What is the primary purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

The primary purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is to protect the privacy and personal data of individuals within the European Union. This regulation establishes strict guidelines and principles that govern how personal data must be collected, stored, processed, and shared by organizations. It emphasizes the importance of obtaining explicit consent from individuals before processing their personal data and grants them rights such as access to their data, the right to rectify inaccuracies, and the right to erasure or "the right to be forgotten."

This strong focus on protecting individual rights is crucial in an era where personal data is frequently collected and processed by various entities, often without the explicit awareness or consent of the individuals concerned. The GDPR also aims to ensure that data protection is a fundamental right, highlighting the importance of personal data privacy in the digital economy.

The other options, while they may touch on broader aspects of data handling and organizational goals, do not capture the essence of the GDPR’s primary objective, which is centered around safeguarding individual privacy in the context of personal data.