Times Internet's Lifestyle division websites - Indiatimes.com, MensXP, iDiva, WhatsHot - are currently unavailable in Europe. It is unclear since when the websites have been down. We have reached out to Times Internet about this and will update this when we hear from them. The company took down the websites since some of its modules were non compliant with GDPR, Angad Bhatia, the COO of IndiaTimes & Lifestyle brands at Times Internet, told MediaNama. "We want to ensure that we are compliant with all the recommendations of the GDPR," Bhatia said, explaining that the company is self-regulating to ensure compliance. Bhatia added that it wasn't sure when the websites would go back live in Europe since it was a secondary market, and "not really a focus." He said that the websites' focus for its brand and content was India. Times Internet is working with Ernst & Young as Indiatimes Lifestyle Network's GDPR compliance auditor. Requirements under the GDPR The GDPR came into effect in May 2018 and laid out how companies could use the personal information of its customers, gave greater protection and control to users/customers, and boosted their right over their data. Under the GDPR effect, the websites would have to meet several requirements such as disclosing to users what data the company is collecting about them, how the company will process or use that data, among many others. Under the GDPR, personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently, and must be collected only for legitimate purposes. The data must also…
