The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), implemented by the European Union on May 25, 2018, represents a significant overhaul in data privacy regulations, aiming to prevent excessive data collection and misuse by empowering individuals and imposing strict penalties on violators. This regulation applies to any entity handling EU residents' personal data, regardless of the entity's location, and has led to substantial fines, such as the €50 million penalty against Google for non-compliance. GDPR grants individuals rights such as clear consent, data access, and erasure, while requiring companies to notify authorities and affected individuals within 72 hours of a data breach. Compliance involves a risk-based approach, requiring organizations to implement privacy by design and maintain robust data governance, data loss protection (DLP), and logging and monitoring frameworks. Effective GDPR compliance enhances organizations' data protection practices, earning user trust and facilitating a more personalized user experience.