Data Protection Day: Joint Statement by Vice-President Jourová and Commissioner Reynders

To mark the 2020 Data Protection Day taking place on 28 January, Vice-President Jourová and Commissioner Reynders issued the following joint statement: “Data are becoming increasingly important for our economy and for our daily lives. With the roll-out of 5G and uptake of the Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things technologies, personal data will be in abundance and with potential uses we probably can’t imagine. While this offers amazing opportunities, some cases show that robust rules are needed to address clear risks for individuals and for our democracies. In Europe we know that strong data protection rules are not a luxury, but a necessity. […] 20 months after the entry into application of the landmark General Data Protection Regulation, we see that the GDPR has acted as a catalyst to put data protection at the centre of many of the on-going policy debates. It is a cornerstone of the European approach underpinning several political priorities of the new Commission promoting a human centric approach to Artificial Intelligence and other digital technologies. […] However, our priority and that of everyone involved should be to foster a harmonised and consistent implementation of data protection rules throughout the EU. […] The demand for privacy is not limited to Europe. The GDPR has inspired a growing number of laws around the world and is becoming a global standard.” The full statement is available online.