Seven GDPR Principles You Must Know In 2025

Businesses that process customer data are liable to various privacy protection laws depending on the location where they operate. In Europe, data privacy regulations are pretty rigorous. Non-European businesses trying to expand into this continent often find themselves drowning in a sea of GDPR regulations. 

GDPR principles outline how companies should collect, handle, process, or store the personal data of EU citizens to ensure fair and responsible data processing. 

Let’s dive into the details of the GDPR principles in this article. 

What are GDPR principles?

GDPR principles are regulations that outline the legal boundaries around which the data collector can process a subject’s personal information. The seven GDPR principles are Fairness, lawfulness, transparency, Purpose limitation, Data minimization, Accuracy, Storage limitation, Integrity and confidentiality, and Accountability.

These principles are right at the heart of the GDPR and set the foundation for everything else in the legislation, which in turn influences all its other provisions.

Good Read: 12-Step GDPR Compliance Checklist

1. Fairness, lawfulness, transparency

Fairness requires you to process data while maintaining the rights and freedoms of the subjects, ensuring it is handled reasonably and with their well-being in mind. 

Lawfulness refers to the handling of data while respecting the:

• Consent of the owner of the data
• Contract signed with the owner of the data
• Fulfilling the legal obligation
• Protecting the vital interest of the data owner
• Necessity of the task in public interest 
• Necessity of the task in legitimate interest 

Transparency means you should be honest and fully disclose all intentions and purposes. Primarily concerned with the right to information, it requires the shared data to be: 

• Intelligible and in written or electronic form
• Easily accessible
• Contains necessary and relevant information
• Provided in appropriate time and measure 

You must also disclose additional changes and processing. Exceptions to these occur when the concerned subject already has access to the data, and it would be impossible to process it. The processing is mandatory by law, or an obligation or discretion exists.

2. Purpose limitation

Purpose limitation is a principle that requires data controllers to collect data for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes. Once collected, the intent cannot be modified or used for purposes other than what is specified to the subject. You should have clarity on the purpose from when you start collecting data and documenting it. 

If you wish to change the original purpose of collecting data, then the consent of the subject is mandatory. Unless the change aligns with the original intention, consent of the subject is mandatory. 

The goal of this principle is to prevent unauthorized or unlawful use of data such as marketing or sales. It helps to maintain transparency and hold controllers accountable for 

3. Data minimization

Data collection should not exceed the limit of its necessity. As per this rule, data should be adequate, limited, and necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. In other words, you should be able to justify collecting a particular data. If the task does not require the data, it follows that the data in question is excessive. 

While you might be tempted to collect a wide range of user data—like their job titles, locations, or even their social media profiles—it’s essential to practice data minimization. This means gathering only the data that’s necessary for your service to function effectively.

For example:

• Required Data: Email address, username, payment information, and project details.
• Unnecessary Data: Personal phone numbers, social media accounts, detailed demographic information.

A good practice to implement this principle is by asking the following questions:

1. Does the data owner know that their information is being collected? Or why is it collected?
2. What is the purpose behind collecting this data?
3. What other means exist to complete the concerned task without using the data?
4. What is the minimum timeline required to achieve the purpose of its collection?

4. Accuracy

One of the important principles of GDPR, accuracy focuses on the need for information to be correct and up to date. Data controllers must take appropriate measures to ensure that erroneous personal data is created or erased without delay. Incorrect data also includes typos and misleading information, both of which must be rectified. 

As a data controller or processor, you must update information as often as needed to ensure accuracy, record its source, and conduct checks to ensure integrity of your database. 

5. Storage limitation

As per the storage limitation principle of GDPR, you cannot store data longer than necessary and justify the time length of storing it. 

The ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) clarifies this by stating that data must be stored in a way that allows the subject to be identified till the required period for which it is processed. It also states exceptions when personal data can be stored for longer periods. These include data processed in public interest, scientific research, historical research, or statistical purposes. However, if these exceptions are applicable to you, implement appropriate technical and organizational measures that safeguard the rights and freedom of the subjects. 

