GDPR and Drupal: Implementing Data Protection Technically
The GDPR has been in effect since May 2018. Yet many Drupal websites are not fully compliant. Cookie banners that offer no real choice. Google Analytics without a data processing agreement. Contact forms that collect more data than necessary. YouTube embeds that send data to Google without consent.
The good news: Drupal has the technical capabilities to solve all of this cleanly. But the implementation requires knowledge of GDPR requirements and Drupal modules.
GDPR Requirements for Your Drupal Website
Consent management: Cookies and tracking tools may only be loaded after the user has actively consented. No pre-selected checkboxes. The Drupal module "EU Cookie Compliance" (or its successor) handles this reliably.
Data minimization: Forms collect only data required for the purpose. A contact form doesn't need a birthday or phone number as a required field.
Right to erasure: Users can request deletion of their data. Drupal must be able to identify and delete personal data — including in custom modules and log tables.
Privacy by Design: Data protection is built into the architecture, not bolted on afterward. At arocom, data protection is part of the requirements catalog in every project.
Technical Implementation: Drupal Modules and Configuration
Cookie consent: A legally compliant cookie banner with granular selection (necessary, statistics, marketing). No loading of third-party scripts before consent.
Third-party integration: YouTube videos, Google Maps and social media embeds are loaded only after consent. Before that, a placeholder is shown. Drupal modules like "Video Embed Field" support privacy modes.
SSL/HTTPS: Basic requirement for data protection. All data is transmitted encrypted. Drupal enforces HTTPS via configuration.
Server location: GDPR-compliant hosting providers with data centers in the EU. arocom recommends and manages hosting solutions that meet this requirement.
Data processing agreements (DPA): A DPA must be in place for every third party that processes data (hosting, analytics, email service).
Your next step
Is your Drupal website GDPR-compliant? The Drupal Future Check examines cookie consent, third-party integrations and data minimization, among other things, and provides concrete measures.
Is Drupal GDPR-compliant?
Drupal as software is data-protection-neutral — it depends on the configuration and the modules used. With the right configuration, Drupal is fully GDPR-compliant. arocom checks and configures the GDPR-relevant settings in every project.
Which cookie consent module does arocom recommend?
That depends on the requirements. For most projects, we use a combination of the EU Cookie Compliance module and granular control of third-party scripts. The key is that no tracking cookie is set without consent.
Can we use Google Analytics on our Drupal website?
Yes, under conditions: data processing agreement with Google, IP anonymization enabled, loading only after cookie consent. Alternatively, arocom recommends privacy-friendly alternatives like Matomo (self-hosted), which work without cookie consent.
Do we need a data protection officer?
That is not a technical question but a legal one. From 20 employees who regularly process personal data, a data protection officer is mandatory in Germany. arocom advises on technical implementation, not legal counsel.
How does Development & Business hold up on your website? The Future Check shows where the biggest levers are — in 2–4 weeks.
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