Privacy - Personal Data

The protection of privacy is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In a democratic society, privacy is an enabler for other fundamental rights, such as the freedom of expression and to form and join associations. However, some powerful entities now have an interest in weakening the protection of this fundamental right to increase the surveillance of citizens and draw a profit by collecting, processing, storing and trading it. These dangerous practices are already widespread on the Internet.

The legal framework that protects privacy needs to be strengthend and adapted to the digital era. There are currently three major legislative developments.

  • The French law Loi de programmation militaire (LPM) which allows highly intrusive surveillance of citizens by the authorities without proper judicial oversight.
  • The European Parliament's Data Protection Regulation, adopted in first reading in March 2014, will now be considered on 5/6 June by the Council of the European Union.
  • The decision by the European Court of Justice of the European Union in April 2014 declaring the 2006 Data Retention Directive invalid, will force the European Institutions to draft new regulations and national governments to reconsider their laws that had implemented the Directive.

Quad'news

Press review

Timeline

To come

  • 19 May 2016 - Article 31 group to meet in order to finalise its position
  • Mid-June 2016 - Article 31 group to release its non-binding opinion on the Privacy Shield's draft
  • 5 July 2016 - End of ePrivacy drective consultation
  • 25 May 2018 - The new data protection Regulation will come into effect

Past

  • 24 April 2016 - The new data protection Regulation came into force, it shall apply from 25 May 2018/li>
  • 14 April 2016 - Final vote the data protection Regulation and Directive in Parliament (LQDN's reaction)
  • 13 April 2016 - The WP29 announced its position regarding personal data transfers to the U.S. at an extraordinary plenary meeting on the Privacy Shield
  • 11 April 2016 - The E. Commission launched a public consultation on the e-Privacy Directive's reform
  • 6 April 2016 - E. Parliament organised a hearing of e-privacy experts, in preparation of the e-privacy Directive's reform
  • 17 March 2016 - LIBE Committee's hearing of experts on the Privacy Shield
  • 29 February 2016 - The EU Commission published the draft of the Privacy Shield
  • 17 December 2015 - Vote by the LIBE Committee of the GDPR
  • 15 December 2015 - Last trialogue for the GDPR
  • 14 July 2015 - Second trialogue on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
  • 24 June 2015 - First trialogue (ie. secret negociations behind closed doors)
  • 6 June 2014 - Legislative deliberation of the Council of the European Union on the Chapter V of the Regulation on Data Protection
  • 8 April 2014 - Court of Justice of the European Union publishes a ruling that the Data Retention Directive is invalid.
  • 12 March 2014 - The European Parliament calls for the suspension of “Safe Harbor”
  • 12 March 2014 - Vote on the General Data Protection Regulation
  • 11 February 2014 - The Day We Fight Back against surveillance and in support of privacy
  • 19 December 2013 - Final Adoption of Generalised Surveillance in France
  • 21 October 2013 - The “Civil Liberties” (LIBE) committee votes on its report (LQDN's reaction)
  • 19 March 2013 - The “Legal Affairs” (JURI) committee votes on its opinion (LQDN's reaction)
  • 21 February 2013 - The “Employment” (EMPL) committee votes on its opinion (LQDN's reaction)
  • 20 February 2013 - The “Industry” (ITRE) committee votes on its opinion (LQDN's reaction)
  • 23 January 2013 - The “Consumer Protection” (IMCO) committee votes on its opinion (LQDN's reaction)
  • 25 January 2012 - European Commissioner for Justice Viviane Reding presented a draft for a new EU data protection regulation

Reclaim Our Privacy

Reference documents

Campaign websites

Analysis

European Institutions documents

  • Judgement by Court of Justice of the European Union on the 2006 Data Retention Directive.
  • Procedure file: Personal data protection: processing and free movement of data (General Data Protection Regulation)
  • Procedure file: Personal data protection: processing of data for the purposes of prevention, investigation, detection or prosecution of criminal offences or execution of criminal penalties, and free movement of data
  • The “Data Protection” Directive (95/46/EC)

Committees and Rapporteurs

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