GDPR, also known as the “General Data Protection Regulation” is now in effect. If your inbox has been exploding with notifications and updates from every single entity where you’ve given an email to receive information, then you know it’s a big deal.
But get this. Less than 50% of businesses have actually done anything about it. I was one of them.
GDPR: Why everyone is freaking out over four letters from CNBC.
Originally, I thought it only affected people who were collecting emails and selling online. Boy was I wrong! There isn’t a business on the planet (if they want customers or website traffic) from the EU that isn’t affected by GDPR. But that’s not what this article is about.
While there is a lot of information about what businesses and platforms should be doing about becoming GDPR compliant, there isn’t nearly as much information about how online publishers and bloggers can become GDPR compliant — without simply blocking the EU from their website. That might be ok for folks like the LA Times, but for those of us who depend on worldwide traffic — we need a solution for making our blog GDPR compliant.
So, here’s what I did.
I started searching for “GDPR for online publishers” and “GDPR for bloggers” and ran into this amazing new tool; Iubenda!
WHAT IS IUBENDA?
Iubenda (pronounced EUbenda) is an online platform that has automated the privacy policy process and made it super simple for legal dunces (like me) who want to be compliant but have no idea (or the expensive legal resources) to make it happen in less than 24 hours.
HOW DOES IUBENDA MAKE BLOGGERS GDPR COMPLIANT?
Iubenda has created this ridiculously simple way to update the privacy policy for your online publication or blog by simply answering a few questions. Basically, if you know what you are running on your blog and what kind of information you’re collecting and can check a box — you can use Iubenda.
- Iubenda has a curated list of relevant privacy elements. If you were to sit down and try to think of everything that you had to track on your blog, you’d get it wrong. Iubenda has done all the thinking for you by curating a list of every element that requires GDPR compliance. All you have to do is click and add what elements are present on your site.
- Iubenda covers websites, apps, and Facebook apps. There are different elements of the GDPR law that apply to different groups and devices. Again, just select what you’re using and Iubenda does the rest.
- Iubenda stays updated with the latest laws. Small businesses, bloggers, and online publishers don’t have a staff of legal eagles to stay updated, instead, Iubenda does this for you. When the law changes, your privacy, and cookie policies will automatically change!
- Iubenda has both internal and external compliance. Whether you’re a solopreneur or a business with a team, Iubenda has both internal and external compliance.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT IUBENDA
The list above covers everything I love about this platform. The two features that stand out to me are the ability to go into the platform, review the details and make changes on the fly. You simply select or deselect the elements that best represent your website and your privacy policy is updated automatically. Yes — automatically! You can’t even make an edit to a blog article as quickly and easily as you can edit the legalese on these policies.
I didn’t spend a lot of time talking about the cookie policy. At first, I didn’t think I used cookies, but if you’ve got Facebook pixels, Google Analytics, or if you’re running any type of advertising on your blog or online magazine — you’re probably using cookies in some shape or form. Iubenda has a simple code that you can simply add to the head of your CSS code and that’s basically all there is to it. The code will pop up on your site, notifying people that you are using cookies.
WHO SHOULD USE IUBENDA?
Iubenda is the ideal choice for bloggers and online publishers with small teams and little to no legal resources (or money to pay for them). That doesn’t mean that larger publishers couldn’t use it, but I think bloggers who are looking to become GDPR compliant quickly are the ideal audience.
WHAT’S MISSING FROM IUBENDA?
It’s hard to say as of this writing. I’m thrilled to bits that I was able to implement a GDPR-compliant solution in about 15 minutes. I would definitely say that while this might be a stop-gap to meet the GDPR deadline, I still have to speak to my attorney about any specific elements or areas of the GDPR law that I may not be aware of.
HOW MUCH IS IUBENDA AND WHICH PACKAGE SHOULD I CHOOSE?
Iubenda is super affordable!
Let’s get one thing straight — while there is a free version, chances are, you will have to choose the Pro package. The bigger question is — should you pay $27 per year or should you pay $9 per month? I chose the $9 per month — simply because I want to try this out and see if it’s the best solution for me. I may decide to move to the $27 per year package.
THE BOTTOM LINE
I am not an attorney and I’m not made of money. I do run an online publication that prides itself on integrity and honesty and I do my very best to not just follow the law, but to go above and beyond. While I’m still not sure if this is the ultimate solution, I do have some level of confidence that Iubenda is showing that I’m compliant with GDPR to the best of my knowledge and ability.
Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.
