Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools
Sections
You are here: Home topics Data protection in the EU
Document Actions

Data protection in the EU

Under EU law, personal data can only be gathered legally under strict conditions, for a legitimate purpose. Persons or organisations which collect and manage your personal information must protect it from misuse and must respect certain rights of the data owners which are guaranteed by EU law. Common EU rules have been established to ensure that people's personal data enjoys a high standard of protection everywhere in the EU. You have the right to complain and obtain redress if your data is misused anywhere within the EU. The EU's Data Protection Directive also foresees specific rules for the transfer of personal data outside the EU to ensure the best possible protection of your data when it is exported abroad.

EU strikes deal on European Health Data Space 18 March 2024, 22:03 CET
The European Parliament and EU Council reached provisional agreement Friday on a new law making it easier to exchange and access health data at EU level.

New EU rules start to apply for Google, Microsoft, Amazon gatekeepers 11 March 2024, 18:48 CET
Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and ByteDance, deemed online 'gatekeepers' under the EU's Digital Markets Act, must from 7 March fully comply with all obligations.

Brussels queries Meta on No Ads Facebook subscription options 01 March 2024, 23:40 CET
The EU Commission sent American tech giant Meta a formal request Friday to provide more information under the Digital Services Act over subscription for no ads options for both Facebook and Instagram.

Brussels requests data information from online giants 18 January 2024, 23:02 CET
Google, Amazon and Facebook were among 17 large online services to receive information requests from the European Commission Thursday under the EU's Digital Services Act.

EU's new Data Act enters into force 11 January 2024, 22:40 CET
The European Data Act entered into force Thursday, defining rights to the access and use of data generated in the EU, and boosting data-sharing and innovation, especially in the field of artificial intelligence.

eIDAS Regulation 08 November 2023, 22:43 CET
eIDAS is a key enabler for secure cross-border transactions. The Regulation on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market (eIDAS Regulation) is a milestone towards creating a predictable regulatory environment. The eIDAS Regulation helps business, citizens and public authorities carry out secure and seamless electronic interactions.

European Digital Identity - guide 08 November 2023, 23:00 CET
With a view to ensuring a trusted and secure digital identity for all Europeans, the EU Council presidency and European Parliament representatives reached on 8 November a provisional agreement on a new framework for a European digital identity (eID).

EU negotiators reach final agreement on EU-wide digital wallet 08 November 2023, 23:02 CET
European Parliament and EU Council negotiators reached provisional agreement Wednesday on an EU wallet to authenticate and access public and private services and e-sign documents.

EU-US Data Privacy Framework - guide 10 July 2023, 23:33 CET
On 11 July, the European Commission adopted its adequacy decision for the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. The adequacy decision concludes that the United States ensures an adequate level of protection - compared to that of the EU - for personal data transferred from the EU to US companies participating in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework. The adequacy decision follows the US' signature of an Executive Order on ‘Enhancing Safeguards for United States Signals Intelligence Activities', which introduced new binding safeguards to address the points raised by Court of Justice of the European Union in its Schrems II decision of July 2020. Notably, the new obligations were geared to ensure that data can be accessed by US intelligence agencies only to the extent of what is necessary and proportionate, and to establish an independent and impartial redress mechanism to handle and resolve complaints from Europeans concerning the collection of their data for national security purposes.

EU confirms adequacy of US data protection framework 10 July 2023, 23:41 CET
The United States ensures an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred from the European Union to US companies under the new framework, the EU concluded on Monday.

Brussels proposes more vigorous enforcement of GDPR 04 July 2023, 22:17 CET
The EU Commission proposed new rules Tuesday to strengthen enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation in cross-border cases and improve cooperation between data protection authorities.

GDPR Procedural Regulation: stronger enforcement of the GDPR in cross-border cases - guide 04 July 2023, 22:05 CET
The European Commission proposed on 4 July new rules to support the effectiveness and efficiency of enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in cross-border cases. The GDPR Procedural Regulation aims to streamline cooperation between data protection authorities (DPAs), by harmonising some aspects of their administrative procedures in cross-border cases.

Euro-Parliament ready to negotiate for EU-wide digital wallet 16 March 2023, 22:30 CET
The European Parliament confirmed Thursday its negotiating mandate on a new digital identity framework which would provide EU citizens with digital access to key public services across EU borders.

MEPs back new rules for fair access to and use of industrial data 14 March 2023, 18:27 CET
The EU Parliament gave its approval Tuesday to the Data Act, which clarifies who can access data and on what terms, and empowers a wider range of private and public entities to share data.

Schengen info systems upgrade now in force 07 March 2023, 22:18 CET
A strengthened Schengen Information System (SIS) entered into operation Tuesday, with more complete and reliable information to enhance security and border management in Europe.

Council agrees position on short-term rentals data 06 March 2023, 22:25 CET
EU competitiveness ministers agreed Thursday a negotiating mandate for a regulation on data collection and sharing for short-term accommodation rental services.

Commission suspends TikTok on its corporate devices 23 February 2023, 22:34 CET
The EU executive decided Thursday to suspend use of the TikTok application on Commission corporate devices Thursday and on personal devices enrolled in the Commission mobile device service.

MEPs back new rules for fair access and use of industrial data 09 February 2023, 23:29 CET
A Euro-Parliament committee gave its backing Thursday to the 'Data Act', empowering a wider range of private and public entities to share data, while clarifying who can access data and on what terms.

Brussels accepts Amazon commitments over data and Prime 02 January 2023, 01:05 CET
The EU Commission made commitments offered by Amazon - barring it from using marketplace seller data, and ensuring equal access to Buy Box and Prime - legally binding under EU antitrust rules Wednesday

New Data Act to boost Europe's digital economy 25 February 2022, 17:09 CET
A new EU Data Act with rules on who can use and access data generated in the EU across all economic sectors will unlock a wealth of industrial data in Europe, the European Commission said Wednesday.

Data Act - guide 11 January 2024, 22:17 CET
Today, the European Data Act entered into force on 11 January 2024. The new rules define the rights to access and use data generated in the EU across all economic sectors and will make it easier to share data, in particular industrial data.

EU endorses UK data protection regime 28 June 2021, 19:16 CET
Personal data can flow freely from the EU to the UK following adoption Monday of adequacy decisions covering the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Law Enforcement Directive.

States provisionally agree update to EU ePrivacy rules 11 February 2021, 21:49 CET
The EU member states agreed Wednesday on a negotiating mandate for revised rules on the protection of privacy and confidentiality in the use of electronic communications services.

EU-US Data Protection Shield inadequate, EU Court rules 21 July 2020, 12:29 CET
The Court of Justice of the EU decided Thursday to invalidate the EU-US Privacy Shield on grounds of an inadequate levels of protection given to European consumer data transferred to the United States.

GDPR 2-year review: progress across EU, but more needed 30 June 2020, 17:51 CET
Two years on, the General Data Protection Regulation has met most of its objectives, with a set of enforceable rights and a new European system of governance and enforcement, says a report out Wednesday.