A good practice to comply with this standard is to implement measures that help to process requests for erasure and data anonymization when it is not actively used. 

6. Integrity and confidentiality

Related to security, the principle of integrity and confidentiality states that only authorized individuals can access information. It requires you to secure data from disclosure to anyone other than those who have the authority to access it. 

Data controllers must implement appropriate technical safeguards such as pseudonymization and encryption to prevent accidental or intentional disclosure, damage, or destruction. These measures should also maintain data in its original form in case of disasters or technical accidents. You should also have sufficient processes to test the effectiveness of these measures.

This principle seeks to secure customers’ private information and respect their right to privacy. 

7. Accountability

As a controller, you must demonstrate proof of doing what you promise. Accountability requires you to have appropriate measures, controls, and records as proof of compliance. 

The GDPR authorities may ask for evidence at any time. An audit trail helps you keep track of liabilities and secure practice your organization adopted. Accountability helps to build, gain, and maintain customer trust.  

But before you go ahead to understand the principles, here is a simple GDPR audit checklist you need be aware of:

Why are GDPR principles important?

GDPR principles are important for businesses processing customer data in EU because: 

1. It helps to demonstrate your commitment to respecting privacy and freedom of information in an increasingly sensitive and ethic valued era. 
2. Keeping the ethical concerns aside, there are legal consequences awaiting to add to your business hassles when you don’t comply. 
3. The principles of GDPR help non EU businesses with a sense of direction to kickstart their compliance journey. 
4. GDPR is complex in nature – each requirement is interconnected with others. GDPR principles connect all sub clauses and obligations within the framework. 
5. It helps to prevent a number of security threats to ensure data integrity as damage to customer data means serious repercussions in business continuity. 

Get GDPR Certified With Sprinto

The 7 principles of GDPR lay the foundation for best practices in data processing. They also outline the responsibilities of data controllers and processors that help enforce these principles. 

If you plan to expand into Europe, GDPR compliance isn’t optional—it’s essential. However, tackling it on your own or through third-party services can be time-consuming and costly.

That’s where Sprinto comes in. Our platform automates your compliance process, making it faster, easier, and more affordable.

Here’s how Sprinto helps you get GDPR compliant:

1. Choose GDPR and any other frameworks relevant to your business.
2. Get detailed guidance on how GDPR applies to your business and the reasoning behind each control.
3. Connect Sprinto to your tech stack, and let it assess your current setup for compliance.
4. Sprinto will highlight any gaps in your controls based on GDPR requirements.
5. Add relevant team members as stakeholders, and work together to close those gaps, with progress tracked on your dashboard.
6. Once you’re compliant, Sprinto sends everything to a GDPR-approved certification body for your official certification.
7. Keep an eye on your compliance status through your dashboard—it’s that simple!

Talk to an expert at Sprinto to streamline your end-to-end compliance process.

 FAQs

Who does GDRP apply to?

The GDPR applies to any company that collects, processes, or transmits personal data of the data subjects who are in the European Union area regardless of the company’s location.

What is the main purpose of data minimization?

The main goal of data minimization is to collect and keep only the data you truly need. Limiting data collection, storage, and processing to just what’s necessary reduces the risk of data breaches and makes it easier to stay compliant with privacy regulations.

What are the data subject rights under GDPR?

Under the GDPR, individuals have several important rights when it comes to their personal data. These include:

• The right of access: Ensure data subjects can request to see the data you collect.
• The right to rectification: Ensure the data subject can ask for any inaccurate data to be corrected.
• The right to erasure: Also known as the “right to be forgotten,” this ensures that data subjects can request that their data be deleted.
• The right to restrict processing: Data subjects can limit their data use in certain situations.
• The right to data portability: Data subjects can request their data in a portable format to transfer it to another service.
• The right to object: Data subjects can object to their data being used for specific purposes, like marketing.
• The right not to be subject to automated decisions: Data subjects can request that important decisions about them aren’t made solely by automated processes.