Presentation by Mr. Bogdan Manolea, APTI.Ro/EDRI at the third International Conference e-Society.Mk: State of Privacy in the EU and SEE, November 29, 2007, Skopje Macedonia less

1. State of privacy in the EU and SEE
Skopje, 29 November 2007
Bogdan Manolea
www.e-society.org.mk

2. About EDRI
• European Digital Rights Initiative - EDRI
• Defend civil rights in the information
society
• 28 privacy and civil rights organizations
have EDRI membership
• Free newsletter on digital civil rights in
Europe
– Subscribe at http://www.edri.org/edrigram
www.e-society.org.mk

3. What is privacy ?
• quot;…the claim of individuals, groups, or
institutions to determine for themselves
when, how, and to what extent
information about them is
communicated to others.quot;
Alan Westin - Privacy and Freedom
www.e-society.org.mk

4. International
• 1948 Universal Declaration of Human
Rights
• Organisation for Economic Cooperation
& Development (OECD) released in
1981 - Guidelines Governing the
Protection of Privacy & Transborder
Data Flows of Personal Data
www.e-society.org.mk

5. European level
• European Convention for the Protection
of Human Rights & Fundamental
Freedoms
• European Union - Data Protection
Directive – 1995
• EU Telecom privacy directive (1997,
replaced in 2002)
www.e-society.org.mk

6. European institutions
• European Court of Human Rights
(ECHR)
• Article 29 Data Protection Working Party
• European Data Protection Supervisor
– independent supervisory authority devoted
to protecting personal data and privacy and
promoting good practice in the EU
institutions and bodies
www.e-society.org.mk

7. National level
• Constitution + Constitutional Court
Decisions
• National laws on personal data
protection
• National Authorities on personal data
protection
• Privacy NGOs
www.e-society.org.mk

8. SE Europe & privacy
• Do we really understand the concept ?
• Are the laws enough in protecting
privacy ?
• Implementing data protection principles
– Support from the government in
establishing a truly independent authority
– Understanding its role – more than another
public register
www.e-society.org.mk

9. Privacy-related cases
• Data retention directive
• Swift case
• Online police searches
• Google-Doubleclick deal
• DNA databases
• Prum Treaty
• Visa Information System
• Passenger Name Records (PNR)
www.e-society.org.mk

10. National cases (BBA)
• Education Evidence bill – Austria
• Personalized rail tickets – Germany
• Illegal system of intercepting phone
calls – Italy
• 50 video-surveillance cameras in a
locality with 9000 inhabitants - France
• Losing personal data of 25 million
citizens – UK
www.e-society.org.mk

11. What can you do ?
• Be active
• BBA Awards 2007 Netherlands – YOU - Due to
indifference - quot;I have nothing to hidequot; - and
lack of interest in what happens to their
personal data, citizens share responsibility for
the disappearance of privacy in The
Netherlands.
• Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs)
• RFID Debate
• Data retention challenges
www.e-society.org.mk

12. Thank you !
Bogdan Manolea
www.e-society.org.mk