If you’ve paid attention to the news in recent months, you know that the EU’s new consumer data privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), goes into effect at the end of this week (May 25, 2018).

Under the regulation, all businesses that handle personal data about EU citizens are required to follow strict guidelines for the collection, use and protection of that data. Additionally, businesses must give consumers the option to request erasure and opt out of profiling.

The GDPR is a move in the right direction. Consumers are warier than ever before about how businesses collect and use their data, especially in the wake of massive data breaches from companies like Equifax. Given the potential consequences of personal data landing in the wrong hands, these data privacy concerns are justified. Businesses that collect and use consumer data should be held to high standards.