Data Protection Law

The Data Protection Directive (officially Directive 95/46/EC on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data) is a European Union directive which regulates the processing of personal data within the European Union. It is an important component of EU privacy and human rights law.

Information Privacy is an International concern. Today, most countries have laws protecting personal data from misuse and destruction. Regulation and enforcement of data protection varies from country to country.

The European Union is based on the respect for fundamental rights. Article 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union expressly recognizes the fundamental right to the protection of personal data. In order to remove potential obstacles to the flows of Personal Data and to ensure a high level of protection within the EU, data protection legislation has been harmonized.

The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, Title II) required the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health plans, and employers. As the industry has implemented these standards, and increased the use of electronic data interchange, the nation's health care system will become increasingly effective and efficient.

The OECD is a unique forum where the governments of 30 member countries work together with business and civil society to address the economic, social, environmental and governance challenges of the globalising world economy, as well as exploit its opportunities.

The Privacy Act Issuances, 2005 Compilation Online Database contains descriptions of Federal agency systems of records maintained on individuals and rules agencies follow to assist individuals who request information about their records.

The U.S. Department of Commerce in consultation with the Federal Data Protection and Information Commission of Switzerland developed a "Safe Harbor" framework to bridge the different privacy approaches between the two countries and provide a streamlined means for U.S. organizations to comply with the Swiss data protection law. This website also provides the information an organization should need to evaluate – and then join – the U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor Framework.

New technology has created powerful new ways to gather, store, sort, analyze, locate, correlate, and disseminate data. This has enabled increasingly intensive use of personal data, which can deliver significant benefits. But the growing use of personal data raises a host of privacy challenges as well.

EPIC is a public interest research center in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values.

Privacy International (PI) is a human rights group formed in 1990 as a watchdog on surveillance and privacy invasions by governments and corporations. PI is based in London, England, and has an office in Washington, D.C. We have campaigned across the world to protect people against intrusion by governments and corporations that seek to erode this fragile right. We believe that privacy forms part of the bedrock of freedoms, and our goal has always been to use every means to preserve it.

The USA has no comprehensive data protection legislation. Although a signatory to the 1981 OECD Guidelines, the USA has not implemented them domestically. Instead, a sectoral approach, with a mix of legislation, regulation and self-regulation, is utilised. The introduction of Directive 95/46/EC could have therefore restricted the ability of US organisations to engage in transactions with their European counterparts, for it prohibited the transfer of personal data to non EU states that do not meet the "adequacy" standard for the protection of privacy.

The CIPP Guide provides reliable and accurate information to the privacy professional arena. We hope individuals seeking the Certified Information Privacy Professional designation will find further substance specifically targeted at their CIPP pursuit.

The EPIC Alert, a bi-weekly publication of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington DC, covers issues related to privacy and civil liberties in the information age. Each issue contains: * detailed articles on privacy developments in the US and around the world * briefing reports on breaking privacy news * book reviews of the latest privacy-related publications * listing of upcoming privacy conferences and events.

These guidelines apply to all participants in the new information society and suggest the need for a greater awareness and understanding of security issues, including the need to develop a "culture of security" - that is, a focus on security in the development of information systems and networks, and the adoption of new ways of thinking and behaving when using and interacting within information systems and networks. The guidelines constitute a foundation for work towards a culture of security throughout society.

Articles written by attorneys and experts worldwide discussing legal aspects related to Science and Technology including: biotechnology, chemical law, computer and software, data protection, information technology, internet law, research and development, telecommunications law.