GDPR for Websites in the US

GDPR applies directly if your site processes data of EU citizens (visitors or customers from the EU). In the US, the CCPA/CPRA in California and similar laws in states like Virginia, Colorado and Connecticut create comparable obligations. In practice, most US sites that sell or collect data nationwide should follow both CCPA-style rules and GDPR where EU visitors are involved.

Under the CCPA/CPRA, civil penalties reach up to $2,500 per unintentional violation and $7,500 per intentional violation, plus statutory damages in data-breach lawsuits. GDPR fines can reach 20 million EUR or 4% of annual turnover (whichever is higher) for EU customers. Beyond fines, non-compliance damages reputation and user trust.

Strictly speaking, if you use only essential cookies (session, login, cart), you do not need a consent banner. However, if you use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, YouTube embeds or any marketing/analytics tool, you are required to have a cookie banner with granular consent options.

You can use free generators (e.g. PrivacyPolicies.com, Termly.io) as a starting point, but adapt it to your site. The policy must be in plain language and include: who processes the data, what data is collected and why, legal basis, retention period, sharing, user rights and contact. For complex cases, consult an IT lawyer.

BeoHosting provides the technical infrastructure for compliance: free SSL for data encryption, servers with security measures (firewall, DDoS protection, backup), and the ability to install cookie consent plugins for WordPress. BeoHosting also stores data securely and provides a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) on request.