Two years after the entry into force of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there are still many people and companies looking to find out about this measure launched by the European Commission (EC). Proof of this is the number of visitors to the site in 2019 where the EC makes known the rules for organizations and citizens' rights: more than 1.7 million.
In a joint statement from the vice president of securities and transparency, Vra Jourov, and justice commissioner Didier Reynders, the representatives make it clear that "strict data protection rules are not a luxury, but a necessity". The quote appears in the context of Data Protection Defense Day, which will be marked this Tuesday.
Both commissioners believe that Europe has become a "global benchmark" in the implementation of strict data protection measures and, 20 months after the entry into force of the GDPR, the rules have had effects. In the opinion of Vra Jourov and Didier Reynders, the measure acted as a "catalyst" to put data protection at the center of many political debates and, furthermore, an "inspiration" for the success of other initiatives related to artificial intelligence, health or mobility.
Representatives also highlight the increased awareness of citizens about data protection, after in 2019 results from a Eurobarometer have shown good indicators. According to the report, 65% of respondents are aware that they can access their own data and the right to correct information if it is not correct (61%). On the other hand, 59% know that they can refuse to receive advertising directly and that they have the right to have their data deleted (57%).
Even so, the commissioners believe that it is necessary to reinforce the GDPR rules, emphasizing the cooperation between the authorities specialized in this area.
In an interview with SAPO TEK, the president of the National Data Protection Commission (CNPD), Filipa Calvo, also considers that the rules regarding privacy have allowed significant improvements in this area. Our privacy today is subject to much greater pressure than it was 40 years ago, when we started to beware of computerization, he argues. And while there are those who say that there is nothing to do and that there is no way to save privacy, the president of CNPD says that we should not let our arms down and that we should continue to fight, from a global perspective and in small data processing personal, for guaranteeing some dimension of privacy ".
