Constant change keeps DPOs extra busy

As DPOs everywhere are catching their breath after new Covid-related data protection dilemmas, the international data transfer issue is still very much alive. While the UK is still waiting for the final adequacy decision, the European Commission has announced that it has completed the talks with South Korea. The process which started in 2017 has been slow compared to the UK’s progress, but the starting points were also different.

Bruno Gencarelli, Head of Unit – International Data Flows and Protection, European Commission, has kindly agreed to speak about the EU’s adequacy programme at an online session of PL&B’s 34th Annual International Conference, 5-7 July 2021 – save the date now.

We will also publish an analysis of Korea’s draft adequacy decision by Professor Graham Greenleaf in the next issue of PL&B International Report. Regarding EU-US developments, the EU says that negotiations are accelerating.

The EU e-Privacy draft regulation has nudged forward as the Council finally agreed its negotiating position. The European Data Protection Board has welcomed this development, but said in a statement that e-Privacy Regulation must not lower the level of protection offered by the current e-Privacy Directive. It also stressed that national authorities responsible for enforcement of the GDPR should be entrusted with the oversight of the privacy provisions to ensure a harmonised interpretation.

The regulation, when adopted, will have an impact on the adtech ecosystem as much of it depends on tracking technologies. I recently had the pleasure to interview our PL&B UK Report Correspondents, Marta Dunphy-Moriel and Alexander Dittel of Deloitte, for our Privacy Paths podcast about adtech developments and compliance issues.

Adtech is complex, and we are very aware of the need to make new tech more understandable for DPOs and lawyers. Read an article about differential privacy.

The news from Asia is that Singapore’s DP law amendments are in force, including breach notification, and that Vietnam has issued a draft data protection decree.

Laura Linkomies
Editor, Privacy Laws & Business

April 2021