The Fundamentals of GDPR and Data Protection

The Fundamentals of GDPR and Data Protection

Data protection is a term used to describe the various mechanisms used to protect digital information from unauthorized access. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of regulations that member states of the European Union (EU) must implement in order to protect the privacy of digital data. 

The GDPR was created in response to the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation, which was passed in 2018. The GDPR replaces the 1995 Data Protection Directive, which did not take into account advances in technology and the way data is collected and processed. 

The GDPR sets out strict rules about how personal data must be collected, used, and protected. It gives individuals the right to know what personal data is being collected about them, the right to have that data erased, and the right to object to its use. 

The GDPR applies to any company that processes or intends to process the personal data of individuals in the EU, regardless of whether the company is based inside or outside the EU. 

The regulation is enforced by the European Commission, and companies that do not comply with the GDPR can be fined up to 4% of their annual global revenue or €20 million (whichever is greater).

What is GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of regulations that member states of the European Union (EU) must implement in order to protect the privacy of digital data. 

The GDPR was created in response to the UK’s General Data Protection Regulation, which was passed in 2018. The GDPR replaces the 1995 Data Protection Directive, which did not take into account advances in technology and the way data is collected and processed. 

The GDPR sets out strict rules about how personal data must be collected, used, and protected. It gives individuals the right to know what personal data is being collected about them, the right to have that data erased, and the right to object to its use. 

The GDPR applies to any company that processes or intends to process the personal data of individuals in the EU, regardless of whether the company is based inside or outside the EU. 

The regulation is enforced by the European Commission, and companies that do not comply with the GDPR can be fined up to 4% of their annual global revenue or €20 million (whichever is greater).

What are the key principles of GDPR?

There are six key principles of GDPR: 

  • Lawfulness, fairness and transparency: Personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly, and in a transparent manner. 
  • Purpose limitation: Personal data must be collected for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a way that is incompatible with those purposes. 
  • Data minimization: Personal data must be adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which it is being processed. 
  • Accuracy: Personal data must be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date. 
  • Storage limitation: Personal data must be kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data is being processed. 
  • Integrity and confidentiality: Personal data must be processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorized or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction, or damage.

Conclusion:

The GDPR is a European Union regulation that sets out strict rules about how personal data must be collected, used, and protected. It gives individuals the right to know what personal data is being collected about them, the right to have that data erased, and the right to object to its use. The regulation is enforced by the European Commission, and companies that do not comply with the GDPR can be fined up to 4% of their annual global revenue or €20 million (whichever is greater). The six key principles of GDPR are: lawfulness, fairness and transparency; purpose limitation; data minimization; accuracy; storage limitation; and integrity and confidentiality. Under GDPR, individuals have the following rights: the right to be informed; the right of access; the right to rectification; the right to erasure; the right to restrict processing; the right to data portability; the right to object; and the right not to be subject to automated decision-making.

 

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