Last year when the GDPR came into effect (May 25th, 2018), it caught many marketers playing catch-up to bring their compliance up to GDPR standards. Unfortunately, at the time it wasn’t quite clear what the exact standards were for some industries and how exactly to comply with them.

When the rules went into effect, there were many doom and gloom reports of sweeping fines that would bring everyday companies to their knees, and with the wealth of non-compliant companies on day one, many wondered how aggressive the prosecution of offenders would be.

Well, it’s been a little over a year and the dust is starting to settle, and the consensus seems to be that everyday marketers can breathe a sigh of relief.

While some high-profile fines were levied, there has not been a widespread attempt to prosecute non-compliant companies. For example, of the 17,300 cases concluded by the UK ICO, only 16 resulted in fines. They have taken the approach of “guiding, advising, and educating organizations about how to comply with the law” rather than just doling out fines.

DM News did a great year in review article if you are interested in delving into this deeper.

If you have any questions about how your business might be effected by the GDPR, or are looking for strategies on ensuring your data protection strategies meet GDPR standards, feel free to reach out to the experts at with your questions.