It’s finally here: adequacy decision on EU-US data transfers

Data transfers from the EU to the US will now be easier for many companies, following a long-awaited decision from the European Commission. More than a year after the first announcement of the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework, the European Commission adopted its adequacy decision on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) on 10 July 2023, which entered into force with immediate effect. Transfers to US companies signed up…

GDPR: five years on

For those  impacted by the EU General Data Protection Regulation, known as the GDPR since its entry into operation across the bloc on 25 May 2018, it’s quite something to think that the legislation has been with us for five years today. So what has gone well and what has gone less well? One of the main purposes of the legislation was to get the…

Data protection in Brazil: what to expect this year

In 2023, the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD) celebrates five years since its publication. Since its entry into force in 2020, the LGPD has come a long way, but there are several legal issues relating to the protection of personal data that still need further refinement.  Brazilian Data Protection Authority Among the main changes since the enactment of the LGPD has beenthe change in…

New year, new mechanism for US-EU data transfers?

Last October, President Joe Biden’s administration published an executive order regarding a new EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework – the replacement of the so-called Privacy Shield mechanism that previously allowed transfers of personal data from the EU to the United States. The executive order immediately sparked the European Commission’s process to assess the new U.S. regime and prepare a respective adequacy decision, which would bring considerable…

AI that detects your emotions: issues for employment?

The development of Empathetic AI, which purports to be able to detect human emotions, raises significant questions for employment, particularly around data privacy and potential bias. Smile! You’re on camera! And we are detecting your heart rate, pupil dilation, blood pressure, temperature, and other physiognomic measurements… Empathic Artificial Intelligence is a sub-group of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems which makes use of empathic technology: algorithms that…

Please check your temperature: or don’t? Data privacy questions from Germany

What are the data protection implications of temperature checks as a Covid-19 precaution? This article investigates, with reference to a current investigation by the Hesse Data Protection Commissioner.  After the phase of coronavirus-related remote working, still in use in many companies, the question now arises as to what measures must and may be taken when returning to work onsite, to check whether an employee may…