diff --git a/install/data/defaults.json b/install/data/defaults.json
index beacb2f00d..d08ad93763 100644
--- a/install/data/defaults.json
+++ b/install/data/defaults.json
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
     "profile:convertProfileImageToPNG": 0,
     "profile:keepAllUserImages": 0,
     "requireEmailConfirmation": 0,
+    "gdpr_enabled": 1,
     "allowProfileImageUploads": 1,
     "teaserPost": "last-reply",
     "allowPrivateGroups": 1,
diff --git a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/user.json b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/user.json
index 99b6e05a58..501441aa64 100644
--- a/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/user.json
+++ b/public/language/en-GB/admin/settings/user.json
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 	"allow-login-with.username": "Username Only",
 	"allow-login-with.email": "Email Only",
 	"account-settings": "Account Settings",
+	"gdpr_enabled": "Enable GDPR consent collection",
+	"gdpr_enabled_help": "When enabled, all new registrants will be required to explicitly give consent for data collection and usage under the <a href=\"https://eugdpr.org/the-regulation/gdpr-faqs/\">General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)</a>. <strong>Note</strong>: Enabling GDPR does not force pre-existing users to provide consent. To do so, you will need to install the GDPR plugin.",
 	"disable-username-changes": "Disable username changes",
 	"disable-email-changes": "Disable email changes",
 	"disable-password-changes": "Disable password changes",
diff --git a/src/controllers/accounts/consent.js b/src/controllers/accounts/consent.js
index 0ea9e7e47c..aca8b26df0 100644
--- a/src/controllers/accounts/consent.js
+++ b/src/controllers/accounts/consent.js
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ var accountHelpers = require('./helpers');
 var consentController = module.exports;
 
 consentController.get = function (req, res, next) {
+	if (!meta.config.gdpr_enabled) {
+		// GDPR disabled
+		return next();
+	}
+
 	var userData;
 
 	async.waterfall([
diff --git a/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js b/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js
index b42f21c2b6..a0ecfcfe1c 100644
--- a/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js
+++ b/src/controllers/accounts/helpers.js
@@ -51,32 +51,32 @@ helpers.getUserDataByUserSlug = function (userslug, callerUID, callback) {
 					user.getIPs(uid, 4, next);
 				},
 				profile_menu: function (next) {
-					plugins.fireHook('filter:user.profileMenu', {
-						uid: uid,
-						callerUID: callerUID,
-						links: [{
-							id: 'info',
-							route: 'info',
-							name: '[[user:account_info]]',
-							visibility: {
-								self: false,
-								other: false,
-								moderator: true,
-								globalMod: true,
-								admin: true,
-							},
-						}, {
-							id: 'sessions',
-							route: 'sessions',
-							name: '[[pages:account/sessions]]',
-							visibility: {
-								self: true,
-								other: false,
-								moderator: false,
-								globalMod: false,
-								admin: false,
-							},
-						}, {
+					const links = [{
+						id: 'info',
+						route: 'info',
+						name: '[[user:account_info]]',
+						visibility: {
+							self: false,
+							other: false,
+							moderator: true,
+							globalMod: true,
+							admin: true,
+						},
+					}, {
+						id: 'sessions',
+						route: 'sessions',
+						name: '[[pages:account/sessions]]',
+						visibility: {
+							self: true,
+							other: false,
+							moderator: false,
+							globalMod: false,
+							admin: false,
+						},
+					}];
+
+					if (meta.config.gdpr_enabled) {
+						links.push({
 							id: 'consent',
 							route: 'consent',
 							name: '[[user:consent.title]]',
@@ -87,7 +87,13 @@ helpers.getUserDataByUserSlug = function (userslug, callerUID, callback) {
 								globalMod: false,
 								admin: false,
 							},
-						}],
+						});
+					}
+
+					plugins.fireHook('filter:user.profileMenu', {
+						uid: uid,
+						callerUID: callerUID,
+						links: links,
 					}, next);
 				},
 				groups: function (next) {
diff --git a/src/user/index.js b/src/user/index.js
index d78184f8bb..d3fc8cc85a 100644
--- a/src/user/index.js
+++ b/src/user/index.js
@@ -345,6 +345,10 @@ User.addInterstitials = function (callback) {
 		method: [
 			// GDPR information collection/processing consent + email consent
 			function (data, callback) {
+				if (!meta.config.gdpr_enabled) {
+					return setImmediate(callback, null, data);
+				}
+
 				const add = function () {
 					data.interstitials.push({
 						template: 'partials/gdpr_consent',
diff --git a/src/views/admin/settings/user.tpl b/src/views/admin/settings/user.tpl
index 415c516477..882f567cfb 100644
--- a/src/views/admin/settings/user.tpl
+++ b/src/views/admin/settings/user.tpl
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@
 	<div class="col-sm-2 col-xs-12 settings-header">[[admin/settings/user:account-settings]]</div>
 	<div class="col-sm-10 col-xs-12">
 		<form>
+			<div class="checkbox">
+				<label class="mdl-switch mdl-js-switch mdl-js-ripple-effect">
+					<input class="mdl-switch__input" type="checkbox" data-field="gdpr_enabled">
+					<span class="mdl-switch__label"><strong>[[admin/settings/user:gdpr_enabled]]</strong></span>
+				</label>
+				<p class="help-block">[[admin/settings/user:gdpr_enabled_help]]</p>
+			</div>
 			<div class="checkbox">
 				<label class="mdl-switch mdl-js-switch mdl-js-ripple-effect">
 					<input class="mdl-switch__input" type="checkbox" data-field="username:disableEdit">