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GDPRess | Eliminate external requests to increase GDPR compliance

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GDPRess | Eliminate external requests to increase GDPR compliance

by Daan van den Bergh

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Description

In January, 2022 a German court ruled that a website owner was in breach of GDPR and should pay a € 100,- fine, because embedded Google Fonts were used, essentially transferring the user’s personal data (IP address) without the user’s prior consent.

What’s embedding?

When an external (i.e. loaded from another server, besides your own) resource is embedded into a webpage, it basically means that the resource behaves as if it’s loaded from the same server hosting the webpage.

Why is using embedded resources in breach of GDPR?

Because of the way the internet works. When a browser (i.e. computer) requests a file (e.g. an image or a font file), the server needs the IP address of that computer to send it back. All these requests (including the IP address) are logged in a so-called access.log.

Once this IP address leaves the European Union, your website is violating the GDPR.

What does this plugin do?

GDPRess scans your homepage for 3rd party scripts (JS) and stylesheets (CSS), and:

  • Allows you to download or exclude them from downloading,
  • Parses the stylesheets for loaded font files, downloads them, and rewrites the stylesheet to use the local copies,
  • Makes sure the local copies of each script/stylesheet are used in your site’s frontend.

In short, it makes sure no requests are made to external/embedded/3rd party scripts and stylesheets.

  1. Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/gdpr-press directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly.
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress
  3. Use the Settings -> GDPRess screen to configure the plugin
  1. GDPRess' Start screen, simply click Scan Website to start.

    GDPRess' Start screen, simply click Scan Website to start.

  2. After running the initial scan, external requests are listed. Exclude a file when e.g. you suspect it might not work properly when it's downloaded.

    After running the initial scan, external requests are listed. Exclude a file when e.g. you suspect it might not work properly when it's downloaded.

  3. Google Analytics is automatically excluded, because simply downloading the file is not enough to use it in compliance with GDPR. Click on the link in the tooltip for more information.

    Google Analytics is automatically excluded, because simply downloading the file is not enough to use it in compliance with GDPR. Click on the link in the tooltip for more information.

  4. Google Fonts is supported, but when many font families and/or font styles are detected, GDPRess will offer an alternative approach to optimize the request.

    Google Fonts is supported, but when many font families and/or font styles are detected, GDPRess will offer an alternative approach to optimize the request.

  5. When the selected files are downloaded, the URLs of the local copies are listed.

    When the selected files are downloaded, the URLs of the local copies are listed.

Can I remove/preload stylesheets and/or scripts with this plugin?

No, because there are other plugins (like Asset Cleanup or Autoptimize) that are already excellent at that.

GDPRess downloaded a stylesheet/script, but I’m still seeing requests to font files loaded by the stylesheet?

GDPRess parses the stylesheet for defined src urls. But if it somehow missed it, I’d love to hear about that, because that might be a bug. Please head over to the support forum and submit a ticket, and include the full URL to the external stylesheet.

Will this plugin allow me to use Google Analytics in compliance with GDPR?

No, because much more is needed than just downloading analytics.js/gtag.js to your server. To use Google Analytics in compliance with GDPR, you need CAOS Pro.

First Class Plugin

By Orlandoo on January 3, 2024

The plugin works as expected for me - even under WordPress 6.4. It's a great addition to OMGF.
I very much hope that the plugin will continue to be maintained and updated.

Great plugin!

By ethereumicoio on June 28, 2023

Used it to localize Font Awesome CSS and font files. Works like a charm. Just perfect! Thank you for your hard work @daanvandenbergh

Very grateful

By chrismcfaz on November 4, 2022

Hey man, I host a page for a friend and with 3 kids and building a house, I find it hard to keep up with German legislation and keeping the page legal. The plugin you wrote solved the problem in no time and for free. Absolutely amazing. Very grateful!!!

GDPRess

By ites10779 on October 23, 2022

Great plugin. my Consent Tool no longer recognises external downloads from Font Awsome!!!! Wonderfully easy to install and set up

Good Plugin with great Support

By lodoubleg (loqee) on September 5, 2022

Running without Theme on an Oxygen Framework and works very well. A must-have in times like these, where you getting sued because of using remote Google Fonts.

Great Job. It Works! Installed and configured in less than 100seconds 😉

By Ralph Rathmann (ralphrathmann) on August 17, 2022

Good job! Works even on my WP6++ sites. Checked in Browser and it works as expected. Thanks for this plugin. Ralph Rathmann

Good solution if you are using Google fonts

By richard23h on August 17, 2022

Works in the way it is supposed to. No issues getting it running with the Ashe Pro Theme and the current version of WP.

Great plugin for GDPR friendly, with fast support

By Xandro (sudarshankotian) on June 29, 2022

I was already using CAOS for analytics local hosting, and found this plugin, seems like this is in its early stage. But I hope you will keep working on it & make this plugin a great just like CAOS is.

1.2.3

  • Fixed: call to undefined function download_url().

1.2.2

  • Fixed: GDPRess now runs before OMGF/CAOS, so e.g. OMGF Pro can optimize previously externally hosted stylesheets.

1.2.1

  • Fixed: Protocol (//) and Root (/) relative URLs shouldn’t be interpreted as external URLs.
  • Fixed: Let CAOS/OMGF handle their files, if these plugins are active.

1.2.0

  • Added: Run a quick scan on each page to see if new external (3rd party) requests are present on that page!
  • Added: Test Mode (enabled by Default) to allow users to first test the optimizations before releasing them to the public.
  • Fixed: Don’t use WP_Filesystem to get and put file contents.

1.1.0

  • Added: Google Fonts support
    • When many Font Families or Font Styles are detected, GDPR Press will suggest to use OMGF to optimize the request before downloading it.
  • Fixed several bugs, notices and warnings.

1.0.2

  • Added: tooltip next to success message.
  • Fixed: tooltip-icon line height.

1.0.1

  • Fixed: Conflicts with several caching/optimization plugins:
    • Autoptimize
    • WP Rocket
    • W3 Total Cache
    • WP Optimize
  • Fixed: several warnings and notices.

1.0

  • First release!
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