When Europe’s strict set of data protection rules came into force nearly seven years ago, privacy campaigners, industry experts, and lawyers all warned that noncompliance could result in eye-watering fines and other costly sanctions, especially for repeated breaches. However, the reality appears to be very different.

Neil Hodge is a freelance business journalist and photographer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He writes on insurance and risk management, corporate governance, internal audit, compliance, and legal...