In today’s cyber-orientated world, data protection is a serious issue. Each week new stories emerge of big-name companies being affected – from the likes of Microsoft to Morrison’s, and everything in between.
In the second quarter of 2014, Safenet’s Breach Level Index revealed that 237 data breaches occurred. These vary in extremity, but all serve to demonstrate the inimical effects of inadequate data security, both for businesses and customers. The revisions began in 2012 when the European Commission proposed a comprehensive reform of the EU’s 1995 data protection to strengthen online protection rights.
With the evolution of the internet, and specifically the growing mediums for the exchange of information, such as social media, the current laws are seen as outdated, lagging behind, and unable to provide adequate preventive measures to help protect individual privacy.
Part of the new regulation is intended to implement a unilateral standard for the collection and storage of personal data across the EU member states. It also means that direct permission will need to be granted in order for a company to store an individual’s data, thereby placing increased pressure on companies that rely on cold calling or mailing lists for business acquisition.
Companies have been the subject of criticism from the European commission in the last few years for failing to provide an acceptable standard of protection. In 2012, for example, Google altered its policy to move its data servers from all services to a single location; a move that was widely criticised by EU commissioners.
Part of the new EU regulation will also see the implementation of a ‘right to forget’ law, which gives individuals the option to request that personal information about them is removed. Earlier this year, an EU ruling made Google the first major company to introduce the service, a move that garnered both criticism and acclaim, which allows an individual to request that no-longer relevant information be removed from search results.
Once revised, the new regulation is expected to become law as early as 2017.