The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was enacted to address growing concerns around data privacy and security amid the digital age. Developed by the European Commission, the regulation was designed to unify and strengthen data protection across the European Union, providing EU citizens with greater control over their personal information. The GDPR established clear guidelines for how businesses and organizations could collect, store, and process personal data, requiring explicit consent from individuals before their data could be used. This was a response not only to technological advancements but also to several high-profile data breaches that highlighted vulnerabilities in existing data protection measures.Once GDPR became enforceable, organizations faced new obligations, including the need to appoint Data Protection Officers (DPOs), carry out impact assessments, and provide clear procedures for data access requests. With penalties reaching up to €20 million or four percent of global turnover for violations, the regulation was expected to catalyze significant changes in data handling practices across Europe and beyond. Many businesses outside Europe, which handled data of EU citizens, also had to comply, driving a global conversation around data privacy standards and practices. The GDPR's enforcement brought about a cultural shift in how organizations approached data privacy, emphasizing accountability, transparency, and the rights of individuals. Furthermore, it influenced global data protection policies, with various countries looking to the regulation as a model for their own laws, thereby having a lasting effect on international data governance.