Press release: Privacy International launches guide to strengthen global campaign for data protection
· Privacy International has launched a new guide, aimed at civil society organisations, to strengthen the global campaign for effective data protection.
· The guide addresses the various provisions that are commonly presented in a data protection law, including the principles of data protection, the rights of data subjects, and the obligations of data controllers and data processors.
· Global legislative developments point to over two billion people being covered by data protection laws by 2020, covering populations such as India, Indonesia, and Brazil.
Privacy International has today launched a new guide aimed at enhancing and expanding data protection standards around the world, three months after the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe, and with legislative action on the agenda in several countries including India, Kenya and Pakistan.
The guide is intended to assist civil society organisations in their policy engagement on data protection. It provides a framework for analysing data protection legislation in various forms, including bills and existing laws, clarifies some of the terminology around data protection, and highlights a list of resources that organisations can consult to deepen their expertise.
As of September 2018, approximately 120 countries have adopted some form of data protection legislation, and 40 countries have initiated a legislative process. However, even countries with data protection laws often lack effective implementation and enforcement or have not updated their legislation to address current abuses of personal data.
Alexandrine Pirlot de Corbion, Lead of Privacy International’s Global Programme, said:
“The generation and processing of our personal data is widespread but remains largely unregulated. This is particularly concerning given that many of aspects of our daily lives have increasingly evolved to depend on this processing.
“As governments begin processes to draft or reform data protection laws, there is a real opportunity for civil society to engage and voice their concerns. We hope this guide will give them the knowledge they need to feel confident to start working on these issues and to join the campaign for better data protection standards.”
Background
· This guide does not provide an exhaustive list of all the ideal provisions of a data protection law, but instead focuses on several key areas, including the data protection principles, the rights of data subjects, the grounds for processing personal data, and the obligations of data controllers and data processors as well as accountability and enforcement mechanisms.
· Each section provides some background information about the regulatory objective, the different elements it should contain, and (where relevant) some guidance and language to support civil society engagement.
· The guide references examples from around the world, with a strong focus on examples from the European Union data protection framework, as one of the most recent and comprehensive frameworks. However, it can be adapted to suit different national frameworks and local contexts.
About Privacy International
· Privacy International (PI) is a registered charity based in London that works at the intersection of modern technologies and rights.
· We shine a light on overreaching state and corporate surveillance, with a focus on the sophisticated technologies and weak laws that enable serious incursions into our privacy. We investigate, litigate, advocate and educate, all with one aim — for people everywhere to have greater security and freedom through greater personal privacy.
· We work with experts all over the world to build the global privacy movement.
END
Press enquiries: press@privacyinternational.org / +44 (0)20 3422 4321
