliant data processing, consent management, and privacy controls.
When to Use This Skill
- Building systems that process EU personal data
- Implementing consent management
- Handling data subject requests (DSRs)
- Conducting GDPR compliance reviews
- Designing privacy-first architectures
- Creating data processing agreements
Core Concepts
1. Personal Data Categories
| Category | Examples | Protection Level |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Name, email, phone | Standard |
| Sensitive (Art. 9) | Health, religion, ethnicity | Explicit consent |
| Criminal (Art. 10) | Convictions, offenses | Official authority |
| Children's | Under 16 data | Parental consent |
2. Legal Bases for Processing
Article 6 - Lawful Bases:
├── Consent: Freely given, specific, informed
├── Contract: Necessary for contract performance
├── Legal Obligation: Required by law
├── Vital Interests: Protecting someone's life
├── Public Interest: Official functions
└── Legitimate Interest: Balanced against rights3. Data Subject Rights
Right to Access (Art. 15) ─┐
Right to Rectification (Art. 16) │
Right to Erasure (Art. 17) │ Must respond
Right to Restrict (Art. 18) │ within 1 month
Right to Portability (Art. 20) │
Right to Object (Art. 21) ─┘Detailed worked examples and patterns
Detailed sections (starting with ## Implementation Patterns) live in references/details.md. Read that file when the navigation summary above is insufficient.
Best Practices
Do's
- Minimize data collection - Only collect what's needed
- Document everything - Processing activities, legal bases
- Encrypt PII - At rest and in transit
- Implement access controls - Need-to-know basis
- Regular audits - Verify compliance continuously
Don'ts
- Don't pre-check consent boxes - Must be opt-in
- Don't bundle consent - Separate purposes separately
- Don't retain indefinitely - Define and enforce retention
- Don't ignore DSARs - 30-day response required
- Don't transfer without safeguards - SCCs or adequacy decisions
