The ePrivacy Directive and the General Data Protection Regulation help ensure digital privacy for EU citizens.
When you access the web, you often entrust vital personal information, such as your name, address, and credit card number, to your Internet Service Provider and the website you are using. What happens to this data? Could it fall into the wrong hands? What rights do you have with regards to your personal information?
Common EU rules have been established to ensure that there is a high standard of protection for personal data everywhere in the EU. Currently, the two main strands of the data protection legal framework in the EU are the ePrivacy Directive (Directive on privacy and electronic communications), and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The ePrivacy Directive builds on EU telecoms and data protection frameworks to ensure that all communications over public networks maintain respect for fundamental rights. There should be a high level of data protection and of privacy regardless of the technology used.
The EU GDPR ensures that personal data can only be gathered under strict conditions and for legitimate purposes. Organisations that collect and manage your personal information must also protect it from misuse and respect certain rights.
Personal data breaches
Telecom operators and Internet Service Providers possess a huge amount of customers' data, which must be kept confidential and secure. However, sometimes sensitive information can be stolen, lost, or illegally accessed. The ePrivacy Directive ensures that the provider reports any personal data breaches to the national authority and informs the subscriber or individual directly of any risk related to personal data or privacy.
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