Rule Categories
Rules are organized into 14 categories aligned with GDPR principles:Consent
Consent
- Consent Status Validation (Article 6)
- Children Data Protections (Article 8)
Data Protection Officer
Data Protection Officer
- DPO Designation Check (Article 37)
Email Marketing
Email Marketing
- Marketing Opt-Out Mechanism (Article 21)
Encryption
Encryption
- At-Rest Encryption Requirement (Article 32)
- In-Transit Encryption (TLS) (Article 32)
Personal Data
Personal Data
- Special Category Data Protection (Article 9)
Privacy by Design
Privacy by Design
- Privacy by Design Default (Article 25)
Privacy Impact Assessment
Privacy Impact Assessment
- DPIA Requirement Validation (Article 35)
Processing
Processing
- Lawful Basis Documentation (Article 6)
Records of Processing Activities
Records of Processing Activities
- Records of Processing (ROPA) (Article 30)
Right of Access
Right of Access
- Right to Data Access (DSAR) (Article 15)
Right to be Forgotten
Right to be Forgotten
- Data Retention Period Enforcement (Article 5)
- Right to Be Forgotten (Erasure) (Article 17)
Right to be Informed
Right to be Informed
Third Countries
Third Countries
- Third Country Transfer Basis (Articles 44-49)
Detailed Rule Reference
Consent
GDPR-002 - Consent Status Validation
GDPR-002 - Consent Status Validation
Article: 6(1)(a) — Lawfulness of ProcessingWhat it detects:Flags any data processing operation where consent status is still
pending (not explicitly granted).Conditions:Processing requires valid consent.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €50M (Google case for lack of transparency/consent)
- Breach Example: Ad-tech firm processing location data without clear opt-in
GDPR-007 - Children Data Protections
GDPR-007 - Children Data Protections
Threshold: Age < 16
Article: 8 — Child’s ConsentWhat it detects:Flags records where the data subject is under 16 years old (requires parental consent).Conditions:
Children’s data requires parental consent.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €345M (TikTok — failing to protect children’s data)
- Breach Example: Gaming site collecting emails of 12-year-olds without age verification
Encryption
GDPR-003 - At-Rest Encryption Requirement
GDPR-003 - At-Rest Encryption Requirement
Article: 32 — Security of ProcessingWhat it detects:Identifies tables or columns containing personal data that are not encrypted at rest.Conditions:
Personal data must be encrypted at rest.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €18M (British Airways breach — lack of security measures)
- Breach Example: Hospital database leaked patient records because PII was stored in plain text
GDPR-010 - In-Transit Encryption (TLS)
GDPR-010 - In-Transit Encryption (TLS)
Article: 32 — Security of ProcessingWhat it detects:Flags data transmission channels where TLS is not enabled (HTTP instead of HTTPS).Conditions:
Personal data in transit must be encrypted.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €10M (Telecom company — lack of encryption for subscriber data packets)
- Breach Example: Web form submitting PII via HTTP instead of HTTPS
Personal Data
GDPR-004 - Special Category Data Protection
GDPR-004 - Special Category Data Protection
Article: 9 — Processing of Special CategoriesWhat it detects:Flags records containing special category data (health, biometric, political affiliation) that require explicit consent.Conditions:
Special category data requires explicit consent.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €35M (H&M case for processing sensitive employee data)
- Breach Example: Health app sharing biometric data with third parties without specific Art 9 consent
Data Subject Rights
GDPR-001 - Data Retention Period Enforcement
GDPR-001 - Data Retention Period Enforcement
Article: 5(1)(e) — Storage LimitationWhat it detects:Identifies records marked for deletion that have exceeded the retention period.Conditions:
Personal data must not be retained beyond necessary period.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €14.5M (Average for systemic retention failure)
- Breach Example: Real estate company fined for storing tenant data indefinitely
GDPR-005 - Right to Data Access (DSAR)
GDPR-005 - Right to Data Access (DSAR)
Article: 15 — Right of AccessWhat it detects:Identifies data that should be retrievable for data subject access requests but is not properly indexed or exportable.Conditions:
Data subjects have right to access their data.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €1M (Amazon — failing to provide full access to data)
- Breach Example: SaaS provider unable to export all user data during access request
GDPR-006 - Right to Be Forgotten (Erasure)
GDPR-006 - Right to Be Forgotten (Erasure)
Article: 17 — Right to ErasureWhat it detects:Checks for records marked for deletion but not yet erased (should be deleted within 30 days).Conditions:
Check for records marked for deletion but not yet erased.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €600k (Google Spain — “Right to be Forgotten” in search results)
- Breach Example: Bank failed to delete marketing profile after user closed account
Processing & Documentation
GDPR-009 - Lawful Basis Documentation
