The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) continues to define how organisations manage and protect personal data across the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK). Originally enacted in 2018, GDPR remains a global benchmark for privacy compliance in 2025, and failure to adhere to its principles can result in serious financial penalities and reputational damage.
While many organisations implemented GDPR policies at the time of its introduction, GDPR compliance isn’t a one-off effort. As technology, regulation and enforcement evolve, so must your data protection practises especially in a world where digital transformations and remote work are the norm.
In this guide, we’ll explore:
- A refresher on GDPR’s core principles
- The rights of individuals under GDPR
- Emerging compliance challenges in 2025’s
- How SigningHub supports GDPR compliance
- Best practices to stay compliant
What is GDPR and why does it still matter?
GDPR is a far-reaching legal framework that governs the collection, processing, storage, and sharing of personal data belonging to individuals in the EU and UK. It also applies to any business, regardless of location, that handles the data of EU or UK citizens.
The regulation prioritises transparency, accountability and user control. Non-compliance carries steep penalties, fines can reach up to €20 million or 4% of global annual turnover, whichever is greater. These consequences have encouraged companies across sectors to re-evaluate their data handling processes.
In 2025, GDPR compliance has become more demanding, with enhanced expectations around consent, cross-border data transfers, and documentation of process activities. Regulatory authorities like the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and the EU’s European Data Protection Board (EDPB) are placing increased focus on enforcement and data ethics.
The seven principles of GDPR
To stay compliant, organisations must align their data handling practices with GDPR’s foundational principles:
- Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency
Data must be processed legally, fairly, and in a transparent manner - Purpose limitation
Data can only becollected for specific, legitimate purposes - Data minimisation
Only the data necessary for a specific purpose should be collected and retained - Accuracy
Data must be accurate and up to date - Storage limitation
Personal data should not be kept longer than necessary - Integrity and confidentiality
Data must be processed securely to prevent unauthorised access, loss, or damage - Accountability
Organisations must be able to demonstrate GDPR compliance at all times
GDPR and the rights of the individual
GDPR gives indviduals greater control over their personal data. The rights granted include:
- Right to be informed – Users have the right to understand what data is collected, why and how it is used. SigningHub meets this requirement via a detailed Privacy Policy and obtains consent at the time of registration.
- Right of access – Users can access their personal data without needing to submit a formal request. In SigningHub, this is streamlined via Menu > My Settings, where users can view stored data at any time.
- Right to rectification – Users can update inaccurate or incomplete data within their SigningHub account. This includes names, phone numbers, and more, though email addresses (used for identity and authentication) cannot be edited without account deletion.
- Right to erasure – Accounts can be paused and data processing stopped upon request. SigningHub facilitates this by allowing users to email support for permanent removal, including from third-party processors.
- Right to restrict processing – If a user chooses to restrict their data, SigningHub will cease processing and disable access to the account until re-enabled upon request.
- Right to data portability – SigningHub allows users to export their data in CSV format, supporting the transfer of data across platforms or providers.
- Right to object – Users can opt out of SigningHub’s marketing communications at any time via the unsubscribe link in emails or by contacting support.
- Rights related to automated decision-making and profiling – SigningHub does not use automated decision-making or profiling. This right is therefore not applicable.
How SigningHub supports GDPR compliance
SigningHub isn’t just a digital signing tool. It’s a privacy-first platform, built for compliance. . Here’s how:
1. Lawful basis for processing
SigningHub collects only essential personal data required to create and manage digital signatures. Consent is clearly obtained at sign-up, with data use explained in our Privacy Policy.
2. Advanced and Qualified Electronic Signatures (AES and QES)
We support AES and QES, both of which are compliant with eIDAS and GDPR standards. These signatures ensure:
- Clear identification of the signer
- Protection against tampering
- Verifiable audit trails
- Long-term validation (ETSI PAdES standards)
3. Full audit trails and document evidence
SigningHub maintains a detailed, time-stamped audit log for every signed document. This supports the accountability principle under Article 5(2) and provides evidence during regulatory inspections or customer enquiries.
4. Data sovereignty and hosting flexibility
To support data residency requirements, SigningHub offers flexible hosting options. Chooose from on-premise, EU cloud, and UK-based hosting to meet jurisidicational requirements.
5. End-to-end encryption
All personal data and documents are protected with enterprise-grade encryption, both in transit and at rest.
6. Data portability and deletion features
Users can export or delete their data, supporting full compliance with GDPR’s data portability and erasure requirements.
New GDPR challenges in 2025
- Cross-border data transfers
As of 2025, businesses must be especially cautious with transfers outside the EU/UK. Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and Transfer Risk Assessments (TRAs) are now mandatory for many situations. SigningHub helps mitigate this risk by offering compliant hosting options within Europe. - Regulatory scrutiny and fines
GDPR enforcement is intensifying. In 2024, regulators imposed record-breaking fines, including over €500 million in a single enforcement action. Even smaller organisations are being audited. Documented compliance, such as that offered by SigningHub’s audit trails, has never been more important. - Consent under scrutiny
The ICO and EDPB are targeting “consent fatigue” and forced consent models. Your systems must prove that consent was freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. SigningHub allows for explicit consent flows that are verifiable and logged. - Cybersecurity expectations
With rising cyberattacks, regulators expect encryption, access control, and breach response plans. SigningHub’s secure-by-design infrastructure aligns with GDPR’s integrity and confidentiality principle.
Best practices to stay GDPR-compliant with SigningHub
- Maintain clear, updated privacy notices
- Minimise data collection
- Use digital signatures that offer traceability
- Host data within GDPR-compliant jurisdictions
- Train your staff on data handling and GDPR awareness
- Respond quickly to subject access and erasure requests
- Conduct regular data protection impact assessments (DPIAs)
Your path forward
GDPR compliance is not a checkbox. It is a mindset of responsibility, transparency and respect for user privacy. In 2025, regulators are active, customers are aware and the digital world demands airtight protection.
SigningHub enables your business to:
- Build trust with your users through transparency
- Digitally sign documents in a compliant, secure way
- Demonstrate accountability at every stage of the document lifecycle process
Whether you’re looking to eliminate outdated paper-based processes, handle subject access requests (SARs) more efficiently, or simply future-proof your privacy practices, SigningHub is ready to support you.
Start your GDPR-compliant signing journey today. Try SigningHub for free.
