The late Giovanni Buttarelli, European Data Protection Supervisor, drafted a Privacy Manifesto with Christian D’Cunha, the Head of his Private Office who, following Buttarelli’s death in August, prepared it for publication.(1) The following extracts, selected from the document, give a flavour of his wide-ranging ambitions to strengthen ­privacy rights.

“Democracy and the rule of law are threatened. Data protection authorities, along with other enforcers, face enormous challenges in uncovering opaque business practices to uphold the rights of individuals.”

“Vast amounts of data have been collected — however lawfully or ethically … The question for society is whether this data can be now used for the benefit of individuals and wider society. A ‘Europe fit for the Digital Age’ must be oriented toward the common good and sustainable solutions.”