Georgia’s Personal Data Protection Act: Key Points for Businesses
Keywords: Georgia Personal Data Protection Act, data privacy law Georgia, Atlanta business compliance, small business data protection, Georgia data privacy tips
What is Georgia’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA)?
The Georgia Personal Data Protection Act is a new state law designed to safeguard personal data collected and processed by businesses. It aims to ensure individuals’ rights to privacy while holding businesses accountable for how they handle personal information.
Who Must Comply?
Businesses operating in Georgia must comply if they:
- Collect, store, or process personal data of more than 25,000 Georgia residents
- Generate over 50% of revenue from selling personal data
- Have $25M or more in gross annual revenue
What Counts as Personal Data?
Under the PDPA, personal data includes:
- Full names
- Social Security numbers
- Driver’s license or state ID numbers
- Bank account or credit card info
- Medical or health-related data
- Biometric identifiers (e.g., fingerprints, facial recognition)
Key PDPA Compliance Requirements
Here’s what your business needs to do to stay compliant:
🔐 1. Be Transparent
- Provide clear privacy notices to customers at the point of data collection.
- Disclose how data is used, shared, and stored.
✅ 2. Obtain Consent
- Get affirmative opt-in for data collection, especially for sensitive data.
- Enable easy opt-out options for marketing and third-party sharing.
🛡️ 3. Implement Data Security Measures
- Use encryption, firewalls, and access controls.
- Regularly patch systems and audit data storage practices.
📁 4. Honor Consumer Rights
- Know what data you collect
- Request access or deletion
- Opt out of data sale
🔄 5. Limit Data Sharing
- Only share data with authorized third parties
- Ensure vendors follow comparable data protection standards
5 Common Mistakes Atlanta Businesses Make
Avoid these red flags when handling personal data:
- Using outdated privacy policies
- Collecting more data than necessary
- Failing to encrypt stored customer information
- Ignoring vendor compliance
- Not training employees on data handling
Simple Compliance Tips for Small Businesses
Staying compliant doesn’t have to be complicated:
- ✅ Review and update your privacy policy annually
- ✅ Perform a data inventory to know what personal data you collect
- ✅ Train staff on data handling procedures
- ✅ Set up automated alerts for data access and breach attempts
- ✅ Work with a Managed IT provider to apply technical safeguards
Why Compliance is Critical in 2025
With rising cyberattacks and growing public concern over data misuse, Georgia’s PDPA is just the beginning. Other states are enacting similar laws. Preparing now sets your business up for future compliance—and builds trust with your customers.
Industries Most Affected
If you’re in any of these sectors, you’re especially vulnerable to non-compliance penalties:
- Legal (client confidentiality)
- Financial services (sensitive banking data)
- Healthcare (HIPAA + PDPA overlap)
- Real estate (buyer/seller identification)
- Manufacturing & construction (vendor data)
- Consulting & nonprofits (donor databases)
How Managed IT Services Can Help
A Managed IT partner like trueITpros can help your business:
- Set up automated compliance workflows
- Encrypt data across all devices
- Manage access controls and permissions
- Create a response plan for data breaches
- Stay ahead of evolving state and federal regulations
RELATED CONTENT
- How Cybersecurity Awareness Training Can Prevent Attacks
- IT Solutions for Financial Firms: Security & Compliance
- How to Reduce IT Costs Without Sacrificing Performance
Georgia’s Personal Data Protection Act isn’t just legal red tape—it’s your playbook for building a secure, trustworthy business in today’s digital landscape. Whether you’re handling contracts in a law firm or managing donor databases at a nonprofit, staying compliant is key to avoiding penalties and gaining customer trust.
To learn more about how trueITpros can help your company with Georgia’s Personal Data Protection Act compliance and Managed IT Services in Atlanta, contact us at www.trueitpros.com/contact