Compliance with GDPR
Your options if you’re on a previous version of Sitecore
For commerce data, the history of customer interactions can be audited using the Commerce journaling feature and Commerce Services API.
Personal information can be managed in User Security, List Management, and customized directly through the Sitecore xConnect API (e.g., through a web form).
Also, personal data can be managed in the Customer tool of the Commerce tool. Logs can be enabled and retrieved via the Commerce Services API.
XC customers are responsible for determining what data may need to be retained (i.e., for legal reasons and how long that information should be stored). The xConnect API is available to help customize what data is removed.
XC 9 can also export the full interaction history as well as purchase history in your end users’ chosen format. The XC customer hosts these functionalities. None of this data is received by Sitecore.
The right to be informed, or being transparent about what you collect and how you use it (Article 12, 13, and Article 14 number 11)
For commerce data, the history of customer interactions can be audited using the Commerce journaling feature and Commerce Services API.
The right of access, or allowing individuals to see what personal data you’re processing and storing (Article 15)
The right to rectification, or allowing individuals to have their personal data corrected (Article 16)
Personal information can be managed in User Security, List Management, and customized directly through the Sitecore xConnect API (e.g., through a web form). Also, personal data can be managed in the Customer tool of the Commerce tool. Logs can be enabled and retrieved via the Commerce Services API.
The right to erasure, also known as the right to be forgotten (Article 17)
XC customers are responsible for determining what data may need to be retained (i.e., for legal reasons and how long that information should be stored). The xConnect API is available to help customize what data is removed.
The right to restrict processing, or allowing individuals to stop you from performing operations (collecting, processing, storing, etc.) on personal data (Article 18)
The right to data portability, or giving individuals the personal data you have about them (Article 20)
XC 9 can also export the full interaction history as well as purchase history in your end users’ chosen format. The XC customer hosts these functionalities. None of this data is received by Sitecore.
The right to object, or prevent you from processing their personal data (Article 21)
Why upgrade to Sitecore XP or XC 9?
Becoming GDPR compliant becomes far simpler if your content management or digital marketing platform is architected and built on a singular database that tracks all historical customer information. Customers on older versions of Sitecore would best prepare for GDPR by upgrading their platform and migrating their data to version 9.
Sitecore Experience Platform (XP) 9 and Sitecore Experience Commerce (XC) 9 facilitate GDPR compliance by incorporating a number of privacy-by-design and privacy-by-default principles and new features. These include support for anonymizing data, the ability to annotate data, and support for treating data as sensitive, depending on your needs and your configuration choices.
Version 9 offers capabilities that significantly expedite Sitecore users achieving GDPR compliance with their Sitecore deployment, including:
- Extended database support: The ability to deploy xDB on Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft SQL Azure (in addition to MongoDB), which makes managing databases more efficient for teams already familiar with SQL Server or Azure Services, and can improve infrastructure where datasets have had to interact between different technologies.
- Sitecore xConnect™: A new service layer and set of APIs designed to securely interact with Sitecore xDB and allow for the collection and interchange of customer data across channels— even third-party apps—and at scale. Much of how Sitecore XP 9 and XC 9 facilitate a customer configuration that supports GDPR compliance is attributable to Sitecore xConnect because it helps you more easily and effectively manage personally identifiable information.
- Encryption: Advanced security, with data encryption support for data that is both in motion, where data is encrypted with HTTPS and Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer (TLS/SSL), and at rest, where data in xDB can use SQL features such as Always Encrypted.
For more information on how Sitecore XP 9 and XC 9 support GDPR compliance, download our white paper “Sitecore and GDPR.”
Download nowHow does it affect you?
Know the considerations for your implementation of Sitecore, whether you’re on Sitecore version 6, 7, or XP 8; or Sitecore XC 7 or 8.