Monthly Archives July 2015

July 29, 2015,  Council of Ministers, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Data Protection Supervisor, European Parliament, News  No comments

This week the EU’s independent privacy watchdog, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has declared wide ranging support for the European Parliament’s version of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that’s the subject of trilogue negotiations between the European Commission, European Parliament and Council that may be concluded as early as end of October 2015.

However, a notable difference between the EDPS and the European Parliament’s view is the mandatory appointment by organisations and companies of a Data Protection Officer (DPO).

It’s worth noting that 35% of all EU Member States currently require the appointment of a DPO as a compulsory measur...

July 26, 2015,  Council of Ministers, data protection, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Parliament, News  No comments

For Working Party 29 (WP29), the role of the Data Protection Officer (DPO) under the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the cornerstone of accountability as well as being a real tool of competitiveness for companies.

Tasked with the implementation of accountability tools that include the policies, procedures documentation, data protection impact assessments as well as internal training for all employees entrusted with handling customer data, the DPO is more like a ‘compliance orchestrator’ in much the same way as a conductor of a symphony orchestra, such as Parsee-born Zubin Mehta, conductor of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra.

In its advice not...

July 12, 2015,  Council of Ministers, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Parliament, Legal update  No comments

Companies and organisations that use data at the centre of their sales and marketing activities – and that’s just about everyone reading this blog – will be impacted by the forthcoming EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Agreement between the European Parliament, Council of Ministers and European Commission now looks like a distinct possibility in November/December 2015 after which there’ll be a two-year transition period before sanctions begin to bite.

How the GDPR fits into an overall framework of changes within the European Union

EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

The Charter is an important development as it’s the first formal EU document to combine and d...

July 12, 2015,  data protection, EU General Data Protection Regulation, European Commission, European Parliament, Legal update  No comments

It’s no exaggeration to claim but when the history of data protection and privacy is written 10 years from now, one company will be credited with having had the most influence over the shape of data protection and privacy across the European Union (EU).

And it’s Google.

No week goes past without some reference to one of the most powerful digital companies on the planet. And this week just gone has been no exception.

On Thursday 9 July, Google was forced to revise its privacy policy after the Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) threatened to fine company €15m. Google will now have to seek new users’ permission to combine their personal data throughout its services...