GDPR-009 - Lawful Basis Documentation
Article: 6 — Lawfulness of ProcessingWhat it detects:Flags data processing operations that do not have a documented lawful basis (Consent, Contract, Legal Obligation, etc.).Conditions:
All processing must have documented lawful basis.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €20M (General fine for lack of Art 6 justification)
- Breach Example: Company processing payroll data without defining a legal basis in their ROPA
GDPR-013 - Records of Processing (ROPA)
GDPR-013 - Records of Processing (ROPA)
Article: 30 — Records of Processing ActivitiesWhat it detects:Flags processing activities that do not have a corresponding ROPA entry.Conditions:
Maintain a record of processing activities.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €30k (Incomplete or missing ROPA)
- Breach Example: Logistics firm unable to provide processing logs during audit
Organizational Requirements
GDPR-011 - DPO Designation Check
GDPR-011 - DPO Designation Check
Article: 37 — Designation of the DPOWhat it detects:Flags organizations processing sensitive data at scale that have not designated a Data Protection Officer.Conditions:
Organizations must designate a DPO in specific cases.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €50k (Average for failing to appoint DPO when required)
- Breach Example: Security firm fined for not appointing DPO despite large-scale monitoring
GDPR-012 - DPIA Requirement Validation
GDPR-012 - DPIA Requirement Validation
Article: 35 — Data Protection Impact AssessmentWhat it detects:Flags high-risk processing activities (e.g., facial recognition, large-scale profiling) that lack a completed DPIA.Conditions:
Impact assessment required for high-risk processing.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €200k (Failing to conduct DPIA for facial recognition)
- Breach Example: Retailer deploying AI tracking without preliminary impact study
Marketing & Privacy Design
GDPR-008 - Marketing Opt-Out Mechanism
GDPR-008 - Marketing Opt-Out Mechanism
Article: 21 — Right to ObjectWhat it detects:Checks that all marketing communications include a one-click unsubscribe mechanism.Conditions:
Email communications require opt-out mechanism.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €400k (Deliveroo — lack of opt-out in promotional emails)
- Breach Example: E-commerce site ignoring unsubscribes for its weekly newsletter
GDPR-014 - Privacy by Design Default
GDPR-014 - Privacy by Design Default
Article: 25 — Privacy by DesignWhat it detects:Flags systems that do not use maximum privacy settings by default (e.g., profiles set to “public” on registration).Conditions:
Implement data protection by design and default.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €100k (Software vendor — settings not private by default)
- Breach Example: Social app making profiles public automatically upon registration
Cross-Border Transfers
GDPR-015 - Third Country Transfer Basis
GDPR-015 - Third Country Transfer Basis
Article: 44–49 — Transfers to Third CountriesWhat it detects:Flags data transfers to countries outside the EEA that lack a valid legal basis (Standard Contractual Clauses, Adequacy Decision, etc.).Conditions:
Transfers to third countries require legal basis.Historical Context:
- Average Fine: €1.2B (Meta — transferring data to US without valid basis)
- Breach Example: Cloud provider moving backup data to non-compliant region
Rule Summary Table
| Rule ID | Name | Severity | Article | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDPR-001 | Data Retention Period Enforcement | HIGH | 5(1)(e) | Right to be Forgotten |
| GDPR-002 | Consent Status Validation | CRITICAL | 6(1)(a) | Consent |
| GDPR-003 | At-Rest Encryption Requirement | CRITICAL | 32 | Encryption |
| GDPR-004 | Special Category Data Protection | CRITICAL | 9 | Personal Data |
| GDPR-005 | Right to Data Access (DSAR) | MEDIUM | 15 | Right of Access |
| GDPR-006 | Right to Be Forgotten (Erasure) | HIGH | 17 | Right to be Forgotten |
| GDPR-007 | Children Data Protections | CRITICAL | 8 | Consent |
| GDPR-008 | Marketing Opt-Out Mechanism | MEDIUM | 21 | Email Marketing |
| GDPR-009 | Lawful Basis Documentation | HIGH | 6 | Processing |
| GDPR-010 | In-Transit Encryption (TLS) | HIGH | 32 | Encryption |
| GDPR-011 | DPO Designation Check | MEDIUM | 37 | DPO |
| GDPR-012 | DPIA Requirement Validation | HIGH | 35 | Privacy Impact Assessment |
| GDPR-013 | Records of Processing (ROPA) | MEDIUM | 30 | ROPA |
| GDPR-014 | Privacy by Design Default | MEDIUM | 25 | Privacy by Design |
| GDPR-015 | Third Country Transfer Basis | CRITICAL | 44–49 | Third Countries |
Using the GDPR Pack
- Select GDPR Framework — Choose “GDPR” when creating a new audit
- Review Rules — All 15 rules are loaded and active by default
- Toggle Rules — Disable any rules not applicable to your data processing activities
- Upload Data — Upload your dataset (must include fields like
consent_status,encrypted,age, etc.) - Confirm Mapping — Approve the AI-suggested column mappings
- Run Scan — Execute the compliance scan
- Review Violations — Violations include GDPR article references, historical fines, and remediation steps