FREE EBOOK • 48 PAGES

GDPR for US Companies: Do You Need It?

The complete guide to understanding GDPR requirements for US-based businesses. Learn when you need GDPR, how to achieve compliance, and avoid penalties up to €20 million.

48 pages
12,000+ downloads

GDPR for US Companies

Do You Need It?

2025 Edition

What's Inside the Guide

48 pages covering everything US companies need to know about GDPR compliance, from determining applicability to full implementation.

1

Do You Actually Need GDPR?

Clear decision tree to determine if GDPR applies to your US-based company. Learn about territorial scope, EU customers, data processing activities, and when you can safely ignore GDPR.

2

Understanding GDPR Core Principles

The 7 fundamental principles explained in plain English: lawfulness, purpose limitation, data minimization, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, and accountability. Real-world examples included.

3

Legal Basis for Processing

When you can legally process EU data: consent, contracts, legal obligations, vital interests, public tasks, and legitimate interests. Practical guidance on choosing the right basis.

4

Individual Rights Implementation

How to handle data subject requests: access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection. Templates and response timeframes (30 days max) included.

5

Required Documentation & Records

What documentation you must maintain: Records of Processing Activities (ROPA), Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA), breach logs, and consent records. Templates provided.

6

US-EU Data Transfers

Navigating data transfers from EU to US: Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), adequacy decisions, Binding Corporate Rules, and how to handle international data flows legally.

7

Implementation Roadmap & Timeline

Step-by-step implementation plan from data mapping to full compliance. Typical timeline (8-16 weeks), resource requirements, and how to prioritize efforts for US companies.

Who Is This Guide For?

Essential reading for any US company that processes EU customer data.

SaaS Companies with EU Users

You have EU customers using your platform and need to understand if GDPR applies and how to achieve compliance without breaking the bank.

Privacy & Legal Teams

Building GDPR compliance programs for US-based organizations and need practical implementation guidance beyond legal theory.

E-commerce Businesses

Selling to EU customers online and need to understand consent requirements, data subject rights, and how to handle international orders legally.

Growing Startups Expanding to EU

Planning European expansion and want to get GDPR right from day one. Avoid costly mistakes and penalties before entering the EU market.

What You'll Learn

Practical knowledge to determine if you need GDPR and how to achieve compliance efficiently.

Whether GDPR actually applies to your business

Clear criteria to determine if you're subject to GDPR based on your EU customer base, data processing activities, and business model. No legal jargon.

The 7 core principles in plain English

Understand what GDPR actually requires: lawfulness, data minimization, purpose limitation, and more. Real examples show how to apply each principle.

How to handle data subject requests

Step-by-step processes for access, deletion, portability, and rectification requests. Templates and 30-day response procedures included.

Required documentation you must maintain

What records you must keep: ROPA, DPIAs, consent logs, breach records. Includes fillable templates to save you time.

How to legally transfer data from EU to US

Navigate international data transfers with Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), adequacy decisions, and other transfer mechanisms.

Penalties and how to avoid them

Understand the €20M fines (or 4% of revenue), common violations, and practical steps to stay compliant and avoid penalties.

What Readers Are Saying

12,000+ US business leaders have downloaded this guide.

"We were terrified of GDPR fines but this guide made everything clear. Turns out we only needed basic compliance since we have <100 EU customers. Saved us from hiring expensive lawyers. The DSR templates alone saved us weeks of work."

JR
Jessica Rodriguez
COO, CloudApps (SaaS)

"Best GDPR resource for US companies I've found. Most guides are written for EU companies. This one actually understands our perspective. The data transfer section on SCCs was exactly what we needed before expanding to Europe."

DL
David Liu
General Counsel, RetailTech Inc