Data Privacy for Online Stores: What You Need to Know

There are two main reasons why companies should not overlook data privacy when operating an online store:

No online store can exist without collecting personal data. Customers must share their personal information to complete a purchase. This includes the buyer's name, address details, email contact, and payment information. Most shop systems, however, collect much more data, all of which must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Negligent handling of customer data can lead to costly legal actions, sanctions, and significant loss of image.

Related Topic: Data Privacy in E-Commerce: Challenges and Best Practices

heyData offers a secure way to provide your customers with a privacy-compliant shopping experience. If you have 20 or more employees processing personal data, you are required to appoint a data protection officer. We are happy to provide a professional, external data protection officer so you can focus on your core business. Our tasks include reviewing the data protection compliance of payment methods, examining marketing tracking tools, and other data protection-specific issues. We take time for a comprehensive assessment to ensure that your customers can securely provide their personal information during checkout and that further processing is based on a solid foundation.

Data protection in online retail not only ensures legal security for both retailers and customers but also involves a wide range of tasks and challenges. Merely having a privacy policy is not enough. Our external data protection officer examines numerous data protection-related points, including privacy statements, cookie banners, forms, opt-in and opt-out procedures, newsletters, social media plugins, processing contracts, records of processing activities, data deletion concepts, legally compliant customer inquiry responses, and handling data breaches. Each shop and company has different processes and requirements, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. heyData provides individual support through an external data protection officer, making your online store a legally secure platform. At the beginning of our collaboration, we conduct an inventory to identify all relevant data protection aspects. You will receive a written evaluation, and we will discuss further individual steps. Our data protection officer will always be a serious contact for you, working together to identify and close data protection gaps, protecting you from costly legal actions and allowing you to concentrate on your day-to-day business.

The right to information might not be well known, but that's not an issue. The heyData data protection officer also supports you with this task! Our data protection officer is familiar with all the duties and deadlines of the right to information and will support them professionally. They are also knowledgeable about the effects of Brexit on the right to information. It is important to meet all deadlines. A request for information must be processed and answered within one month. Our external data protection officer always keeps track of these deadlines and any possible extensions.

Requests for Information - Lawful, Serious, Secure

The heyData data protection officer supports you with all requirements related to requests for information:

• Providing information in writing, electronically, or verbally
• Using clear and understandable language
• Continuous documentation

Data Protection in Online Shopping - heyData Finds Your Way

The points mentioned above are just a fraction of the work required to operate a legally compliant online store. Data protection is not just an ethical question but also a legal and marketing obligation. The external data protection officer from heyData will work with you to develop a professional and transparent solution. They will move through your company like a well-informed acquaintance and need the unrestricted acceptance of your staff.

You and your employees also make online purchases, looking for security, professionalism, and legal foundations. The heyData data protection officer thinks practically and will not hide anything from your customers, which is what you expect from your partners as well. Tools and other processes are named in the privacy policy, and the secure processing of personal data is always ensured. This turns new customers into loyal regulars, keeping your image and brand popular and untouchable.

Trust the professionals at heyData for data protection in your online store. Choose an external data protection officer!