The Complete SaaS Compliance Guide
A definitive reference for technical compliance under GDPR, TTDSG, and international privacy frameworks.
1. The Foundation: GDPR & DSGVO Principles
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Data Protection Act (DSGVO) establish stringent rules on how personal data can be collected, processed, and stored. For SaaS businesses, compliance is not optional; it is fundamental to operating within the European Economic Area.
- Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency: Data must be processed legally and transparently.
- Purpose limitation: Data must be collected for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes.
- Data minimization: Collect only what is absolutely necessary.
- Storage limitation: Do not store data longer than needed.
2. Cookie & Tracking Consent (TTDSG)
Under the Telecommunications and Telemedia Data Protection Act (TTDSG), storing information on or accessing information stored in a user's terminal equipment requires explicit, informed consent—unless the technology is strictly technically necessary.
- • Google Analytics / Tracking Scripts
- • Marketing & Retargeting Pixels
- • Social Media Embeds (YouTube, Twitter)
- • A/B Testing Cookies
- • Session IDs for login state
- • Shopping cart cookies
- • Load balancing cookies
- • The cookie storing the consent state itself
3. Third-Party Data Transfers
Modern web applications rely heavily on CDNs, third-party APIs API endpoints, and external databases. If any personal data (including IP addresses) is transmitted to a third party, you must:
- Have a signed Data Processing Agreement (AVV) with the provider.
- Disclose the integration clearly in your Privacy Policy.
- If the provider is outside the EU/EEA (e.g., USA), ensure an adequate level of data protection (e.g., via Standard Contractual Clauses or DPF).
How ConsentGuard Helps
ConsentGuard automates the technical enforcement of these policies. Our scanners simulate a user visiting your site without giving consent, ensuring that no non-essential cookies drop and no third-party network requests are fired until explicit permission is granted.
4. SSL and Encryption
Encryption in transit (HTTPS) is explicitly required by GDPR Article 32 to ensure the security of processing. Failing to secure form submissions—particularly login, signup, or checkout pages—is a direct violation. Ensure your TLS certificates are up-to-date and restrict your server to modern cipher suites (TLS 1.2+).