Data protection / Intelligence and security agencies / Law enforcement / Privacy policies

New UK Decisions on the Data Protection Implications of Information Sharing with Law Enforcement

Compliance with governmental requests for information raise a minefield of different laws, but data protection/privacy rights hold special pitfalls Determining when the sharing of personal data is legal can be a complicated exercise. Yet, the impetus for governmental agencies to collect and share more and more information is at an unprecedented high. In the EU, … Continue reading

Brexit / Data protection / Data transfer / Jurisdiction / safe harbour

EU Approves ‘Privacy Shield’ Safe Framework for Trans-Atlantic Personal Data Transfers

Privacy shields doubling as privacy swords? … While “the best defence” may also make a “good offence” (or, “offense”, as our US counterparts would call it), first you need to be confident that your defence strategy works! Last Friday, a statement was made by EU Vice-President Ansip and Justice Commissioner Vera Jourová announcing the adoption … Continue reading

anonymisation / Brexit / Data protection / Data transfer / digital identity / e-government / eIDAS / General Data Protection Regulation / safe harbour

eIDAS applies from 1 July 2016: An EU dream come true after a Brexit nightmare?

  Six days after the results of the UK Brexit referendum and it is still very hard to go back to a “normal” life, especially while remaining an EU citizen living in the UK. One of the most upsetting things of the referendum, at least for lawyer, is its nonsense. This holds true in particular … Continue reading

consent / Data protection / General Data Protection Regulation / Geo-location data / Personal data

Geo-Location Data Processing and Meaningful Consent – A Comparison of Latest Data Protection Guidance

Of ‘Mice and Men’ to ‘Maps and Machines’ – “Whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent.” Further to my post in March, the purpose of this sequel post is to continue considering two guidelines published by European regulators regarding the processing of geolocation data. I continue to delve into the cloudy legal … Continue reading

Data protection / Law enforcement / Security / Surveillance / terrorism

New Air Passenger Data Processing Rules to Apply from 2018

Ready, steady, go… Clock countdown formally starts for the reform of three major pieces of EU data legislation! It’s finally final – three separate pieces of data privacy-related legislation in the EU will be coming into effect soon: As anticipated by Sophie last month here, the final version of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) … Continue reading

content regulation / Copyright / Data protection / immunities / Internet intermediaries / ISPs / notice-and-take down

The EU Commission and its draft Communication on online platforms: sectorial voluntary action and soft law are the winners of the regulatory challenge!

The topic of intermediary liability is a hot topic these days, with different types of institutions already having had looked, or still looking, at how to interpret/amend/improve the EU intermediary liability legal and regulatory regime. The European Commission [EC] fuelled this debate with its Communication of 6 May 2015 on ‘A Digital Single Market Strategy … Continue reading

Copyright / Data protection / Google / Internet intermediaries / Linking / Privacy

I link, he delists and they get entangled in! Re-mixing copyright, trade marks and data protection while waiting for the CJEU’s decision in GS Media…

Some of you certainly remember the Google v Vuitton case decided by the CJEU some years ago now, in 2010, which was a case about trade mark infringement. (Sometimes it is useful to go back to the roots!) To make the story short, the case involved the use of keywords corresponding to trade marks in … Continue reading

anonymisation / big data / Data protection / data protection agencies / European Data Protection Supervisor / General Data Protection Regulation / ICO / Privacy / pseudonymisation / Risk-based approach

The GDPR and the biggest mess of all: why accurate legal definitions really matter….

Issued last week, here is what seems to be the final version of the General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR)! This 6 April 2016 version, likely to be adopted by the European Parliament this week, is now in the kiosks! HIP HIP HOORRAY I hear you thinking, either ironically because more than 4 years of … Continue reading