About: GDPR

Data talks not started, admits minister as UK faces EU ‘data wall’

Concerns are growing that the UK will face a post-Brexit 'data wall' that will stymie the €272 billion of trade in Europe that relies on data flows.

Facebook hit with UK’s maximum fine as EU officials praise privacy efforts

Senior EU officials extolled the successes of the bloc’s data protection regulations on Thursday (25 October), as Facebook was fined £500,000 for its part in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Apple’s Cook set to back strong privacy laws in Europe, US at Brussels event

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook is expected to praise new European privacy rules and to voice the company’s support for strong laws in Europe and the United States to protect the use of data, according to prepared remarks for delivery at a Brussels event.

US taking privacy shield deal seriously, EU officials say

The US is making a number of steps in the right direction in order to fall in line with the EU-US privacy shield agreement, EU officials said on Thursday (18 October). The comments came as the Commission entered the first round of talks for the second annual review of the pact. 

EU-US Privacy Shield review: Jourová to meet US secretary amid compliance concerns

The EU's Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová will sit down with US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on Thursday (18 October), as they launch a review of the EU-US privacy shield, while certain EU MEPs remain unconvinced by the agreement.

A ‘fifth freedom’ of the EU: MEPs back an end to data localisation

MEPs voted on Thursday to (4 October) to support the final text on the free flow of non-personal data across the EU, hailed as a potential game changer for the digital economy. The regulation was adopted with overwhelming support in the European Parliament with 520 votes to 81.

Companies may try to bypass GDPR fines by negotiating with cybercriminals, Europol say

Europol, the EU's policing agency, released a report on Tuesday (18 September) in which they warned that EU data protection laws may lead to an increase in cyber-extortion.

ePrivacy: Over-regulation or opportunity?

As debate over the draft ePrivacy Regulation resumes, it transpires that economic research from the ad tech lobby has grossly misled the European Parliament and the Council, writes Dr Johnny Ryan.

Data agreement: EU jumps into bed with Japan as tensions rise over US privacy shield

The EU will look to ensure the safe transmission of data between the bloc and Japan, Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová said on Wednesday (5 September). The announcement comes at a time the EU's other big data transmission agreement, the EU-US privacy shield, faces harsh criticism.

EU Elections 2019: Data protection a priority for next parliament, forecast shows

The next European Parliament is likely to offer citizens better protection of their data, according to a study conducted by a leading European think tank. At the same time, concerns are growing about the adequacy of an EU-US deal on exchanging personal data across the Atlantic.

Facebook under pressure for weak consumer policy

European regulators will announce next week whether they will punish Facebook for its consumer terms and conditions, after the company was warned in February that its rules do not comply with EU law.

Seek new data deal with EU immediately, MPs tell May

The UK government should immediately open talks to secure a Data Adequacy Decision from the European Commission, MPs said in a new report published on Tuesday (2 July).

Negotiators reach quick agreement on law banning data localisation

EU negotiators sealed an agreement that will allow non-personal data to move freely across the bloc and ban national laws that require companies to store data within a country’s borders.

GDPR: Time to walk the talk

The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is good news for consumers. But its promise will only materialise if industry changes its mindset about data protection and if the law is supported by a strong compliance and enforcement culture, writes Ursula Pachl.

Industry groups amp up lobby campaign to topple ePrivacy bill

Dozens of industry associations have made a last-ditch effort to water down the draft ePrivacy legislation before national telecoms ministers gather to discuss the file next week in Luxembourg.

Europe is about to lose the global AI race – thanks to GDPR

The GDPR, which recently came into force, imposes such tight restrictions on the use of personal data that the EU will be unable to keep up with the rest of the world using AI to streamline their economies, writes Nick Wallace.

Silicon Valley giants hit with first complaints on day one of GDPR

Big American technology companies were the first to be hit with complaints for how they handle users’ personal information under the new EU data protection regulation known as GDPR.

Tweets of the Week: Royal Wedding, Zuckerberg in EU Parliament, and GDPR

This week all eyes turn to the Royal Wedding, it’s the Facebook hearing we were all dreading, and the arrival of GDPR has got businesses shredding!

GDPR: EU’s new data protection rules come into effect

The European Union's new data protection laws came into effect on Friday (25 May), with Brussels saying the changes will protect consumers from being like "people naked in an aquarium".

MEPs outraged over Zuckerberg’s EU Parliament show

Tensions soared between a handful of leading MEPs and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as the 34-year-old billionaire avoided answering detailed questions on the company’s data policies during a meeting in the European Parliament on Tuesday evening (22 May).

Zuckerberg’s Parliament meeting ‘the right thing’, says EU justice chief

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s meeting on Tuesday afternoon (22 May) with European Parliament leaders is “the right thing for himself” after the company’s recent data collection scandal, EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said in an interview.

The power of data – what are our rights?

For 25 years, the internet allowed business models to rampantly grow and radically change everyday life. Now, a period of regulation has come – and the awareness of the impact of digitisation. EURACTIV Germany’s media partner “Der Tagesspiegel” reports.