Rights of the Individual

Technology disrupts all aspects of our lives - in good ways and bad. Meanwhile, basic rights such as privacy, freedom of expression and non-discrimination are under unprecedented strain. Big Data and the Internet of Things bring policy, regulatory and enforcement challenges that require a holistic approach to ensure that the rights and interests of individuals are safeguarded in the coming decades. 

The EDPS, in collaboration with European consumer organisation BEUC, is hosting a joint conference on Big Data: individual rights and smart enforcement in Brussels on Thursday 29 September 2016. The conference will include panels on online platforms, smart technologies and the Digital Single Market. Speakers include EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager, Federal Trade Commissoner Terrell McSweeny, BEUC Director General Monique Goyens and European Data Protection Supervisor, Giovanni Buttarelli.

This high level conference will bring together leading regulators and experts in the competition, data protection and consumer protection spheres to discuss key areas of economic and societal change, to promote closer dialogue and cooperation among regulatory and enforcement bodies and explore how to better respond to the challenges our society is facing.

The registration was closed on Monday 12 September.

Follow #BigDataRights and stay tuned!

You can find out more about EDPS work on big data here

Video recording of the meeting & the video message of Roberto Viola, Director General of DG CONNECT, European Commission.

Presentations :

EDPS Opinion on the Second EU Smart Borders Package, Recommendations on the revised Proposal to establish an Entry/Exit System

EDPS' consultation on transfer of personal data to a processor established in the United States (Case 2016-0628)

Prior-check Opinion concerning the individual performance indicators for the annual evaluation of staff members at the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) (Case 2016-0417)

Personal data collected during an employer's core business activities are sometimes further used to produce productivity reports of employees to feed the evaluation process. This further use of personal data is a change of the initial purpose (linked to the core business) and should therefore be based on specific and explicit internal rules. Employees must be made aware of the change of purpose to ensure fair processing of their personal information. In addition, this information can only be used as a support tool for the annual evaluation of employees and not as the only source to feed the evaluation process.

EDPS' recommendations on the proposed European Border and Coast Guard Regulation